Albert Lawton
Encyclopedia
Albert Edward Lawton was an English
cricket
er who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire
between 1900 and 1910 and for Lancashire
between 1912 and 1914. He captained the Derbyshire team between 1902 and 1905 and also played for London County
and MCC
.
, Cheshire
, the son of John Edward Lawton and his wife Ellen. His father owned a cotton spinning business at Dukinfield and in 1883 Frederic Charles Arkwright brought him to Matlock, Derbyshire to revive Masson Mill
to meet the growing market for sewing thread generated by the popularity of sewing machines. Lawton senior built a substantial mansion Woodbank, later Cromford Court, overlooking Masson Mill.
and remained with the team until 1910. He also played matches for London County from 1900 to 1903 and for the MCC
from 1905 to 1914. Lawton captained Derbyshire between 1902 and 1905, although for part of 1904 Maynard Ashcroft
held the captaincy. In 1902 he hit three of his ten first-class centuries, all at Derby. He scored 149 in two and a quarter hours against W.G. Grace's London County, 146 against Hampshire
and 126 in just over two hours against Warwickshire
. He scored 1,044 runs in the 1902 season with an average of 27.47.
The Lawton family left Matlock around 1910 and Lawton then played for Lancashire from 1912 to 1914. His last significant game was a one-off match for MCC in 1920. Lawton was a right hand batsman who played 314 inings in 182 first class matches. His highest score was 168 and his average 24.78. He was a right arm slow-medium bowler who took 113 wickets with an average of 31.92. While he was captain, Derbyshire ended the season twice at 10th in the table and otherwise 12th and 14th. Wisden described Lawton as "very tall" and a "prodigious hitter".
Lawton died at Manchester
aged 76.
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 who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
between 1900 and 1910 and for Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
between 1912 and 1914. He captained the Derbyshire team between 1902 and 1905 and also played for London County
London County Cricket Club
London County Cricket Club was a short-lived cricket club founded by the Crystal Palace Company. In 1898 they invited WG Grace to help them form a first-class cricket club. Grace accepted the offer and became the club's secretary, manager and captain. As a result, he severed his connection with...
and MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
.
Early life
Lawton was born at DukinfieldDukinfield
Dukinfield is a small town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in central Tameside on the south bank of the River Tame, opposite Ashton-under-Lyne, and is east of the city of Manchester...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, the son of John Edward Lawton and his wife Ellen. His father owned a cotton spinning business at Dukinfield and in 1883 Frederic Charles Arkwright brought him to Matlock, Derbyshire to revive Masson Mill
Masson Mill
Sir Richard Arkwright's Masson Mill is a water-powered cotton spinning mill situated on the west bank of the River Derwent in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire in England. This mill was built in 1783 and is sited close to the house Richard Arkwright built for himself within the parish of Matlock...
to meet the growing market for sewing thread generated by the popularity of sewing machines. Lawton senior built a substantial mansion Woodbank, later Cromford Court, overlooking Masson Mill.
Cricket career
Lawton made his debut for Derbyshire in the 1900 seasonDerbyshire County Cricket Club in 1900
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1900 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for twenty-nine years. It was their sixth season in the County Championship and they won three matches to finish thirteenth in the Championship table.-1900 season:Derbyshire played...
and remained with the team until 1910. He also played matches for London County from 1900 to 1903 and for the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
from 1905 to 1914. Lawton captained Derbyshire between 1902 and 1905, although for part of 1904 Maynard Ashcroft
Maynard Ashcroft
Edward Maynard Ashcroft was an English doctor and cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire between 1897 and 1906 and captained the Derbyshire team in 1904.-Early life:...
held the captaincy. In 1902 he hit three of his ten first-class centuries, all at Derby. He scored 149 in two and a quarter hours against W.G. Grace's London County, 146 against Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
and 126 in just over two hours against Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
. He scored 1,044 runs in the 1902 season with an average of 27.47.
The Lawton family left Matlock around 1910 and Lawton then played for Lancashire from 1912 to 1914. His last significant game was a one-off match for MCC in 1920. Lawton was a right hand batsman who played 314 inings in 182 first class matches. His highest score was 168 and his average 24.78. He was a right arm slow-medium bowler who took 113 wickets with an average of 31.92. While he was captain, Derbyshire ended the season twice at 10th in the table and otherwise 12th and 14th. Wisden described Lawton as "very tall" and a "prodigious hitter".
Lawton died at Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
aged 76.