Page:The Hambledon Men (1907).djvu/268

 Club as a practice bowler for about sixteen years, and his name will be found in some of the matches at Lord's. His youngest son was named Horace, after Sir Horace Mann, who kindly consented to stand godfather to him. He, however, died when only 18 years of age. 'Poor Noah,' his death was a melancholy one: he had been out shooting, and on his return to the Half Moon Inn, at Northchapel, wet and tired, he had a free carouse with his companions; refusing to go to bed, he persisted in sleeping all night in his chair in front of the fire. It was and still is the custom in that part of the country to heap together all the ashes on the hearth, for the purpose of keeping the fire in till the next day. During the night, having fallen asleep, the sparks ignited his clothes (or, as stated in Nyren's book, he fell upon the embers), and he was so severely burnt that he died the next day, not surviving twenty-four hours. His death took place at the early age of 33, in December, 1789. But few cricketers will be found to have done so much in such a short career, taking his batting, bowling, and wonderful fielding all into consideration. An inquest was held on his body, when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. No tombstone was erected to his memory.

average in the few matches in which his name appears is very good, but his best performances are lost. He was (says Nyren) gamekeeper either to the Earl of Tankerville or the Duke of Dorset, but most probably wilh the latter, as he formed one of the Kent Eleven. His style of batting was beautiful, 'firm and steady as the Pyramids,' to be depended on, and very active. He was also a kind-hearted and amiable man. In the Gentleman's Magazine of 1773, he is celebrated as

There seems, by referring to the Hampshire match played July 20, 1774, to have been two, but it is almost certain