Thomas Edgington. Cricketer??

[coombs]

Hi

My 3xgreat grandfather Thomas Edgington 1822-1885 was a rail labourer in 1851 but in 1861 and 1881 censuses he says he was a cricketer. When his son James married in 1878 he said his father was a professional cricketer and when Thomas died in 1885 the cert said he was a cricketer.

He lived in St Peter Le Bailey, Oxford City most of his life. He was born in Wootton, Berkshire.

Is there any way I can find out more info on his cricketing career?

Ben

[oleg_mcnoleg]

i've just tried the Cricket Archive for Edgington's ...

http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/cgi-bin/ask_the_player_oracle.cgi

sadly there were no obvious matches to Thomas.

However, back then cricket wasn't the organised sport it is now. The County Championship wasn't formalised until well into the 1870's, although County clubs had been around for some 30-40 years previously playing challenge matches.

Professional cricketers, certainly before the mid-victorian time, earned their living playing in make up matches - typically where there was money at stake -  it may well be that it was in this environment that he featured.

Whilst players did play to extraordinary ages back then I think he must've been quite outstanding if he was still earning a living from the game in his sixties. It may be worth a trawl of Oxford's local leagues to see if his name appears anywhere there.

I'll have a look in a few other sources and see if the name Edgington crops up.

[coombs]

Hi

Thanks. As you said he may have just played for a local team.

Ben