For many years I have had this rather lovely postcard of a Scottish swimming champion, but only recently did I manage to find out who she was.
The photo shows a long-haired young woman in a swimsuit, holding her cap, posing with a silver rosebowl trophy. On the back there is a tantalising caption 'With fondest love, Peg. x.' She has then added the vital detail: 100 yards Ladies Championship of Hamilton.
The photo shows a long-haired young woman in a swimsuit, holding her cap, posing with a silver rosebowl trophy. On the back there is a tantalising caption 'With fondest love, Peg. x.' She has then added the vital detail: 100 yards Ladies Championship of Hamilton.
The back of the postcard with its tantalising caption.
There is no further information, so it took some time to work out who she was, with the only clues being her name, Peg (a short form for Margaret), and the location, Hamilton.
The card appeared to date from before the first World War, so I trawled through the British Newspaper Archive to unearth swimming reports. As Hamilton Public Baths opened in 1909, that narrowed down the timespan.
The card appeared to date from before the first World War, so I trawled through the British Newspaper Archive to unearth swimming reports. As Hamilton Public Baths opened in 1909, that narrowed down the timespan.
Report in the Scottish Referee on the Hamilton Ladies swimming championship [British Newspaper Archive]
I found the answer thanks to a report in the Scottish Referee newspaper. Hamilton Ladies Amateur Swimming Club held their annual gala on 20 June 1912 and the winner of the 100 yards club championship was Miss Maggie Moore.
Further investigation turned up more reports of her around that time, including one in which her name was given as Peggy. Another said she had been at Hamilton Academy.
At last I had her full name, but who was she?
There were a few girls called Margaret Moore living in or near Hamilton around that time, but the clinching detail was that several swimming contests also included a Geraldine Moore, and only one of the candidates had a sister of that name. In fact, the 1912 gala in Hamilton was a double triumph for the Moore family, as Geraldine won the junior championship.
Further investigation turned up more reports of her around that time, including one in which her name was given as Peggy. Another said she had been at Hamilton Academy.
At last I had her full name, but who was she?
There were a few girls called Margaret Moore living in or near Hamilton around that time, but the clinching detail was that several swimming contests also included a Geraldine Moore, and only one of the candidates had a sister of that name. In fact, the 1912 gala in Hamilton was a double triumph for the Moore family, as Geraldine won the junior championship.
Hamilton Baths opened in 1909, the first in Lanarkshire, and tapped into a huge demand for swimming facilities. In Saffronhall Crescent, it closed in the 1990s but the frontage of the building is still there, opposite the Hamilton Water Palace.
That meant I could confidently identify 'Peg' as Margaret Moore, who was born on 9 May 1895 to Thomas Moore, a spirit salesman, and Emily Faller. It was clearly a sporty family as her father was a director (and briefly chairman) of Hamilton Academical FC, and they lived in Burnbank Road, a few minutes' walk from Hamilton Baths as well as the football ground.
In 1919, Margaret married William MacNeish, an architect, and a few years later they emigrated to the USA. She spent the rest of her life in New York State and died in Woodbury on 14 August 1973, age 78.
Winning that championship was a memorable event in the life of a 17-year-old swimmer, and I am delighted to have finally put a name to the photo that marked her achievement.
* She was not the only 17-year-old Scottish swimmer called Moore to make a splash in 1912. Bella Moore from Govan won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Stockholm, as part of the British 4x100 metres relay team. As far as I can tell, she was not related to Margaret.
In 1919, Margaret married William MacNeish, an architect, and a few years later they emigrated to the USA. She spent the rest of her life in New York State and died in Woodbury on 14 August 1973, age 78.
Winning that championship was a memorable event in the life of a 17-year-old swimmer, and I am delighted to have finally put a name to the photo that marked her achievement.
* She was not the only 17-year-old Scottish swimmer called Moore to make a splash in 1912. Bella Moore from Govan won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Stockholm, as part of the British 4x100 metres relay team. As far as I can tell, she was not related to Margaret.
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