Gaige is silent

[James Pratt]

Can anyone please tell me the first name of one W Nicholls? He finished modestly at Belfast 1886. He also played the year before at a smaller tourney in Dublin and got nuffin'. Yet still I'd like to know ..
James

[John Saunders]

William. There is a statutory record for a William Nicholls dying in Dublin in 1932, having been born in 1838 (which are the dates given by Gaige).

[MJMcCready]

I suspect Dr. Tim Harding might be the man to ask there.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

https://www.irlchess.com/players/

NICHOLLS, William, b. Shrewsbury ENG, 1837 or 1838, d. Clontarf, Co. Dublin, 11 April 1932. Armstrong Cup wins: 1889 (Phoenix; first Armstrong Cup), 1910 (Dublin).

[Tim Harding]

Yes and I found several references in Irish newspapers of the period to "Wm. Nicholls" who at various times in the 1880s and 1890s lived in Derry/Londonderry, Strabane, Templemore (County Tipperary), Mullingar... Makes me wonder what was his profession.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

He was an inspector of schools.
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/perso ... s/G5YL-HZ1

There is an interesting biography of one his sons, Harry Nicholls, here:
https://eprints.dkit.ie/79/1/Studia_Hib ... 2008-9.pdf

[David McAlister]

Adding slightly to what Tim Harding has written, I have seen references to William - and the abbreviation Wm. - Nicholls belonging to Londonderry Chess Club (founded 1887) in the time-period mentioned by Tim.

Below, some contemporary reports from various Irish newspapers confirming the death of William Nicholls in 1932 - and his occupation as an inspector of schools, as already mentioned by Jon D'Souza-Eva. Plus some further biographical information.

Nicholls (Dublin)-April 11, 1932, at his residence, Summerville House, 174 Clontarf Road. William Nicholls, ex-Inspector of National Schools, in his 95th year. Funeral Thursday.

[Evening Herald, Tuesday 12 April 1932, page 3]

The funeral of Mr. Wm. Nicholls, aged 94, who was for 40 years Inspector of Schools and retired 30 years ago, took place yesterday from 174 Clontarf Road to Mount Jerome Cemetery .... The late Mr, Nicholls was a member of Dublin Chess Club.

[Irish Press, Friday 15 April 193, page 5]

A meeting of the Managing Committee of the Dublin Chess Club was held on 15th June at Lincoln Place .... A vote of thanks was passed to Miss N. Nicholls for kindly presenting a large selection of chess literature, together with a box of chessmen and board, the property of her late father, Mr. Wm. Nicholls, who was associated with the club for a great many years.

[Evening Herald, Saturday 2 July 1932, page 5]

This year Dublin Chess Club celebrated its sixty-sixth annual general meeting .... The club has lost heavily in the past year by the deaths of Sir Horace Plunkett, who had been president from 1904 to 1923; Mr. Philip Baker, several times champion of Ireland; and Mr. William Nichols [sic], M.A., who attained the age of 95.

[Irish Independent, Wednesday 23 November 1932, page 14]

Professor Luce's "A History of the Dublin Chess Club" (at page 43) notes that Nicholls joined the Club in 1892 and was its Honorary Secretary in 1908.

[David McAlister]

William. There is a statutory record for a William Nicholls dying in Dublin in 1932, having been born in 1838 (which are the dates given by Gaige).

I was having difficulty finding where Gaige had referred to Nicholls' birth and death dates. He does not have an entry in the hardcover 1987 Gaige Chess Personalia, nor in the 1994 privately published version, which I checked in the new online Gaige Archives. However the online Archives did give a reference to his BCM obituary (1932, page 544). Checking that reference in the BCM (which is a report on the Dublin CC AGM largely similar to the one from the Irish Independent I quoted in my previous post) it gives Nicholls as dying in his 95th year. If that is the source relied on, then Nicholls' year of birth could be either 1837 or 1838.

I found the entry for Nicholls in the Official Register of Deaths, which I presume is the statutory record you refer to. It gives him as dying on the 11th April 1932 and that his age at his last birthday was 94. There is nothing in that Register to indicate precisely when he was born - therefore this source also only leaves us with either 1837 or 1838 as his year of birth.