History > Hall of Fame > Clarence D Smith

Clarence D Smith

Clarence D Smith opened the green in the Club's first year, in the place of his wife Cicily who was unavailable. He was Chairman of Consett Iron Company at the time, so it isn't surprising that he was given the honour of opening the green and bowling the first wood. 

Clarence Dalrymple Smith was born on 16th May 1868, the younger son of Thomas Eustace Smith, MP and Martha Mary (Dalrymple) Smith.  

Thomas Eustace Smith was MP for North Shields and Tynemouth. He also paid for the construction of St Mary's Anglican Church in North Gosforth (now Sacred Heart RC Church). See Philanthropy North East  for more details.

Martha Mary was born in Madras in 1835. She collected various classical antiquities which she donated to the British Museum. You can read more about Martha Mary on the British Museum web site.

The images below show Clarence D Smith's mother and father.

Clarence had several siblings, including twin brother Lancelot Eustace Smith, who was an engineer, working first with Clarence, and later becoming Managing Director of Smiths Dock Co. 

Clarence married Cicily, daugter of Charles Foster, of Southill, Co. Durham in 1904.

In 1921 Clarence Dalrymple Smith of Loughbrow, esq., O.B.E. was Sheriff of Northumberland. Loughbrow is near Hexham.

He was a director of Smith's Dock Co., chairman of Consett Iron Co., a J. P., and was awarded the OBE. He died in 1941.

Consett Park Bowling Club played some friendly matches against Smiths Dock in the 1920s. See, for example, the fixtures list from 1927.