Info needed on cricketing legend Ted Peate

Former Mexborough League player Edmund — known as Ted — Peate is the first name on the honours board at Lord’s and played a key role in the most famous game in the sport’s history

At The Oval in 1882, Peate took eight wickets as Australia were dismissed cheaply and needing just 85 in the second innings to win, England looked poised for victory, especially with WG Grace opening the batting and easing his way to 32.

Suddenly, however, wickets tumbled rapidly and Peate, the last batsman in, was called to the crease.

Rumour has it that renowned drinker Peate had made an early start on the celebratory champagne.

Ordered to play a straight bat, he played a wild shot, was bowled and Australia had pulled off an unlikely triumph.

A famous notice appeared  in the Sporting Times stating: “In affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at the Oval on 29 August 1882…RIP. The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.” Thus Ashes cricket was born.

A day earlier a similar notice had appeared in Cricket magazine — but this ended “It’s End Was Peate”, laying the blame squarely at the Yorkshireman’s door.

Peate continued to play for England, taking six wickets in an innings at Lord’s against Australia in 1884, so becoming the first name to be engraved on the honours board.

He set records for Yorkshire but his career went into a spiral as drink and a confrontational attitude got the better of him.

Peate became a club professional but was sacked by his last club, Skipton, and died a few weeks later. He is buried in an unmarked grave.

But now author Ian Lockwood is researching his life for a biography and is keen to get in touch with descendants who he believes still live in the Rotherham area.

Ted’s son, also called Ted/Edmund, moved to South Yorkshire and the Advertiser of July 1, 1911 records him scoring a half century for the Mexborough League against Yorkshire Seconds.

“I do know that Ted had a son, grandson and great grandson all called Ted (or Edmund to give them their ‘proper’ name,” said Mr Lockwood.

“The son died in 1974, the grandson in 1985 and I think that, sadly, the great grandson died in 1981 aged just 47.

“However, the grandson (who married Ivy Nightingale, I think) also had a daughter called Jean and another daughter, whose initial appears to be M and who may have married someone called Gough.”

If anyone can help, or who wants more information, they should contact Mr Lockwood on historyofskipton.co.uk or telephone 01756 790993.