The Revd John Echalaz

[David Gaunt]

I am engaged on the task of writing the history of Lullington Park Cricket Club. So far it has been established that the village played cricket in 1860 - the first reference I have so far been able to trace.

I have come across a report of match in the Burton Times of a match played in 1859 between eleven of Barton and twenty of Barton & Neighbourhood. The report lists the two teams and the'Neighbourhood' team included 'Echalaz senior & Echalaz junior'. In fact the score sheet lists them both as 'absent.'

It so happened that at about that time Lullington too had a vicar, the Revd Theodore Echalaz and who had a son.

The question I wish to resolve is, which of the two Reverend gentlemen it was who should have turned up at Barton that day in August 1859. If Barton were expecting the Lullington Revd Echalaz then it points to the distinct possibility that he could have been instrumental in establishing a cricket club in Lullington.

I wonder if there is any evidence that the Revd John Mauel Echalaz had any interest in cricket. I know that early in the 1860s George Moore and other notables attended a match (the report does not mention the attendance of an Echalaz). If George Moore had an interest in the game and so it seems quite likely that this interest could have passed to the Revd John Echalaz.

If you could point me in the direction of any documentation (such as papers of George Moore) that might assist my research I would be most grateful.

[Deleted]

Obviously not much progress since your last query! When I wrote the history of the Sir John Moore School ('This Noble Foundation'- available from Appleby Post Office) I did not come across any 'papers of George Moore' although I was working closely with the Moore family.
Cricket was certainly played at the school in the late Victorian period and this is recorded in the book.
Since the book was written the Diary of 16 year-old John Argyle for 1867 has come to light. This is now in the Leicestershire Record Office - referrence DE 4440. From 29th March 1867 until his exams in June John played cricket whenever he could. A home match was played against Loughborough School on 30 May 1867 which was 'well contested match - beat us by 43'. For this a pitch was prepared on the Red Lion Field over several weeks - watering and rolling - so the school appears not normally to have been prepared for visiting teams.
John Echalaz was Rector at this time - the only mention he gets is in taking church services. He was however a Governor of the School by virtue of his position as Rector. There is no mention of Lullington or of any other matches.

[David Gaunt]

richarddunmore said:

Obviously not much progress since your last query! When I wrote the history of the Sir John Moore School ('This Noble Foundation'- available from Appleby Post Office) I did not come across any 'papers of George Moore' although I was working closely with the Moore family.
Cricket was certainly played at the school in the late Victorian period and this is recorded in the book.
Since the book was written the Diary of 16 year-old John Argyle for 1867 has come to light. This is now in the Leicestershire Record Office - referrence DE 4440. From 29th March 1867 until his exams in June John played cricket whenever he could. A home match was played against Loughborough School on 30 May 1867 which was 'well contested match - beat us by 43'. For this a pitch was prepared on the Red Lion Field over several weeks - watering and rolling - so the school appears not normally to have been prepared for visiting teams.
John Echalaz was Rector at this time - the only mention he gets is in taking church services. He was however a Governor of the School by virtue of his position as Rector. There is no mention of Lullington or of any other matches.

I am grateful to read this reply to my original question. Nowhere have I been able to find mention of the Revd John Echalaz having an interest in cricket. Cricket was clearly played at Appleby in the 1860s. I have previously mentioned the Revd Theodore Echalaz and the possibility that he was at the forefront of establishing cricket at Lullington and the Echalaz link with cricket at Barton under Needwood and I am coming to the conclusion that it must have been Lullington's vicar who was the cricketer.

This belief has been strengthened by discovering that the famous wandering cricket club, the Free Foresters, was founded in 1856 and included a good number of players from 'Needwood'. I think it far more likely that Lullington's Revd Echalaz made the journeys to play cricket at Barton. It would be a long journey indeed from Appleby and especilly for a person for whom there is no history of an interest in the game.

I would be delighted to hear from anyone who finds references to an interest in cricket by either of the brothers Echalaz.

Regards

David Gaunt