Cricket "Test series", Monmouth v Dean Foresters, 1839 (General)

by Jefff @, West London, Middlesex, Monday, December 09, 2013, 19:34 (3996 days ago)

Whilst listening last-night to another cricket match downunder, I found this old newspaper report which I hope is of interest, relating to what appears to be a far more important "international Test series" from way back.

Reported by the Monmouthshire Merlin of 24th August 1839.

"CRICKET.
The return Cricket Match between the Monmouth and Forest of Dean Clubs, came off at Monmouth, on Monday last. The ground was not very favourable, on account of the heavy rains which had fallen during the preceding night. Upon this occasion, the Forest of Dean men won in one innings: the score was as under. The two clubs being now even, another game will be played at St. Briavels on Monday next.

FOREST OF DEAN. — FIRST INNINGS.
Nicholls ........... 11 Caught, Jones.
Roberts,sen ...... 3 Bowled, Jones.
Richman ............8 Bowled, W.Wanklyn.
Crawshay .........12 Run out.
Phillpotts ..........2 Bowled, W.Wanklyn.
W. Roberts,jun ..3 Leg before wicket.
Coke ................1 Run out.
Brickdale ..........0 Bowled, W.Wanklyn.
Newmarsh ........2 Not out.
Curre ...............4 Bowled, W.Jones.
Machen ............4 Bowled, W.Wanklyn.
Byes ...............2
TOTAL: ...........52

MONMOUTH. -
FIRST INNINGS......................................SECOND INNINGS.
W. Wanklyn ....5 Leg before wicket. .........2 Bowled, Richman.
E. Wanklyn .....4 Stumped out, Nicholls. ...0 Ditto, ditto.
Bellamy .........1 Caught, Nicholls. ...........0 Not out.
Jones ............0 Bowled, Richman. ..........2 Leg before wicket.
E. Wall ..........1 Caught, Machen. ............0 Bowled, Richman.
King ..............1 Leg before wicket. .........1 Bowled, Nicholls.
Rolls ..............1 Bowled, Nicholls. ..........6 Ct., Roberts,jun.
Whitehouse ....2 caught, Newmarsh. .......0 Bowled, Nicholls.
Nicholas .........1 Caught, Roberts. ..........2 Bowled, Richman.
T. George .......0 Not out. ......................6 Ct., Roberts,sen.
Long ............10 Caught, Nicholls. ..........1 Caught, Machen.
Byes .............1 ...................................3
TOTALS: ........28.....................................23

http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3393003/ART27/cricket%20dean

The Merlin was published and printed in Monmouth by: Charles Hough (1829- ca.1835), John Nash (ca.1835), Edward Dowling (ca.1835-1858) and William Christopher (ca.1858-1884).

I hope to find out a lot more about this match and the players, but at first glance it appears the teams are largely madeup of prominent local "gentleman" as might be expected given the date eg Crawshay, Machen, Rolls. I see the Roberts name well-represented in the Dean side, a name also prominent in the history of our club Cinderford St Johns formed 1880.

WANKLYN William, Monmouth cricketer in 1839

by Jefff @, West London, Middlesex, Monday, December 09, 2013, 20:38 (3996 days ago) @ Jefff

The surname Wanklyn(also Wanklin/Wanklen etc) is new to me. From this site's relatively few such PRs we can find the following likely candidates for Monmouth's openers, particularly "demon" bowler William:

Record_ID: 404567
Entry_Number:
Year: 1815
Month: Feb
Day: 15
Parents_Surname: WANKLYN
Child_Forenames: William
Fathers_Forenames: Thomas
Mothers_Forenames: Anne
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Ambirley
Occupation: farmer
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference:
Page_Number:
Parish_Chapel: Monmouth
Soundex: W524

Record_ID: 107798
Entry_Number:
Year: 1848
Month: Oct
Day: 19
Grooms_Surname: WANKLYN
Grooms_Forenames: William
Grooms_Age: 0
Groom_Condition: bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: solicitor
Grooms_Residence: of this parish
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Wanklyn
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Thomas
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: farmer
Brides_Surname: HOWE
Brides_Forenames: Eliza Amelia
Brides_Age: 0
Brides_Condition: spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: of this parish
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Howe
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Charles
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: draper
Licence_or_Banns: Licence
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: John Powles
Witness_2: Cath Evans
Other_Witnesses: Henriette Loveridge
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Marriage
Memoranda: 4th witness - Mary Anna Cooke
Notes:
Register_Reference:
Page_Number:
Parish_Chapel: Monmouth
Soundex_Groom: W524
Soundex_Bride: H000

Record_ID: 309552
Entry_Number:
Year: 1858
Month: Dec
Day: 1
Surname: WANKLYN
Forenames: William
Residence: Monmouth
Age_at_death: 43
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference:
Page_No:
Parish_Chapel: Monmouth
Soundex: W524


I wonder why William died so young, an accident perhaps ?. I cannot fnd an Inquest for him on the FoD site.
??

=================================

THANKS to Mike for the helpful reply, how sad they both died so young.
Sorry for upsetting the flow of the thread by splitting this oversized post into two before I spotted your reply.

WANKLYN, Monmouth cricketers in 1839

by Mike Pinchin @, Bedford, England, Monday, December 09, 2013, 23:19 (3996 days ago) @ Jefff

From the National Probate Calendar for 1858:-

12th May. The Will of Thomas Endell Wanklyn late of Hadnock in the Parish of Dixton in the County of Monmouth Gentleman deceased who died 6th March 1858 at Hadnock aforesaid was proved at the Principle Registry by the oaths of Philip Endell Wanklyn of Monmouth in the said county Gentleman the brother and Thomas Joseph Addams Williams of the same place Solicitor the Executors. ("According to the tenor of the said Will" is added by hand after the entry.) Effects under £3000.

From the National Probate Calendar for 1859:-

13th May. The Will of William Wanklyn late of the Town of Monmouth in the County of Monmouth Attorney at Law and Solicitor deceased who died 28th November 1858 at Monmouth aforesaid was proved at the Principal (sic) Registry by the oath of Philip Endell Wanklyn of Dixton in the said County Gentleman the Brother and one of the Executors. Effects under £800.

Not much extra information except to confirm they were all brothers and that they died 9 months apart. (And one was worth more than the other, I suppose. £2500 might be the equivalent of £100,000 or more today).

WANKLYN E, Monmouth cricketer in 1839

by Jefff @, West London, Middlesex, Monday, December 09, 2013, 23:43 (3996 days ago) @ Jefff

Who was "E.Wanklyn" ?, Endall perhaps ?.
I cannot find any better matches including searching Deaths on FreeBMD. He was always likely to be related to William, in this case a brother it seems;

Record_ID: 404708
Entry_Number:
Year: 1816
Month: May
Day: 17
Parents_Surname: WANKLYN
Child_Forenames: Phillip Endall
Fathers_Forenames: Thomas
Mothers_Forenames: Anne
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: of this parish
Occupation: Gent
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference:
Page_Number:
Parish_Chapel: Monmouth
Soundex: W524


"England and Wales Census, 1881"
Name: Philip Endell Wanklyn
Age (Original): 64
Gender: Female
Birth Year: 1817
Birthplace: Monmouth, Monmouthshire, England
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Land Valuer & Surveyor
Address: Dixton Cottage Dixton Rd
Event Place: Dixton-Newton, Monmouthshire, England
Disability:
Record Type: Household
GS Film number: 1342259
Affiliate Publication Number: RG11
Piece/Folio: 5229 / 38
Page Number: 2
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Philip Endell Wanklyn F 64 Monmouth, Monmouthshire, England
Wife Elizabeth Wanklyn F 55 Greenwich, Kent, England
Son Philip Endell Wanklyn M 30 Monmouth, Monmouthshire, England
Daughter Elizabeth Ann Wanklyn F 27 Monmouth, Monmouthshire, England
Servant Emily Williams F 21 Llandenny, Monmouthshire, England
Servant Annie Elizabeth Trice F 14 Peterstow, Herefordshire, England

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XQ3Z-RSF


From the Cardiff Times of 1st May 1886;

"MONMOUTH.
DEATH OF THE BOROUGH SURVKYOR.—
The death is announced of Mr Phillip Endell Wanklyn, which occurred at his residence, Dixon, on Easter Sunday, in his 78th year. Mr Wanklyn practised as a surveyor, and for many years had acted as actuary of the Monmouth Savings Bank. About eight years ago he succeeded Councillor Charles Morgan as borough surveyor and nuisance inspector. He leaves a wife and two children."

http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3423065/ART214/monmouth%20wanklyn

Their parents' likely Marriage;

Record_ID: 98389
Entry_Number:
Year: 1804
Month: Feb
Day: 9
Grooms_Surname: WANKLYN
Grooms_Forenames: Thomas
Grooms_Age:
Groom_Condition: bachelor
Grooms_Occupation:
Grooms_Residence: of this parish
Grooms_Fathers_Surname:
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames:
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation:
Brides_Surname: MORGAN
Brides_Forenames: Ann
Brides_Age:
Brides_Condition: spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: of this parish
Brides_Fathers_Surname:
Brides_Fathers_Forenames:
Brides_Fathers_Occupation:
Licence_or_Banns: Licence
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: James Hardwick
Witness_2: Elizabeth Wanklyn
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference:
Page_Number:
Parish_Chapel: Monmouth
Soundex_Groom: W524


-----

Or maybe this is "E.Wanklyn", although different parents than William so less likely methinks ??

Record_ID: 423356
Entry_Number:
Year: 1812
Month: Dec
Day: 30
Parents_Surname: WANKLYN
Child_Forenames: Thomas Endell
Fathers_Forenames: Thomas
Mothers_Forenames: Mary
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: born 28 Dec 1812
Notes:
Register_Reference:
Page_Number:
Parish_Chapel: Monmouth
Soundex: W524

Record_ID: 81332
Entry_Number:
Year: 1853
Month: Aug
Day: 4
Grooms_Surname: WANKLYN
Grooms_Forenames: Thomas Endell
Grooms_Age: Full Age
Groom_Condition: batchelor
Grooms_Occupation: Gent
Grooms_Residence: Dixton
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Wankly
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Thomas
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Gent
Brides_Surname: EVANS
Brides_Forenames: Elizabeth Henrietta
Brides_Age: Full Age
Brides_Condition: spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: of this parish
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Evans
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Thomas Alton
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: officer
Licence_or_Banns: Licence
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: Thos Mills
Witness_2: Eliza Morgan
Other_Witnesses: Chas Morgan
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes: other witness - Henrietta Miller
Register_Reference:
Page_Number:
Parish_Chapel: Chepstow
Soundex_Groom: W524
Soundex_Bride: E152

Record_ID: 309493
Entry_Number:
Year: 1858
Month: Mar
Day: 9
Surname: WANKLYN
Forenames: Thomas Endell
Residence: Hadnock Dixton
Age_at_death: 45
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference:
Page_No:
Parish_Chapel: Monmouth
Soundex: W524

(Also died so young, like William, AND in 1858 too - but why ?).

Cricket "Test series", Monmouth v Dean Foresters, 1839

by downunder @, Monday, December 09, 2013, 23:17 (3996 days ago) @ Jefff

Thanks for a great story Jefff from one cricket fan to another.

I'm sure Mitchell Johnson would enjoy it too......(no, only kidding!)

xx

Cricket "Test series", Monmouth v Dean Foresters, 1839

by Jefff @, West London, Middlesex, Tuesday, December 10, 2013, 01:52 (3996 days ago) @ downunder

Thanks, you're most kind. But who's this Johnson fellow you mention, means nowt to me ?.
He can't be the same man I saw a few years back, that one was FAR quieter on the field, except when leading the community singing of course.
;-)

===============

Back to more important playing fields, it seems the fiery Foresters may have been the beginning of the end for Monmouth cricket, judging by this report from the Cardiff Times of 6th June 1874.

"MONMOUTH.
CRICKET.— This manly game seems to be on the wane in Monmouth.
The little town used to turn out a couple of capital teams. On Thursday Chepstow beat the Monmouth Drybridge Club by nine wickets, and on Saturday Hereford College beat the Monmouth Grammar School eleven by ten wickets. In the first named match, Drybridge v. Chepstow, the former team could muster only nine men, and each of the Monmouth clubs (thanks to the generosity of Mr. C. H. Crompton Robert) has a professional bowler."

http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3386607/ART9/monmouth%20forest%20cricket

N.B. Mr C.H. Crompton-Roberts was born Charles Henry Roberts in March 1832. He was a British landowner and politician. He was briefly a Member of Parliament before his election was annulled in 1880, and was a substantial contributor to the amenities and community of Monmouth in Wales. After dying at his London home his funeral was held at Rockfield Church, Monmouth, on 19 November 1891.

Much more detail here
http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/Charles_Henry_Crompton-Roberts

-------------

The Welsh newspapers website has several articles detailing England's cricket tours to Australia - despite there being no obvious Forest links I thought this one the most interesting and worth a mention given recent events.
I'm proud to say the good doctor, W.G.Grace, was a son of Gloucestershire and the sport's first international superstar. Born into a large cricket-mad family, his father a founding member of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, the family were key to their early success - William Gilbert and two Grace siblings became the first-ever instance of three brothers playing in the same Test match.
This should be interesting reading for cricket fans,
http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/440091.html
http://maninblue1947.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/40-f-bristolgccc-25-08-2013.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._G._Grace

"He evolved his own technique to deal with balls that could shoot along the deck or scream head-high: he stood outside leg stump, waited with his bat waist-high (which became fashionable again a century later) and was willing to push runs with a straight bat on the leg side, which the classicists disdained. His secrets seem to have been a quick eye, strength, concentration, a light bat, and amazing confidence (he rarely wore a box)."

I suspect he will have been turning in his grave these last few nights, as will subsequent Glosters such as Hammond and Graveney ...... even this mediocre "batsman" knows the best way to play short bowling is to dodge it wherever possible, which is most of the time; not send catches to fielders when trying to score runs won't help tie the match. Yes MJ is quick, very, but in my playing days most County sides had an equally-fast bowler or even two, why are we so unprepared now ....grrr.

Mind, as this article shows, despite all his great qualities, those pesky colonials forced even the great W.G. to adopt new protective headgear, outrageous !!!

From the Aberdare Times of 16th January 1892,

"DR. GRACE IN AUSTRALIA.
The exchanges in by the Australian mail are full of W.G. Grace's magnificent performance with the bat in Melbourne at the end of November, when he went in first and carried out his bat for 159. The ovation he received on returning to the pavilion was, unparalleled in enthusiasm. A curious little incident occurred when the score reached 215. W.G., finding that his orthodox cricket-cap did not afford sufficient protection from the fierce rays of the Australian sun, sent to the pavilion for an Australian broad-brimmed white tile, and when he donned this unaccustomed headgear cheers and laughter were heard all around the densely-packed oval.
Blackham, the Victorian captain and famous wicket-keeper, talking to a Melbourne Herald reporter about W.G.'s innings, said "The old man has very seldom played a better innings. His placing to leg was simply wonderful. And no one was better pleased to see it than myself. If any of them were to make runs we'd rather see W.G. make them. I It was a great feat, mind you, that of his carrying his bat right through."
The Herald adds that W.G. and Briggs are the contrast of the English team, and Grace seems fond of emphasising it at every opportunity. He walks close up to the little man when crossing the pitch, and when the team was being photographed Grace objected to Briggs sitting anywhere but between his knees, and so they were "tuk."
Asked whether he approved of an early visit of an Australian eleven to England, W.G. replied in the negative, unless, he added, "you can get a very good team together; something better than the last you sent." The champion's impression is that it would be well for the colonies to refrain from dispatching an eleven to England for the next two or three seasons. Then they ought to come to the old country with the best team possible."

http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3028362/ART18/australia%20cricket%20grace

N.B. Spin bowler Johnny BRIGGS was short, even for his day, at under 5'4". At his first class debut aged just sixteen Grace was already 6'2"(1.88 m) tall and 11st(70 kg), he was a huge man in his prime.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Briggs_(cricketer)

Cricket "Test series", Monmouth v Dean Foresters, 1839

by downunder @, Tuesday, December 10, 2013, 03:42 (3996 days ago) @ Jefff

What fabulous links. I've had a wonderful time browsing. Thank you.

xx

William and Endell WANKLYN, Monmouth in 1841

by slowhands @, proud of his ancient Dean Forest roots, Tuesday, December 10, 2013, 09:09 (3996 days ago) @ Jefff


1841 Amberley
Elizabeth Morgan abt 1777 Monmouthshire, Wales Monmouth, Monmouthshire
Elizabeth Wankbyn abt 1806 Monmouthshire, Wales Monmouth, Monmouthshire
William Wankbyn abt 1815 Monmouthshire, Wales Monmouth, Monmouthshire Attorney
Endell Wankbyn abt 1816 Monmouthshire, Wales Monmouth, Monmouthshire farmer

1851 Hadnock House
Thos E Wanklyn abt 1813 Monmouthshire, Wales Head Dixton Hadnock, Monmouthshire Farmer

--
Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

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