Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

very promptly only to pronounce that he had already died. So at the relatively young age of 62 he was dead. His death appeared in most of the newspapers, often carrying comments about his fine work as a batsman but also as a golfer and keen administrator. On his funeral day, March 30, his aunt Laura Palairet passed away, she did however did live to a good age of 83. His funeral took place at Littleham, Exmouth, the service conducted by the Rev TG Shelmerdine. Several hundred were at the funeral; his brother Richard was missing as he was co- manager of the MCC tour to Australia and New Zealand. The day before Lionel’s death England had just drawn the First Test with New Zealand. The day after his funeral, the second Test commenced at Eden Park, Auckland, again the game was drawn, England batting far too long and slowly in each Test; this would not have pleased Lionel. Among the public mourners at his funeral were many from the golfing fraternity; among those from cricket were FS Jackson (MCC representative), JL Daniell (Somerset) and AG Barrett and AE Newton, the Somerset president and old county wicket- keeper. It was also stated that two people were refused entry to the funeral, though it does not state why. Although he died at a relatively young age, he outlived many of the team that took Somerset into the Championship in 1891. These included George Nichols, Ted Tyler, Sam Woods, Herbie Hewett, Gerald Fowler and Vernon Hill. In his will he left an estate valued at £16,654 (in 2016 money, £980,000). He left £5,000 to his son Henry. His daughter Mollie was not mentioned, which seems odd, but his granddaughter Daphne Felicity Birbeck was left most of his shares. His house ‘Dodhill’ was sold by auction in early August. The house was clearly a fair size as it had three reception rooms, six bedrooms and an office. There was also a large garden which included a vegetable area, a small orchard, an outbuilding and a garage, so for a man on his own, it was a very large property. It is not known how much it eventually fetched. All his antiques, furniture and other household items were sold over the next 12 months at various auctions; quite sad for his life to be dismantled in such a manner. The final years 117