Ralph Carter Woodthorpe

[Geoff Chandler]

Is this the same Ralph Carter Woodthorpe who was born in Glasgow in 1886. Between 1932-1940 he wrote eight detective novels some of them set in the village of Chesworth.

https://jiescribano.wordpress.com/2020/ ... 1886-1971/

He played a few times in the lower sections of the Hastings tournaments. In one event he won just two games. One against the player who finished last, the other was against the winner of the event.

https://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/19 ... iewer.html

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

He married his first cousin, but since he was 68 years old and she 73 when they married, it seems unlikely that there were any children.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"He played a few times in the lower sections of the Hastings tournaments. In one event he won just two games. One against the player who finished last, the other was against the winner of the event."

There were some useful players in that and similar sections.

[Brian Denman]

When the Hastings Chess Club moved into its present premises in Cornwallis Terrace in 1954, he wrote a little jingle to mark the event. This was reported in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer of 3.4.1954 and was picked up by Reg Cload in his book 'Battles of Hastings' co-written with Ray Keene (1991). The jingle goes:
"What hosts of blunders we have made
At No. 7 Carlisle Parade!
At No. 2 Cornwallis Terrace
Let's hope we all make fewer errace!"

[Geoff Chandler]

He won the Hastings Major A in 1946/47 (P.9 W.7 L.2) there he is called 'Ralph Carter A Woodthorpe.'

Thank you Brian, I was just about to dig out my 'Battles of Hastings' book to see if there was a mention of him.
I was put onto him by Assiac in 'Chess Adventures' where the score is given of a missed win RCW v Winter is given, but no other details.

[Geoff Chandler]

He married his first cousin, but since he was 68 years old and she 73 when they married, it seems unlikely that there were any children.

Hi Jon,

The above link does say; 'He was unmarried and latterly lived in Sussex. He died in Portsmouth in the last quarter of 1971.' if it is the same person then I am sure you are correct about him being married.

Mini quest is on to get one of his books, E-Bay etc has a couple but they want funny money.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

His probate gives his last address as 19 Elmwood Road, Hilsea, Portsmouth and his date of death as 15th November, 1971. Other records give his date of birth as 2nd April, 1886.

He married Daisy Mabel Emily Barrett (1881 to 1973) in Portsmouth in 1954. His first marriage, her second (her surname was Mansell when she married Woodthorpe). The probate for Daisy gives the same final address as for Woodthorpe and her date of death as 16th March, 1973.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

From page 289 of Murder Squad by Martin Edwards:

Leading the subversives were two men who, like Sayers, had abandoned teaching as soon as they could. As a form of catharsis, they set their debut novels in a school. Ralph Carter Woodthorpe, one of the Detection Club’s most elusive figures, was the former English master of Margery Allingham’s husband, Philip Youngman Carter. A chess-playing Glaswegian, Woodthorpe joined the staff of Christ’s Hospital in West Sussex, and set about improving the boys’ cultural education. A shy, gawky man, he was described by Pip as ‘a raven with awkwardly clipped wings. He had no gift for discipline and could therefore teach only the sycophantic or eager few. But he could inspire.’

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Woodthorpe joined the staff of Christ’s Hospital in West Sussex"

It's an imposing place (I visited for a school hockey match), and they have a spectacular uniform. I seriously doubt the students misbehave in public, but if they did, the school would be easily identifiable...

[NickFaulks]

"Woodthorpe joined the staff of Christ’s Hospital in West Sussex"

It's an imposing place (I visited for a school hockey match)

I was there as scorer for a visiting school cricket team. Never have I been faced with a more revolting lunch.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi All,

The key phrase is 'A chess-playing Glaswegian...' (Thanks Jon) so it is he. First trip to 2nd hand revealed none of his books. Off tomorrow to go around place, have been told there is quite a few Batsfords there.
I shall leave them there. I have over 500 chess books, 90% of them from 2nd hand shops.

[David McAlister]

Mini quest is on to get one of his books, E-Bay etc has a couple but they want funny money.

Woodthorpe's "Death in a Little Town" was published by the aptly named Resurrected Press in 2015.
Blackwell's have (new) copies available:https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/produ ... 1943403066

[Geoff Chandler]

Mini quest is on to get one of his books, E-Bay etc has a couple but they want funny money.

Woodthorpe's "Death in a Little Town" was published by the aptly named Resurrected Press in 2015.
Blackwell's have (new) copies available

No too much, a new book in my library will make all my other books jealous and gang up on it.
I scavenge about in places where the top price is £3.00 or charity shops 3-4 books for £1.00.
I did crack and pick up a Batsford; 'Improve Your Chess Fast ' by O'Kelly de Galway (£1.00) as well as
'Slaughter House 5' by Kurt Vonnegut in a 4 for a quid box! (and so it goes.)

Hopefully I won't find an R.C. Woodthorpe in the Lothian region and use this as an excuse to make a long overdue trip to Wigtown on my bus pass;
'Wigtown - Scotland's National Book Town - is home to seventeen bookshops.'
It's a long trip so an overnight stay is on the cards. Apparently they have twice as many B&B's as they do bookshops. If I like the place I'll move there and open up bookshop No.18 (that is what I'll call it!)