MissScarlett: <“W. Atkinson” features as one of Hull’s stronger players around the late 1800s and early 1900s. Identifying the one which is the chess-player isn’t easy, but occasional references to “Walter Atkinson” combined with the span of the chess-playing career of “W. Atkinson, Hull” narrow if down, seemingly, to one possibility.Some sources suggest he was born 21/06/1866 and died 01/06/1939. Finding an original source with that birth date isn’t easy. The death date is that of a Walter Atkinson who died at St. Leonard’s-on-Sea, Sussex, and whose estate’s probate was granted to a solicitor, and a Helen Atkinson who was a widow, though not necessarily his widow – possibly a brother’s wife.
I’m not yet wholly convinced that the Walter Atkinson described here is the correct one, but there seems no other candidate.
Enigmatically, the British Chess Magazine of 1903, page 167, refers to the 1898 and 1903 Yorkshire Champion as “Wm. Atkinson”, so maybe “W. Atkinson” was a William, not a Walter, and maybe there was one of each at different times.>
https://mannchess.org.uk/People/Atk...
Unsure if it qualifies as an 'original source,' but a brief profile of Atkinson's career in the <BCM> of January 1898, p.5, specifies his being a <native of Hull, where he was born on June 21st, 1866.> He's still plain old <Mr. W. Atkinson>, however.
Mann gives details of Atkinson's children including <Alice Muriel born 1897/98, Withernsea> wondering why she was born there.
From the column 'Withernsea Echoes' in the (Hull) <Daily Mail> of January 13th 1898, p.5:
<Withernsea is becoming notorious! Mr Walter Atkinson, the winner of the Yorkshire Chess Championship, is a resident of ours, and not of the City of Hull, as is claimed in the Press. Well done, Brother Atkinson; we are proud of you, and offer you our united congratulations.>
Kibitzing
