May-01-16
 | | GrahamClayton: From the "Hertford Mercury and Reformer", dated Saturday, 6th December 1913: "ST ALBANS Schoolmaster's Sad Suicide
Much distress was occasioned among the many friends in St Albans of Mr Arthur Compton Ellis, BA, LCP, by the news of his tragic death last week. Mr Ellis, who left St Albans some time ago to take up a position as assistant master at Oundle Laxton Grammar School, Northants, was found dead in the school laboratoryon Wednesday, having taken a dose of cyanide of potassium. At the inquest it was stated that he had been asked to send in his resignation, and this had apparently preyed on his mind. He left a pathetic letter in which, he bade farewell to his boys, and stated that he preferred death to resignation. A verdict of 'suicide during temporary insanity' was returned. Mr Compton Ellis was a well-known chess player and a member of the St Albans Chess Club and he had written a letter promising to take part in the meeting for reviving the County Chess Association, which was held in London last Saturday." Ellis had helped in the compilation of the 1913 "Yearbook of Chess", edited by Edith Michell, wife of Reginald Pryce Michell. His loss to Alekhine was played only six weeks prior to his death, aged only 24. |
|
May-02-16
 | | MissScarlett: Good find. Another for my list. Can we find dates of birth and death? |
|
May-02-16
 | | Tabanus: Born 3 Dec 1888 at St Luke, Richmond, Surrey, baptized 15 March 1908, died 24 Nov 1913. There is a probate to his widowed mother, Margaret. Full name: Arthur Compton Ellis. |
|
Sep-16-17
| | MissScarlett: The Globe, October 5th 1912, p.8:
<The following easy, but instructive, position occurred recently in a game between A. Compton Ellis (White) and W. M. Greening (Black) :-> White to play and win. 
click for larger view |
|
Oct-29-20
 | | John Saunders: <Ellis had helped in the compilation of the 1913 "Yearbook of Chess", edited by Edith Michell, wife of Reginald Pryce Michell.> The series of chess yearbooks published before WW1 were not edited by Edith Michell (as I too had thought until today) but by Edward Algernon Michell (1879-1952) whom I don't think was closely related to Reginald Pryce Michell or his wife. He was a concert director/promoter by profession, but played some chess (e.g. in a subsidiary section of the 1912 British Championship). |
|
|
|
|
Kibitzing
