Historic Pelham: Account of Women's Cricket Match Played by Pelham Manor Women in 1898

Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls, known as Pelham Hall, operated in Pelham Manor for twenty-five years from 1889 until the end of the 1914-1915 school year. Athletics were an important part of the education of the young women who attended the school. Indeed, the school had baseball, basketball, tennis, and cricket teams and its students participated in a variety of other sports.

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog addresses the Pelham Hall Cricket Club, a team of young women from Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls. It transcribes the text of an article that appeared in a Logansport, Indiana newspaper in 1898 describing a cricket match between Pelham Hall and an all-women cricket club from Rosemary Hall, an all girls school in Wallingford, Connecticut. Pelham Hall won the match, an annual showdown between the two schools, 66 to 54.

Immediately below is a scanned image of a photograph in the collections of The Office of The Historian of The Town of Pelham. It shows the members of the Pelham Hall Cricket Club of Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls in 1895. Each member's cap is emblazoned with "P.H.C.C." for Pelham Hall Cricket Club. Each member wears a jersey with a stylized logo combining the letters "P" and "H" for Pelham Hall. Three of the team members are holding an unfolded flag that contains a stylized logo based on the letters PHCC. In the center of the photograph is a team member, who may be the bowler, holding a cricket ball. The team member second from the left in the rear row appears to be wearing gloves and may be the wicket-keeper. Crossed in front of the players is a pair of cricket bats. The uniforms consist of heavy sweater jerseys, short-billed caps, ankle-length heavy skirts, and what appear to be Victorian style high top button boots.

Members of the Pelham Hall Cricket Club, Mrs. Hazen's

School for Girls, Pelham Manor, N.Y., in 1895. Source:

Courtesy of The Office of The Historian of The Town of Pelham.

"WOMEN PLAY CRICKET.
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Pelham Manor Beauties Defeat Rosemary Hall Team of Wallingford.

Rosemary Hall at Wallingford, Conn., was the scene recently of a novel, interesting and picturesque athletic contest. The morning train from New York over the New Haven road brought a bevy of young women, flying dark blue flags and banners, who, it was learned, were the team of cricketers from Mrs. Hazen's school at Pelham Manor. They had come to play their annual game with Rosemary Hall, a seminary for young ladies supported by Boston and New England in general.

Both teams gave evidence of their athletic training. The bloom of health was on all and the rosy cheeks and upright carriage showed the advantage of outdoor exercise. All the young women appeared to be possessed of unusually strong lungs, too, and the manner in which they gave voice to their school cries would do credit to a college football game.

The wicket where the game took place was not in the best condition for scientific cricket, but the girls showed a knowledge of the game and a proficiency in it most surprising. Miss Annie King bowled in remarkable style a fast round arm ball, which created havoc among the wickets of the opposing bats, and the victory which finally perched on the banner of Pelham Manor was due largely to her all round work. The totals were: Rosemary Hall, 54; Pelham Manor, 66. -- New York Herald."

Source: WOMEN PLAY CRICKET -- Pelham Manor Beauties Defeat Rosemary Hall Team of Wallingford, Logansport Pharos Tribune [Logansport, IN] , May 31, 1898, /Vol. 23, No. 179, p. 2, col. 5 (NOTE: paid subscription required to access via link). See also WOMEN PLAY CRICKET -- Pelham Manor Beauties Defeat Rosemary Hall Team of Wallingford, The North Adams Evening Transcript [North Adams, MA], p. 3, col. 2 (NOTE: paid subscription required to access via link).

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I have written extensively about the private school known as "Pelham Hall" and "Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls." For a few of the many examples, see: