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Back to the Archives – when ladies were first recognised

The Minutes of the Suffolk County AGM in 1934 made two significant mentions of the Ladies’ Championship:
“Funds for a cup have been collected … for a lady player, Miss Lincoln of Bury St Edmunds, a player who had greatly helped the Bury Club.”

Later in the same minutes, it is recorded that,

“…the Chairman handed over the Ladies’ Championship cup to Miss Lincoln of Bury St Edmunds.   He did not know many counties, especially minor counties, who had a ladies’ cup.   This marked a real step forward, for if they could only get ladies interested in chess it means a great help to the movement.   Miss Lincoln replying said that she regarded it as a great honour to be the first winner of the cup.   If she did lose it, she hoped it would be to an Ipswich lady”

How generous!   In fact, the cup went to a lady from Framlingham in the following season, although Miss Lincoln was to win the Championship on two further occasions in 1938/39.   No ‘Ipswich lady’ was to win the cup until 1947.

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