GLASGOW LIFE IN THE 18TH CENTURY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 957, 20 August 1880, Page 3

GLASGOW LIFE IN THE 18TH CENTURY.

At the beginning of the 18th century, and dnring the greater part of the first half of it, the hahita and style of living of the citizens were of a moderate and frugal cast. The dwelling-houses of the higher classes contained in general only one public room. About the year 1735 several individuals built houses to be occupied solely by themselves, in place of dwelling on a floor en tering from a common stair, as they had hitherto done. This change, however, proceeded very s'owly, and up to the year 1755 or 1760 very few of these single houses had been built. Their living was simple —a few plain dishes, and these all put on the table at once. The first instance of a dinner of two courses was about the year 1786, when Mrs Andrew Stirling of L)nimpellicr ma le this change, and she justified herself against the charge of introducing a more extravagant style of living by saying that she had only divided her dinner and had put no more dishes on the table than before. After dinner the husband went to his place of business, and in the evening to a club in a public house, whore, with little expense, he enjoyed himself till nine o’clock. The dinner hour was early. Down to 1770 it was two o’clock; after that it came to three, and hot till about 1818 did it reach six o’clock. The lady pave in her own bedroom, receiving there the visits of her female friends, a great deal of intercourse of this kind was kept up, the gentlemen seldom making their appearance at these parties. After the year 17-10 the intercourse of society was chiefly by evening parties, never exceeding twelve or fourteen persons, who were invited to tea and supper. They met at four, and after tea played cards till nine, when they supped. The gentlemen did not go away with the ladies after supper, hut continued to sit with the landlord, drinking punch to a verylate hour, the people were in general religious, and particularly strict in the oh servation of the Sabbath— some of them, indeed, to an extent that was considered hyothoistohe extiavagant. There were families who did not sweep nr dust the house, nor make the beds, nor allow any food to be cooked or dressed on Sunday ; and there were some who opened only as much of the shutters of their windows as would serve to enable the inmates to move up and down, or an individual to sit at the opening to read. At this period profane swearing among the higher classes of citizens was considered a gentlemanly qualification. Dissipation at entertainments was dignified with the appellation of hospitality, and he who did not send his guests from his house in a state of intoxication was considered unfit to entertain genteel company. But it must be recollected that if the drinking at these entertainments was hard, the “bouts” were comparatively rare, and there was probably much less drunk in a year at that time than there Is now, when every day, both at lunch and dinner, as well as at evening parties, wine

is so frequently used. Certainly in those days the abstinence of young people from stimulants was in marked contrast to the habits of our own day. when mere boys and girls, at late dinners and later dances, are found consuming an amount of stimulants which would not have been tolerated in the time of their grandfathers gow and its People,” by A. Macgeorge.