THE GLASGOW HUMANE SOCIETY A Short History of the Glasgow Humane Society Complete with contextual historical events, newspaper and minute articles Dr George G. Parsonage, MBE 8/1/2016 The following gives an idea of what the world was like at the end of the 1700’s, it tells of the foundation of the Glasgow Humane Society, of the Awards and Gifts given to the Society and of some of the main occurrences in its development. 1. The Glasgow Humane Society and Enlightenment: The Spirit of an Age The Glasgow Humane Society was set up by members of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow at some point in the 1790s. This period marked the latter stages of what has been came to be termed as the ‘Enlightenment’ or ‘Enlightenment movement’ by historians and other scholars alike. It is notable for many features but for the Glasgow Humane Society’s purpose it can be seen as a time when the influence of scholars and philosophers such as Descartes, Newton, Kant, Goethe, Voltaire, Rousseau, and Adam Smith – to name but a few – created in Europe a temperament in man for reason and self- improvement and moving away from religious intolerance and ignorance. At this previous time if you fell (or jumped) into a waterway and were in danger of drowning seldom would anyone go to your assistance. In the eyes of the church, if you attempted to take your own life, as many who jumped into the river no doubt had in mind, you were to end up in hell and suffer eternal damnation. If you lived you were a criminal. “EARTH'D up, here lies an imp o' hell, Planted by Satan's dibble; Poor silly wretch, he's damned himsel', To save the Lord the trouble”………………………………………..Robert Burns On the contrary, ideas of the Enlightenment encouraged people to view other people with sympathy and previous religious intolerance as ridiculous such that if people required help, then they were to receive it. Humane Societies were being formed all over the world like in London, Paris, New York, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Venice. However, these societies only gave out rewards or were defunct. It was only the Glasgow Humane Society that was willing and ready to follow its enlightened principles to the full by employing an Officer to carry out the practical work of prevention, rescue and recovery. “That a Humane Society should have been established in 1790 in Glasgow is no doubt due to the influence of the medical faculty of the College. It may also be related to the Spirit of the age, the movement that developed throughout the eighteenth century and is known to us as “the Enlightenment”. 1 This quotation directly captures the aim and ideas of the society at its birth. It is this that has been maintained throughout the years and even in the present day. This Enlightenment ideal has always been and will always be an important part of the Glasgow Humane Society’s ethos and it is with this that a timeline of activity is laid out here. (All text highlighted is taken from the Glasgow Humane Society Minutes at date recorded) 2 2. The Glasgow Humane Society Timeline: Foundation and 19th Century In the mid-18th Century there seems to have been little depth to the River there only being 1'3" at low water and 3'8" at high water at the Pointhouse Ford while there was only 2ft water at Dumbeck. Yet, this was still sufficiently high for people to put themselves in danger. 1768 There appear to have been 7 fords across the River. 1775 A stone weir was built on the River at Stockwell / Broomielaw. 1781 The depth at high tide in the harbour was only 7ft. 1787 Mr James Coulter left the sum of £200 in the keeping of the Faculty of Surgeons (now the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow) to set up a society. Despite measurements being put in place by the College the fact of floods, however, combined with high winds to give high water (as still happens) could not be prevented and in 1882 the River Clyde rose 20' above normal level flooding much of the City and destroying the road Bridge between Motherwell and Hamilton (built in 1780). From the Glasgow Advertiser Monday 16th August 1790: “The Humane Society of Glasgow met this day in the Tontine Tavern for the first time” The Society was then officially founded on the 16th August 1790 by a group of Glasgow businessmen, including David Dale, using the money left by James Coulter. At this inaugural meeting was held in the Tontine Hotel, Gilbert Hamilton, ex Dean of Guild was elected President, and Robert Cleghorn, of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, was elected Secretary. 3 In 1790 a great deal of Glasgow's life was centred on its shallow River which frequently flooded up to the Cross and on it's Green, much of which was peat bog and hummocky terrain with streams running through it. Drownings were frequent. Faculty Hall November 8th 1790, Present Gilbert Hamilton Esq Preses, Dr Thomas Reid, Dr Hope, Messrs Richard Thomson, Robert Simson, Wm Nimmo & Ro, Cleghorn: The Collector stated that both the additional sets of Apparatus were received & that the one was lodged in Peter Stewarts Broomielaw, the other in Robt Lockhart’s at Finnieston Toll Bar. The Society agrees to give Nathaniel Jones a Guinea & half for the trouble he has had this season, and to give him one Guinea annually hereafter while he continues in their service, signed Gilb Hamilton Presses Robert Cleghorn Secy Thus in 1790, Glasgow Humane Society appointed a full time Officer and became a very effective Safety Consultancy and Dedicated Rescue and Recovery Service. Indeed the only truly dedicated inland water rescue service at this time - in Britain and further afield 1790 Robert/Nathaniel Jones was appointed the first Officer of the Glasgow Humane Society, 1790-1796: Apparatus - “a complete apparatus which is now lodged in the washing House, ready to be employ’d at a moment’s notice. The Faculty some time ago commision’d from London two similar setts of apparatus, the arrival of which is expected soon. One of these the Faculty thinks should be kept near the Broomielaw, the other near Finnieston. The Faculty ordered also the following articles, without which the apparatus can be of no use, viz.: - Five drags, two to be lodged along with each apparatus, three handbarrows for carrying the body, in a proper posture from the water to the receiving house; three mattresses, being one for each barrow; twelve pairs of blankets; twelve hand towels; and three syringes.” … April 1792…a letter was received from Hugh Brown, the keeper of the washing house, desiring that the apparatus be removed from there. Lifesaving apparatus kept at Peter Stewart, Vintner and Robert Lochart at the Tollbar below Broomielaw 1792 Feb 23rd Humane Society of Massachusetts incorporated (erected life-saving stations for distressed mariners) http://www.masslifesavingawards.com/history/ 4 1793 St Mary Church burned down by the Hellfire Club 1794 The Glasgow Royal Infirmary opened 1795 The first House was erected on the Green in Glasgow. In 1795 the Lord Provost and Magistrates attended a meeting of Directors, and suggested that a house should be built for the accommodation of the Society’s boat and a residence for a keeper. This was approved of, and subscriptions for the purpose were solicited. Subscriptions were obtained to the amount of £238, including £10 10s from David Dale, who had also subscribed liberally at the institution of the Society. The town does not appear to have subscribed, but the Magistrates granted the ground in the Green for the house, which was completed in September 1796, at a cost of £300. An addition was made to the house in 1867, when a further sum of £260 was expended. 5 Money was paid to and/or medals were given to those who helped in rescue or ran for assistance. In 1815 this expenditure amounted to £49.15. 1795 The Albert Bridge was washed away by a flood. “On Wednesday the 18th Nov 1795 the river Clyde rose to a greater height than the oldest inhabitant in this city remembers (except the memorable flood in March 1782, from the height of which, it only wanted about eleven inches). This remarkable inundation was occasioned by a very severe storm of wind, rain and snow, which commenced on Tuesday night, and continued till Wednesday afternoon. About noon on Wednesday, two arches of the newly erected stone bridge opposite to the foot of the Saltmarket gave way with a tremendous crash into the river, and about five o’clock in the afternoon, the remaining three arches shared the same fate”. 1796 John Wiseman Officer Glasgow Humane Society Tuesday August 2nd 1796 Saturday forenoon a young man, while bathing in the Clyde near Anderston was seized it is imagined with the cramp, and was drowned. Hid body remained in the water for about an hour. When brought out it was carried home, and every effort used to restore animation, but to no purpose. Same day in the afternoon, a woman while washing her feet in the Clyde, near the house erected by the Humane Society for the reception of drowned persons, fell forward into the 6 river. The Society’s boat was immediately put off; and she was taken up apparently dead but by using the means prescribed, she was happily restored to life. 1800 Police Force founded. 1801 The Glasgow Humane Society’s Officer The Officer in 1801 was James Baird who lived in the Society’s House in the Glasgow Green to be near the bathing places in the River Clyde a mile from the Glasgow Cross Steeple.