George Louch
Encyclopedia
George Louch was an English
cricket
er and match organiser during the 18th century. He was especially noted for his fielding and was an early stalwart of Marylebone Cricket Club.
He was a native of Chatham and was evidently educated at Westminster
. He was playing quite regularly for the Chatham club up to 1773 when, for some unknown reason, his career went into sabbatical, as it were, because he does not reappear in the records until 1783. There is an entry in a 1778 diary re the Chatham club saying the reason it lost a game at Meopham
was that:
"Ye club is many of them gone to sea. No wonder they was beat".
So perhaps Mr Louch joined the Royal Navy
, always likely given his home town? Or he might have been in the British Army
during the American Revolutionary War
(as was the Earl of Winchilsea
and, possibly, Richard Purchase
). Or he might have gone to India
to make his fortune, for he does seem to have been quite well off during his later career, despite having had an apparently modest upbringing.
Whatever the reason for his absence, Louch’s career went into overdrive on his return and he deserves to be described as ubiquitous for the sheer volume of his appearances at every venue imaginable from 1787 until his final retirement at the end of the 1797 season. In all, he has 134 recorded appearances in major matches. Only the Earl of Winchilsea (128) and William Bullen
(119) were anywhere near his total when he retired.
In August 1789, it was reported in the press that Louch had been killed on the field by "a ball from the point of the bat, struck with such force that it lodged in his body"! Fortunately, he survived the injury and was back in action next season. It is interesting that Louch was noted for his fielding in his early days and it is reasonable to assume he was an outstanding fielder in positions that were not so much "catching" or "silly" as suicidal.
When Mr Louch eventually did pass on, the Kentish Gazette
of 7 May 1811 carried this notice: "Died April 29 at Ramsgate
after a short illness, George Louch Esq, deeply regretted by all who knew him".
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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...
er and match organiser during the 18th century. He was especially noted for his fielding and was an early stalwart of Marylebone Cricket Club.
He was a native of Chatham and was evidently educated at Westminster
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...
. He was playing quite regularly for the Chatham club up to 1773 when, for some unknown reason, his career went into sabbatical, as it were, because he does not reappear in the records until 1783. There is an entry in a 1778 diary re the Chatham club saying the reason it lost a game at Meopham
Meopham
Meopham is a large linear village and civil parish in the Borough of Gravesham and ceremonial county of Kent, in England, and lies to the south of Gravesend. The parish covers , and comprises two villages and two smaller settlements; it has a population of 6,427...
was that:
"Ye club is many of them gone to sea. No wonder they was beat".
So perhaps Mr Louch joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, always likely given his home town? Or he might have been in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
(as was the Earl of Winchilsea
George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea
George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea KG PC FRS was an important figure in the history of cricket. His main contributions to the game were patronage and organisation but Winchilsea, an amateur, was also a very keen player....
and, possibly, Richard Purchase
Richard Purchase
Richard Purchase was a famous English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club.He was only 16 when he made his debut in 1773.Born in Liss, Hampshire, he played for his county in 1773 and 1774 but then did not appear again until 1781...
). Or he might have gone to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to make his fortune, for he does seem to have been quite well off during his later career, despite having had an apparently modest upbringing.
Whatever the reason for his absence, Louch’s career went into overdrive on his return and he deserves to be described as ubiquitous for the sheer volume of his appearances at every venue imaginable from 1787 until his final retirement at the end of the 1797 season. In all, he has 134 recorded appearances in major matches. Only the Earl of Winchilsea (128) and William Bullen
William Bullen
William Bullen was an outstanding English cricketer throughout the last quarter of the 18th century. Hailing from Kent, Bullen was a great all-rounder, noted in the key sources as a fast bowler and a "powerful hitter"....
(119) were anywhere near his total when he retired.
In August 1789, it was reported in the press that Louch had been killed on the field by "a ball from the point of the bat, struck with such force that it lodged in his body"! Fortunately, he survived the injury and was back in action next season. It is interesting that Louch was noted for his fielding in his early days and it is reasonable to assume he was an outstanding fielder in positions that were not so much "catching" or "silly" as suicidal.
When Mr Louch eventually did pass on, the Kentish Gazette
Kentish Gazette
The Kentish Gazette is a weekly newspaper serving the city of Canterbury, Kent. It is owned by the KM Group and is published on Thursdays.-History:The newspaper claims to be the second oldest surviving newspaper in the United Kingdom....
of 7 May 1811 carried this notice: "Died April 29 at Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
after a short illness, George Louch Esq, deeply regretted by all who knew him".