Glenbuchat Heritage

4 John Callum Essays

The Glenbucket Mutual Instruction Class of 1849.
(John Callum of Newton's essays.)

1. Click for Callam family introduction

John Callam was clerk for the life of the Soc.1822 - 1835. He was appointed at the age of 18 years. He had Probably left school at an early age to be apprenticed to his father as a carpenter. He kept the records of Soc. in a note book supplied by Soc. and recorded minutes of meetings, register of members, financial income and outgoings etc. He produced beautifully written minutes, with no errors in spelling or grammar? There is mention of him being allocated sums for paper and candles for recording the minutes. A fair copy may have been transcribed into the Society’s Minute Book from sheets of paper written at the meetings.

In John Callam’s papers were some essays he had written for the Glenbucket Mutual Improvement Class

The following pages show the first part of one essay and the full text of three others.
Click on the essay ling to access each essay

The essays are entitled –

Which of the Kings of England before the Union did most for the nation? (shown above)

Click for Callam essay ' Capital punishment.'

Click for Callam essay 'Whether is the printing press or mariners’ compass of greatest benefit to the nation.'

Click for Callam essay ' Love friendship and Hatred.'


Above is a copy of John Callam s introduction to the topic for discussion at a Glenbucket Mutual Improvement class meeting. c 1850

“Which of the Kings of England before the Union did most for the nation?

The essay starts:

In introducing the subject for the night being which of the Kings of England before the Union did most for the nation, we must admit that little is handed down to us in writing of the early Britain as it was then called and it is not until the V or VI centuries that we have any authenticated history of the Kingdom of England and even then, the history appears to be vague and indefinite.”