 Town and University teams of Cambridge 1847 by Felix (Permission of MCC Museum) |
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Welcome |
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My name is Willie Sugg. I have been researching Cambridgeshire cricket of the 18th and 19th centuries for about 10 years. I have written three books: "A Tradition Unshared" and "The Cambridge Cricket Club Era", and Fenner's Men". A few copies of the first two are still available. The third, covers the period 1822-48 and is only just out. Please email me if you would like a copy. Just £5. I hope you find this site interesting and enjoyable. Do please send your comments. |
Gallery
My major dissappointment when I began looking on the net for cricket items was the lack of illustrations from before 1900. In a tiny bid to correct that deficit I am planning to place what pictures I have relating to 18th and 19th century Cambridgeshire cricket on this site for anyone interested to see. Click on "gallery" above to see the beginnings of this process.
The First Cambridgeshire Sides
If you click on "The First Cambridgeshire Sides" above you will find a discussion on which team should rightfully be considered the first official Cambridgeshire side. Please have a look. I would love to receive comments on this subject
Felix or Boning?
Somewhat belatedly I have recently consulted Gerald Brodribb's "The Art of Nicholas Felix". The most intriguing find so far is Brodribb's assertion that Felix included a self-portrait in his group portrait of the Cambridge Town and University teams. When I first saw the picture in question (see top of this page) I thought, like Brodribb, that the player on the right-hand edge of the centre group was indeed the artist as this portrait looked so similar to that of Felix in the All England Eleven picture.
Subsequently, however, I received a copy of a caption for the Cambridge picture which identified the portrait as being of John Boning of the Cambridge Town and County side.
It would certainly have been odd had Boning been excluded from this picture as he was a mainstay of the club throughout its existence. On the other hand I would have expected the author of more than one book on Felix to recognise his subject. Can anyone help?
Then and Now
With the help of my friend Michael I have recently been taking photographs of places associated with 18th & 19th century cricket in Cambridge. Below right is an attempt to recreate the view shown in 1854. Cricket is still played on the same area of Parker's Piece, especially at weekends, although the activity shown in the distance in our photograph is kids from the local Parkside School in their break time. There are more similar comparisons to come including the site of the first University Club private ground, the Hoop Hotel and Fenner's.
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1854 Parker's Piece, Cambridge
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1830 The Hoop Hotel, Cambridge 2009 |
Home of the Hoop Cricket Club 1827-30
The Hoop Hotel unfortunately is no more although the upper facade is still clear to see.
For more comparisons see the gallery page.
18th century page
I am currently updating this site to give more details of the events of the period 1710-1848. See the new "18th century" page for a run-down of every match and event related to Cambridgeshire cricket during that century that I know of. It will take a little while to complete this process for the years 1800-48 so please bear with me if the "research so far" page suddenly lurches from detail to summary mode.
Saffron Walden
Although not in Cambridgeshire, Essex club Saffron Walden played an important part in the development of Cambridgeshire cricket. In 1757 it played Cambridge in the latter's first recorded match. Due to their proximity the two clubs met more often than Cambridge played other Cambridgeshire clubs until well into the 1800's. This year sees the 150th anniversary of Saffron Walden CC. David Barr is currently compiling a club history and I would be happy to pass on to him any contributions.
Women in Cambridgeshire cricket
I would still love to hear from anyone who has memories or stories of women in and around Cambridgeshire cricket.
Huntingdonshire Town & County Club
I am currently researching 19th century matches involving Huntingdonshire, which although now lumped in with Cambridgeshire was, of course a county in its own right in the times that I am interested in. As with Cambridge in the 1840's Huntingdon had a Town and County Club. Unlike the Cambridge T&CC, however, The Huntingdon club seems to have regarded itself as the legitimate county Club even though through the 1830's and 40's it did not play other county sides.
I would be interested in hearing from anyone about other "Town & County Clubs" as they seem to have been a feature of the mid-19th century and I would like to gain a better feel for how the Cambridge T&CC saw itself and what its expectations are likely to have been.