The newspaper piece above from the 11 February 1864 Fifeshire Journal summarises a curling match between Largo Curling Club and their counterparts from Kennoway. Winters were colder at this time, allowing annual schedules of curling matches to take place. This particular one "came off on Largo Pond". This was the rink adjacent to Largo House shown in blue on the 1893 O.S. map below. The occupant of Largo House at this time was Mrs Dundas Calderwood Durham, who clearly took an interest in 'the roaring game', as she watched at least some of this three-hour event. Largo emerged victorious.
Above in an image of another 1860s match from Fife - one held at Raith Lake in Kirkcaldy - from the book 'Curling: An Illustrated History' by David B Smith. It gives an impression of the fashion and the equipment in use at the time. Such a match required an umpire and filling the role on Largo Pond in 1864 was well-known character Nicol Malcolm, a farmer from Dubbieside (Innerleven) and a curler with Leven's club. He had a hand in the establishment of Lundin Golf Club in 1868. Below is a memorial to Nicol from the 1900 Fife New Almanac, some years after his death, complete with a photograph of him taken by John Patrick.
More on the history of Largo Curling Club to follow...
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