Lives in Cricket No 7 - Richard Daft

Acknowledgements As it happens, the publication of this biography marks the 150th anniversary of Richard Daft’s first appearance for Nottingham- shire, but to commemorate this was not in my mind when I began this project in 2002. My initial approach was to Chris Walters of the Nottingham Evening Post , who suggested I contact Pam Priestland, the historian of Radcliffe-on-Trent, where Daft spent most of his adult life. Pam startled me by pointing out that I was at school with her husband, Neal. This happy coincidence proved an enormous benefit, as they introduced me to the History of Radcliffe , which Pam had edited, and the expansive notes on which it was based. They were also very hospitable, and Neal has provided photographs which appear in this book. My thanks also go to Lord Butler of Brockwell, the former Cabinet Secretary and head of the Civil Service, the great-grandson of Richard Daft, who has provided the preface and taken a constant interest. His cousins, Graham Butler and Juliet Anstey, were also supportive. I next approached Peter Wynne-Thomas, the archivist of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, and a trail-blazer among cricket historians. Over the years he has solved several puzzles for me and made his learning freely available. He has also read the typescript and saved me from error. I am particularly indebted to William Spencer of The National Archives at Kew, who through the good offices of Mike Spurrier, provided details of John Daft’s military career; to Dr Neil Young of the Imperial War Museum, who unveiled (to me) of the mystery of the sinking of R.M.S.Leinster . Keith Warsop supplied the details of Daft’s association with Nottingham Forest Football Club. My thanks are also due to John Balfour, Kit Bartlett and John Ward for reading the proofs; to the staff of the Local Studies Library in the Central Library at Nottingham and the principal archivist who answered my enquiries over several months; to Peter Redfern of the Nottingham Family History Society; to the British Library’s Newspaper Library at Colindale; to Dawn Bradley of Skegness 138