Someone Else Called Howitt Played Chess...

“G. Howitt” was for a while a prominent Bradford player before the First World War. The only person matching his description is Clerkenwell-born George Huntley Howitt, whose middle name was rarely used. Non-Chess Life George Huntley Howitt’s parents were Sydney F. Howitt (born 1844/45, Clerkenwell) and Annie Howitt (née Burgess, 1844/45, St. Lukes) who had at least the following seven children: Felix Howitt born 1868, Clerkenwell George Huntley Howitt born 1869, Clerkenwell Archibald S born 1871/72, Lewisham Amy E born 1874/75, Lewisham Edith B born 1878/79, Norwich Mabel Annie born 1886/87, Norwich Violet H born 1887/88, Norwich The birth of George Huntley Howitt was registered in the third quarter of 1869, at Holborn. 

 The 1871 census found the family of four living at an illegible address in Knowles Hill, Lewisham. Father Sydney was a lithographic artist. At some time from 1874 to 1879 the family moved to Norwich. The Howitts are elusive in the 1881 census, though they were presumably in Norwich. The 1891 census found the family of parents, the above seven children except Felix, Annie’s widowed mother, Emma Burgess, living at 58 St. Stephen’s Road, Norwich. Father Sydney was a designer, while 21-year-old “George H. Howitt” and 19-year-old Archibald were lithographic draughtsmen. Amy and Edith were scholars. This was one of the rare occasions reference was made to George’s middle name. At some time from 1891 to 1901, George left home and moved to Bradford.

 Thus the 1901 census found 31-year-old London-born lithographic artist, George Howitt, as one of two boarders at 5 Mannville Terrace, Bradford. (The Post Office Bradford Directory, 1898, listed A Midgley, ventilating engineer, 5 Mannville Terrace, Bradford. so George had presumably arrive there at some time fro 1898 to 1901. The 1911 census found 41-year-old London-born George boarding at 14 Grove Terrace, Bradford. He was then described as an artist’s manager. In the fullness of time, George seems to have moved back to live in Norwich, perhaps to live with or near relatives left behind there. Death George Huntley Howitt of 73 Grove Road, Norwich, died at the age of 78 on 03/03/1947. Administration of his estate was granted to Mabel Gibson, widow, who was perhaps his younger sister. He left effects of £887 13s 6d. Chess “G. Howitt”, never with his middle initial “H.”, became a regular player for Bradford in the Woodhouse Cup, and for Yorkshire in inter-county matches, from his arrival in Bradford through to 1908 and probably later.