chermany n Also chumley, chumn(e)y Also sp cherminy chiefly VA obs
A team bat-and-ball game, appar similar to town ball n.
1859 S. Lit. Messenger 28.462 csVA (as of c1820), During recess or playtime . . Mr. Randolph would sometimes take part in the sport of the boys. . . The games then most common were, bandy, chumney, cat and marbles. 1860 Taylor Cousin Guy 131 VA, “Now,” said Mr. Meridett, “if we only had more to play, we might have a game of cherminy. . . Otherwise called ‘cat.’” 1874 Bagby What I Did 43 VA, I . . consecrated the Institute wholly to the instruction of able-bodied young men in the ancient and manly games of “Chermany” and “Ant’ny Over.” The etymology of the former game is obscure. It may have been “Germany,” though I have never known a Dutchman to play it or even be aware of its rules and regulations. 1889 in 1924 Wingfield Hist. Caroline Co. VA 157 ceVA (as of 1830s), He would preserve a stern dignity in school hours, and in ‘play time’ would mingle with the boys in playing marbles, cat, bandy, and a favorite game called in our school vernacular ‘chumny.’ 1893 Wilmington Messenger (NC) 28 Dec [2]/1, Fifty years ago the boys played two or three hours every school day. They had bandy, fives, chumney, etc. 1899 (1912) Green VA Folk-Speech 111, Chermany. . . A boys’ game with a ball and bats. 1903 Times–Dispatch (Richmond VA) 6 Dec mag sec 2/5, Sir,—Will you please publish . . the rules for playing chermany or town ball . . ? [Resp:] This name is also pronounced “chumley.” It was the old-time base-ball in the South. Ibid 20 Dec mag sec 2/6, I saw in your query column recently that some one wished for you to publish the direction for playing “Chermany,” or “Town ball.” I send directions, by which we have always played. . . Each player has a right to bat three balls without stopping, unless his ball is caught by a field-catcher from the other side, or in striking at the ball, he misses it, and is caught out by the catcher behind the bat. A player after being caught out, cannot bat again during the “innance” of his side, unless one of his men should bring him in with a home run. . . There are from three to five bases. 1904 Conway Autobiog. 1.35 nVA (as of 1840s), Our recess games were chiefly chermany and bandy.