https://www.lindfieldbowlsclub.co.uk/
By John Bartlett

We have a challenge for you. Can you identify an ancestor?

A recent posting on Facebook group of the photo below was a surprise, because a copy hangs in our more modern clubhouse. Taken in 1914, it depicts members of the bowls club in front of the original pavilion.
We would love to put more names to faces and we hope villagers of today may be able to help. We have identified one of them: Mr C W Masters an ancestor of the village business Masters and Sons. We showed it to them and they identified him. It worked once, so we hope it can again.

On 18th October 1904 a plot of land on the Common was offered for use as a bowling green subject to the agreement that a slight wire fence be placed around it but removed when required by the council. Times have changed!
Bowling began in 1905. Mrs Annie Clarke was one of the councillors in 1904, charged with the duty to oversee the project. Her husband Dr Cuthbert Clarke was elected as president of the club in 1910 and Mrs Clarke acted as the Hon Secretary. How do we know this? Because we have the handwritten minute book from 1904 to 1925. How it survived is somewhat of a mystery, but it gives us the names of the officers and members of the club around the time the photograph was taken. It’s reasonable to assume some are featured.

However, as the minutes book is handwritten our interpretation maybe not perfect. First names or initials were not always recorded. At that time the playing club membership was men.
OFFICERS in 1910 – President: Dr. G. Cuthbert Clarke, General Committee: Messrs Higgs, Shepherd, Ward, James Law and R. Longley, Match Committee: Messrs Foster, Humphrey and Charman, Captain: C. Featherstone Snr, Vice-Captain: Chas. W. Masters (The only one recognised so far), Hon Sec: Mrs Annie C. Clarke (this is how she signed the Minutes book), Treasurer: C. Wheeler.
MEMBERSHIP in 1910 / 1914 (in no specific order) – F.H.J. Beeny, James Law, J. Box, L.T. Wratten, C. Wheeler, A. Jenner, T.E. Charmen, Brown, A. Shepherd, G. Ward, Parker Auscombe, C. Featherstone Snr, F. Edwards, F.H. Levauchy, F. Comer, W. Comer, Spiers, E. Mitchell, W.G. Jeffrey, C. Higgs, F. Hills, T.B. Hames, J. Edmed, C.W. Masters, Longley, C. Featherstone Jnr, H.C. Foster, L. Broadbridge, H. Howell, A. Smith, E. Patching, H. Marchant, E. Stevens, J.W. Driver, Woolcock.

The club had several Vice Presidents, including ladies, who no doubt helped the club in some way. Miss Catt certainly did by lending them her roller! The VPs are named as W. Sturdy, G. Coller, W. Knowles, W. Tower, L. Weedon, Mrs. Rogers and Mrs. Clarke. It seems logical to assume some of the aforementioned gentlemen would be included in the picture.

We have tried hard to identify them. Indeed, Dr Clarke, a surgeon, could be in the photo as he was again elected as president for 1914. Condolences to Mrs Clarke were recorded in the minutes book following Dr Clarke’s death later that year, which gave us the means to trace them on Ancestry.com. We do know he was in Great Walstead farm when the 1911 census was taken along with his wife. They were classed as visitors and staying as guests of Mrs Rogers, his cousin and one of the vice presidents. They had two children and hopefully we have a link.

We can find little detail on the others. So, if anyone recognises family names and can identify the individual, we would be very interested to hear from you. Please contact us by email to receive a copy to enlarge or if you wish to visit the club as we can supply an A4 copy.
But there’s another challenge… The sign above the door in the photo now hangs inside our clubhouse. It was rescued from a skip during later refurbishment. Within the club its meaning is taken as ‘An honest man is without bias’, but we would be interested in hearing from anyone if they have a different view.
The sign has initials PA carved at the end are thought to be the initials of the person who made it, possibly Parker Auscombe who was active in the club.

We owe all those folk who worked so hard to establish our club a massive vote of thanks. It has become one if not the best bowling club in Sussex with around 140 active members, both male and female, with many successes on the green at county and national level. We hope we have been worthy of their efforts. Responses please to: secretary@lindfieldbowlsclub.co.uk.