Description

Navy blue cloth cap with raised and embroidered motif, Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom, Lion and Unicorn, topped with crown and lion, in red and gold. Very small peak. Maker’s label and name tag inside, ‘C Blyth’

Display caption

Colin Blythe. Kent & England 1899-1914. MacLaren's tour of Australia 1901/02. Navy blue cloth cap with raised and beautifully embroidered emblem of the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom, in predominantly red, yellow and blue to front. The cap with small peak typical of a pre first world war cap, with makers label of 'George Lewin of 8 Crooked Lane, Cannon Street, London', has a further small label to inside with the name 'C. Blyth' handwritten in ink in what appears to be Blythe's hand. Following research by the auctioneers, and with help from the historians at Lord's, we [the auctioneers] have concluded the cap was almost certainly produced and issued to the players who toured Australia with Archie MacLaren as captain in 1901/02. The cap from the Guy Sankey family collection and previously sold by Knights as lot 571 in October 1995. A very early and rare touring cap, with probably only one being issued to each of the touring party of fourteen players, pre dating the first M.C.C. touring cap (St George & Dragon) worn for the first time on the inaugural M.C.C. tour of 1903/04 and the introduction of the England home Test cap (three lions & crown) a few years later. Good condition Estimate: £2500/3500 Hammer price: £9500 Colin Blythe played in 19 Test matches for England from 1901/02 to 1909/10 taking 100 wickets at 18.63 with a best of 8-59 v South Africa at Leeds in 1907. Blythe was selected for MacLaren's tour of Australia 1901/02 and although suffering from injury on the tour, still took 34 wickets at 20.9. Australia won the series by four Tests to one. During our research on the cap, although we could not find a photograph of the touring party, we found images on postcards of four players who were members of the touring party wearing either a blazer or cap with a similar emblem. The players being Gilbert Jessop and Len Braund wearing caps and Archie MacLaren (two images) (Echoes from a Golden Age. Duncan Anderson 2010, page 89. ''It shows him in his touring blazer, which must have been brought down to Hove especially for the occasion.... (to be photographed for the postcard) and Blythe wearing the blazer, each with the similar distinctive emblem. It would appear that MacLaren, who was partly instrumental in establishing the eventual England and M.C.C. touring caps, decided that a tour blazer, cap and sweater should be worn on the 1901/02 tour by the team and the clothing was made by George Lewin of Crooked Lane, London. Further confirmation was forthcoming in a court report from the Derby Daily Telegraph of the 8th April 1903 which states 'A Cricket Official Sued.... the defendant was a member of the English team who went to Australia in the tour of 1901-2 and he was sued by Messrs. Lewin. Hosiers of Crooked Lane, City for XXX15 1s 6d for goods sold to him for that tour.....'. A copy of the court report and Blythe wearing the blazer are sold with the cap. With many thanks to the Lord's historians at Lord's for their assistance from the auctioneer