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Dundee Quakers
History
The Friends Meeting House is used by many groups as well as for Meeting for Worship each Sunday - to which all are most welcome. Each Friday between 12.00 - 2.00pm a Bread & Cheese Lunch is held in the Meeting House library. This provides a quiet sociable place to have a simple lunch and coffee. All profits from these lunches go to help the world’s hungry, through Quaker overseas aid projects. Other groups include: Amnesty International; East of Scotland Beekeepers; Cruise Bereavement Care; Tayside for Justice in Palestine; the Dundee Interfaith Group and a Philosophy Group.
Research into the Building of Dundee Meeting House
Sources: Dundee Year Book 1890 - 1944
Notes by George Braithwaite. Date unknown.
Valuation Rolls 1974, 1978, 1987, 1993
The Friend of 1891. 4th month. The Friend of 14.04.1893.
Dundee Telegraph 26.1.1987
The Quaker Magazine, The Friend, of 1893 notes that the Dundee Meeting has always been small.
The introduction of the faith and practice of Quakerism is dated as early as 1802 and then in the 1820’s and 1830’s, where Meetings for Worship were held at the house of Mr. Smith in Bucklemaker Wynd or the Hilltown. These meetings disappeared after some years because friends died or moved away. The next we know is of a Mrs. Janet McPherson Allan, wife of James Allan (died 1892?). She was brought up in the established Church, and later became a prominent member of the Methodist community. Dissatisfied with the formalities of the church services and following discussions with a range of clergymen, she severed her connections with formal religion and took to worshipping in her own home. She is alleged to have spent 16 years as an independent worshipper during which she refused to acknowledge her closeness to Quakerism. However she ultimately became a member. After several more years she formed a group of like-minded friends and instituted a regular Meeting for Worship. A Children’s meeting was established in Fish Street and Meeting took place in her husband’s house in Crichton Street, eventually moving to Smellie’s hall in Barrack Street and then in about 1887 moving to the YMCA. The last evidence of Meetings for Worship being there is in the Dundee Year Book of 1892-3.
Janet Allan was anxious to build a new Meeting House and feu of a site in Whitehall Crescent was bought with a view to erect a single-storey building. This central area was being developed to a strict formula by the City Engineer, which required them to build three storeys of stone building of approved appearance above a shopping facility at street level. However, they went ahead, trusting that the new premises would attract a greater membership which would in turn secure the financial position. It was decided to use the upper accommodation for adult education rooms, a library and reading room and rentable domestic accommodation. The basement was to house heating and laundry facilities and the flat roof, four storeys above, was to act as a drying area. Other meetings had begun to adopt such an outward-looking, socially responsible stance. The iron framing for the proposed shop space was adopted to form an open meeting space with a gallery which may have been for Elders and could be accessed by a stair from the Meeting Room or directly from the main stair of No.7.
The architects for the new building were Malcolm, Stark and Rowntree, who had been responsible for the recently completed Gilfillan Memorial Church nearby in about 1889. It is not known if Fred Rowntree (1860-1927) had Quaker connections, but he is known to have come up from York, a city well known for its Quaker sympathies. His fellow architects had extensive first hand knowledge of the underground conditions of the area.
Though the architects had given an estimate of £2000, the Meeting had only collected £1102. Money was raised on a bond of £1800 but the final cost was £3810, costs being increased by difficulties in building the foundations. The building appears occupied by The Society of Friends (sic) in 1893-4. By 1911 the building was in a poor state yet the debt was £2175. After an appeal in 1913 the debt was reduced to £1700, donations including £300 from a retired jute worker.
In 1913 the Meeting moved out completely and let the whole building to travel agents. The Dundee year Book of 1914 records the occupation of the building by Mackay Bros. (Dundee) and the Polytechnic Touring Association. It is known that a temperance hotel used the upper two floors at some stage. In 1915-16 Dundee Meeting is found at 11, Nethergate, sharing premises. There is some evidence that they returned to 7, Whitehall Crescent during 1925-26, but this address applies to the first floor upward.
The purpose-built Meeting Room may have been in use from 1894-1913. It then formed part of the travel agency at least until 1978 and at some time the ceiling was lowered to conceal the gallery.
In the late 1980’s it became part of the Dundee Solicitors Property Centre and a prize winning conversion by architect Joe Dagen restored the Meeting Room to public view. An original stone panel reading ‘Meeting House’ on the outside of the building was revealed.
An Extract from ‘The Friend’ 14th April, 1893
Quakerism in Dundee
A brief history of the Society of Friends in Dundee may not be without interest. The city cannot be said to have been at any time a stronghold of Quakerism. The membership of the local Society has all along been very small. The introduction into Dundee of the ideas and practice of Quakerism dates probably from the second or third decade of the present century, when a Mr. Smith, long since deceased, held organised meetings on Quaker principles in his house in Bucklemaker Wynd or Hilltown. The Meetings were continued for some years, but as one member after another died or left the country, and no new members were introduced, the movement gradually died a natural death.
A number of years elapsed before Quakerism was revived, and the resuscitation, one long looked-for result of which has now been achieved, came about in a somewhat remarkable manner. The ‘mother’ of the new movement was a Mrs. James Allan, wife of ex-Baillie Allan, who died fully a year ago. She was brought up a member of the Established Church, and afterwards became a prominent member of the Methodist congregation in Dundee. While still a young woman she became dissatisfied with the formalities of church service, and felt she has been divinely called to separate herself from Presbyterianism, and to seek what she considered to be a deeper spiritual life. Her conversations with various clergymen brought her no satisfaction, and at length, severing all church connections, she took to worshipping in her own house, after the manner - although she herself was at first ignorant of the fact - practised by the Society of Friends elsewhere. She was repeatedly told by her friends that they knew a man who professed Quakerism, but his mode of life was such that his religion could not be reconciled with hers. For sixteen years Mrs. Allan persisted in her conviction. However, she ultimately accepted Quakerism, and , on applying for membership, was received.
Some years passed before she was joined by anyone sharing her opinions, but, as her position became better known, a number of persons like-minded with herself combined with her in the organisation of a regular meeting. The first meeting-place was her husband’s house in Crichton Street. At the same time a Sunday School was instituted in Fish Street.
After some years the newly-formed congregation removed to Smellie’s Hall, Barrack Street, and some six years ago the YMCA buildings were fixed upon as a suitable meeting place. Here the Society have continued to meet until the completion of their new buildings.
It is hoped the leaders of the Quaker movement in Dundee, now that permanent premises have been secured, their body will quickly increase in numbers, as well as be able to perform some more practical work than it has hitherto done. It is proposed, for instance , to inaugurate Adult Schools on the lines adopted by the Society in Birmingham, Bradford, and Bristol. It is also the intention of the promoters of the institute to throw open the Reading Room and Library to the public, and in every other possible way extend their usefulness in the community.
An Extract from the Dundee Advertiser
Isabella Young was present at the first meeting of the Adult School, Dundee, the 2nd inst., when she expressed herself as highly gratified at the good start. She thought there was reason for encouragement, as she did not remember to have seen before so many present ar the commencement of an Adult School.
A children’s class has also been started, and has been well attended.
On the first day evening a large number were present at the Gospel meeting in the Meeting House when I. Young addressed a very attentive audience on the subject of ‘Christian Assurance’.