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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: Deskman on Thursday 15 February 18 01:08 GMT (UK)

Title: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: Deskman on Thursday 15 February 18 01:08 GMT (UK)
This match talk seems straightforward but as I decipher each word I cannot make it make sense. All my 'difficult' words are xxxxx. The xxxxxxxxxx xxxx is high res in second image. Can you help?

"were the only two Culmington fellows, these two on their own responsibility hire.
 a “pro” which will cost 10/- which the treasurer refuses to pay. I’m sorry
for Anthony, The other evening they had a great carpet beating here & afterward
a “drunk” on perry I met 3 men staggering about arm in arm on my
"

Thanks for any help on this. The folk here have been so impressive on my previous posts.

bold text is thanks to the folk here
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: CarolA3 on Thursday 15 February 18 05:20 GMT (UK)
'........ they two on their own responsibility hire'

Possible?
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: CarolA3 on Thursday 15 February 18 05:24 GMT (UK)
'.........  The other innings only had ........'

Maybe?
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: CarolA3 on Thursday 15 February 18 05:32 GMT (UK)
'a "drunk" on perry ........'

Unsure about perry - which part of the country?

Carol
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: Karen McDonald on Thursday 15 February 18 08:24 GMT (UK)
The other evening they had a great carpet beating here & afterward
a “drink” on ferry (?)

(Is there a ferry nearby?)

The first line is really bugging me! Makes no sense at all...  ??? ??? ???
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: ShaunJ on Thursday 15 February 18 08:47 GMT (UK)
Was this after the match vs Winstanstow on August 3rd when Culmington were all out for just 19 runs?
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: Wiggy on Thursday 15 February 18 08:48 GMT (UK)
Agree with ' own responsibility' but not 'hire'    . . but can't suggest anything else. 

The "three 'x' " word in first and third lines are the same word, but what?



Wiggy     
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: Deskman on Thursday 15 February 18 08:56 GMT (UK)
These are great leaps forward CarolA3 and Karen McDonald. Thank you.

I was blind to hire and the village had many commercial orchards and no shipping. perry is obvious to me now!

To seek understanding of the whole I have drafted a synthesis of your amends (and added the start of the first sentence).

"Last match in which Stuart Anthony & Bryan were the only two Culmington fellows they two on their responsibility hire a “pro” which will cost 10/- which the treasurer refuses to pay. Im sorry for Anthony, The other evening they had a great carpet beating here & afterward a “drunk" OR ”drink" on perry. I met 3 men staggering about – arm in arm on my way to..."

The first sentence still seems ill-phrased.

Again thanks for all your work.

I will now go and study ShaunJ's and Wiggy's replies.


Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: ShaunJ on Thursday 15 February 18 09:02 GMT (UK)
In the August 3rd match Anthony was out for a duck (as were most of the team) but Bryan was highest scorer with 14.
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: Wiggy on Thursday 15 February 18 09:07 GMT (UK)
You seem to have it  sorted Deskman - 'hire' seems possible now in context - and if you put a comma after 'fellows', it reads better so maybe he just didn't use much punctuation.     ;)
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: ShaunJ on Thursday 15 February 18 09:12 GMT (UK)
"...Last match in which Stuart Anthony & Bryan were the only two Culmington fellows. These two on their own responsibility hired a “pro” which will cost 10/- which the treasurer refuses to pay."
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: CarolA3 on Thursday 15 February 18 10:05 GMT (UK)
"The other evening they had a great carpet beating here & afterward a “drunk" [/i]OR ”drink" on perry. I met 3 men staggering about – arm in arm on my way to..."

I suggested 'innings' rather than 'evening' in a vague attempt to sound crickety, but you're probably right :)
(Is carpet beating a traditional rustic entertainment?  My mother did it annually, but never for fun.)

I'll stick with "drunk" though.  'Going on a drunk' in my younger days meant an evening (or more) of dedicated imbibing; 'going for a drink' pales by comparison.  The image of '3 men staggering about - arm in arm' brings back memories of those heady days ;D

Carol (lately of more temperate habits!)

Added:  The number of up-and-down strokes also suggests 'u' more than 'i'.
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: Karen McDonald on Thursday 15 February 18 11:24 GMT (UK)
"...Last match in which Stuart Anthony & Bryan were the only two Culmington fellows. These two on their own responsibility hired a “pro” which will cost 10/- which the treasurer refuses to pay."

That looks very plausible! Our writer does have a habit of scribbling down his thoughts with little or no punctuation.  :) Makes it fun for us, though!
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: Karen McDonald on Thursday 15 February 18 11:31 GMT (UK)
(Is carpet beating a traditional rustic entertainment?  My mother did it annually, but never for fun.)

There is a vulgar usage of the term carpet beating which, despite being an Essex Girl, I am not going to go into detail on here  :-X.  ;D
I have no idea if it was used back in the writer's days, though.
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: Deskman on Thursday 15 February 18 11:32 GMT (UK)
Thanks again everyone,

I now have this text
"Last match in which Stuart Anthony & Bryan were the only two Culmington fellows these two on their responsibility hire a “pro” which will cost 10/- which the treasurer refuses to pay. Im sorry for Anthony, The other evening they had a great carpet beating here & afterward a “drunk" on perry I met 3 men staggering about – arm in arm on my way to..."
what a difference!

There is punch line to the drinking
"...I was delighted to see them come to grief at the plank bridge over the brook. I don’t think Davies should have let them have so much. On my return about 10.30 nearly stumbled on one lying in orchard."

Thanks for posting the match reports from Culmington Winstanstow Journal  and Culmington Winstanstow News. Both titles are new to me.

The diary entry is dated 2nd August. The disastrous evening match against Winstanstow was on the Thursday 3rd. As this is the last para of the entry it would seem that it was the Winstanstow match and written about the 5th August. The next entry is dated 7th Aug.
The previous Culmington match was away on Saturday 27th July against Bedstone / Heath House. They lost by an innings and 19 runs, being the match with the pro?

Culmington had thrashed (aka a carpet beating?) Winstanstow away on 8th June 9 (but then Easton was playing).

Shall we pull stumps?
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: Deskman on Thursday 15 February 18 11:42 GMT (UK)
and here's a good carpet beating game
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02qssyn (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02qssyn)
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: Karen McDonald on Thursday 15 February 18 11:51 GMT (UK)
We don't know how good we have it these days..!

Interesting that I could open the link - we can't normally access the Beeb here.  ??? ;D
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: ShaunJ on Thursday 15 February 18 11:56 GMT (UK)
Quote
Thanks for posting the match reports from Culmington Winstanstow Journal  and Culmington Winstanstow News. Both titles are new to me.

Sorry - that's just my own short titling of the two snippets. They are both from the Wellington Journal and Shrewsbury News
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: ShaunJ on Thursday 15 February 18 11:58 GMT (UK)
Quote
Thursday 3rd.

3 August 1889 was a Saturday
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: ShaunJ on Thursday 15 February 18 12:06 GMT (UK)
"Stuart" Anthony is most likely Robert Stewart Anthony, son of the schoolmaster. He was hon sec of Culmington FC in 1889 ( mentioned as R Stewart Anthony in the Wellington Journal of 21 December 1889, page 6).
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: Deskman on Thursday 15 February 18 12:17 GMT (UK)
Thanks Shaun J,

The corrected sentence is
The diary entry is dated 2nd August. The disastrous match against Winstanstow was on Saturday 3rd. As this is the last para of the entry it would seem that it was the Winstanstow match and written about the 5th August. The next entry is dated 7th Aug.

Yes 'Stuart' was Robert Stewart Anthony.

Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: ShaunJ on Thursday 15 February 18 12:17 GMT (UK)
Quote
The previous Culmington match was away on Saturday 27th July against Bedstone / Heath House. They lost by an innings and 19 runs, being the match with the pro?

Yes that must be the one. Presumably Culmington CC was struggling to put a team together and having to bring players in from other villages ("only two Culmington fellows"), even bringing in a professional to shore the team up.
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: Deskman on Thursday 15 February 18 12:36 GMT (UK)
The match of Saturday 27th July against Bedstone / Heath House was played with only 10 a side. So yes really short of 'Culmington fellows'.
Title: Re: 1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking
Post by: CarolA3 on Thursday 15 February 18 16:30 GMT (UK)
(Is carpet beating a traditional rustic entertainment?  My mother did it annually, but never for fun.)
There is a vulgar usage of the term carpet beating which, despite being an Essex Girl, I am not going to go into detail on here  :-X.  ;D
I have no idea if it was used back in the writer's days, though.

I used to live in Suffolk.  I have no idea what you mean ;)

Culmington had thrashed (aka a carpet beating?) Winstanstow away on 8th June 9 (but then Easton was playing).

That was my first thought as to the meaning of 'carpet beating' too.  My old mum certainly thrashed the daylights out of our carpets!

Carol