This extract is copied from the Thornbury Cricket Club Centenary Handbook 1871 – 1971 with the kind permission of Thornbury Cricket Club
“There can be no doubt at all that there were TWO cricket clubs in existence in Thornbury before 1850 for at a General Meeting of the Thornbury and the Thornbury Phoenix Cricket Clubs, held on September 6th, 1850, the elected Committee resolved that a union of the two clubs should take place and that the new Club should be called the Thornbury United Cricket Club.
It was not, however, until twenty years later during the winter of 1870/1 that Thornbury Cricket Club as we know it to-day was re-formed at a meeting presided over by Mr. Herbert Jenner-Fust, who captained the first- ever Cambridge XI in 1827, while Dr. Edward Mills Grace was elected not only secretary and treasurer but also captain.
Often known as The Little Doctor’ to distinguish him from his tall younger brother, Gilbert (W.G.), E. M. Grace was the life and soul of the club, both on and off the field, and with him in the team the cricket was always bright and interesting. Thornbury hardly ever scratched a match, although at times, especially when playing away, some difficulty was experienced in raising a team. But in such circumstances if they could get two or three players together they would start off, generally managing to complete the side on the way!
E.M. was undoubtedly the best player in the team and was practically the club itself. In 1871 he scored 102 not out against Lansdown and in the return game 140, while against Bedminster he was undefeated with 202. The following year, the Club’s first season on the present ground at ‘The Ship’ at Alveston – where the first-ever match was halted by rain! – he enjoyed his best season ever as a batsman.
From these beginnings Thornbury Cricket Club prospered and an account is to be found in the late S. Ashley-Cooper’s book, ‘Edward Mills Grace – Cricketer’, which was published in 1916. Although it includes quite a lot about E.M.’s career in first-class cricket it also contained several references to Thornbury C.C.
During this period opponents were extremely strong and included such teams as Gloucester, Bath, Newport, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Lansdown and Stroud, as well as such famous Bristol clubs as Bedminster, Frenchay, Stapleton and Westbury.
At that time the local rules for The Ship ground were really remarkable. The boundaries were four all round except for byes, which scored only two as it was deemed too close to the wicket to earn a four – a lucky break for a poor wicketkeeper. Six was scored only for a hit completely out of the ground – if it hit an obstacle such as a tree or a wall, and bounced back, it was only four. This is said to have originated when W. G. Grace was caught off the wall and refused to go out so that now a catch made off a tree is ‘not out’ but counts for four runs. The wickets were pitched north to south, a little nearer south than the middle, with the result that the slow bowlers bowled down from the Ship end to obtain more space for a catch, while the fast bowlers used the garage end, although it was up a very slight slope. Tom Richardson, the Surrey and England fast bowler, used to shove off from the garage wall when commencing his run up. In one season during the early days they experimented by pitching the stumps east to west but found the difficulty of facing the sun directly behind the bowler’s arm in late afternoon too much of a handicap.
Originally there were four low windows and one high one in the south wall, giving light to a carpenter’s workshop attached to his house and these windows were only broken on ten occasions over nearly 100 years. R. P. Keigwin, the Cambridge quadruple ‘Blue’ and Essex and Gloucestershire batsman, who played for Thornbury for 20 seasons, did his best to break one, but only succeeded in hitting the lintel and came to the conclusion that it was an impossible feat. The carpenter’s house has now been enlarged and elevated and the new windows occasionally suffer.
The elms standing at each side of the Ship gate grew to enormous proportions and to a great height and people would not believe E.M. when he said that he had hit a ball over them. This was, of course, before they had grown to their full height. About 1900 the elms were struck by lightning during a thunderstorm and the top halves crashed to the ground, killing at least 20 sheep which were sheltering under the branches. The elms were eventually felled in 1970, being unsafe with disease.
Another remarkable thunderstorm in the early thirties occurred during a Bank Holiday match. The wind came in terrific gusts and while the teams were sheltering from the torrential rain they saw the tall flagstaff bend, almost touching the ground, and whip back into the upright!
At first the square was very small and many pitches had to be used three or more times, but as the number of matches increased it was found necessary to enlarge it. Sheep dealt faithfully with the outfield but unfortunately during the first war hay was made on the field as no cricket was played and weeds increased rapidly with the result that the outfield became riddled with daisies and plantains and much heavy work had to be put in on the square.
In 1919 amalgamation of the Thornbury Club and the Thornbury Castle C.C. took place as there was no demand for two separate clubs. The separation had come in 1880 when the Thornbury 2nd XI became Thornbury Castle C.C. Edward Stafford-Howard owned the Castle and lived there, laying out a lovely ground in an adjoining meadow. The ground was a perfect setting for village cricket, with the Church and the Castle to the south and Oldbury church and the mighty Severn to the north, while a large cover adjoined the west called ‘The Conyge’, and on the east a private drive and meadow. The square was well kept, but the turf had no depth on the Thornbury rock so that in dry weather the wicket became very fiery and dangerous.
A reasonable corrugated iron pavilion stood on the north side, sheltered by high elms, while the playing area was surrounded by iron railings with ornamental trees dotted here and there . In the late nineties and early 1900s a strong team was built up.
In 1919 a circular letter was sent out to all members concerning the proposed amalgamation and it was further suggested that a second eleven be formed and that all home matches be played on the Ship ground. Not surprisingly the merger was agreed to and a club emblem was adopted – the Staffordshire Knot of Thornbury Castle on a background of Thornbury blue.
There was another amalgamation in 1929 when the club merged with the newly-formed Thornbury Town Club. In 1931 Mr. J. G. Wicks presented the club with a flag and pole – previously referred to – and it was hoisted by Mrs. Wicks on August 1.
There was an interesting experiment in 1939 when it was decided, in spite of adverse criticism by Capt. R. A. Bennett, who thought it would give the batsman a tremendous advantage, to try eight-ball overs. When this innovation was put into force during that critical and menacing summer it proved a decided success, being welcomed even by the fast bowlers. However, it was abandoned at the end of the season.
War meant the abandonment of several games, but at the annual general meeting in 1940, it was decided that the club should carry on as best it could. The weather during this first Wartime summer was glorious, apart from a wet July, and as it was one of the finest on record it was a shame that hostilities should have prevented cricket clubs throughout the country from reaping the benefit and establishing a sound financial position at the end of it.
Places were found in the teams for officers and men stationed in the district to play in a number of matches, while the ground was placed at the disposal of the various regiments on occasions and Sundays. But usually emergency duties interfered with their sport. Through the tremendous efforts of the then skipper, often assisted by Bob Mayo and Gerald Grace, as well as Jack Hodges and Frank Biddle and in a minor degree many other players, the wickets and square were as good as they had been since the Great War.
There was a long list of members in the Services and there were heavy losses of several of Thornbury’s promising young players, while in addition in 1942 the Club sustained the loss of two of its senior members, T. C. Smith at the age of 81, having played for Thornbury from 1871 until well into his 73rd, and A. S. Grace, who died in South Africa on his 73rd birthday.
In 1943 it was again the Service teams and schools who provided the opposition, while the Maritime Regiment, who were stationed at Thornbury Castle, had full use of the ground when required.
In March 1944 Thornbury cricket sustained a very severe loss by the death in Italy of Captain E. M. Grace, RAMC, who in one of his last letters expressed the opinion that the Club would have enjoyed their fielding more if their fast bowlers had not been so successful and more use had been made of the slow ones.
Francis Henry Grace died in 1947. His playing record for Thornbury extended over 56 years. He was a powerful batsman and a bowler of leg breaks. At the end of the season H. E. G. Wells, a very useful batsman and excellent wicket-keeper, resigned as Secretary – the position being’ filled by P. W. Setchell. The Club, during this time, were extremely grateful to Graham Hawkins for his continued assistance and generosity also for his three sons who were showing signs of being more than useful cricketers.
In 1951 Derrick Hawkins was engaged by the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. The first Social Club was formed with Frank Biddle as Chairman. This year Capt. R. A. Bennett died. He joined Thornbury C.C. after playing with the Castle Club. A first class wicket¬keeper and batsman, he kept for Hampshire County and toured America with P. F. Warner’s XI which included Jessop. A. E. Thompson also died this year – he was a great Committee member.
The 1952 season saw both Derrick Hawkins and Tony Diment playing for their County. In 1953 Tony Hignell qualified as a doctor. Frank Biddle was elected a Life Member. The social committee was discontinued.
John Gammon Wicks died in 1954. He played for the Thornbury Castle C.C. when he first came to Thornbury and later kept wicket most successfully for Thornbury. He was a keen and enthusiastic member of the Club and the Club’s representative on the Gloucester¬shire County Cricket Committee. He retired from active play in 1934.
At the end of the 1955 season Dr. E. M. Grace resigned as Captain of the Club – a position he had held for 37 years. Dr. E. M. was made a Life Member and also became a Joint President of the Club with his brother Capt. N. V. Grace (R.N.). The position of Captain was filled by P. W. Setchell with Dennis Hawkins as vice-captain. The captaincy of the Second XI was held by W. Poole. Graham Hawkins became the new Chairman. The Secretary, W. G. Rabley, died this year and George le May was elected to this office. Billy Neale also died this year.
In 1957 Derrick Hawkins, playing for his County against Sussex, scored 106 and was awarded his County Cap.
At the end of the 1958 season Willie Poole resigned as captain of the Second XI, and Des Lansdown was elected to succeed him.
1960 will be remembered for the introduction of Sunday cricket – 12 matches were played and one won.
In 1961 negotiations were commenced with Trust Houses for the erection of a Pavilion. Jack Hodges, a fine all rounder, died this year.
Col. C. E. Turner and Basil Cook died in 1962. David Pearce continued his useful duties on the social side.
The event of the 1963 season was undoubtedly the opening of the Pavilion by the joint Presidents Dr. E. M. Grace and Capt. N. V. Grace, who presented the Club with a picture of Edward Mills Grace (The Little Doctor) on behalf of themselves and Col. Gerald P. Grace. The Club was also presented with a Club Flag by Mrs. and Miss Weeks, bearing an insignia of the Stafford Knot on a Thornbury blue background.
At the end of the 1964 season Des Lansdown re¬signed as captain of the second XI, Rodney Poole taking over. Ron Blanchard died this year – he was a very useful wicket-keeper making at least 60 catches and 75 stumpings and was a fine batsman.
The officials remained the same for the 1965 season with Les Gulwell becoming the Sunday XI vice-captain; Gilbert Collins was now producing some fine wickets. Sidney Gayner passed away in this year. Apart from past stalwart work he had been Vice-Chairman from 1948 until his death at the age of 80.
During 1966 there were many social activities, Dinner Dances, Treasure Hunts and other entertaining functions organised in the main by David Pearce. These and the profits from a fruit machine generously given by the Chairman, Mr. G. Hawkins, helped the Club’s finances a great deal.
In 1967, John F. B. Gunnery, a very useful opening batsman, became the Secretary of the Club – a position he still holds, with Rodney Poole captain of the first XI, S. Burrows captain of the second XI, and W. Yelland captain of the Sunday Xl.
Graham Hawkins retired as Chairman in 1968 and was succeeded by John Sage. In the latter, part of 1969 every member of the Thornbury Cricket Club was shocked to hear of the sad death of Graham and Mrs. S. Hawkins, who were both killed in a motor accident. They were both keen enthusiasts of the Club and Graham, who had been Chairman for 13 years, was also a very generous Patron.
The Severn Bridge was opened in 1966 which enabled fixtures to be arranged with Abergavenny, Caerleon and Usk. On the Thornbury Road side of the field a seat was placed in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Graham Hawkins.