Collection: Stirling Tract Enterprise / Drummond Press
Classmark: Special - Drummond
Biographical/administrative history:
The Stirling Tract Enterprise was founded by Peter Drummond, a Stirling seed merchant, in 1848. Drummond, a very religious man, was shocked that people were being ferried across the River Forth to Cambuskenneth to visit the abbey and public houses on Sundays. He published a tract, The Sabbath, and distributed 10,000 copies, and followed that with another 200,000 copies in the following months. He subsequently published several new tracts; by 1852 he devoted himself to tract publishing full time. The tracts were distributed free, although distributors were charged (these included clergy, missionaries, preachers, Sunday Schools). Donations covered the publishing costs. Most of the tracts were printed by the Stirling Observer Press. The Enterprise also started publishing books and magazines. By 1872, around 60 million tracts had been published.
Contents: Publications of the Stirling Tract Enterprise and the Drummond Press, including tracts, magazines and books.
Extent: approx. 17 shelves
The collection is only partially catalogued - see the library catalogue
Please contact us in advance of a visit by emailing archives@stir.ac.uk
Custodial history: The collection was first donated to the Library by the Trustees of the Drummond Press in 1979. There have been several further donations from the Drummond Trust since then.
Accruals: There may be further additions to the collection.
Access conditions: Please contact us in advance of a visit by emailing archives@stir.ac.uk
Language: mainly English
Publications:
Mike Cormack, The Stirling Tract Enterprise and the Drummonds, University of Stirling Bibliographical Society, 1984. ISBN 0907250025
Available for purchase for £6
Related collections:
MS 42: Drummond family papers, including material relating to Peter Drummond (1799-1877), founder of the Stirling Tract Enterprise
MS 50: 'The Stirling Tract Enterprise: its rise and progress.' Manuscript copy of the history of the Stirling Tract Enterprise written by Peter Drummond in 1860.
MS 79: 'Religious thought in contemporary literature', Robert Crawford, Drummond Prize essay, 1979-1980
Stirling Council Archives holds a collection of business records relating to the Stirling Tract Enterprise including: minute books (1888-1971); Jubilee meeting (1898); accounts (1877-1956); Board of Trade returns (1914-1918) (ref. GB 224/PD36)
Publications of the Stirling Tract Enterprise
Archives Reading Room
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Email: archives@stir.ac.uk
Please contact us in advance of your visit. Material can be ordered in advance by emailing us at archives@stir.ac.uk