Cricket 1904

A pril 21, 1904. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 69 a sportsman, and there had not been the slightest disagreement between them. He ■was one of the best, as he was also the great­ est all-round cricketer of Australia. He (Noble) would probably be at the head of the next Australian combination to visit us in 1905, when it was to be hoped that there would be a revival of some cf the old* estab­ lished fixtures, which had been dropped, such as v. the Gentlemen, Players of England, etc.” CRICKET AND THE CHURCH. B y F. S. AsHLEY-CoorER. {Continued from page 62). “ Of course they did,” was the reply, “ and i^ I had been here I should have gone with them.” How different was this dear old Archdeacon from the Vicar of Maidstone in the roign of Charles the First! In “ The Life of Thomas Wilson,” Minister of Maidstone, published anonymously* in 1672, occurs the following passage (page 40) : “ Maidstone was formerly a very profane town, inasmuch as I have seen morriee-dancing, cudgel-playing, stool-ball, crickets, and many other sports openly and publicly indulged in on the Lord’s Day.” Thomas Wilson, who was born in 1601 and died in or about 1653, refused to publish the “ Book of Sports on the Lord’s Day ” in his church on Sundays when commanded to do so. It must be remembered, however, that not until very long afterwards was cricket generally con­ sidered a fit game for gentlemen. In “ Annals of the West Kent Cricket Club” Mr. Philip Norman records that the Rev. John Lock­ wood, a very enthusiastic player eighty years ago, held some church preferment atCoulsdon or in its immediate neighbourhood, and eventually gave up cricket because members of his congregation were always asking him in the churchyard on Sunday if he would play in a match on the Monday, which he thought lowered his dignity asa clergyman. On several occasions proceedings have been taken against persons for participating in the game on Sundays. As far back as November 20th, 1817, several persons “ who had long resisted the threats and entreaties of the inhabitants of Old Buckenham,” were convicted before a magistrate at Larlingford (Norfolk) and fined for playing cricket on Sunday, October 2nd, oil Old Buckenham Green. In more recent times summonses have been issued for the same cause at places so wide apart as Leicester (in 1885), Dublin (in 1894), and Sydney, N .S.W . (in 1897). On August 15th, 1843, Lord John Manners, in the House of Commons, drew the attention of the Attorney- General to the fact that it was a common custom in some jarts of England for the men and boys of a village to play a friendly game of cricket upon the village green on a Sunday evening. A certain ‘‘ saintly person,” said Lord John, desired to end this practice, so brought six boys (each earning seven shil­ lings a week) who had thus played before a country justice, who sentenced each to three shillings and costs, the whole fine amounting to fifteen shillings in each case. The boys pleaded their inability to pay the sum, which was done for them by a charitably-disposed person. The Attorney-General said that if the boys were playing in their own parish the conviction was illegal; if not, then it could be supported. The lads proceeded against, it may be added, belonged to Hurley, in Berkshire, and had only Sunday for re­ creation. The author was Mr. George Swinnocke. It is not usual to hear the game referred to from the pulpit, but a visitor to a certain church near London about twenty years ago noticed one peculiarity during the service which struck him as being remarkable. The clerk preceded the hymn immediately before the sermon with two announcements, as follows : “ The mem­ bers of the cricket club connected with this congregation will meet for the transaction of business to-morrow evening at seven o’clock. The usual prayer meeting on Friday at 7.30.” The clerk who blended Christianity and cricket so delightfully was indeed a sportsman quite of F. G .’s creed. As recently as 1893 a clergyman announced from the pulpit of his church, in Hampshire: “ On Saturday next we play the return cricket match with T------ (a neighbouring village). I shall umpire on that occasion, when 1 trust that our united endeavours will meet with success.” His expression was certainly an ambiguous one, recalling to mind the fact that it takes a strong eleven to play a side with a twelfth man. The late Mr. Charles Box related that the Rev. Disturnall, rector of Wormshill (Kent), saw on a Sabbath two bats and six stumps in one corner of the church. “ Before I begin my sermon,” 6aid he, “ I wish to know whose bats are those which have been brought in the church.” “ Please, parson, they be Bill Burgis’s,” answered a young rustic. “ Bill Burgis’s ! Oh, well, let them be, for he’s too lazy to break the Sabbath with them, for the parish know better than to set him to break stones even.” Such a proceeding would doubtless have prevented many enthusiasts from following the sermon as carefully as the preacher would have wished, for even occurrences of far less prominence have often distracted a wor­ shipper’s attention and caused his thoughts to wander cricketwards* Ten years ago “ The Old Buffer” furnished an instance showing with what ease a cricketer’s thoughts can be drawn frcm the service. He wrote :—“ It is Sunday’, and I have been to church. Always learn something, you know, by so doing, as I did to-day. An old cove like a parrot always kept a word or two in front of the parson, and I thought to myself, he is ‘ taking the ball in front o f the uicket, and it is not fair.’ Umpires of Eng­ land, attend—some wicket-keepers do this occasionally —watch them.” (By-the-way, was it not “ The Old Buffer” who, years and years ago, disturbed the devotions of an old lady by audibly remarking that Bell's Life was stake-holder ?) When Hambledon was the centre of the cricketing world, with John Small and Tom Sueter its special heroes, one wonders whether the numerous lovers of the game who attended service on Sundays did so chiefly to hear the former play the double bass, and to gaze upon the edifice which the latter had erected. When a famous cricketer takes a prominent part in the service, the latter must always appear to the enthusiasts far more interesting than it would otherwise have been. A few years ago the writer visited a church not a hundred miles from Epsom, and to his delight an old Etonian and Cambridge captain, a great batsman in his time, not only read one of the lessons, but also sang a solo. The incident was the more welcome as it came as a distinct surprise. It would be interesting to know in how many of the old parish registers cricket is mentioned. There is a well-known reference to the game in the Chailey (Sussex) parish register of 1737, but in how many other such books is the game alluded to ? • It has been stated tbat the only qualification possessed by a certain player, who appeared lor Surrey regularly about 30 years ago, was that he had sittings in Farnham Parish Church. Sermons on the game have occasionally been heard. As far b«ck as 1837, on the eve of a match between Kent and Sussex, the Yicar of West Mailing denounced from the pulpit as sinners all those who attended to witness the play, whether they betted or not. In 1883 the Rev. Mr. Mercer, of Ballarat, preached a cricket sermon, taking his text from Ephesians v., 13; whilst a few years ago the Rev. W . Carlile, of London, dis­ coursed on “ MacLaren’s Centuries,” and last season on “ Surrey’s New Bowler,” and “ Warner or MacLaren?” In March, 1903, at Christ Church, Crowborough, Sutsex, the Rev. G. Hugh Jones preached a sermon entitled “ L.b.w. : a Parable of the Criiket Field,” taking his text from St. Matthew xiii., 34. Amongst the famous players who have had reference to the game made on their tomb-stones may be mentioned William Lillywhite, Cobbett, Mr. John Willes (“ He was a atron of all manly sports and the first to introduce round-arm bowling in cricket” ), Fuller Pilch, Mr. Alfred JVlynn, Richard Daft, John Summers, j om Hum­ phrey and George Lohmann. One can understand an old cricketer expressing a wish, as John Bowyer, of Mitcham, did that, his bat should be buried with him, especially when he is in constant company with it and regards it as a iriend. (It has been related of James Broadbridge, of Sussex, that he became so attached to his bat that he would even use it as a walking-stick, whilst George Anderson, of Yorkshire, on more than one occasion took his to bed with him.) Old John Bowyer’s bat was nailed to his coffin- lid. Daniel Day, of Surrey and Hampshire, when he died left directions that his bat(w?orm- eaten with age), pads and walking-stick should be buried with him, which was done. Johnny Mullagh, a member of the Austra­ lian aborigii al team which visited England in 1868, died at Harrow, in Australia, in August, 1891, and on his coffin was placed his bat and a set of stumps decorated with the Harrow colours. Still more extraordinary was the proceeding which took place at the funeral of Richard May, a prominent member of the Kent Eleven of 130 years ago. His dying request to George Ring was, that he (Ring) would kill his favourite dog and bury it with him. This was done, despite the remonstrance of the officiating clergyman on the score of sacrilege. This tempts one to ask what would happen if Mr. Allred D. Tajlor left directions that, on his decease, his cricket collection should be buried with him. A family vault would certainly be necessary for the purpose, but would the authorities sanction it? Canon Benham used to relate an interesting tale concerning the late Archdeacon Harrison. ‘ *That very pleasant old man had a nephew who v as reckoned the ‘ lion-hiiter ’ of Kent, and he had indoctrinated his uncle with a love of cricket; and I found my bedroom walls covered with cricket scores. It is said that during the Canterbury cricket week the worthyArchdeacon’spony-chaisestoodwaiting at the door. The news would come down to the Archdeacon in his study busy7 with the Fathers, ‘ Mr. Charles just a-goin’ in, Sir,’ and down went the pen, and away went the Archdeacon in time to see the nephew’s performance.” Such enthusiasts deserve to reach a ripe age, like Canon Beadon, who died in 1879 at the patriarchal age of 101 years and six months. The Canon had managed the Bullingdon Club, at Oxford, with Stephen Lushington, afterwards the famous judge. He and his father held ths living of North Stoneham for more than 118 years. THE END.