Draughts in the West Midlands, 1850-1889

A CHRONOLOGY OF DRAUGHTS IN THE WEST MIDLANDS OF ENGLAND

1881

Spring. A draughts competition was instituted by the Worcestershire Union of Working Men's Clubs and Institutes. There were 5 competitors. Mr Raymond of the Kidderminster Club won first prize. Runner-up was W.H. Gibson of Bromsgrove Institute.

Sat 30 April at Redditch. Redditch Chess Club played a chess and draughts match with St George's (Birmingham).

1884

Mon 18 Feb at the Coffee Tavern, Bromsgrove. Bromsgrove DC easily beat Stourbridge DC.

Mon 18 April at Stourbridge. Bromsgrove DC beat Stourbridge DC by 31½ -18½.

Points	STOURBRIDGE	BROMSGROVE	Points
1	H. Kingdon	J. James	4
1	George Holmes	M. Nokes	4
2	W. Tarry	J. Harbidge	3
1½	A. Allbutt	A. Steele	3½
0	H. Shacklock	J. White	5
1	C. Jackson	H. James	4
0	W. Chamberlain	George Jones	5
3	J. Baker	B. Juggins	2
4½	J. Smith	T. Humphries	0½
4½	W. Shotton	George Humphries	0½
18½			31½

Sat 18 Oct at Bromsgrove. Bromsgrove played Kidderminster Coffee Tavern DC (8-a-side). The visitors won by 27½ -12½.

1885

Sat 24 Jan at St George's Chess Club, Birmingham. Birmingham beat the Cafe Club, Northampton, by 33-16 and 8 draws. Afterwards it was decided to form a Birmingham Draughts Club since the game was so popular in the town.

Wins	BIRMINGHAM	Draws	NORTHAMPTON	Wins
2	Oliver	1	W. Matthews	3
2	Hess	3	Whitney	1
4	Lord	0	Rawlings	1
4	James	0	Purvis	2
2	Harris	2	Middleton	2
4	Macbeth	1	T. Matthews	1
5	Silverman	0	C. Wood	1
2	Matthews	1	A. Gibbs	3
3	Smeed	0	Morgan	1
5	Bodfish	0	Shirley	1
33		8		16

Feb. At Hamstead Institute various games were supplied. A draughts tournament was won by Mr J. Connop [sic]

Mon 5 Oct. at the Coffee Tavern, Stourbridge. The home side beat the Kidderminster Coffee Tavern by 33½ to 21½.

Points	STOURBRIDGE	KIDDERMINSTER	Points
3½	Devlin	Parker	1½
3	Kean	Harrison	2
2	Wood	Miles	3
3	Woodhouse	Smith	2
2½	Bullock	Case	2½
4	Wilson	Bury	1
1½	Homes	Vale	3½
3	Lamberth	Allen	2
4½	Baker	Silvester	½
4	Wall	Weaver	1
2½	Smith	Morris	2½
33½			21½

Sat 31 Oct. Birmingham Draughts Club was opened.

[From The Draught-Payers' Weekly Magazine, Vol 2 No 15, 7 Nov 1885]

14 Nov. West Birmingham Draughts and Chess Club was publicly opened.

[Above: from DPWM Vol 2 No 16, 14 Nov 1885]

[Below: from DPWM Vol 2 No 18, 28 Nov 1885]

Thurs 19 Nov. Walsall Star DC was due to open on this date.

1886

Sat 28 Feb at the Abington Square Cafe Club. Northampton lost to Birmingham by 29½ to 36½ . A "good number" of games were drawn.

Points	NORTHAMPTON	BIRMINGHAM	Points
2½	Whitney	Stephenson	½
5½	W. Matthews	Gilbert	½
3	C. Purvis	Bodfish	3
1	T. Middleton	Baker	5
2½	E. Wright	Matthews	3½
0	Morgan	Griffiths	6
1½	Gibbs	Mousley	4½
2½	J. Dumayne	Pennington	2½
2	Davies	Chapman	2
2½	Shirley	Hayden	3½
1	Nathaniel Smith	Mounsey	5
5½	Wills	Ross	½
29½			36½

13 March. Kidderminster lost to Birmingham DC by 6-58 and 6 draws at Vicar Street Coffee Tavern, Kidderminster. The Birmingham club had 72 members and a silver cup had been offered for competition among them.

April. Birmingham DC requested matches with other English clubs, with teams of up to 12 per side.

27 April (Easter Tuesday). Return match. Birmingham DC beat Kidderminster by 49½ -19½ [Details of wins unknown]; at 63 Snow Hill, Birmingham. Home team: W. Smeed (captain), E. S. Stephenson, T. Gilbert, A. W. Griffiths, W. Moseley, A.W. Pennington, C. W. Hayden, J. Davidson, H. Clews, H. Wilson, H. Ros and F. Chapman. (Not their strongest team.)

April. West Birmingham lost to Birmingham DC 3rd team by 24½ to 39½ [Details of wins unknown]; at Mr Rowe’s Coffee House, 57, Parade.

May. Birmingham. Stephenson beat Jones by 5-4 and 7 draws.

[From DPWM Vol 3 No 22, 29 May 1886]

Sat 29 May. West Birmingham DC beat Walsall Star DC by 26-16 and 12 draws at Rowe’s Coffee House.

[From DPWM Vol 3 No 24, 12 June 1886]

June. A third Birmingham club was due to be formed, at the Warwick Arms, Bradford Street.

Mon 4 Oct. A match was arranged between Liverpool and Birmingham, to be played in Liverpool.[Did this take place?]

1887

Jan. Birmingham DC took the initiative in trying to form a Midland Counties Association. Birmingham DC, whilst being one the youngest clubs in England, had the reputation of being one of the most successful and enterprising. Northampton, Nottingham, Hanley, Walsall, etc were described as centres of considerable strength. Clubs within a 50 mile radius of Birmingham were invited to join by applying to the secretary, T. J. Baker, at 63 Snow Hill. It seems that nothing came of this.

Thurs 20 Jan. Annual soiree of Birmingham DC.

Some of the leading players in the Birmingham area were arranging individual matches, including J. A. Willcox of Walsall vs Jones, captain of West Birmingham Club. The winner to play T. Gilbert, a rising young player of the Birmingham Club.

Sat 7 May at the Cafe, Snow Hill, Birmingham. Birmingham DC beat Abington Square Chess and Draughts Club of Northampton by 36½ - 8½. Northampton were not well represented.

Points	BIRMINGHAM	NORTHAMPTON	Points
½	Stevenson	G. Whitney	1½
1½	Gilbert	F. Rawlings	½
5½	Bodfish	T. Middleton	½
4	Church	T. Matthews	0
1	Chapman	E. Wright	1
4	Griffiths	F. Chambers	2
5½	Barker	S. Bates	½
6	Matthews	W. Thompson	0
4½	Hayden	E. Cook	1½
4	Clews	A. Tinkler	1
36½			8½

July. Death of E. Stephenson in Birmingham, aged 37. He worked hard for Birmingham DC, encouraging young players, and was twice elected captain.

Sat 26 Nov at the Abington Square Cafe, Northampton. The visiting Birmingham DC won by 33½-18½ .

Points	NORTHAMPTON	BIRMINGHAM	Points
2	W. Matthews	Gilbert	0
2	G. Whitney	Bodfish	4
2	F. Rawlings	T. Baker	1
1½	C. Purvis	Harden	4½
2½	E. Wright	Matthews	3½
1	T. Middleton	Baker	5
3	J. Davies	Pennington	2
1½	T. Matthews	Clews	4½
½	A. Gibbs	Kean	5½
2½	F. Pugh	W. A. Baker	3½
18½			33½

Tue 29 Nov at Kidderminster Coffee Tavern. The home team beat Stourbridge, who were poorly represented, by 37-13.

Points	KIDDERMINSTER	STOURBRIDGE	Points
6	Harrison	Priest	0
3	Varney	Clewes Jnr	0
6	Giles	Peploe	0
3	Hodgkiss	Biddle	2
2	Sylvester	Owen	4
5	Poole	Dawson	1
3	Hinton	Clewes	3
4½	Morris	Pope	1½
4½	Mowle	Webb	1½
37			13

1888

Thurs 26 Jan at the Coffee Tavern, Stourbridge. Stourbridge lost to Kidderminster by 18 points to 41 in the third match between these teams. Stourbridge team: Morris, Pope, Tarry, Langstone, Clewes Jnr, Biddle, Owen, Veal, Dawson and Clewes Snr. Kidderminster: Harrrison, Parker, Vale, Taylor, Giles, Fredericks, Poole, Sylvester, Bennett and Saunders.

Thurs 2 Feb at Central Coffee Tavern, Stourbridge. Social evening at Stourbridge DC HQ. A substantial dinner was followed by a friendly match.

Sat 25 Feb at 63 Snow Hill, Birmingham. The home team beat Kettering by 27-11 and 6 draws.

Wins	BIRMINGHAM	Draws	KETTERING	Wins
2	H. Bodfish	0	A. Bailey	1
5	B. Church	0	H.G. Ginns	1
3	T.J. Baker	1	A.G. Denny	2
2	G.W. Griffiths	1	F. Ginns	2
4	D. Barker	1	W. Bailey	1
2	C.W. Hayden	2	A. Bird	2
5	H. Clews	1	F. Smith	0
4	W. Turvey	0	H. Abrahams	2
27		6		11

E. Horton played J. A. Wilcox in the "Star and Garter" Coffee House, Walsall.

Feb. Annual fixture: Kidderminster lost to Birmingham DC by 10-38, 10 draws. Birmingham team: T.J. Baker, G.W. Griffiths, C. Haydon, D. Barker, H. Clews, S. Foster, W. Turvey, Wareing, H. Radford, Bryden.

First match between Nottingham and Birmingham. Nottingham beat Birmingham DC by 23-14, 10 draws. Birmingham team: Baker(captain), F. Garrett, Bodfish, H. Chapman, Haydon, Griffiths, Matthews, D. Barker, Clews, F. Chapman, Turvey, Radford, Briden.

May. In the return match Birmingham beat Kidderminster by 44-15, 12 draws. Birmingham team: Church, T.J. Baker, G. W. Griffiths, D. Barker, Clews, Hayden, Turvey, Waring, Downes, Briden, Hancox, Miller.

J.A. Kear Snr and Jnr and H.G. Osborne visited Birmingham and local players.

Sept. Another new club was started - South Birmingham DC. HQ: “Lord Nelson”, Pershore Street.

[From The Draughts Players Quarterly Review , Vol 1 No 1, Sept 1888]

Sat 29 Dec at Pershore Working Men's Club. The visitors for a match at bagatelle and draughts were Evesham WMC. 6-a-side. Evesham won at draughts by 10-6 and 2 draws.

1889

Sat 2? Feb at Birmingham. The home side beat Northampton by 5 games.

Sat 9 Feb. Return match at Central Coffee House, Corporation Street, Birmingham. The match began after a "substantial knife and fork tea" at 5 pm and was completed by 9 pm. The home side lost to Nottingham by 14-31, 11 draws. This was the second match between these clubs.

Wins	BIRMINGHAM	Draws	NOTTINGHAM	Wins
1	Bodfish	0	Mitchell	3
1	Chapman	0	Linney	3
1	Baker	1	Hewitt	2
1	Griffiths	0	Birchenough	3
1	Hayden	1	Langley	2
1	Turvey	1	Riley	2
2	Clews	2	Thorpe	0
0	Waring	2	Brown	2
2	Hopkins	1	Hutchinson	1
1	Sedgeley	1	Johnstone	2
1	Chance	0	Rhodes	3
0	Doyle	0	Suffolk	4
1	Milward	1	Whittington	2
1	Radford	1	Osborne	2
14		11		31

Sat 20 July at Northampton. Abington Square Cafe DC played West Birmingham DC in a return match - an "excellent meat tea" being provided beforehand. After several attempts to beat a Birmingham team, Northampton finally managed to win, by 18-15 and 8 draws.

Wins	NORTHAMPTON	Draws	BIRMINGHAM	Wins
1	G. Whitney	2	W. Jones	2
2	J. Hilliard	1	G. W. Griffiths	3
3	F. A. Pugh	2	W. M. Perry	1
0	T. Middleton	0	A. Withers	6
3	T. G. Hollowell	0	J. Desmond	3
4	A. Gibbs	2	J. Payne	0
5	S. Bates	1	T. R. Thomas	0
18		8		15

Sat 26 Oct at Birmingham. West Birmingham Chess and Draughts Club beat Redditch easily, this being the visitors' initial match at draughts. They won by 7-3 and 0 draws at chess, and by 29-0 and 1 draw at draughts.

Wins	WEST BIRMINGHAM	Draws	REDDITCH
6	Griffiths	0	Wright
6	Jones	0	Harris
6	Withers	0	Sandland
6	Hadley	0	Morris
5	Desmond	1	Dickenson
29		1