Huddersfield Amateur Swimming Club

Huddersfield Amateur Swimming Club was formed in the 1860s.

History

In their Centenary Year Official Handbook, the author noted that the year in which the club was formed was uncertain and that the "1862" printed on early letterheads may have been a printing error. Instead, they decided that they were most likely formed in 1868, perhaps due to the third annual dinner being held in 1871 at the Bath Hotel.[1] However, there are newspaper reports of members of the "Huddersfield Amateur Swimming Club" entertaining onlookers at Lockwood Baths on Thursday 25 October 1866 and on Tuesday 1 October 1867.[2]

The first president of the club was most likely Scottish surgeon John Dow of Lockwood.[3] Dow was a renowned medal-winning swimmer who competed at events throughout the country.

The first patron of the club was probably iron merchant George William Crosland.

In March 1895, the Lockwood Amateur Swimming Club was amalgamated into the Huddersfield Club. At a joint meeting it was resolved:[4]

That this meeting of the committees of the Lockwood Amateur and the Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. Swimming Clubs resolves that, in the best interests of the sport in the town and district, the Lockwood club be incorporated with the Huddersfield club, and that all the property, stock, challenge club, captaincy, badges, liabilities, assets, &c., belonging to the Lockwood club, be handed over to and remain the property of the amalgamated club, also that henceforth the name of the club be "The Huddersfield Amateur Swimming Club."

The club reportedly ceased at the end of 2013.[5]

The club's archives are held by WYAS:

Presidents

A partial list of former club presidents was included in the centenary handbook:

  • John Dow (1871-72)
  • H. Terry (1873-74)
  • G.W. Crosland (1875)
  • Mr. Dixon (?-1894)
  • Dr. MacGregor (1895)
  • J.R. Cheetham (1906)
  • A. Jubb (1920)
  • F.M. Chrispin (1922-37)
  • G.K. Lockwood (1938-48)
  • A. Sunley (1949-68)

Further Reading

Notes and References

  1. "Huddersfield Amateur Swimming Club" in Huddersfield Chronicle (04/Nov/1871).
  2. "Swimming: Lockwood Baths, Huddersfield" in Sporting Life (31/Oct/1866) and "Swimming Entertainment" in Huddersfield Chronicle (05/Oct/1867).
  3. John Dow died 20 March 1873 and was buried at Emmanuel Church, Lockwood.
  4. "Amalgamation of the Huddersfield and Lockwood Clubs" in Huddersfield Chronicle (08/Mar/1895).
  5. "Historic Huddersfield Amateur Swimming Club Will Close Next Month" in Huddersfield Daily Examiner (12/Dec/2013).