History of The First Glasgow BB
The Boys' Brigade was founded on October 4th 1883 by William
A, Smith in the North Woodside Mission Hall Glasgow. The
First Glasgow, the original Company was based in the North
Woodside Mission Hall, later known as the Reith Halls for
over 90 years until 1972 when the building was sold. The
Company then moved to Kelvin Stevenson Memorial Church where
they continue to meet on Friday evenings, the traditional
parade night.
The First Glasgow Boys' Brigade was the first of all the
voluntary uniformed youth organisations, represented in
60 countries worldwide. For the first year of the Company's
formation it was the only one however shortly thereafter
this new organisation for boys began to spread and by 1886
the movement numbered 2,000 mostly in Scotland although
centered around Glasgow, companies had been formed from
Ayr in the southwest to Inverness in the north. From then
on the movement filtered southward to England soon reaching
as far south as London.
In 1887 the BB had spread to all points in the British
Isles crossing the English Channel to the Channel Isles
where the 1st Jersey was formed and then across the Irish
Sea where the 1st Belfast was formed in 1888 and the 1st
Dublin in 1890. The First overseas company was formed in
St. Louis, Missouri USA in 1887.
The Boys' Brigade movement continued to advance overseas
where missionary companies soon developed usually in isolated
stations and outposts, the most notable growth being in
Nigeria, Africa. The organisation also spread across the
Atlantic, to Canada and the USA encouraged no doubt by the
founders promotional visits there first in 1895 and then
again in 1907.
In the Brigades early years the leaders of the companies
joined together to form the Council of the Boys' Brigade
which provided the administration for the movement. William
Smith, whilst remaining Captain of the First, was appointed
the first full-time Brigade Secretary in 1887 and dedicated
much of his time to the Brigade by bringing in many influential
people to strengthen the advancement of the organisation,
including the Duke of York, who as both prince and later
King was the Boy's Brigade Patron for forty years.
May every member and every old member be determined by
God's help, to make his life such that his Company will
always have good reason to be proud of him. Wm. A. Smith
The Founder (Sir William Smith).
William Alexander Smith was born on the 27th October 1854
at Pennyland House, Thurso, Scotland. His father was Major
David Smith and his Mother Harriet was the daughter of Alexander
Fraser a merchant in Glasgow. The Smiths were a military
family and David Smith had served as an ensign of the 7th
Dragoon Guards during the Kaffir War in 1849 - 1850. After
his marriage to Harriet he joined the Caithness Volunteer
Artillery Corps in which he rose to the rank of Major.
Young William was brought up in a Christian atmosphere
both in his own home and his uncle's home at 28 Hamilton
Park Avenue Glasgow, where he had moved at the age of 15
to work in his uncle's business. In Thurso William Smith
attended the local Parish Church and in Glasgow he accompanied
his uncle to the Free College Church where he was a teacher
in the Sunday School. At this time, having just moved to
Glasgow, he joined the 1st Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers
and by 1883 aged 29 he had become a Lieutenant.
Whilst continuing his duties at the Sunday School he also
became involved with the Young Men's Society, as an assistant,
in the Mission, North Woodside. In this area of Glasgow
many new houses had recently been built to accommodate the
large numbers of skilled workers who had moved there from
the Highlands and Islands and Ireland. Glasgow was a thriving
city at this time and was the Second City in The British
Empire after London. Not far away from North Woodside Road
where the Mission Halls were located was Great Western Road
were great mansions stood built by the wealthy city merchants
involved with tobacco and cotton trade in the New World.
The workers and their families living in the area attended
the Mission, as did many of the young boys who joined the
Sunday School. William Smith sometimes found it a challenge
to cope with the older boys who could at times be wild and
unruly teenagers and thought these boys needed other activities
to take up their time and interest. Comparing this to his
time with the Volunteers where he had no difficulty making
the men obey his every command at drill on the parade ground,
Smith thought it would be good for these young lads to experience
some drill and discipline.
Therefore he concluded that he would turn the Sabbath School
boys into a volunteer band or brigade with the same military
order, obedience, discipline and self-respect. Combining
this with other activities such as games, gymnastics and
sport as well as bible studies, hymns and prayers. Having
discussed his planned programme with two friends brothers
J.R. and J.B. Hill also Sabbath School teachers, for this
new organisation for boys, he obtained the authority of
the Minister and the Kirk session to proceed. The three
leaders invited the young men from the Sabbath School to
join The Boys' Brigade on the 4th October 1883 where some
twenty-eight boys turned up on parade for the first time
in the North Woodside Mission Hall to form The First Glasgow
Boys' Brigade.
List of Captains
Captains of the First Glasgow Company
1883 - 1914 Sir William A. Smith
1914 - 1930 G. Stanley Smith
1917 - 1919 Peter Stewart (acting)
1930 - 1946 D. Pearson Smith
1946 - 1959 Hugh S. McCallum
1959 - 1968 J. Fordyce Guy
1968 - 1971 John Peebles
1971 - 2003 Douglas G. H. Rolland
2003 - John Stuart
The Boys' Brigade Movement
Smith the leader of this new boys organisation was the
first captain of the First Glasgow. Whilst taking a leading
role in this new organisation he accepted the full-time
position as Brigade Secretary and continued with great effort
to work in the Boys' Brigade movement. Throughout he remained
captain of the 1st Glasgow and rarely missed a parade night.
In 1903 the annual BB display held in the Royal Albert
Hall London was of special significance as from it can be
traced the beginnings of the Boy Scout movement.
General Baden-Powell recently back from his exploits in
Mafeking, agreed to be the presiding officer at the BB display,
became a very good friend of the Founder. At first hand
he saw the development of the BB and soon realised the possibility
of teaching boys the art of scouting thus the seeds of the
Boy Scout Movement were sown and soon grew spreading throughout
the World, as had the Boys' Brigade.
In 1909 William Alexander Smith was knighted by King Edward
VII for his services to the Boys' Brigade. Maintaining his
commitment to the Brigade, in 1909 it was proposed that
a union with the Boys Life Brigade should be considered
and although discussed it was many years before this union
proceeded successfully. On the 8th of May 1914 at a meeting
of the Brigade Executive in London the Founder took ill
and died two days later on the 10th of May. He was buried
in Glasgow.
From the inaugural meeting of some 28 boys in October 1883
who joined together to form the Boys' Brigade at the time
of the Founders death in 1914 the movement had grown to
60,000 members.
This brief review of the history of The First Glasgow Company
Boy's Brigade is not an attempt to provide a biography of
it's Founder but rather illustrate the enormous debt the
Brigade owes to William Smith's wisdom and foresight together
with his enthusiasm and thoroughness of a man with divine
inspiration to begin this great movement. Being at it's
helm for thirty years he saw the BB grow from a small Company
to the strength of an army through which millions of boys
have passed through it's ranks.
