Week 41 - Sports - 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 41 is all about sports, and I find sporting records for my ancestors can be a bit light on the ground, although I do have some memorable finds.

While cleaning out my parent's home after my mother passed away, I found many treasures, several of which I have already documented in this blog.  One such treasure, hidden at the back of a cupboard, was a certificate won by my father for coming second in a relay race when he was at school.  He obviously valued it, because he had kept it all these years, but neither I nor my sister had ever seen it before.

My father's school relay certificate

Other sporting achievements were reported in local newspapers, just waiting for me to find them.  Two such articles concerned by Great Great Grandfather Walter Green, who clearly had the time and wealth for sporting pursuits such as deer hunting and pigeon shooting.

Chelmsford Chronicle, 26 February 1892

From the article above, I find that Walter not only enjoyed deer hunting but kept his own pack of hunting hounds, something that would have necessitated considerable expense.  Clearly he found it worthwhile to have his own hunting hounds, and would have kept horses and ridden well also.

Essex Standard, 21 June 1884

The detail included in these newspaper articles paints quite a vivid picture of Walter's sporting passtimes, although it is a little disappointing to note he lost the above pigeon shooting contest.  Oh well, you can't win them all!