Although the history of Test cricket between England and Australia dates from 1877, it was after an English team led by Monkey Hornby lost to the Australians at The Oval in 1882, that The Sporting Times newspaper wrote a mock obituary to English cricket, noting that the body would be cremated and the ashes sent to Australia. The following winter's tour to Australia was billed as an attempt to reclaim The Ashes. Bligh's team was successful, winning the three-match Ashes series two-one, although a fourth game, not played for The Ashes, and hence a matter of great dispute, was lost.[7][8]
A small terracotta urn was presented to The Hon. Ivo Bligh, as England captain, by a group of Melbourne women after England's victory in the Test series. The urn is reputed to contain the ashes of a bail, symbolising "the ashes of English cricket". While the urn has come to symbolise The Ashes series, the term "The Ashes" predates the existence of the urn. The urn is not used as the trophy for the Ashes series, and, whichever side "holds" the Ashes, the urn remains in the MCC Museum at Lord's.[9] Since the 1998/99 Ashes series, a Waterford crystal trophy has been presented to the winners.[10]
Bligh is commemorated by a poem inscribed on the side of the urn:
Bligh succeeded his elder brother Edward as Earl of Darnley in 1900. As the holder of an Irish peerage he was not automatically entitled to a seat in the House of Lords (his brother's English peerage, the barony of Clifton, had passed to Edward's daughter Elizabeth), but was elected as soon as was practicable, in March 1905, to sit in Parliament as an Irish Representative Peer.
He married Florence Rose Morphy, daughter of John Stephen Morphy, of Beechworth, Victoria, Australia on 9 February 1884.[3] She had been a music teacher at Rupertswood, where her future husband had stayed during his tour of Australia. They had two sons and a daughter:[3]
Lord Darnley died at Shorne, Kent in April 1927, aged 68, being succeeded in the family titles by his eldest son, Esmé. His wife, 'Florence, Dowager Countess of Darnley', presented the urn to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) after her husband's death. She died in August 1944, having been honoured as one of the first Dames of the British Empire in 1919.[citation needed]
Ivo Bligh is buried in the family vault at the collegiate church of St Mary Magdalene, Cobham, Kent.[15][16]
Art collection
As owner of the art collection at Cobham Hall from 1900, he lent various pieces to London exhibitions, but in May 1925 he sold a number of pieces.[17]
^"Ivo Bligh". Cricinfo. from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
^ abcdeBurke, Sir Bernard; Burke, Ashworth P. (1914). Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. London: Harrison & Sons. pp. 570–571.
^"Bligh, the Hon. Ivo Francis [Walter] (BLH877IF)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Ivo Bligh – Player Profile Sky Sports Cricket". SkySports. from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
^. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
^"Cricket's burning passion : Ivo Bligh and the story of the Ashes / Scyld Berry and Rupert Peploe. – Version details – Trove". from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
^Pollock, J. C. (1955). The Cambridge Seven. p. 70.
^"About MCC | MCC". Lords.org. from the original on 12 March 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
^"Cobham and Luddesdowne". from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
^"Regesta 256: 1366–1367". from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
^Christie's advertisement 28 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine in “Front Matter.” The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, vol. 46, no. 265, 1925, pp. i-xlii, on JSTOR
bligh, earl, darnley, francis, walter, bligh, earl, darnley, march, 1859, april, 1927, styled, honourable, bligh, until, 1900, lord, manor, cobham, kent, british, nobleman, parliamentarian, cricketer, right, honourable, earl, darnleybligh, pictured, about, 191. Ivo Francis Walter Bligh 8th Earl of Darnley JP DL 13 March 1859 10 April 1927 styled The Honourable Ivo Bligh until 1900 lord of the manor of Cobham Kent was a British nobleman parliamentarian and cricketer The Right Honourable The Earl of DarnleyBligh pictured in about 1910Personal informationFull nameIvo Francis Walter BlighBorn 1859 03 13 13 March 1859Westminster LondonDied10 April 1927 1927 04 10 aged 68 Shorne KentBattingRight handedInternational informationNational sideEnglandTest debut cap 38 30 December 1882 v AustraliaLast Test21 February 1883 v AustraliaDomestic team informationYearsTeam1877 1883Kent1878 1881Cambridge UniversityCareer statisticsCompetition Test First classMatches 4 84Runs scored 62 2 733Batting average 10 33 20 70100s 50s 0 0 2 12Top score 19 113 Catches stumpings 7 81 Source CricInfo 22 September 2008Blazon of Bligh coat of arms present Earls of Darnley Azure a Griffin segreant Or armed and langued Gules between three Crescents Argent 1 Bligh captained the England team in the first ever Test cricket series against Australia with The Ashes at stake in 1882 83 2 Later in life he inherited the earldom of Darnley and sat at Westminster as an elected Irish representative peer 3 Contents 1 Background and education 2 Cricket career 3 Public offices 4 Personal life 5 Art collection 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksBackground and education EditBligh was born in London the second son of John Bligh 6th Earl of Darnley by Lady Harriet Mary daughter of Henry Pelham 3rd Earl of Chichester 3 He was educated at Eton and Trinity College Cambridge graduating BA in 1882 4 At Cambridge he was secretary of the University Pitt Club 5 and played for Cambridge against Oxford in the Real Tennis Varsity Match of 1880 6 Cricket career EditAlthough the history of Test cricket between England and Australia dates from 1877 it was after an English team led by Monkey Hornby lost to the Australians at The Oval in 1882 that The Sporting Times newspaper wrote a mock obituary to English cricket noting that the body would be cremated and the ashes sent to Australia The following winter s tour to Australia was billed as an attempt to reclaim The Ashes Bligh s team was successful winning the three match Ashes series two one although a fourth game not played for The Ashes and hence a matter of great dispute was lost 7 8 A small terracotta urn was presented to The Hon Ivo Bligh as England captain by a group of Melbourne women after England s victory in the Test series The urn is reputed to contain the ashes of a bail symbolising the ashes of English cricket While the urn has come to symbolise The Ashes series the term The Ashes predates the existence of the urn The urn is not used as the trophy for the Ashes series and whichever side holds the Ashes the urn remains in the MCC Museum at Lord s 9 Since the 1998 99 Ashes series a Waterford crystal trophy has been presented to the winners 10 Bligh is commemorated by a poem inscribed on the side of the urn When Ivo goes back with the urn the urn Studds Steel Read and Tylecote return return The welkin will ring loud The great crowd will feel proud Seeing Barlow and Bates with the urn the urn And the rest coming home with the urn Bligh also played for Cambridge University and Kent in a first class cricket career which lasted from 1877 to 1883 He was elected President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 1900 01 and of Kent County Cricket Club in 1892 and 1902 Public offices EditBligh succeeded his elder brother Edward as Earl of Darnley in 1900 As the holder of an Irish peerage he was not automatically entitled to a seat in the House of Lords his brother s English peerage the barony of Clifton had passed to Edward s daughter Elizabeth but was elected as soon as was practicable in March 1905 to sit in Parliament as an Irish Representative Peer The year after his succession to the family titles Lord Darnley was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant 11 and Justice of the Peace for Kent 3 He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 4th Volunteer Battalion The Queen s Own Royal West Kent Regiment on 16 July 1902 12 Personal life EditHe married Florence Rose Morphy daughter of John Stephen Morphy of Beechworth Victoria Australia on 9 February 1884 3 She had been a music teacher at Rupertswood where her future husband had stayed during his tour of Australia They had two sons and a daughter 3 Esme Bligh 9th Earl of Darnley 1886 1955 Hon Noel Gervase Bligh 14 November 1888 1984 married Mary Jack Frost and had issue Lady Dorothy Violet Bligh 8 February 1893 16 January 1976 In 1884 he became a Christian through Dwight L Moody s preaching after C T Studd invited him to attend Moody s campaign meeting 13 He served as the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1900 14 Lord Darnley died at Shorne Kent in April 1927 aged 68 being succeeded in the family titles by his eldest son Esme His wife Florence Dowager Countess of Darnley presented the urn to the Marylebone Cricket Club MCC after her husband s death She died in August 1944 having been honoured as one of the first Dames of the British Empire in 1919 citation needed Ivo Bligh is buried in the family vault at the collegiate church of St Mary Magdalene Cobham Kent 15 16 Art collection EditAs owner of the art collection at Cobham Hall from 1900 he lent various pieces to London exhibitions but in May 1925 he sold a number of pieces 17 See also EditHistory of Test cricket to 1883 Cobham Hall Earl of DarnleyReferences Edit Debrett s Peerage 1968 p 322 Ivo Bligh Cricinfo Archived from the original on 18 December 2021 Retrieved 24 January 2016 a b c d e Burke Sir Bernard Burke Ashworth P 1914 Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire London Harrison amp Sons pp 570 571 Bligh the Hon Ivo Francis Walter BLH877IF A Cambridge Alumni Database University of Cambridge Fletcher Walter Morley 2011 1935 The University Pitt Club 1835 1935 First Paperback ed Cambridge Cambridge University Press pp 86 87 ISBN 978 1 107 60006 5 Oxford and Cambridge Doubles PDF Tennis amp Rackets Association Archived PDF from the original on 31 October 2018 Retrieved 31 October 2018 Bennett David 2014 From ashes to glory Capalaba Qld ISBN 978 1 921632 76 1 OCLC 865168925 Ivo Bligh Player Profile Sky Sports Cricket SkySports Archived from the original on 30 January 2016 Retrieved 24 January 2016 MCC Museum Archived from the original on 5 March 2016 Retrieved 24 January 2016 Cricket s burning passion Ivo Bligh and the story of the Ashes Scyld Berry and Rupert Peploe Version details Trove Archived from the original on 30 January 2016 Retrieved 24 January 2016 No 27300 The London Gazette 29 March 1901 p 2200 No 27454 The London Gazette 15 July 1902 p 4517 Pollock J C 1955 The Cambridge Seven p 70 About MCC MCC Lords org Archived from the original on 12 March 2013 Retrieved 18 December 2021 Cobham and Luddesdowne Archived from the original on 31 January 2016 Retrieved 24 January 2016 Regesta 256 1366 1367 Archived from the original on 30 January 2016 Retrieved 24 January 2016 Christie s advertisement Archived 28 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine in Front Matter The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs vol 46 no 265 1925 pp i xlii on JSTORExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ivo Bligh Ivo Bligh 8th Earl of Darnley at Find a Grave Ivo Bligh 8th Earl of Darnley at ESPNcricinfo Sporting positionsPreceded byA N Hornby English national cricket captain1882 3 Succeeded byThe Lord HarrisPeerage of IrelandPreceded byEdward Bligh Earl of Darnley1900 1927 Succeeded byEsme BlighParliament of the United KingdomPreceded byThe Earl de Montalt Representative peer for Ireland1906 1927 Office lapsed Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ivo Bligh 8th Earl of Darnley amp oldid 1134007782, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
