Scottish Vegetarian Society
The Scottish Vegetarian Society (SVS) was an organisation based in Glasgow, Scotland, that promoted vegetarianism. It was founded in 1892 and became a part of the Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom in the 1980s.
History
[edit]The aims of the Society shall be to advocate the total disuse of animals of every species as food, and to promote instead the use of purer and better food yielded by the vegetable kingdom.[1]
Through the efforts of Joseph Knight of the Manchester Vegetarian Society,[2] the Scottish Vegetarian Society was formed in November 1892 in Glasgow at the Garden Vegetarian Restaurant, with the aim of promoting a vegetarian lifestyle. The Society was established on a foundation that required all officers to be vegetarians, and its first chairman was H. S. Bathgate,[3] who also served as the its first president until 1929, when he served as honorary president.[4] The Society's head office was located at 6 Jamaica Street in Glasgow.[5]
The Society's first secretary and treasurer was John Barclay, a vegetarian athlete.[5] Barclay was associated with the Vegetarian Cycling and Athletic Club. In 1897, at the annual meeting of the Scottish Vegetarian Society in Glasgow, Barclay was awarded a massive travelling trunk as a recognition of his devoted efforts to promote vegetarianism.[5]
The group held its first banquet in 1893 and regularly hosted gatherings that featured meals, music, and lectures promoting vegetarianism.[3] In its inaugural year, the Society had just 19 members, and by 1933, the membership had still not surpassed 300.[4] Its headquarters were located in the Athenaeum building on Buchanan Street, Glasgow.[2]
Throughout its history, the Society was actively involved in food reform advocacy. It supported the first meeting of the International Vegetarian Union (IVU) in 1908 and hosted successful "At Home" events and cookery lectures in Glasgow. Dugald Semple, a key figure in the Society, who later served as president, became an advocate for simple living and gave lectures on vegetarianism. By 1912, the Society had formally affiliated with the Manchester Vegetarian Society, along with other local Scottish societies in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee.[3]
During World War I, Dugald Semple helped promote meat substitutes to cope with rationing. Semple also represented Scotland at international vegetarian congresses, advocating for the connection between vegetarianism and peace.[3]
The Society continued its advocacy post-war and maintained its presence in the vegetarian movement through participation in various congresses and ongoing promotion of vegetarian principles.[3] In the 1980s, the Society eventually became the Glasgow branch of the Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom.[4] Since then, a new Scottish Vegetarian Association was formed.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "(1661) - Towns > Glasgow > 1828-1912 - Post-Office annual Glasgow directory > 1904-1905". Scottish Post Office directories - National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
- ^ a b Gregory, James Richard Thomas Elliott (2002). The Vegetarian Movement in Britain c.1840–1901: A Study of Its Development, Personnel and Wider Connections (PDF). Vol. 1. University of Southampton. p. 197. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
- ^ a b c d e f "History of the Scottish Vegetarian Society". International Vegetarian Union. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
- ^ a b c Leneman, Leah (Winter 1999). "The Lost Society". The Vegetarian – via International Vegetarian Union.
- ^ a b c "Departure of the Vegetarian Athlete to Jamaica". Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald. October 22, 1897. p. 9. (subscription required)