Sir Henry Cotton was once described by Vanity Fair as being ‘something of a Beau Brummel on the links’ with his silk neckerchiefs and monogrammed shirts, according to English Heritage.
Known for his flamboyance on the course, Cotton would attend tournaments with his wife and fellow golfer, Isabel Estanguet ‘Toots’ Moss, in a hired Rolls Royce and a picnic from a Fortnum and Mason hamper.
While he may have had a taste for the high life as a professional golfer, Cotton had a more modest upbringing. He was born in Congleton, Cheshire in 1907 and later lived at 47 Crystal Palace Road, in East Dulwich (where there is a blue plaque dedicated to him). There, he used to practice his swing in the garden where his father had set up practice nets.
He won a scholarship to Alleyne’s School, attending between 1918 and 1923, where in his first year, teachers described him a ‘strong character, I have nothing but praise for him’ and a ‘very good boy, mentally and physically’.
In his second year, his blemish free record continued with the comment ‘splendid little fellow, works very hard.’ But towards the end of that year, he was showing signs of teenage rebellion: ‘Works well and has brains. His lapse I prefer to treat as his first offence.’
