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He was founder and
President of the Currie Curling Club in 1830. In relation to safety in curling (which had suffered several deaths of persons falling through ice into water) he advocated purpose-built curling ponds which incorporated shallow ponds (around 200 to 300mm) atop a paved surface. He
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A keen curler, he invented/devised: the iron tee, the justice, the counter, the toe-see and crampits. Curling saw a surge in interest from 1815, coinciding with
Somerville's arrival in Currie. Currie had a pre-existing pond but Somerville made his own custom-made pond and to a large degree
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weapons. The principle was readily applicable to all firing mechanisms. Critically this required simultaneous pressure at two points to avoid accidentally placing the gun in an unsafe condition. The invention self-evidently has saved thousands of lives.
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created a curling pond near
Johnsburn House in Balerno and gifted this to the village (later known as Malleny Curling Pond). This not only had a separate "play zone" but also had a formal area around to permit organised spectation.
76:. Between 1785 and 1788 he injured his spine, rendering him incapable of hard farm labour. However (probably under the patronage of Primrose for reason either of guilt or generosity) his fees were paid to attend the
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and became "House
Governor" in 1805 with a reputation for "a happy mixture of severity and gentleness" and was a popular master.
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Parish Church in 1815 following the death of Rev James Dick. The
University of Edinburgh awarded him an MA in 1816. The
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In 1824, following the loss of a friend in a hunting accident, he invented and patented one of the world's first
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72:(west of Edinburgh) in 1774, Somerville was an agricultural worker in the employ of Neil Primrose, the
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Fasti
Ecclesiae Scoticanae: the Succession of Ministers in the Church of Scotland from the Reformation
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Essay on the
Construction, Advantages, and Mode of Using Dr Somerville's Patent Safety Gun (1835)
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In August 1822 he was the minister who served at the laying of the foundation stone of the
238:. Vol. I: Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale (2nd ed.). Oliver and Boyd. p. 16.
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262:. No. 90. Currie & District Local History Society. September 2018. p. 7
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On the
Methods of Preventing the Accidental Discharge of Weapons (1825)
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283:"Part II Modern Curling: Chapter I The transition period - 1800-1838"
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24:(1774–1837) was an early 19th century Scottish minister of the
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He died on 7 June 1837. He was unmarried and had no children.
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awarded him an honorary doctorate in
Divinity (DD) in 1833.
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re-invented the sport. It may have suited his disability.
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Somerville was licensed to preach as a minister of the
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a massive public ceremony headed by King George IV.
178:The Duty of Relieving Strangers in Distress (1834)
369:19th-century ministers of the Church of Scotland
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374:19th-century Scottish Presbyterian ministers
208:A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines
56:Diagram of Rev Dr Somerville's safety catch
157:(just west of Currie) is named after him.
211:(2nd ed.). London. pp. 474–476.
102:in 1809 and was ordained as minister of
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64:Malleny Curling Pond near Balerno
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28:who also had sporting links to
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175:Essay on the Safety Gun (1828)
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115:National Monument, Edinburgh
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253:"Street Names Old and New"
108:University of St Andrews
34:the safety catch on guns
78:University of Edinburgh
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359:People from Midlothian
85:George Heriot's School
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322:Currie and Balerno CC
153:"Somerville Road" in
98:by the Presbytery of
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281:Kerr, John (1890).
364:Scottish inventors
288:History of Curling
96:Church of Scotland
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161:Publications
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68:Born on the
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354:1837 deaths
349:1774 births
327:25 February
302:25 February
266:25 February
203:Ure, Andrew
149:Recognition
132:for use on
87:in central
48:Currie Kirk
343:Categories
230:Scott, Hew
186:References
124:Inventions
100:Linlithgow
134:flintlock
89:Edinburgh
36:in 1824.
232:(1915).
165:Source:
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155:Balerno
30:curling
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104:Currie
256:(PDF)
329:2024
304:2024
293:OCLC
268:2024
40:Life
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