KINTYRE AND THE KINTYRE CLUB

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE PENINSULA

WITH LISTS OF THE MEMBERS AND THE LADY ASSOCIATES OF THE CLUB

1825 - 1833

GLASGOW
1884

The Kintyre Club, formed in 1825, with objectives and functions which were appropriate at
that period and well into the present century, was wound up in the year 1981, the club,
throughout its history, dispensing welfare and educational aid without discrimination to all
who deserved it.

The twelve gentlemen who started the club were all Glasgow "merchants" with Campbeltown
origins, probably all of Lowland stock and the club's early activities were probably biased

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accordingly. Soon membership extended to the lairds and other men of standing in Kintyre
(from Tarbert to Southend) and later to Kintyreans overseas.

The members' roll contained at least 2,000 names and many Campbeltonians could identify
their forebears, or at least
recognise the association of many names on the roll. Unfortunately neither the rolls nor the
club records contain detailed information about the members and many of the families
represented in the lists have now disappeared from Kintyre.

The club membership reflected not only the many business connections between Glasgow and
Campbeltown but also the far flung influence of Kintyre in the 19th century in The Dominions,
America, India and other overseas territories, some curiosity surrounding one, Ernest
Dupertre of Aux Cayes, Haiti, who became an honorary member in 1859.

The affairs of the club were well documented and amongst the most widely distributed of the
club's documents was a hard-backed 66-page booklet entitled "Kintyre and The Kintyre Club
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1884" which, until at least recent time, could be found on the shelves of Campbeltown's
library and some of what follows based on its contents.

The official record states that "At a Meeting held, by special invitation, at the house of John
Campbell, Esq., in Glasgow, on Friday 1st July 1825 .... a motion was made that a Club,
consisting of the gentlemen now present (there were twelve) and such other gentlemen as
may be deemed eligible members, should be formed under the title and designation of "The
Kintyre Club ... " The motion was carried and this meeting was considered to be the first
meeting of The "Kintyre Club."

The "open and avowed objects of the club was declared to be "social and rational enjoyment of
the Members, in union with the relief and support of decayed and indigent individuals or
families resident in this neighbourhood (i.e. Glasgow), who have been either born or are the
descendants of parents born in the district from which the club takes its title."

From this original resolution the club was properly constituted with its formal rules and
regulations, and these remained substantially the same throughout the life of the club. In the
amended rules of 1879 the object of the club was "for social and charitable purposes"; in
those of 1883 "for social, charitable and educational purposes" and in an amendment of 1927
"for charitable and educational purposes".

Originally there was an entry fee and an annual subscription, but this was consolidated to a
single life membership fee which remained at £3 3 shillings for Ordinary Members for most of
the life of the club.

There were also Honorary Members, who paid £2 2 shillings for this privilege: These included
Lord Provosts of Glasgow, M.P.'s and distinguished business men and others who had Kintyre
contacts, but not family ties, the club instituting a "Lady Associate Branch" (fee 10 shillings
and 6 pence) in 1883 and the ladies admitted to full membership in 1927.

From its beginning the club was under the patronage of the incumbent Duke of Argyll and,
throughout her long life, H.R.H. Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, was patroness of the
"Lady Associate Branch", the club's presidents elected annually from notable members of the
club resident either in Glasgow or Campbeltown.

The affairs of the club were run by a committee of directors with a secretary and treasurer,
these, who did most of the work, paid a small honorarium.

A special feature of The Kintyre Club in its heyday were the "corresponding directors" elected
from members resident in local communities outside Glasgow and Campbeltown, and in the
main overseas territories, their function being to keep contact between the club and its
members in the areas concerned, the appointment of these 'corresponding directors'
discontinued during WWI and, after WWII, certain other rules and usages regarding office
bearers amended.

Being run mainly by business men, the club's funds were strictly organised and carefully
managed. The club had no premises and no permanent staff and its social activities were
made to pay for themselves so that its funds were practically all available for its charitable
objectives and for investment, the annual 'abstracts of accounts" providing very lucid
statements of the club's financial operations and, starting life as a social and charitable club,
the club, over the years, becoming purely a charitable organisation.

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Though early club records are not available, it is certain that the first members were "cronies"
who enjoyed the club's social occasions and considered them the most important of its
activities.

According to "The Kintyre Club 1879", "Of the founders of the club it may with propriety be
said that they sought primarily the enjoyment of the Annual Festival when the members and
their friends had an opportunity for the inter-change of these courtesies which tend to sweeten
the leisure hour from the course of business and professional engagements".

Until around 1900, the club held an annual dinner, two out of three years in one of Glasgow's
city hotels, the third in Campbeltown, usually held in Campbeltown's Town Hall, sometimes
in The Argyll Arms Hotel. Prices for these dinners were usually between 7/6d and 10/6d., for
which a sumptious meal was provided and which today would represent a £25 or £30 meal
and one dinner on record cost 21/- a head, The Marquis of Lorne was President and many
Glasgow and Kintyre notables were present.

The club appears to have reached the zenith of its social activites in the early 1880's, when it
held a "Kintyre Gathering" in Glasgow's City Hall in 1881 and, in 1882, a "Conversazione"
was held in Glasgow's St. Andrew's Hall, the most prestigous hall in the city.

These events were attended by members of the club and their friends, ladies being included
on these occasions and, in addition to a certain amount of club business, refreshments and
entertainment in the form of music and dancing were also provided.

One of the highlights of this period in the club's history was a public lecture by His Grace The
Duke of Argyll given in Glasgow's St. Andrew's Hall in October 1883. Invited guests, who
constituted a platform party, including high ranking civic and political figures and an
inpressive list of academic and professional men, club members and their friends having first
call on tickets for the floor and galleries of the hall and remaining tickets then made available
to the public.

The Duke's address, reported in "The Glasgow Herald" of October 13, 1883, on "Geology
and the Deluge", in which he tried to reconcile The Biblical (and other) stories of The Flood
with the geological knowledge of the times, was perhaps a bit long-winded, but showed The
Duke to be a well informed and observant amateur geologist.

Social events were made to pay for themselves and funds arising from subscriptions were
allowed to accumulate till a significant amount was available for charity from 1830 onwards.
Subscriptions and funds from other sources were well managed and reserves soundly invested
and there appears never to have been a financial 'crisis' in the club's affairs.

In the 19th century though, by the standards of the time, there was certainly much wealth in
Campbeltown, there too was much poverty in the town and indeed there were many
impoverished Campbeltonians too who lived in Glasgow and The Kintyre Club was conceived
as a charitable institution to provide assistance to the less fortunate of the community, the
club adamant in rejecting appeals from organisations and individuals which did not conform to
its charitable objectives and its purposes to provide for both education and poor relief, the
distinction between these provisions made clearer in the club's later years.

According to records for its first hundred years, up to 1928, the club accumulated £8,480 in
its Capital Fund and spent a total of £13,777 on charity during this period, made up of £7,040
on Relief and £6,737 on Education. These figures, of course, have little meaning by present
day values, and would have to be multiplied at least by 80 to put them into modern
perspective. Though the direst need for poor relief and educational aid occurred during the

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club's first hundred years, many Kintyreans particularly grateful for the club's help in the
depression of the 1930's, the relief to the needy being the most unobtrusive and the least
spectacular of the club's activities, but in human terms possibly the most important.

All cases for assistance were considered and approved by the club's directors, usually quietly
and expeditiously and they assisted by a "Relief Committee", a "Lady Associates Committee"
and by the "Charities Organisation Society" (C.O.S.) to which the club subscribed, friendly
contact and a check on the beneficiary's condition then maintained.

A single example from the 1851 Minute Book reads, "Mr. McN .... died in October 1851
leaving a helpless widow without being able to do anything for herself. The person with whom
she is lodged has no means to support her beyond what he can spare from any trifling returns
by hawking trinkets among the residents of the district She is allowed five or six shilling a
month from the parish. Your Committee, on careful consideration of the case recommend
that the allowance formerly given to the husband he continued for his widow". The Directors
agreed and the sum of £2 per year was duly paid.

Relief took several forms. Single payments were made for specific purposes - a steamer fare
home, funeral expenses, a wooden leg and other payments, 'Bounties' or 'Grants, were paid
regularly, usually once a quarter, to the recipients. By 1922 this was standard practice and
the usual 'grant' at that time was £2 per quarter. Such payments made over a number of
years became 'Pensions' and it is evident from the records that the beneficiaries were mostly
widows.and old people of both sexes, the majority resident in or around Glasgow and this is
understandable as such exiles were isolated from friends or relatives who might be expected
to help them.

Though the amount spent on relief was at least as great as that spent on all aspects of
education, it was in this connection that the club occasionally felt the pinch and in 1877 a
special appeal, the £2000 scheme, was launched with the object of increasing the amount of
grants.

In 1886 it is recorded that 'Applications for Relief' were "more numerous and pressing than
heretofore" and that club funds had diminished due to a reduction in the number of members.

Though this was a time of trade depression, the club launched another appeal for special
donations from members and for new members and as a result funds improved significantly
over the following years.

In 1897 Mr. David McDonald endowed the McDonald Annuity Fund from which 'Annuities',
usually three concurrently, were paid and thereafter the club was able to meet its welfare
commitments to its own satisfaction.
With the arrival of old age pensions, unemployment insurance and national assistance, the
importance of these dwindled, though the club was still paying annuities till not so many
years ago at the rate of £80 per year.

The Kintyre Club is perhaps best known for its educational activities, prizes, medals and
bursaries certainly things to tell The World about; the giving of charity, not such a public
matter in later time.

The club's interest in education began in 1830, at the same time as its charitable activities
and that year £5 was spent on school prizes, the presentation of prizes and medals continuing
ever since. In 1832 the club started "school bursaries" and the payment of school fees for
needy children and, in 1846, the club started awarding University Bursaries, these too
having continued to the present time.

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Although it was the Scottish tradition to provide education for all, this was not always free
and, at the time the club started, fees were charged by most schools.

It was to assist with these that "school bursaries" were initiated and over many years the Club
paid the school fees of 40 to 50 poor children attending schools throughout Kintyre as well as
in Campbeltown and Tarbert, these payments continued till 1881 and were no longer required
after The 1872 Education Act. In these early days grants were also made to parents to help
with their children's education and to schools and school-masters to improve school facilities.
For instance help was given to the "Ragged School", which presumably was itself a charitable
institution.

The Kintyre Club donated medals and book prizes to all Kintyre schools (including Tarbert)
since 1830. Gold medals were presented annually, one each to the dux boy and girl at
Campbeltown Grammar School and one to the dux of Tarbert School, silver medals were
presented to the best pupils at the "qualifying" stage, one each to the Campbeltown schools,
including Millknowe and Dalintober and to Tarbert and one each to groups of country schools.
The medals have the insignia of the club and were inscribed with the name of the winner and
the date of their presentation but, because of increased costs and slow delivery in 1948, the
donation of medals was discontinued and special book prizes were given in lieu of the medals.

There were also book prizes for the top pupils in particular subjects in all Kintyre schools,
these well bound in leather and cloth and were embossed with the club's insignia. These
covered a wide range of serious subjects - exploration, biography, adventure, good works
etc. and, at one country school, each prize winner got a Bible, presumably at the instigation
of the schoolmaster. There are detailed, though incomplete, records of medal and prize
winners and the earliest of these records, from the mid-1800's, makes an interesting
comparison with present times.

At that time, country schools, which are now closed or have a dozen or so pupils, had 50 or
60 pupils each and too at that time Campbeltown had a multiplicity of schools, many private
or Church establishments.

There was obviously a degree of segregation as to who attended which school but there was
none in the awarding of prizes, children of "paupers", "inspectors of poor", fishermen,
distillers, labourers, farmers and so on all appeared on the prize lists.

As The Kintyre Club matured, higher education became its main interest and the main pre-
occupation of the directors.

The club started providing University Bursaries in 1847 and thereafter several members
donated or bequeathed specific sums for this purpose and thus there arose 'The Kintyre (Ker)
Bursary', 'The Duncan McCallum Bursary', 'The James Greenlees Bursary' and 'The Dr. Robert
Fullarton Bursary', these bursaries were worth around £25 per year, except for the last which
went up to £80 per year.

They were available to students from Kintyre or with Kintyre connections and were tenable for
thee years for attendance at any Scottish University or Institute of Higher Education. They
were awarded on merit, as adjudged by examination results, to eligible candidates. The
circumstances of the applicant and his family had to be such that in the opinion of the club's
directors financial aid was necessary, or at least beneficial. In this respect there is a case on
record where the "Campbeltown Journal" in 1854 alleged that the club had granted bursaries
to two young men of substantial means, an allegation which the club's directors indignantly
refuted.

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The administration of the bursaries required close association with The Scottish Education
Department, especially in more
recent times when they had to conform to relevant legislation and the arrangements were
officially formalised under "The Kintyre Bursaries Schemes" of 1932 and 1957 by orders under
the appropriate Education Acts, the regulating of these procedures under these Acts leaving
the directors of the club free to select and supervise the candidates.

Bursars were expected to pursue and complete their studies satisfactorily and the directors
followed their performance throughout the course, taking a personal and fatherly interest in
their progress and, in cases where training extended to a fourth year, the club was usually
prepared to extend the bursary or offer a special grant.

By today's values £25 per year is not worth much, but it meant a lot when University fees
were around £10 per year and lodging could be obtained for £1 per week. At that time it
probably determined whether a promising student could or could not get a University
education and there is little doubt that a Kintyre Club Bursary has given many a successful
Kintyrean a start in life.

Taking a wider view, The Kintyre Club's preoccupation with education for more than a century
has made a contribution to The World at large and not only were Campbeltown and Kintyre
prominent in the Glasgow business community in the 19th century but too they sent
merchants, professional men and administrators to almost every part of The World and did so
in numbers out of proportion to their size.

With changing times, 'The Welfare State' overtook many of the functions of The Kintyre Club
and even if the club had continued to give relief or educational aid, that aid would have to
have been taken into account by the authorities concerned in estimating supplementary
benefits and educational grants. Moreover, the funds at the disposal of the club had been
greatly devalued by inflation and, no longer woth any really significant role for the club to play
in this community, the decision to wind up the club was finally taken at a General Meeting of
the club on May 5, 1981 and, after meeting its own legal, accounting and administrative
expenses, the club agreed to transfer the funds donated or bequeathed for educational
purposes to Strathclyde Regional Council, as Governors of The County of Argyll Educational
Trust and the remainder of the funds to The Trustees of the Argyll and Bute Trust.

By so allocating its assets, the club hoped to maintain their Kintyre association, The Argyll
and Bute Trust, which donated funds from its income for charitable purposes, was expected
to earmark the appropriate income for Kintyre, Kintyre being represented by a trustee, The
County of Argyll Educational Trust administering various educational endowments under a
"scheme" formulated by The Scottish Education Department and the club's hope was that the
bursaries allocated to Kintyre and "The Kintyre Club" prizes would retain their distinctive
identity.

Too at that final meeting of the club, it was decided to present the President's Chain of Office
and have the ownership of the Herdsman's Horn and the Lowland Church Bell, on loan,
Campbeltown's Museum.

The President's Chain of Office, each gold link of which is inscribed with the name of a
President and the centre piece, or "medal", bearing the inscription on the reverse side, "The
Medal was presented by the Kintyre ladies to the Directors of The Kintyre Club, who entrust it
to the care of The President for the time being and recognise it as the Insignia of Office -
August 30, 1878" - At the time of the chain's original presentation, the chain consisted of 43
links, it now contains 75, most, though not all, Presidents having added a link.

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Prior to the presentation of the President's chain the main "insignia" of the Club was the
Campbeltown Herdsman's Horn.

In the 18th century and earlier, this horn had been sounded by the Town Herd "to rouse the
slumbering natives that they might turn out their cows to be driven to the Whinny Hill, till
lately the Town Common at Witchburn. The Horn was "recovered" by Mr. Peter Reid, who
became President of the Club in 1834. He bought it from "Auld McGregor", the Town Herd,
who may or may not have had the right to sell it. After it was "transformed and silver
mounted" it was presented by Mr. Reid in 1837 to the Club to be used as a Snuff Mull. The
Horn undoubtedly had a place of honour at the Club dinners where it was ceremoniously
passed round the guests.

Another interesting club relic is an exact copy of the original Lowland Church bell. The original
bell had been cast in Holland in 1638 for Neil Campbell, Bishop of The Isles, whose arms it
bore.

The Marquis of Argyll, having become a strict Presbyterian, confiscated the bell and
presented it to the first Lowland settlers in Kintyre (his proteges) and it was installed in their
first church, "The Thatched House", in 1656 and, when "The Thatched House" was
abandoned when it fell into ruins, the bell reverted to the Argyll family and was transferred to
Inveraray.

In 1889 The Marquis of Lorne, who was then President of The Kintyre Club, presented a
duplicate of the original bell to the club. For a time this bell was lost, it had been borrowed by
The Duke of Argyll to get another duplicate made but disappeared. It was later found at
Roseneath and returned to the Club in 1915.

The last time that the Herdsman's Horn and the Bell were publically used by The Kintyre Club
was at their Centenary Dinner in Campbeltown Town Hall on June 19, 1925. A silver miniature
of the bell was made for this occasion and presented to the President, Colonel Charles
Mactaggart, to control the proceedings and later given to him as a memento of the occasion,
the chief guest being Sir John McLeod, LL.D, son of the famous Rev. Dr. Norman McLeod. In
all 104 ladies and gentlemen sat down. The dinner was a great success, an excellent meal
was served, appropriate vocal and instrumental music performed and a series of cordial and
complimentary toasts and speeches delivered. The President wore his Chain of Office and the
Snuff Mull, the Herdsman's Horn, passed round. Apart from that Centenary Dinner, the
club's organised social activities and, until then annual, Dinner lapsed about 1900, the club,
from then till the end, concentrating entirely on its charitable and educational objects.

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The Kintyre Club's Coat of Arms is reproduced above. It depicts on one side the Campbeltown
and on the other the Glasgow Coats of Arms, both superimposed by Clasped Hands and a
Heart, which symbolises the formation and objectives of The Kintyre Club.

The notes here are too to be found in Hugh Ferguson's article about 'The Kintyre Club' and
other matters on the 'Kintyre Mag' webpage at
http://www.kintyremag.co.uk/1998/20/page4.html
.