Leadhills Miners’ Library has also been known as Leadhills Reading Society and the Allan Ramsay Library, since it was founded in 1741.

It is Britain’s oldest subscription library and more importantly the world’s first library for working people. The library is recognised as being of international importance and is now a museum to learning and literature. 

Subscription libraries resembled clubs or societies and until the late 19th century were the most common form of library activity in Scotland and Leadhills was the model for many others.

It was also the first library in Britain to practice an early form of lifelong learning called ‘Mutual Improvement’ which just means that you learn more and understand more if you learn as part of a group and learn from each other, rather than as a solitary individual. The idea subsequently spread all over Scotland. So why did such a remarkable institution appear at such an early date in such a remote location?

Some of the credit must go to the mine manager, James Stirling of Garden who came to Leadhills as mine manager in 1734 and remained there until his death in 1770. Stirling was not just a mining engineer, he was also a social engineer and he set out to transform the miners’ lives. The village had a school and most of the miners could read. The miners only worked a six hour day due to the danger of lead poisoning and had a good deal of leisure. Books were too expensive for miners to buy as a book cost about the equivalent of two weeks wages for a miner. It was also believed at the time that people who used libraries were more useful citizens than those who did not because of their reading.

It was founded with 23 members on 23rd November 1741, a number which had grown to over 100 by 1820. It had most members during the Napoleonic Wars and during the First World War because lead was a strategic material. It continued in use and unchanged in administration until the 1930s when the closure of the mines led to decline. It finally ceased to function in 1966. At its greatest extent it had over 4000 books of which 2,500 survive today. Most of the members were ordinary miners but the most famous member was William Symington, the pioneer of steam navigation.

Today, some 2,500 books survive from an original total of over 4,000.

The period of publication covered is from the early 18th century to the mid 20th century and they represent a snapshot of ordinary people’s reading over a period of almost 300 years.

Reading by ordinary people originated with the Bible followed by Biblical commentaries and books about religion especially books questioning Church orthodoxy.

The miners were sympathetic to the Free Church of Scotland, founded in 1843, and they looked back to the traditions of the Covenanters who had been Bible readers which, in turn encouraged the development of literacy. This then developed into the reading of secular nonfiction: history, travels, biography and other secular subjects.

This was followed by a growing interest in imaginative literature, plays, poems and fiction. This process was completed by the late 18th century. Most working class libraries did not buy vocational books but Leadhills was an exception and early purchases included books helpful to the miners in their work. This did not last long however and the miners soon adopted a policy of buying general literature as was the case all over Scotland.

The buying of books about mining and related subjects did not return until the late 19th century. By this time miners too had also become interested in politics and social questions. As well as mining the miners were also smallholders and they bought books on gardening and husbandry and even identified with Irish land reformers. 

As well as the extensive collection of books and publications held by the library it also holds a collection of library artefacts. These include ballot boxes for voting on accepting new members and original membership certificates.

A number of printing plates for printing membership certificates and a plate for printing copies of the library bookplate are held, as well as a collection of rare local minerals and an extensive archive. 

The library is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from Easter to the end of September, between the hours of 2pm and 5pm. Entry is free.

Logging this Virtual Geocache:

To log this geocache you need to message or email the cache owner with the following information:

What is the last sentence of the 2nd paragraph on the external notice board? 
You also need to provide a photograph that is attached to your log to prove your attendance at the museum. This can be chosen from any of the following options:
A] A photograph of you standing outside the library with the library's white name board showing. 
B] A photograph of your electronic device* next to the brown sign on the door frame
C] If you visit when the library is open, a picture of either you or your electronic device* inside the library.

You do not need to have your face on any photograph.  *Electronic Devices include; Smart phone, GPSr, Smart Watch, or any other personal divice. 

Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023

This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.