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Smith Dracup
1870 - 1949
Mr Dracup was strongly associated with Bridgeton Working Men's CC, at the Working Men's Institute in that part of Glasgow.
Bridgeton won the 2nd Division of the Glasgow League in seasons 1932-33 1934-35 (and 1950-51).
The Glasgow Herald of 14 October 1938 reported that Mr Dracup had been elected vice-president of the Glasgow League.
Mr Dracup had an interest in chess problems, taking part as 'S.D.' in the 'Solving Ladder' of the Glasgow Herald chess column, edited by D.M. MacIsaac.
He played for the Glasgow League v Edinburgh League in the matches of 1934, 1936, 1937 and 1938.
He played in the West of Scotland v East of Scotland matches of 1935 and 1938.
IN 1940 he was a member of a Glasgow Herald team that played a correspondence match on 128 boards against the British Correspondence Chess Association.
Gordon Dracup, a relation, has kindly supplied the photo and the brief biography that follows.
Smith Dracup was born in Bridgeton, Glasgow on 16-May-1870, the 5th child of 7 to Eli and Sarah Ann Dracup. Smith's father had moved from Bradford to Glasgow as a textile mill manager in about 1865, but by this time textile production in Glasgow was starting to decline primarily due to competition from the Indian sub-continent. The Dracup family had long been associated with weaving and the textile industry and became known for their production of mechanised Jacquard loom machinery.
Smith became a boot and shoe travelling salesman and was a keen musician and chess player. In 1897 married Harriet Coghill and had a daughter Grace in 1901.
Smith later moved from Bridgeton to a a house which he named "Hollingwood" in Drumchapel where he died on 13-Apr-1949 at the age of 78. The house was named after Hollingwood Lane in Great Horton, Bradford where the Dracup family originates.Sources:
Gordon Dracup
Glasgow Herald, April 14, 1949, front page, death notices.
Glasgow Herald, April 15, 1949, page 2, chess column.
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