NBVM reader Barbara Elsmore was inspired to fill in the missing pieces from our recent look back on the rich cricketing history of Compton House Cricket Club. Can anyone shed light on the characters she has been unable to track down?
by Barbara Elsmore, Sherborne.

I was delighted to read about cricket in the Vale (NBVM, 14 October) especially when I saw two of my great uncles pictured in 1893 with the team playing for the Compton House Cricket Club against a team from Yeovil.
There are four members of the Yeovil team indicated in the photograph so I am assuming all the named players were members of the Compton House Cricket Team, or their supporters. Col John Goodden, his wife Caroline and their family were living in Compton House at this time.

Compton House Cricket Club

Eveleen Collings marries George Bicknell in 1900. This photograph was taken outside the home of the bride in Nether Compton

James Farley (1873-1955) aged 20 at the time of the photo is Captain – centre front holding a bat. James arrived at Compton House as a young servant. He progressed to Butler then went up to London to work, where he met and married Minnie. They had a daughter and a son Donald. The family returned to Nether Compton when James became Colonel Goodden’s Bailiff. They lived in Sheriff’s lodge at the entrance to the drive to Compton House for many years.

My great uncle Jack Collings (1874-1918) was 20 at the time of the photo, in which he is pictured to the left of the captain padded up and ready to bat for his side. Ten years later, in 1903, he married the daughter of the landlord of the Griffin’s Head in Nether Compton, Lilian Vaux. They lived at the Forge in Nether Compton and had three boys. Jack worked as a carpenter. The family moved to Limmington where Jack joined his brother-in-law Alfred Bicknell in his carpentry business.

W Collings is my great-uncle William Collings (1877-1931) aged 16 in the photo. He is the small boy at the back wearing a cap. He is too young to play at this time so perhaps he may have been helping with the score board? William later married a teacher and with two sons they left for New South Wales in Australia.
George Bicknell (1873-1945) aged 20 in the photo. He married Eveline in 1900, the sister of Jack and William Collings with the newly-weds leaving Nether Compton for Southampton where George had opened a bicycle shop.
The rest of the home team is comprised: A Beaumont, T Barrett,
J Griffin, J Hann, T Sebley, E Squibb and J Withey. H Griffin is another supporter.
With a quick look through the 1891 census I can find only two likely candidates – Tom Barrett aged 38, a Groom and John Griffin aged 20, employed as an Under Keeper. I would be very interested to know if any readers of the NBVM recognise any of those named and if any light can be thrown onto these long ago lives.

Barbara Elsmore is the author of Over & Nether Compton – Snapshots in Time, on sale now from comptontales.uk.