"Mine is a family of weavers and spinners on my maternal side, and miners on my paternal side,” says Tony Hotchkiss, a retired payroll manager from West Yorkshire. “However, my great grand uncle Felix Hotchkiss broke the mould.”
Felix was born in 1870 in Netherton, which is near Dudley in Worcestershire. His parents were James Hotchkiss, a miner, and his wife Elizabeth Shaw.
Felix was clearly a bright young man, for in the 1891 census he was listed as a “school teacher” boarding in Islington, London.
“I felt extremely proud to learn that at least one family member had escaped the mines," Tony says.
In 1894, Felix married Fanny Elizabeth Hooper in Islington and they had four children – Felix junior, Christine, Elaine and Allan. He worked for the London School Board, and taught at Grafton Road School in Holloway.
By 1911, Felix had become the headteacher of Hoxton (later Shoreditch) Central Middle School. It was a remarkable achievement for a miner’s son.
As well as being dedicated to education, Felix supported the local community via his many interests and passions. Tony discovered this by researching his life in the British Newspaper Archive, an ever-growing site that already has more than 72 million old newspaper pages.
“He played the violin and was a very good baritone, performing in many concerts in London. I’ve found advertisements for the events in local newspapers.”
Cricket was another of Felix’s passions, and he played for the prestigious North London Cricket Club, which he captained for 21 years. An article in The Islington and Holloway Press explained that “in his prime, fast bowler Felix Hotchkiss was a match winner”. The journalist also described him as “a fearless and free-scoring batsman”.
“I was on eBay one day, and searched for my surname. A reference to Felix appeared, and I discovered that he had written two books about bowls: The Art of Bowls, from 1932, and The Game of Bowls, published in 1937. I bought both titles, and read them.”
These two guides explain the rules of the game and how to play. The Art of Bowls was, to quote Felix’s own words, “written in the hope that it may be of service to all bowlers and particularly to young bowlers”.
Felix became a leading light in the sport. He played at county level for the North London Bowling Club, and was secretary of key organisations including the national governing body the English Bowling Association (EBA). He was an ambassador for the sport, and helped to organise the National Championships between the home nations.
He was also the editor of the English Bowling Association Year Book, which was published in April 1939. “I found a copy of the yearbook on eBay as well and, to my amazement, it contained a picture of Felix. The caption explained that he was ‘Secretary, EBA’.”
Like so many others, Felix and Fanny’s lives were changed forever by the First World War. Their eldest son Felix junior joined the Middlesex Regiment, 10th Battalion, and became a lieutenant. He served on the Western Front and fell during the Battle of Arras in May 1917, when he was only 21 years old.
The family remained in North London and Felix retired in September 1931, after 41 years in education. He passed away of carcinoma of the prostate gland in June 1939 at Middlesex Hospital, Marylebone. The flag of the EBA was flown at half-mast in commemoration.
Newspaper obituaries published in Cambridgeshire, London and Warwickshire sang Felix’s praises. They highlighted his “charming personality”, long career as a headteacher and selfless dedication to the advancement of sport. “I’m proud to be related to such a distinguished gentleman as Felix,” Tony says.