HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY
The comprehensive History of Peebles 1850 – 1990 by J. L. Brown and I. C. Lawson (Mainstream Publishing, Edinburgh, 1990) states that a “Peeblesshire Society” was founded in the 1880s. No records now exist of this early phase of the Society’s history but it seems to have fallen into abeyance about the start of the 20th century.
There is on record however that, in February 1913, a public meeting was held in Peebles “to consider proposals to form a County Association for the purpose of stimulating interest throughout the County in the study of history and natural science”.
A draft constitution for this new club was approved at a further public meeting on 12th March 1913. The Innerleithen Alpine Club was amalgamated with this new organisation which started life under the rather cumbersome title “The Tweeddale Club for the Study of History and Natural Science”. This title was soon changed to “The Tweeddale Society” and has remained so ever since. The Society flourished for 28 years until it was suspended in 1941 during the Second World War.
Sponsored by the Extra Mural Studies Department of the University of Edinburgh, another public meeting was held in Peebles Town Hall in 1967 to consider the revival of the Society. The first winter meeting was then held on 12th September 1967.
In 2013 the Society marked the centenary of its foundation by publishing a fully illustrated history:
Some excerpts from the text of ‘The First Hundred Years’:
The Society is founded
In the early weeks of 1913 plans for a club for the study of History and Natural Science were being discussed in and around Peebles. A public meeting on 19 February 1913 was attended by 24 named residents of Peebles, Innerleithen and Broughton and an unspecified number of others. The meeting appointed a Provisional Committee with 13 members, two of whom were Innerleithen residents, to draw up a constitution…
The meeting set subscriptions at 2s. 6d. (12.5p in today’s currency, but roughly equivalent to £9.50 in value). Junior members would pay 1s.
Two weeks later, 26 March 1913, Council met for the first time. After discussing the naming question it was resolved that the organisation should be known as The Tweeddale Club for the Study of History and Natural Science… The Secretary had received several letters pointing out that “Tweeddale Club” was closely similar to “Tweeddale Shooting Club”, and a potential source of confusion. Consequently it was resolved to adopt as the organisation’s name, The Tweeddale Society…
Before continuing with the Society’s story it will be opportune to examine briefly the history of its predecessor, the Innerleithen Alpine Club.
The Innerleithen Alpine Club
The Club was founded in 1889 by Robert Mathison, a builder in Innerleithen, and Thomas Young, an Innerleithen banker. An inaugural meeting in April 1889 agreed “that a local club be formed with a view of organising excursions … to elucidate the botanical and geological features and the antiquarian lore of Peeblesshire” …………
Peace and War 1913-1919
The Society’s first AGM in April 1914 revealed that membership had reached 85, including 4 juveniles. Outlay on the celebrity lectures had amounted to the equivalent of some £2000 at current values… By the time Council met in September 1914 the ‘war crisis’ was already affecting the Society’s plans. …excursions …in 1916, one of which was designed to contribute to the war effort. Sphagnum moss was in much demand for wound dressings and the collection of quantities of this locally abundant plant was the objective of the Tweeddale Society party which set out for Portmore in July. No arrangements were made for a series of Winter lectures in 1916-17…
The Active Twenties 1920-1929
It was a suggestion from Prof. T H Bryce for a lecture course on Peeblesshire history which might result in a subsequent publication, that started a major project leading to the publication between 1925 and 1927 of the three volumes of A History of Peeblesshire… After the war a full programme of excursions and local rambles resumed.
Decline and Suspension 1930-1941
From 1929-1930 the Society’s winter meetings offered lectures by local speakers, on less exotic subjects… No President was appointed at the 1938 AGM, though subsequently W E Macpherson took on this office. It may be an indication of waning enthusiasm that the Society’s 25th anniversary, in 1938, passed without recognition or celebration.
Following the outbreak of war in September 1939, at first there was an attempt to carry on as usual… By then membership had fallen to 32… Members were to be informed that subscriptions would begin again as soon as the Society was in a position to resume work…
No one in May 1941 could have foreseen how long it would be before the Society would be revived…
A New Beginning 1967-1974
The post-war world was a very different one. With so many changes affecting the local community and individuals, it was not altogether surprising that the revival of a local society for the study of history, archaeology and natural history did not receive early attention. Eventually interest in and support for the return of the Tweeddale Society led to the calling of a Public Meeting in the Burgh Hall in the Spring of 1967…
Challenging Years 1975-1984
The first chapter in the revived Society’s story ended at the 1975 AGM when Halkett Hendrie stepped down from the presidency… Following Halkett Hendrie’s death in 1977 it was decided to institute an annual lecture named for him. This remains a feature of the Society’s Winter programmes. Charles Morrison succeeded as President… He served as President until his death in 1984. He left a Society which perhaps had been strengthened by adversity, and could now move forward into a period of increasing membership and developing involvement with organisations and events in the local community…
Recovery 1985-1992
There is an intriguing statement in the minutes of a Council meeting in October 1992. When discussing likely Council vacancies in the coming year it was noted that “On the assumption that Mrs Russel and Mr Muirhead would stand for re-election … there would still be one vacancy for a lady”. This is the only indication of a deliberate intention to maintain a gender balance among the six councillors. Although this was often the case – it was so in 1968 and still is in 2012 – it was not invariably achieved, and imbalances passed without comment when they occurred.
Looking Outwards 1993-2007
About 110 members showed their keen support by attending the 1993 AGM on a very cold January evening. The meeting heard that there were now 192 paid up members…
…and from 2004 Winter meetings and the Arts Festival Lecture have taken place in the Eastgate Theatre…
Looking Ahead 2007-2012
In 2012 the Society is in good health. Membership has settled at around 150 which, though somewhat below the peak of 200 reached in some earlier years, is satisfactory when combined with the number of non-members who attend Society meetings… The Society enters its second century ready to meet future challenges.
