Scottish Typographical Association was a labour union representing

typesetter Typesetting is the composition of text by means of arranging physical ''type'' (or ''sort'') in mechanical systems or ''glyphs'' in digital systems representing ''characters'' (letters and other symbols).Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random Ho ...

s in Scotland. It was founded in 1853. In 1974, it merged with the

Society of Graphical and Allied Trades The Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT) was a British trade union in the printing industry. History SOGAT was formed in 1966 by the National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers and the National Society of Operative Pr ...

(SOGAT). , The formation of the union was organised by the Glasgow Typographical Society, although it incorporated local societies in other Scottish burghs. Membership gradually rose, reaching 4,700 in 1910. The union was a founding member of the

Printing and Kindred Trades Federation The Printing and Kindred Trades Federation (P&KTF) was a trade union federation in the United Kingdom. History The federation was established at a conference in Manchester on 8 September 1890, organised on the initiative of George D. Kelley. Th ...

and, following a demarcation decision of the federation in 1928, it organised only assistants in case and machine rooms in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, but all typographical workers in the rest of Scotland.Arthur Marsh and John B. Smethurst, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'', vol.5, pp.93-94 The union changed its name to the Scottish Graphical Association in 1973, but merged into SOGAT shortly afterwards.

General Secretaries

:1853: John BairdSarah C. Gillespie, ''A hundred years of progress: the record of the Scottish Typographical Association, 1853 to 1952'', pp.243-244 :1859: William Govan :1871: George Craig :1872: Simon Martin :1874:

John Battersby John Battersby (1839–1922) was a Scottish trade unionist and politician. Born in Glasgow, Battersby completed an apprenticeship as a compositor with the '' Glasgow Courier'' newspaper. He joined the Scottish Typographical Association, and in ...

:1887: Robert Johnstone :1893: John Templeton :1911: John White :1913: James Brown :1917: John Watt :1921: Robert Watson :1942: Robert H. Lean :1951: Harry Girdwood :1961: Peter Whigham

References

1853 establishments in Scotland Trade unions established in 1853 Trade unions disestablished in 1974 1974 disestablishments in Scotland Printing trade unions Defunct trade unions of Scotland {{UK-trade-union-stub