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 A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 27, 28, 1825, participating on the side of Harrow against Winchester. He was noted as a hard hitter, especially on the leg side. He played at Lord's for the Gentlemen of England against the Players of England in 1836 and 1839. Three of his brothers, the Hon. E. H., Hon. F. S. and Hon. R. Grim- ston were likewise capital cricketers. Mr. Robert Allan Fitzgerald was for many years honorary secretary of the M.C.C. He first appeared at Lord's on the side of Har- row v. Winchester, July 28, 29, 30, 1852. He was a very powerful hitter, and on one occasion at Lord's he hit a ball over the tennis court right out of the ground. He was exceedingly popular. He was the author of Jerks in from Short Leg and Wickets in the West, and went with the first English team to America. In May, 1876, a keenly contested match between East Hertfordshire and West Hert- fordshire was played at Hitchin, East Hert- fordshire winning by the narrow margin of i wicket. For East Herts the veteran John Hughes bowled splendidly, while W. Hearn in the second innings of East Herts played a capital innings of 88. In the return fixture on Hartland Common in June of the same year there was again a most evenly contested match. Each innings of the two sides amounted to 160 and odd runs, the totals being West Herts, 1st innings, 166 ; 2nd innings, 166 ; East Herts, ist innings, 165 ; 2nd innings, 161 ; West Herts proving victorious by 6 runs. For West Herts T. Pearce played a not out ist innings of 80, while on the side of East Herts the brothers Messrs. C. Pigg and H. Pigg were seen to advantage. A few facts anent three veteran Hertfordshire pro- fessionals may here be appended. Edwin Goodyear was a noted local cele- brity. He was born at Markyate Street, near Dunstable, October 18, 1836. He was a capital all round exponent, a good round arm bowler, bat and wicket keeper. In a match played on Boxmoor in August, 1871, between Hemel Hempstead and the St. Mary's Club he scored in his only innings 235 runs. John Hughes, the famous Hertford 'old pipe maker,' was one of the pioneers of Herts cricket. He was born at Hertford in 1825. In the ' fifties ' he was the best slow bowler in the county. Possibly one of his best bowl- ing performances was in the United South of England v. Twenty-two of St. Albans, Sep- tember 4, 1865. In the 2nd innings of the United South he actually, with the first three balls delivered, dismissed Tom Hum- phrey, E. Pooley and Harry Jupp. Hughes was presented with a public testimonial at the Dunstable Arms, at Hertford, September 29, 1865, consisting of a silver watch and gold chain and a purse of sixty-three sovereigns. The watch bears the following inscription ' Presented, with a purse of money raised by subscription, to John Hughes in recog- nition of his services in promoting the game of cricket in Herts, and as a mark of the subscribers' esteem, September 27, 1865.' On June 7, 1890, a match was played for his benefit at Bishop Stortford, when an Eleven of England contended against Four- teen of Hertfordshire. Thomas Albert Pearce was a cricketer of repute. He was born at Essendon in Herts, May ii, 1847. He played frequently for Herts in the 'sixties.' In 1874 in a local fixture between Hitchin and St. Albans he was credited with an innings of 200 not out, while in 1882 at St. Albans against a strong touring club he hit an innings of 215. A match was played for his benefit at Hertford, August 21, 1889, between Hertfordshire and Norfolk. In 1881 Pearce scored an innings of 101 for Herts v. Essex. Frank Silcock in the ' sixties ' too was a crack Hertfordshire player. He was born at Sawbridgeworth, October 2, 1838. Sub- sequently he became identified with Essex cricket. His cousin, Joseph Silcock, was also a capital player in local cricket, especially in the Stortford district. In 1865 the members of the Bishop Stortford Club presented him with a silver cup of the value of twenty guineas and a purse of twenty-five sovereigns. The brothers Joseph and W. Westell also assisted Herts in matches of note in the early days, while another brother, W. T. Westell, for Herts v. Essex in 1883, played a grand innings of 188. Subsequently V. A. Titchmarsh and W. Hearn did a great deal to improve Herts cricket. V. A. Titchmarsh commenced cricket as an amateur, but in 1880 appeared as a pro- fessional. In the Hertfordshire v. Essex match at Hitchin, June 27, 1877, he obtained 15 wickets including all ten in the first inn- ings. He accepted an engagement on the ground staff at Lord's in 1885, and in 1901 was one of the M.C.C. official umpires. William Hearn of late years has been better known as a famous umpire. He was a native of Hertfordshire, and played his first match at Lord's for Herts v. M.C.C. in May, 1870. He was born at Essendon near Hatfield in 1849. In local matches he fre- quently scored heavily. For the county in 374