Yorkshire Chess History

 

Contents:

William Park

Home

Narrative

Organisations

Events

Games

People

Graves

Buildings

Competitions

Trophies

Made in Yorkshire

Miscellaneous

 

Sheffield Sub-Site

 

Born:

1830/31, Boleskine, Inverness‑shire

Baptised:

Died:

1897/98, Hartlepool

Buried:

 

Non-Chess Life

 

William Park was born in the parish of Boleskine, a component of the united parish of Bolskine and Abertarff, 12 miles south of Inverness, extending about another 20 miles southwards and 10 miles wide, and including Loch Ness and Fort Augustus at its southern tip.

 

His mother was “Barbra Park” (so spelt in the 1841 and 1851 Scottish censuses, seemingly).  By 1841, his father seems to have died, or otherwise disappeared.  Barbara Park had at least three children:

 

William Park

born 1830/31, Boleskine, Inverness‑shire

Joseph Park

born 1831/32, Boleskine, Inverness‑shire

Jane Park

born 1833/34

 

The 1841 census listed “35”-year-old Barbra and her above three children after 60-year-old Janet Park (Barbra’s mother-in-law?), 15-year-old Janet Park (daughter of the 60-year-old?) and 6-month-old Margaret Harrison.  The seven lived, seemingly, at 6 Canal Lock House, Kyltry, (in Fort Augustus?).  Modern Ordnance survey maps show a lock on the Caledonian Canal, about three miles SW of Fort Augustus, called Kytra Lock, with a nearby house called Coiltry.  Kytra, Kyltry, Coiltry: was the 1841 Kyltry the modern Kytra or Coilty (allowing for census and/or OS spelling mistakes of a word or phrase of Gaelic origin – caol traigh, coille traigh, cille traigh)?

 

The 1851 census listed 48-year-old Barbra, 20-year-old William and 19-year-old Joseph living at number 6 somewhere unspecified in the transcription, in Fort Augustus.  This was perhaps the same address as for 1841.  William was described as an agricultural worker, while Joseph was a canal lock-keeper.

 

Slater's Commercial Directory of Durham, Northumberland & Yorkshire, 1855, didn’t include William Park among the Linen and Woollen Drapers of Hartlepool, suggesting he had yet to arrive there.

 

By about 1857, William Park was married Scottish-born Euphemia.  One imagines the marriage took place in Scotland.

 

Kelly’s Post Office Directory of Northumberland & Durham, 1858, listed William Park as a travelling draper living at Scarborough Street, West Hartlepool.

 

In those days “West Hartlepool” referred to the main part of the modern Hartlepool, Co. Durham; the term “Hartlepool” was then limited to the separate area of the peninsula forming the north-east part of the modern Hartlepool.

 

The 1861 census found William and Euphemia Park living at 38 Scarborough Street, West Hartlepool, with 3-year-old Margaret J. Park, who had been born at West Hartlepool in 1857/58, and one servant.  William was now a draper.

 

The 1871 census found parents, daughter and two servants living at Boylan Hotel (or some such name) near or on Tower Street, West Hartlepool.  William was still a draper.

 

The 1881 census found William and Euphemia Park, with ages falsely stated as 46, living with a lodger and a servant at 16 Tower Street, West Hartlepool.  William was now a described as a commission agent.

 

The 1891 census found the 60-year-old couple living at 20 Tower Street, West Hartlepool.  William was described as a retired draper.

 

Death

 

The death of William Park was registered in the first quarter of 1898, aged 67, at Hartlepool.

 

Chess

 

He appears to have been the “Mr. Pack” recorded as present at the 1st Redcar Chess Meeting, in 1865, losing in round one of each knock-out section he entered.

 

He played at the 1st Northumberland and Durham Chess Association meeting in 1866.

 

At the 2nd Redcar Chess Meeting, in 1866, he played in the 12-player Class II tournament, but finished outside the top five places.

 

He may have been at the York Chess Meeting of 1867, but the scant reports to hand don’t list him.

 

At the York Chess Meeting, in 1868, he played in the 7-player Class II tournament, but finished outside the top two places.

 

 

Created

07/01/2013

Copyright © 2013 Stephen John Mann

Census information is copyright of The National Archive, see UK Census Information

Last Updated

07/01/2013