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SHEFFIELD Chess History |
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Contents: |
Batley-Meek Memorial Trophy |
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The Batley-Meek Memorial Trophy was not named by an individual donating it. When a third team competition was created, the Association purchased a trophy for presentation to successive winners. The name for the new trophy was determined democratically, and it seems that there was a faction in favour of Batley, and a faction in favour of Meek. There may have been other proposals which fell by the wayside, but the name finally agreed was a compromise combination of the two front runners. There is no particular connection between the two.
“Batley” was Barnsley-born William Batley, who was primarily a fanatical local chess journalist, as well as being strong enough as a player to win the Sheffield Championship occasionally. “Meek” was Robert Walker Meek, who was clearly well-known on the Sheffield chess scene in the 1930s, but from the perspective of the present day, he was the lesser of the two as regards their respective definitive contributions to chess.
The trophy must have been bought from a second-hand shop, or been lying around, unwanted, in somebody’s house, as it dates back to the Victorian era.
It bears the sterling silver mark, the London assay marks for 1867, and the “young” Victoria’s head (with bun). The maker’s mark is “G R E”. The titular inscription is simply:
BATLEY – MEEK -----:----- MEMORIAL TROPHY
The two lines of the title are bowed, not straight.
It is presented to winners of what is now the third division of the “league” competition, being first contested in 1948-49.
The third division ceased to exist for the period 1961-62 to 1975-75
The trophy was not engraved with the winners in 2000 and 2001, although the competition took place.
Winners to date have been:
* wrongly engraved Woodseats B ** wrongly engraved University B
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Created 14/05/2012 |
Copyright © 2012, 2013 Stephen John Mann |
Last Updated 16/02/2021 |