The year 1876 commenced with a handicap, as on January 3rd, at the Guildhall Tavern, the following men met in one on the ordinary, and not the American, system: W. Cook, scratch; T. Taylor, 110; S. W. Stanley, 100; F. Bennett, L. Kilkenny, and Alfred Bennett, 170; Shorter, Collins, Richards, and Hunt, 220; Stammers, 270. This handicap was won by L. Kilkenny, who took the first prize of £50. G. Hunt took the second prize, a fitted cue-case presented by Messrs. Burroughes and Watts, while an extra prize for the best general average was won by Shorter.
On January 21st Alfred Bennett and T. Taylor met on a championship table for £200, but owing to the lateness of the hour the game was not finished. On February 21st John Roberts, the champion, played a match with Timbrell, the latter receiving 300 points in 1,000 for a stake of £600. Roberts won by 236 points.
Soon after this F. Bennett and Tom Taylor met to decide their long-postponed match on a championship table. This match was played at the Cambridge Hall, Newman Street, and resulted in the victory of Taylor by 315 points, his play being much applauded.
Cook at this period wished to play another match for the championship, but Roberts declined, as he was very shortly leaving England for Australia, and a benefit took place for him at St. James's Hall, when he and Taylor played Cook and Stanley, a four-handed game, the former pair winning by 232 points.
The next event of importance was a handicap that took place under Cook's management at 367, Strand, the first prize being a billiard table, presented by Messrs. Turner and Price. The handicap was as follows: Cook, scratch; Taylor, Stanley, and Timbrell, 125; F. Bennett, Kilkenny, and Alfred Bennett, 150; Richards, 170. It was won by Cook, who only lost one game-viz., that with Stanley. Next to Cook, Richards played best, winning five games, being defeated by Cook and Kilkenny. The best break in the handicap was made by F. Bennett, who in his heat with Timbrell scored 232 off the balls.
Roberts, jun., still prolonged his stay in Australia, and consequently Cook claimed the championship.
The first event of any importance in 1877 was a match at the Gaiety Restaurant, on January 18th, between Cook and Taylor, the latter receiving 300, points in 1,000. As this was the first money match that had taken place for over twelve months it excited an unusual amount of interest. Cook wont showing remarkable form, and scoring breaks of 112, 125, 115, 121, 196, etc. He made his first 500 in 1 hour 1 minute, and his second in 36 minutes, ultimately winning the game by 365 points.
This match was followed by one between J. Bennett and T. Taylor for £200, which was played on February 1st, Taylor winning by 27 points only. In the return match that followed, on the 20th of the same month, Taylor again won a most exciting contest by 21 points. Both these games were played on a championship table, specially made for the occasion by Messrs. Burroughes and Watts.
Next followed another of those popular tournaments promoted by Messrs. Burroughes and Watts, who gave another £ 100 in prizes. This tournament commenced on February 27th, 1878, at the Gaiety Restaurant, the players being handicapped as follows: Cook scratch, J. Bennett, Taylor, Stanley, Timbrell, and Kilkenny each receiving 150 points, F. Bennett and Shorter receiving 200. Shorter won six games out of seven, being defeated by F. Bennett only. In his game with J. Bennett, Shorter made a fine break of 295, thus virtually winning the game off the balls, J. Bennett being beaten a love game of 500 up, a rare occurrence in billiards.
It is a curious feature, showing how men's form changes, that J. Bennett, who afterwards defeated Cook level for the championship, should then be receiving 150 points in 500. J. Bennett shortly before this handicap defeated Stanley on a championship table for £100 by 247 points. The next month, April, was prolific in matches. Moss defeated Cook, who gave him 400 in 1,000, by 203 points, the stake being £200. Taylor gave J. Bowell 200 points in 1,000 on a championship table for £200, and won by 71 points, shortly after, on the same terms, for a stake of £100, defeating him by 14 points only.
The match of the month, however, was the one between Shorter and Taylor, the latter giving 200 points in 1,000 for a stake of £200. In this match Shorter made the famous break of 636 off the balls, including 207 spot hazards. Shorter won the game by 848 points.
On the 28th of May Cook and Roberts met once again for the championship, Roberts winning by 223 points. Owing to the refusal of Roberts to allow the usual facilities to members of the press, the match failed to receive that notice due to a match for the championship.
In the same month Taylor gave Moss 150 in 1,000 for £200, and won by 27 points. He also defeated Kilkenny in a match for £50, and Bowell once more for £100. Cook also beat the brothers Moss, the first match for £100, and the second for £200. None of these games, which were all played in Manchester, were remarkable for any great breaks.
In the following month W. Cook gave Taylor 200 points in 1,000 for £300, winning easily by 334 points. This match was played on a championship table specially provided for the purpose by Messrs. Burroughes and Watts.
On the 18th of June a very extraordinary match took place at the Gaiety Restaurant between John Roberts and Timbrell, the latter receiving 300 points in a game of 1,000 up. The Sportsman held a stake of £500 a-side. The match was played on an ordinary table, and Timbrell won by 439 points, his best break being 73, whilst Roberts never made more than 35 off the balls. This match was originally fixed for an earlier date, but Roberts, with rare courtesy, postponed the match on account of Timbrell's ill-health.
In the next month Timbrell was not so fortunate, as Cook gave him 350 points in 1,000 for a stake of £100, and beat him easily, Cook running out with a break of 364.
The year 1877 closed with a match for the championship of Scotland, played at Glasgow on December 14th, for which Messrs. Burroughes and Watts had presented a splendid trophy in the shape of a silver cup. Green in this match, which was played on a new table by Burroughes and Watts, defeated Sala by 346 points.
The first great event of 1878 was another tournament on the American system, Messrs. Burroughes and Watts giving £100 to be divided amongst the players in addition to the proceeds.
The following were the players: W. Cook, scratch; Shorter, J. Bennett, Taylor, and Stanley, 125; Collins, Kilkenny, and Green, 170. The tournament commenced on Monday, February 4th, and was played at the Queen's Rooms, Argyle Street, Oxford Circus. The result was a victory for Collins, who played throughout in rare form, winning six games out of seven, Taylor being the only player who defeated him. Collins made a break of 132 in his game with Cook, 92 with J. Bennett, 83 with Stanley, 111 with Shorter, 86 with Taylor, 121 with Green, and 109 with Kilkenny. The best break in this handicap was 365 by Cook in his game with Taylor. J. Bennett also made a good break of 265 in his game with Kilkenny.
The next match of any real importance in 1878 was one on the 8th of April between Stanley and Fielding for £200, Stanley giving 150 points. Messrs. Burroughes and Watts fitted up a table for the purpose at the Cotton Waste Exchange, Manchester, and Fielding won by 179 points. Roberts in the meanwhile was in India, and having declined to play Cook for the championship, Cook once more claimed the title of champion, and before himself leaving for India deposited the 150-guinea championship cup in the hands of the original donors.
On October 5th another American tournament was begun at the Westminster Aquarium, Messrs. Burroughes and Watts giving a sum of £50 in prizes. The feature of this handicap was that it was played on a championship table, heats 300 up. The players were Joseph Bennett, scratch; Collins, 25; Richards 35; A. Bowles, 40; A. Hughes, 60; G. Hunt, 60; John Bennett, 70; and R. Wilson, 80. G. Hunt carried off the first prize of £30, winning every game, a feat only once before accomplished, viz., by Roberts in the Manchester handicap. Wilson won the second prize of £10, and Joseph Bennett and Richards divided the third and fourth prizes.
This handicap was shortly followed by another one in November at the same place on an ordinary table, the players being Joseph Bennett, scratch; T. Taylor and G. Collins, 50; Richards, 75; G. Hunt, 85; A. Hughes, 90; R. Wilson, 110; A. Davis, 120. Joseph Bennett throughout the tournament, which was played on an ordinary Burroughes and Watts table (heats 500), was in rare form, and he repeated Hunt's and Roberts's performances of winning every game. Collins won 5 games, G. Hunt 5 games, Taylor 4, Richards 3, Davis 2, Wilson 2, and Hughes 0. J. Bennett also won the prize for the best break, making one of 213. Collins made a good break of 201, and Taylor one of 182.
The last American tournament of the year was played the second week in December at St. James's Hall on a Burroughes and Watts ordinary table, T. Taylor presenting first prize of 50 guineas and second prize of 20 guineas, the third prize of 10 guineas being given by Messrs. Burroughes and Watts, who also gave £5 for the best general average. The players were handicapped as follows:-Joseph Bennett and T. Taylor, scratch; Collins and F. Bennett, 50; Fielding and Richards, 100; G. Hunt, 110; and J. Lloyd, 150. The result of the tournament was that F. Bennett won 6 games, and consequently took first prize. Taylor and Lloyd won 5 games each, Taylor beating Lloyd in playing off the tie; Joseph Bennett won 4 games, G. Collins 3, G. Hunt 2, Richards 2, and Fielding 1 game. With this tournament the season of 1878 may be said to have closed.