Sir William Gage, 7th Baronet facts for kids

Sir William Gage (born in 1695, died April 23, 1744) lived at Firle Place in England. He was a wealthy landowner and a politician. From 1727 until his death in 1744, he worked in the House of Commons. Sir William was also a big supporter of cricket and played the game himself. He often worked with his good friend, Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond, to organize matches.

Growing Up in Firle

Rear view of Firle Place

William Gage was born in Firle, East Sussex, England. He was the third son of Sir John Gage, who was the 4th Baronet. A "Baronet" is a special title, like a knight, that can be passed down in a family.

William's mother was Mary Stanley. When his older brother passed away in October 1713, William became the next Baronet. This meant he inherited the title and responsibilities of his family.

Becoming a Politician

The Gage family had traditionally followed the Roman Catholic faith. At that time, people who were Roman Catholic could not easily become politicians. Sir William decided to join the official Church of England. This change allowed him to become a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1722.

An MP is someone elected to represent people in the House of Commons. This is a very important part of the British government. Sir William represented the area of Seaford. He continued to serve as an MP until he passed away in 1744.

Sir William's Cricket Passion

Sir William Gage loved cricket. He was not just a player but also a "patron." This means he supported teams and helped organize matches. One of his teams is even famous for winning a game in a special way, called an "innings victory."

He was a close friend of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond. They organized many cricket games together. We know this from a funny letter Sir William wrote to Richmond in 1725:

My Lord Duke,
I received this moment your Grace's letter and am extremely happy your Grace intends us ye honour of making one a Tuesday, and will without fail bring a gentleman with me to play against you, One that has played very seldom for these several years.
I am in great affliction with being shamefully beaten Yesterday, the first match I played this year. However I will muster up all my courage against Tuesday's engagement. I will trouble your Grace with nothing more than that I wish you Success in everything except ye Cricket Match and that I am etc. etc.
W. Gage
Firle July ye 16th 1725

This letter shows how much he enjoyed the game. He was upset about losing his first match of the year. But he was ready to try his best against his friend's team!

Famous Cricket Matches

Sir William's name appears in records for several cricket matches. On August 28, 1729, his team played against a team led by Edwin Stead. Sir William's team won by an "innings victory." This means they scored enough runs in one turn to beat the other team's total score from two turns. This was one of the earliest recorded innings victories in cricket history. A player named Thomas Waymark helped Sir William's team win that day.

In August 1733, Sir William's team played against a team supported by Frederick, Prince of Wales. They played for a prize of "100 guineas," which was a lot of money back then. This exciting match took place at Moulsey Hurst. The result of this game is not known today.

In September 1734, Sir William's Sussex team played against a Kent team. The Kent team was led by Lord John Philip Sackville. This game was played at Sevenoaks Vine, which is a famous cricket ground. Kent won this match. After this game, there are not many more records of Sir William playing cricket.

Later Life and Legacy

Sir William Gage never married and did not have any children. He passed away at the age of 49 on April 23, 1744. His cousin, Thomas Gage, became the next Baronet. Later, Thomas Gage was given the title of Viscount Gage.

Sir William also made many improvements to Firle Place, his family home. He had the outside of the building covered in a new style. This was called the Georgian style, which was popular at the time. He used a special type of stone called Caen Stone for this work.