A fitting home for Charles Swanson's tug-of-war trophy
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By Murray Gunn
The background to this story is the migration of Highlanders and north country people of Scotland to the major cities during the industrialisation of the late 19th and 20th centuries. Benevolent societies were formed to assist these migrants, typified by the Edinburgh Caithness Association, founded in 1837, and the Glasgow Caithness Association, founded in 1836. There were several Highlands and Islands city associations.
The role of these benevolent societies was defined as “offering a combination of accommodation, advice, referrals and general assistance to newcomers in the city when they arrived while offering aid to widows, unemployed members or members undergoing financial hardship".
In addition they might offer to provide for the education of their members’ children or money to support their higher education. The majority of these migrants had a strong work ethic, were God-fearing and had a great desire for self improvement. Many of them found sport as a valuable social and recreational activity.
Charles Swanson was born 1872 to parents John Murray Swanson, a builder, and Janet Wallace of Thurso. By the turn of the century Charles had become a successful businessman in Edinburgh and a president of the Edinburgh Caithness Association. An advert in The Scotsman in 1928 described him as a consultant, designer, decorator, finisher and licensed appraiser. This advert also stated that he had sold his premises at Charlotte House, Charlotte Square, and that all of his stock was for sale at cost price.
He in fact ran a furniture business from these premises!
Possibly this was a retirement move? He died a single man in January 1933, aged 61.
In 1908 a magnificent silver trophy, the Swanson Cup, was presented to the Edinburgh Caithness Golf Club. By coincidence, this Swanson golf cup has also recently been rediscovered – this time in a safe at Thurso High School – and will go on show there soon. It would not be a surprise if Charles himself had been a keen golfer and sportsman.
After the Great War, in 1923 there was a revitalisation of the Edinburgh association with a recorded meeting in the Assembly Rooms. At this time Charles Swanson gifted another silver trophy, this time for the annual tug-of-war competition between teams representing Wick and Thurso. It is this trophy which was probably commissioned to Hamilton & Inches but lay in its vaults undisturbed for the last 90 years until recently being discovered.
This Charles Swanson silver cup was competed for between 1923 and 1933 at the Edinburgh Caithness Association’s annual outing held at the Dryden Policies at Roslyn, south of the city.
In 1925, The Scotsman reported on this summer outing of the Edinburgh John O’Groat Benevolent Association: “A special train left Waverley at 1.50pm, and on arriving at Roslyn followed the association’s pipers to the sports ground. The chief event, among football, dancing and other amusements, was without doubt the gentlemen’s tug-of-war for the custody of the Swanson Challenge Cup. On this occasion Thurso won with team captain Donald Miller. The company later wended their way back to Roslyn Station and conveyed back to town by special train, arriving at Waverley at about 9pm.”
One can only surmise that Charles Swanson was a key influencer in the Edinburgh association and that on his death in 1933 the trophy was no longer competed for and possibly the annual outings ceased.
In conclusion, Hamilton & Inches is keen to have this Charles Swanson tug-of-war trophy repatriated and has agreed that Thurso Heritage Society is a fitting home.
Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Thurso Heritage Society, Alan McIvor; Wick Society, Ian Leith; and Nucleus, Valerie Amin, all of whom provided useful information; and to Alan Hendry for his pursuit of the story.
Author's footnote: This little story has been a labour of love since Charles Swanson’s life coincidentally resembles that of my father. Patrick (Pat) Gunn was born in Achalone in 1908. After school he joined the Bank of Scotland, first in Halkirk and then in Wick. In his twenties he moved to Glasgow with the bank and by the mid-1930s he was secretary of the Glasgow Caithness Association and vice-president of its athletic club. He played as goalkeeper for both Wick Academy and Queen's Park and retained a golf handicap of five at the time of his death in 1963. Another five of the Achalone Gunn brothers left the county – one to Edinburgh and four to Aberdeen, one of whom, William, after graduation became a successful doctor in London and retired subsequently to Banniskirk. This story is not unique to north country families but, I think, worth telling in memory of the industrialisation diaspora.
