The History of Lawn Bowls
The History of Bowls up to the present day
This section has information about the history of bowls.
The History of Bowls
Early days...
It is known that the ancient Egyptians played a form of
bowls more than 7000 years ago. It was in the thirteenth
century that the game as it is played today became popular.
It is generally accepted that earlier versions of the game
were centred around hitting the target, as opposed to getting
the bowl as close as possible to it. It is primarily an
English game, and the Southampton Bowls Club is reputed
to be the oldest in the world, its lawn having been laid
in 1187. The green was in regular use by 1299 and the club
has a tournament every year to mark that history. The Chesterfield
Bowling Club claims to have a rink dating back to 1294.
In the early fourteenth century, King Edward III banned
the playing of bowls, along with other sports because he
wanted the archers of Britain to get practice without other
sporting distractions.
1500-1900
The game was banned or restricted for nearly 500 years,
but it became popular, and it was in the sixteenth century
when bowls with a deliberate bias were introduced, possibly
by Charles Brandon, known as the Duke of Suffolk.
In 19 July 1588, Sir Francis Drake was playing bowls at
Plymouth Hoe. When he was told that the Spanish Armada had
been seen coming towards England, he is reported to have
said, "There is plenty of time to win this game, and thrash
the Spaniards too."Drake completed his game with typical
English calm, and the Spaniards were duly defeated by the
English fleets.The first clear set of the rules of bowls
were drawn up by none other than King Charles II in 1670.
The game also became very popular in Scotland and in the
mid-nineteenth century a committee was set up to draw up
a code of laws. A Glasgow solicitor named W.W. Mitchell
drew up the rules, and they have remained almost the same
since then. The Scots were responsible for developing flat
greens, and also for taking the game abroad. The Scottish
Bowling Association was formed in 1892, and the English
Bowling Association (EBA) was formed in 1903 with test cricketer
W.G. Grace, as its president. The first Scottish Championships
were first held in 1894, and the English Championships were
first held in 1905.
The world game
In July 1905 a governing body was formed to oversee the
game, as by then it was becoming played in different countries.
The International Bowling Board (IBB) was formed in Cardiff,
Wales. It replaced the Imperial Bowling Association which
arranged matches within Commonwealth countries. In 1930,
bowls made its debut at the Commonwealth Games, at Hamilton,
Canada. It has been included in every Games since, except
in 1966 when the first World Championships were held. The
IBB is now called the World Bowls Board. The English Bowling
Federation (EBF) was formed in 1945 because there were some
counties in England, mainly in the Midlands and the North,
who did not want to be subject to the rules set down by
the EBA. Both are flat green games. Women have been playing
bowls since around 1900, and in 1931 the English Women's
Bowling Association was formed after the efforts of Clara
Johns.
Indoor bowls
The indoor game was initiated by W.G. Grace during his
time as EBA president, although a Scot named William Macrea
demonstrated indoor bowls on a concrete floor covered in
sawdust. In 1888, Grace laid a carpet across the floor at
the Crystal Palace, London. The first indoor club was formed
at Edinburgh's Synod Hall in 1905 when the Edinburgh Winter
Bowling Association was formed. The English Indoor Bowling
Association was formed in 1933 but only as the indoors section
of the EBA. It was made separate in 1971, and in 1979 the
first indoor World Championships were held.
Crown Green bowls
Crown Green bowls is mainly played in the North and Midlands
of England, North Wales, and the Isle of Man.
The earliest reference to Crown Green bowls dates back
to the 1870's, although it was not until 1888 that the game's
first governing body was formed, the Lancashire and Cheshire
Association. It was replaced by...
The British Crown Green Bowling Association (BCGBA), which
was then called the National Amateur Crown Green Bowling
Association. The word 'Amateur' was dropped in 1972. This
body brought together all the County associations. The game
was originally amateur only. Prize money was not allowed.
Professional Players did exist, and they formed their own
Professional Players Association, called the 'Panel'. They
used to play daily matches in Lancashire . The games were
played to 41 and bets were made on the games. The games
are still played today, but generally to 31 points, and
the games are not as well supported as they used to be.
Because the Lancashire Association paid prize money, it
was expelled from the parent association for not suspending
players who played for money. Crown Green bowling has become
more popular since the early 1970's and the number County
Associations has increased from ten to sixteen. The game
is spreading from its origin in Lancashire to other counties.
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