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THE HISTORY OF
BOWDON CROQUET CLUB
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The first croquet club in the Bowdon
area was at the tennis club at the end
of Winton Road, founded in 1873 as the
Bowdon Bowling and Croquet Club, which
is thought to make it the seventh oldest
croquet club in the country. It
was, incidentally, at its formation or
soon afterwards, constituted as a
limited company; probably one of the
very earliest so created in the
country. The ground had previously
been used by the Bowdon Cricket Club,
originally formed in the summer of 1856,
by a few men who started practising on
land at Rose Hill, where later a
Wesleyan Chapel and then a school run by
Mr. Pearce were built. However,
the pitch was rough, being either cut by
scythe, or cropped by sheep, so in 1865
they moved to a venue in Stamford
Road. Their members included names
such as Willis Mudd, son of the
photographer, Sir Joseph Spencer, an
M.P., and Alexander Ireland, Jnr.,
publisher. The club then moved to
South Downs Road, where the pavilion was
built in 1874. Then and on a
subsequent occasion, a Miss Bickham
helped financially in buying the land,
in remembrance of her brother who was a
player. This cricket team may be
considered as the Gentleman’s team, but
a player’s team, made up originally of
chauffeurs, gardeners and servants from
the big houses (and sometimes referred
to as Lord Stamford’s team), had their
ground on the Devisdale (still marked on
the “A to Z” map). Only a couple
of years ago, the pavilion collapsed
(and the remnants may still be there),
situated near to a ring of trees which
surround a cottage.
The surviving minutes of the croquet
club date from 1885 and although
references to croquet are sparse, a few
items of interest are recorded.
Members were only permitted to bring
individual guests on two occasions in
any one year. On 12th June, 1907,
the members decided to convert the
croquet lawns into tennis courts.
By 1909, tennis had gained predominance
and at another meeting on 1st April that
year, it was resolved to change the name
of the club to The Bowdon Bowling and
Tennis Club. It is interesting to
note that part of the ground was donated
by a neighbouring resident and
covenanted to remain an open space to be
used for sport. This decision
resulted in 1911, in a group breaking
away to found the Bowdon Croquet Club,
on the site we still occupy, off St.
Mary’s Road. A Mrs. Duggan was
instrumental in suggesting the site of
the new club, being elected the first
President and she and her husband, Dr.
Duggan, were also Ground Managers with
Mr. Pearce, Secretary and Treasurer;
Mrs. Graffton, Vice President, and her
husband, were also created Life
Members.
At their founding meeting at the St.
Margaret’s Institute, a constitution was
decided, including a clause which
limited the membership to 60, (and 26
non-playing members), with the proviso
that this could be increased to 80 if
desirable. Letters were circulated
to those who the committee thought might
be interested in joining, resulting in a
total of 75 potential playing members;
the limit of 60 playing members was
therefore increased to 80 (with 50
non-playing members, rising to 60 if
required). This indicates a high
level of enthusiasm for the game still
existed in the area. The initial
subscriptions were set at one guinea for
entry fee; one pound and five shillings
for playing membership and half a guinea
for honorary, non-playing members.
The cost of laying out the grounds was
estimated at £188 and the cost of the
pavilion, between £130 and £150.
It seems that a major sideline for club
members was the playing of Auction
Bridge, to The Portland Club Laws;
weekly competitions being held in the
Assembly Rooms (and bridge continued up
until 1962, when it seems to have
petered out). In 1913, the
permitted number of playing members was
increased to 90.
Under these flourishing conditions, it
was decided to hold the first tournament
during the period 21st July to the 26th
and for this purpose various additional
croquet grounds were made use of.
The Ladies Lawn Tennis Club was
approached for the use of their green
and (by reference to letters of apology
in the minutes for subsequent years, it
would seem) the greens at nearby
residences were also used, including the
Dunham Road end of Green Walk; High
Croft at the end of Park Road; and
Dunham Knoll, at the end of Devisdale
Road, built after 1878. There
were, additionally, at least three
houses along The Firs with croquet
greens. [In passing, it is worth
noting that the Bowdon Ladies Lawn
Tennis Club was situated on the
Devisdale near Dunham Knoll (and should
not be confused with the St. Margaret’s
courts on Bentinck Road). They
took part, by invitation, with the men’s
club at the bottom of Elcho Road, in
tournaments and their pavilion was moved
in the 1920’s to the men’s club, on
amalgamation, being the building nearest
the entrance on Elcho Road, now used as
the groundsman’s storage hut. The
most prized trophies that the club now
holds are the two cups, one for each
partner, dating from 1893, awarded to
the winners of the Mixed Doubles
Handicap Competition].
In 1914, a field adjoining the existing
croquet ground became available for sale
or lease and the club approached the
land agent with a view to expanding the
facilities of the club. However,
this proposal caused some consternation
in the local Bowdon schools, as they
used the grounds for drill, games and
for gardening, in the form of
allotments. A School Manager
contacted the club, protesting strongly
against the scheme. An agent for
the Archdeacon telephoned to say that he
had agreed to a lease on the
understanding that the allotments
remained. The club accepted these
conditions and agreed to a rent of £10
per annum; the schools were to be
offered an alternative field for their
drill use. The matter does not end
there, however, as the next day a
deputation arrived at the club pleading
that the alternative field was not
suitable for their use and it was an
absolute necessity for them to have
continued use of the half acre field as,
if they did not, the grant from the
County Council, specifically for that
land, would be lost. The outcome
was that the Stamford Estates allowed
the schools to continue their use of the
field with the club having first
refusal, should the Bowdon Schools
Managers terminate their lease.
The fortunes of the club have varied
from time to time, but they were
certainly enhanced by Lord Tollemache of
Peckforton Castle and his wife becoming
country members in April, 1920; only
resigning in March, 1940. (Lord
Tollemache’s family can claim Saxon
ancestors with a seat at Bentley, in
Suffolk; the origin of the name is said
to come from “tollmack” – “tolling the
bell”). His lordship had a green
at residence and through constant
practice had become an enthusiastic and
skilled player. As a newcomer to
tournament competition, he entered the
1910 National Open Doubles, causing
quite a stir by announcing before he
played that he would “triple peel his
opponent and peg him out”! Such
confidence was vindicated by the result,
when his actions proved as good as his
word.
In 1914, he published a book on how he
thought the game should be played,
packing it full of photographs of
himself demonstrating strokes and
techniques. He produced another
after the second world war, written for
advanced players, updating the strategy
and playing methods required, to keep
abreast of modern developments. On
joining Bowdon, he enhanced the club’s
prestige and, being a talented
personality, drew players to the club,
but it was not until March, 1938, that
he was elected to the committee.
He raised the club playing standard by
holding coaching sessions. Annual
house parties, which he hosted to
encourage the participation of top
players during the annual club
tournament also added to the club’s
attractions, such that a waiting list
developed of eager potential
members. Lord Tollemache died in
1955.
During the period of WW1, all energies
were devoted to the war effort and, as a
consequence, the upkeep of the greens
could not be sustained; in fact, during
1917, sheep grazed on the lawns, a
“fowl-house” was erected on the terrace,
wounded soldiers were allowed the use of
one of the lawns and the club house was
used to house nurses staffing the Haigh
Lawn Annexe Hospital, in St. Margaret’s
Road. The sheep proved a failure
and were replaced by goats, the milk
being sold to the Haigh Lawn Hospital
for the benefit of “delicate
soldiers”. In 1919, these wartime
arrangements came to an end and the
club’s sporting activities resumed.
In 1925, Lady Crossley was elected Club
President. Between the wars, a
revival produced some notable players
including, in 1937, Charles Colman, who
won the British Open Championship and
the following year was the first club
member to be invited to take part in the
more prestigious event of the
President’s Cup. Each year, the best
eight players are invited to compete for
this honour under playing conditions
which are more demanding than in any
other tournament; the hoops being set
tighter than the usual tolerance.
The players play against each other
twice.
The second world war again caused a
set-back, while the Nation’s activities
were redirected and, again, this had an
effect on the greens. Their upkeep
lapsed and they deteriorated (and it
should be appreciated that the
conditions of the greens has to be well
neigh perfect, especially for tournament
and international matches). To add
to these setbacks, quite a few players
were lost, victims of the
conflict. The situation had
reached such a crisis that, in 1962, an
Extraordinary General Meeting was called
to decide the fate of the club.
The result of lengthy discussions was
that the members passed a resolution
“that an effort be made to continue the
club”; they, therefore, renewed the
lease from the Stamford Estates.
Again a revival occurred and Bowdon
recovered to produce more notable
players.
Some have
represented Great Britain in
internationals and Test Matches; namely
Colin Irwin, David Maugham, Ian Lines
and Keith Aiton. David Maugham has also won
the President's Cup 4 times and twice
won the American World Championship, an
event where entrance is by invitation of
representatives picked by National
Associations. Bowdon's ladies have also
been represented at the top level. In
1999 Ailsa Lines won the Barlow Bowl,
the invitation event for the top 6 lady
players in the country and Jenny
Williams was the 2002 British Ladies
Champion. In 2004 David Maugham won the
President's Cup and Ian Lines the
Chairman's Salver. In 2005 it was Keith
Aiton's turn to win the President's Cup
and Messrs. Maugham and Aiton were two
of the GB MacRobertson Shield team that
convincingly won the trophy in Australia
in late 2006. At present Bowdon
have 9 players in the world's top 150.
Another famous name was involved in
playing croquet in the Bowdon
area. Either before the war or
perhaps during it, (maybe to encourage
greater efforts in the production of
specialist equipment at a secret meeting
with the engineering mandarins of
Broadheath ?), Winston Churchill came to
stay at “Northlands” in Grey Road and is
known to have played croquet on its
surviving croquet lawn. Since
1959, the area where the ground was once
laid out has been part of the garden of
one of the Bowdon members, a former
treasurer.
The standard of players at Bowdon is
comparable with the best in the country,
the clubhouse has been extended, the
greens are in superb condition and,
generally, the facilities have been
improved to make Bowdon a club to be
proud of. In recent years, Bowdon
has hosted International Test Matches,
including the 1996 series against the
USA.
For detailed history of 2006 click
here to see web-site blog for that
year.
For detailed history of 2007 click
here to see web-site blog for that
year.
For detailed history of 2008 click
here to see web-site blog for that
year.
For detailed history of
2009 click
here to see web-site blog for that
year.
For
detailed history of 2011 click
here to see web-site blog for that
year.
For
detailed history of 2012 click
here to see web-site blog for that
year.
For detailed history of
2013 click
here to see web-site blog for that
year.
For detailed history of
2014 click
here to see web-site blog for that
year (part 1).
For detailed history
of 2014 click
here to see web-site blog for
that year (part 2).
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