Fonds F989 - St. Andrew's Society fonds

The St. Andrew's Society of Kingston was founded in 1840, as an essentially Scottish charitable organization. It was formed at a time in Kingston when other such benevolent societies as the English St. George's Society and the Irish St. Patrick's Society were being formed. Membership, as prescribed by their 1896 constitution, was open to all Scotsmen and their descendants. The Society retained the name and symbol of St. Andrew, patron saint of Scotland. The prime intent of the Society was to afford assistance to fellow Scots, who were quite often part of the large flow of Scottish lowlanders who left Scotland after 1815 as the industrial revolutioin took its toll. The St. Andrew's Society also served to help retain Scottish customs, institutions and heritage. The Society's greatest event was its annual St. Andrew's Day celebration held on November 30. Members of the Society were a prominent part of the Kingston community. For the most part members were employed as professionals or businessmen and were generally Presbyterian. In the post 1945 era, the St. Andrew's Society has continued to thrive, largely to maintain Scottish heritage in the community.