Lives in Cricket No 42 - Frank and George Mann

13 Winchmore Hill Cricket Club the Winchmore Hill Village Cricket Club in 1881 at Ford’s Grove on land that was part of the 75 acre estate owned by the Busk Family. Thomas Busk became the club’s first president with William Thomas Paulin one of the vice-presidents. The Village Cricket Club played far more frequently than the ‘Gentlemen’s’ club and a friendly rivalry was soon established with an annual match between them at the end of each season, including the celebration of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee Year in 1887. This was so keenly contested with two innings each side that the match resulted in a tie. Edward Mann had married Anna Jane Bell in 1882 and moved from Roseneath back into Laurel Lodge where their first son, Edward John, was born in 1883, followed by William Edward in 1886, Francis Thomas in 1888 and Charles Julian in 1892: a daughter, Fanny Julia, was born in 1897. There were still occasional matches played at the ‘Gentlemen’s’ club but Edward also took an active interest in the ‘Village’ club as a vice-president and continued to support William Thomas Paulin when he succeeded Thomas Busk as president in 1895. By 1912 the Winchmore Hill Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club had ceased to operate and the Winchmore Hill Village Cricket Club added a lawn-tennis section with four courts, dropped ‘Village’ from the title and became officially known as Winchmore Hill Cricket Club. 5 5 The club still flourishes at its ‘Paulin Ground’ off Ford’s Grove with, in 2015, four Saturday sides in the Middlesex County Cricket League, two Sunday elevens, and no fewer than eight age-range sides.