Samuel Belcher trained as a teacher at Trinity College, Dublin before securing a teaching post at Clifton College. The Yorkshire-born schoolmaster was a decent cricketer, playing for the Clifton club as well as the Lansdown club in Bath. He was also a talented coach and is alleged to have had a letter written to him in later years by WG Grace saying “Have you forgotten that it was you who taught us all cricket.”
Through his network of contacts in the Severnside area, Mr. Belcher was invited by his good friend Samuel Homfray, an ironmaster from Tredegar and Newport, to play for the XXII of Monmouthshire and District which met and defeated the All-England Eleven at Newport in June 1859. It was the first-ever victory by a Welsh side against the wandering English team and buoyed by their success, the South Wales Cricket Club came into being with the schoolmaster using his contacts within the Clifton club to secure home and away matches for the newly-created Club.
Opposite: Image Credit – Glamorgan Cricket Archives.
In 1860 he played again for the Monmouthshire and District XXII against the All-England Eleven, besides being a member of the South Wales Club’s tour of the Home Counties with Samuel playing against the Surrey Club and Ground at The Oval, the MCC at Lord’s and the Knickerbockers at Aldershot. He played as well against the same opponents the following year, besides featuring in the Club’s fixtures in 181 against Lansdown CC and Purton CC.
He had married Frances Cramp in 1856 with his wife travelling to Australia where she became a Governess. In 1863 Samuel joined her Down Under after travelling from Liverpool to Sydney. The couple worked initially in Goulburn, situated 195 km south-west of Sydney which in 1863 had become the first inland city in Australia as proclaimed by Queen Victoria.
Samuel subsequently purchased Garroorigang where he established a school for gentlemen’s sons. Giving his sporting prowess, Samuel encouraged the playing of cricket and rugby with the establishment becoming one of the pioneering schools outside Sydney where the oval-ball game was played.
He also continued to play in local cricket and in December 1866 he was chosen to play for New South Wales against Victoria. The schoolmaster duly made his first-class debut at The Domain in Sydney on Boxing Day 1866 and therefore completed the unique double of appearing in representative cricket both for South Wales, and New South Wales. He made 9 opening the batting in what was his sole innings before featuring in the make-up single innings game two days later playing an eleven described as ‘The World’ against a team dubbed Australia. Batting at number four, Samuel scored 72.
Samuel closed the school 1883 but remained at Garroorigang where he and Frances raised their four children. Tragically, another boy and girl died in infancy.
BELCHER, Samuel Harborne.
Born – Sheffield, 1 November 1834.
Died – Garroorigang, New South Wales, 22 August 1920.