Additions
Items added/donated to the collection:-
See the following :-
Pocket net information
In November 2017 a call was received from
a Mr. Foster who had some information on a patent for Billiard
Pocket Nets that allowed a referee or player to remove the balls
from the net without having to put a hand into the net via the
slate pocket opening. (It turned out that it was not as the same
idea as the 'bottomless pockets' that were perhaps more commonly
used).
In speaking to Mr. Foster the items were
from his wife's family and they were offered to the Heritage
Collection to enable this small historic patent be
preserved.
The patent is number 12318 dated 1912,
which was finally accepted in February 1913. It was taken out by
the sisters Emily and Clara Ryland.. The patent front page and the
drawings of the way their pocket would be made are as shown
below.
Two pictures were also provided one shows
the sisters mother Harriet making pocket nets the other is Emily,
one of the patentee's, also making nets. The tool they used has
also be added to the collection and can just be made out in the
pictures.
Billiard Pocket Net Tool
So it would seem that the Ryland family
were quite involved in making billiard pocket nets.
Our thanks to Mrs Carole Foster , whose
great Aunts were Emily and Clara Ryland and great grand daughter of
Harriet Ryland, who kindly donated the items to the Snooker
Heritage Collection.
A Thurston
Leicester Square Match Table
Thurston Leicester
Square Match Room Table No 15036
In October 2017
Thurston received an email concerning a table manufactured by them
with a plate indicating that it had been installed in their famous
Leicester Square Match Room.
The owners wanted
the room it was installed in for other purposes and asked if the
Heritage Collection was interested to display it? After checking
some details to confirm that it was indeed a table that had been in
the Match Room a deal was done. This allowed the table to be
displayed in the Heritage Room whilst still being retained by the
current owner.
The information
that we have gathered is that the table number is 15036 and was
original made in 1916. As shown in the Foreman's note
book.
In pencil on the right hand side can
be seenLei Sq
10/9/17, also
in the middle the Sales Order Number 42784 is
shown.
There is a ivory
plate on the end rail of the table refiring to the Triangular
Tournament between - M. Inman, H.W. Stevenson and T. Reece played
Decemebr 1917- January 1918 and February 1918.
In the old Thurston
Ledgers the Sales Order Number 42784 was found and the entries
there again confirm the table being in the Match Room at Leicester
Square and its use in the Triangular Tournament.
The Table is now on
display in the Heritage Collection. Anyone wish to see the
Collection please phone 0151 482 2700 to make an
appointment.
The following
information on the Triangular Tournament that the table was used
for is provided by Peter Ainsworth:-
Don't know how much
you know of the triangular tournament, but it was looked upon as a
very important event at the time. There had been no match for the
championship since before the start of the war when Inman had won
the title against Reece. There was keen rivalry between Inman and
Stevenson throughout the subsequent war years, the former insisting
on giving start to all comers, and Stevenson consistently refusing
to take it, but the Billiard Association would not sanction another
championship contest while the war was in progress. Consequently
this tournament was put together by private arrangement, which
involved the only three players not engaged in the war effort who
were likely to contest a championship. It was played not for prize
money and a title, but for a rather grand trophy donated by the
combined funds of Sir Guy Chetwynd, Sir Thomas Dewar, and H. H.
Lukens (otherwise known as "T. N. Palmer," of snooker fame). Inman
beat both of his opponents with some ease to take the trophy. It
was apparently a substantial 216 ounces (your John Roberts trophy
is about 90 ounces), and I have a note that it was still in Inman's
possession in 1926. Not sure where it ended up after
that.
©2017
E.A. Clare & Son Ltd. ©2017 Peter
N. Clare
In April 2017 a letter written by Sidney Smith was kindly
donated to the Collection by Mr. M. Barnett. He is a volunteer in
the warehouse of a local charity which handles donations and the
letter fell out of a donated book. He thought it was of interest
and thought it should be preserved.
The picture below is a reduced version of the letter.
A
picture donated March 2017 by John Ingleby of a match between C.
Dawson & H.W. Stevenson.
The match took place at the Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester and
the picture with Stevenson at the table was probably taken on
31st March 1904. The marker (seen holding the rest) was
George Jackson a local billiard professional. All the information
about the picture was provided by Peter Ainsworth
July 2016 - picture of the 1951 Professional Snooker
Championships between Fred Davis and Walter Donaldson.
Fred Davis won 58 frames to 39 frames.
Picture kindly donated by Henry Smith
Keeping an interest in all things Thurston a marking board circa
1870's with the cartouche reading
The board was aquired in July 2016 and is now on display in the
collection
© E.A. Clare & Son Ltd.
2018. © Peter N. Clare 2018
Reproduction of this article allowed only with the permission from
E.A. Clare & Son Ltd.
To visit the Snooker heritage Collection please
phone 0151 482 2700 to make an appointment. Please note number
limited to 4 visitors
