300 YEARS and still going
THE SOCIETY IN SCOTLAND FOR PROPAGATING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE
Scottish Charity SC000270
Created by Compass Business Services Ltd - Amended April 2018
1709 - 2009
1709 - 2009
The SSPCK is looking for members, who can support the work of the Society.
The Directors meet twice yearly in June and December. It therefore helps if new members apply by the 15 May or 15 November.
Qualification for membership
Anybody who has the genuine interests of the Society at heart. Membership is however at the discretion of the Directors.
Original members and subscribers
In the first stage in the early 1700's “A few private gentlemen” in Edinburgh started to gather subscriptions and as a result of the proposals of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1706 £1000 was collected from Presbyteries. In the second stage as directed in the Letters Patent the Lord President and the Lords of the Council of the Court of Session nominated as members, nine peers, the Lord Provost, some Magistrates of the City of Edinburgh, fourteen Lords of Council and Session, twenty one ministers, the Principals of the Four Universities and others in various professions. These included George Watson, second Treasurer of the Society, and Founder of the distinguished College. This was not all. People in England were interested and in 1729 “Diverse persons of Honour and Distinction, Reverend Ministers and others in London” were appointed Commissioners and Correspondents. In 1775 the Archbishop of York was admitted to the Society, Mr Wilberforce in 1789, the Bishop of Salisbury in 1811 and Sir Robert Peel in 1829. Modern new members will therefore understand that they will have some distinguished antecedents.