Secretarianism and Municipal Housing Allocation in Glasgow

Abstract

This article assesses whether or not sectarian practices existed in the allocation of municipal housing in Glasgow during the inter-war and post­ war periods of the twentieth century. Population and parish data, and previously unpublished local government material, are examined to assist in an investigation that has not been considered in the previous research on sectarianism in Scotland. The public debate hosted by the broadsheet letters1 pages following James MacMilian*s infamous 'Scotland's Shame* lecture was welcome for two reasons. First, it showed that plenty of people were prepared to share their thoughts on the subjects of religious bigotry and sectarianism, albeit with the aid of an unexpected stimulus. Second, given the amount of anecdote presented, it was a timely reminder that research into the extent of sectarianism in Scotland was still very much necessary. An edited collection of essays was produced as a direct consequence of the reaction MacMillan's lecture had provoked (Devine (ed) 2000), itself an important addition to the growing number of key texts in this area (Murray 1984, Bruce 1985, Gallagher 1987, Walker and Gallagher (eds) 1990, Devine (ed) 1991, Bradley 1995, Walker 1995; Boyle and Lynch 1998). Most of the essays directly addressed MacMillan's claims of endemic anti-Catholic hatred and discrimination in Scotland, with some attempting to quantify the relative social status, educational attainment, political preferences and cultural habits of Catholics in post-war Scotland (L. Paterson, McCrone and Rosie, I. Paterson, Williams and Walls). Research into discrimination and