George Wenman

George Wenman (27 October 1805 – 19 January 1837) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1825 to 1834.[1][2]

George Wenman
Personal information
Born(1805-10-27)27 October 1805
Benenden, Kent
Died19 January 1837(1837-01-19) (aged 31)
Brookland, Kent
BattingLeft-handed
RoleBatsman
Relations
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1825–1834Kent XI
FC debut27 June 1825 Kent XI v Sussex XI
Last FC12 August 1834 Kent XI v England XI
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 9
Runs scored 66
Batting average 4.40
100s/50s 0/0
Top score 19*
Catches/stumpings 5/–
Source: CricInfo, 6 June 2022

Wenman was born at Benenden in Kent in 1805, the son of John and Elizabeth Wenman (née Gude), and was a member of the Wenman family, a number of whom played cricket;[3][4] his older brother John Wenman and cousins Charles and Ned Wenman[lower-alpha 1] all played for Kent sides in the early 19th century.[4][6][7][8] Wenman is known to have played village cricket for Benenden, at that point one of the best sides in England,[9] from 1822; a number of family members, including his uncle, also played for the side.[10] As well as his home village, Wenman played village cricket for Hawkhurst, another strong club side,[lower-alpha 2] and Leeds.[3]

Wenman made his first-class debut in June 1825 for a Kent XI against a Sussex side on Hawkhurst Moor.[lower-alpha 3] He played in a total of nine first-class matches, including five for Kent, making his final appearances in 1834 when he played twice for Kent against England sides, once for an England XI against Sussex,[lower-alpha 4] and once for the Players against the Gentlemen.[lower-alpha 5][3][20] In his nine first-class matches he scored a total of 66 runs, with a highest score of 19 not out made against Sussex 1829.[3]

Professionally Wenman was a grocer and linen draper at Brookland, Kent. He died there in 1837 aged 31 and is buried at Benenden.[2][3]

Notes
  1. Ned Wenman played for Kent sides between 1825 and 1854. He was an innovative wicket-keeper and a major force in the growth of the early Kent County Cricket Club sides which dominated English cricket through the 1840s.[5]
  2. Hawkhurst is less than 4 miles (6.4 km) from Benenden and the match included a number of players from the local area. The Hawkhurt club was also one of the strongest clubs in England during the early 19th century and often consisted primarily of Benenden players.[11][12]
  3. The 1825 match against Sussex, as well as another match the same year and two in 1826, were organised by the Hawkhurst club and mark a return to matches between two county sides.[13][14][15]
  4. During the time Wenman played, England sides were not representative of the country. Instead, they were sides composed of players from a range of locations brought together to play against another side.[16] So when Wenman played for an England XI in 1834 he played in a team made up of players from other parts of the country, including Hampshire, Surrey, Middlesex and Kent, including his cousin Ned and a number of significant players of the day.[17][18]
  5. Players were professional cricketers who were paid to play, as opposed to amateurs who were usually gentlemen who played for sport.[19]

References
  1. Moore, p. 257.
  2. George Wenman, CricInfo. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  3. Carlaw, p. 567.
  4. Milton 1983, p. 25.
  5. Carlaw, pp. 563–567.
  6. Carlaw, p. 566.
  7. Carlaw, pp. 566–567.
  8. Moore, p. 27.
  9. Carlaw, p. 565.
  10. Carlaw, pp. 563–569.
  11. Carlaw, p. 38, p. 325, p. 387.
  12. Milton 1992, p. 22.
  13. Carlaw, p. 38, p. 325.
  14. Moore, p. 23.
  15. Haygarth, 1862a.
  16. Birley, p. 364.
  17. England v Sussex XI, July 2–3, 1834 – scorecard, CricInfo. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  18. Haygarth, 1862b.
  19. Birley, pp. 82–83.
  20. George Wenman, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2022-06-06. (subscription required)

Bibliography
  • Carlaw D (2020) Kent County Cricketers A to Z. Part One: 1806–1914 (revised edition). (Available online at the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 2020-12-21.)
  • Birley D (1999) A Social History of English Cricket. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 978 1 78131 1769
  • Haygarth A (1862a) Scores and Biographies, vol. 1 (1744–1826). London: Longman.
  • Haygarth A (1862b) Scores and Biographies, vol. 2 (1827–1840). London: Longman.
  • Milton H (1983) Kent Cricketers 1834–1983. Nottingham: The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians
  • Milton H (1992) Cricket Grounds of Kent. Nottingham: The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. (Available online. Retrieved 2022-04-04.)
  • Moore D (1988) The History of Kent County Cricket Club. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-7470-2209-7


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