Lives in Cricket No 6 - Bill Copson

company tenant. The business was founded by George Stephenson in 1837, producing coal, coke and gas, iron and bricks all from sources in and around the town of that name. It was by far the dominant force in the local economy for much of its existence. All the interests in the business were purchased by Sir William Jackson in 1871, as sole proprietor: it became a limited company in 1913 when all its shareholders and directors were members of the Jackson family. Even in 1937, six of the seven directors were Jacksons. The family was closely involved with local sports of various kinds, including the Clay Cross Park and Derbyshire County Cricket Clubs. At the time of the 1926 strike, Guy Rolf Jackson was the Derbyshire captain, a position he held until the end of the 1930 season: he continued to play occasional matches for the county until 1936, sometimes alongside Copson. Guy’s older brother Geoffrey, killed in action in the Great War, played briefly for the county and a cousin, Anthony Mather-Jackson, played in the twenties. Paradoxically, Copson joining the strike against the Clay Cross Company in 1926 thus eventually brought a benefit to the Jackson family’s other major interest in the Derbyshire County Cricket Club, especially in 1936. When Guy was joint managing director in 1946, the coal mining part of the company was nationalized and it diversified into the aggregates business. Guy Jackson died in 1966 and Copson was a pallbearer at his funeral at Morton Parish Church 6 . The company became part of the Ready Mixed Concrete group in 1974: it ceased to trade in 1998. Morton Colliery played in the Derbyshire Minor League and Copson performed a number of excellent bowling feats for them. These achievements included seven for 11 against Old Tupton in 1931. Bill then joined the Clay Cross Park Club who played in the Derbyshire League and on one memorable occasion took all ten wickets for five runs against Staveley on 15 August, 1931. He was presented with the ball with which he accomplished this feat at the Annual General Meeting of the club in the following April by Brigadier-General G.M.Jackson, the club’s president. This ball was mounted on an ebony plinth and the details of his feat inscribed on a silver shield attached thereto. It was one of Bill’s proudest possessions. It is worth giving details of this remarkable 14 Early Days and Family Origins 6 Michael Copson, Bill’s son, recalls that the Jackson family were regularly mentioned at home when he was a child, although of course he did not often understand the significance of the references.