Albert Craig (The Surrey Poet)
Encyclopedia
Albert Craig was commonly known as The Surrey Poet, although he never used the term himself, instead signing his pieces as "A.C. Cricket Rhymester".. He would attend cricket
and football
matches to write verses and short essays describing the players and events, then had them printed on broadsheets and sold to the crowd. His poetry was not renowned for any literary merit but he was a popular and well-known figure, thanks to his good nature and his ready wit.
Craig was born in Meltham
, Huddersfield
, Yorkshire
. When as a young man he found employment as a post office clerk in the Bradford
area, he found that his topical verses went down well with his workmates. Encouraged by this, he obtained permission from Yorkshire
to sell his verses at Park Avenue
during a match against Gloucestershire. Going to the match, he wrote one piece on George Ulyett
and another on Fred Grace
. He sold a thousand copies in two hours, earning as much as in two months as a clerk. Before long he gave up the post office and moved to London to try to make his living from his verse.
Basil Easterbrook wrote of him: "He knew his limitations and he was a good psychologist into the bargain as the following anecdote illustrates. He went down to Canterbury Week
in the 1890's and as he walked round the ground selling his verses he said 'I know that any fool among you could write a better poem than this, but I defy anyone else, however intelligent, to sell it at 2d
a copy', This was greeted with roars of laughter and the tuppences flowed in merrily."
Professor F.J. Cole, in a letter to the Daily Telegraph, described him thus: "His education must have been very indifferent, and to the end of his life the letter H always beat him. He had a great command of humour and invective, and his little serio-comic lectures were always skilfully adapted to the section of the crowd he happened to be addressing, He could silence the knocker, and the member of the crowd who attempted to score off him always had the laugh turned against himself."
As his nickname attests, he was particularly associated with Surrey
and their home ground of The Oval
, where he came to be known as the 'Captain of Spectators', though he visited many other grounds. At the first match of one season he ran to announce that Surrey had lost the toss with the rhyme 'For though of football for five months I've sung, I'm mighty glad now that spring has sprung'.
In July, 1906 he wrote an 18 line verse to mark the young Jack Hobbs
' innings of 162 not out against Worcestershire at The Oval. It began:
He would follow Surrey and the Australian and South African touring sides around the country, and sometimes went to Kent and Sussex home games.
Ronald Mason wrote of him: "He had no authority but popularity, no recommendation but gaiety, no talent but wit."
In Chapter X of his novel Mr Justice Raffles (1909), E.W. Hornung wrote about a University Match at Lord's: And in the expectant hush before the appearance of the fielding side, I still recall the Yorkshire accent of the Surrey Poet, hawking his latest lyric on some "Great Stand by Mr. Webbe and Mr. Stoddart
," and incidentally assuring the crowd that Cambridge was going to win because everyone said Oxford would.
In a 1908 FA Cup
match between Chelsea
and Northampton Town
, the crowd became angry at a refereeing decision and at the end of the game attempted to invade the pitch. However Craig confronted them and shouted: "Boys, do nothing tonight that you will regret tomorrow. I have been your captain for twenty-six years, so take my advice and go home." The crowd complied, and Chelsea sent him an official letter of thanks.
He died in Clapham
, South London
from an abscess on the lung. During his final illness he received a letter sent from Marlborough House
which read: "Dear Sir—The Prince of Wales
much regrets to hear that you have been seriously indisposed. His Royal Highness desires me to express his earnest hope that you health may be restored and that your friends may soon be able to welcome you back to The Oval. Yours faithfully, Arthur Bigge
."
Bobby Abel
was his closest friend in cricket, and on Craig's death he took the responsibility for arranging his funeral, which many well-known cricketers attended.
After his death, a book of his work was published:
See also: Cricket poetry
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...
and football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
matches to write verses and short essays describing the players and events, then had them printed on broadsheets and sold to the crowd. His poetry was not renowned for any literary merit but he was a popular and well-known figure, thanks to his good nature and his ready wit.
Craig was born in Meltham
Meltham
Meltham is a small town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Holme Valley, below Wessenden Moor, four and a half miles south-west of Huddersfield on the edge of the Peak District National Park...
, Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. When as a young man he found employment as a post office clerk in the Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
area, he found that his topical verses went down well with his workmates. Encouraged by this, he obtained permission from Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
to sell his verses at Park Avenue
Park Avenue (stadium)
Park Avenue is a sports ground on Horton Park Avenue in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It was used for both cricket and football. It held 306 first class and 48 list A cricket matches between 1881 and 1996, and was home to former Football League club Bradford Park Avenue, to which it lent its...
during a match against Gloucestershire. Going to the match, he wrote one piece on George Ulyett
George Ulyett
George Ulyett was an English all-round cricketer, noted particularly for his very-aggressive batsmanship. A well-liked man , Ulyett was popularly known as "Happy Jack", once musing memorably that Yorkshire played him only for his good behaviour and his whistling...
and another on Fred Grace
Fred Grace
George Frederick Grace was the youngest of the three Grace brothers to play Test cricket for England.Although his elder brothers E. M. and W. G...
. He sold a thousand copies in two hours, earning as much as in two months as a clerk. Before long he gave up the post office and moved to London to try to make his living from his verse.
Basil Easterbrook wrote of him: "He knew his limitations and he was a good psychologist into the bargain as the following anecdote illustrates. He went down to Canterbury Week
Canterbury Cricket Week
Canterbury Cricket Week was founded in 1842. It is the oldest cricket festival and since 1847 has taken place at the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury.-External links:* *...
in the 1890's and as he walked round the ground selling his verses he said 'I know that any fool among you could write a better poem than this, but I defy anyone else, however intelligent, to sell it at 2d
Penny (British pre-decimal coin)
The penny of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, was in circulation from the early 18th century until February 1971, Decimal Day....
a copy', This was greeted with roars of laughter and the tuppences flowed in merrily."
Professor F.J. Cole, in a letter to the Daily Telegraph, described him thus: "His education must have been very indifferent, and to the end of his life the letter H always beat him. He had a great command of humour and invective, and his little serio-comic lectures were always skilfully adapted to the section of the crowd he happened to be addressing, He could silence the knocker, and the member of the crowd who attempted to score off him always had the laugh turned against himself."
As his nickname attests, he was particularly associated with Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
and their home ground of The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, where he came to be known as the 'Captain of Spectators', though he visited many other grounds. At the first match of one season he ran to announce that Surrey had lost the toss with the rhyme 'For though of football for five months I've sung, I'm mighty glad now that spring has sprung'.
In July, 1906 he wrote an 18 line verse to mark the young Jack Hobbs
Jack Hobbs
Sir John Berry "Jack" Hobbs was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey from 1905 to 1934 and for England in 61 Test matches from 1908 to 1930....
' innings of 162 not out against Worcestershire at The Oval. It began:
- Joy reigns supreme amongst the Surrey throng,
- Patrons break out in one triumphant song;
- Young Hobbs we loved as hero of today,
- Gaily he steers along his conquering way.
He would follow Surrey and the Australian and South African touring sides around the country, and sometimes went to Kent and Sussex home games.
Ronald Mason wrote of him: "He had no authority but popularity, no recommendation but gaiety, no talent but wit."
In Chapter X of his novel Mr Justice Raffles (1909), E.W. Hornung wrote about a University Match at Lord's: And in the expectant hush before the appearance of the fielding side, I still recall the Yorkshire accent of the Surrey Poet, hawking his latest lyric on some "Great Stand by Mr. Webbe and Mr. Stoddart
Andrew Stoddart
Andrew Ernest Stoddart was an English cricketer and rugby union player. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1893.-Cricket career:...
," and incidentally assuring the crowd that Cambridge was going to win because everyone said Oxford would.
In a 1908 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
match between Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
, the crowd became angry at a refereeing decision and at the end of the game attempted to invade the pitch. However Craig confronted them and shouted: "Boys, do nothing tonight that you will regret tomorrow. I have been your captain for twenty-six years, so take my advice and go home." The crowd complied, and Chelsea sent him an official letter of thanks.
He died in Clapham
Clapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
, South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
from an abscess on the lung. During his final illness he received a letter sent from Marlborough House
Marlborough House
Marlborough House is a mansion in Westminster, London, in Pall Mall just east of St James's Palace. It was built for Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, the favourite and confidante of Queen Anne. The Duchess wanted her new house to be "strong, plain and convenient and good"...
which read: "Dear Sir—The Prince of Wales
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
much regrets to hear that you have been seriously indisposed. His Royal Highness desires me to express his earnest hope that you health may be restored and that your friends may soon be able to welcome you back to The Oval. Yours faithfully, Arthur Bigge
Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham
Arthur John Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham, GCB, GCVO, GCIE, KCSI, KCMG , ISO, PC , was a British soldier and courtier. He was Private Secretary to Queen Victoria during the last few years of her reign, and to King George V during most of his reign...
."
Bobby Abel
Bobby Abel
Robert Abel , nicknamed "The Guv'nor", was a Surrey and England opening batsman who was one of the most prolific run-getters in the early years of the County Championship...
was his closest friend in cricket, and on Craig's death he took the responsibility for arranging his funeral, which many well-known cricketers attended.
After his death, a book of his work was published:
- Cricket and football: Rhymes, sketches, anecdotes, etc. of Albert Craig, the "Surrey Poet", Cricket and Sports Publishers Ltd, 1910.
See also: Cricket poetry
Cricket poetry
-Poetry:The sport of cricket has inspired much poetry, most of which romanticises the sport.-At Lord's:Francis Thompson wrote the following poem, At Lord's:-Poetry:...