Harold Clark "Bottles" Chesswas (18 June 1901 – 24 October 1956)"The Chesswas family was very poor and the parents died at a young age, so young Harold collected bottles as a kid to help supplement what little income they had. That obsession with bottle collecting led to the nickname by which he was known for most of his life, apparently bestowed on him by the headmaster of the Victoria Park State School." -- Collingwood Forever."To his friends Chesswas is not known as Harold, but as "Bottles". He earned this soubriquet from the head-master of the Victoria Park State school, but he does not know why. One afternoon in school the master called him "Bottles", and after that his mates knew him by no other name." -- Sharland (1924). was an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood in the VFL.
Family The son of George Forrester Chesswas (1858–1924),Deaths: Chesswas, The Age, (Friday, 31 October 1924), p.1. and Louisa Chesswas (1862–1903), née Freeman,Marriages: Chesswas—Freeman, The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 6 May 1882), p.15.Deaths: Chesswas, The Age, (Friday, 23 October 1903), p.1. Harold Clark Chesswas was born in Collingwood, Victoria, on 18 June 1901.
He married Letitia Mary Lingham (1902–1972) in 1932.Deaths: Chesswas, The Age, (Tuesday, 21 November 1972), p.24.
Football Chesswas was a utility player, who played mainly on the wing.
Death He died at Kew, Victoria, on 24 October 1956.Deaths: Chesswas, The Argus, (Thursday, 25 October 1956), p.12.
Notes
References Sharland, W.S., "Hayes, Cheswass, and Bryant are Renowned for their Play in League Games", The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 30 August 1924), p.8. Football: Oakleigh Coach: H. Chesswas (Coll.) Appointed, The Argus, (Friday, 29 January 1932), p.10.
External links
Harry Cheswass (sic) at The VFA Project. Harry Chesswas at Boyles Football Photos.