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This page is for "historic" documents and images relating to the society

LEITH THULE CLUB (late 1880s)

We have had an opportunity to obtain images of an old framed print belonging to the Edmondston family, from Mrs Gwen (Edmondston) Nori that came from her great-grandfather R B Sinclair, presented by him to the Leith Thule Club, October 1891. This is of the Council of the Leith Thule Club (1891), and appears to be of a group of merchants, businessmen and professionals of Shetland origin living in Leith then.

This would appear to be a forerunner of our Edinburgh & District Shetland Association.

Back (L-R): F Inkster, TS Anderson, GR Jamieson, AA Robertson, RB Sinclair, IL Brown, W Williamson, RE Williamson

Front (L-R): WS Manson, L Henderson, LJ Nicolson, G Stewart, M Smith, WF Clark, AM Malcolmson

I have had some information back after posting this on our Facebook page and searching (Bayanne & 1891 Census)

This is starting to be extensive so I am moving the full descriptions to a Leith Thule Club sub-page here

Here are some other photographs from Gwen Nori's collection - any information welcome (click on any to see an enlarged version):

As well as the Council of the Leith Thule Club (above) there must have been other "members" from the Shetland community in Leith and Edinburgh at that time. If anyone knows of any who might have been members, or were members, we'd be pleased to hear of them.

One such might have been Nicol Halcrow and family, from Sandwick (so he would likely have known GR Jamieson from Sandwick and maybe George Stewart from Levenwick). Nicol (from Hoswick) was married to Mary Ann Tulloch (from Leebitton). He came to Edinburgh before 1881, and was a master grocer in Edinburgh (Marchmont/Bruntsfield?). His Shetland brothers and sisters often visited and two (James Arcus Halcrow and Marion [Halcrow] Tait) also visited New York (where James Arcus was fatally shot). These connections are very interesting, and it is a pity we don't have more information and records of this Leith Thule Club.