In response to recent criticism published in the last week accusing the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society of disposing of Mackintosh pews at Queen’s Cross irresponsibly and without consultation, the Society refutes these accusations as misleading and untrue…….

In 2014 the Society Council started investigating the potential removal of the front pews to allow Queen’s Cross to develop as a heritage, music and arts venue and give flexibility in the area around the Chancel area for disabled access and space for wheelchairs and circulation space.

Extract from QX Conservation Plan: (April 2005)
“The pews are a standard simple design, but the pulpit, panelling, altar table, alms dish stands, and the cantilevered galleries are all unmistakably Mackintosh designs.”

Roger Billcliffe (eminent Mackintosh expert) has highlighted that the pews were not designed by Mackintosh and didn’t even form part of the architect’s contract for Queen’s Cross. They were commercially made and sold by church furnishers and there are still at least another thirty of this size in the church.

This is not the first time Pews have been removed. In 1944 the rear five rows of pews were removed to create a new meeting room. The pew timbers were used to construct a screen under the E. gallery, designed by Thomas Howarth.

In November 2014 approval was given by Historic Scotland for the removal of the front two pews to enable better use of the space for events and to provide space for wheelchairs.

In February/April 2015 the pews had been detached from their positions but could not be physically removed from the church due to their length (21 feet and 19 feet). During this time discussions were ongoing to find a location to store them. In September 2015 a replica pew section was created to see if it would fit through the entrance door. After investigation this would only be possible by dismantling the glass entrance doorway.

In January 2016 a solution was found for the pews to be removed, and an agreement was reached to store them.

In 2021 we were notified that the storage space had plans to develop the site, and we would need to start looking for a new home for the pews.

Offers to transfer them to several Glasgow based institutions came to nothing.
In 2024 the best opportunity appeared to be to donate them to The Faith and Belief Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University, but despite several attempts to get a final decision, nothing happened. Their size and inflexibility meant that they were always going to pose a problem to rehouse.

In October 2024 the pews needed to be removed from their current location to allow development to begin. The Society agreed to make a payment of £500 to cover the storage space costs till the end of the year to give more time to find a solution.

In December 2024 when we inspected the pews onsite, we noticed they had deteriorated due to the damp storage conditions.

The subject of disposal was addressed at successive Trustee meetings. It was agreed that in their current state they had little or no artistic or aesthetic value, no prospect of internal re-use and, therefore, were now a burden to the Society. Nor did they have any significant monetary value since they were not Mackintosh designs.

The Mackintosh Society does not have a collection as such nor is it an accredited museum so the collection and disposal policy requirements applying to an accredited collection would not apply, though the process followed was in keeping with museum ethics. We have made extensive efforts to find them a new home intact, and that there was no foreseeable need for their future reinstallation in Queen’s Cross. There are numerous identical pews remaining in the church (in good condition) and the cost etc of ongoing storage for such large items was something Council Trustees decided the Society could not afford on top of escalating maintenance and operational costs.

At our Trustees meeting in January 2025, it was agreed to give the pews to Glasgow Architecture Salvage. GAS gave a donation of £80 to the Society.

Background
In the mid-1970s, after the Church was deconsecrated in 1976 when the very existence of Queen’s Cross Church was threatened by demolition, the newly formed Mackintosh Society took the daring step of taking on a lease and beginning the process of refurbishment and conservation which continues to this day. The reality of the time was that there was no other organisation or public body that appeared to have the passion, drive or commitment to stake all and take the risk. The Society wanted to set an example and show that a small independent charity could successfully restore a building from a near derelict condition.

Over the last 50 years the Society has done a remarkable job in looking after and conserving Queen’s Cross Church (Mackintosh Queen’s Cross), along with its important advocacy role. Over this period, we have seen a number of major Mackintosh exhibitions around the world; groundbreaking publications on Mackintosh and the Four; the completion of the House for an Art Lover; the restoration and conservation of the Willow Tea Rooms (Mackintosh at the Willow); a major restoration of 78 Derngate; and the restoration of the interiors of the surviving Ingram Street Tea Rooms. In 2018, through funding from The Monument Trust and our Members Appeal, we secured the purchase of the original Queen’s Cross furniture (Communion Table and the two Alms Dishes) which is documented as designed by Mackintosh.

In addition to its role as a Mackintosh venue regularly open to the public, Mackintosh Queen’s Cross is now a firmly established performance venue for the Celtic Connections Festival, Counterflows, the West End Festival, the Glasgow Jazz Festival and promoters and performers ranging from 432 presents, Regular Music and DF Concerts.

An excellent example of the Society’s value and contribution to the Mackintosh heritage is the Mackintosh Buildings Conditions Survey. The first ever assessment of the Mackintosh built heritage of 51 buildings and monuments was instigated and led by the Society. The central aim of the Survey was to determine the current condition of a range of prioritised Mackintosh buildings and related works, including interiors and gravestones, within public and private ownership.

The CRM Society is a small charity that receives no core financial support and relies heavily on its members subscriptions from around the world. For less than £1 per week you can support the work of the Society by becoming a member today and help preserve and promote the Mackintosh heritage for future generations.

For press information and images, contact: Stuart Robertson – stuart@crmsociety.com

Stuart Robertson FRSA
Director
Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society