Velma Agnes Springstead (1906 - 1927)

Born 22 Aug 1906 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Ancestors

Died 27 Mar 1927 at age 20 in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada

Biography

Velma Springstead is Notable.

• Winner of a Gold Medal in High Jump during the 1925 Canadian Track and Field Championships at Varsity Stadium in Toronto, Canada.^[1]

• Member of the very first Canadian woman's team to compete in an International Track and Field event at Stamford Bridge in London, England (WAAA Championships). ^[2]

• Awarded the Lord Decies Trophy in recognition of of the spirit and determination she infused in the Canadian team. ^[2][3]

• Posthumously Inducted into the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. ^[2]

• Posthumously Honored with the creation of the Velma Springstead Trophy, also known as the Rose Bowl, which annually honors the best Canadian Female Athlete. ^[2]

Early Life

Hamilton, Ontario Circa 1900.

Velma Agnes Springstead was born on the 22nd of August, 1906 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She was the daughter of Bernice Lavalle Springstead (1882-) and Margaret Edith Crowe (1881-)^[4]

Velma grew up in Hamilton East. In the 1911 Census she is the second oldest of five children listed in the household. Her father makes his living as a machinist in a factory.^[5]

In Hamilton, on the 1921 Census Velma was recorded as being 14 years old. ^[6] She had taken an interest in softball and basketball and she participated in track and field. It was clear her first love was track and field. She competed and won regularly, especially in sprinting, hurdles and the high jump. As she grew older she took piano lessons and taught Sunday school. Velma worked as a sales manager's secretary at the Tuckett Tobacco Company. By 1925 her love of sports would take her to Europe, and change the course of her life.^[7]

Stamford Bridge Stadium Championship, London England

In 1925 the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada set up trials for women to qualify for inclusion in a Canadian women's team. They were to compete in a Track and Field Championship at the Stamford Bridge Stadium, in London, England. Velma made the cut. She outdid the current Canadian record holder for high jump, clearing just over 4 and a half feet with a scissor kick. ^[7]

Velma and her team departed from Quebec on the 24th of July 1925, travelling on the C.P. Mont Royal to Liverpool. She was just 18 years old. She arrived in Liverpool, Lancashire, England with a proposed residence at the Cosmo Hotel in London.^[8]

The Canadian team placed third in the competition, with the British placing 1st and Czechoslovakia in 2nd. Velma was recognized for her spirit and dedication, for encouraging her teammates, and earning the respect of her competitors with her sportsmanship. The media loved her and she became a household name. By popular vote of peers and spectators, Velma was awarded a trophy for best all round athlete by Lord Decies. Velma placed 3rd in the high jump and 4th in hurdles, a wonderful accomplishment for her first International competition. ^{[7] [3]}

The Canadian Team sailed from Liverpool on the C.P. Montcalm August 7th, 1925, returning home. They arrived in Quebec, Canada on the 14th of August, 1925.^[9]

Velma continued her participation in track and field in her home town of Hamilton, Ontario. She must have been training hard, hoping to attend the upcoming Olympics in Amsterdam in 1928. Velma was considered a favorite to make the Olympic team. But tragedy struck in March of 1927. ^[7]

Death

In March of 1927 Velma suddenly became very ill, suffering from intense chest pain. She was admitted to hospital where she fought her last battle.

Within 3 days, on the 27th of March, 1927, pneumonia took her life, She was but 21 years old. Velma died in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada.^[7]

She was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, (Plot 23, West Half) Hamilton, Hamilton Municipality, Ontario, Canada.^[10][11]

Sources

1. ↑ "Canadian Championship Medallists 1900-1925",
   PDF, (accessed 2023-04-03),
   Athletics Canada (athletics.ca)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Wikipedia contributors, "Velma Springstead,"
   Velma Springstead (accessed March 30, 2023).
   Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (wikipedia.org)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} "Velma Springstead Induction Video",
   Hall of Fame, (accessed 2023-04-01),
   YouTube (accessed 2023-04-01]
   Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame, (hamiltonsportshalloffame.com)
4. ↑ "Canada, Ontario Births, 1869-1912," database with images,
   FamilySearch Record, (accessed 2 March 2021),
   Velma Agnes Springstead, 22 Aug 1906; citing Birth, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada, citing Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 2,295,320.
5. ↑ "1911 Canada Census," database
   FamilySearch Record: QV9T-8T2X (accessed 16 March 2018),
   Velma Springstead in entry for Bernice Springstead, 1911; citing Census, Hamilton East Sub-Districts 1-18, Ontario, Canada, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; FHL microfilm 2,417,700.
6. ↑ "1921 Census of Canada",
   Library and Archives Canada, (library-archives.canada.ca),
   LAC Census Record (accessed 2023-03-30},
   Springstead, Delma Agnes, Age: 14, Province: Ontario, District Name: Hamilton East, District Number: 87, Sub-District Name: Polling Division no 29, Sub-District Number: 29, Page Number: 14, Line Number: 37, Reference: RG31, Statistics Canada, Item Number: 2198158
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4} Bruce Kidd, “Springstead, Velma Agnes,”
   Velma Springstead, (accessed March 30, 2023)
   Vol. 15, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003,
   Dictionary of Canadian Biography, (biographi.ca)
8. ↑ "Canada, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1865-1935"
   Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Series: RG 76-C; Roll: T-14718
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1263 #1040803 (accessed 5 April 2023)
   Name: Velma Springstead; Gender: Female; Arrival Age: 18; Birth Year: abt 1907; Birth Country: Canada; Departure Port: Liverpool, England; Arrival Date: 14 Aug 1925; Arrival Port: Quebec, Canada; Vessel: Montcalm.
9. ↑ "UK and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960"
   The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Inwards Passenger Lists.; Class: BT26; Piece: 787; Item: 42
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1518 #11611264 (accessed 5 April 2023)
   Name: Velma A Springstead; Arrival Age: 18; Birth Date: abt 1907; Port of Departure: Quebec, Canada; Arrival Date: 24 Jul 1925; Port of Arrival: Liverpool, England; Ship Name: Montroyal; Shipping Line: Canadian Pacific Line; Official Number: 145964.
10. ↑ "Canada, Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947,"
    database with images,
    FamilySearch Record (accessed 2 March 2021),
    Velma Agnes Springstead, 27 Mar 1927; citing Wentworth, Ontario, Canada, 35920, Registrar General. Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 2,131,246.
11. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16752510/velma_a-springstead: accessed March 14, 2024), memorial page for Velma A. Springstead (1906–1926), Find A Grave: Memorial #16752510, citing Woodland Cemetery, Hamilton, Hamilton Municipality, Ontario, Canada; Maintained by The Silent Forgotten (contributor 46537737).

See Also;

• Wikidata: Item Q38183330

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Sheila Smail for creating WikiTree profile Springstead-33 through the import of Springstead Family Tree_2013-11-03.ged on Nov 3, 2013.