The Glasgow branch of the Women's Institute was organized in 1914 by Mrs. John Blane of Burnstown. The first president was Mrs. Kenneth Gillan (also reported as being Mrs. John Affleck), Vice President - Mrs. Barr, Secretary Treasurer - Mrs. George McNab and District Treasurer - Mrs. W. Hamilton. It was disbanded in 1928 when members joined the United Farm Women of Ontario. When this organization merged into the Federation of Agriculture the Glasgow Women's Institute was re-organized in March 21, 1945. It is part of the South Renfrew District. The Glasgow W.I. has won several community awards over the years including Outstanding Article (Home and Country magazine) in 1986 and Best Display in the 1993 Renfrew Fair.
Acquisition Source
Mrs. Clare Hamilton, secretary of the Glasgow Women’s Institute donated records of the group in November of 1999. Tweedsmuir histories and annual programs were donated in 2008 by Gloria Hamilton.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of Minutes of Regular, Executive and Director’s Meetings and Tweedsmuir Histories which are recorded in eight volumes with a gap between 1950 and 1959. Financial statements and reports of Meetings for the Ontario Dept. of Agriculture Extension Branch are also included with these records:
March 19, 1945 to May 17, 1950
April 15, 1959 to Sept. 3, 1963
October 1, 1963 to April 16, 1969
April 15, 1969 to March 20, 1973
April 17, 1973 to March 15, 1979
April 19, 1979 to Feb. 15, 1983
April 19, 1983 to March 7, 1989
April 20, 1989 to March 18, 1993
The collection also includes 14 issues of Home and Country magazine and other miscellaneous items:
Fall 1960
Fall 1961
Summer 1962
Fall 1962
Fall 1963
Winter 1963
Winter 1964
Summer 1965
Fall 1965
Summer 1966
Fall 1966
Winter 1967
Winter 1970
Summer 1971
4 Volumes of Tweedsmuir History: Along with documenting the various activities of the Women's Institute (meetings, conventions, anniversaries etc.) the Tweedsmuir Histories also contain historical information about important places and events in the area. Photographs appear throughout the volumes along with newspaper clippings.
Volume 1 covers events and essays from 1946 - 1976 including the history of the schoolhouses (S.S. No. 13 McNab), the blacksmith shop, the Post Office (known as Harvey P.O.), Lundy's corners, a list of teachers in S.S. No. 13 McNab, Skating Rink, Glasgow station (built in 1894 destroyed by fire 1945), Glasgow Community Hall (built in 1915), William McLean's Saw Mill, Glasgow Cheese Factory (built 1901), Mail service (Robert Cherry and others), rural telephone service and a 1921 Voters List for McNab.
Volume 2 covers events and essays from 1968 - 1987 including the farm histories of the Hamilton Farm, William Laventure, Vernon Kilgore, Affleck family, Kilgore, Jame Campbell, Charles Graham, Rober Lavallee, James Ferguson, David Brown, Celesta Lavallee, Stuart Anderson, James Hutson, Reid Carswell, James Tough, Andrew Carswell, Peter McMillan, Scobie, Dmytrychyn, James Young, James Forrest, Hercules Murphy, Lewis Forrest (Blacksmith), R. A. Stewart, James Brown, David Mackie, John Sutherland, Perneel family, William McArthur, Celesta Hamilton, Josias McIntosh, John McGee, Daniel Smith, Young's Service Station, John Tough, George McLaren, Peter Robertson, David Hamilton, Louella Hult, Andrew Hamilton, John Misner, Daniel McIlinden (Dan Lundy), James Gillan (NOT ALL NAMES LISTED) Also covered in Volume 2 is a photograph of the Glasgow Community Hall (page 33) and article (page 56), Post Office, Glasgow General Store, Glasgow United Church, Dedication of the Cairn commemorating first School, opening of McNab school etc. One letter dated 1868 from the town Clerk's office regarding School section 13. Note: Page 89 (electronic page number) shows photo of W.I. members presenting a cheque. Several names are listed in the wrong order. Second lady from left is Mrs. Evelyn Richards, Mrs. Alma Majaury is presenting cheque and Mrs. Evelyn Desilets is last lady on right.
Volume 3 covers 1982 - 2005 contains a history of the Glasgow Women's Institute, history of Arnott farm, Neill farm and others, an index of names of first owners of lots in Concessions 7 & 8 McNab Township as well as news of WI events and anniversaries.
Volume 4 covers 2006 to 2008. Contains typed histories of some of the topics covered in Volume 1 & 2.
A set of Programmes of the Women's Institutes in South Renfrew District from 1947 - 2006 was also donated by the Institute. Many belonged to Mrs. J. A. (Florida) Young and several belonged to Mrs. W. (Gloria) Hamilton. In 2014, several programs that had been missing from this series were added from those collected by Mrs. Doris Humphries and Mrs. Campbell Humphries from the Castleford Women's Institute. The original owner wrote their names on the outside cover, so it is easy to see who's program forms each part of the set. The set ranges in date from 1947 to 2005 with the following gaps: 1952-1953; 1997-1998. A set donated to the Renfrew South District Women's Institute in 2018 brings the collection to 2018 and fills the gap from 1997-1998. See Box I9.1
Notes
Note that there is a gap in minutes from 1950 -1959
Access Restriction
Tweedsmuir Books - please use digitized version rather than original. Available in resources folder. Searchable online through the FWIO Virtual Archives.
Related Material
See: McNab Township Heritage and Museum Committee Records 1993-0014 for Margaret Hamilton's Countryside Musings articles