Charles Powlett
Encyclopedia
The Reverend Charles Powlett (1728, England – 29 January 1809, Marylebone
, London) was a noted patron
of English cricket
who has been described as the mainstay, if not the actual founder, of the Hambledon Club
. Powlett held an important position in the administration of cricket and was a member of the committee which revised and codified the Laws of Cricket
in 1774.
Powlett (sometimes spelled Paulet) was the eldest son, born illegitimately, of Charles Powlett, 3rd Duke of Bolton
and Lavinia Fenton
, who were not married until 1751 when he was 23. Powlett was educated at Westminster School
and Trinity College, Cambridge
, where he graduated as MA in 1755. Having been ordained, he was Curate of Itchen Abbas
from 1763 to 1792; and Rector of St Martin-by-Looe
in Cornwall from 1785 to 1790.
Powlett acted as a Steward at Hambledon, was "the life and soul of the club for many years" and "when the end came, was the last to abandon the sinking ship".
Despite being ordained and a Steward of the club and a member of the Laws of Cricket committee, Powlett was not above gambling on the outcome of matches or of betting against his own team. In 1775, when Hambledon/Hampshire
hosted Surrey
on Broadhalfpenny Down
, the match situation at one point of the Hampshire second innings was such that a Surrey victory seemed certain. Powlett and his associate Philip Dehaney, another Hambledon member, decided to bet heavily on Surrey to win. But then John Small was joined at the wicket by his captain Richard Nyren
and the two put on a massive century partnership which turned the game around. Nyren was out for 98 and Small went on to make 136, which is the earliest known century
in the history of first-class cricket
. Surrey then collapsed and Hampshire won a famous victory. When Nyren was out, he was confronted by Powlett and Dehaney who complained that he and Small had cost them their money. Nyren, disgusted with them, retorted: "Another time, don't bet your money against such men as we are".
Marylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
, London) was a noted patron
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
of English cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
who has been described as the mainstay, if not the actual founder, of the Hambledon Club
Hambledon Club
The Hambledon Club was a social club that is famous for its organisation of 18th century cricket matches. By the late 1770s it was the foremost cricket club in England.-Foundation:...
. Powlett held an important position in the administration of cricket and was a member of the committee which revised and codified the Laws of Cricket
Laws of cricket
The laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...
in 1774.
Powlett (sometimes spelled Paulet) was the eldest son, born illegitimately, of Charles Powlett, 3rd Duke of Bolton
Charles Powlett, 3rd Duke of Bolton
Lieutenant-General Charles Powlett , 3rd Duke of Bolton KG PC was a British nobleman and politician....
and Lavinia Fenton
Lavinia Fenton
Lavinia Powlett, Duchess of Bolton , known by her stagename as Lavinia Fenton, was an English actress.She was probably the daughter of a naval lieutenant named Beswick, but she bore the name of her mother's husband. She was thought to have been born in Charring Cross, and had been a child...
, who were not married until 1751 when he was 23. Powlett was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, where he graduated as MA in 1755. Having been ordained, he was Curate of Itchen Abbas
Itchen Abbas
Itchen Abbas is a village on the River Itchen about north-east of Winchester in Hampshire, England. The village is part of the Itchen Valley civil parish.A major oil pipeline from Hamble to Aldermaston runs through Itchen Abbas.-Parish church:...
from 1763 to 1792; and Rector of St Martin-by-Looe
St Martin-by-Looe
St Martin-by-Looe is a coastal civil parish in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. The parish is immediately east of the town and parish of Looe, seven miles south of Liskeard...
in Cornwall from 1785 to 1790.
Powlett acted as a Steward at Hambledon, was "the life and soul of the club for many years" and "when the end came, was the last to abandon the sinking ship".
Despite being ordained and a Steward of the club and a member of the Laws of Cricket committee, Powlett was not above gambling on the outcome of matches or of betting against his own team. In 1775, when Hambledon/Hampshire
Hampshire county cricket teams
Hampshire county cricket teams have been traced back to the 18th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that...
hosted Surrey
Surrey county cricket teams
Surrey county cricket teams have been traced back to the 17th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. The first definite mention of cricket anywhere in the world is dated c.1550 in Guildford.-17th century:...
on Broadhalfpenny Down
Broadhalfpenny Down
Broadhalfpenny Down, situated on a hilltop about a mile from the rural village of Hambledon in Hampshire, was the home venue for first-class cricket matches of the Hambledon Club from 1753 to 1781...
, the match situation at one point of the Hampshire second innings was such that a Surrey victory seemed certain. Powlett and his associate Philip Dehaney, another Hambledon member, decided to bet heavily on Surrey to win. But then John Small was joined at the wicket by his captain Richard Nyren
Richard Nyren
Richard "Dick" Nyren was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket during the 1760s and 1770s in the heyday of the Hambledon Club...
and the two put on a massive century partnership which turned the game around. Nyren was out for 98 and Small went on to make 136, which is the earliest known century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
in the history of first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
. Surrey then collapsed and Hampshire won a famous victory. When Nyren was out, he was confronted by Powlett and Dehaney who complained that he and Small had cost them their money. Nyren, disgusted with them, retorted: "Another time, don't bet your money against such men as we are".