A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 

 ATHLETICS 



Athletic sports in Gloucestershire undoubtedly 

 owe their origin to the example set by 

 Cheltenham College in the year 1853, when 

 the Rev. T. A. Southward, then head master 

 of the civil and military department, was 

 mainly instrumental in organizing what was 

 destined to become a popular annual function. 

 Certain cricket clubs followed suit ; and, in 

 rapid succession, many of the larger towns pro- 

 moted sports on a more or less extensive 

 scale. 



For many years now the Cheltenham Athletic 

 Sports (which though not connected with the 

 sports of Cheltenham College were no doubt 

 inspired by them) have been held. There 

 are important level races and limited handi- 

 caps, and the best-known amateurs compete. 

 Bristol is another great athletic centre. The 

 Ariel Rowing Club's meeting in its day was 

 a very large one. It has been succeeded by 

 the sports of the Bristol Bicycle and Tricycle 

 Club, at which many runners of more than 

 average ability have made their dbut. The 

 Bristol and Cotswold Harriers were once so 

 strong in cross-country athletics that members 

 figured prominently in some of the champion- 

 ships. Famous runners from that district were 

 H. Whittick, E. C. Carter (now in America, 

 where he has won championships and established 

 records), and C. H. L. Clarke, famed for the 

 graceful style of his running, and successful at 

 many meetings in the south of England. Ciren- 

 cester, Stroud, Tewkesbury, and, of course, 

 Gloucester, are the scenes of well-known annual 

 athletic meetings ; and at each an attendance 

 of something like 10,000 spectators is not 



uncommon. 



THE COTTESWOLD GAMES 



The Cotteswold Games were instituted about 

 the year 1604 by Captain Robert Dover as a 

 protest against the growing puritanical prejudices. 

 James I having granted Dover licence to select a 

 suitable place for the games, he chose a spot 

 between Evesham and Stow-on-the-Wold : 

 Dover's Hill marks the situation. Here was 

 erected a wooden castle which seems to have 

 been used as a pavilion by those who directed 

 the proceedings. The programme comprised 

 such exercises as cudgel play, wrestling, pike 

 drill, running at the quintain, pitching the bar, 

 throwing the hammer, &c. There was also 

 horse-racing, country-dancing for the girls, and 

 some kind of hare-hunting. It was Dover's 

 express stipulation that the hare was not to be 

 killed, so it is difficult to conjecture what form 

 the sport took unless the ancient system of 

 netting (not easy on open downs) was adopted. 

 These games took place annually until 1644, 

 surviving Dover's death (1641) by three years 

 only. The founder appears always to have 

 taken a very active part in the direction of the 

 games, attired in a suit of the king's and mounted 

 on a white horse. The sports attained to no 

 small measure of fame in the west country, per- 

 sons of social standing journeying long distances to 

 be present in Whitsun week, the season chosen 

 for them. Valuable prizes were given to the suc- 

 cessful cudgel players and athletes, and with so 

 liberal a hand were awards distributed, it is said 

 that 500 persons wore ' Dover's yellow favours ' 

 a year after. An endeavour was made to revive 

 the games in the time of Charles II, but their 

 vitality was gone, and the revival was brief. 



CRICKET 



The cricket of Gloucestershire is even more 

 intimately connected with the family of the 

 Graces than that of Worcestershire is with the 

 Fosters, and though the county record of Glou- 

 cestershire is one of singular unevenness, it presents 

 many fine and attractive features. That the 

 cricket of the county existed at all was for years 

 due entirely to the one historic brotherhood, and 

 -when their influence ceased the energy of 

 Mr. G. L. Jessop alone supported the unequal 

 but improving side. 



The first match played by Gloucestershire was 

 at Lord's on 25 June, 1868, when the M.C.C. 

 and Ground was beaten by 134 runs. This was 

 a preliminary fixture, not dealt with in averages, 

 but as usual the three Graces had the lion's share 

 of the game, Dr. E. M. Grace then the best 

 bat in England scoring 60 and 65 and taking 



twelve wickets. Nor was it until 1870 that 

 county matches were arranged. A rattling start 

 against Glamorganshire resulted in a victory by 

 an innings and 268 runs, Dr. W. G. Grace 

 compiling 197 and Mr. F. Townsend 105 to- 

 wards a total of 418, Mr. G. F. and Dr. E. M. 

 Grace dividing the opposing wickets. Genuine 

 first-class county matches were that year limited 

 to out-and-home engagements with Surrey, both 

 of which were easily won at the Oval 'W. G.' 

 making 143 and Mr. Townsend 89, the unfor- 

 tunate^home side being the recipient of its twelfth 

 successive defeat. 



M.C.C. and Ground were not more fortunate, 

 for though Alfred Shaw and Wootton were bowl- 

 ing, Dr. W. G. Grace scored 172, which the 

 combined efforts of the Club in both attempts 

 could only exceed by 1 6 runs. As will have 



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