Catalogue for the auction of
Cricket, Football & Sporting Memorabilia

Charles John Barnett. Gloucestershire & England 1927-1948. Selection of seven handwritten letters, some quite extensive, to Alan Hill, Verity’s biographer regarding the preparation, planning and publication of Hill’s book on Verity. The letters, all written on ‘Cowcombe House, Chalford, Gloucestershire’ headed paper date from January 1984 to January 1987. The first refers to Barnett agreeing to help Hill with Verity’s biography ‘I played my first Test match as a substitute for Hedley on the 1933/34 tour of India, D.Jardine put me under Hedley’s care and guidance. We became very good friends, sharing cabin and accommodation on the 1933/34 tour and the 1936/37 tour of Australia. He goes onto suggest that they meet ‘for a session’., the second letter dated February 1984 firms up the meeting giving directions to the house, in the third letter Barnett talks of writing a review on a book on Wally Hammond, Barnett writes ‘but not his captaincy which I have always questioned’. He goes on to remark that he is very busy with his garden and his own meat and poultry business, in the fourth which is seven pages long, Barnett thanks Hill for a copy of ‘your fine book about Hedley Verity’ and goes onto give Hill a shortened biography of himself and growing up in Cheltenham, his cricketing father, Jack Hobbs, signing for Gloucestershire, coach Charlie Parker and Douglas Jardine... ‘I was delighted to join M.C.C. with Jardine as Captain in India. An education in it self, I always tried to see his side of life on tour. He was very tight in his likes and dislikes,.... He kept his bargain to my mother and I think he must have given a good conduct report to M.C.C. for I was very lucky to be included in the tour to “cement bonds of Empire’ in Australia 1936/37.... my cricket lfe has been so varied and I am exceptionally lucky in so many ways. I should try to get it sorted out. I gave up county cricket as I was not prepared to be dishonest and to my surprise found a wonderful time playing in the north for Rochdale and then Colwyn Bay. In the fifth letter Barnett suggests to Hill to keep him (Barnett) in mind when next choosing the subject of his next cricket book and talks again of growing up in a cricketing family, war service etc, The last two letters are shorter and refer to meeting up with Hedley’s son Douglas and suggesting getting together in the future. All of the letters signed in ink by Barnett and in good condition. From the archive of Alan Hill, Hedley Verity’s biographer