The Lord Legacy

The Lord Legacy (1794 – 1832)

Thomas Lord, founder of Lord’s Cricket Ground in London is buried in the church yard of St.John's Church in West Meon. He retired to the village in 1830 – an awardwinning Arts and Crafts inn has been trading there as The Thomas Lord public house and restaurant since 1955.

Originally from Norfolk, Lord moved to London to bowl for the White Conduit Club. He met the 9th Earl of Winchilsea, George Finch and the future Duke of Richmond, Charles Lennox, who offered him the financial backing he needed to build his first cricket ground off Dorset Square. When the lease ran out on this, Lord purchased two fields in St John's Wood, and a ground was completed there in 1809. In 1813 plans were agreed to transect this site with the Regency Canal so the ground was moved again to its present site where it opened in 1814.

Rules and regulations

Click here to find out how the rules and regulations developed during the period that Hambledon dominated English cricket.