This photograph features the Girls Hockey Team at Stockton Secondary School in Nelson Terrace during the winter of 1912.
The names of the players are;
Back Row (L – R): Winnie Stewart, Mary Foggin, Miss Brothers, Elsie Hart, Elsie Walker.
Middle Row (L – R): Hilda Prest, Minnie Ross, Queenie Plummer.
Front Row (L – R): Sally Osborne, Poppy Harper (Captain), Mary Sowler.
Photograph and details courtesy of Cliff Thornton.
John George Sowler was born in the Stockton district in the first quarter of 1885
John ‘C’ (but probably in fact ‘G’) Sowler married Alice H Jackson in 1914 in the Stockton district
They had eight children: John G 1915, Freda 1920, Irene 1921, Gladys 1923, Ethel M 1924, Joan 1926, Audrey 1928 and Ernest 1930
John George Sowler died in 1972 in Durham C S E (i.e. Central and South Eastern) – DOB given as 19 February 1885, so he was about 87
Alice Holgate Sowler died in 1977 in Central Cleveland district – DOB given as 3 January 1890 so she too was about 87
Donald M Black married Gladys Sowler in the Durham S.E. district in 1943
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Hilda Prest was part of my late wife’s family. There were a lot of Prest’s who lived in Mill Street West then some of the girls moved to Railway Street, I am trying to find more about them. Elsy Wiley nee Prest was Joans Mother and I believe Hilda in the picture would be Elsy’s niece, checking it out.
Where did they play? where we all played any game, in the School yard, I watched the RHS Girls through the iron gate in the wall that separated us all and it could well have been called murder ball they pulled no punches, I think we were brought up tough?
Frank.
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Where were the matches played?
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Brian, I have looked through the yearbook containing the old photograph, but cannot find any reference to the team’s home ground. Away matches were played at Norton, Middlesbrough, Loftus, Great Ayton and Sunderland.
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Thanks…(that was to be my next question) I believe a lot of hockey was played on cricket grounds.
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My mothers maiden name was Sowler, wonder if Mary is related.
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Kenneth, the 1911 Census shows only one Sowler family living in Stockton.
Mary Ashwynne Sowler was the 13 year old daughter of Thomas (40 year) and Dorothy (38 year) Sowler. Thomas worked at Stockton Post Office. Mary had two brothers, William H. Sowler (14) and Thomas G Sowler (11). I hope that one of these names might ring a bell.
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