The Southampton Society for Mutual Education (ca.1857-65) was a young workingmen's club devoted to self-improvement both indoors and out. Reading, drawing, painting, writing, and debating were all undertaken weekly at the society's meeting rooms, variously the Albiom Congregational Chapel, Thomas James' Book Emporium, or rooms belonging to cook and confectioner, George Parker. This fragile, pseudonymously hand-written ands illustrated periodical was circulated monthly amongst its generally non-conformist members including local bookworkers (E. Roberts, W. King), Ordnance Survey office staff (Editor and six members), General Post Office (William Cox, C. Hall), P&O shipping (G.H. Philps, Coyle) plus several individuals who later became important local luminaries (E.H Jones, E. Bance, T.H. Skelton).
