FAMOUS CRICKETING FAMILY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 9 May 1925, Page 9

FAMOUS CRICKETING FAMILY.

THE HE ARNES. The cabled news of the death of Walter Hearnes, at the age of 61 years, recalls the fact that the Hearne family can be traced before there was such a cricket parliament as the M.C.C., and before there was a .Lord's Cricket Ground at St. John’s Wood, and that ground celebrated its centenary before the commencement of the Great War (Writes E. W. Ballantyne m the Sydney Morning Herald). The late Walter Hearne. alter he gave up playing cricket for Kent, became the official scorer for the country. At one time, he lived just outside the St. Lawrence Cricket Ground at Canterbury, where he was mine host of the bat and ball. The last time I saw Walter Hearne was when he .was scoring the match between Kent and South Africa, at Canterbury towards the end of last August.

There was a Hearne in the first team which came from England to Australia, which was captained by that famous Surrey cricketer, H. H. Stevenson. in 1861-2. That was Thomas Hearne, born in, 1826, died in 1900. His brother George Hearne, born 1829, and died 1904. Old George and Old Tom as the brothers have been called, to distinguish them from later Hearnes with the same Christian names, were the sons of another Thomas Hearne, who with Joseph Hearne, were sons of a Buckinghamshire yeoman of the eighteenth century. It is from these sons, Thomas and Joseph, that the better known cricketers of the Hearne family "are descended. The father of Old Tom and Old George was a publican, keeping the White Hart Inn, where the Calfront (Buckinghamshire) Cricket Club held their meetings. He was something of a cricketer himself, and his boys were brought up in a cricket atmosphere. 1 Old Tom played for Buckinghamshire and Middlesex, and had two sons — Thomas Arthur and George Francis. The former died in 1910, and was ground superintendent at Lord’s. George Francis is still alive, enjoying the pension from Lord’s after having been pavilion clerk from 1873 to 1908. Thomas Arthur had a son. Thomas John (“T. J.,” not “J. T.’,’), and there is an amusing story about T. J. Hearne playing for Middlesex in a certain match, in which he did not play. “T. J.” was sent for to complete the Middlesex tpnm against Philadelphians, which was one man short. When “ T. J.” arrived, the Philadelphians had been dismissed twice, and Middlesex were in for a second time. The services of “T. J.” were not needed, as the runs were knocked off to winssbefore his batting turn arrived. That match was in 190 S, although in a record of the game, “Wisden” has “J. T.” Hearne as “absent 0.” and it should have been “T. J. Hearne, absent, 0.” J. T. Hearne was playing for Middlesex. I do not know of any other Hearne having been prominent in cricket as the descendants of Okl Tom, who played in Australia in 1861-2. With Old George it was different. His three sons—George Gibbons (“G.G.”),- born in 1856; Frank, born in 185 S, and Alee, born in 1863, have played in the same Kent team together on many occasions. Old George, who was horn at Chalfront, St, Peter’s, in Buckinghamshire, was a horsedealer for some time at Ealing, in the West of. London, but became a professional at Rickmansworth, and Southgate, and finally at Lord’s. His three sons all played for an English team in South Africa. G.G'. played for Kent from 1875 to 1895. and was loft handed. Frank played from 1879 to 1889, and securing a position in Capetown, settled there to enjoy better health. Alec played at Kent from 1884 till 1906, and frequently thereafter for the M.C.C.. besides occupying coaching appointments in South Africa. After the cricket days of Old George, he became curator at the Catford Cricket Ground, on the outskirts of London, and at her father-in-law’s house, Mrs. Frank Hearne gave birth to a boy named George A. L. Hearne, who was a member of the South African Learn which palyed in England last season. Thus “young Georgeis the fourth generation of a cricketing family. It is worthy of note ■ that “young George’s” father, Frank, enjoyed the distinction of playing for England against South Africa, and playing for South. Africa against England. Frank Mitchell, the Cambridge University cricket and Rugby captain, and captain of Yorkshire at one time, also played for and against South Africa, even to captaining South Africa in England during two tours. Now we come to the lineage of the other son —Joseph—of the old Buckinghamshire yeoman. Joseph had a son named William, and this William had three sons in Herbert, Walter, and John Thomas born respectively in 1862, 1804, and 1867. The .youngest i 3 the famous “J.T..,” who was the

second Hearne to visit Australia, he was one of .the most famous boyrleis who ever bowled a ball.. Only a fe months ago. “J.T.” resigned from the o-round staff at Lord’s, and he is now a member of the , committee of the Middlesex County Cricket Club. He played for Middlesex, but Herbert and Walter played for Kent. The late Walter Hearne and Jack Hearne, who was the third Hearne to visit Australia. .He was the first Hearne to plav against South Africa. “Young Jack” is the son of a . wheelwright, oelonging to Harlington, inst outside London and he is but a distant cousin of the Hearnes. by the wav. have on three occasions played a whole team of Hearnes as a family.