July 1913 saw the formation of Welton Cricket Club when Major Garrard, Rev Sugden and Messers Bond, Clarke, Dench, Bugden, Owen, Emery and Haynes met at Welton Place.
The subscription was fixed at 2/- per year and no member could be allowed to play or practise until their subscription was paid.
The pitch was sited in the grounds of Welton Place, just beyond the stable block (which can be seen on the left in the painting below), a part of which was later loaned to the club to use as a tearoom and changing room.
During the winter of 1913/1914, work commenced in sourcing kit and equipment and fencing off the cricket square.
A fund-raising dance was held on the 29th of December 1913 which raised £2. 2s. 4d. towards the costs.
Major Garrard was elected as president with Rev Sugden as captain and Mr Clarke as vice-captain. Fixtures were sought from neighbouring villages, Daventry and Hillmorton.
The season started with 26 members which included the family names Tebbit, Haynes, Emery, Benjamin, and Starmer. The balance sheet for 1914 season showed a deficit of £2. 10s. 10d.
The original club was short lived – advent of WW1 meant closure, but on 3rd February 1921, a meeting was held at The Old School to discuss restarting it.
Names of those involved included Nicholls, Walldron, Holland, Cox, R Emery, J Emery and S Clarke.
Once again Major Garrard was elected president, with 2 vice-presidents, E B Joynson and Rev Sugden. Other officials included Walt Dench as captain, Sam Cox as vice-captain, George Smith as secretary and C Gregory as treasurer.
The subscription was set as 2/6d but with a discount to 1/6d for boys under 16. Mr Gregory clearly did a good job as the balance sheet for 1921 wiped out the old debt and showed a healthy surplus of £9. 0s. 6d.
In 1926 Major Garrard was elected president again – he was after all providing the grounds – along with five vice presidents. Sixteen matches were played that season, with membership growing to 46, 9 of whom were junior members.
‘After a lengthy discussion regarding an accident which befell the wicketkeeper Sam Cox on July 24th 1926 and which necessitated a new set of false teeth, it was carried unanimously that a whist drive and dance should be held to benefit him’.
The club flourished over the following years, finishing each season with a surplus, partly from subscription gifts from the president and vice presidents but also from social function profits and money raised by the ladies who supplied tea.
And so it continued until WWII when the club again suspended operations until 1946, the last match being against Long Lawford on the 26th August 1939.
October 16th 1946 saw the club being restarted with the subscription held at pre-war levels.
Back row: John Kemp (score keeper), George Goode, Ernest Holland, Dennis Kemp, Joe Needham, Jack Clarke, Curly Miller, Ned Coles, John Holland (umpire)
Front row: Vern Cox, Roy Smith, William (Bun) Moss, ??, Les Overton
In 1952 a Mr M Mawby presented a cup to be awarded annually to the player who, in the opinion of a judge appointed by the committee, performed most consistently throughout the season.
By 1959 things were hard for the club, and the finances took a downward turn.
The club did survive however, and on 1st May 1960, H (Curly) Miller was elected onto the committee. Curly was remarkable in that he had an artificial leg but still was an excellent wicket keeper and was able to score a few runs.
Back Row L-R Trevor Emery, Derek Birch, Gary Wilson, Tim Goode, ?? Derek Smith, Nipper Smith, Edwin Cox
Front row Ronald Harmer, Ellis Price, John Emery, Doug Marlow
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