![]() ![]() Monday 4th August 1777 reported “yesterday being the first of August, the Gentlemen subscribers to the bowling-green, met at the Half moon Tavern, where an elegant dinner was provided by Mr Miller, as president of the society, and father of the green, being now in his 83rd year of his age, who gave is silver medal to be bowled for, according to annual custom. These two items describe the start of the new bowling seasons of 17 with the after game meetings agreeing that a silver medal is to be played for. The same newspaper on 5th May 1777 published the following “Thursday last being the first of May the gentlemen subscribers to the bowling green met according to annual custom and after diverting themselves with that healthy and agreeable pastime, they adjourned to a tavern and spent the evening when Mr Miller aged 82, being president and father of the green, proposed that a silver medal should be bowled for on the first of August next which was unanimously agreed to”. A report dated Saturday July 27th 1776 has written beneath it “We hear that on Thursday next a silver medal will be bowled for, by the subscribers to the bowling-green in this town”. Currently our information supporting the claim is as reported in The Hampshire Chronical. There is a greater certainty as to the commencement of the competition as 1776. Mr Osbaldiston, father of the green, then proceeded according to custom to invest him with the order usually conferred on the successful candidate, and in a neat speech congratulated him on his success, and concluded with the usual ceremony of rise Sir Edward, Knight of the Green: After which the worthy Knight returned his sincere thanks for the honour conferred upon him and assured the Father and other subscribers of the Green it would be his utmost ambition on all occasions to attend to the discharge of his duty………The company then retired to a marquee erected on the green and partook of an excellent supper”. ![]() The first noted reference to The Knighthood was a report contained within The Hampshire Courier 7th August 1815 which stated “on Tuesday being 1st August the Silver Medal was played for by the members of the Bowling Green, in this town, and won by Mr Ed Rudd. ![]() There is no exact information as to when or why this change occurred. Some-time later the competition was renamed “The Knighthood”. Because of this the competition was initially called the Silver Medal Competition and because as likely Samuel Miller is known to have “given is medal” it was often called Samuel Millers Silver Medal Competition. Originally, and as today the prize for winning the competition is a solid silver medal. ![]() One of the claims of Southampton (Old) Green Bowls Club is that it hosts “probably the oldest continuously played bowls competition in the world”. SOUTHAMPTON (Old) BOWLING GREEN, THE KNIGHTHOOD COMPETITION (Previously known as Samuel Miller’s Silver Medal Competition) ![]()
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