19th century Cricket Bat

Cricket was most probably invented in England during the late 1600s, with the first written reference dated 1611. However, the sport’s regulations were not formulated until the end of the 1700s, when cricket clubs were established. The improvement of transportation during the 19th century contributed to the spread of the sport in England and worldwide.

This cricket bat was manufactured by Bartlett and Co., which resided in South East London. In an 1877 advertisement, the company boasted that its patented bats were ‘acknowledged by our most celebrated cricketers to be the best driving bat ever used’.