Stirling Ladies' Chess Club

The club was founded toward the end of 1905, no doubt inspired by the ladies of Edinburgh who had taken the first steps in forming a ladies' club, and had also created the Scottish Ladies' Chess Association.

The Courier, 13 November 1905, p. 6.

Another report followed soon after, which indicated that the club was using the rooms of the Stirling Chess Club.

Falkirk Herald, 15 November 1905, p. 8.

Mrs Richardson would soon thereafter donate a trophy for a championship competition, and in 1906 this was won by Miss Algie, Woodcliffe, ahead of twelve others. Miss Ure, the runner-up, won the medal given by the Scottish Chess Association.

In 1908 the club met at the Unionist Club in Thistle Street on Wednesday and Thursday from 2.30 to 6 p.m. (The Chess Amateur, January 1908, page 99.)

In the August 1909 issue of The Chess Amateur (page 324) it was reported that the club had about 20 members, and that the honorary joint secretaries were Miss Ure and Miss Fisher, 37 Snowden Place.

The Year-Book of Chess 1911 (p. 260) indicated the club was meeting at Gill's Temperance Hotel, King Street, on Thursdays 2-30 to 6-30. The contact was Miss Curror, 5 Gladstone Place. The same information appeared in the 1912 Year-Book (p. 294).

Members of the club took part in various events, including the Cranston Trophy, open to individual competition. Miss J.H. Moorhouse of the Stirling Ladies' was the winner in 1911, 1912 and 1913.

It is thought the club disbanded around the time of the 1914-18 World War.

Other sources
Glasgow Herald, 14 April, 1906, p. 8.
Cook & Wylie's Stirling Directory 1906.
BCM,
December 1907, p. 477.

 

Alan McGowan