Alfred Mortlock

Historical knowledge and information regarding our great game.
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Jon D'Souza-Eva
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Alfred Mortlock

Post by Jon D'Souza-Eva » Fri Mar 07, 2025 2:48 pm

There was a thread about Alfred Mortlock back in 2010 which established much information about him (including his first name!):
viewtopic.php?t=2154

I was just filling in some details about his immediate family on the Family Search website (https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/pe ... s/P94Z-HW7) and came across this clip reporting on, presumably, the 1923 under 18 boys championship:
The first win fell to the youngest. competitor, Alfred Mortlock (12), of. Hastings. "It was easy," Alfred told me
Unfortunately the link that this came from (National Library of Australia) doesn't work and I was wondering if anyone happened to have more infomation about who Alfred beat and perhaps even the moves of the game? Unfortunately BritBase doesn't have anything for that competition (see https://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/brit20.htm)

Another link that I don't have access to (I don't subscribe to newspapers.com) says that Alfred Mortlock's half-sister, Lady Carrie Travers, was fined £15. I think it's safe to assume that this was a driving offence of some sort.

Roger Lancaster
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Re: Alfred Mortlock

Post by Roger Lancaster » Fri Mar 07, 2025 3:50 pm

Jon D'Souza-Eva wrote: ↑
Fri Mar 07, 2025 2:48 pm

Another link that I don't have access to (I don't subscribe to newspapers.com) says that Alfred Mortlock's half-sister, Lady Carrie Travers, was fined £15. I think it's safe to assume that this was a driving offence of some sort.
Yes, archive (unedited) reproduced below, is clear enough!

LADY CARRIE TRAVERS FINED £l5
... ae of WwW eee Oe LADY CARRIE TRAVER Cie ‘ACCIDENT THAT SHOULD NC sequel to a esilision between whieh the Chairman « esourred, was heard Travers, aged 60, of Skendleby, one of the lea. ing W.V.S. members in the county, was fined and had hb licence endorsed ...

Published: Wednesday 06 September 1950
Newspaper: Skegness Standard
County: Lincolnshire, England
Type: Article | Words: 1241 | Page: 6 | Tags: none

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John Saunders
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Re: Alfred Mortlock

Post by John Saunders » Fri Mar 07, 2025 6:22 pm

Jon D'Souza-Eva wrote: ↑
Fri Mar 07, 2025 2:48 pm
There was a thread about Alfred Mortlock back in 2010 which established much information about him (including his first name!):
viewtopic.php?t=2154

I was just filling in some details about his immediate family on the Family Search website (https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/pe ... s/P94Z-HW7) and came across this clip reporting on, presumably, the 1923 under 18 boys championship:
The first win fell to the youngest. competitor, Alfred Mortlock (12), of. Hastings. "It was easy," Alfred told me
Unfortunately the link that this came from (National Library of Australia) doesn't work and I was wondering if anyone happened to have more infomation about who Alfred beat and perhaps even the moves of the game? Unfortunately BritBase doesn't have anything for that competition (see https://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/brit20.htm)

Another link that I don't have access to (I don't subscribe to newspapers.com) says that Alfred Mortlock's half-sister, Lady Carrie Travers, was fined £15. I think it's safe to assume that this was a driving offence of some sort.
You're wrong, Jon. BritBase does have a record of the 1923 British Boys' Championship. Mortlock didn't win the U18 Championship - he took part in what was referred to as "a general competition, outside the championship".
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Richard James
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Re: Alfred Mortlock

Post by Richard James » Fri Mar 07, 2025 6:31 pm

Mortlock1.jpg
Mortlock1.jpg (52.27 KiB) Viewed 1429 times
The Hastings and St Leonards Observer 07 April 1923 tells us that he beat DE Salter.

I see my namesake, whom I played in 1970, adjourned his game.

I might write more about some of these players in a future Minor Piece.

Jon D'Souza-Eva
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Re: Alfred Mortlock

Post by Jon D'Souza-Eva » Fri Mar 07, 2025 7:44 pm

Thanks John. I obviously didn't look hard enough on BritBase! I see that Alfred Mortlock won all five of his games in that tournament and that his first round opponent, Denis Eric Salter, finished on just 1/5. However I don't think that the newspaper article is correct about Alfred being the youngest competitor - Denis was only 11 years old (born: 14th January, 1912; died: 26th April, 1988).

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