Margate Bowling Club History
Early History - 1700 to 1920
The earliest historical reports of a bowling green in Margate can been found in the St John's, Margate Church records: In 1601, Churchwardens of St. John's fined three men (including Gibson the miller) and their associates for playing bowls at the time of divine service, forenoon and afternoon. At that time the Bowling Green was situated in Market Place, now the present Market Square housing the Town Hall and Museum.
Again in 1675 it was reported: "at the Bowling Green three things are thrown away besides the bowls - time, money and curses". In England bowls was the exercise of gentlemen, "ground was generally uneven as cut with a scythe and rolled with a stone roller. The company assemble here and spectators are at liberty to make the bets they please".
A deed from 1707 mentions the Bowling Green and in 1710 is recorded as the Pier Green, so named up to 1752. The land here was half owned by the Pier and Harbour Directors and half by the Commissioners of the town. It is rumoured, the demise of the bowling green was due to itinerent traders illegally setting up market stalls on the green. Efforts to enforce the law presumably were too difficult so a market place was established.
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The green was subsequently moved to Zion Place thought to be early 1800 and then to Hartsdown Road in mid 1800's until it moved to its present site in 1922. It is reasonable to assume any green in Margate would have been called the Margate Bowling Green.
There is photographic evidence that the Margate Bowling Club was in existence before 1904; when on 1st May 1904 the Club presented two mounted bowls to the Margate Mayor, J.J. Hermitage J.P.
Furthermore, when the English Bowling Association was initiated in 1903 by Dr W. G Grace, perhaps more famed for cricket;
Margate Bowling Club was almost certainly a founder member.
At the inaugural meeting of the Kent County Bowling Association held on the 1st March 1911, two representatives of the Margate Bowling Club were present and on the 26thApril that year the club was affiliated to the Kent County Bowling Association.
Percy Snow and move to Northdown Avenue 1920
Following the First World War representations were made to the Corporation to provide better greens and when these proposals were refused some members set about to provide a Cumberland Turf green of their own. Early around 1920 the Margate Corporation subsumed the Margate Bowling Club green and gave over the site now occupied by Dane Park Bowling Club to Margate Bowling Club. A condition though was that the new green should allow women to play bowls. This was not acceptable to some members at the time, so on the 24th November 1921 a private company, Margate Bowling Club Limited, was founded with a capital of £2,000 comprising 400 shares of £5 each.
Margate Bowling Club members at the "new" club in Dane Park in 1921.
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On the 20th February 1922 a delegation of Margate bowlers met at the Arcadian hotel to form a private club with their own green.
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Here tribute must be paid to the energetic Honorary Secretary Percy Snow who purchased land at Northdown Avenue for this purpose and he had the land conveyed to the Company accepting a mortgage on the land as security. The land included the main site used today plus land adjacent to 16 Northdown Avenue. This adjacent land was sold sometime during the 1960’s on which the two semi-detached houses 18a & 18b were built. Unfortunately there are no records concerning the sale of this land but it is presumed the proceeds were accounted for by the Limited Company.
Originally the site had two entrances, the existing one used today in Northdown Avenue but also one at the far end in Talbot Road. The latter entrance was closed during the 1970’s when the existing irrigation water tank and green-equipment store was located there. Messrs Poven and Son of Scotland laid the green, at a cost of £900 and Messrs Rice and Son of Margate and London erected the pavilion at the cost of £530. The Margate Bowling Club hence transferred as a private (men only) club to its present site in Northdown Avenue. In later years and in hindsight perhaps changing Margate Bowling Club to a mixed club named the Percy Snow Members Club was most inappropriate!
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In May 1922 the green was formerly opened by the Mayor of Margate, Councillor Harry Belham Smith followed by a match between members of the Margate Bowling Club against the Kent County Bowling Association led by the President of the Association Mr W.A. King. The result was a win for the County Association of 24 shots.
After the game the Club entertained the County and other visitors to tea with the Club President Mr E. Newcombe in the Chair.
The official photograph taken at the opening of the new Cumberland Turf green in May 1922.
The association of the Town Mayors and Aldermen as President of the Margate Bowling Club has been quite marked with that of Councillor Harry Belham Smith (Mayor in 1922) and Alderman Charles Edward Doughty (Mayor in 1921) as Club President in 1922 and 1923 respectively. William Charles Goodrich (Mayor in 1969) was Club Chairman in 1962 & 1963. Also worthy of note is Mr F.D.B. Cobb who was Club Chairman in 1933.
Percy Snow Harry Belham Smith Charles Edward Doughty F.D.B. Cobb
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In more recent years, Tony Regan (Mayor in 1992) has been a member of the Club with responsibility for press relations.
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The Club has been on this site since 1922 and is of historic interest in that the clubhouse is an original brick and timber roof building. Indeed it has retained much of its exterior design having a porch with wooden patio style glazed doors along its front aspect overlooking the (bowling) green. The original timber roof has been over-felted in the past, but it is the Club’s intention to replace this with a pseudo-tiled roof to align with that of neighbouring properties, when funds allow.
Apart from the building, the Club itself is of great historic interest as it is one of the earliest Bowling Clubs in the South of England. There are pictures showing the development of the Club from the early 1900’s through to present day.
This has proved to be very popular with the Kent County Bowling Association in tracing its own history.
The link between the Margate Bowling Club and the Kent County Bowling Association has always been strong and special and in this connection the enthusiastic work of Mr Percy Snow will always be remembered particularly his work and association for the Benevolent Fund. In 1930 he prepared a report and submitted a scheme for the formation of the Fund, which was adopted. In 1932 he presented a Triples Trophy to be competed for in aid of the Benevolent Fund, following which the English Bowling Association adopted the Triples game as a National Competition. In 1945 the Benevolent Fund Triples became the County Triples. Since the formation of the Benevolent Fund, many thousands of pounds have been subscribed to and distributed to bowlers and their dependants in need.
Opening Day circa 1930 KCBA 1936
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The Club has thrived successfully and apart from a three-year interval during World War II (1939 to 1945) has continued to be very popular, producing many good players of high standard. However during the War, due to the hostilities, the green suffered bomb damage but reopened for play in 1943. In February of 1945, in his capacity as Club President, Mr Percy Snow handed over to the Club the deeds of the land free of any commitments. After the 1945 season, the green was re-laid by Messrs Maxwell Hart with Lancashire sea-washed turf at a cost of £735. It has been maintained in a good condition, in no small part by the work of various Green Rangers and green-keepers, including Mr Cyril Weston, Mr George Smith and Bob Taylor.
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Opening Day circa 1950 EBA 1962
Over the years, the Margate Bowling Club has continued in the traditions set by Mr Percy Snow and a number of County Associations and International touring sides have played on the Margate Bowling Club green.
