Catalogue for the auction of
Cricket, Football, Golf & Sporting Memorabilia

To be held on Friday, Saturday & Sunday
29th, 30th November & 1st December 2024

George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea. White Conduit Club, Surrey, Hampshire and M.C.C. 1786-1804. Original signed free-front envelope laid down to page, addressed to a Rev. Henry Parkes of Burnham, Maidenhead, dated and sent from ‘Stamford, Nov. fifteenth 1813’. Nicely signed ‘Winchilsea’ in black ink to lower left corner. A very rare early signature of Winchilsea, a right handed batsman who played 128 first-class matches from 1786 to 1804. His main contribution to the game of cricket was his patronage and organisation. Adhesive marks to verso, otherwise in good/ very good condition.
George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea, an important figure in the history of cricket, was born in 1752 and educated at Eton. Winchilsea was one of the prime movers in the foundation of the White Conduit Club, a club ostensibly that ‘only Gentlemen’ might play for, but the club did employ professionals and one of these was Thomas Lord. Winchilsea, with others, persuaded Lord (a man recognised for his business acumen as well as his playing ability) to found his cricket ground and thus was amongst the founding members of the M.C.C. He was President of the Hambledon Club in 1787 and 1789 and staged matches at his country seat at Burley, Rutland. He died in 1826.

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