Cricket 1906

C R IC K E T : a w e e k l y r e c o r d o f t h e g a m e . FEB. 22 1906. — H e . . . S I ) $ e f i c ' - > = H © 8- “ = ^ © 6<- . “ Together joined in Cricket’ s manly toil.”— Byron. so. 7n. vot. xxv. THURSDAY, FEB. 22, 1906. price ad. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. MR. A. L. FORD. A GREAT COLLECTOR OF CRICKET BOOKS AND PRINTS. F.om the earliest times the world has been interested in the experiences of collectors of curiosities, and there is a particular fascina­ tion in reading about the treasures of well- known men such as Mr. Ford, whose collection of cricket books and prints is unique. Mr. Ford has an advantage over most modern collectors of cricket literature in that he began his task nearly fifty years ago, when there was practically no competition. He now has 497 volumes (exclusive of annuals of all kinds) as well as about 5,000 prints and pictures connected with the game. A cousin of the VValkers of Southgate, he has always lived and moved among cricketers, and as a player he has a record of more than fifty successive years. He began to play in matches in 1853, and only gave up the game lafct year. From 1860, -when he left school, until 1904,hebowled in every match in which he took part—a most unusual record in its way. For a long period he was identified with the famous Southgate C.C and there are few English counties in which he has not played cricket. His bowling broke considerably from the leg, and was therefore always difficult to master. He often kept wicket, and although he was not brilliant in the field, he had somewhat large hands which seldom dropped a catch. In reply to a question as to what induced him to begin to collect cricket books, Mr. Ford said, 1 ‘ In my schooldays, which began in 1853, I bought F. Lillywhite’s Guide yearly as it came out, andkept all the copies. Butin 18611thought I should like to have the setfrom itscommence­ ment, as well as a clean copy of the 1853 issue, for my own copy was very much worn. I therefore went to John Lillywhite’s shop in Seymour Street, Euston Road. On learning what I wanted, Lillywhite produced a higgle­ dy-piggledy collection of the remainders of every kind of cricket publication which had been issued during the period of Lillywhite’s tenure of the shop. As Lillywhite’s was then the leading shop in connection with the game, all cricket publications were naturally sent there for sale as they came out. These remainders were tied up in the old handker­ chiefs (now called sashes) which were at that time printed with pictures of cricket teams, etc., and distributed among the players in the principal matches. The sight of the books at once suggested the idea of collecting. So, after satisfying my wants with regard to MR. A. L. FORD. {From a photo by II. Montague Coopn , Lynton, Devon). the Guide, I asked the prices of the other items. Lillywhite said, ‘ Oh, they are of no use, and I shall be glad to get rid of them. You can have the lot for ten shillings.’ Per­ haps I hardly need say that I bought them.” “ Have you made many other interesting discoveries of cricket bookB ? ” “ Well, it is only natural that every collector should occasionally have some un­ expected good fortune in this way. I once bought a first edition of Nyren froma dealer’s catalogue which came fromBerlin; the price was 3s. 6d. Again, in a bookseller’s cata­ logue casually sent me from Montreal, I saw ‘ The Laws of Cricket,’ publishedby Rowsell, at Toronto, in 1858.’ The price waa a shilling, and of course I bought it. My second edition of (1804) Boxall cost me two shillings and sixpence. One of my most interesting1 finds ’ was the 1Register of Cricket for Hingham, 1802-1844,’ published at Norwich in 1844. This cost me a shilling. The letterpress of this book begins as follows : *I hope I don’t intrude,’ and ends, ‘ Thus having taken a peep at Cricket, I place my umbrella under my arm and bid you all good-bye for the present.’ In the preface is the following anecdote :— ‘ Baron Alderson, a few days since, addressed the following remarks on cricket; ‘ In a neighbouring county which I passed through on my circuit this time, I had a day’s rest, and I went into the country and had the pleasure of seeing a match of cricket, in which a noble Earl, the Lord Lieu­ tenant of his county, was playing with the tradesmen, the labourers, and all around him, and I believe he lost no respect by it; they loved him better and did not respect him less. I believe that if they themselves associated more with the lower classes, society would be sounder.’ ” “ When did the second-hand booksellers first begin to dis­ cover that cricket books had a certain value?” “ Cricket literature was an unknown quantity to the dealers and was practically considered as of no value, and priced at, say roughly, Is. per 100 pages ; they knew nothing about the matter and ignored it as out of their line, until Mr. C. P. Green, of Malvern, andMr. A. J. Gas­ ton, of Brighton, about 1882, advertised in the 1Bookseller ’ for anything connected with cricket, and in 1883 the late Mr. Padwick, of Red Hill, started in the ‘ Exchange and Mart ’ a stand­ ing advertisement of a similar kind. These advertisements attracted the attention of the second-hand booksellers, andthey immediately rose to the occasion, and reported everything they happened to hear of. Mr. Padwick, with a view to receiving the first reports, and to keep in touch with the dealers, in the earlier days purchased everything offered. As a result of buying everything which was