Kelso, 66 Roxburgh Street, Royal British Legion Club

The eighteenth century saw the construction of a number of public buildings in Kelso aimed at improving the quality of life for ordinary people. Amongst these were three public libraries, founded in 1750, 1778 and 1794. Each of these (the Kelso Library, the Kelso New Library and The Modern Library) was maintained by a subscription charge, and the New Library and The Modern Library were founded as Joint Stock companies, meaning that both had shareholders.

The Modern Library was built on Chalkheugh Terrace in 1795, and today the building remains in use as the Royal British Legion Club. It was built on two levels, with the books on the ground floor and the librarian's house in the basement. The front door, flanked by coupled columns, was reached by a flight of steps.

Public libraries were often well patronised, reflecting a fairly high literacy rate amongst adults. Parish schools, introduced by law after the Reformation, taught a variety of subjects, such as reading, writing, mathematics, arithmetic, and Latin other foreign languages.

Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project