Monkey Hornby

A.N. Hornby

Personal information
Full name	Albert Neilson Hornby
Born	(1847-02-10)10 February 1847 Blackburn, Lancashire, England
Died	17 December 1925(1925-12-17) (aged 78) Nantwich, Cheshire, England
Nickname	"AN", "Monkey", "The Boss"
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Left or right arm, unknown style
International information
National side	England
Test debut (cap 15)	2 January 1879 v Australia
Last Test	12 July 1884 v Australia
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1867–1899	Lancashire
Career statistics
Competition Tests First-class Matches 3 437 Runs scored 21 16,109 Batting average 3.50 24.07 100s/50s 0/0 16/74 Top score 9 188 Balls bowled 28 593 Wickets 1 11 Bowling average 0.00 23.45 5 wickets in innings 0 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 Best bowling 1/0 4/40 Catches/stumpings 0/– 313/3
Source: CricketArchive, 22 September 2008

Albert Neilson Hornby, commonly designated A. N. Hornby, nicknamed Monkey Hornby (10 February 1847 in Blackburn, Lancashire – 17 December 1925 in Nantwich, Cheshire) was one of the best known sportsmen in England during the nineteenth century excelling in both rugby and cricket. He was the first of only two men to captain the country at both rugby and cricket but is also remembered as the England cricket captain whose side lost the Test match which gave rise to the Ashes, at home against the Australians in 1882. Additionally, he played football for Blackburn Rovers.

He was the sixth son of William Henry Hornby, a cotton mill proprietor and director of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway who was Member of Parliament (MP) for Blackburn from 1857 to 1865. His brothers, Edward and Harry, were also MPs for Blackburn from 1869 to 1874, and from 1886 to 1910 respectively. Edward and another brother Cecil also played first-class cricket. Albert attended Harrow School and from there returned to Lancashire to join the family business.

Whilst at Harrow, his family had moved to Shrewbridge Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire, and he first played cricket for that county in 1862 and played in 20 matches between then and 1876. His club cricket was for the East Lancashire Club, Blackburn and he was first tried for Lancashire County Cricket Club in 1867. It was with his county that he was to play his finest cricket. He went on to play for Lancashire for 33 years, 17 as captain (in 1879–1893 and 1897–1898). For many years he provided an ideal attacking foil to the careful defence of his opening partner, Dick Barlow, with whom he was immortalised in one of the best known of all cricket poems, At Lord's by Francis Thompson which contains the following lines: