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.

For the British animal welfare activist and author Ruth Harrison, see Ruth Harrison.

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

Biography

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

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
  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. "Taught by Miners, She Staggered Billiards World". Manchester Evening News. p.4. 9 May 1939 – via The British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 21 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. "Ruth Harrison". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. p.13. 9 May 1939 – via The British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 21 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  4. "Women's Billiards. Association Formed to Control the Championships". Lancashire Evening Post. 1 October 1931. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  5. Handbook & rules of English billiards, snooker volunteer snooker and snooker plus. Billiards Association and Control Council. 1967. p. 95.
  6. "Womens's Professional Championship". The Times. No. 47682. p.4. 12 May 1937 – via The Times Digital Archive. Retrieved 19 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  7. "(Untitled Article)". The Observer. p.4. 12 May 1937 – via ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Guardian and The Observer. Retrieved 19 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  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. p.4. 24 November 1937 – via The British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 22 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  11. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007. Newcastle-on-Tyne; Volume: 2; Page:875. Via Ancestry.com. Retrieved 17 November 2019
  12. "Women's Snooker Championship". The Times. No. 46690. p.6. 28 February 1934 – via The Times Digital Archive. Retrieved 17 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  13. "Women's Snooker Champion". The Observer. p.28. 17 February 1935 – via ProQuest Historical Newspapers. Retrieved 17 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  14. "Women's Snooker Championship". The Times. No. 47365. p.5. 4 May 1936 – via The Times Digital Archive. Retrieved 17 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  15. "Women's Snooker Title". The Observer. p.37. 2 May 1937 – via ProQuest Historical Newspapers. Retrieved 17 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  16. "Women's Snooker Championship". The Times. No. 48001. p.16. 23 May 1938 – via The Times Digital Archive. Retrieved 17 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  17. "Ruth Harrison Wins Snooker Title". Daily Record. p.27. 17 April 1939 – via The British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 17 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  18. "Snooker Championship". The Times. No. 48578. p.3. 1 April 1940 – via The Times Digital Archive. Retrieved 17 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  19. "Miss Adcock Takes Snooker Title". Daily Mirror. p.5. 22 May 1948 – via The British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 19 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  20. Everton, Clive (1985). Guinness Snooker – The Records. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. pp. 154–156. ISBN 0851124488.
  21. "Women's Billiards Championship". Leeds Mercury. 23 February 1933. p. 9 – via The British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  22. "Women Professionals". The Scotsman. 23 February 1933. p. 15 – via The British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  23. "Billiards - Women's Professional Championship". The Times. No. 46688. p.7. 26 February 1934 – via The Times Digital Archive. Retrieved 19 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  24. "Billiards – Women's Professional Championship". The Times. No. 46997. p.7. 25 February 1935 – via The Times Digital Archive. Retrieved 19 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  25. "Women's Championship". The Observer. p.2. 25 February 1935 – via ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Guardian and The Observer. Retrieved 19 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  26. "World Billiards » Blog Archive » World Ladies Billiards Champions". www.world-billiards.com. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  27. "Womens's Championship". The Times. No. 48305. p.6. 15 May 1939 – via The Times Digital Archive. Retrieved 19 August 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  28. "Women's billiards". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 27 January 1940. p. 7 – via The British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  29. "Women's billiards title". Liverpool Daily Post. 15 February 1940. p. 8 – via The British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
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