Lives in Cricket No 24 - Edgar Willsher

99 Acknowledgements Inevitably with a project of this kind, there are numerous people to thank, and a totally comprehensive list would be beyond the author’s limited memory capacity. However, he has tried to include everyone whose contribution was significant enough to stick in the aforesaid neuron-derived database. Apologies in advance for any unintended omissions. Starting with the American side of operations, special mention must be made of my gracious hosts, the Costa-Baker family. Things would have been a lot more complicated without them. The staff of the New York Public Library and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania were extremely helpful, and I am eternally grateful for the unceasing efforts and enthusiasm of Joe Lynn and Kathleen Burns at the C.C.Morris Library. Pat Kelly at the National Baseball Museum helped with picture research, and Andrew Hignell and Roger Gibbons made the trip possible by expediting my ACS research grant. Back in the United Kingdom, staff at Cambridge University Library, the British Library at Colindale, the Surrey History Centre, the Kensington and Chelsea Local Studies Centre and the Kent County Archives, as well as David Robertson at Kent CCC and Sandy Haynes at Enville Hall, all pointed me in the right direction. Derek Carlaw also provided me with some crucial information from the Kent CCC archives, while Jack Gillett was kind enough to send a family tree amongst other material. Ian Lambert helped tremendously with local newspaper research. As far as the actual writing process is concerned, Willie Sugg and Roger Heavens gavemuch sound advice as themanuscript developed, and contributed materially to drafts in the final stages. David Jeater was a perceptive and persistent editor; and David Kelly and Willie Sugg have undertaken the proofreading. Derek Underwood was kind enough to take time from his busy schedule to provide a foreword. Roger Mann has contributed several illustrations. Last but not least a big thank you to all family and friends who expressed an interest, including my trusty travelling companion and stenographer-in- chief, Janine-Jacquline St.Léger. G.P. Ely, Cambridgeshire