Bruce, Lynn (2012) Scottish settlement houses from 1886 – 1934. PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/3723/ Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] Scottish Settlement Houses from 1886 – 1934 Lynn Bruce MA (Hons.), MSc Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Social and Political Sciences College of Social Sciences University of Glasgow Submitted June 2012 1 Abstract This thesis examines the history of Scottish settlement houses from 1886 until 1934. The Scottish settlements have attracted little attention from academics and no overarching study of these organisations has previously been done. This thesis seeks to address this lacuna and situate their achievements within the wider context of the changing role of voluntary organisations in this period. Using archival resources, it argues that settlements made important contributions to Scottish society through social work, training courses and adult education. They pioneered new methods, explored new areas of work and provided their local communities with access to services that they may not otherwise have received. This thesis demonstrates the way in which voluntary bodies evolved in response to local and national pressures and changing social attitudes in order to remain successful and relevant in a period during which their role was changing. There were six settlements in Scotland, each with their own agenda and areas of interest. The settlements remained distinct and independent organisations and there was a limited amount of cooperation between them. This diversity in both location and aims of the settlements gives rise to a range of themes that will be examined in the thesis. The original settlement ideal focused on ameliorating class differences by reforming the characters of working-class individuals through personal connection between them and middle-class settlers. The thesis will examine how this evolved over time. As the state at both a local and national level assumed more responsibility for social services, the role of settlements adapted to encompass training for professional social workers and as the working classes gained more political power the settlements sought to make them ‘fit for citizenship’. Likewise, as the original settlement ideal had denied the legitimacy of working-class culture and community, this attitude also evolved and settlements began to focus on developing strong communities within working-class areas. 2 Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................. 1 Contents ................................................................................................................................. 2 List of Figures ........................................................................................................................ 4 Acknowledgement.................................................................................................................. 5 Author’s Declaration .............................................................................................................. 6 Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................... 7 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 8 Literature Review ................................................................................................................. 18 1 Chapter One: 1886-1904 .............................................................................................. 43 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 43 1.2 Toynbee House ...................................................................................................... 46 1.3 The Students’ Settlement and New College Settlement ........................................ 65 1.4 Queen Margaret Settlement and Dundee Social Union ......................................... 85 1.5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 107 2 Chapter Two: 1905-1919 ........................................................................................... 111 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 111 2.2 Edinburgh University Settlement ........................................................................ 114 2.3 The Queen Margaret Settlement and Dundee Social Union ............................... 134 2.4 New College Settlement and the Students’ Settlement ....................................... 155 2.5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 175 3 Chapter Three: 1920-1934 ........................................................................................ 178 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 178 3.2 Decline of the Students’ Settlement .................................................................... 181 3.3 The Remaining Settlements and their Work ....................................................... 194 3.4 The Remaining Settlements and their Structure .................................................. 222 3 3.5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 244 4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 246 5 Bibliography ............................................................................................................... 253 5.1 Manuscripts ......................................................................................................... 253 5.1.1 Dundee Council Archives ............................................................................ 253 5.1.2 Edinburgh University Library ...................................................................... 253 5.1.3 Glasgow University Archives ...................................................................... 254 5.1.4 Glasgow University Library Special Collections ......................................... 255 5.1.5 New College Library .................................................................................... 256 5.2 Contemporary Publications ................................................................................. 256 5.3 Newspapers ......................................................................................................... 258 5.4 Journal Articles .................................................................................................... 258 5.5 Books ................................................................................................................... 261 5.6 Theses .................................................................................................................. 267 5.7 Web Resources .................................................................................................... 267 4 List of Figures Fig. 1 Cathedral Court, where Toynbee House was based p. 10 Fig. 2 New College Settlement buildings p. 12 Fig. 3 Anderston in the 1890s p. 14 Fig. 4 Children playing in the settlements’ nursery at High School Yards p. 15 Fig. 5 A 1910s close in Hilltown, Dundee p. 87 Fig. 6 Cowgate, Edinburgh p. 125 Fig. 7 Pleasance Trust theatre p. 197 Fig. 8 Pleasance Trust gymnasium p. 198 Fig. 9 Table of Preventative Clinics Child and Infant Welfare in Edinburgh, 1931 p. 200 Fig. 10 Cameron House p. 204 5 Acknowledgement I would firstly like to thank the Economic and Social Research Council for granting me funding that made the project possible. They also gave me the opportunity to work as an intern with the Scottish Government. This was an extremely valuable experience and I am extremely grateful to them. My profound thanks also go to my supervisors Mark Freeman and Eleanor Gordon. They have supported me from beginning to end and their knowledge and insights have been invaluable. In particular I would like to thank Mark for his unending generosity with his time, help and patience. The librarians and archivists of Glasgow University, Edinburgh University, New College and Dundee Council have all been incredibly helpful and patient in finding me the source material that allowed me to write this thesis. Stephen Robb of Edinburgh University Settlement has also been a great source of information and help. The Queen Margaret Settlement has been very generous in allowing me access to their inner workings. It is great to see these organisations still active. My friends and family, and in particular my parents and Stuart, have been a constant source of support,