Story:Albert Jackson
As the England Cricket team head off to Sri Lanka, we can remember Crabtree’s own George Ulyett. I bet the Australians do, even 130 years after he played in the first ever Test Match in Melbourne in 1876/77.
Born at Crabtree on 21st October 1851, whom he played cricket for in his youth, George joined Pitsmoor Cricket Club when he reached 16 and went on to play first class cricket for both Yorkshire and England. At the Melbourne Test in 1882, after one smashing boundary drive he shook his bat, then walked a few steps from the wicket and held it up in the air. From the crease the following dialogue could be heard:
“What’s oop George?”
“Ah’ve broken me bat!”
“Whee’rs t’other?”
“At back o’t’ door!”
The Australian crowd was to mimic the conversation for the rest of the game. A steel roller by trade, he also found time to keep goal for Sheffield Wednesday and later became a cricket umpire and a publican at the Vine in Brunswick Street, all while being a husband to Emma and father to a son and three daughters. On the field he was known as Happy Jack and was renowned for his dialect. His brother John was Groundsman at Bramhall Lane where Yorkshire played some of their best games.
George Ulyett is just one of the many local characters who were buried in Burngreave and recorded in a new book by Albert Jackson entitled ‘The Grave Digger’ priced £6.00. The book will be available in November from the Burngreave Cemetery Chapel – open Sundays 11am-3pm or write to:
The Friends of Burngreave Chapel and Cemetery, 12 Burngreave Road, Sheffield S3 (Add 50p for postage).
GEORGE ULYETT – (1851 – 1898)
Test Matches – 25, (1877 – 1890) Runs 949. Wickets 50
First Class Matches – 573, (1873 – 1893) Runs 20,803. Wickets 653
First Class Umpire – (1894 –1895)
Goalkeeper for Sheffield Wednesday – (1882 – 1884)