Description:

ASHES RELATED PHOTO ARCHIVE:

Australia’s defeat of England in the 1882 Test led the ‘Sporting Times’ of London to publish its waggish ‘In Memoriam’ notice the next morning:

“In affectionate remembrance

of

English Cricket

Which died at the Oval

On

29^th August, 1882

Deeply lamented by a large circle

Of sorrowing friends and acquaintances.

R.I.P.

N.B.: The body will be cremated and the ashes taken

to Australia.

Cricket historians give justifiable credit to Florence Morphy of Beechworth as the originator of the idea of burning a bail (an Australian bail) and sealing the ashes in a tiny urn, scarcely larger than an egg-cup, and enclosing the prize in a plum-coloured velvet bag.

Justifiably, because Florence Morphy was music teacher to Sir William Clarke, and companion to Lady Clarke, became engaged to the captain of the 1882-83 English team, The Honourable Ivo Bligh, later to become the eighth Earl of Darnley, married him in Australia, and of course went with him when he returned home to England.

Florence would have been told by Ivo of the famous ‘Sporting Times’ notice, and would have had Ivo’s interests very much at heart. She was a leading light of the Cliveden Ladies Sewing Circle who presented the tiny urn to Ivo Bligh with great formality (and no doubt many a smile). Ivo Bligh received the urn with equally suitable dignity.

It would be difficult to imagine a more impressive archive of photographs directly relating to the two families involved in the making, presenting and receiving what is arguably the most famous trophy in the entire history of sport.

Photographic archive by descent from Lady Darnley, with photographs (92) & postcards (10), c1880-1920s, highlights are portraits of Ivo Bligh & Florence Morphy (also as Lady Darnley), golfer Tom Morris, Clarke family (Sir William Clarke was President of Melbourne Cricket Club), Beechworth scenes (including Lady Darnley in 1903), plus numerous photos of family members, residences, WW1 soldiers & steamships.