"Cricket Scores" (title in MS on upper cover). Album of newspaper clippings
Charterhouse School: 1871. Hardcover. Dates: 1871-1877 and 1910. Small 4to. 37 ff., mostly with newspaper clippings neatly pasted in on both sides + 4 ff. in manuscript ("Summary of Scores" from 1871-1877 and 1910). Several leaves excised; it is possible that the present album had been re-purposed. On a few of the stubs appear fragmentary MS notations suggesting that the notebook may have once been divided alphabetically. We find on certain stubs "Ai" followed immediately by "Ao" and then several leaves later: "Her. - Hes" followed by "Io." Binding rebacked with smooth calf. In very good condition. Very good. Item #2437
Highly interesting homemade album of Cricket Scores, available nowhere else, specifically documenting the triumphs of three young members of the Blomfield family, namely: E.G. (Edward George), C.J. (Charles James), and R.T. (Reginald Theodore). One wonders if the present album was created in order to promote friendly competition between the brothers, two of whom went to Haileybury School, and one went to Charterhouse; all three went up to Oxford. There are scores and game synopsis of matches were between Haileybury, Charterhouse, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), Westminster, Trinity College Oxon., Exeter Oxon., and more. One of the more interesting features about the album is that it provides a fascinating record of one family's love of the game:
¶ Edward George (1853-1885) entered Charterhouse School London in 1865 (and transfer upon the School's removal to Godalming in 1872); in 1873 he went to Trinity College Oxon. where he earned a B.A. in 1877 and M.A. in 1879; thereafter he served as Curate of St. Mary's Portsea until 1883, and then Vicar of St. Mark's Woolston until his death in London in 1885.
¶ Charles James (1855-1928) went to Haileybury School; he underwent military training at Sandhurst and served as an army officer in India, Sudan, and Natal. He attained the rank of Major General before his retirement in 1917. NB: this individual is not to be confused with a noted architect of the same name (b. 1862, d. 1932).
¶ Reginald Theodore (1856-1942) also went to Haileybury School; he earned his B.A. from Exeter, Oxon. in 1880 and M.A. in 1884. He became an architect and was knighted in 1919. He is remembered mainly for his work designing British war memorials.
¶ The parents of the three young men were Rev. George John and his first cousin Isabella Blomfield, of Bow, Devonshire, whose own father (Charles James Blomfield) was Bishop of London.
¶ At the end is a "Summary of Scores" for the years 1871-1877. Following this, in a different hand, is the year 1910; although the initial of the last name, "B[lomfield]" remains the same, the other initials belong to Reginald Thomas and his two sons, H[enry] G[eorge] and A[ustin].
¶ See Stedman, Charterhouse Register 1872-1900, passim. CATALOGUER'S NOTE: We are grateful to Catherine Smith, Archivist of Charterhouse School, for much useful information concerning the Blomfield Family.
Price: $720.00