Byron Chesterfordson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lord Byron Chesterfordson Esquire (born Byron Quincy Chesterfordson) was a croquet player and two-time champion of the Scottish Grand croquet tournament. He died of a self inflicted wound on June 3, 1987. Chesterfordson was one of only three men to be named a grand master of modern croquet.
Contents |
[edit] Early Life
Born the second son of Lord Ernest Chesterfordson, Byron grew up in his brother Marcus's shadow. This was not helped by the fact that Marcus was well known for his skills in Haggis hurling and Polo, while Byron was interested only in croquet. This earned Byron his father's contempt, as the elder Chesterfordson considered croquet a sport for "girls in their dresses." Due to this, Byron was often forced to wear dresses during his childhood.
[edit] Deaths of Father and Brother
As Byron grew, so did his hatred for his brother. Byron felt he could never live up to Marcus's standards, as Marcus was held so high in his father's eyes. Byron knew he'd never gain his father's lordship, and was forced to adopt the suffix "esquire." A ceremony was to be held on Byron's fourteenth birthday regarding his new suffix, but before that could occur, Byron's father and brother were found lifeless, with their heads in the family bathtub. While Byron was initially suspected, a court eventually decided that the deaths were a murder followed by suicide.
[edit] Name change
On Byron's fourteenth birthday, he officially earned his father's lordship, but in order to quell rumors that he murdered his father, he also adopted the esquire suffix. Byron began the party by a celebratory bonfire made from the dresses his father had forced upon him, and announced his intentions to become a professional croquet player.
[edit] Croquet
Byron participated in a variety of tournaments, and by the time he turned 35 he was good enough to gain the attention of the Scottish Grand, which he was invited to join in 1982. The following three tournaments Byron would place among the top ten, but in 1985 and 1986 Byron managed to win the Scottish Grand championship. Unfortunately, a new up and comer would cost Byron his title the following year in what was known as the greatest croquet match ever seen.
After placing second in the tournament with 261.7 points, the judges decided the top two players would have a face-off to determine the victor, as Chesterfordson was only behind by 4.7 points. After a grueling twelve hour tournament, Chesterfordson lost due to a stroke of bad luck as his scatter shot backfired and put his ball in the path of the challenger's ball. The resulting roquet sent the Chesterfordson backwards three wickets, allowing the challenger an easy win. Due to the fact that this was such a thrilling match, both participants were named grand masters of croquet, an honor that has only been bestowed upon three men to the time of this writing.
[edit] Suicide
Chesterfordson could not handle the humiliation of his defeat at the 1987 Scottish Grand Championship. He had wagered his life savings that he would come out on top, and he was left a pauper. Unwilling to beg, Chesterfordson decided to get his money back in whatever way possible. After a botched robbery of the Bank of Scotland, Chesterfordson became a fugitive, hiding in the sewers beneath Edinburgh. His body was found there a month after the robbery, with a croquet stake piercing his chest, and a mallet in hand. Although considered impossible, it was rumored that due to his love of the sport, Chesterfordson used the stake as a means of suicide.
