Croquet, Memories, and Dr. William Ormerod

Yesterday afternoon I had the distinct pleasure of an interview with croquet icon Dr. William P. Ormerod. To hint that I conducted the interview would be misleading: Dr. Ormerod has a wealth of information, anecdotes, and memories, and he was kind enough to take me on a quick tour of a by-gone era in the game's past.

In fact, Ormerod [seen, far left, in the 1969 photograph at left], born in 1937 in Bristol, continued his family's position as the longest line of physicians in Britain's history, starting in 1789, the year of the French Revolution, and continuing for, I believe, seven generations.

Of his roots in the sport of croquet, the charming Dr. Ormerod recalls, "My first tournament was in 1952 when aged 15 years, and my first opponent was at Parkstone [against] a lady, Miss Hedges. She was in fact Lady Barbarolli's aunt, and when she knew that I was also musical and played the 'cello, she said 'William, don't let's play this silly game; we should go inside and talk about music!'"

His initial involvement with the sport came at the suggestion of Kathleen Ault, a player of that era who was associated with croquet legend, author, and philanthropist Maurice Reckitt.

Ormerod recalls that Reckitt [right], as we know, was associated with the company Reckitt Colman, but the "directors paid him to stay away from the board meetings." He was a fine croquet player who first won a championship in 1935, and later wrote the text Croquet Today.

Reckitt was a noted Christian socialist, but also was known as a "champagne socialist," because of his belief that whether one won or lost at croquet, it was always best to follow play with champagne.

He and his wife, Aimee, loved dancing, an activity for which they were well known for some 40 years. Aimee was also an accomplished tennis player who had competed at Wimbledon in the 1920s, but Ormerod recalls that she played the 'cello as well. His recollection, however, is that she at last gave a recital during which something went awry, and she sadly never played in public again.


Dr. Ormerod also tells wonderful stories of some other noted personalities of the era.

He felt a kinship with Major Freddy Stone, a player who had begun playing at a young age as well, at 12 or 13 years old in 1912, and who "hit the ball like a bullet." Stone had a distinguished military career, but his most noteworthy service might have been in the British army's assistance during Turkey's Hakkari earthquake in 1930.

The Turks had been foes during the First World War, but afterwards the English provided such substantial help that Stone was told, "We will never fight against the British again!"


Of another player, legendary Daisy Lintern, who was also a noted manager of croquet tournaments, Ormerod recalls that, "as opposed to white, ladies at the time wore colorful silk dresses and hats to play."

Lintern apparently once had occasion to attend a funeral on the day of a match while wearing a hat festooned with flowers. Deciding her floral hat to be too much for the service, she quietly set it aside, out of sight. Much to her surprise, the casket was later brought out with the hat sitting on top, having been mistaken for a wreath!


Ormerod also has fond memories of Guy and Joan Warwick, with whom he stayed while in Budleigh Salterton, almost next door to the Mills siblings, George, Agnes, and Violet. His association with the Warwicks began even before Guy and Joan moved to Budleigh.

Brother and sister, the Warwicks [left] had lived, as we know, in a Victorian house in Peterborough, and while Dr. Ormerod was attending Cambridge in 1956, he would ride "from Cambridge to Peterborough by bus and play croquet all day long." During his time spent there, Guy, an architect, would drive Ormerod to Hunstanton, and "on the journey there, he would point out buildings he had designed, especially in the Georgian style."

Soon after that, the Warwicks had retired to Budleigh, which Dr. Ormerod recalls as being a "special" place: "When I was a boy Majors retired to Exmouth, Colonels to Sidmouth, and Brigadiers, Generals and Top Brass to Budleigh--all towns within 10 miles of each other !"

Joan Warwick was a noteworthy player of croquet, and Ormerod recollects her as powerful, and that while most women relied on some finesse, Joan was "not a very elegant player like some of the ladies, but she had a good eye for the ball," and consistently hit the ball quite hard!


Finally, of George, Agnes, and Violet Mills, Ormerod has a few memories.

He recalls the siblings were "well educated and had apparently come from a family that was well-connected," as well as having had enough money to live by their own means. He remembers visiting their home just once, when he was 19 years of age (it would have been 1956-1957), but has no real memories of the occasion.

Of Agnes [seated, right], Dr. Ormerod recalls that Aggie "was a great character," whose gait was unusual, waddling along with out-turned feet. (We've already been told that children in Budleigh were fascinated by Agnes's unusual appearance). He describes her as "very nice, highly educated... and very involved in croquet."

One other thing: Agnes apparently played with unusual equipment that apparently came from Burma!

Contrasted with her much larger sister, Violet Mills was "slim and ladylike, not as good a player as Agnes," but again, "a very nice person."

Of George Mills, Dr. Ormerod seems almost apologetic about his lack of remembrance. Aware today of Mills's status as a children's book author, he did not know then that Mills wrote, nor has he been able to find anyone else who knew that Mills had been a writer. "Even my mother did not, which surprises me," he explained, "as she was quite a literary person."

He recalls Mills [left] only as a player, but does remember that George had been "a smart, dapper chap, a great contrast to Aggie," the latter often having been rather careless about her appearance. It did not surprise Dr. Ormerod at all that George Mills had spent time at Harrow and Oxford, and he distinctly recalled that Mills had "an unclear voice, [and] a lisp."

Interestingly, when told that Lt.-Col. Gerald Cave of Budleigh had described George Mills as "exuberant," "loveable," and "enthusiastic," he replied, "Those are words I would use to describe Gerald Cave himself."


This past weekend Dr. Ormerod played croquet in the "Dorset Golf Croquet Champs. at Parkstone, where I played my first croquet tournament in 1952 aged 15 years."

He continues: "Talking about croquet players in the 1950's and playing croquet at present brings a wry smile to my face; all the financial markets continue to plummet and major problems in middle east and horn of Africa. But Sir Francis Drake still played Bowls as the Spanish Armada approached Plymouth in 1588 !"


Ironically, as we spoke that evening, four cities in England, including London, had concluded a day of frightening rioting and looting, reminding me that times have certainly changed since the Mills siblings took to the lawns.


The croquet resume of Dr. William P. Ormerod is stellar, and it includes the fact that he played on the MacRobertson series winning team in 1956 when at Cambridge University, aged 19 years, as well as in 1963, 1969, and 1974. In addition, he won the Delves-Broughton Open Golf Croquet Doubles Championship in 1954 when aged 17 years, partnering Brigadier A.E. Stokes-Roberts at Roehampton. Ormerod was winner of the Open Doubles Championship seven times (in 1960 partnering H.O.Hicks, and in 1971/2 1975/6 and 1977/8, partnering G.N.Aspinall). He was also winner of the Parkstone Dorset Salver Open Croquet event on nine occasions between 1956 and 2010—a remarkable 54 years between winning it for the first and the latest time!

Now Dr. Ormerod spends a great deal of time "coaching golf croquet at Swanage Croquet Club where I also belong."


Dr. Ormerod has played around the world. A more complete sketch of his career accomplishments in the sport of croquet can be found HERE. For his record in the database of the Croquet Association, between 1954 and 1984, click HERE.

It was great honor to have the opportunity to discuss the sport with the legendary Dr. Ormerod, and I am grateful for his kindness, his time, and his generosity.


[Update: Here's an update I received from Dr. Ormerod on Tuesday, August 23, 2011: "For the sake of accuracy here are just two further comments. It was Aggie Mills who had a marked lisp, not George(although he may have had one). Also I see you have mentioned Hakkari on the Turkey/Iran border as the site of the serious earthquake in 1930--certainly that was the site mentioned for 1930 quake in literature; however his comments re Turkey not fighting the British I well remember. This comment was also made by a patient of mine, Mr. Shillabeer, who served as a private under Major Freddie Stone and also helped at the earthquake. Mr Shillabeer died in the 1970's and was from Ermington, Devon, before moving to Parkstone in approx. 1968. (I was a GP in Parkstone 1965--1995 before retiring last year after 15 years as a government Tribunal Doctor working with the Judiciary)." Thank you once again, Dr. Ormerod, for your patience and your time. I remain extremely grateful for your kindness.]

More Croquet Photographs

It appears as if it will be another scorcher here in Ocala, Florida, and to make it all the more fun, there is a tropical storm, Emily, "meandering" around Haiti, and we're watching its movements—or lack thereof.

I am happy to say that I've received a bit more ephemera from good friend of this site Joanna Healing in Budleigh Salterton. Above, Joanna sends a long a photograph [above] we'd once seen scanned from a book, but this time in its original form with typewritten information affixed. We can see that it is the 1958 "London Match" at the Budleigh Salterton Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Joanna also adds these personal memories of Budleigh's Guy and Joan Warwick:

Joan Warwick died in the early 1970s. She and Guy (brother and sister) were extremely good at encouraging new croquet players. They were both excellent hosts to people who came to play in the tournaments. Guy was a “joker”.


Below, there is a photograph that Joanna describes only as "ancient," presumably of croquet players at the Budleigh Salterton club.



Thank you again, Joanna, and to everyone who has helped out here along the way. As always, your support and assistance are greatly appreciated!

A Quiet Croquet Bench in Budleigh

Several weeks ago I posted a scrapbook of sorts, featuring many images and texts involving the era of croquet in which the Mills siblings—George, Agnes, and Violet—played after the Second World War.

Recently received from our friend Joanna Healing in Budleigh Salterton is a photograph [above] of the bench on one of the lawns at the Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club dedicated to the Guy and Joan Warwick, neighbours of the Mills on Westfield Road and integral members of the club.

We can see the bench reads:

Given in fond memory of
JOAN and GUY WARWICK
by their cousins
MYRTLE WALKER and JOSEPHINE EMORY
October 1983

That time frame would have been just after Guy's death.

Thank you so much, Joanna, and, as always, if anyone has anything similar, please don't hesitate to send it along.

And thanks once again to Budleigh's Judy Perry for the image of Joan and Guy…

More for the "Scrapbook"...

This just in from thoughtful Joanna Healing of Budleigh Salterton, a bit to late to make Saturday's first "scrapbook" (of sorts) of memorabilia:

You may already have this information, but I thought I had better send it to you in case.

First up is the impressive photograph at the left, taken at Budleigh in 1974. We've seen this MacRobertson Shield image before, but only a smaller, black-and-white, low-resolution version that appears on the website of the World Croquet Federation. (Click this wonderful, colour photograph to enlarge it in a new window.)

One player above is unidentified—the gentleman in the back row to the fr left—but it is clearly Sir Leonard Daldry. The WCF site records him as having been a referee in 1974. J. G. "Guy" Warwick was also a refree that year, and is pictured opposite Daldry in the back row, far right.

Complete details of that year's competition can also be found at the Croquet Records Site.


In addition, Joanna enclosed this croquet résumé of Guy's sister, the great Joan Warwick, including a scan of her 1973 obituary from the Croquet Gazette. Many thanks to Joanna for her generosity and kindness to an ignorant stranger with a growing love of the sport!

A Scrapbook of Croquet Memories

Today, we'll take a look at a scrapbook full of photographs and writing that have been shared with me. They match faces with many of the names we've mentioned here at Who Is George Mills? and should be of interest, particularly to croquet enthusiasts or denizens of Budleigh Salterton—or both! (You can click any image to enlarge it in a new window.)

Our first one, seen above, is scan I received from Michael Downes of Budleigh, and he provides the source volume below, as well as a list of local players at the Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club in 1958, along with a visiting team from London. Michael wrote:

Details are:

Back row (l-r); C.V. West (Groundsman), J.W. Solomon (London), Major G.F. Stone (Budleigh Salterton), R.F. Rothwell (L), A.J. Cooper (BS), J.G. Warwick (BS), W.P. Omerod [misspelt: should be Ormerod] (BS).

Middle row: J.A. Holliweg (L), Ian Baillieu (L), Miss E.J. Warwick (BS), Lt-Col G.E. Cave (BS), M.B. Reckitt (L).

Front row: Mrs W. Longman (L), W. Longman (L), Mrs E. Rotherham, capt. (BS), E.P.C. Cotter, capt. (L), Col D.W. Beamish (BS)

Source: Les Berry & Gerald Gosling, Budleigh Salterton and Raleigh Country, 1998. p.78



Next up is a scanned newspaper article along with a photograph sent by the omnipresent Barry McAleenan. It describes a tournament at the Saffrons in which Barry's grandfather, Dr. H. R. McAleenan, competed as an octogenarian and won the X Handicap. Pictured is Mrs. Barbara Chittenden, then captain of the Compton Club.


Taking a look at the article, it mentions some familiar names: Mrs. E. (Hope) Rotherham and Mr. E. A. (Tony) Roper, Dr. McAleenan's victim in the X Handicap finals.

Barry adds: "Dr HR 'Herbie' McAleenan was my grandfather. In 1957 he would have been 76 years old, but played on for another decade. Eventually, he gave up on the grounds that the youngsters 'ought to be allowed to win more often.' I attach a cutting from the local paper for 1964. He was born in 1881 and married in 1914. I presume he was a member of the Compton Club."


Next up, we'll see a series of images sent by the extremely generous Judy Perry, daughter of Bill Perry of the Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club.

In the first, below, we see what Judy describes as "Geraldine Cave (2nd left) and Bill Perry(Best Man) (right) at Gerald Cave's wedding to Marjorie in London."


Judy: "Sorry I can't remember date, nor do I know who the other two people are." If you happen to recognize either, please let me know!


Judy continues: "The 2nd photo is a line-up for, I think, the President's Cup, not sure which year (if you can't work it out I probably will be able to). Location looks to me to be the Hurlingham Club, London. They are Back row. Bill Perry, Douglas Strachan, Gerald Cave, Nigel Aspinall, and Roger Bray. Front Row is Bernard Neal, John Solomon, William Ormerod and John Simon"


Anyone having an idea about the year, again, please let me know! [Update: From Chris Williams of the Croquet Association: "The President's Cup photo would be 1968 at Hurlingham."]


As well as the above photographs, Judy shared something very special:

I have discovered a poem by Gerald Cave as follows:-



THE BIG FOUR – AN AFTERTHOUGHT
By G.E.Cave.

Nigel & Keith, Roger and John –
Their names are fresh to ponder upon.

Champion of Champions: the title is new;
John keeps his grip on it, what can we do?
Nigel, the toast of Australia, snoops
Round the court, leaving balls tucked in hoops.
Keith is the artist, displaying his zeal
With quadruple, Quintuple, Sextuple peel.
While Roger strides smilingly round on his way,
With a Triple – taken – ‘Three times a Day’.

Solomon, Aspinall, Wylie & Bray:
Which is the one for your money today?

While you’re deciding, remember the skill
Of William & Patrick & Bernard & Bill:
Also David O’Connor, John Simon and Strachan
Who well may come back in unbeatable form.
The future is bright with a host of young stars,
But we do need a Venus to stand up to Mars.

So again I’ll endeavour to sum the thing up –
WHO will part John from his Championship Cup?"


I think it is dated 1970.


Many of these are the players Judy identified in the image above. The great John Solomon owned the CA Championship from 1963 to 1968, and won it a total of 10 times between 1953 and 1968.


In addition, Judy sent the following colour images. I've included her descriptions with each.


Bill Perry + Guy and Joan (Warwick)


This is a photo taken on the bottom lawn at Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club. Date unknown, (late 60s early 70s?) but several people who weren't locals are in it so it must have been a tournament of some sort.


Line up is:

Front Row: Unknown could be Robin Godby who lived in London, Joan Warwick, John Solomon (who was the subject of the poem I sent you by Gerald Cave), Bill Perry + Sally his dog, unknown, Sir Leonard Daldry.

Back Row: John Cooper (I think), unknown, unknown, unknown, Guy Warwick, unknown, Gerald Cave.


What wonderful image of several of the characters we've been following here. Should you be able to identify any of the "unknowns," please let me know and I'll update this at once!


In closing, Judy also included this:

There is another croquet poem which you may have come across already, written in much the same era by Giles Borrett who you may have come across in your research.


A CROQUET PLAYER'S PRAYER

I thank thee Lord that in my life
Croquet has played a lovely part;
Has found me friends and kept me fit
And warmed the cockles of my heart.

So when I play my final match
May I not have the smallest doubt
That when I've run the Rover hoop
Thou wilt be there to peg me out.

Giles Borrett


I know that all the croquet players of that generation loved it.


What a wonderful way to close things here this afternoon.

It is difficult for me to express adequately my gratitude for the generosity and kindness of Michael, Barry, and Judy. In fact, my thanks go out to everyone who has helped me along the way!

Next time, we'll return to Warren Hill in Meads and get help from a different source in finding something that's been elusive. Stay tuned…

Remembering Guy Warwick

Greetings, everyone, on Independence Day here in the States. With Canada Day and our 4th of July holiday falling so closely together—and with my beloved Philadelphia Phillies having just wrapped up a series against the Toronto Blue Jays, I guess the patriotic fervor in North America this weekend can be summarized in these lines, written by David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News, regarding what both nations do celebrate: "[O]ur love for country, alcohol, and B-List celebrities… and, perhaps, our love for baseball." And that doesn't even mention our cultural love of fireworks here in the U.S.!

In contrast to that, however, today's entry takes on a more sombre tone.

In addition to the Croquet Gazette obituary of Joan Warwick, Chris Williams of the Croquet Association sends along this:


Guy Warwick's obituary was in the December 1981 Gazette as was that of Mrs E (Hope) Rotherham. Unfortunately there is little of his non croquet life.


J.G. Warwick

One of Croquet's Old Brigade, Guy, aged 87, died peacefully at St. Cecilia's Nursing Home, Budleigh Salterton on November the 3rd. He had been in poor health for some years, but only recently realised he could no longer manage a full game, nevertheless he seldom failed to be a spectator and critic at the Budleigh tournament.

He will be remembered as having represented Devon many times in the Inter-Counties and also being chosen to play in the President's Cup in 1963 (when he finished seventh with 4 wins). He used to be a regular entrant at the Hunstanton Tournament, lying in a part of England where he spent much of his early life and once had the distinction of beating the great John Solomon on level terms! He was runner-up in the Surrey Cup in 1957, runner-up in the first Chairman's Salver in 1966 jointly with Edgar Jackson, won his C.A Silver Medal in 1960, won the Du Pre Cup in 1963, won the South Of England Championship in 1962, the South of England Doubles Championship in 1968 and 1969 with Lt. Col. D.M.C. Prichard & E.C. Tyrwhitt-Drake respectively.

He will be sadly missed.

AJC


Just after receiving the above, friend Judy Perry of Budleigh Salterton sent the scan of a Kodachrome slide that you see at right. In the striking, vividly-coloured image, we can see Guy Warwick, Joan Warwick, and Judy's father, Bill Perry.

Judy also sent along a couple of other images that I'll upload soon, but I wanted to post these while we were still on the thread of the Warwicks! Many thanks to Judy, Chris, and everyone at the CA for their thoughtfulness!

"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray, love, remember..." -- Shakespeare

If you've been following our thread regarding Joan Warwick, we've looked briefly at her childhood and more deeply into her career as a hockey player and manager. In fact, we vicariously went along via press reports as she toured New Zealand and Australia in 1938. Sailing back to England aboard the RMS Strathmore, she returned to her home in Peterborough to write a still noteworthy book on women's hockey umpiring.

Still, our interest in her began as a croquet player, particularly while living with her brother, Guy Warwick, at Sherwood on Westfield Road in Budleigh Salterton. The unfailing Chris Williams of the Croquet Association has some knowledge of the area and weighed in on Wednesday 29 June with this:

With regards to their house Sherwood, I think it was 3 Westfield Road and looks as if it had been turned into flats. Two houses in Westfield Road (3 and 5) (on the left as you go up the hill) have been knocked down and a small estate is being built on them. The view on Google Street View was taken early in the building process. When I was last there about a month ago the houses were nearly finished.

Blue Cedar Homes are the developers.

http://www.bluecedarhomes.co.uk/budleigh-salterton.html

Regards,
Chris

By clicking on the link above, one can get a better look at changing Westfield Road than available through Google Maps. From this, we can surmise that Guy and Joan lived at the far end of Westfield from their neighbours and croquet comrades, George, Agnes, and Violet Mills.

However, that's not all Chris sent. From the archives of the CA, he also provided us with this, Joan Warwick's obituary from the September 1973 issue of Croquet Gazette:


CA Gazette September 1973

Miss EJ Warwick

Not a few croquet players have become attached to Budleigh Salterton, because of Joan Warwick. She always had a welcome for everyone, and especially for new visitors, so it seemed natural to see her - albeit in a wheelchair - at the club on the Monday of their big July tournament. What courage this must have taken was only realised when on Wednesday morning, July 4th, she died.

Joan had learnt her croquet from her brother Guy and after playing in a tournament at Budleigh Salterton they decided to move there together in 1957, a happy and successful venture for them both. That year Joan was selected for the Ladies' Field Cup and for the next twelve years she and Mrs Rotherham dominated Women's Croquet. Joan won the Ladies' Eight and the Women's Championship five times each. She appeared four times in the President's Cup and was a much sought after Doubles partner, winning the Mixed Doubles Championship with three different partners. But the peak of her croquet career came when she was the only woman included in the 1963 Triangular Test Tour of New Zealand, which she also toured in 1927 as a Hockey International.

Joan excelled in other spheres besides sport. She was commissioned in the A.T.S. at its inception and helped to form it; she ended the War as a Senior Commander. She then trained as a Housing Manager and did invaluable work in Paddington until she had to return home to look after her mother, herself a well known croquet player. After serving as a County Councillor for the Soke of Peterborough, Joan originated and organised the Home Help service there. After retiring she became a regular driver for the hospital service and only gave up reluctantly when she became ill a year ago.

It is hard to believe we will not see Joan again; standing solidly with her left foot forward, swinging her mallet determinedly on its straight low course and keeping her head severely down while we watch the ball speeding to its target. She was a staunch friend, unselfishly sharing her knowledge and generous with her advice and praise. Joan's personality and style has left its imprint on croquet.

EAMP

(Betty Prichard)


What a remarkable woman, and what a pleasure it is for me to help ensure that her complex and generous life and legacy are not forgotten. And all that from someone who, as we know, simply listed her occupation as "home duties."

And for readers in America (and anywhere else), who make up a large portion of those dropping by this website, the "A.T.S." mentioned above was the Auxiliary Territorial Service, and much more can be learned about it at http://www.atsremembered.org.uk/, where Mr. Williams was kind enough to direct me. An interesting note is that then future Queen of England, Elizabeth II, joined the A.T.S. and rose quickly from Subaltern (equivalent to a Lieutenant) to Junior Commander (Captain) by the end of the Second World War. She "completed the course at No. 1 Mechanical Training Centre of the ATS and passed out as a fully qualified driver."

It certainly is a very limited list of characters we've studied here who outranked the Queen at any time, as Joan would have done as a Senior Commander (Major)! Warwick was decommissioned in 1945 upon "attaining the age limit," according to the London Gazette, 10 August 1945, page 4073, but found other ways to continue to serve the people of her country.


Joan is also remembered on-line by the Wrest Park Croquet Club [below, right] in a 2010 newsletter that can be found at http://angliacroquet.co.uk/2010/Wrest_Park_newsletter_2010_12.pdf.

It reads:


The Steel Cup

This cup has a history. It is inscribed Bedford Croquet Club, Steel Challenge Cup, Class C, and the first winner was Muriel Hume in 1929. The cup was presumably donated by or associated with Dorothy Dyne Steel. Today Class C means players of handicap 6-11 (A being 2 or less and B 2-5), but this may not have been the case 80 years ago. We also don’t know if the competition was for handicap or advanced play. Of the 22 winners between 1929 and 1956 sixteen were women, and women won on the last 11 occasions. I leave it to others to describe how and when we acquired the cup, but it reappeared as a club trophy in 1985 when the winner was John Wheeler.


The winner in 1955 was Miss E.J. Warwick. Joan Warwick was a first-class hockey player before taking up croquet. Described in Prichard’s History
of Croquet as “a dogged player of the orthodox 4-back and peg type, cautious and careful,” she won the Women’s Championship on five occasions between 1960 and 1968, the Ladies Field Cup five times, and the Mixed Doubles three times. She played in the President’s Cup on four occasions and was also in the victorious MacRobertson Shield team which travelled to New Zealand in 1963.


Some 25 years after her glittering farewell dinner in Australia, following a playing tour of New Zealand with the All-England women's hockey team during which she served as manager, Joan returned to play yet another sport—and win.

One last note regarding Joan Warwick can be found in 1973's The Bedside 'Guardian': A Selection from 'The Guardian': Volume 22 by William Leslie Webb, as we can see in this excerpt:

"And some of the people to beat are Hope Rotherham [pictured in 1957, left] - with a mysterious swing from somewhere behind her which nevertheless operates brilliantly - and Kitty Sessions, and Joan Warwick. They follow a trail blazed by Mrs Joad, first women's champion in 1869. How far have they come in a century of decorous aggression? Are women likely to be found in the England line-up for the MacRobertson Shield in the Tests against Australia next year? Not very likely… though male pre-eminence seems to lie not so much in their strong wrists as in their friendships with computers."


Exactly how much computers have allowed male players to dominate since 1973 would be for others to determine, but at that time—near the end of her life, in flagging health, and aged 75 years—Joan Warwick was still considered one of the "people to beat" in what appears to have been the increasingly male-dominated sport of croquet.

Records and statistics pertaining to her career—spanning 1954 –1972, and throughout which she won a stunning 60% of her games—are available by clicking HERE.

We already know she went 18-15 against her brother Guy, who ironically taught her to play. Regarding other players we know, she went 45-40 against the above-mentioned Hope Rotherham [by far her most frequent opponent], an amazing 21-1 versus Barbara Chittenden, 21-4 facing Nora Elvey, a devastating 15-1 against Agnes Mills, 9-3 against both Isobel Roe and Betty Prichard (author of the obituary above), 6-4 versus Maurice Reckitt, 5-0 facing Lady Ursula Abbey, 5-2 against Ralph Creed Meredith, 2-2 vs. Dacre Stoker, only 2-7 playing Bill Perry, and 1-1 when pitted against Violet Mills. She suffered her greatest number of defeats at the hands of croquet legend Pat Cotter, against whom she was 3-19.

I think it is also remarkable that Warwick—a woman, and almost 65 years of age as well—made the roster of the 1963 MacRobertson Shield team. With there being some some debate, as seen above, about the ability of women to play at this level and on the world stage, let's take a look at her performances during that significant January 1963 event, her return trip to New Zealand after 25 years:

Miss EJ Warwick beat Mrs WL Martin +2, +9

Warwick/Curtis lost to Middlemiss/Middlemiss -13, +2, -1

Warwick/Curtis beat Saalfeld/Lewis +6, -3, +16

Miss EJ Warwick beat HC Ford +4, +24

Curtis/Warwick beat Saalfeld/Lewis +16, +12

Miss EJ Warwick beat HC Ford -9, +4, +2

Miss EJ Warwick beat AE Saalfeld +3, +7


Put simply: An amazing achievement.


That 1963 MacRob team from Great Britain is depicted, right:

Back row, Humphrey Hicks, William Ormerod, Bryan Lloyd-Pratt, David Curtis,

Front, Joan Warwick, John Solomon, Patrick Cotter (Cpt), Bobby Wiggins


As noted above, Joan passed away on 4 July 1973. She truly exemplifies the qualities of what has become known as the "Greatest Generation."

In thanking Chris Williams for generously providing Miss Warwick's CA obituary, I added that sometimes I am floored by what I learn by doing all of this. I pry in a tiny way into the life of a person, but what I often find is merely data--birth, death, marriage, divorce, date of arrival, date of departure, etc. [as exampled in the composite image below; click to enlarge] from the London Gazette, 1973 and 1981].


Learning so much additional information about her as a person, beyond simply mere scores and cold, impersonal data, is what makes what I do here so very rewarding. After following Joan via newspaper reports through Australia in 1938, I will then run this obituary separately. I am very happy that it will then be accessible to a wider audience, especially including Americans who never would have had much of a chance to know of her. And I thank Mr. Williams and everyone else who has assisted me along the way in doing my small part in remembering her. She was a remarkable croquet player, but that seems to pale in comparison to how much more remarkable and inspirational she was as a person.


My hat's off to Miss E. J. Warwick as an athlete, a working woman, a volunteer, and as a person. She's without a doubt one of the favourite characters I've met via my research into the life and times of her neighbour, George Mills.

If you have any additional information about or memories of Joan Warwick that you would be willing to share, please let me know!

Oh--and happy Canada Day to our readers from the north!

43 Speeches, Women's Hockey, and a Frock of the Deepest Beige Lace

When I set out to write entries about Guy and Joan Warwick, I wondered if I should combine them or write about the two two separately. It seemed as if I was coming down to the last of the things I would be writing about here, so I decided on two. I wanted to stretch things out a bit before this drew to a close.

Then, much like the well-known finger being pulled from the dike, information about a number of topics has come rushing in, much like the flooding this summer in the Mississippi Valley, making it appear I may have a busy summer at the keyboard after all!

Last time, we left Joan, the manager, captain M. M. (Mildred) Knott, and the rest of the All-England women's hockey team at their port of arrival, Sydney, Australia, having just come ashore to waiting press coverage [above, left].

This time, let's rewind just a bit, back to Australia's anticipation of the impending visit of the All-England team. One should know that Sydney had hosted the 1938 British Empire Games that February [opening ceremonies, right], winning 15 gold medals (to 2nd-place England's 10), and 66 overall medals (to 2nd-place England's 40). Hockey was not part of the February competition, but one can imagine that Australians were feeling magnanimous and well-satisfied regarding the sporting world. Such attitudes would undoubtedly make them gracious and welcoming hosts.

Here's the first article covering the July 1938 women's hockey event, from The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), dated Tuesday 3 May 1938:


RECEPTIONS TO VISITORS

Last night hockey players made plans for the visit of an American hockey team which will arrive in Melbourne in the Monterey on May 20. The visitors will attend a civic reception at the Town Hall in the morning, practice in the afternoon, and have the evening free to rest.

It was announced that the Albert ground had been obtained for a match Victoria v. the United States on May 21.

For this match the Victorians will be - Frances Newson (captain), Dr. Girlie Hodges (vice-captain), V. Wilcher, D. Neibour, J. Stevens, M. McAlpine, P. Burston, R. Farrer, G. Bell, R Moore, and B. McGennan. This is the team that represented Victoria against a visiting English team last season.

After the match there will be a Victorian Women's Hockey Association party in the evening, and on May 23 one of the vice-presidents (Mrs. E. F. Herring) has invited the American girls to luncheon at her home.

English Visitors in July

Another vice president or the V. W. H. A. (Dr. G. Buchanan) reported last night that she had heard by letter from Joan Warwick, the manager of an English women's hockey team which is coming out to play matches in New Zealand, that the English girls will arrive in Melbourne on July 25 by train from Sydney, and after a few hours in Melbourne will embark in the Narkunda on their homeward journey.

Victorians will be interested to meet again J. Warwick, as she was in Australia in 1927, and also M. Collins, who was here last year. Other interesting personalities in the team are M. Knott, who has been captain of England for several years [pictured, left, serving as coach at James Allen Girls School] and N. Judd also a very well known player.


Is that article merely being polite, or is it possible that Joan Warwick had made the sort of impression on the Aussies that lasts a good decade or more? It seems so.

Also, I'm convinced that the sentence containing the phrase "after a few hours" was a mistake, the author meaning "after a few days." However, the team embarked on the Strathmore for their voyage home. I suppose it is possible the original intent was for the team to stay but a few hours, play a game, and hop aboard a ship almost immediately. Perhaps plans changed.


Here we find that the All-English team will be following an American squad into the land Down Under. Still, one senses a certain warmth of expression and remembrance in reading about the return of the English girls.

Fast-forwarding through to their arrival on 25 July, here's coverage from The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW), dated Tuesday 26 July 1938:


FORTY SPEECHES IN
SEVEN WEEKS.

Hockey Manager's Record.

"We had a marvelous time in New Zealand, and everybody was very kind to us and entertained us profusely, but I am most glad that there are no more speeches to be made to Mayors," said Miss Joan Warwick, the manager of the All England women's hockey team, which arrived from New Zealand yesterday.

"The team knows my speeches off by heart, and, after all, they should, as I made 40 of them and gave 10 broadcasts in seven weeks. We were given mayoral reception In nearly every town we visited, and after such consistent entertainment we are grateful that the Australian part of our tour is of an informal nature. We think it very generous of the Australian State associations to entertain us on our way home from New Zealand."

PRIVATELY ENTERTAINED.

Miss Warwick said that the team was privately entertained in the Dominion, only being at hotels before the three test matches. "We were never in the same place for long. Mostly our stay was for two nights and then we 'hustled' off to some other place. It was a rare occasion that we were in the same spot for three nights or four. It was lots of fun, and the team enjoyed seeing so much of the two islands, but it made the tour very strenuous. It is very welcome to know that we have lots of free time this week, and will be able to see as much of Sydney as possible."

SECOND VISIT.

This is the second occasion that Miss Warwick has visited Australia. She was a member of the 1927 English team which toured Australia, and she has taken English teams to Egypt and the Continent. Miss Norah Judd, who was in the Anglo-Scottish team which visited Australia last year, la the only other member of the team to have been here before. Miss Warwick was very proud of herself for remembering so much about Sydney after an absence of 11 years.

The English team was met at the boat by several of the Australian Internationals, including Miss Tory Wicks and Miss E. Mc Rae, as well as members of the State Hockey Association. Several of the State had met some of the English girls m South Africa in 1930, and in America in 1933. Miss M. M. Knott, for eight years England's captain and famous right-back, received a great welcome.

ICE SKATING.

The team will be entertained at luncheon to-day at David Jones's, after which they will visit the Ice Palais at Moore Park. Yesterday they lost no time In going to Koula Park, the zoo, and on the harbour. The girls intend to crowd in as much sightseeing as possible.

Five of the team are staying at the Imperial Hotel, and others are being entertained by Miss Camilla Wedgwood, Dr. Grace Cuthbert, Miss Kate Ogilvie, Miss Jean Sale, Mrs, Kidd, Miss E. Hollingworth, and Mrs. A. Holt.


The trip to New Zealand and Australia seems to have been grueling for the English girls, but rewarding. It certainly must have been the trip of a lifetime. The quotations above mark the leadership skills of Joan Warwick, serving as a graceful, polite, and articulate spokesperson for a group of young athletes.

It may be significant for us to know that Warwick, 40 years of age in 1938, was serving as manager, while Knott was playing on the tour at the age of 42. Was this due to the superb managing skills of Warwick? Could it have been due to the fact that Joan had suffered some sort of injury? Or might it have been some combination of both?

No matter, it's hard to imagine handling the travel, itinerary, excitement, discomforts, natural squabbling, competitiveness, nationalism, speeches, drudgery, packing and unpacking, and pressure from the press and local political figures, all while decorously representing one's country abroad, much more effectively than did Joan.

Still, the above article is not related to the actual games themselves. Let's take a look at the newspaper's 'scouting report' on the impending clashes between the women's teams, which includes the All-England team's complete roster, also from The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW) of Tuesday 26 July 1938:


WOMEN'S HOCKEY.

ENGLISH TEAM ARRIVES.

"The English women's hockey team, which has just completed a seven weeks' tour of New Zealand, is above the average standard for touring teams," said Miss Joan Warwick, manager of the team, when it arrived In Sydney yesterday. "Our defence players were particularly strong, as Miss M. Knott [right, again at JAGS] and Miss M. Collins are England's representative backs and Miss P. Lodge, is the English left half. The fourth international in the team is Miss J. O'Donoghue, who has taken Miss Marjorie Pollard's place as left inner forward for England.

"All the other players are first-class county standard and the majority have represented in the territorial matches. That is why I consider this touring team better than the majority that England has sent abroad. We will not be at full strength in Sydney, as Miss Collins, Miss Thompson, and Miss Naylor, are not remaining here, but we are looking forward to playing New South Wales."

Miss Warwick was a Member the English team which visited Australia in 1927. Miss Judd, another player in the team, was the Anglo-Scottish left back who played in Sydney last year. No other member of the team has previously been to Australia.
Miss M, M. Knott, who has been captain of the English teams which visited South Africa in 1930 and America in 1936, is regarded as one of the greatest back players England has produced.

Discussing the standard in New Zealand, the manager and captain said that it was difficult to assess the merits of the teams, as many of the grounds were rough, and good stickwork was impossible. They were not impressed by the positional play of the Dominion girls, and considered this a weakness of their game. "They play differently from us," Miss Knott said, "and often I was relieved to get my team off the field without injury, the uneven grounds and the rushing tactics of the opposing forwards being disconcerting."

The team agreed that it had had a wonderful tour of New Zealand, and had been royally entertained everywhere.

The English team will have its first practice at Rushcutter Bay to-night. It will play against, the Lustre team.

The team to play the New South Wales team at the University Square on Saturday is: Goal, G. Huggins; right back, M. M. Knott; left back, N. Judd; right half, O. Barnes; centre half, P. Lodge; left half, B. Fairgrieve: right wing, E. Shelmerdine; right inner, B. West; centre forward, J. Wright: left inner, J. Donoghue; left wing, J. Dowling; reserve, B. Rathbone. Umpire, J. Warwick.


Ironically, one thing we fail to glean from the press coverage of the All-England team's tour is the final score of the contest. What we do know is that great sacrifices had been made to travel on this tour. The news service caption for the wire photo used above, right, reads:

English hockey girls leave london for australasian tour

A team of English hockey girls, some of whom have sacrificed their jobs and in addition paid £100 each in fares, left Liverpool Street Station on the Riviera boat train to tour Australia and New Zealand.


However, one must believe that in the end it was all worth while. The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), dated Tuesday 9 August 1938, brings us coverage of the team's farewell:


FAREWELL DINNER
HOCKEY TEAM

To say farewell to visiting English women hockey players who will leave to-day in the Strathmore, members of the Victorian Women's Hockey Association gave a dinner party last night.

The party took place at Navaretti's, Collins street, and was attended by nearly 100 hockey enthusiasts The official table was decorated with deepest pink carnations in soft green pottery bowls. In front of each of the guests of honour was a spray of flowers and a gift of a V. W. H. A. tiepin.

The president of the Victorian association (Miss Sybil Taggart) who wore a frock of black lace under her cape of white marabou expressed the pleasure of Victorians at having the visitors here for a week on their way home from New Zealand. She especially welcomed the manager (Miss Joan Warwick) who was here in 1927, and Miss Norah Judd, who visited here last year.

In response Miss Warwick who wore a frock of deepest beige lace with a corsage of green flowers said humorously:—"It is with great pleasure that I rise to make my 43rd speech of this tour." She thanked Victorians for entertaining them and said that many of the team hoped to visit Australia in 1942, when the international tournament will be held.

Other speakers were the captain of the English team (Miss M. M. Knott) [right] who wore midnight blue chiffon; the captain of the Victorians (Miss Frances Newson) who had a sea-blue coat over her black frock; a vice-president of the association (Dr. G. Buchanan), Mrs. E. F. Herring, and Miss D. Lodge (an international player).
Also at the official table were the honorary secretary of the V. W. H. A. (Mrs. L. C. Wilcher) and the treasurer (Miss Betty Thorpe).

Among those present were other members of the English team, Misses E. Shelmerdine, O. Barnes, J. Dowling, B. Fairgrieve, G. Huggins, N. Judd, B. Rathbone, K. Thompson, E. Wright, and B. West, as well as Miss Marjorie Irvine, a life member of the V. W. H. A., and Miss Alison Ramsay, a vice-president, and various hostesses who have entertained the visitors at their homes.

Some members of the visiting team went on after the dinner to a dance held at Tudor Court by the Royal Society of St. George.

Yesterday afternoon the English girls were entertained informally at afternoon tea by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress (Councillor and Mrs. Edward Campbell) at the Town Hall.


Interestingly, the event involving the All-England team's send-off seems to have been covered as much like a piece for the Society column as it was a piece on sport. The resounding clash and clatter of wooden sticks around the field of play seems quite a contrast to the following array of frocks of "deepest beige lace" and "midnight blue chiffon."


Warwick, a noted figure in women's hockey of the era, later turned from speech maker to writer, co-authoring a book on refereeing women's hockey, a skill we saw above that she had exhibited during the match in Australia. From a website called Dotmaker: Books of Sports and Fitness we find this description of Warwick's text:


Umpiring for Women's Hockey

By E. Joan Warwick & Rebecca Blaxland

'Umpiring is fun! Those who start to blow the whistle can begin on a life of enjoyment that was never contemplated when they stood for the first time, anxious and bewildered with twenty-two players waiting for them to summon up courage to start the game. Once she is off the mark the budding Umpire can get so interested in her job that she finds her fun and exercise provided for her weekly and, as she improves, she may gain the coveted "B" and "A" badges of the All England Women's Hockey Association.'

Written by two "A" register umpires, this rare volume provides clear, thorough instructions on all aspects of umpiring – from positioning and offside, to the good manner and etiquette. Some charming illustrations by Mary Foxon.

Marjorie Pollard Publications, Oxford. No publication date. Boards. 52 pages.


While no publication date is provided for this edition, Amazon.co.uk cites a publication date of 1971, and the publication date at Google Books is a ridiculous 1900.

We do know, however, that the text is listed among others in the Physical Education Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's journal Physical Education (Volumes 45-47), published in the year 1953. We can safely assume the book was written before that year, while Warwick was residing in Peterborough.

Did I ever seriously expect to write just one entry here about Joan Warwick? We now find that even two has not been enough!

We still haven't reached Budleigh Salterton, or delved deeply enough into the success Joan found playing croquet later in life. And, thanks to the Croquet Association, we'll learn that, while hockey and croquet were the sports in which she excelled, she made significant contributions to society far away from the playing fields.


Lastly, as an aside, I'd like to salute the newspapers of Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore for making so much easily searchable historical material available on-line!

Introducing Miss E. J. Warwick, the British Wanderers, and the All-England Team

Friend of this website, Joanna Healing, recently checked in here with this brief recollection:

I also remember Guy and Joan Warwick – Guy better because Joan died earlier.

Although Joanna did not know Joan as well, many people must have known of Miss E. J. Warwick, and to a great many of them she must have been a hero. (By the way, who decided that "heroine" was no longer a word one uses?) Edith Joan Warwick was born on 13 June 1898 in Peterborough, where she lived at 103 Park Road [pictured, left], and passed away in Devon in September 1973, presumably in Budleigh Salterton where she lived with her brother, Guy.

Our association here with Joan is via the sport of croquet, in which she was a renowned figure. Warwick won the Women's Championship of the Croquet Association in 1960, 1962, 1965, 1966, and 1968. She lost in the final to talented Isobel Roe in 1961 amid that stunning run of success.

Remarkable! As a North American sports fan, the only similar run of success in my lifetime was that of ice hockey's Montreal Canadiens in the 1960s. Les Habitants, as they were known, won Stanley Cup titles under their legendary captain Jean Beliveau in 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, and 1971.

Still, when the aging Beliveau had an off-night on the ice, his teammates could and would pick up the slack. Warwick had no such help on the lawns while making her run at those championships. There were other all-time great stretches of success by hockey teams—especially by those "Habs"—and there were other magnificent, year-after-year performances in the sport of croquet as well. However, the string of titles won by both those Canadiens teams and Joan Warwick would be crowned a sporting "dynasty" by rabid fans on this side of the pond!

Oddly, croquet was not even her sport of choice! Of her early life, we know little. She can be found in the 1901 UK census at the age of 2, but is not at home. She and her 32-year-old mother, Clara E. Warwick, were visiting the home of Mrs. Lily Bennett in "Burley-in-Whfdle," Yorkshire, where Mrs. Bennett lived at Glendair on Station Road with 2 sons, a daughter, and 2 servants. Mr. Bennett was not at home.

The record shows that both Clara and Joan Warwick were born in "Northhants Peterboro," and that in 1901, Clara was already a widow with a daughter in tow, and a son, James Guy Warwick, presumably at school. Guy, however, does not appear on the 1901 census, although in 1911's census, we find him at 16 living in a household in Erpingham, Norfolk, where he may have been working with an architect as an assistant while learning the profession.

In 1911, Joan was still residing in Peterborough at the age of 12 with her mother.


After that, there is an informational gap, but she does begin to crop up once again by 1927. In that year, Joan appears on the ship's manifest [left] of the Mooltan, a steam ship arriving in London on 9 September 1927.

Sailing from Sydney, Australia, and using the moniker "Miss E. J. Warwick," the listing shows her address as being "103 Park Road, Peterborough," fixes her at 29 years of age, and describes her occupation as "Home Duties."


That seems a very odd choice for Joan to have made for her occupation, and I would wager that most other women sporting the tag "home duties" were not engaged regularly in the nearly same activities as Joan! But more on that 1927 voyage a bit later.

We next find her asea in 1934, this time steaming into London (Tilbury) on 20th December aboard the S.S. Orford, bound from Brisbane. The manifest, however, indicates "Miss E. J. Warwick" boarded at Port Said, Egypt. She was then 36 years of age, still at the same Peterborough address, and still engaged in the same occupation:
"HOME DUTIES."


But Joan crops up elsewhere in the historical record in 1934. At right, you see a photograph of three women smiling from aboard a departing train. The news service blurb to be run in newspapers with the image states:

Caption: English and Scottish girl[s] who compose a hockey team called the British Wanderers left St Pancras on the Maleja boat train for a tour in Egypt - photo shows left to right Miss W M Neave with Miss E J Warwick ( captain ) an Miss J Ellis at the carriage window before their departure November 16th 1934.


It's no secret to regular readers of Who Is George Mills? that Warwick was a world-class hockey player in her youth, and this photograph corroborates that—as well as the reason for her 1934 trip to Egypt.

Even The Straits Times of Singapore, in their edition dated 16 December 1934, also ran a photograph of Warwick and her team, the British Wanderers, as seen, left. The team and its captain were apparently world-wide news, belying her own claim that she was merely a practitioner of "home duties," unless one counts often skillfully wielding a hockey stick against malicious opponents on a muddy field as simply a part of one's duty in the home.

At some point soon after this, however, Joan must have retired from taking the field herself, but maintained her strong link to the women's sport.

It's quite odd for me here to have so many images from an era to help tell a story—I'm usually scrambling to find something to illustrate each entry—but this time we just move to the next newspaper image, and so, too, into the next stage of Joan's life!

Below, right, find a photograph that ran at the top of page 3 of the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday, 26 July 1938. We find Joan below the equator once again, and the caption reads:

Miss Joan Warwick (manager) and Miss M. M. Knott (captain) of the All-England women's hockey team, which arrived in Sydney yesterday after a successful tour of New Zealand. Miss Warwick was in Australia with the 1927 team, and Miss Knott is one of the most famous of England's captains, a position she has held for eight years.


From this we can gather that, in 1927, Warwick had traveled with the All-England team, not the Wanderers, to the South Seas. It seems remarkable that, short of having been someone of privilege like Lady Dorothy Mills, author, traveler, explorer, and once sister-in-law of George Mills, these women had the opportunity to see so much of the world. So for Joan, the daughter of a Peterborough auctioneer who left a young widow to raise two very young children, living such a life virtually must have been a dream come true, and at the very least, it must have made for some amazing scrap-books and memorabilia!

For now, we'll leave Joan along with Miss M. M. Knott disembarking at Sydney after sailing in from New Zealand. Next time we'll take a look at the 1938 tour of Australia, meet their hosts and few of the players, and hear from Joan herself about the trip.

We'll also follow her to Budleigh and look at her later-in-life athletic career in croquet.

See you then!