chester, and fortunately, as all future history has proved, it was arranged to be held on the cricket-ground and surroundings they occupied. This was strenuously opposed at first, but eventually amicably settled; and now, after numerous wanderings, the present site was pitched upon, and the home of the future Lancashire team, then not dreamt about as regards the high excellence of to-day, definitely decided upon.
In and around the city there was a plenitude of support, practical and financial, and the year after, 1858, nominated by Mark Phillips and seconded by T. T. Bellhouse, S. H. Swire was elected; and, as it has proved, no more excellent organiser or resourceful diplomat has guided the destinies of any club.
Then we come to the days when Broughton, Sheffield, Liverpool, and Shrewsbury provided antagonism, and here find a different class of players who retired from the game at Lord's in 1842. There were the great family of Rowleys, seven in number, whose varied abilities in every part of the game were wonderful; Joseph Makinson, one of the finest players of his time; Middlemort, Bousfield, Barber, Rev. F. Wright, who now were able to hold their own with all comers. Hereabouts also saw the ground boarded in and a pavilion raised at a cost of £900, and this sufficed until the present fine structure was erected in 1894.
The formation and progress of other county teams became an object of interest, and why Lancashire should wait, when possessed of such a grand array of players, was quickly answered with a meeting of the representatives of the various clubs held at the Queen's Hotel, Manchester, on January 12, 1864, and from that night was built up the fabric of Lancashire cricket. Those who were present on that auspicious occasion were—S. H. Swire, Frank Glover, H. W. Barber, E. B. Rowley, A. B. Rowley, D. Bleackley, T. Fothergill, Captain Ashton, A. Birley, E. Challender, J. Holt, jun., of the Manchester C.C.; R. K. Birley, J. Beckton, R. Entwistle, H. Ashton, of the Western C.C.; D. Long, H. Royle, W. Horner, Higgins, of the Liverpool C.C.; J. Whittington, J. B. Payne, R. Crawshaw, F. W. Wright, of the Broughton C.C.; E. Whittaker and E. Hobson, of Ashton C.C.; J. W. Allison and E. J. Bousfield, of Longsight C.C; J. Yates, S. G. Greenwood, of Blackburn C.C.; J. Smith of Accrington; T. Wall of Wigan; J. Swailes of Oldham; Alec Eccles of Huyton; H. M. Tenent, of Northern C.C. Mr Horner was voted to the chair, while the resolution to form a county club was adopted; and on June 15, 16, 1864, the first Lancashire team appeared at Warrington to oppose Birkenhead Park Club and Ground. It was a team
