A curling-related dime novel from 1906

by Bob Cowan

The mid 1800s to the early twentieth century was the era of the 'dime novel' in the USA. These were printed on cheap paper, and usually had colour cover illustrations. They targeted a young, working class readership, with Wild West adventures, detective stories and historical romances. In Britain the name given to these ephemeral publications was 'penny dreadfuls' (see here). They were the precursors of comic books and the mass market paperbacks of today.

Dime novels illustrate the reading tastes of an increasingly literate audience, and now provide a resource for researchers of popular history and culture. They also show how twentienth century printing techniques were developing.

One source says of dime novels, "Once the bane of the middle-class, these little books were considered the corrupters of youth and stepping-stones on the path to perdition."

Recently I was excited to come across a dime novel featuring curling!

'Frank Manley's Sweeping Score: A Wonderful Day at Curling' was No 20, January 19, 1906, of Frank Manley's Weekly, a thirty-two page magazine for boys which featured the adventures of Frank Manley, a young athlete who seems to excel in every sport he undertakes. The description on the magazine says, 'Each number contains a story of manly sports, replete with lively incidents, dramatic situations, and a sparkle of humor'. There were letters to the editor in the back of each issue.

It was one of a number of titles published by Frank Tousey, 24 Union Square, New York. Frank Manley's Weekly was first published in 1905, and ran for at least twenty-one issues.

This is a scan of the first inside page of the magazine, and you can see from the colour how much the cheap paper has deteriorated. It is of course 106 years old.

The story itself is wonderful, involving as it does ice yachting, as well as curling! Frank Manley and his friends in the Woodstock Junior Athletic Club successfully help a Russian, Count Sassaneff, retain possession of valuable diamonds as he is hunted by a group of villains (the Nihilists). At one point in the story, the diamonds are hidden in a rubber ball which ends up under the ice during a game of curling when the umpire (a middle aged Scotsman called Tam Samson, would you believe) falls through in his excitement! Needless to say there is a happy ending.

For the curling historian, there is much of interest. The sport is described as being played on outside natural ice, using the crampit for delivery. Individuals play a points competition, before the inter-club match. In that game the hero attempts a double raise with last stone of the last end, the opposition lying six!

"But to Manley there came sudden hope.
He saw a shot that was possible - barely possible.
It called for the most brilliant kind of a shot, however.
A careful posing, then a quick decisive delivery, and Manley's heart was very nearly in his mouth.
Up went the the stone in grand style and with crushing force.
It struck the stone at the hog-score - struck it dead - and this, in turn, struck dead Manley's own middle stone.
Now, in turn, Manley's own middle stone struck the winner of (sic) the tee and lay there.
'Match to Bradford'!"

The author of the story writes under the pseudonym 'Physical Director'.

The same person writes about curling in a 'Practical Talk on Training No 52' which is included in the magazine:

"Curling is a sport that deserves to be highly popular in these United States. I wish all of my young readers could go in for it during the winter months.
In the first place, it is a game that must be played out of doors, in the keen, bracing, frosty air of the ice season.
It is a game that is played with stones that range in weight from thirty-two and forty-two pounds.
It follows, as a matter of course, therefore, that here is plenty of good, solid, muscular work.
These stones have to be slid over the ice, the usual length of the rink being forty-two yards.
Not only is considerable muscular work demanded, but there must be the greatest accuracy.
Taken all around, for strong muscular work, for training of the eye, and for teaching coolness and judgment, curling is about as grand a sport as can be found for the winter.
Then, again, curling calls for the exercise of good nature. The cross, snappy curler is soon driven from the game.
The sport makes for good-fellowship, and will do more than any other winter sport to foster good feeling in an athletic club."

What follows are ideas on how to raise funds to support athletic clubs for young people, and the statement, "Clean outdoor sport is the best possible kind of training for a boy."

Frank Manley's Weekly was the successor to Young Athlete's Weekly, which also had an issue featuring curling. This has survived too and is in the collections of Bowling Green State University, Ohio, see here. That story is entitled 'Frank Manley's Knack at Curling: The Greatest Ice Game on Record'. I wonder what young Manley got up to in that issue?

As well as Bowling Green State University, Stanford University and the University of South Florida have extensive collections of dime novels and the like.

ADDED LATER:

Georges Dodds has sent the following: "you state 'Frank Manley's Weekly was first published in 1905, and ran for at least twenty-one issues.' – there were 32 issues [no.1 (1905:Sept.8)-no.32 (1906:Apr.13)] – the entire run is held by the TC Andersen Library Children’s Lit (Hess Collection) at the University of Minnesota.

You correctly mention Bowling Green State University, Stanford University and the University of South Florida as having large dime novel collections, but the largest and most complete such collection in the US, is at the University of Minnesota (http://special.lib.umn.edu/clrc/hess/hess_dimenovels_pdf.php)

Charles Aird's Jubilee

David B Smith writes:

The Kilmarnock Standard of April 23, 1892, printed a long account of a dinner held in the town to celebrate the Jubilee of one of the town’s notable curlers, Charles Aird of the Kilmarnock Townend Club.

After the presentation to him of a valuable timepiece and to his daughter-in-law of a gold brooch, accompanied by appropriate speeches, the curler himself “gave an outline of his career as a curler which we think it best to print in the homely, colloquial style in which it was spoken.”

I agree; so here goes:

“My first start at the curling was on the Townhead Dam the year the Caledonia Club was formed, and also on other dams round about, sometimes at the 'Farrel o’ Bread' or 'Bessie’s Bog' – in fact, any place we could get ice. In the year '38 we had thirteen weeks' frost at one time. The Boyd Street folk and the Dean Street folk played a game, two rinks a side – on Bonnyton Loch; then we all met at nicht and had a chappin’ or twa o’ yill. I mind o’ Sawney Boyd, the shaemaker, sitting doon on the flaer singing something aboot “Dae ye no see the shaemaker’s son rinning awa' for a bawbee's worth o' roset.” (Laughter) The winners challenged the losers to play them the following Saturday, not expecting the frost to continue. However, it did so. We went on this way till we had played for seven Saturdays all running.

After Bonnyton Loch was closed I sometimes played on the Bonnyton clay-holes, and I have had a game too on Hillhead bog. Wherever we went I had aye my stanes to carry back and forrit myself, so that was surely what you would ca' a guid apprenticeship. (Laughter)

I joined the Townend Club in the year '42, that being the year the New Farm Loch was opened. My first start after becoming a member was at Lochwinnoch to play the Johnstone curlers for the district medal. I played for several years on that loch, also at Barr meadow. I played in the national game and for the big jug presented by the late Lord Eglinton, which I have no doubt cost hundreds of pounds. Then I played in a match between Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. I next played at Loch Broom, in a match between Mauchline and our own club. I have also played in a game on Cunninghamhead Pond for the district medal – Dalry against Townend. I played on Craufurdland Loch for the district medal; then later on for the big jug, and as you all know, for the gold curling stone, presented by the late Lady Craufurd of Craufurdland, times without number. I have played several games at Eglinton flushes, made by the late Lord Eglinton purposely for the big jug games.

I mind one time playing in a private game, one rink, for a load of meal for the poor. The game was between Eglinton and J. O. Fairlie. Then I played in a game at Coodham for the district medal – Townend against Tarbolton. I have also played a game on the late D.C. Gairdner's artificial pond at Coodham in J.O. Fairlie's time, and likewise on the late A. Finnie's artificial pond. I remember, too, having a game at Ashgrove, one rink, against Saltcoats and Ardrossan for dinner and drink. We met once on Dundonald Loch to play the Irvine curlers for the district medal, but they never put in an appearance. However, we managed to finish it up ourselves in Dundonald.

I once played in a game at Auchans Loch for the big jug, and I have also played more than once for the big jug on Merkland Loch, and also at the same place for Mr D.C.Gairdner's silver curling stone, which our rink won, and I took it home with me. Then I played a game at Newfield Loch for the silver kettle presented by Mrs Finnie, which our rink won, and which I took home with me. So you see I had both the silver curling stone and the silver kettle in the house at the same time. I filled the kettle up to the brim, which took about six bottles o' the real Campbeltown out of auld James Ramsay's shop in Boyd Street. (Laughter.) I handed it round freely to ane and a' to drink the health of a' keen curlers, and if there had been a hole in the curling stane I would have filled it tae with the same stuff. (Laughter.) So you see, although I have now reached my jubilee in the roaring game, I don't mean to give it up, but will throw a stone as long as I am able. I have now been a skip in the Townend Club for 46 years. (Applause.)”

Top photo: Charles Aird, a tailor who lived in High Street, Kilmarnock, from a carte de visite given to David by his grandson in 1977.

Charles Aird's stones are in the Dick Institute. Kilmarnock. The handles are fashioned from a single piece of wood and are inserted into a circular hole in the top of the stone, and were kept in place by wet cloth wrapped round the dowel. Height 6.5 in., circumference 29 in., sole 7 in., weight 42 lbs.

On the top of the stone are painted the owner's name and Townend Club in gold. Such high stones were popular in Kilmarnock until the end of the nineteenth century.

The 'big jug' as Charles Aird calls it in his speech, or 'The Jug' as it is generally referred to at the present day. It is still the most prestigious trophy contended for by Ayrshire curlers. This photograph shows a Kilmarnock Townend rink who won it in 1948-9. L-R: J. Lambie, skip, J. Gibson, Jr., L.B. Richmond, and R. Wylie.

The illustrations are from David's archive.

Hand-knitted curling sweaters

Written by Bob Cowan

This photo of eight upstanding young curlers - all members of Carmunnock and Rutherglen CC - comes from the late 1960s, and was taken in the annex of the Crossmyloof rink. It is in the club's archives! By whom it was taken, I don't know, nor do I remember the occasion. Their names are:

Back L-R: Bill Horton, Graeme Adam, John Brown and Michael Burton.
Front: David Horton, Bob Cowan, Martin Bryden and Robin Gemmell.

Look at what three of us in the front row are wearing. These are hand knitted, shawl-collared curling sweaters, often referred to as Cowichan sweaters. The name comes from the Cowichan people of southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, who pioneered these distinctively patterned, heavy-knit sweaters. They are also called Mary Maxim sweaters, or simply 'curling sweaters', whether or not the design is a curling one.

My mother had knitted me such a sweater - in fact it's the one Martin Bryden is wearing in the photo - when I had begun curling at school. I was very proud of it, although I probably did not appreciate at the time the effort which had gone in to making it. The sweater still exists, although it has shrunk considerably over the years. Or perhaps there is another reason it no longer fits!

I suspect that it was finding an extract from a knitting pattern in my Higher English paper back in 1964 that affected me in such a way, that with my introduction to eBay some ten years ago, I started to collect knitting patterns for curling jumpers.

In the midst of the Loudmouth revolution, it is interesting to look back at curling fashion on the ice in the 1960s, and see the social history that can be gleaned from the simple knitting pattern. Here are just a few from the 'national collection'.

'Bonspiel Days' is the name of this Mary Maxim pattern, which is © 1955 Miss Mary Maxim Ltd. The instructions call for the use of four-ply 'Northland' wool.

It is this garment which has been recreated recently by Jenny Stark, see here.

This pattern says 'Patented 1957' on the cover, and '© 1959' on the back. The 'Women's or Teeners'' pattern is illustrated, but there was also a 'Men's' version. I have copies of the latter, one priced at 25c, printed in Canada, and another, priced at 6d, printed in England.

This © 1961 pattern, called 'Granite Club' was the one knitted for me by my mother. I have not yet come across a women's version of this pattern.

This one shows a price of 25c, but I also have a version with a dual price of 25c and 6d, with 'Printed in England' on the back cover. Presumably by the early 1960s the patterns were more available in the UK. Indeed, by then Miss Mary Maxim had a presence in Leicester, England.

And no, my mother did not knit me the Tam-O-Shanter!

Mary Maxim was not the only company producing knitting patters for curling sweaters. This one, © 1961, was by the Woolard Company Ltd, of Paris, Ontario, who also marketed a different design, No.13.

Dominion Woollens and Worsteds Ltd of Ontario also published 'Bouquet' patterns for 'Polar Sweater Curling Design'.

This was from Patons and Baldwins Ltd, Toronto. Not dated. There is a separate 'Lady's' pattern.

This by Belding-Corticelli Ltd, designed for 'Empire' or 'Caribou' yarn. Not dated. There is also a separate men's pattern.

By Newlands-Harding, not dated. There was a separate men's pattern of the same design.

This is the rear cover of the pattern above, showing other designs which could be knitted.

And for any non-knitters reading this, here is an example page from inside the pattern!

 

Although the 1960s were the heyday of the hand knitted sweaters, this pattern was not produced by Patons and Baldwins Inc until 1984.

There is even a pattern for a curling sweater to fit Barbie! Here's the result. This was recreated recently by Kathryn Mackin. Splendid!

There are patterns for other types of curling jumper. But a description of these is for another time!

Curling history enthusiasts David B Smith and Bob Cowan are both sporting modern recreations of two of the patterns. Hazel Smith was the photographer.

Grand/Royal Caledonian Curling Club District Medals

by David B Smith

This article has been prompted by my finding in my repositories (great word!) a small parcel wrapped in crinkly, grease-proof paper. I have no recollection how it came to me. When unwrapped the bundle revealed within a paper envelope a slim cardboard box, and two pieces of printed paper. The box bore the legend: R and W SORLEY, Medallists, St Vincent St. and Renfield St. Corner.

The box’s content was a mint Royal Caledonian Curling Club District Medal, with a suspension ribbon, and chased suspension pin-bar.

The first paper was a proforma letter from A Davidson Smith, secretary of the RCCC, dated December 2, 1909, sending to an unnamed umpire the district medal awarded for competition between Glenmuir Water and Kilmaurs Clubs.

The second was a Report of the Match which he was requested to fill in and return to the secretary.

I had little difficulty in deducing that the match had never taken place, or the medal would not have found its way into my collection, but a perusal of the appropriate Annuals confirmed that that was so. So this medal joined the very large number of anonymous district medals that had either never been played for or had been played for but never engraved with the result.

The awarding of district medals was one way – the main way – in which the new Grand Club encouraged the spread of the game throughout Scotland. The institution of the Club occurred at an opportune time in history, for the beginning and expansion of the railways meant that the curler’s view of competition was no longer restricted to the immediately adjacent parishes. It was now possible for quite large groups of curlers to be carried quite considerable distances for their participation in the national game. By 1847 it was possible to think of seeing a whole nation at play in the large bonspiels known as Grand Matches.

The rules about medals first appeared in the Annual for 1839-40 and both District and Local medals were provided for. For district medals all the member clubs were to be arranged in pairs of clubs which were conveniently closely situated and those to whom medals awarded decided by lot. “The number to be given in any one year shall depend on the number of associated clubs, as well as on the state of the funds…” In the first year ten district medals were awarded. Local medals were for play among the members of one club at points.

The medals proved popular and clubs were arranged on a rotation so that every club had a chance to be drawn every second year.

In an article I wrote for the Scottish Curler in 2005 I said that it would be possible to make an estimate of the total number of Grand/RCCC medals produced since 1840 by adding up the number awarded each year; a list appears in each Annual, and a remarkably large sum for payment for medals appears in the accounts, but I had not done so. There must have been thousands. For example, for the season 1932-3 alone there were 125 district medals. Prompted by finding the Glenmuir v Kilmaurs medal I have now tried to calculate accurately the numbers of the district medal produced in total for the life of the first design, that is, from 1839 until 1870.

John Sclater was the man chosen to design the Club’s medal. His design – a group of curlers at play on the front, and the name of the club and its date of foundation, on the reverse – lasted until 1870, when, with a minimum of fuss, it was decided to have a new design. The minute of the AGM of July 1870 states: “Designs for a new medal, prepared by the medallist, were submitted to the meeting, and were remitted to the Committee on the Annual, with power to select a design, and to have the medal ready for distribution by the ensuing winter.” Next winter the preface to the Annual reported merely that, “The new medal has been highly approved.” What a pity that all the competing designs have not survived. The design approved in 1870, the combination of a curling scene and the Lion Rampant, has stood the test of time, for it is still in use. Nonetheless I have always preferred the earlier design.

The first medals were of silver although they almost never were hall-marked. In more recent times they have been made of humble bronze.

The idea inherent in the design of a largely blank reverse was to allow the winning club to cause to be engraved there the details of its victory, such as the date, the place, the opposing club, the number of shots by which victory was won. I have one or two which record – rather boastfully, it appears to me – the name of the president of the winning club. With such details the medal is an actual piece of history. Without them it is merely a quite common though quite pleasing example of the medallist’s art.

Some clubs displayed their store of medals with pride on every club occasion, sometimes by arranging them on an apron or waistcoat worn by the president; others by showing them off in specially made display boxes. Sadly, many clubs have not even bothered to have their medals engraved.

It was the job of the umpire , appointed at the time of the awarding of the medal, to send a report on the match to the Grand/RCCC for inclusion in the Annual. There one can read who played whom, how many, when, where, for how long and what was the state of the ice. The reports make very interesting reading. For example, in 1855 there was the report of the match between Catrine and Douglas Water. “The Ice was keen and a little biassed, the play was particularly good on both sides. The Douglas Water Club’s Stones were much larger than the Catrine Club’s Stones, and they told severely on the small stones, otherwise the game would have been much closer.” On January 12, 1871, two rinks of Brechin Castle were beaten by Forfar, 27-34, in a three hour match on Finavon pond, the ice of which was “Keen but very much twisted”, while on January 30 of the same year Yoker beat Milton of Campsie on Ardinning Loch on ice that was “All that a keen curler could desire.”

When the system settled down one could read in the Annual which clubs had been awarded medals against which club. The theory was that next year in the following Annual one could read the result. Our fickle climate meant that this by no means always happened. In some good winters we find in the table the results for medals awarded up to four of five years before; and, of course, some medals, like the one that inspired this article, were never played for at all.

I have abstracted from the tables printed in the Annuals the numbers of all the first design medals reported as played for between 1839 and 1870. The total is 2096. The growing popularity of the game is shown by the division of this figure into decades.
1839-1850 254,
1851-1860 867,
1861-1870 975.

David B Smith 

Top: The first design of District Medal.

This picture shows the medals of Roslin (Rosslyn) CC as displayed in a specially made box.

This part of the display of medals of the Roslin Curling Club shows what could be done to maximise the impact of winning a district medal. Nos. 1 and 2 referred to the large medals.

3. Grand Caledonian Curling Club Medal by Sclater. Struck 'GRAND CALEDONIAN CURLING CLUB DISTRICT MEDAL' and engraved 'PLAYED FOR on Penicuik Pond Between 4 Players from Drum AND FROM ROSSLYN on 8th Jany 1841 GAINED BY ROSLIN BY 13 SHOTS.' (H.1993.667.19)

4. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'ROSLIN & WHITEHILL PLAYED ON ROSLIN POND 3 RINKS ASIDE Roslin 93 Whitehill 46 Majority 47 18th December 1846'. (H.1993.667.22)


5. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved '29th January 1848 ROSLIN & MUSSELBURGH ON ROSLIN POND 2 RINKS ASIDE Roslin 59 Musselburgh 21 - Majority 38.' (H.1993.667.15)


6. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved '13th February 1855 ROSLIN & GLENCROSS ON ROSLIN POND Gained by Roslin 7 Shots'. (H.1993.667.6)


7. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'ROSLIN & GLENCROSS ON PENICUIK POND Gained by Roslin 15 Shots 31st January 1860'. (H.1993.667.16)


8. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'ROSSLYN & YESTER ON PRESTONHALL POND Gained by Roslin 34 Shots 13th February 1860.' (H.1993.667.23)


9. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'ROSSLYN & TARTH WATER at Penicuik Pond GAINED BY ROSSLYN 7 SHOTS 3 RINKS ALL WON. 11th January 1864.' (H.1993.667.20)


10. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved '14th January 1864 ROSSLYN & COATS CLUB ON Merchiston Pond GAINED BY ROSSLYN 41 SHOTS 3 RINKS ALL WON.' (H.1993.667.4)


11. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'Rosslyn & Eddlestone Club on PENICUIK POND Gained by Rosslyn 37 SHOTS BEING 84 TO 47 RINKS 1 TIED 3 WON 29 JANUARY 1870'. (H.1993.667.21)


12. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved '27 JANUARY 1870 ROSSLYN Newhall, Habieshowe on Penicuik Pond GAINED BY ROSSLYN By 68 Shots BEING 90 TO 22 3 Rinks all won.' (H.1993.667.5)


13. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'COMPETED FOR by ROSSLYN & TEMPLE CLUBS 27 DECR 1870 & Gained by Rosslyn BY 27 SHOTS'. The match was played on Whitehill Pond. (H.1993.667.7)


14. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Kirkwood & Son, Edinburgh. Struck as usual and engraved 'COMPETED FOR BY ROSLIN AND WEST LINTON CLUBS 24 DECR 1874 Gained by Roslyn BY 9 SHOTS.' The match was played on Whim Pond. (H.1993.667.8)


15. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Kirkwood & Son, Edinburgh. Struck as usual and engraved 'COMPETED FOR BY ROSSLYN AND COATES CLUBS Gained by Rosslyn BY 78 SHOTTS 1st Jany. 1875'. The match was played on Coates Pond. (H.1993.667.12)


16. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Kirkwood & Son, Edinburgh. Struck as usual and engraved 'COMPETED FOR BY ROSSLYN VERSUS COATES CLUBS. Gained by Rosslyn BY 71 SHOTS 19th December 1878.' (H.1993.667.2)


17. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Kirkwood & Son, Edinburgh. Struck as usual and engraved 'COMPETED FOR BY ROSLYN VERSUS DRUM GAINED BY ROSSLYN BY 7 SHOTS 12TH DECEMBER 1879' (H.1993.667.3).


18. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Kirkwood & Son, Edinburgh. Struck as usual and engraved `ROSSYLN VERSUS CURRIE GAINED BY ROSSLYN By 22 Shots 22nd JANY 1882.' (H.1993.667.11)


19. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Kirkwood & Son, Edinburgh. Struck as usual and engraved `Glencorse v Rosslyn 2 RINKS Rosslyn won by 5 shots 14TH DECR 1886.' (H.1993.667.25)


20. RCCC Medal (similar to second form of District Medal) by Edwards & Son, Glasgow. Struck but without the struck inscription and engraved '8th Jany 1891 COBBINSHAW LOCH 2 RINKS WON BY 26 SHOTS [names of rinks].' With crossed brooms in miniature and a cast bar: `Province Medal'. (H.1993.667.10)


21. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Edwards & Son, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'CORSTORPHINE v Rosslyn on Merchiston Pond 4 RINKS WON BY 46 SHOTS 9th January 1891.' (H.1993.667.17)


22. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Kirkwood & Son, Edinburgh. Struck as usual and engraved '10th Jany 1891 STOW v ROSSLYN on Whitehill Pond 3 RINKS WON BY 22 SHOTS.' (H.1993.667.13)


23. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Edwards & Son, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'ROSSLYN v CRAIGLOCKHART 1ST FEB 1895 Won by 40 Points.' The match was played on Roslin Pond. (H.1993.667.9)


24. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Edwards & Son, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'ROSSLYN v COATES 3 RINKS 27th Jany 1897 WON BY 4 SHOTS.' The match was played on Blackford Pond. (H.1993.667.18)


25. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Edwards & Son, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'PLAYED ON WAVERLEY BLACKFORD POND. BUCHAN v ROSSLYN 4 RINKS WON BY 4 SHOTS 1st February 1899.' (H.1993.667.24)

The illustrations are © David B Smith. 

A Welcome Home

The photo above is of Abington station in South Lanarkshire. It was taken by John Robin in 1965. It probably looked much the same fifty-six years earlier, although there's nothing there now, except a passing loop on the West Coast Main Line. Back in 1909 the platforms were crowded with locals to welcome home their successful teams from the Grand Match, held at Carsebreck on November 24. Incidentally, this remains the only Grand Match ever to have been held in this month, the earliest date of the winter to see the Match played. The records show that there was five inches of ice on that occasion.

The success of the Abington curlers was recorded in the Hamilton Advertiser, and reprinted in the Annual of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club for 1910-11.

"The rather early and, in some opinions, rather severe visitation of Jack Frost, has also been of such duration as to permit of the various representative matches being played on natural ice in the full and joyous freedom of outdoors, and not 'cribb'd, cabin'd and confined' within the narrow limitations of an artificial and autocratic ice rink.

In local curling circles the season, so far as it has gone, has been a memorable one, for the Abington Club have been successful in carrying off the 'blue riband' of Scottish curling, viz. the Royal Caledonian Club trophy, which is played for at the Grand Match at Carsebreck. From this small village, four rinks made the long journey, and returned victorious with the splendid aggregate of 130 shots against their opponents' 36, and the magnificent aggregate of 23 shots, which enabled them to carry off the aforesaid trophy over the heads of their formidable, ancient opponents, Biggar, which club had a gain of 90 shots to its credit.

Abington thus won the prize for the highest aggregate and the highest average, but the rules of the match preclude them from being awarded both prizes. David Paton, who had the honour of of being the skip of the highest rink, with the handsome majority of 40 shots, also carried off a well deserved prize.

On their arrival at Abington Station, the victorious had a splendid reception, their fellow villagers turning out in large numbers. Mr Smith, the indefatigable station-master, had had word of the victory before the curlers arrived, and he speedily communicated with Dr Newbigging, the president of the club, who, as speedily, sent the 'fiery cross' round, in the shape of the Boy Scouts, who roused the whole village to their sense of local patriotism, just as their well-intentioned movement rouses that of the more imperial variety.

A right royal salute of fog signals let the curlers know that something was in the wind, and on alighting at the station they found both platforms packed with the largest turnout that has been seen since the ever-memorable visit of the King. The victorious wielders of the cowe and handle were lined up upon the bridge, and the secretary (Mr R Colthart) called upon for a speech. Thereafter, David Paton's rink were carried shoulder high to the village, preceded by a torchlight procession."

The 1909 Grand Match was significant for a number or reasons, not just because of the early date in the season already mentioned. It had been six years since the previous Match at Carsebreck, although there had been two years of experiment when the match was held indoors over a period of days in the newly opened Scottish Ice Rink at Crossmyloof, April 6-29, 1908, and March 15-April 9, 1909. Although Carsebreck had been a Grand Match venue as far back as 1853, in 1909 the pond had been extended, and an official Royal Club clubhouse erected. The Scottish Central Railway had built a platform, over 600 yards long, to assist the curlers arriving and departing by the special trains which were laid on to Carsebreck Halt. There were 2736 players on the ice. Three hundred and eighteen games were officially part of the Grand Match and another twenty-six games were played which did not count towards the final tally. This was the biggest Grand Match to date. The South was victorious on the day.

One fatality was recorded, that of John Gibson, of East Kilpatrick, who died suddenly on the ice. The 1910-11 Annual contains an obituary which notes that, "All day he had played an uphill game, for he was feeling far from well, although he was too considerate for the feelings of others to spoil their enjoyment with his complaints; and he had all but finished his last 'head' when he suddenly expired." He was sixty-six years old. Reading the obituary it is very apparent that Gibson was a good curler, a skip, and well respected. Incidentally, he was a grand nephew of Robert Burns wife Jean Armour, "a relationship of which he was quietly proud," according to JHD the writer of the obituary.

The top photo of Abington Station is by John Robin, and is used with his permission. You can find more of John's photos, old and new, here.

This photo is from the Annual of 1910-11. Click on the image to see it larger. It has the caption 'Abington Curling Club - Winners of the RCCC Grand Match Trophy and the Diamond Jubilee pictures at Carsebreck, 24th November, 1909.'


The names are given as follows:

Jas Hunter, W Thomson, R Colthart jun, H Knox,

J Graham, A H Colthart, D Hunter, J S Hoatson, D Paton, G Hunter,

AA Colthart, J, Ballantyne,

Dr Newbigging, Pres., JW Paterson JP, Vice-pres, 

R Paton, R Colthart, (Secy), Wm Brown, Jno Hunter.

The 'Diamond Jubilee' pictures mentioned above, one of which can be seen in the photo, were engravings of Charles Martin Hardie's painting which had been commissioned to celebrate that event in 1899. The original is owned by the Royal Club and is in Scone Palace. A version of the original is on show in the National Portrait Gallery, see here.

Playing for Scotland: The Making of Modern Sport

Playing for Scotland: The Making of Modern Sport is an exhibition in Gallery 10 on the second floor of the recently refurbished National Portrait Gallery in Queen Street, Edinburgh. It is set to run until December 31, 2014. The exhibition traces the transformation of sport during the nineteenth century when traditional games flourished and new sports were invented. Our sport of curling is well represented.

The exhibition has paintings and curling artifacts. The paintings include Sir George Harvey's The Curlers, oil on panel, 1835, see here. This takes centre stage, and you can study the detail of the painting at close quarters.

There is a steel engraving of Charles Lees's The Grand Match at Linlithgow Loch, the original of which the Royal Caledonian Curling Club has been raising funds to restore, see here.

It was a real thrill to see the John E Maguire painting of Thomas Thorburn's curling stone workshop in Beith. Restored, and beautifully framed, the painting provides a fascinating insight into how curling stones were made in the nineteenth century. In the Scottish Curler of December 2007 David B Smith wrote about how he had found this painting in an East Renfrewshire Council store as a flat canvas with no stretcher and no frame. It was heartening to see that the painting is now treasured and on display for all to enjoy.

A film, Scotland: A Sporting History, was specially commissioned to accompany and introduce the exhibition. It was directed by Derek Lodge and combines expert interviews and archive footage to explore the history of organised sport in Scotland. It is available to watch online here. The curling content starts at just over five minutes in, after a chapter on golf.

David B Smith is the curling expert in the film.

There is some wonderful archive footage of the sport being played indoors and out. I believe these scenes are from the Haymarket Rink in Edinburgh, but I may be wrong. (Added later. I am wrong. The footage is of curling at the old rink in Ayr. Thanks to Jim Fraser for identifying it correctly.)

The photos are screenshots from Scotland: A Sporting History.

This post is by Bob Cowan, April 2012.

Early International Curling

The imminent opening of East Lothian Archive Centre in John Gray House, Haddington, has spurred on David Affleck, East Linton CC, keen curling historian, to great efforts to find material for the writing of a history of curling in the county.

He has brought to my attention the following minute from the minute book of East Linton CC dated 17 February 1855:

"The Newcastle Lads came over the Border to take the shine out of the Lothian lads but there in a mistake for after a keen contest they had to return over the Border minus of the medal losing it by 8 shots. The Newcastle lads after their defeat took it all as good and keen curlers should do. The day was clear, the game animated, the play good and the ice first rate order."

Both clubs were much indebted to "Lady Ann Baird for her kindness again in making the clubs and the company present to a grand dinner (sic) and drink on the ice." Lady Baird was the widow of Sir David Baird of Newbyth, a founder member of the East Linton Club. She appears in the Annual as patroness of the club in 1855.

This match was the result of the success of the two clubs in the ballot for District Medals which had taken place at the Annual Meeting of the Representative Committee of the RCCC, held in Edinburgh on 25 July 1853. The balloting for medals began in this season in an attempt to restrict the numbers competed for, so popular was the sort of competition they encouraged. About half the member clubs were to be eligible for the ballot in each year. At this meeting a total of 66 medals was awarded, and in addition two were given to the Canadian Branch and two to the Halifax (Nova Scotia) Branch. In accordance with the rules of the Royal Club another club - in this case, Edinburgh Operative – was appointed to provide an umpire and to hand over the medal to the winning club.

Part of the job of the umpire was to return a written report on the match with details as to the date of the match, how many rinks played on each side, and how many men there were in each, whether the match was of a number of ends or time, the length of the rink, what the score was, the time occupied by the match, the state of the ice and the name of the loch or pond where the match took place. These results were printed in tabular form in the Royal Club Annuals. Sadly, in this instance no umpire’s report is shown amongst the many that were properly recorded and printed in the table for the season of 1855-6 in the Annual for that year, and therefore there seemed to be no official record of where the game was played or of any of the other required statistics.

At least, the minute recorded the date of the match and the majority by which East Linton won. We can also infer from the 'kindness of Lady Ann Baird' that the place of play was the loch at Newbyth.

However, further research has now established that in the table of district medal results published in the Annual for 1857-8 there is a partial report of the match, as having taken place on 15 February 1855 on 'Newbyth Lake' and won by Linton by a majority of nine shots. It was, however, Francis Storie, the treasurer and secretary of the winning club and not the umpire, who reported the game to the Royal Club.

Interestingly, this was not the earliest 'international' match of which we have some information. As I noted in the Curling History Blog of January 2, 2011, such an international had been thought of earlier. For example, the Caledonian Mercury of 15 January 1849 tells us that, "The preliminaries of a match have been settled betwixt the Newcastle Curling Club and Haddington Club. We understand that the event will come off at Berwick and will take place at an early date, as soon as the frost has sufficiently set in to secure permanent and good ice." History does not tell us whether this match took place.

The East Linton minute book does, however, give us a glimpse of the sort of difficulties to which such a match, played so far from the home of one of the clubs, could give rise.

"29 October 1855. Two letters from Newcastle club were read regarding their expenses in coming to Linton to play the medal given by the Grand Club (sic). The committee had considerable difficulty in coming to a decision considering that no agreement about the expenses of coming to Linton to play for the medal but taking into account that Dirleton Club by agreement had paid part of their expenses the committee agreed to give them five pounds sterling." Quite what is referred to in relation to Dirleton club is not at all clear. One wonders whether the Newcastle lads made the long journey to Linton by railway which had come to East Lothian only about ten years before.

David B Smith.

Top: This photograph of curling in the late 1850s on Smeaton Lake near East Linton shows what the Newcastle and Linton curlers would have looked like. One of the very earliest photographs of the game. From the author's archive.