Platts, John: Life and career blighted by tragedy

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John Dallison, from Derby’s Local Studies Library, considers the eventful life of Victorian cricketer John Platts.

JOHN Platts, or to give him his full name, John Thomas Brown Dumelow Platts, was a Derbyshire man who became a Victorian cricketing legend. He was born in Chellaston on November 23, 1848. His parents were Robert Platts, a master wheelwright, and Alice, nee Dumelow.

As a youth, John laboured in the area’s gypsum mines. He was dark-haired and quite short in height, but had a strong build.

No doubt to relieve the monotony of his work, in spare moments he pretended to play cricket and would bowl stones at imaginary batsmen.

That activity certainly paid off for, by the age of 19, John had become one of Derbyshire’s best all-round cricketers. He was a left-handed batsman and a right-arm fast bowler – a formidable opponent on the pitch who soon came to the attention of the cricketing establishment.

A subscription was raised for him and, in 1870, Lord Coventry enabled him to join the Marylebone Cricket Club.

John seemed about to embark on a glorious career in first class cricket, but during his first major match a terrible thing happened.

The match, which took place at Lord’s in June 1870, was between the MCC and Nottinghamshire. On the morning of June 15, George Summers, who was batting for Nottinghamshire, faced Platts.

Summers was a pleasant young man of slight build who was about to celebrate his 26th birthday.

John’s first delivery rose steeply, possibly it had hit a pebble on the wicket’s surface, and struck Summers on the head.

William Yardley, the MCC wicket-keeper, said later: “The occurrence was the purest accident. When struck, Summers reeled like a teetotum and fell.”

Summers revived enough to watch the rest of the match which Nottinghamshire won.

But, against the advice of an eminent doctor, who recommended that he went to hospital, he journeyed by train to his parents’ home in Nottingham.

His condition deteriorated rapidly and he died of brain concussion four days after the accident.

Platts was deeply affected by the tragedy. The great W G Grace, who had taken part in the match, later commented on the incident: “...the bowler was not in the least to blame for the catastrophe, but he was terribly cut up, and I shall never forget his mental distraction.”

It was said that after Summers’ death, Platts always walked onto the field of play wearing a black glove on his right hand.

In November 1870, the Derbyshire County Club was formed. It was arranged that two matches would be played against Lancashire during the first season. Platts, in the meantime, had returned home to Derbyshire and seems to have undertaken casual labouring work during the off-season.

Indeed, an entry in the Chellaston census of 1871 gives his occupation as that of a labourer in an ironworks.

Platts was selected to play for Derbyshire in the county’s first class match at Old Trafford in May 1871.

Lancashire lost the match by an innings and 11 runs. Platts returned bowling figures of three wickets for four runs in 5.3 overs.

His long association with Derbyshire had got off to an excellent start.

In the final match of the 1874 season, Derbyshire played the United South of England XI, in Derby before a record crowd of 3,000.

W G Grace, who arrived late and had delayed the start of the event, was bowled out by Platts after making 51 runs. Derbyshire won the match.

Then, in 1877, aged 28 and in a match against Hampshire, Platts ensured his place in local cricketing history by becoming the first Derbyshire County batsman to make a century.

That year was perhaps the high point of his career, for he finished the season in 15th place in the national batting averages, and he was at the head of the professionals with 478 runs in 10 games.

Platts’ personal life during that period was also eventful. In December 1878, he married 20-year-old Lydia Tipper at Chellaston.

The couple’s first son was baptised in October 1879, and they had a second son in 1881. Probably because of his age, he was now 32, and his family responsibilities, Platts took on the tenancy of the Rose and Crown inn at Chellaston.

The couple’s third child, a daughter, was born in 1883.

With the cricket club’s fortunes in decline, Platts realised that his own career was ending. He retired from the professional game in 1884. Sadly, Lydia died a year later – she was only 27.

In May 1886, Platts married again, to Alice Jackson, who bore him three more children. He became a county umpire and was also active for many years in village cricket at Chellaston.

His nephew, Herbert Clapp, succeeded him as the tenant of the Rose and Crown in 1895, and the Platts family moved to 6 Langley Street, Derby.

Unhappily, John contracted tuberculosis and his health declined.

He died at home in August 1898, aged 49.

This brief biographical article is largely based on the extensive family history research carried out by B E Platts in 1997.

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This article is from the Derby Evening Telegraph and is reproduced online here.