Lancashire player number 58 - Marchbank, Walter James by Don Ambrose

---

Player:

WJ Marchbank

---

Lancashire 1869-70
Born 2.11.1838 Preston.
Died 9.8.1893 Walton-le-Dale, Preston.

 

A wicket-keeper who played his club cricket for Preston and Preston North End Cricket Clubs.

 

His club cricket was played as an amateur and his professional status with Lancashire was probably due to his receiving payment to make up lost wages as the Lancashire matches were played mid-week.

 

His first match for Lancashire was at Brighton, against Sussex, on 16th & 17th August 1869, when he made a pair and took a catch. The next year he played against Surrey at The Oval, and against Hampshire at Old Trafford and at Southampton.

 

On 4th to 6th August 1870 he appeared for Twenty of Preston against the United North of England Eleven , at Preston, scoring 2 and 2. There was a J.Marchbank playing for Preston in this match. A brother?

 

At the time of the 1881 Census he was living at 75 Lancaster Road, Preston, aged 42 an iron turner, with his wife Ann age 41, and two unmarried daughters, Margaret aged 21 and Elizabeth aged 13, both cotton weavers. They had an Irish widow as a visitor.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 Don Ambrose)