Grace family

The Grace family was an English cricketing family associated principally with Gloucestershire and the development of nineteenth-century first-class cricket. Fourteen members of the family played first-class cricket. The best-known were the brothers W. G. Grace, E. M. Grace and Fred Grace, often referred to collectively as the “three Graces,” all of whom represented England in Test cricket. W. G. Grace became the family’s defining sporting figure, appearing in 880 first-class matches and playing 22 Tests for England. His brothers also made important contributions: E. M. Grace played 314 first-class matches and appeared once for England, while Fred Grace played 195 first-class matches and also represented England in one Test. The wider family’s cricket connections extended beyond the three brothers. Earlier relatives included Henry Mills Grace, who played for West Gloucestershire and South Wales in 1855, and Henry Grace, who appeared in three first-class matches in 1871. Later generations included W. G. Grace junior, Charles Grace, Alfred Henry Grace, Edward Grace, Edgar Grace and Norman Grace. Their teams and representative sides included Gloucestershire, London County, Gloucestershire Gypsies, the Royal Navy and W. G. Grace’s XI. The family network also connected with the Gilbert, Pocock and Rees families through marriage and kinship. George and Walter Gilbert played first-class cricket, with George later emigrating to New South Wales. Alfred Pocock and William Pocock played in England and Australasia, although a proposed relationship between the Pococks and New Zealand cricketer Blair Pocock has not been documented. Members of the Rees family likewise emigrated to Australasia; several played cricket, while Annie Rees, Elizabeth Rees and Rosemary Rees became writers, teachers, lawyers or theatrical figures. The Grace family is therefore best understood as a historical sporting family rather than a commercial brand or operating business. Its significance rests on the unusually broad participation of related family members in cricket, the international reputation of W. G. Grace, and the family’s links with cricketing communities in England, Australia and New Zealand.

The Grace family’s documented sporting history is centered on English cricket in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The family’s earliest listed cricketing member was Henry Mills Grace, who played for West Gloucestershire and South Wales in 1855. His descendants and relatives expanded the family’s presence in first-class cricket across several generations. Henry Grace played three first-class matches during the 1871 season, while Alfred Grace appeared for the Gentlemen of Gloucestershire and the United South of England XI in the late 1870s. Alfred Henry Grace later played for Gloucestershire in 1886 and 1891. The family became nationally prominent through the brothers Edward Mills Grace, William Gilbert Grace and Frederick Grace. E. M. Grace played 314 first-class matches and made one Test appearance for England. W. G. Grace was the most accomplished member, recording 880 first-class appearances and 22 England Tests. His career made the Grace name one of the most recognizable in Victorian cricket. Fred Grace played 195 first-class matches and represented England once before his death in 1880. Because all three brothers reached England’s Test side, they were commonly grouped as the “three Graces.” The family’s cricketing activity continued into later generations. W. G. Grace junior played 57 first-class matches. Charles Grace appeared for London County Cricket Club and W. G. Grace’s XI, while Edward Grace played for Thornbury Castle, a South Gloucestershire side. Edgar Grace represented Gloucestershire Gypsies between 1930 and 1933, and Norman Grace played three first-class matches for the Royal Navy between 1920 and 1927. Another Henry Grace, born in 1876, pursued a naval career and became Chief of the Submarine Service rather than becoming known primarily for cricket. The family’s wider kinship network included the Gilbert, Pocock and Rees families. George Gilbert, identified as a nephew of Henry Mills Grace, played 18 first-class matches and later emigrated to New South Wales. His relative Walter Gilbert played 157 first-class matches between 1871 and 1886. Alfred Pocock and William Pocock were connected through Martha Grace’s family; both played cricket, with William later appearing in Australia and New Zealand and also umpiring a first-class match. The proposed relationship between these Pococks and New Zealand cricketer Blair Pocock remains unsupported by documentary evidence. Through marriage, the family was also linked to William L. Rees and his descendants. Members of the Rees family played cricket in Australia and New Zealand, while Annie Rees, Elizabeth Rees and Rosemary Rees achieved recognition in writing, education, law and theatre. The Grace family’s historical importance consequently extends beyond one celebrated player to a multigenerational network that connected English cricket with sporting and cultural life in Australasia.

• 1930

  Edgar Grace plays for Gloucestershire Gypsies

  [1]Grace familyen.wikipedia.org

  Edgar Grace represented Gloucestershire Gypsies between 1930 and 1933.

• 1886

  Alfred Henry Grace appears for Gloucestershire

  [1]Grace familyen.wikipedia.org

  Alfred Henry Grace played one of his two listed Gloucestershire first-class matches in 1886.

• 1880

  Death of Fred Grace

  [1]Grace familyen.wikipedia.org

  Fred Grace, one of the three Grace brothers associated with England Test cricket, died in 1880 after a career of 195 first-class matches.

• 1871

  Henry Grace plays first-class matches

  [1]Grace familyen.wikipedia.org

  Henry Grace played three first-class matches during the 1871 season.

• 1871

  Walter Gilbert begins first-class career

  [1]Grace familyen.wikipedia.org

  Walter Gilbert, connected to the Grace family through kinship, began a first-class career that lasted from 1871 to 1886 and comprised 157 matches.

• 1855

  Henry Mills Grace appears in recorded cricket

  [1]Grace familyen.wikipedia.org

  Henry Mills Grace played for West Gloucestershire and South Wales, marking the earliest listed first-class-related cricketing activity of the family.

A historical English cricketing family, not a commercial consumer brand.

1. 1Grace familyen.wikipedia.org