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Leisure, pastimes and cricket at Cobham
Cricket featured strongly in the interests of many of the
Blighs. The 4th Earl and his brother played for the Kent XI, the
5th Earl laid out the cricket ground in the Park and Henry Bligh
restored this ground and initiated Hall versus Village matches at
Cobham.
Ivo Bligh, who became the 8th Earl of Darnley, was captain of
the English cricket team during their tour of Australia in 1882. It
was in Australia that he met his future wife, Florence Morphy, who
was one of three ladies who presented him with the Ashes urn which
he took home and kept on the mantelpiece in the library at Cobham
Hall. Florence gave the urn to the MCC after Ivo's death.
Hunting, shooting and fishing were also popular pursuits of the
Bligh family. Several family members down the generations were
interested in natural history and Florence, 8th Countess of
Darnley, was a keen gardener and avid collector of pressed
flowers.
These images are from the Darnley Archive and Local Studies
collections. To see the originals, please contact Medway Archives and Local Studies
Centre.
Select an image for a larger version
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Cricket match in Cobham Park.
Unidentified players. 20th century [U565_E646]. |
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Left. Extract from Cobham Cricketer's Handbook. 1854
[U565_C054].
Right. Score card for the cricket match which led to a
mock obituary in the Sporting Times. The first Australian
victory on English soil was seen as a national calamity. The Hon.
Ivo Bligh vowed to bring home the ashes of English cricket. 1882
[U565_C054].
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Left. Extract from the Picnic Book, Cobham Hall. 1880
[U565_E97].
Right. Extract from the Beaters Book. December 1921
[U565_E642].
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Left. Syndicate shoot. Early 20th century
[U565_E650].
Right. Tennis in Cobham Park. Early 20th century
[U565_E843].
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