I came upon this picture of the Chorlton-cum-Hardy Cricket Club last year, whilst researching my story about the first cricket matches in the area and who it was who played in them.
Thinking it could provide the basis of a future post I kept it on file and now, with more free time available and possibly because I’m yearning for a connection of any kind with sporting activity, I returned to it.
Intrigued I wondered who these people were who enjoyed the sport of cricket well over a century ago. In the annals of cricket, the Edwardian Age is often referred to as the “Golden Age”. Indeed, in his “Cricket a Way of Life – An Illustrated History of Cricket”, Christopher Martin-Jenkins includes a chapter covering this period entitled “The Champagne Years”
Looking afresh at this image it appears to show the “Committee” siting in the front row seats with the team and other members gathered around them. Although it is not possible to be certain it seems highly likely that one of the men on this front row would have been Mr. William Cole the club’s Vice-President and it’s representative at the funeral of the famous Lancashire and England Cricketer, Johnny Briggs 1 at Stretford Cemetery on 15th January, 1902.
Johnny Briggs cc 1895
Other candidates for those on the front bench are the club’s Secretary, Arthur W. Ward and the Fixture Secretary, Frederick Oakley Shirley.
The 1901 census shows that, Mr. WIlliam Cole, a professor of music, lived at “The Poplars”, 19, Edge Lane, Chorlton-cum-Hardy. He was born in 1847 in Pontefract, Yorkshire (West Riding). Arthur W. Ward, a 36 years old banker’s clerk, lived at 15, York Road with his father, Thomas, who worked as an accountant on the newly opened Manchester Ship Canal. Frederick Oakley Shirley, born in Brighouse, Yorkshire (West Riding) and also a banker’s clerk lodged at, 30, Stockton Road with his sister Lucy Ellen and brother-in-law, Norman Hargreaves Foulds
A cross-reference of the 1901 and 1911 censuses with contemporary match scorecards provides a further list of names, addresses and occupations of other individuals likely to have been in the photograph.
1) Ernest Buckland – 86, Wilbraham Road, a pianoforte tuner born in Halifax, Yorkshire (West Riding) in 1876.
2) Henty William Jupp – 20, Napier Road, a solicitor’s clerk born in 1874.
3) Reginald Wilcocks – 16, Edge Lane, a calico merchant’s clerk, born in Manchester in 1883.
4) Thomas M. Moate – 3, Barlow Moor Road, a cabinet maker’s designer, born in Manchester in 1871.
5) John Jenkinson Cockburn – 13, Cavendish Road, a bank clerk born in Ulverston, Lancashire in 1883.
6) Malcolm Turnbull Roy – 17, Whitelow Road, a traveler to an oil merchant, born in Manchester in 1876.
7) George G. Kirton – 27, Hawthorn Road, a clerk in a school “B” office, born in The Danish West Indies in 1872.
8) Charles P. Wright – 1, Edge Lane, a commercial clerk, born in Sale, Cheshire, in 1878.
9) Joseph H. Wright – 1, Edge Lane, a banker’s clerk, born in Sale, Cheshire in 1880. Brother of the above.
10) Harry Vosper – 7, Kensington Road, a clerk in a cloth agent, born in Broughton, Salford, Lancashire in 1873. Lodging with Mrs. Frances Speed, widow.
11) Charles Vosper – 114, Barton Road, Stretford, Lancashire, an office boy in a shipping house, also born in Broughton, Salford in 1876. The brother of the above both lived for a time at 15, Cross Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy.
12) Charles Arthur Harcombe – 2, Totnes Road a salesman born in Heaton Chapel, Lancashire in 1881.
13) Albert James Dobson – 66, Brundrett's Road, a commercial traveler in biscuits, born in Calstock, Cornwall in 1873.
14) Daniel H. Anderson – 72, Keppel Road (Lodging with the Halliday family), accounts clerk, born in Manchester in 1876.
15) John Lee Winchester – 38, Westwood Street, Moss Side, Lancashire, insurance clerk, born in Manchester in 1877.
16) C. W. Kingston – 14, Vicars Road, commission agent, born in Levenshulme, Lancashire in 1868.
17) William Hodgson – 710, Chester Road, Stretford, Lancashire, Publican - “The Dog and Partridge” born in Cartmel, Lancashire in 1854.
The “ground” on Hardy Lane as it is today
The groundsman for both Chorlton-cum-Hardy Cricket Club and, in the winter months, the Lacrosse Club which shared its ground on Hardy Lane was one George Herbert Hunt. He may well have been included on this photograph. On the evening of 26th August, 1905, he was badly injured whilst travelling on a horse-bus from Chorlton Green to Brook’s Bar. The horse-bus, driven by Willim Dawson, collided with an electric tramcar on Upper Chorlton Road.
In a subsequent court case, reported in the Manchester Evening News on 23rd October, 1905, the driver, who was alleged to have been drunk, was found guilty and sentenced to one-month imprisonment with hard labour on a charge of causing grievous bodily harm. George Herbert’s injuries necessitated the amputation of one of his legs bringing to an end his cricketing career. The Manchester Evening News further reported on 16th November, 1905 that George Herbert had been awarded £400 personal injuries damages by the Sheriff’s jury at the Manchester Assize Court. Mr. Hunt, who was born in Manchester in 1857, lived at 20, Essex Street, Old Trafford, Stretford.
Finally, I am aware that women also play cricket 2 and there are a number of ladies included in the pictured group; however, limits of space and time preclude their inclusion. I am particularly curious about the identity of the young girl in the right foreground, which may form the basis of a future post.
To those who appreciate the History of “our summer game” watch out for a coming investigation of Chorlton-cum-Hardy's 1930 team photograph.
©Tony Goulding 2020
Location; Chorlton
Pictures; sourced by Tony Goulding, other than, Chorlton-cum-Hardy Cricket Club, 1901, m83967, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass
Notes:
1) Johnny Briggs was a successful and very popular cricketer for Lancashire and England (1879-1900). He was the first bowler in cricket history to have taken 100 test wickets. Over 2,000 people attended his funeral. He died, said to be of epilepsy, tragically young aged just 39 at the Cheadle Royal Asylum which, coincidentally I have recently written of in another context.
2) Cricket matches involving ladies were very common in the Edwardian era, however they were often not taken very seriously. On 6th June, 1900 when North-East Manchester Cricket Club staged a match between 17 ladies and 11 gentlemen the Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser noted in its usual chauvinistic style that the "gentlemen used broomsticks and fielded left-handed"
 |
| Chorlton-cum-Hardy Cricket Club, 1901 |
Intrigued I wondered who these people were who enjoyed the sport of cricket well over a century ago. In the annals of cricket, the Edwardian Age is often referred to as the “Golden Age”. Indeed, in his “Cricket a Way of Life – An Illustrated History of Cricket”, Christopher Martin-Jenkins includes a chapter covering this period entitled “The Champagne Years”
Looking afresh at this image it appears to show the “Committee” siting in the front row seats with the team and other members gathered around them. Although it is not possible to be certain it seems highly likely that one of the men on this front row would have been Mr. William Cole the club’s Vice-President and it’s representative at the funeral of the famous Lancashire and England Cricketer, Johnny Briggs 1 at Stretford Cemetery on 15th January, 1902.
Johnny Briggs cc 1895
 |
| Johnny Briggs cc 1895 |
Other candidates for those on the front bench are the club’s Secretary, Arthur W. Ward and the Fixture Secretary, Frederick Oakley Shirley.
The 1901 census shows that, Mr. WIlliam Cole, a professor of music, lived at “The Poplars”, 19, Edge Lane, Chorlton-cum-Hardy. He was born in 1847 in Pontefract, Yorkshire (West Riding). Arthur W. Ward, a 36 years old banker’s clerk, lived at 15, York Road with his father, Thomas, who worked as an accountant on the newly opened Manchester Ship Canal. Frederick Oakley Shirley, born in Brighouse, Yorkshire (West Riding) and also a banker’s clerk lodged at, 30, Stockton Road with his sister Lucy Ellen and brother-in-law, Norman Hargreaves Foulds
A cross-reference of the 1901 and 1911 censuses with contemporary match scorecards provides a further list of names, addresses and occupations of other individuals likely to have been in the photograph.
1) Ernest Buckland – 86, Wilbraham Road, a pianoforte tuner born in Halifax, Yorkshire (West Riding) in 1876.
2) Henty William Jupp – 20, Napier Road, a solicitor’s clerk born in 1874.
3) Reginald Wilcocks – 16, Edge Lane, a calico merchant’s clerk, born in Manchester in 1883.
4) Thomas M. Moate – 3, Barlow Moor Road, a cabinet maker’s designer, born in Manchester in 1871.
5) John Jenkinson Cockburn – 13, Cavendish Road, a bank clerk born in Ulverston, Lancashire in 1883.
6) Malcolm Turnbull Roy – 17, Whitelow Road, a traveler to an oil merchant, born in Manchester in 1876.
7) George G. Kirton – 27, Hawthorn Road, a clerk in a school “B” office, born in The Danish West Indies in 1872.
8) Charles P. Wright – 1, Edge Lane, a commercial clerk, born in Sale, Cheshire, in 1878.
9) Joseph H. Wright – 1, Edge Lane, a banker’s clerk, born in Sale, Cheshire in 1880. Brother of the above.
10) Harry Vosper – 7, Kensington Road, a clerk in a cloth agent, born in Broughton, Salford, Lancashire in 1873. Lodging with Mrs. Frances Speed, widow.
11) Charles Vosper – 114, Barton Road, Stretford, Lancashire, an office boy in a shipping house, also born in Broughton, Salford in 1876. The brother of the above both lived for a time at 15, Cross Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy.
12) Charles Arthur Harcombe – 2, Totnes Road a salesman born in Heaton Chapel, Lancashire in 1881.
13) Albert James Dobson – 66, Brundrett's Road, a commercial traveler in biscuits, born in Calstock, Cornwall in 1873.
14) Daniel H. Anderson – 72, Keppel Road (Lodging with the Halliday family), accounts clerk, born in Manchester in 1876.
15) John Lee Winchester – 38, Westwood Street, Moss Side, Lancashire, insurance clerk, born in Manchester in 1877.
16) C. W. Kingston – 14, Vicars Road, commission agent, born in Levenshulme, Lancashire in 1868.
17) William Hodgson – 710, Chester Road, Stretford, Lancashire, Publican - “The Dog and Partridge” born in Cartmel, Lancashire in 1854.
The “ground” on Hardy Lane as it is today
 |
| The "ground" on Hardy Lane as it is today |
In a subsequent court case, reported in the Manchester Evening News on 23rd October, 1905, the driver, who was alleged to have been drunk, was found guilty and sentenced to one-month imprisonment with hard labour on a charge of causing grievous bodily harm. George Herbert’s injuries necessitated the amputation of one of his legs bringing to an end his cricketing career. The Manchester Evening News further reported on 16th November, 1905 that George Herbert had been awarded £400 personal injuries damages by the Sheriff’s jury at the Manchester Assize Court. Mr. Hunt, who was born in Manchester in 1857, lived at 20, Essex Street, Old Trafford, Stretford.
Finally, I am aware that women also play cricket 2 and there are a number of ladies included in the pictured group; however, limits of space and time preclude their inclusion. I am particularly curious about the identity of the young girl in the right foreground, which may form the basis of a future post.
To those who appreciate the History of “our summer game” watch out for a coming investigation of Chorlton-cum-Hardy's 1930 team photograph.
©Tony Goulding 2020
Location; Chorlton
Pictures; sourced by Tony Goulding, other than, Chorlton-cum-Hardy Cricket Club, 1901, m83967, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass
Notes:
1) Johnny Briggs was a successful and very popular cricketer for Lancashire and England (1879-1900). He was the first bowler in cricket history to have taken 100 test wickets. Over 2,000 people attended his funeral. He died, said to be of epilepsy, tragically young aged just 39 at the Cheadle Royal Asylum which, coincidentally I have recently written of in another context.
2) Cricket matches involving ladies were very common in the Edwardian era, however they were often not taken very seriously. On 6th June, 1900 when North-East Manchester Cricket Club staged a match between 17 ladies and 11 gentlemen the Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser noted in its usual chauvinistic style that the "gentlemen used broomsticks and fielded left-handed"
Proud to say i played cricket at south west mcr cc on ellesmere Rd chorlton for 10 yrs in junior and senior level. Finished with the first team before moving on in 86..........
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