[Law] Vintage Law Books - looking to collect / buy

Patrick

Patrick

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Hi Guys (including women, of course),

I've been out of the loop forever due to all kinds of crap (personal injury, sick, travel, coaching, etc.).

So, with some down time, I've been collecting vintage Law Books.

I've bought several (five or so) on Ebay but can't find many.

Anybody know of a good source?

Right now, my oldest book I have is 1947 - 1948 Laws.

Any thoughts would be great.

Thanks,
Patrick
 
O

OB..


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I asked at a referees society meeting, and got some going back to 1974. I have been given a few earlier ones from time to time. I got a reproduction of the 1845 laws when we took some visiting New England referees to visit Rugby School. I have found old books in second hand shops that include the laws at that time. I persuaded the librarian at Twickenham (15 years ago) to photocopy the 1871 laws for me, and have used the library quite a lot over the years. They have virtually a full set.

The only thing I have ever bought is a copy of Royds' History of the Laws of Rugby Football, which stops at 1949 (the year I started playing).
 
Patrick

Patrick

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Wow, I feel as busy as a whore on nickle night - thanks all, I'm spending my kids inheritance like crazy!

Keep the ideas coming.

I missed the auction and buying that book but I'm registered now.

Patrick
 
Phil E

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Just remembered, I'm sure the Rugby museum sell a facsimile of the first laws?
 
O

OB..


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Phil E said:
Just remembered, I'm sure the Rugby museum sell a facsimile of the first laws?
Click to expand...
The 1871 Laws only exist as a manuscript original, with various amendments by members of the sub-committee. A former curator, Jed Smith, wrote a small book about them called "The original rules of rugby", but I haven't seen a facsimile.
 
L'irlandais

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OB..


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[The site is mangling my post, so I deleted it].
 
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Patrick

Patrick

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OB.. said:
The 1871 Laws only exist as a manuscript original, with various amendments by members of the sub-committee. A former curator, Jed Smith, wrote a small book about them called "The original rules of rugby", but I haven't seen a facsimile.
Click to expand...

Awsome - just bought it from my good friends at Amazon, wait a second, I think they are at the door now....

Believe it or not, I have done two crappy transcriptions of the 1845 & 1871 Laws. This will be a great way to see how bad a job I did.

Thanks,
Patrick
 
Patrick

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O

OB..


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[The site is mangling my post, so I deleted it].[/QUOTE]It turned out that the problem was the hyperlinks when trying to quote L'irlandais's post, so I have omitted them (you can go back to the original).
Proposed-laws-of-the-game-rugby-football-union-1871 were drawn up by the RFU for games between different schools. There's a page on Robbie's wiki about them.
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That is the document I have a photocopy of. After amendments, those laws were adopted by the RFU in June 1871.

Interestingly the first international was in March that year. However it was in Scotland, so basically under their rules, with some points of difference being sorted out beforehand.

So various schools had their own earlier versions of the LoTG prior to 1871.
Click to expand...
I have my grandfather's copy of the Boys Own Annual for 1892 which contains articles on football as played at Eton, Harrow, Winchester, and Rugby.

For example, Cambridge rules 1848, or do those just refer to (pre-Association) Football?
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Those were essentially precursors to what became Association Football in 1863. People in those days thought of Football as a generic term for a game played under a variety of local rules. The Times used to report on "A game of Football played under Association/Rugby Rules".
Rugby school published the first set of written rules in 1845, apparently.
Click to expand...
I have a facsimile obtained from the School Museum. I understand there are some earlier notebooks containing decisions on points of law, but in general, as one Old Rugbeian wrote, "Our Laws in those days [1828] were unwritten and traditionary".
 
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