Edward Attfield, a leading member of the Lansdown club in Bath, made one appearance for the South Wales Cricket Club, playing against the Purton Club in the last week of June in 1861. Given that it was the solicitor’s sole appearance, he may have been a late addition when others were still injured or unwell after the previous games in the London area. Edward duly made 1 and 5 in the game which saw the local club win by 29 runs.
He was the second son of the Rev. William Attfield of Park Street, Bath and played in the Winchester College XI from 1843 until 1845. His elder brother William was also a decent player with the pair playing for a so-called Somerset XI against Dorset at Dorchester in 1846. Edward bagged a pair in the game before playing in 1852 and 1853 for the Lansdown club against the All-England England. William had made a first-class appearance for a West of England XI in their match during 1845 against the MCC but sadly died in 1876 in the Peckham House Lunatic Asylum in Camberwell.
By this time, though Edward had also passed away. He had been working in the London area as a solicitor but in July 1868 he was admitted to the Royal Free Hospital in St. Pancras where he died of the cirrhosis of the liver, just four days after his 41st birthday. He was unmarried.
ATTFIELD, Edward Beaufoy
Born – Walcot, Bath 4 July 1827.
Died – Royal Free Hospital, St. Pancras, 8 July 1868.