The Cricket Journal of Geoffrey Webb

The Cricket Journal of Geoffrey Webb Introduction Lieutenant Commander Arthur Geoffrey Gascoyne Webb, RN. (Retired.), O.B.E., (1896-1981), was born at Newington, Kent. His father was a land agent and his mother was the daughter of the Gascoynes, fruit farmers of Sittingbourne, Kent. Both the Webbs and the Gascoynes were keen cricketers as can be seen on page 17B of the Journal, where he captains a side containing four Webbs and four Gascoynes, on this occasion not including his father, A.S.Webb, whose name also often appears with him in Kent teams. The Journal touches on his time at his preparatory school, Oaklands Court, where he captained he team, and at public school at Wellington College, where he reached only the second XI, the score-cards in the Journal being concerned with house matches for ‘Orange dormitory’. He entered the Royal Navy in 1914 and served as a Midshipman in the Battle of Jutland. He played for H.M.S.Indomitable and H.M.S.King George V; then, when sent for a course at Trinity College, Cambridge, for a year in 1919, he played for Trinity College, Cambridge Navy and then the Royal Navy. That year included games for Kent ‘next 18’ against the county side and for Kent Club and Ground. Over the next three years he represented the Navy, Kent 2nd XI , Incogniti and Band of Brothers. When the size of the Navy was cut in 1923, he spent five years teaching and cricket coaching, representing, from time to time, the M.C.C. and Incogniti. He married Audrey Haggard, a niece of the late Sir Rider Haggard. In 1928 he accepted a post under the Colonial Office and served in Nigeria until 1933. Becoming proficient in the Hausa language, he and a friend wrote a book on Hausa customs, and he translated stories for use in schools. During this period, he represented Nigeria against the Gold Coast. He returned to England after the death of his wife, who had joined him in Nigeria for his third tour, and in 1933, was appointed secretary to Leicestershire County Cricket Club, playing for Leicestershire, occasionally at first team level, and the Gentlemen of Leicestershire. Over the next five years he was instrumental in turning around the fortunes of the Club and instituting a number of important initiatives. It is this period of his career which is most fully covered in his Cricket Journal, with an historically valuable and comprehensive collection of press cuttings: a special introduction to this section of the Journal follows below. In 1935 he married Iris, elder daughter of Major and Mrs. Barry Thompson, of Tindall Lodge, Grantham, who was very active in helping him at sundry social events in aid of the Club. In 1938, he left Leicestershire to work for the British Sailors’ Society, of which he eventually became General Secretary. Recalled to the Navy in 1939, he served in anti-submarine trawlers in the Dover Straits until released on special orders to carry on welfare work for seamen. He finally joined King George’s Fund for Sailors in 1944 as Deputy Secretary and Appeals Secretary, and organised the Lord Mayor’s Appeal for the Royal and Merchant Navies. He stayed with King George’s Fund for Sailors until his retirement in 1961, having been awarded the O.B.E. in the Coronation Honours in 1953. He retired to Suffolk for 12 years, finally moving to Oakham, Rutland in 1974. A successful artist, working mainly in pastel, he exhibited at the Pastel Society exhibitions for a number of years.