Lancashire player number 62 - Potter, William Henry by Don Ambrose

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Player:

WH Potter

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Lancashire 1870
Born 20.8.1847 Gufsey, India.
Died 10.4.1920 Boreham Wood, Hertfordshire.

 

The brother of Thomas Owen Potter (Lancashire 1866).

 

Educated at Hereford Cathedral School he is first recorded as playing for Herefordshire against Breconshire in 1870. He played for them again in 1871, against Shropshire, when he scored 39 and took ten wickets, including the hat trick.

 

On the 30th June and 1st July 1870 he played for the Gentlemen of Lancashire against the Gentlemen of Yorkshire, at Old Trafford, scoring 28 and taking one wicket for 12 runs.

 

In August, on the 11th and 12th, he was selected to play for Lancashire against Surrey at The Oval, when he scored 11 and 12. It was his only first-class match.

 

He played for the Gentlemen of Lancashire twice the following year, scoring 7 and 15 and taking six wickets for 176 runs, against Cambridge University and scoring 0 and taking eight wickets for 146 runs, against Oxford University, during Lancashire's June tour.

 

His last recorded match for the Lancashire Gentlemen was on 30th and 31st July 1874, against I Zingari, at the Earl of Sefton's Croxteth Park, Liverpool, when he scored 11 and 2 not out and took five wickets.

 

His club cricket was played for the Liverpool Club, where in 1866 he opened the innings against Birkenhead Park with his brother. He was still appearing for Liverpool, both in club matches and on the annual Public School Tour until 1886.

 

At the time of the 1881 Census he was living at 7 Regent Road, Birkdale, Southport, aged 33 born in Calcutta, a cotton merchant, with his wife Mary Ann, aged 38 born at Headingley, Yorkshire, daughter Mabel aged 7 and son William R. aged 6, both born at Wavertree, Liverpool, and second son Alan aged 1 born at Birkdale. There are two domestic servants.

 

At the time of his death he was living at Grey Gables, Boreham Wood, Elstree, Hertfordshire, and probate was granted to William Reginald Potter, engineer. He left £31,045.11s.1d.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 Don Ambrose)