Peter Burrell, 1st Baron Gwydyr

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Peter Burrell, 1st Baron Gwydyr (16 June 1754 – 29 June 1820) featured in English politics at the end of the 18th century but he was best known for his involvement in cricket, particularly his part in the foundation of Marylebone Cricket Club in 1787. Burrell has been called the third most influential member of the White Conduit Club and of the early MCC, after George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea and Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond.

The son of Peter Burrell, he was a well known political figure and, apart from a couple of years in the early 1780s, was an MP from 1776 to 1796. The highlight of his career was his role as Deputy Grand Chamberlain in the famous trial of Warren Hastings. Hastings had been the first Governor-General of India from 1773 to 1786 but in 1787 he was impeached and subsequently tried for corruption; but was acquitted in 1795.

The playing career of Sir Peter Burrell extends to just 9 known first-class matches from 1785 to 1790. He played for Kent in a couple of matches although he was a Londoner by birth and his family seat was in Sussex.

He was a very useful batsman as indicated by his highest innings of 97 playing for White Conduit Club v Gentlemen of Kent at White Conduit Fields on Thurs 30 June & Fri 1 July 1785.

[edit] References

• A Social History of English Cricket by Derek Birley
• Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians - various publications
• Cricket: History of its Growth and Development by Rowland Bowen
• Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket by G B Buckley (FL18)
• Fresh Light on Pre-Victorian Cricket by G B Buckley (FLPV)
• From the Weald to the World by Peter Wynne-Thomas (PWT)
• Hambledon Cricket Chronicle by F S Ashley-Cooper (HCC)
• Hambledon: Men and Myths by John Goulstone (HMM)
• Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 by Arthur Haygarth (SBnnn)
• Start of Play by David Underdown
• Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century by Timothy J McCann (TJM)
• The Cricketer magazine (Cktr)
• The Dawn of Cricket by H T Waghorn (WDC)
• The Glory Days of Cricket by Ashley Mote (GDC)
• John Nyren's "The Cricketers of my Time" by Ashley Mote
• Wisden Cricketers Almanack (annual): various issues