Catalogue for the auction of
Cricket, Football & Sporting Memorabilia

To be held on Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday
6th, 7th, 8th & 9th August 2026

James Lillywhite jun. Sussex & England 1862-1883. Single page handwritten letter with cricket content in ink from Lillywhite to A.J. Gaston, dated 21st November 1894. Writing on ‘Wheatsheaf Commercial Hotel, Chichester, James Lillywhite Proprietor’ letterhead, Lillywhite is replying to a request from Gaston to make a cricketing contribution to the Cricket Club Bazaar that was to take place in Brighton in December of the same year to raise funds. ‘Dear Sir, From time to time I have either sold or given away all the old cricket curios I ever had. I am sorry for this now, as I should very much have liked to contribute something for so good a cause. I will enquire round about and if I run [up] against anything will gladly send it’. Nicely signed ‘Yours faithfully, Jas Lillywhite’. The letter, with light horizontal fold, is laid to trimmed page with adhesive marks to verso. Good condition.
James Lillywhite was the proprietor of the Wheatsheaf Commercial Hotel at this time. He captained England in the very first two Test matches played, in Australia in 1876/77. He played 157 matches for Sussex and went on many overseas tours. His final match was for Lord Sheffield’s XI in 1885. He went on to be a first-class umpire, standing in six Test matches. Lillywhite died in Westerton in 1929.

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