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Yorkshire Chess History |
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Contents: |
Allan Schofield |
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Identity of the Chess-Player
This player is distinct from Alex(ander) Schofield, and was active during an earlier period. Changing chess/residence affiliations of the chess-player usually referred to as “A Schofield”, but occasionally as “Allan Schofield”, reflect changes in the place of residence evident in non-chess sources of this person.
Non-Chess Life
Allan Schofield’s parents were Herman Schofield (born 1853, Skelmanthorpe) and Ellen Schofield (née Hinchliffe, 1852, Skelmanthorpe) who had married at Skelmanthorpe in 1875, and gone on to have at least the following children:
The 1881 census found parents and Lizzie living at Gibb Lane, in the village of Skelmanthorpe, 2 miles N of Denby Dale, 5 miles S of Huddersfield. (Modern maps call it “Gib Lane”.) Kelly’s West Riding directory dated 1881 listed a farmer called George Schofield in Skelmanthorpe; he may have been related. Herman was at the time an unemployed worsted weaver.
The 1891 census found found the family of five living now at Elm Lane, in the village of Skelmanthorpe. Father was now a wool pattern weaver. Lizzie was an alpaca weaver, while Allan and Alice were scholars.
Father Herman Schofield died in 1898.
Alice appears to have married in late 1900 or early 1901, probably to one David William Chadwick.
The 1901 census found widowed mother Ellen, Lizzie and Allan living at 49 Bankfield Terrace, Headingley, Leeds. Lizzie was a woollen weaver, and Allan was a clerk with the city tramway company.
The 1901 census gave the place of birth of Lizzie and Allen as Scissett, which is a village smaller than that of Skelmanthorpe, and included in the township of Skelmanthorpe. However, Skelmanthorpe was in the Ecclesiastical district of Scissett! As the 1901 census nevertheless gave the mother’s place of birth as Skelmanthorpe, it may be that the children were actually born at the home of relatives in Scissett vallage; why else make the distinction?
Allan married Emma Temple (born 30/06/1882, Leeds) in 1904/05, in Leeds.
At some stage from 1904 to 1908 the couple moved to Dewsbury, where there (first) son was born:
Although Allan’s father’s forename was consistently reported with only one “n”, Cecil’s middle name was consistently spelt with “nn”. In letters sent to newspapers in the 1930s, Cecil adopted the name “C Hermann Schofield”, so he presumably was generally known as “Hermann”.
There appears to have had another son, W Maxwell Schofield, though he is difficulty to identify except from the fact of his writing letters from Bramhope to local newspapers in the 1930s.
The 1911 census found Allan, Emma and “Cecil Hermann Schofield” (as spelt by Allan in the census return) living at 4 Kirkstall Avenue, Leeds. Allan was now a law clerk.
In 1916 (while secretary of the Yorkshire Chess Association) Allan Schofield went for training with the Officers’ Training Corps.
By 1933, Cecil Hermann Schofield was living at Keldcrest, Breary Lane, Bramhope, 3-4 miles ESE of Otley, 10 miles NW of Leeds, and in the registration district of Wharfedale. This is evident from letters written by him from 1933 to 1940, to newspapers (Leeds Mercury, Yorkshire Post, and Bradford Observer) on various topics, giving that address. This may have been his parents’ address.
The 1939 register found Allan and Emma living at the above Bramhope address. Allan was a retired secretary, and also a retired Lieutenant of some kind. Son “Cecil H Schofield” was listed as a newspaper sub-editor, probably with the Bradford Observer, lodging at 40 Springwood Terrace, Bradford.
Death
The death of Allan Schofield was registered in 1962, in the Wharfedale reg. district, which encompasses Bramhope.
Chess
Before the 1st World War, the “A. Schofield” mentioned in Yorkshire county matches and in Dewsbury Woodhouse Cup matches (even when resident in Leeds) was this Allan Schofield. After the 1st World War, the “A. Schofield” mentioned in Yorkshire county matches and in Leeds Woodhouse Cup matches was Pontefract-resident Alexander (“Alex”) Schofield.
He played for Dewsbury while living in Dewsbury, and continued playing for them after he had moved to live in Leeds, thus playing for Dewsbury in 1911/12.
In June 1913, the YCA Executive Meeting appointed “Mr. A. Schofield, Leeds” as Hon. Secretary of the Association in place of Mr. N. K. Jones who had retired. (Yorkshire Post, 21/06/1913)
“Allan Schofield (Leeds)” was re-elected as Hon. Secretary of YCA in 1914. (Chess Amateur, 1914, June, p. 247.)
He was still YCA secretary in 1916 when he went for officer training, though somebody else had to take over as acting secretary pro tem.
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Created 16/10/2020 |
Copyright © 2020 Stephen John Mann Census information is copyright of The National Archive, see UK Census Information |
Last Updated 16/10/2020 |