Chamberlain’s letter to The Field
The Field, 19th March 1938, P. 677
Sir, I have read with interest, in your issue of February 19th. the article on the origin of snooker. I am glad to say that I can tell you how the game originated, in 1875, 63 years ago.
I was then a young officer in the Devonshire Regiment, at Jubbulpore, in the Central Provinces, India, and during the “Rains” we young subalterns used to spend the long and wet afternoons at the billiard table in our mess. One day it occurred to me that the game of black pool, which we usually played, would be unproved if we put down another coloured ball in addition to the black one. This proved a success, and, by degrees, the other coloured balls of higher value followed suit
A subaltern of the field battery at Jubbulpore was playing the game with us one day, and when talking to me about his time at Woolwich, he mentioned the word “snooker” and he explained to me that it was a designation applied to the inexperienced cadets when they joined the Royal Academy there. A soubriquet somewhat on the same lines as the title bestowed on midshipmen in the Royal Navy by their seniors in rank.
The term was a new one to me, but I soon had an opportunity of exploiting it when one of our party failed to hole a coloured ball which was close to a corner pocket I called out to him “Why, you’re a regular snooker.” I had to explain to the company the definition of the word, and, to soothe the feelings of the culprit, I added that we were all, so to speak, “snookers” at the game, so it would be very appropriate to call the game “snooker”? This suggestion was adopted with enthusiasm, and the game has been called “snooker” ever since. Officers in other regiments at Jubbulpore followed suit with the game in their messes.
I left the Devonshire Regiment m 1876 and joined the Central India Horse, and the game met with the approval of my new comrades. But snooker made little progress until after the Afghan War of 1878-80. At the close of 1881 General Sir Frederick Roberts became Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army, and each succeeding summer he moved to Ootacamund. until the autumn of 1885, when he became Commander-in-Chief in India. I had the great privilege of being on his personal staff, and, with other members of it, we soon introduced the game at the club at “Ooty.” Each summer that delightful hill station had many visitors, either to hunt with the “Ooty” pack of hounds or for a change of climate. Among them were officers from such big garrisons as Bangalore, or Secunderabad, as well as cheery planters of Mysore or Coorg, who rode up for a few days of gallops over ’’The Koondas,” or a time of good cheer. Snooker soon became a speciality at the club, and, in due course, the news of it was carried far afield, and to billiard players throughout India.
The rules of the game were drawn up and posted in the billiard room, but I can at once relieve Lord Kitchener’s memory from the suggestion that the rules at the club were in his handwriting. He was not at Ootacamund during our stay there, indeed, I believe he had not visited India before the war in South Africa.
In the eighties rumours of the new game had reached England, and one evening—I think it was in 1885—I was dining with my hospitable and valued friend, the late Maharaja of Cooch Behar, in his beautiful house in Calcutta. After dinner he took us to the billiard room and introduced us to a well-known English professional billiard player who had come to India for a few weeks to give him lessons in billiards. The latter said to the Maharaja that he had been asked, before leaving home, to ascertain details about a new game called “snooker,” good accounts of which had reached England. Our host, with a smile, pointed to me, and told him that I could give him the fullest information about the game, as I had invented it. I told the expert all that he required to know, for which he warmly thanked me. I regret I do not, remember his name; he was probably a contemporary of John Roberts and W. Cook. Perhaps, some of the older members of the Billiards Association and Control Council may remember which professional went to India about that period to teach the Maharaja
It has been a great pleasure to me to know how favourably the game of snooker has been received in England, and I will add that I feel quite a touch of parental pride when I hear, nowadays, in the 6 o’clock evening bulletin of die B.B.C., a courteous member of their staff informing the public of the results of the clay’s play at snooker.
Yours faithfully.
Neville F. F. Chamberlain (Colonel, Sir)
Ascot