Harry Stacpoole Batchelor (1859 - 1940)

Born 1859 in England, United Kingdom

Husband of Emily Rosa (Brumsden) Batchelor — married 1884 (to 30 Sep 1887) in New Zealand

Husband of Ethel Wilson (Seager) Batchelor — married 1893 in New Zealand

Descendants

Died 1940 at about age 81 in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

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Biography

Harry Stacpoole was born in 1859.^[1] He came to NZ around 1879, and having been an accomplished athlete in England, helped found the Pioneer Sports Club in Christchurch.

Sixtieth Anniversary CYCLE RACES OF FORMER YEARS Days of the Penny-Farthing Recalled

The encouragement of the difficult art of riding pennyfarthing bicycles and of racing others on them was the first aim of the Pioneer Sports Club, which is now about to celebrate the sixtieth year of its existence. In fact, it was a dispute over a penny-farthing race that first brought together the small band of enthusiasts whose deliberations led to a now historic meeting at Warner’s Hotel—then the meeting place for all such organisations—at which it was decided to form the club.

That meeting was held in the old dining-room at Warner’s Hotel in April, 1879. Only one of the original members of this meeting is alive; but since then the club has made its mark in the history of Canterbury as a great champion of amateur sport and a means of bringing together, in fraternal spirit, members of all sports. From the days when men rode those queer-looking, high bicycles on solid rubber tyres, then met afterwards in small rooms in Cathedral square to manage the affairs of the club, to the present time, when the club represents all that is best in amateur sport of all sorts and meets in luxuriously appointed rooms, seems a long stretch. But in all those years the club has always lived up to its principal aim: the encouragement of all good sport and the encouragement of social intercourse and good fellowship among members of affiliated organisations.

In the jubilee celebrations which the club is about to embark on, a great deal will necessarily be heard of a great old stalwart in sport, Mr H. S. Batchelor, a life member, and the only surviving member of the small band of men who attended the first foundation meeting in the old wooden Warner’s Hotel. Mr Batchelor is now in his eighty-first year, but remembers very clearly the incidents of that meeting and the subsequent early development of the club. In an interview with “The Press” he threw some new light on the club’s interesting history An Early Cinder Track

Mr Batchelor remembers many incidents that together make up the intriguing history of the Pioneer Sports Club, but two will appeal to all sportsmen, and interest athletes and cyclists alike: the appearance of the first pneumatic-tyred bicycle in the city (its rider scooped all the races at Lancaster Park and amazed the competitors and onlookers with the speed of the new machine); and, of particular interest to athletes who believe cinder tracks ultra-modern, the use in those far-away days of a cinder track at Lancaster Park.

Mr Batchelor stated that the real origin of the Pioneer Sports Club was a cycling match arranged between a man Smith, a city draper of more than 60 years ago, and a young man, whose name is now forgotten, but who was a recent arrival in Christchurch. This, and the growing popularity of cycling (penny-farthings were only starting to attract any but the most courageous). led to a group of less than a dozen young men! including Mr Batchelor, holding a series of about the possibility of forming a club to encourage cycling and bring cyclists together socially. These meetings were held in Mr Batchelor’s quarters at the comer of Chester street and Cranmer square. So unanimous was the feeling engendered that it was decided to convene a meeting on a bigger scale. Early Cyclists remember very well the small gathering in Warner’s old dining room,” Mr Batchelor said. "We invited all the cyclists in the city to attend. Actually there were only a score or so of penny-farthings in Christchurch at the time. The sole idea behind the meeting, and so behind the origin of the club, was to foster cycling on those old penny-farthings. Of course, we were all amateurs then, and there was no talk of any distinction between amateurs and professionals. The popular sports meeting was always held on Anniversary Day, first in Latimer square and then on a track now occupied by the area of Victoria Lake. We decided that it was advisable to form the club and have popular race meetings. I can see us sitting in the long, narrow dining room of Warner’s, in the old wooden bunding. The room extended along the length of the frontage now occupied by the Liberty Theatre. The original Mr Warner was in charge of the place, and all such meetings were held there. “We called it ‘pioneer’ because it was literally the pioneer club for cycling,” Mr Batchelor said. “The sole idea was to foster cycling. But need I say how pleased I have been, during my association with the club, to see the gradual extension of its .activities and to see it grow into an organisation, such as it now is, playing an allimportant part in keeping together the members of all sports in a fine spirit of fraternity and in one common effort to maintain sport on truly sporting lines.”

Mr Batchelor was himself one of the original riders of the penny-farthings in the city. He looks back with some amazement, he said, on the days when these were a common method of transport, and on the long rides made on the high seats and hard tyres. It was the style to ride a Coventry Machinists’ Company penny-farthing. This company turned out a "Club” machine and a “Gentleman.” Mr Batchelor was proud to ride a “Gentleman” with many other citizens of Christchurch. 50 or 60 years ago. When he became too old to ride, he became a judge of sporting events, but was able to see his two sons keep up the family tradition as sportsmen. Mr E. S. Batchelor became an athlete of note, and M r N. S. Batchelpr a champion swimmer. Now a grandson promises to maintain the name in sport, for recently he won all the prizes in his class at a city school. Mr Batchelor, is naturally pleased that his family has been able to keep up its association, .with a variety of sports. ^[2]

He married Emily Rosa Brumsden in 1884 ^[3] After she passed away in 1887 , he married Ethel Wilson nee Seager in 1893 ^[4]

Mr and Mrs H. S. Batchelor. formerly of Christchurch, who have been living for a few years at Westport, have returned to Christchurch, and have taken a flat in Gloucester street ^[5]

He passed away in 1940 age 81 . ^[6]

MAJOR H. S. BATCHELOR The death occurred last night in Christchurch of Major H. S. Batchelor, who had been resident in city for 60 years, and who was well known in military and athletic circles. Born in England in 1859, Major Batchelor was educated at the Royal Naval College, and at Cambridge University, where he had a notable career in athletics, being awarded a blue in the sport, and holding the English half-mile championship. Arriving in New Zealand in 1880 at the age of 21, Major Batchelor became accountant to the Royal Exchange Assurance Corporation, and was appointed manager in 1907, continuing in that position until his retirement in 1925. Major Batchelor became a member of the Christchurch City Guards, one of the first volunteer organisations of its kind in the Dominion, and retired from the Territorial Force in 1919 with the rank of major. He was a foundation member and guarantor of the Pioneer Sports Club, and also a foundation member of the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Association, whose first meeting he attended. Others of his activities were membership of the Christchurch Fire Board and Canterbury Fire Underwriters’ Association, and also of the Canterbury Amateur Swimming Centre and Christchurch Swimming Club. In 1893 Major Batchelor married the daughter of the late Mr E. W. Seager, of Christchurch. He is survived by two daughters, Mrs H. Morgan, of Timaru, and Mrs W. T. Keesing, of Westport, and two sons, Messrs N. S. Batchelor and E. H, S. Batchelor, both of Christchurch ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ A source is needed for this information
2. ↑ PIONEER SPORTS CLUB. PRESS, VOLUME LXXV, ISSUE 22685, 14 APRIL 1939
3. ↑ http://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
   • NZ Marriage registration 1884/2254
4. ↑ http://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
   • NZ Marriage registration 1893/1111 (his name as "Batchlelor")
5. ↑ WOMEN'S CORNER THE PRESS, VOLUME LXIX, ISSUE 20788, 23 FEBRUARY 1933
6. ↑ http://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
   • NZ Death registration 1940/25529
7. ↑ OBITUARY PRESS, VOLUME LXXVI, ISSUE 23027, 23 MAY 1940