Edward Samuel Evans Hartopp played once for the County v MCC at Lord’s.
A member of MCC, on the Committee from 1860 to his death, he was asked to play due to the accident which occurred to Tom Barker who jumped out of a cab, the horse having bolted; Barker’s leg was broken and he was taken unconscious to Marylebone Infirmary. Nottinghamshire were therefore reduced to ten men and Hartopp was drafted into the team
Born in 1820, Hartopp resided at Clipsham Hall near Oakham. Educated at Eton and Cambridge, he was awarded a blue to 1841 and 1842. Hartopp was a brilliant long-stop but a very defensive batsman.
Hartopp appeared in several matches for Cambridge University batting low down the batting order and does not appear to have bowled or kept wicket. From 1842 onwards, he started playing for the MCC, making 36 appearances.
In 1843, in addition to the Notts game, he played for the Midland Counties and at other times, appeared for the Gentlemen of England; for the Gentlemen v the Players at Lords; and for sundry other representative sides.
Hartopp remained a singularly unsuccessful cricketer, usually batting at the tail-end and bowling only twice in his career, and his career batting average over 69 first-class matches is just 4.25. His highest score in 120 first-class innings was 22 and he once had a sequence of six successive ducks.
Edwin Hartopp was married twice, the second time to the daughter of the owner of Pickenham Hall in Norfolk, where he died in 1894. At the time of his death, he was the auditor for the Marylebone Cricket Club's accounts
April 2020
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 57