Abraham Cockman

[Neil Graham]

I came across this article https://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/ ... 1-6746504/ about Abraham Cockman who was Headmaster at Grantham National School until his death in 1891.

The article describes Mr.Cockman as "An excellent chess player, he became champion of the Midlands."

I think they are rather overegging the pudding. As far as I can see Abraham won a tournament in Louth in 1877; but this was only the 2nd class event; the 1st class event being won by the Rev Arthur Skipworth with 9/9. http://www.edochess.ca/tournaments/t911.html. Abraham Cockman's estimated rating was only 1900. Despite the fact that the venue for the tournament in 1878 was Grantham, there was no appearance by Mr.Cockman there or subsequently.

I know chess history & research is of interest to a number of people here and I wondered if they might like to enlarge on the above commentary?

[Gerard Killoran]

Abraham Cockman was the founder and captain of the Grantham Chess Club and took part in many matches with neighbouring teams.

Here's an example of Cockman in action, showing he wasn't just a woodpusher.

[Event "Blindfold Simul"] [Site "Grantham Chess Club"] [Date "1890.11.21"] [Round "?"] [White "Blackburne, Joseph Henry"] [Black "Cockman, Abraham"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Ng8 6. Be3 f6 7. f4 Nh6 8. Bd3 O-O 9. Nf3 Nc6 10. O-O a6 11. Ne2 Nf5 12. Bf2 fxe5 13. fxe5 Bg5 14. Bxf5 Rxf5 15. Ng3 Rf7 16. c3 Bd7 17. Qe2 Na5 18. Nxg5 Qxg5 19. Be3 Qe7 20. Rxf7 Qxf7 21. Qg4 Qg6 22. Qxg6 hxg6 23. b3 Bb5 {Grantham Journal - Saturday 13 December 1890 p.7} 1/2-1/2

[Gerard Killoran]

Another game from the same event.
[Event "Blindfold Simul"] [Site "Grantham Chess Club"] [Date "1890.11.21"] [Round "?"] [White "Blackburne, Joseph Henry"] [Black "Grasby, W."] [Result "1-0"] 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nc3 c6 6. Bxf4 Nh5 7. Be3 Bg4 8. Bc4 Nf6 9. O-O d5 10. exd5 cxd5 11. Bb5+ Nc6 12. Qe1 Bxf3 13. Rxf3 Be7 14. Bg5 O-O 15. Bxc6 bxc6 16. Qh4 h6 17. Bxh6 gxh6 18. Qxh6 Ng4 19. Rg3 Qd7 20. Qh5 {Grantham Journal - Saturday 13 December 1890 p7} 1-0

[Richard James]

Although the sad death of Mr. Cockman is recorded elsewhere in this issue of the Journal, we feel that we cannot allow an event which has caused unfeigned and unbounded sorrow to every member of the Grantham Chess Club to pass without some few words in reference to the deceased gentleman, as a chess-player, as the Chairman of the Chess Club’s Committee, and as the most popular member of that, and indeed of pretty well every Society with which he might be connected. The painfully sudden removal of one who, taking into account his exceptional strength in chess, and the number of years which had known him as a player, may fairly be regarded as the Grantham Chess Champion, has, to use a well-worn, but in this case perfectly accurate expression, created a blank which will be difficult, if not impossible, to fill. In this place, a brief resumé of his chess career, gathered from such data as memory supplies, may not be inappropriate.

Before coming from London to Grantham (in 1860), Mr. Cockman had attained considerable mastery over the royal game; at the well-known Simpson’s Divan, he had frequently held his own against noted players; and, very soon after his arrival here, he made his strength felt over the chequered board, vanquishing without much effort most, if not all, of his local opponents.

In the formation of what we might call the original Grantham Chess Club (some time between 1872 and 1876) he took an active part, and with others, many of whom have long since made life’s last moves, was regularly to be found at the weekly meetings at Middlemore House, apologising for frequent victory with gracious modesty, and receiving occasional defeat with unfailing good humour. It is really worth mentioning that, as characteristic of Mr. Cockman’s ungrudging nature, that nothing seemed to please him more than to lose a game to some young and rising player.

After the demise (in about 1878 or 1879) of the “old” Club, he took part in various chess gatherings, doing well in the Counties’ meeting held at the Guildhall, Grantham, when such masters as Skipworth, Ranken, Thorold, Ensor, and others, contested in the ancient game. In various tournaments, in Sheffield, Leeds, Nottingham, and Louth, he maintained the honour of his adopted town, more than once bringing home valuable prizes in token of his prowess. The year 1886 found him again to the fore, helping to form the present Grantham Chess Club. From 1887 to 1889, he held the office of captain, having beaten the next in order of the aspirants by two games (8-6).

In November, 1890, Mr. Cockman was one of the three players who alone managed to avert defeat at the hands of Mr. Blackburne, when that master was playing blindfold against eight members of the Club. In the home-and-home matches with various teams – Lincoln, Huntington, Stamford, Lough, Doncaster, Gainsborough, Boston, &c., as also in the county matches – he has won a distinct majority of his games, thus strengthening his old reputation: and it is with a melancholy pleasure that we re-call the fact of his having won the last game he played – in the match against Louth – a record of which will be found below.

As it is impossible to give verbal expression to the regret we feel in losing one whom we saw in apparent health and good spirits on the day before his death, we will conclude by remarking that his genial ways and evident goodwill towards chess-players and all with whom he came in contact, have done as much to ensure the success of chess in Grantham as his undoubted and unfailing skill in the game. In him we have lost a strong chess-player, a large-hearted and large-hearted man, and a true friend.

[Richard James]

I've managed to find out a bit more about Abe's family, although, rather surprisingly, as he both came from and had a large family, I haven't been able to locate any helpful online trees.

His father was a bricklayer from Camberwell, South London, which makes his background very unusual for both a future headmaster and a chess player at the time. It doesn't look as if any of his children inherited his interest in chess, but I did find a rather interesting article about two of his sons, Robert and Sydney.

http://www.archhistory.co.uk/taca/cockmans.html

[Neil Graham]

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this interesting thread. I have one more question - I note that Mr.Cockman played against Blackburne in a blindfold simultaneous in 1890 at Grantham. Did Blackburne visit Grantham towards the end of his life and conduct a similar simul?

Finally in respect of Mr.Cockman it would seem he was a strong player in his day but the "champion of the Midlands" claim is not verifiable.

[John Moore]

The references to the Rev Arthur Skipworth in this thread reminded me of this from A Portrait of Lincolnshire by Michael Lloyd published by Robert Hale in 1983. Doesn't say much about Skipworth's ability as a chessplayer but is an interesting sidelight, nonetheless.

Skipworth was Rector of Tetford in Lincolnshire and:-

"in the miserably wet harvest of1879 [he] offended many of his parishioners by urging the farmers to take advantage of a sunny Sunday to load their corn. He even set an example by going, with his sexton and his labourer, to load a wagon. Incensed villagers gathered round to hiss and no doubt saw the judgement of Heaven when the rector's wagon stuck fast in a muddy gateway and could only be extricated after several hours hard work."