HAMPTON, AROUND AND ABOUT
Things you may not know, or didn’t know you knew!
No 14 CYRIL BEEKS
Player/Vice-Chairman/Life Member
The previous article looked at the Blair Cup and included a photo of the team who lost out in the Semi-Final in 1922. One of the members of the team was Cyril Beeks (1900 – 1965).
Cyril Patrick Beeks, to give him his full name, was involved from the early days of the club and would remain so for the rest of his life.
A local lad, he was born in Milton Road, his father, Samuel, was a House Painter. There was also an older brother, Percival. During WW1, Cyril served with the 5th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, and was discharged in 1919 having been awarded a Silver War Badge (incidentally his brother Percival survived the war as well). Whilst playing for Hampton, Cyril was known as ‘Nobby’ – presumably a nickname acquired during his time in the Army! During the period prior to the official setting up of Hampton FC, a Charity Match to raise funds for the Girls’ Orphans Home was arranged at Beveree, one of those taking part was Cyril.
We know that Cyril became a member of the team thanks to the team photo (from Volume 1 of the History of the club). He appears regularly as a player for those seasons in the 1920s that we are able to find records. By 1930 Cyril appears to have retired from playing and has become a member of the Committee.
In 1935/36 the club proposed issuing a regular match day programme, however only one edition survives, the first one! Amongst the Club’s Officers is the name of Cyril Beeks, listed as Vice-Chairman.
In the 1939 Census Cyril is recorded as living at 105 Priory Road with his wife, Annie and his parents, Samuel and Sarah. During the war his occupation was an Aircraft Woodworker.
After WW2, Cyril is still shown as being on the Committee of the club right into the late 1950s. Following a lifetime of service, the club made Cyril a ‘Life Member’ – presumably no need to pay ‘subs’ any longer.
Cyril died on 10th October 1965 and that’s when the story would usually end. However, my research led to finding out that Cyril had been buried in Hampton Cemetery. A search of the cemetery proved fruitless, so contact was made with the Council’s Cemetery Records Office and they directed me to the location. The grave turned out to be quite near the Broad Lane entrance.
Sad to say, the grave was in need of a little ‘tlc’, the headstone was worn (no wonder it wasn’t easy to find). Given that Cyril was such a servant of the club I undertook a quick tidy up which included planting some Rosemary – a plant long associated with remembrance.
Given Cyril’s service to the club, it was the least I could do in this our Centenary year.
The Old Historian