Lottery Levity 1
In the early 1990s most people believed that the introduction
of the national lottery was an entirely new event. Staff in
the
Local Studies section at the
AK Bell Library, however, have discovered
differently!
A banner advert headline on the front page of the Perthshire
Courier ("A Newspaper for the Central Counties of Scotland") dated
January 5 1826, proves that a national lottery was alive and well,
but not destined to last for much longer. The advert was placed by
J & J Sivewright, "the Contractors" and predecessors of
Camelot, of London. The advert booms "Positively the last but two,
as all Lotteries will then be prohibited by Act of Parliament"
Unprophetically it then goes on to state: "J & J Sivewright,
the contractors, cannot but regret in stating, that the time fast
approaches when the by-term of Lotteries (the only mode by which a
large Fortune can be speedily obtained from the risk of a very few
Pounds), must pass away for ever; yet they shall always retain a
due sense of the favours conferred on them by the Public, and
particularly for the distinguished patronage of their
old-established Offices, in every Lottery of which they have been
the Contractors."
The advert goes on to promise the availability of 102 prizes, from
£20 to £20,000 "all to be decided in one day". A
contiguous advert reveals that, at this time, £3,500 would
have bought 112 acres of good agricultural land including house and
steading at Forgandenny, so the prizes were at least the equivalent
of today's winning sums.
Gems such as these are always available for discovery and
consultation in the
Local
Studies section - gems which could lead to the development of
an interest in living history. Staff are always on hand to point
curious and serious researchers in the right direction and are
delighted to help.
