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The Marquess of Breadalbane
Preface
IN view of the Fiftieth
Annual Meeting of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club in 1888, a Special
Committee was appointed at the Meeting of the previous year to consider what
should be done in the way of celebrating the Club's Jubilee. Among the
suggestions sent up in the Report of this Committee, and adopted by the
Club, was one to this effect:-- "That a Literary Committee be appointed,
with powers, for the purpose of preparing a sketch of the Royal Club's
history during the last fifty years." Of this Literary Committee, the Rev.
John Kerr was appointed Convener, and the preparation of the volume was
thereafter entrusted to him to be carried through under the Committee's
supervision.
Some words are necessary to
explain how a work thus primarily intended to be a sketch of the history of
the Royal Caledonian Curling Club should gradually have developed into a
"History of Curling." The story of the Royal Club was obviously but the
concluding chapter of a long history which had yet to be written. It was
thus very early seen that, to do justice to the subject, it would require to
be treated more fully than was at first contemplated. At the Jubilee Dinner
in 1888, Lord Balfour of Burleigh said "that one of the wants which might
reasonably be filled in the Jubilee year of the Club was a really good
painstaking history of the game, which would hand down to posterity all that
was known of it at the present time." That want, it is hoped, has now been
supplied; at all events, every effort has been made to do so.
To all who have assisted in
the work hearty thanks are due—to the Secretaries of local Clubs for their
answers to the queries sent out by the Committee; to Professor Forster
Heddle for his valuable contribution; to T. Thorburn, Beith, for the great
amount of trouble he has taken to give us information of a practical kind on
stone-manufacture; to Messrs Kay & Keanie for similar information and last,
but certainly not least, to Mr William Douglas, the son of the esteemed
publisher, who has in every possible manner done his best to make the volume
worthy of the subject.
All curlers will join in an
expression of regret that while the work was being written three noble
veterans have been removed from the ranks--Mr Charles Cowan, Admiral
Maitland-Dougall, and Sir John Ogilvy.
The volume having greatly
exceeded the limits originally designed, it has been found necessary to omit
a Glossary of Curling Words and Phrases, also a large collection of Songs
and Humorous Stories marked as worthy of preservation. The ground having
been so far cleared by this "History," justice may yet be done to the other
subjects referred to, in a second volume, which will be forthcoming whenever
an earnest demand is made for its production. The trouble and anxiety
connected with the preparation and publication of a work such as this
commemorative volume is have been great; but these, it is believed, will
soon be forgotten if by its means a fresh enthusiasm be inspired in a game
which develops all that is manly and good in social life, and unites in one
brotherhood all ranks and conditions of men.
EDINBURGH, 15th April 1890.
Contents
PART I. - ANCIENT CURLING.
PART II. - MODERN CURLING.
PART III. - MISCELLANEA
APPENDICES.
Auld Daddy Scotland sat ae
day,
Bare leggit on a snawy brae,
His brawny arms wi' cauld were blae,
The wind was snelly blawing:
As icicles froze at his snout,
He rowed his plaid his head about,
Syne raired to heaven a roupit shout,
Auld Albyn's Jove misca'ing:
Chorus—"Oh! for a cheery,
heartsome game,
To send through a' the soul a flame,
Pitt birr and smeddum in the frame,
And set the blude a-din'ling.
"Oh, dool and wae! this
wretched clime;
What care I for our hills sublime,
If covered aye wi' frosty rime?
I'm right nuisehantlie dealt wi'."
Quo' Jove, and gied his kilt a heeze,
Fule Carle! what gars you grunt and wheeze?
Get up! I'll get an exercise
To het your freezing melt wi'.
I'll get a cheery, heartsome game, &c.
"Gae, get twa whinstanes,
round and hard,
Syne on their taps twa thorn roots gird,
Then soop the ice for rnony a yard,
And mak' baith tee and colly:
If in the hack your fit ye hide,
And draw or inwick, guard or ride,
Syne wi' your besom after't stride,
We'll hear nae main o' cauld aye.
That, Sawney, 's what I ca' a game," &c.
"Great thanks!" auld Daddy
Scotland cries,
"Sly, pawky chield, for thy advice,
We'll birsle now our shins on ice,
Instead o' owre the ingle:
Let ilka true-born Scottish son,
When cranreuch deeds the snawy grun',
'Mang curling cores seek harmless fun,
And gar his heart's blude tingle."
Oh! curling, cauld•defying game, &c.
OLD SONG.
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