The best Chesse player in England

[Joseph Conlon]

This may be rather academic and esoteric, but anyway: a question passed on from a learned colleague of mine,

The antiquarian John Aubrey is writing to his fellow antiquary Anthony Wood in Oxford in 1671 (Bodleian, MS Wood F 40, fol. 17r). He is writing about an inventor Sir Edward Ford of Trinity College, and writes (about him and his brother John Ford):

"His brother who lives hereby was aetat. 65 in Aug: last. Sir Edw: was elder then him about a yeare & ½, borne in April. / He was also the best Chesse player in England."

Sir Edward is deceased at this point, and so apparently the letter is referring to Sir Edward Ford as 'the best Chesse player in England'.

Question from my learned colleague: is anything known chess-wise about Sir Edward Ford (or his brother John Ford)?

[John Townsend]

In Aubrey's Brief Lives is to be found this remark about Francis Potter:

"Memorandum: he played at chesse as well as most men. Col. Bishop, his contemporary at Trinity Coll., is accounted the best of England. I have heard Mr. Potter say that they two have played at Trin. Coll."

That makes two so far whom Aubrey "accounted the best of England". They could both have had their respective periods of ascendancy. I'm not aware that he says when they were. Sir Edward Ford died in 1670. Perhaps Aubrey was more willing than most people to offer assessments of different chess players. He would have made a good forum member. At any rate, Trinity College appears to have been the top spot for chess.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"At any rate, Trinity College appears to have been the top spot for chess."

And that might have been said again about 1970...

[Roger de Coverly]

"At any rate, Trinity College appears to have been the top spot for chess."

And that might have been said again about 1970...

I think it's the Oxford version not the Cambridge one in 1670.

According to wiki, Sir Edward Ford was a commander on the King's side in the English Civil War.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Ford_(soldier)

[Joseph Conlon]

In Aubrey's Brief Lives is to be found this remark about Francis Potter:

"Memorandum: he played at chesse as well as most men. Col. Bishop, his contemporary at Trinity Coll., is accounted the best of England. I have heard Mr. Potter say that they two have played at Trin. Coll."

That makes two so far whom Aubrey "accounted the best of England". They could both have had their respective periods of ascendancy. I'm not aware that he says when they were. Sir Edward Ford died in 1670. Perhaps Aubrey was more willing than most people to offer assessments of different chess players. He would have made a good forum member. At any rate, Trinity College appears to have been the top spot for chess.

Thank you! My colleague passes on thanks and tells me that Francis Potter was also known as '666 Potter' as he wrote a book on the number of the beast. Shades of Aleister Crowley...he also tells me that for those interested in the historical spread of chess through this period, one way to trace this is through wills, as these reveal who owned chess sets or items.

[John Townsend]

Yes, Joseph. Some of the wills were proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and can be downloaded free of charge under present arrangements from the National Archives website. I had a quick look at Sir Edward Ford's will: he mentions a brother, John, but I didn't notice a chess set.

[David Sedgwick]

My colleague passes on thanks and tells me that Francis Potter was also known as '666 Potter' as he wrote a book on the number of the beast.

This reminds me of the time when my ECF grade was 166 and one of the Unions submitted a proposal to ECF Council to add 500 to everyone's grade.

[J T Melsom]

My colleague passes on thanks and tells me that Francis Potter was also known as '666 Potter' as he wrote a book on the number of the beast.

This reminds me of the time when my ECF grade was 166 and one of the Unions submitted a proposal to ECF Council to add 500 to everyone's grade.

A story you have recounted in this place within fairly recent memory. Happy Christmas David.

[David Sedgwick]

A story you have recounted in this place within fairly recent memory. Happy Christmas David.

Exactly four weeks ago, I now find.

Happy Christmas Jonathan and Happy Christmas everyone.

[Roger de Coverly]

According to wiki, Sir Edward Ford was a commander on the King's side in the English Civil War.

Something that struck me was that documentaries and historical fiction about the Tudor period are plentiful. There's next to nothing that I can think of about Cromwell and the English Civil War.

[J T Melsom]

According to wiki, Sir Edward Ford was a commander on the King's side in the English Civil War.

Something that struck me was that documentaries and historical fiction about the Tudor period are plentiful. There's next to nothing that I can think of about Cromwell and the English Civil War.

I'm not sure you are looking hard enough, but if there is a deficiency it may well reflect the nature of the respective narratives and how the characters can be presented. It was certainly the case that the periods were studied together at A level and University - I can't precisely recall which end date was chosen for said courses. One of my fellow students wrote her dissertation on the impact of the Civil War in the South West. Antonia Fraser wrote an excellent biography of Oliver Cromwell which properly reflects the challenge of the subject matter, whilst Christopher Hill wrote widely on the nascent political ideas of the age. And of course the Levellers and the New Model Army have their own place in popular culture. If it is neglected then this is a pity, the echoes of that period are just as relevant as the Tudor court.

[J T Melsom]

Incidentally I discovered last year that what my contemporaries studied as a single period of conflict is no longer treated as such by some writers. I don't know what effect this has in the teaching of the topic, but I could readily understand the reasons for this new approach.

[Phil Neatherway]

I have just completed a course on The Early Stuarts. If you want to enhance your knowledge of this period, it is running again next term. See

https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/the ... O22P716HIW

Highly recommended and not too much effort.

Philippa Gregory wrote 2 historical novels on the life of John Tradescant, which have this period as their backdrop.

[John Townsend]

Cromwell is not the most charismatic figure, especially considering his wart, but there have been Civil War documentaries and among the fiction the children's book The Children of the New Forest must figure prominently.

I've been trying to identify the "Col. Bishop" in Aubrey's Brief Lives (the best chessplayer in England!). My best guess at present is Sir Edward Bishopp, who (according to Foster's Alumni Oxonienses) matriculated at Trinity College, Oxford, on 22 October, 1619, aged 18. He was high sheriff, Sussex, 1635, and governor of Arundel Castle, 1643; died 1649.

Sir Edward Forde (matric. 16 July, 1621, aged 16) was a royalist colonel, who was governor of Arundel Castle, 1642; died 1670.

So there are distinct parallels between Sir Edward Forde and Sir Edward Bishopp.

[Mick Norris]

According to wiki, Sir Edward Ford was a commander on the King's side in the English Civil War.

Something that struck me was that documentaries and historical fiction about the Tudor period are plentiful. There's next to nothing that I can think of about Cromwell and the English Civil War.

I've recently read and enjoyed Act of Oblivion which is set just after the Civil War