| Description | The Congregational Reading Society was appointed at a General Meeting of the Congregation on 14 December 1836. It was resolved to form a society of members of the New Meeting congregation residing in Calthorpe Street and Frederick Street, Edgbaston, 'for the reading of Periodical Religious Publications', with the object of circulating among its members such periodicals as chosen by them at their annual meeting. Another society was also formed covering the Bristol Road district of the city (see UC 2/12/1/1/2).
Membership of the society stood at ten, and members were to purchase periodicals (subsidised by the society) that were considered their own property but which were to be circulated amongst the society for general reading for a number of days. The Congregational Reading Society was disbanded at its annual meeting dated 12 December 1864, following the withdrawal of several of its members. The society's collection of periodicals and journals were donated to the Church of the Messiah Library. |