BOWLING

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 12 March 1927, Page 15

BOWLING

NOTES. The Taranaki provincial team will play the test match against Auckland on Friday, March IS, at New Plymouth. Nominations are now being taken and will be received at Hawera Club to be forwarded on to the North. An interesting finish was made m a handicap pairs match at Hawera green on Wednesday. Watts and M. J. Squire were playing Keys and Herbert, and all Sow;, until the last head, the former /were behind. At the 19th head they were 15—19, and they then scored two on the 20th and two on the last, making them aH square. An extra head was played, and they scored one and won the match. N.S.W. TEAM. Writing of the visit of bowlers from New South Wales, the £ Auckland Star” says: The last occasion on which any large number of Australian bowlers visited New Zealand was durinc the summer of 1922-20, when Queensland party toured islands followed by a party from New South Wales a few weeks later. Du g winter of 1925, however, a little party was in Auckland for a few days quite unintentionally. They were on their wav to Fiji, to the opening of the buva Bowling Club, and stayed here for a ST hours, but on their return voyage the trip of their mail steamer to Sydney was cancelled, on accountofa strike on the other side, and they 'had to stay* in Auckland till the steamer left in the following Friday. In spite of broken weather, they joinedin a most interesting series of festivities at the various clubs, and it was during that visit that a pressing invitation was given to Auckland bowlers to partici bate in the great Sydney carnival last February. Altogether two rinks from New Zealand competed, and the comnetitivc visit was returned on a small scale in Auckland six weeks ago, when two rinks entered for the Dominion tournament. These included a nnk from Victoria, attracted by the enjoyable visit of a party of Melbourne bowlers to Auckland last winter, breaking their journey here on their return from the second tournament at Fiji. The present visit is purely social, not competitive, but it is expected that it. will result in arrangements being made for a Tegular interchange of competitive visits between the two countries, for bowlers on each side of the Tasman Sea are becoming interested m the project. BOWLS IN DAYS GONE BY One of the earliest references to bowls is found in William Fitzstephens survey of London, written aboutthe end of the twelfth century. He tells us that in the summer holidays youth took exercise amongst ot;lier T a ' sti ? ies 1 , . f X “throwing stones.” There is little doubt that Fitzstephens referred to bowls, for stone spheres were used m this and similar games even as late as the reign of Henry IV. Historians of our pastimes have speculated as to Whether bowling was originally an outdoor or an indoor sport. It appears that the game was played in both forms. The writer referred to above records that the citizens went outside the walls in to the suburbs to witness games, but the alleys were within the walls. In common with most pastimes conflicting with the practice of archery, viiowls was the subject of several reIrtrictive laws. In a Close 801 l of 1366 bowls was referred to among the games that were “dishonourable, useless, and unprofitable.” Further research discloses that bowls was still regarded with suspicion in the time of Edward IV. ' 4 Half-bowl ’ ’ was bracketed with the “new imagined plays” which were followed by all classes to their own improvement,” and by their ungracious procurement and encouragement to induce others into such plays till they be utterly undone and impoverished of their goods.” Bowls was

even blamed for murders, robberies, and felonies —surely rather a strong indictment for such an innocent amusement.

Although Heniy VIII could not with any stretch of imagination bo regarded as a killjoy, he confirmed all the laws levelled against bowls. But, despite the edict that ‘‘ no one by himself, factor, deputy, servant, or any other person shall for his or her gain, lucre of living keep, have, hold, occupy, exercise or maintain any common house ally or place of bowling,” the game still survived. There is little doubt that the Laws framed to suppress the game were freely transgressed. But bowls wore permitted if privately played, and licenses were granted to those who could claim a yearly income above a certain amount and afford to provide facilities for the game in their own grounds.

Dotted throughout the country are to be found bowling greens that have long and interesting histories. Prominent among these is the old Southampton green. It is not possible to trace the actual origin of this green'. Some contend that it was formed by a. number of -Southampton gentry and merchants who acquired tho site, laid the turf, and hedged it round at their own expense. They were, it is said, permitted to hold the land free from any rent charge. This green has been handed down from one generation of players to another, so preserving the bowling rights to the present day. Some years ago a controversy arose as to the ownership of this green, and the town clerk of Southampton was instructed to investigate the early records of tho corporation. His report stated that it appears probable -that the ground was set apart for recreation and bowling from the earliest period of the history of the town, also that a master of the green was elected as far back as 1229, when it was called Master’s Close. Although the ground itself is the property of the town the present club or association occupying or managing the green would seem to have obtained certain prescriptive rights from length of usage for the purpose of playing the game of bowls. One historian informs us that the site was left as a legacy by a lady, the object of her gift being that it should be used for the purpose of playing bowls for the recreation of the “gentlemen and genteel merchants of the town.” Davies, in his “History of Southampton,” mentions the green as existing in 1550. Several old maps and engravings showing the green in days gone by are to be seen in the pavilion of the club, which boast of some customs and privileges. Among those is the holding of a contest for the honour of “knighthood.” This ceremony, which dates back to the year 1776, takes place on the green, and tho title falls to the member who, “by his skill and prowess has first attained the magic number of seven, and has been hailed as winner.”

The “knighthood” is accompanied by several large silver trophies, which are worn on a ribbon. These the ‘‘ knight” is expected to produce at the request of the master on opening day, medal day, and closing day. If the regalia is not forthcoming the delinquent “knight” is summarily fined. The club possess many of these medals, the earliest being dated 1784.