Chronicle of the Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh, 1735-1935

78
THEROYALBURGESSGOLFINGSOCIETYOFEDINBURGH
their
more
important
competitions
and
games
at
Mussel-
burgh.
Only
their
love
for
the
old
Society,
accessibility,
and
local
tradition,
kept
them
in
touch
with
Bruntsfield,
but
as
the
faithful
few
grew
less
in
number,
the
old
hostelry
had
to
be
given
up,
and
the
migration
to
Musselburgh
was
complete.
The
day
and
generation
of
the
"prize
balls,"
which
had
existed
for
.
over
a
century,
ended
with
the
last
Burgess
golfing
event
of
importanceatBruntsfield,when,on3rdApril
1875,
the
competition
for
the
Gold
Medal
took
place,
and
prize
balls
were
played
for.
In
the
following
year,
Gold
Medal
day
was
held
for
the
first
time
at
Musselburgh
when
a
prize
list
of
no
less
than
seven
valuable
articles
was
offered
for
competition.
A
vast
contrast
appears
in
the
contemporary
picture
ofthelastMedaldayin
1875,
onoldBruntsfield,when
ten
members
competed,
and
that
of
the
present
day
GoldMedalCompetition,whenasmanyas
2
5ocom-
petitors
have
entered
in
two
divisions
covering
two
days.
Some
Bruntsfield
Characters
There
are
a
few
well-known
personages
or
characters
whose
names
are
linked
with
Bruntsfield
and
the
Burgess,
an
account
of
whom
may
interest
the
reader
as
well
as
preserve
a
record
of
their
association
with
the
Society.
The
"
immortal
"
Maggie
Johnstone,
who
is
said
to
have
kept
a
howff
near
Bruntsfield,
is
spoken
of
in
transienthistoricalnotices,butshediedin
1711,
andis
likely
to
have
been
unknown
even
to
the
earliest
member
of
the
Burgess
Club.
Allan
Ramsay,
the
Scottish
poet
(1686-1758),
wroteapoemonherdemise,oneofthe
verses
of
which
reads
:
"
When
we
were
wearied
at
the
gowff,
Then
Maggie
Johnstone's
was
our
howff,
Noo
a'
our
gamesters
may
sit
dowff,
Wi'
hearts
like
lead.
Death
wi'
his
rung
reached
her
a
yowff,
An'
sae
she's
dead."
I