Records of the Scottish Temperance & No Licence Union, temperance organisation, Glasgow, Scotland

Minutes, 1922.

The Scottish Temperance & No Licence Union was a politically neutral temperance association formed on 3 April 1922 through the amalgamation of the Scottish Temperance League and the Scottish Permissive Bill & Temperance Association, both of which were Glasgow-based temperance groups. Discussion of a union had begun in 1920 following the veto polls campaign, advocating the right of the electorate of a district to decide by majority vote such issues as limitation of licence and local prohibition under the Temperance (Scotland) Act of 1913. The amalgamation was intended to combine the promotion of legislative change undertaken by the Scottish Permissive Bill & Temperance Association and the propaganda and educational campaigns of the Scottish Temperance League. The National Citizens Council, though invited to participate, believed that these two activities should remain separate and declined to join.

The new Union had offices at 226 West George Street, Glasgow, previously the offices of the Scottish Temperance League. Its objectives were to promote abstinence from intoxicating beverages, to work for the entire suppression of the traffic of intoxicating beverages by the will and vote of people, to promote progressive and oppose reactionary legislation, and assist enforcement of the law dealing with liquor traffic. Membership was open to all members of the predecessor associations and sympathisers with the temperance movement.

The Union was governed by 36 directors with 12 directors nominated by each of the 2 predecessor institutions and a further 12 elected by the new directors in the first instance, with open elections to be held at the first annual general meeting. The directors had the power to appoint committees for finance, publicity, legislation, advocacy and a Ladies' Auxiliary. The Ladies' Auxiliary was to continue the work of the Scottish Permissive Bill & Temperance Association Ladies Auxiliary.

The official organ of the Union was the "Scottish Temperance Reformer", established 1857 as the "Temperance Leader & League Journal".

A manifesto published in local Scottish newspapers, one of the first acts of the Union, led to the affiliation of a number of temperance groups. Soon after the Union's formation, it again approached the National Citizens Council to discuss a possible merger. A conference was arranged for December 1922 with a neutral chairman to discuss the merger, but it is unclear as to whether a merger ever took place.

By 1925, it appears that more Scottish temperance organisations had merged with the Scottish Temperance & No Licence Union to become the Scottish Temperance Alliance.

The arrangement of this material reflects the original order in which it was received

Access to records within this collection is open, however an appointment may be required. Please email Archives and Special Collections for advice: library-asc@glasgow.ac.uk

Deposit : Scottish Temperance Alliance : 1975

See also University of Glasgow Collections

Digital file level list available in searchroom

Manual file level list available at the National Registers of Archives in Edinburgh (NRA(S) 2804) and London (NRA 30487)

No known copies

Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use and condition of documents. Applications for permission to quote should be sent to Archives and Special Collections, please email: library-asc@glasgow.ac.uk

This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 248 procedures

Held by the Scottish Temperance Alliance prior to deposit with Glasgow University Archives. Previously catalogued as part of the Scottish Temperance Alliance Archive (DC19), the collection was re-catalogued in March 2003.

None expected

GB 248 DC 19/1 Records of the Scottish Temperance League; GB 248 DC 19/2 Records of the Scottish Permissive Bill & Temperance Association; GB 248 DC 19/4 Records of the Scottish Temperance Alliance; GB 248 DC 19/5 Records of the Glasgow & District Municipal Federation; GB 248 DC 19/6 Records of the Citizens Vigilance Association; GB 248 DC 19/7 Records of the National Citizens Council; GB 248 DC 19/8 Records of International Order of Good Templars: Grand Lodge of Scotland; GB 583 Records of British Women's Temperance Association (Scottish Christian Union) (Huntly House Museum, Edinburgh); GB 233 Minute Book of the Scottish Permissive Bill & Temperance Association Ladies' Auxiliary 1894-1902.

This material is original