|
NOTE C.
The Northern Meeting
The Northern Meeting dates from 1788, in which year it
was instituted. A printed notice which once came into our hands contains
the original constitution and regulations. A meeting was held at Inverness
on the 11th of June 1788 at which were present - Colonel Hugh Grant of Moy,
Mr Cumming of Altyre, Mr Macleod of Geanies, Mr Munro of Culcairn, Mr
Fraser of Relick, Mr Fraser of Culduthel, Captain Alexander Mackenzie,
71st Regiment; Captain William Wilson, 39th Regiment; Mr Baillie of
Dochfour, Captain Grigor Grant, Lieut. John Rose, and Dr John Alves (who
was appointed the first secretary). These gentlemen resolved to form an
Association with the view of holding "an annual meeting of gentlemen,
ladies, and their families," not for a couple of days merely, but to
extend over a whole week, "and that for the purpose of promoting social
intercourse." The fee was to be one guinea, payable by "every gentleman or
lady being the head of a family"; and to ensure regular attendance it was
agreed that every absentee member should pay a fine of two guineas. This
rule, it appears, was not allowed to remain a dead letter, for the first
year no less than £40 was added to the funds in the shape of fines.
Officers absent on duty were exempted from penalty. The whole business was
to be conducted by stewards, of whom the first set were—Mr Cumming of
Altyre. Mr Fraser of Cu’duthel, Mr Fraser of Relig, and Mr Macleod of
Geanies. At that time Highland games were not thought of; the sole object
of the Meeting was to foster social enjoyment. Dinners and balls were to
be held during the week. The company, ladies and gentlemen, were to dine
together in full evening dress, "the first day at Mr Beverley’s Hotel, the
second at Mr Ettles’s Hotel, and thereafter at the inns alternately."
Dancing was to commence precisely at 8 o’clock, and to stop precisely at
twelve. From the first it was resolved to keep the company select, and the
stewards alone had the privilege of introducing strangers. Mr Cumming of
Altyre was directed to write to Captain Graham, Master of the Ceremonies
at Edinburgh, for a copy of the regulations adopted there, and to deposit
these as the regulations of the Northern Meeting. The Provost of Inverness
was to be applied to for the use of the Town Hall for the balls and the
room above for the tea-room. Each morning a public breakfast was to be
held "for as many ladies and gentlemen as choose to resort there." One
rule is rather curious—"That no subscription paper for any public or
private work or undertaking shall, under any pretext whatever, be obtruded
on the company when met collectively; and that whoever presumes to
infringe on this regulation shall be subject to a fine of one guinea." The
members believed that hunting would be desirable to fill up the mornings;
and so Brodie of Brodie and Macleod of Geanies were requested to apply to
the Duke of Gordon and Sir Robert Munro of Foulis for the favour of their
huntsmen and hounds. The proposal to form the Northern Meeting seems to
have been taken up with great eagerness; for before the first meeting held
in 1788, between 80 and 90 members had joined from the counties of
Inverness, Ross, Nairn, and Moray. For many years the Meeting was held in
the second week of October.
The original meetings of the
Association were very different from the present, and perhaps even more
agreeable. A formal ball every evening was found to be rather heavy, and
so, in order to obtain lightness and variety, it was resolved the second
or third year to have only two dress balls, namely, on Tuesday and Friday.
On the other evenings the company were to assemble in undress to play
cards and dance. The gentlemen of the Meeting wore a gay uniform. Whether
such uniform was used from the beginning does not appear; but an old
authority states that a year or two afterwards it consisted of a
grass-green coat with a buff edging, white metal buttons, and black velvet
cape, with four silver embroidered or vellum button-holes. The, waistcoat
was buff or fancy coloured; the breeches buff or black silk; and the
buttons had the letters N.M. engraved upon them. A gay time it must have
been when the members sported through the Highland Capital in this dashing
costume, following the Duke of Gordon’s hounds in the morning, dining and
dancing in the afternoon and evening. In 1810 we learn that on the motion
of the Marquis of Huntly it was resolved that all the members should
appear in blue coats from the Inverness Woollen Manufactory. This was to
encourage local industry. The stewards at first wore badges; subsequently
they were provided with wands; then tartan sashes were substituted; and
latterly they returned to badges. About the year 1816 horse-racing was
added to the programme, and some years later a course was formed at
Duneancroy. But the members never regarded the races as properly part of
the Meeting. They subscribed for them, and offered pieces of plate for the
winning hones; but finding this a tax upon their funds, they ultimately
withdrew their subscriptions and the races were discontinued. The races
now held at or about the Meeting time are on an independent basis. The
practice of holding Highland games seems to have been commenced about
1840. At first they were got up by a separate subscription, and were held
in the Academy Park. Then they were transferred to the Longman, where
there was ample space. In the early sixties the present Northern Meeting
Park was acquired from the late Sir Alexander Matheson of Ardross, and
enclosed with a wall. A handsome pavilion for the accommodation of members
and their friends was erected, and a second pavilion was subsequently
added.
At an early stage the Association
resolved to have a building of its own for the annual assemblies. The Town
Hall and the Guildry (as the upper room was called) were probably found to
be too small to accommodate the company. A piece of ground was acquired in
Church Street, on which a building was erected; and this, rebuilt and
added to, forms the present Northern Meeting Rooms. In 1801 a serious
misfortune occurred. A candle manufactory was in close proximity to the
building, above which a powder magazine was kept! In those days the public
regulations with reference to explosive articles must have been extremely
lax. One night the heat of the candle factory reached the powder; an
explosion ensued, causing the loss of seven lives and injury to many other
persons. The buildings of the Meeting, as well as the factory itself, were
greatly damaged. The Rooms, however, were soon rebuilt, and in 1845 or
thereabouts assumed their present form. Internally they have been greatly
improved since that time.
The annals of the Meeting in the first quarter of the
Nineteenth Century are set forth in the pages of this volume. Year after
year the members assembled, passed their time in "~social intercourse,"
and parted. From 1788 until the present time, the Meeting has continued to
be a favourite gathering both for county families and autumn visitors. In
1795 a proposal was made to adjourn the Meeting for the year, so many
members being necessarily absent in the service of their country. This
proposal, however, was negatived, and the Meeting was held annually during
the Napoleonic wars - although for years a considerable amount of fines
had to be remitted to members "necessarily absent." In 1796 a paragraph
appeared in the Edinburgh newspapers, stating that considering the
circumstances, the Meeting of that year had been well attended. It had
passed off very successfully, "with a brilliant assemblage of beauty and
fashion." The year 1832 was a blank in the history of the Meeting, the
gathering having been adjourned in consequence of the prevalence of
cholera; and in 1900 the balls were put off on account of the losses and
disorganisation caused by the South African war. In the latter year,
however, one day was given to Highland sports. The fines for absence have
long since ceased to be exacted, and the terms of admission have more than
once been changed. The uniform is also a thing of the past, but the
Highland dress holds its own. The Meeting continues to flourish, and
promises to continue for a long time to come as a fashionable and
successful Highland institution. |
