Four Brothers and Cricket in Bingham
Here is my history of four brothers who were a pivotal part of their town’s cricket team from 1800 to the 1830s. The book has True Statements from some of these early matches as well as genealogical tables.
“four of the champions whose unparalleled victory and triumphant return was announced and who deem themselves invincible and worthy to wear the belt,” (Nottingham Review, 1819)
James, John, William and Stephen Horsepool were born in Nottinghamshire’s market town of Bingham and played a pivotal role in establishing the town’s early cricket team. With an eye on the club’s future, they sought to improve by taking on superior teams. Within a generation, they established a reputation as ‘Knights of the Bat’ and, when it was time to hand over to younger men, they pitched their junior teams against the seniors.
Noble complains that too many cricket histories regard these early matches as episodes of pre-history rather than part of any continuous development. With careful research, he presents a stronger context in which we can fairly assess these brothers’ contribution to grass roots cricket in Nottinghamshire.
Malcolm Noble has written acclaimed crime novels as well as radio drama and criticism. Genealogy has been his life-long hobby. Now he brings together the lessons of forty years ancestor hunting and turns his attention to a sporting chapter in his family’s past.
113pp Paperback. Privately published by the author.
ISBN 978-1-9998092-0-1 £6.99
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