WISDENS SECRET
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T H E F I N A L Y E A R S P A R T 3
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S E P T E M B E R
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1 September Partridge sh. begins British Museum closes
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Once again a shooting reference for which I feel absolutely certain comes courtesy of Elwes.
Elwes does note in exactly the same way as Wisden although on a different day "British Museum closes"
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3 September Battles of Dunbar, 1650 and Worcester, 1651
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(see 12 September entry)
8 September Sebastopol taken 1854
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See earlier entries re. Crimean War and why Elwes is the likely source
10 September British Museum re-opens
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Although for different days Elwes as with the earlier September 1 entry in Wisden uses this exact term in his diary.
12 September Drogheda Ireland stormed by Cromwell and the entire garrison put to the sword.
For some time strong links between Elwes and the English Civil War had eluded me. Yes there were links between Elwes's family and Ireland going back to the 14th century and yes there was a link between Barnard's family as teachers and teaching members of the Cromwell family at Felstead School but links never seemed quite enough. Just today January 14th 2023 I looked at the account of the seige of Drogheda and in reading it I found the connections. The name that connects is Edmund Verney father and sons Ralph and Edmund . I cannot say whether any of them fought at Worcester or Dunbar but they were all involved in the Civil war. Ralph fought as a roundhead. The two Edmunds as Cavaliers . The elder Sir Edmund died at the Battle of Edgehill. The other Edmund fought at Drogheda and although he escaped the massacre he was killed a short while later.
Both the Elwes family have strong family links to the Verney family. In Elwes's case the Elwes family had owned the estate at Throcking Manor in Hertfordshire for over 100 years from the late 17th century. At the same time the neighbouring estate of Cheyney Manor was owned by the Verney family. Elwes's aunt Elizabeth married a Barnard and one of this Barnard's brothers married the Hon. Louisa Peyto - Verney in 1791. The Peyto was added in order to inherit, but the Verney is from the same family as the two Edmund Verneys.
16 September Louis XVIII of France d. 1824
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Louis was a member of the French Royal family at the time of the French Revolution and very sensibly went into exile for 20 years. Some of this time he spent in England. Whether he had any connections to Elwes's father Robert Cary Elwes who knows but there are a lot of French Revolution period entries in the almanack so maybe.
21 September Assembling the National Convention Paris 1792
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Again another French Revolution related entry
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27 September Last match played on Box's Ground Brighton
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This entry is no doubt assumed to be courtesy of Wisden because of his personal links to Tom Box a former cricketer. However this entry may have been influenced by Elwes and his family. Firstly Elwes records in his diary meeting with Tom Box at Wisden's shop and partaking of "grog and sandwiches" Secondly the Elwes family have a link to Brighton in that Elwes's father was the original owner from 1820 of fine beach side mansion "Beach House" in nearby Worthing and one would think given the liking that the gentry had for Brighton Elwes new it well.
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October Pheasant shooting begins. Cambridge Michaelmas Term begins
Both the above are terms that Elwes must have been very familiar with. As a keen sportsman who notes killing many pheasants in his shooting diary and also being a co- owner of another shooting estate in Mildenhall he cannot have been unaware of any of the shooting references to be found in the 1st edition of Wisden's Almanack . Seccondly as a former student of Magadalene College and member of the Oxford and Cambridge Club he would have been interested and aware of the starting dates and no doubt end dates of for example the Cambridge Michaelmas term.
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3 October Surrender of Limerick
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One of a number of Irish entries for Which Elwes has a connection. In this case Selina the wife of Elwes's brother Dick came from Limerick
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6 October Sir St Vincent Cotton b. 1801
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I have not included many cricketers unless there was a possibility of connection to Elwes. That does not mean therefore that I conclude that the cricketers inclusions come from the pen of Wisden or his Editor. In fact given the preponderance of cricketers included who have clear cricket links to Cambridge University I think it highly probable that some of the cricketers may arrive by virtue of Elwes's pen. One who may have other connections to Elwes is Sir St. Vincent Cotton. He came from a good Cambridgeshire family and was at one time a deputy lieutenant, militia captain and magistrate. Aside from playing cricket for Marylebone Cricket Club of which Elwes was a member, he was a keen sportsman with a love of the horses. From 1836 he bought and drove the Age Stagecoach which ran from London to Brighton. Whether Elwes knew of him personally or not who can say, but it is indeed possible that he did indeed know such a larger than life character. Vincent Cotton was also well known in the boxing world and Elwes devotes several extensive match reports to boxing matches that took place in 1863.​
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10 October Oxford Term begins. Dividends due at Bank.
As mentioned earlier Elwes very likely knew the start and end dates of Oxford and Cambridge Terms if only through his regular attendance at the Oxford and Cambridge Club. Dividends are recorded as being paid into Elwes's account in October.
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12 October French Fleet defeated by Admiral Rooke at Vigo 1792
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Firstly, one could wonder why Wisden if this entry is indeed Wisden has chosen to begin the word "Fleet" with a capital F. If it were Elwes however such a mistake is not to be totally unexpected.
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Secondly The action at Vigo recorded in Wisden would appear to be a different action to the one involving the 34th regiment
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13 October Antonio Canova the sculptor d. 1822
Another mysterious entry. Why Antonio Canova? Of all the artists that could be chosen. Why Antonio Canova? The only explanation and it isnt great is that Elwes records in his diary a trip being undertaken to Italy by some friends possibly relations. Another shallow link to Italy is Elwes recording of reading La Beata By T.A. Trollope succinctly described by Elwes as "Romeo and Juliet in Tuscany"
14 October Fire Insurance expires.
Elwes records in his diary almost exactly the same phrase "Fire Insurance Ceases" as noted earlier. His banking records with Goslings also record payments for fire insurance.
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15 October G. Parr's Australian 11 sailed from Liverpool 1863 . First stone of the Tennis Court at Lord's laid 1838
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At first sight these 2 entries might appear to be via Wisden. George Parr was Wisden's best friend and also because of his associations with cricket and therefore Lords it is perhaps assumed that he knew of the Tennis Courts at Lords.
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However this may not be the case. Elwes records George Parr staying as a guest along with Wisden at or near Egton in his shooting diary and therefore Parr must have been well known to Elwes by early 1863 . Secondly Elwes was a member of Prince's rackets club, wrote reports of Rackets matches, watched rackets with his friend Larry Birch and crucially was a long standing member of Lords and so I think was certainly aware of the Tennis Courts at Lords.
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16 October Fox hunting begins
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Another rural pursuit of gentleman that one questions whether Wisden was conversant with.
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17 October Treaty of Peace between Austria and Hungary 1797
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Whilst no actual association with Elwes and his family can be found to this Treaty, Elwes senior's stay in revolutionary France in 1790 indicates a likely source for this inclusion.
20 October Battle of Navarino, 1827
Elwes's father in law fought at this very minor battle and gained a medal
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24 October Treaty of Alliance between the Protector and King of France 1655
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As previously recounted Elwes's friend Barnard has links to Cromwell.
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25 October Hare hunting begins. Battle of Balaclava 1854
Would Wisden have known when hare hunting began? I think not
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Elwes had family fighting in the Crimean War etc (see other Crimean entries)
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29 James Lillywhite b. 1825
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Elwes also knew something of the Lillywhite family. Gosling's bank records show there are payments made to F. Lillywhite.
At the foot of the Almanack for October is the factoid legend
"Kidderminster Carpets manufactured 1735.
This has to be one of the strangest and quirkiest of entries in the Almanack. I mean Why? How, it is entirely fair to ask, has Wisden come to include this entry.
The answer I believe is that he is not the man responsible. It is Elwes. For many years and to this day manufacturers will often put a label of some description on the back of carpets. Manufacturing did begin in 1735 and Kidderminster developed into an important carpet weaving area. Carpets from Kidderminster have been laid in among other places Buckingham Palace.
Elwes records in May that the decoration of his house is finished and that carpets are being put back down... I think it probable that a carpet being laid back down had a label on the back that bore the legend "Kidderminster Carpets manufactured 1735."
N O V E M B E R
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2 November Michaelmas Law term begins
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Here again I think it is no surprise that Elwes, former student Magdalene College, Cambridge and member of the Oxford and Cambridge Club should include this entry; But Wisden?
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5 November Gunpowder Plot Battle of Inkerman 1854
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The gunpowder plot is of course a very known historical event and thereby it might be assumed that that is Wisden's reason for including this notable historical plot. However there is a strong link to Elwes' friend Charles Cary Barnard. This comes via his links to the afore mentioned Sir John Mordaunt. An earlier ancestor of his was Sir Henry Mordaunt who was suspected of involvement in the Gunpowder plot. Although arrested he was released 3 years later.
The Battle of Inkerman was another Crimean War battle that it is quite possible that at least one member of either or both the Elwes family and Barnard family were involved with.
10 November John Lillywhitte b. 1826
As mentioned earlier Elwes also knew some members of the Lillywhite family. Fred for certain because there is a Gosling's bank record of a payment to F.J.Lillywhite
16 November Attorneys to take out certificates.
I confess to being at a complete loss as to what exactly this means. I think though that this entry stems from Elwes and not Wisden. Does anyone know?
18 November Metropolitan Police established 1829
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Until recently (January 2023) the only links I had between Elwes and the Metropolitan Police was the possibility of knowing and disliking one of Sir Robert Peel's ( founder of the Met) children and an entry about losing a book and "sending to Scotland Yard". Recently though a further link has emerged. Elwes's father had built for him and and was the first owner of Beach House in Worthing 1820. It was sold to and owned from the mid nineteenth century by Sir Frederick Adair Roe, 1st Baronet who was a British barrister and magistrate and was the Chief Metropolitan Police Magistrate from 1832 to 1839.
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23 November Funeral of Oliver Cromwell
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See earlier links to the Cromwell family
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25 November Michaelmas Law term ends
Ditto for the 2 November entry. However this entry may be a mistake. The entry for 16 December reads Cam. Mich. Term ends and for the next day the 17 December Oxford Michaelmas Term ends
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27 November 1st Sunday in Advent Prs. (Princess) Mary Adelaide b. 1833
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I do like the oddness of some of the really puzzling entries and this entry for Mary Adelaide is one of the best. Mary Adelaide also known unkindly perhaps as "Fat Mary" for the obvious reason that she was fat, was a regular and very recognisable walker up and down Kensington. She and her husband had an apartment in Kensington. Elwes lived in Kensington ( a few hundred yards away at most ) very close to where she lived at Kensington Palace. Did he actually know her. Who knows maybe, he spoke to all sorts of people and was considered an aristocrat, but even if he did not know her he must have known of her. As an aside I do find the Wikipedia entry for her amusing. Part of it reads "despite money problems" ie she squandered more than she had. In the next paragraph Wikipedia informs us that she had an annual annuity paid by Parliament of 5000 pounds per year AND her mother the Duchess of Cambridge provided her with supplementary income of 5ooo pounds a year!!!! Money problems!!!!
The second link is that Elwes's brother Dick, mentioned several times in the diary and with whom he appears to have shared the rental of close to the Egton Estate Aislaby Hall Yorkshire was married to an Irish woman by the name of Selina Jephson. Her mother and sister were both named Adelaide Jephson. This woman provides other clear links to the inclusion of Irish material because she came from Limerick.
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D E C E M B E R
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9 Fri George Washington d>1799
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Elwes's wife was born in America and lived her early years in Vermont and they must have met whilst Elwes was travelling in America thus providing a clear family link to America .
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10 Sat. Grouse and blackcock shooting ends.
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The ending of grouse and blackcock shooting is surely not something Wisden had the faintest idea of is it? Really?
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12 Sun. Judge Jefferies committed to the Tower 1688
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Sir Gervase Elwes an ancestor FEC was elected several times as M.P. for Suffolk. He also served time as a Lieutenant of the Tower. At the moment I do not know when he served but there is a gap in Wikipedia's list of those who served from 1679 - 1687. However the History of Parliament online in its brief biography makes no mention of this. The HOP online does mention a distant cousin of Sir Gervase Elwes one Sir Gervase Helwys a former Lieutenant of the Tower who was executed in 1615 for the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury.
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15 Thurs. Izaac Walton, the great angler, d. 1683
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Elwes was clearly an angler judging by his account of his angling trip to Hemsworth and his account of fishing in Scotland. I have little doubt therefore that Elwes was the source of this entry particularly because Elwes was a well educated man and Wisden for all his qualities, the one thing he definitely was not, given that his education ended at about the age of 7 was well educated.
16 Fri Cam. Mich Term ends
17 Sat Oxford Michaelmas Term ends
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Although Elwes's diary omly runs until near the end of September and therefore has no entries for the Oxford and Cambridge Michaelmas term endings I have no doubt as an ex Cambridge man who has entered other Oxford and Cambridge Term beginning and end of Term dates that he is the source for these entries
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29 Thurs Canton taken by the English and French, 1857
A relative of Elwes was involved in this action
At the foot of the page is the factoid "The First Game Laws, 1496"
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Here again, as with grouse shooting et al. I cannot seriously believe that this fact came curtesy of Wisden ​​
Scattered throughout the Almanack are various random Miscellaneous items . Here again, due to the illogical random inclusion of these items as with the Almanack one is fully justified in asking "What was Wisden thinking in including these items. Why were they included. Its just so bizarre. However once Elwes, his life, family, friends and the manuscript are considered rhyme and reason come forth.
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1) Remarkable Events and The War of the Roses Consisted of 12 Battles.
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In particular these two tables I can find no reason for thinking them to be of Wisden's construction. But but there is much to think their source has to be Elwes.
Firstly Elwes through his noting of reading Kinglake's Invasion of The Crimea, Motley's History of The Dutch Republic, Elizabeth Gaskell's Sylvia's Lovers and Walter Scott's historical novels shows himself to be interested in history and historical events.
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Secondly and more compellingly he has ancestor's involved. His roots can be traced back to the late 12th century. ( I need to confirm this next piece but according to a friend who has compiled a royal family tree with 300,000 names he can trace descent back to Henry 2)
Thirdly and I think which makes my point conclusive an ancestor of Elwes, Sir William Cary 1437 - 1471 was one of many of the Lancastrian nobles and knights who sought sanctuary in Tewkesbury Abbey and subsequently executed.
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Sir William Cary was associated with both Cockington in South Devon and Clovelly in the North. Elwes in his diary in early May records a duty visit to his mother in near to Clovelly Walland Cary. On the Sunday evening of his stay he drives her to church which I assume was Clovelly Church. Inside are many memorials to the Cary family. One of these is a Monumental Brass. Wikipedia records the following beneath an image about " Monumental brass believed to represent Sir William Cary (1437–1471), lord of the manors of Clovelly and Cockington, Devon. Set into a slate ledger stone in floor of chancel, All Saints Church, Clovelly, without identifying inscription or armorials, next to brass of his son and heir Robert"
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There are a number of other memorials to members of the Cary family in Clovelly Church and I think Elwes simply could not have been ignorantly unaware of these memorials.
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King Edward attended prayers in the Abbey shortly after the battle. He granted permission for the Prince of Wales and others slain in the battle to be buried within the Abbey or elsewhere in the town without being quartered as traitors as was customary. However, two days after the battle, Somerset and other leaders were dragged out of the Abbey and ordered by Gloucester and the Duke of Norfolk to be put to death after perfunctory trials.[20] Among them were Hugh Courtenay, cousin of the Earls of Devon, and Sir John Langstrother, the prior of the military order of St. John.[18] The Abbey was not officially a sanctuary.[25] It had to be reconsecrated a month after the battle, following the violence done within its precincts.
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2 Things
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Above the table showing the battle dates in Wisden 1864 for "The Wars of the Roses" is a table entitled "Remarkable Events" Essentially this is a table showing the years that the Crusades took place.
The August and September sections of the Almanack at the foot of the page have the following factoids
"Order of Knights Templar instituted, 1118" and
The Order of The knights of St. John of Jerusalem founded 1099
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​​​2) The Trial of King Charles I : This surely is not the language of Wisden but if not him who? Elwes?
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A friend of mine has constructed a database consisting of upwards of 250,00 names of individuals who can trace descent at some point to the Royal Family. Elwes is one of their number. I will have to check but I think he traces back to Henry 2. Which if the case would be one more reason for thinking that the above Wars of Roses etc is has Elwes as its source. Furthermore Charles 1 can trace his descent in part from Henry VII. And thus do the families all link up.
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The Cary family of Devon for centuries were one of the leading Catholic families of England.
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F.E.C. Elwes has a Catholic Wife and if his diary entries are anything to go by had a clear liking for Catholic church services. During 1863 he notes a relative of his converting to the Catholic faith.
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4) Beneath the Trial of Charles 1 is a paragraph of "interesting " trivia. We learn that a bell at Woolwich was cleft by while ringing due to the severe frost. Why Wisden might be the source I have no idea. But Elwes records in his diary that a relation? of his Carry undertakes a day trip to Woolwich.
5 ) The table showing the lengths of canals over 30 miles in length. Canals may have entered in his mind at some point on his way to or from Lords from or to Queens Gate Terrace because Elwes must have crossed the Regents Canal.
Another point that leads me to think he mat have had some interest in canals is that he grew up in the village of Great Billing. This is very close to the River Nene and the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union Canal and in turn it is not a long way to the Grand Union itself.
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6) Rules for the game Knurr and Spell. This is quite an obscure game popular in the North of England. Elwes's family had owned the Egton Estate in the North Yorkshire moors since the late 1730s and Elwes and his brother had rented nearby Aislaby Hall for 10 years. Is it therefore a surprise that Elwes knew the obscure game and the rules of Knurr and Spell
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7) The rules for Bowls. Elwes has many sporting interests. Another less obvious interest of his was, the in 1863, little known pursuit of croquet. He records playing and giving lessons to which obviously he knew the rules. I do not think it unlikely that he knew the rules of bowls
However I have no idea whether either of these 2 sets of rules have been copied verbatim from a primary source or are individually rendered
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8) Bets
Elwes certainly knew about betting. In his horse racing reports he generally gives the odds on each horse. As a cricket watcher who probably betted I think the rules for betting on Single Wicket matches were rules he was well aware of.
9) Lists
The lists for horse racing I feel sure must have been Elwes. There is a table in the manuscript for the winners of Goodwood. There are the horse racing reports demonstrating familiarity and probably interest in horse racing. His father bred racehorses and actually bred 2 Derby winners Mameluke and Cossack.
The list of British Societies
Where this list was sourced from I do not know. But given that Elwes was a member of the Oxford and Cambridge Club, visited several times as he records in his diary and therefore had access to its fine library I think he must surely be the source.
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10) China
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The last line of the paragraph about China reads
""the treaty of Tien- tsin, October 24, 1860 "
Elwes has a relative fighting at Tien-tsin at this time
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11) There are a number of other factoids scattered throughout which I cannot find good cause to ascribe to Elwes. The random nature, the obscurity, and triviality of them leads me to feel these also are courtesy of Elwes. What cannot be done is to ascribe them to Wisden simply because they cannot be ascribed to Elwes. By all means claim Wisden as the source but in doing so provide some sort of evidence based reasoning.
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F.E.C. Elwes .....September 1863 - October 1867
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From September 1863 the diary Elwes is keeping and the sporting reports he is compiling descend further and further into illegibility. Clearly, his mental capacity has changed and he is not the person he was 8 months previously.
In 1864 his wife Mary Attempts to divorce him. The case is dismissed 2 years later. There are North American records records showing that Mary Helen Murray did indeed marry Francis Emilius Cary Elwes on the 2 September 1855 at Woodstock. He also writes in his diary of marrying her again in January 1863. In the court papers Mary claims to have stayed in various diverse places. These include several places in North America prior to 1857 and N.B. specifically places where the test matches arranged between England and America were played in 1857.
(I have surmised earlier based on the fact that Elwes met his wife in Vermont and records showing he married her in 1855 and must have been there that he may in part be responsible for their organisation of this first Test Match series.
Somebody had to arrange all this and be trusted by both sides ie. Those in America and the cricketers in England. Wisden was trusted by and trusted Elwes. Wisden was trusted by the English cricketers. I proposed that Elwes had much to do with setting the tour up. He had good contact with Wisden and I think with gentleman in America.
It appears that a specialist cricket book dealer sold 3 volumes of illustrated notebooks diaries in the early 2000s that had been composed by Elwes. Who knows what they contain. Their current whereabouts is unknown.
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Elwes is recognisably mad by 1864 and enters Ticehurst Asylum. The medical notes of Ticehurst Asylum survive virtually intact. They are held by the Wellcome Trust. Elwes's medical notes from entry until his death on the 24th October 1867 are available to view online via the Wellcome Trust website. He was buried 6 days later in Ticehurst Church.
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His cause of death in the medical notes is given as General Paresis which was then known as General Paralysis. Its a cause that in those days was often associated with those who had travelled a lot and or had led a dissolute life. It was to be many years later before it became firmly established and proven that General Paresis/Paralysis was in fact Syphilis.
His banking records terminate a few years later.
The End
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