The First Clubs
Esperanto in Scotland
Course 1 · Chapter 2 · The First Clubs (1900s)
A language needs people who meet. In Scotland the meeting place was the club: a few people in a room above a shop or in a hotel, with a textbook, a teacher if they were lucky, and a pot of tea. This chapter follows the first clubs from 1903 to about 1910, and asks who joined and what they did.
1903: Glasgow and Edinburgh
The earliest Scottish clubs belong to the big cities. Glasgow and Edinburgh both had Esperanto clubs dating to 1903, the same year the London club was formed. A 2003 announcement from the Esperanto Association of Britain spoke of the "double centenary" of the two societies, which fits the date.
The figures that survive are about interest rather than certainty. The recent study of Scottish Esperanto reports that Edinburgh had about 320 members around 1908, and that lectures in Glasgow drew up to 200 people. These numbers come from reports of the time, so treat them as indications of enthusiasm and not as exact counts.
Dundee, 1906
Dundee is the best-documented case. A first attempt to start a club in 1902 failed. The club that lasted was founded in October 1906 at a meeting in Lamb's Hotel, a temperance hotel. It was presided over by Janette King (1862–1947), a local journalist, who became the first president.
| Detail | What the sources report |
|---|---|
| Founding meeting | October 1906, Lamb's Hotel, Dundee |
| First president | Janette King, journalist; she moved to Newcastle the following year |
| After her | Alexander Pride led the club; John Beveridge became president in 1908 |
| Weekly meetings | Began the following Wednesday at the Cercle Français in central Dundee |
| Size | "Still small in point of numbers" in 1908 (The British Esperantist); about 100 members by around 1910 |
| Social events | Between about 20 and 50 people, according to the Dundee Courier |
The activities were mostly sociable: teas, songs, recitations, lectures, informal chats, picnics and excursions. Two of John Beveridge's daughters, Lois and Heather, took part (Chapter 3).
The Towns Around
| Town | What is reported |
|---|---|
| Perth | A club formed around 1908. Lois Beveridge travelled from Dundee to teach weekly evening classes. A photograph of about that date shows 28 adults and one child. |
| Aberdeen | Sources differ (see below). A later visit from John Bredall led to a club with evening classes of about fifty learners; Constance Ogston taught and organised outings, and Annie L. Burgess was secretary and treasurer. |
| Montrose | A club existed; J. D. Simpson, a founding member, later became president of the Federation. |
| Arbroath | A club formed in line with the aims of the Federation. |
| St Andrews, Kilmarnock, Linlithgow | Named as places where clubs took root, with few details surviving. |
| Cowdenbeath, Burntisland | Mentioned as villages where Esperanto attracted interest. |
Who Joined, and Why?
Teachers and ministers
John Beveridge was a Presbyterian minister; Lois Beveridge and Constance Ogston taught classes. People used to explaining things often became the club's teachers.
Journalists
Janette King's profession helped: newspapers reported the club's meetings, which brought in new members, though it also means the reports are friendly to the cause.
People looking for company
Teas, songs and outings made a club a social evening. For many members the friendships were as important as the grammar.
A Short Reading in Esperanto
Read first, then check the list.
En oktobro 1906 oni fondis klubon en Dundee. La unua prezidanto estis ĵurnalistino, Janette King. La membroj lernis, kantis kaj trinkis teon kune. Post kelkaj jaroj la klubo havis proksimume cent membrojn.
ĵurnalistino (female journalist) · prezidanto (president) · kanti (to sing) · trinki (to drink) · kune (together) · proksimume (approximately).
The meaning: In October 1906 a club was founded in Dundee. The first president was a journalist, Janette King. The members learned, sang and drank tea together. After a few years the club had about a hundred members.
Exercises
List the Scottish clubs named in the chapter in the order they are reported (with dates where given), and mark which dates come with a stated doubt.
Why might a newspaper's claim that a club is "flourishing" be an unreliable measure of its size? Name two other pieces of evidence that would help.
Write three sentences in Esperanto about a club you might found, using the vocabulary of the reading (for example fondi, klubo, kune).
Quick Reference
- 1903: Glasgow and Edinburgh clubs (Edinburgh about 320 members around 1908)
- 1906: Dundee club, Lamb's Hotel; Janette King first president; Beveridge president in 1908
- Around 1908: Perth club, with Lois Beveridge teaching
- Also: Aberdeen (sources differ), Montrose, Arbroath, St Andrews, Kilmarnock, Linlithgow
- Caution: numbers come from clubs and the press