The 4th Lecture in the Glasgow and West of Scotland Branch 

Dr. Irene Maver on "Ardent Spirits" - ‘The history of the Scottish Temperance Movement in 19^th century Glasgow and its founder John Dunlop of Maryhill.'  

Dr. Irene Maver charted the rise of the organised temperance movement and its impact on Glasgow society from its origins in Maryhill to the phenomenon of total abstinence, licensing regulation in the context of prohibition and increasing politicisation.

Although John Dunlop grew up in a society that accepted Scotland's convivial drinking habits, he came at the University of Glasgow under the influence of evangelical religion with its sense of social outreach.   Then a family financial crisis forced him as a Gairbraid landowner to re-think his views.  He emerged from this crisis convinced of the need for greater sobriety in society.    In 1829, Dunlop established an anti-drinks society, based on abjuring ‘ardent spirits'- spirits and fortified wines in favour of light wines and beers. 

The rhetoric of the pledge was flexible, not laying down total abstinence.  

As more temperance societies were formed in the 1830s in imitation of Dunlop's, it was recognised that drunkenness amongst the workforce was undermining profitability.  For some reason, mill girls' lack of sobriety particularly exercised Dunlop's fellow temperance associate William Collins, the printer and publisher who took a more radical approach to temperance.  Unlike Dunlop, he believed in total abstinence.  Inevitably Collins was drawn to the prohibitionists.   This led to a parting of the ways for Dunlop due to personal and political reasons.

Although hailed as ‘Father of the Temperance Movement', Dunlop became marginalised.    For Dunlop, a vital first step was education and social improvement (In his words " moral suasion"),  not total abstinence.

By 1831, the Scottish Temperance Movement numbered 44,000.   The new railways throughout Britain assisted Dunlop in disseminating the temperance message.  Keen for members of the temperance movement to get together socially, Dunlop emphasised sobriety and moral resilience.

Reform of the licensing laws gave the licensing trade an opportunity to present themselves as respectable The Licensing Acts gave fresh life to the temperance movement getting involved in objections and campaigns etc.  Municipal licensing was in Glasgow an issue up to the 1970s.  There was increasing politicisation of the temperance debate. The Conservatives tended to back the brewers and the licensed trade whereas the Liberals were more open to temperance demands.

Attendance 40.  There follows a selection from the questions.

1. How did brewers come to be seen as respectable?

2. Despite the pledge, how do we account for the rise in alcoholism?

Further questions referred to Kirkintilloch's temperance movement, a Father Brown story, determinism and Robert Burns "as a closet abstainer."