Scotland v USA

Today the USA tourists visited Lanarkshire Ice Rink. In the morning they played against Biggar Province and then Lanarkshire Province in the afternoon. In both matches the local teams came out on top but I suspect it won't be enough to secure the trophy. This description below is doing the rounds with the trophy and the tourists.


USA RCCC Tour 2012

The Herries Maxwell Trophy

The Trophy was donated in 1951 for competition between curling touring teams of Scotland and the USA on a home and away basis at intervals of five years. The Minute of the AGM of the RCCC in 1951 includes these words:

"Scottish curlers are now looking forward to the arrival in January 1952 of 26 curlers from the USA - half from the Eastern States and half from the Middle West.

Our ex-President - Commander Herries Maxwell - has most generously gifted a magnificent Silver Cup for competition between USA and Scotland, and this trophy will be played on the same lines as the Strathcona Cup with our Canadian curlers. The test matches will be limited to five rinks a side in order to give our guests a sufficiency of reserves."

The donor was Commander Desmond Herries Maxwell, RN (Rtd.), President of RCCC in 1950-01, of Munches Park (in the Parish of Buittle), near Dalbeattie. He was born in 1886 and educated privately before going to HMS Britannia. He joined the Royal Navy in 1901 and served in the great War 1914-19. He was made Commander in 1927 and retired in that year. He was recalled to serve from 1939-45. He became Deputy Lieutenant in 1952 and a Justice of the Peace in 1950.

In 1914 he married Edith Chetwood, daughter of the late Howard C Lewis of Schenectady, New York, and Villa Aturus, Chiberta, France, and they had two sons, John and Peter.

This explains his reason for donating the trophy for competition between USA and Scotland.

The choosing of the trophy gives a puzzle rather than an illumination. The story is that Commander Herries Maxwell went down into a basement at Munches, Dalbeattie and took out a likely looking trophy from among the ones that were there. It was black with age and was cleaned up by James A. Monaghan, Jeweller, Dalbeattie. It was then found to be silver gilt. The Commander was reported to have said that it was too gaudy to be used and therefore arranged for it to be silver-plated.

The hallmark confirms that it is silver, dating from 1805. It was confirmed to be the same 'shape and size' to the so-called 'Trafalgar Vase' which was made to order of the Patriotic Fund from 1803 as badges of distinction. After the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, 15 of the vases were awarded - hence the common but erroneous title of Trafalgar Vases. The Herries Maxwell Trophy carries the same makers mark which dates it from that period.

The inscription on the Trophy is:

The Herries Maxwell Trophy

Presented by

Commander D Herries Maxwell R.N. (Retd)

President of The Royal Caledonian Curling Club 1950-51 For Competition Between U.S.A. and Scotland