Wikipedia

Ruth Harrison (snooker player)

Ruth Harrison (10 May 1909 – 1991) was an English snooker and billiards player. She won the Women's Professional Snooker Championship each year from its inception in 1934 to 1940, and again when it was next held, in 1948. She also won the Women's Professional Billiards Championship three times.

Ruth Harrison
Born10 May 1909
Lintz
Died1991 (aged 82)
Sport country England
Tournament wins
World ChampionSnooker 1934–48
Billiards 1934, 1935, 1939

Biography

edit

Harrison was born on 10 May 1909 in Lintz and was a coalminer's daughter (as was her fellow leading player Agnes Morris)[1] and learnt to play at the institute in her village in County Durham.[2]

She entered the 1931 World Ladies Billiards Championship, which was the first time she had played against women, and won the tournament.[2] She turned professional straight afterwards.[3] When the Women's Billiards Association was formed in 1931, Harrison was one of the four professional players appointed to a committee to organise the professional championships, along with Margaret Lennan, Eva Collins and Joyce Gardner.[4]

She won the Women's Professional Snooker Championship each year from its inception in 1934 to 1940, and again when it was held after an interval of several years, in 1948.[5]

Harrison also won the Women's Professional Billiards Championship three times, in 1934, 1935, and 1939.[5] Her break of 197 in the 1937 championship is still the women's world record break in competition.[6][7][8]

She received coaching from Willie Smith and Sidney Smith.[9] Harrison qualified as a referee for billiard and snooker in 1937.[10]

She died in 1991, aged 82.[11]

Titles and achievements

edit

Snooker

OutcomeNo.YearChampionshipOpponentScoreRef.
Winner 11934Women's Professional Snooker ChampionshipJoyce Gardner7–6[12]
Winner 21935Women's Professional Snooker ChampionshipJoyce Gardner7–5[13]
Winner 31936Women's Professional Snooker ChampionshipThelma Carpenter7–3[14]
Winner 41937Women's Professional Snooker ChampionshipJoyce Gardner9–4[15]
Winner 51938Women's Professional Snooker ChampionshipThelma Carpenter11–2[16]
Winner 61939Women's Professional Snooker ChampionshipThelma Carpenter8–5[17]
Winner 71940Women's Professional Snooker ChampionshipAgnes Davies11–2[18]
Winner 81948Women's Professional Snooker ChampionshipAgnes Morris (née Davies)16–14[19]

Billiards

OutcomeNo.YearChampionshipOpponentScoreRef.
Winner 11931World Women’s Billiards Championship (amateur)Mrs. Eddowes1,000-581[20]
Runner-up 21932Women's Professional Billiards ChampionshipJoyce Gardner2,000–1,713[21][22]
Runner-up 31933Women's Professional Billiards ChampionshipJoyce Gardner1,306–2,000[21][22]
Winner 41934Women's Professional Billiards ChampionshipJoyce Gardner2,000–1,608[23]
Winner 51935Women's Professional Billiards ChampionshipJoyce Gardner3,000–2,708[24][25]
Runner-up 61937Women's Professional Billiards ChampionshipJoyce Gardner2,204–2,223[26]
Winner 71939Women's Professional Billiards ChampionshipJoyce Gardner2,559–1,792[27]
Runner-up 81940Women's Professional Billiards ChampionshipThelma Carpenter1,641–2,184[28][29]

References

edit
  1. ↑ "Mining Review 2/3: Cue for Ladies (1948)". BFI Screen Online. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Taught by Miners, She Staggered Billiards World". Manchester Evening News. 9 May 1939. p. 4.
  3. ↑ "Ruth Harrison". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. 9 May 1939. p. 13.
  4. ↑ "Women's Billiards. Association Formed to Control the Championships". Lancashire Evening Post. 1 October 1931. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  5. 1 2 Handbook & rules of English billiards, snooker volunteer snooker and snooker plus. Billiards Association and Control Council. 1967. p. 95.
  6. ↑ "Women's Professional Championship". The Times. No. 47682. 12 May 1937. p. 4.
  7. ↑ "(Untitled Article)". The Observer. 12 May 1937. p. 4.
  8. ↑ World Ladies Billiards Champions Archived 16 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine World Billiards. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  9. ↑ "Personality Page". The Billiard Player. No. June 1939. p. 14.
  10. ↑ "(Untitled Article)". Aberdeen Press and Journal. 24 November 1937. p. 4.
  11. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007. Newcastle-on-Tyne; Volume: 2; Page:875.
  12. ↑ "Women's Snooker Championship". The Times. No. 46690. 28 February 1934. p. 6.
  13. ↑ "Women's Snooker Champion". The Observer. 17 February 1935. p. 28.
  14. ↑ "Women's Snooker Championship". The Times. No. 47365. 4 May 1936. p. 5.
  15. ↑ "Women's Snooker Title". The Observer. 2 May 1937. p. 37.
  16. ↑ "Women's Snooker Championship". The Times. No. 48001. 23 May 1938. p. 16.
  17. ↑ "Ruth Harrison Wins Snooker Title". Daily Record. 17 April 1939. p. 27.
  18. ↑ "Snooker Championship". The Times. No. 48578. 1 April 1940. p. 3.
  19. ↑ "Miss Adcock Takes Snooker Title". Daily Mirror. 22 May 1948. p. 5.
  20. ↑ Everton, Clive (1985). Guinness Snooker – The Records. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. pp. 154–156. ISBN 0851124488.
  21. 1 2 "Women's Billiards Championship". Leeds Mercury. 23 February 1933. p. 9.
  22. 1 2 "Women Professionals". The Scotsman. 23 February 1933. p. 15.
  23. ↑ "Billiards - Women's Professional Championship". The Times. No. 46688. 26 February 1934. p. 7.
  24. ↑ "Billiards – Women's Professional Championship". The Times. No. 46997. 25 February 1935. p. 7.
  25. ↑ "Women's Championship". The Observer. 25 February 1935. p. 2.
  26. ↑ "World Billiards » Blog Archive » World Ladies Billiards Champions". www.world-billiards.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  27. ↑ "Women's Championship". The Times. No. 48305. 15 May 1939. p. 6.
  28. ↑ "Women's billiards". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 27 January 1940. p. 7.
  29. ↑ "Women's billiards title". Liverpool Daily Post. 15 February 1940. p. 8.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ruth_Harrison_(snooker_player)&oldid=1302726371"