[Golf] — The Thistle Golf Club

Manuscript record book of the T🃏histle Golf Club, Leith, Edinburgh, compiled circa 11 March 1820 through 7 May 183🌌0, in several secretarial hand.

8vo ledger book (222 x 146 mm). Blue-ruled leaves, most leaves further ruled in red for account keeping, accomplished as follows: 12 leaves (alphabetically letter-tabbed at fore-edge) listing the names of about seventy members🍸; 3 leaves of "Rules of the Thistle Golf Club," numbered I–XXIII; 2 leaves of "Rules of The Game of Golf To be observed by The Members of The Thistle Golf Club," numbered I–XIII and signed by ten members; 55 leaves of various stock and members accounts, paginated 1–113 (viz., leaf paginated 85/86 excised, leaf paginated 87/88 unaccomplished, verso of final accounting leaf unaccomplished), with approximately 27 ruled but unaccomplished leaves at end. Contemporary blind-ruled reverse calf, spine with red morocco title label gilt ("Thistle Golf Club"), later, but still early, red calf straps wrapped around spine, marbled edges; rubbed, recased sometime ag🦄o with new endpapers, handcolored armorial bookplate of the Thistle Golf Club with motto "Noli me Tangere" on front pastedown.

T🦩he Thistle Golf Club was founded in 1815 and played on Leith Links with the Leith Golfers, who would become the Honourable Company of Edinburgh golfers based at Muirfield. The present record book covers the early years of the Club, during which its most important achievement was the publication, in 1824, of its rule book, which appears here in manuscript. When the Leith Golfers sold their "golf house" and reloc𓃲ated to Edinburgh, the Thistle Club fell into abeyance and was dormant from 1830 until revived in 1866. Thistle Gold Club soldiered on at Leith in its second incarnation until the end of the nineteenth century, but eventually the membership drifted to other clubs and the Thistle dissolved.

PROVENANCE:

Property of the Late Colonel T. B. A. Evans-Lombe, OBE (Sotheby's London, 12 July 1996, Golf & Cricket Sale🎐, lot 300)