Fonds WARNER - Sir Pelham Francis Warner Collection

Identity area

Reference code

WARNER

Title

Sir Pelham Francis Warner Collection

Date(s)

  • 1900-1980 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

0.56 cubic metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Sir Pelham Francis Warner was born in The Hall, Port of Spain, Trinidad, on 2 October 1873. He was the son of Charles William Warner, Attorney General of Trinidad. He married Agnes Blyth in 1904 and they had three children, two boys Esmond and John and a daughter Elizabeth.

Warner was educated at Rugby School and Oxford University, where he played in the varsity match against Cambridge. He made his first-class debut for Middlesex in 1894 and in 1897 was called up to play for Lord Hawke's XI in the West Indies. He then made his debut for England vs. South Africa in Johannesburg in 1899.

In 1903 Warner had the honour of being the first captain of an MCC touring side following the decision to make MCC the governing body responsible for England cricket tours overseas. The tour was to Australia and England won the series 3-2, thus bringing back the Ashes. Warner was rewarded with a place on the MCC Committee, and captained the first ever MCC tour of South Africa. During the First World War, Warner served with the Inns of Court and the Ministry of Information at the Foreign Office. After the war he returned to play first-class cricket in Middlesex and helped them to win the championship in 1920, scoring 79 and being led off the pitch by spectators - a framed picture of which is included in this collection.

After he retired from cricket Warner remained active in the game. He became manager of the MCC touring team during the infamous Bodyline series of 1932-1933. Warner was knighted in 1937 and during the Second World War he became Deputy Secretary of MCC. In 1950-1951 Warner was President of MCC and celebrated his 80th birthday with a dinner in the Long Room - two events that make up the bulk of correspondence and telegrams included in this collection. Warner died at West Lavington, near Midhurst, Sussex, on January 30, 1963.

This collection was bequeathed to MCC by Marina Warner, Warner's granddaughter, in 2009. The collection focuses on Warner's achievements away from the game - his MBE, his knighthood, his election as MCC President in 1950-1951, the release of his book 'Lord's 1787-1945' and his 80th birthday. The collection also includes material acquired during the course of Warner's life, including poetry, menu cards, orders of service and certificates. The material was held in a Louis Vuitton trunk with one sticker with 'The Grand Hotel, Melbourne' written on it, and with the scarlet and gold colours of MCC. MCC has retained the trunk.

Archival history

Bequeathed to MCC by Marina Warner, granddaughter of Sir Pelham Francis Warner, in 2009. The documents were taken from a suitcase which also included a duffle bag, which have also been catalogued on MCC's museum database.

WARNER 1900-1980 Fonds 0.56 cubic metres Warner , Sir , Pelham Francis , 1873-1963 , Knight , cricketer

Sir Pelham Francis Warner was born in The Hall, Port of Spain, Trinidad, on 2 October 1873. He was the son of Charles William Warner, Attorney General of Trinidad. He married Agnes Blyth in 1904 and they had three children, two boys Esmond and John and a daughter Elizabeth.

Warner was educated at Rugby School and Oxford University, where he played in the varsity match against Cambridge. He made his first-class debut for Middlesex in 1894 and in 1897 was called up to play for Lord Hawke's XI in the West Indies. He then made his debut for England vs. South Africa in Johannesburg in 1899.

In 1903 Warner had the honour of being the first captain of an MCC touring side following the decision to make MCC the governing body responsible for England cricket tours overseas. The tour was to Australia and England won the series 3-2, thus bringing back the Ashes. Warner was rewarded with a place on the MCC Committee, and captained the first ever MCC tour of South Africa. During the First World War, Warner served with the Inns of Court and the Ministry of Information at the Foreign Office. After the war he returned to play first-class cricket in Middlesex and helped them to win the championship in 1920, scoring 79 and being led off the pitch by spectators - a framed picture of which is included in this collection.

After he retired from cricket Warner remained active in the game. He became manager of the MCC touring team during the infamous Bodyline series of 1932-1933. Warner was knighted in 1937 and during the Second World War he became Deputy Secretary of MCC. In 1950-1951 Warner was President of MCC and celebrated his 80th birthday with a dinner in the Long Room - two events that make up the bulk of correspondence and telegrams included in this collection. Warner died at West Lavington, near Midhurst, Sussex, on January 30, 1963.

This collection was bequeathed to MCC by Marina Warner, Warner's granddaughter, in 2009. The collection focuses on Warner's achievements away from the game - his MBE, his knighthood, his election as MCC President in 1950-1951, the release of his book 'Lord's 1787-1945' and his 80th birthday. The collection also includes material acquired during the course of Warner's life, including poetry, menu cards, orders of service and certificates. The material was held in a Louis Vuitton trunk with one sticker with 'The Grand Hotel, Melbourne' written on it, and with the scarlet and gold colours of MCC. MCC has retained the trunk.

Bequeathed to MCC by Marina Warner, granddaughter of Sir Pelham Francis Warner, in 2009. The documents were taken from a suitcase which also included a duffle bag, which have also been catalogued on MCC's museum database.

Marina Warner, granddaughter of Sir Pelham Francis Warner.

Correspondence, telegrams, photographs, postcards, newspaper cuttings, posters, menu cards, scorecards, printed material, certificates, drafts of Warner's book 'Gentlemen vs. Players'.

Accruals are not expected.

See Scope and Content.

Records under 30 years old are closed to the public, records between 30-40 years require permission of the MCC Secretary before access. All other records are open.

Copies available subject to the condition and status of the original.

English.

Further details of the collection can be found on the online catalogue available via www.lords.org

Compiled by Robert Curphey, Documentation Assistant, MCC. The following sources were used to compile a history of this collection:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/22311.html
Warner, Sir Pelham Francis, 'Long Innings: The Autobiography of Sir Pelham Warner' (London: George G Harrap, 1951)
Warner, Sir Pelham Francis, 'How We Recoved The Ashes' (Chapman and Hall, 1904)

Compiled in accordance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000. Descriptions are indexed using the UK Archival Thesaurus and UNESCO Thesaurus and meet the National Council on Archives' Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

June 2013 Cricket Warner , Sir , Pelham Francis , 1873-1963 , Knight , cricketer Ball sports Sport Leisure time activities Leisure

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Marina Warner, granddaughter of Sir Pelham Francis Warner.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Correspondence, telegrams, photographs, postcards, newspaper cuttings, posters, menu cards, scorecards, printed material, certificates, drafts of Warner's book 'Gentlemen vs. Players'.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

Accruals are not expected.

System of arrangement

See Scope and Content.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Records under 30 years old are closed to the public, records between 30-40 years require permission of the MCC Secretary before access. All other records are open.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies available subject to the condition and status of the original.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English.

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Further details of the collection can be found on the online catalogue available via www.lords.org

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Marylebone Cricket Club Library

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in accordance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000. Descriptions are indexed using the UK Archival Thesaurus and UNESCO Thesaurus and meet the National Council on Archives' Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area