Post by simon on Feb 22, 2005 at 11:20am
Vandeleur Benjamin Crake (1816-1894)

A retired lawyer, resident in Hastings, he was a Justice of the Peace and was associated with a wide variety of organisations in the town. Though not playing a great deal of chess himself, he was very proud of his position as the Club’s first President. He carried out his role with dignity and sincerity which did much to establish the Club’s prestige in its early days. He died on the 21st August 1894, age 78, whilst still in office.