ONE hundred years to the day after the death on the Western Front of one of Craven’s greatest sportsmen, the family of Lance Corporal John Middleton Morphet paid an emotional visit to Settle Cricket Club.

His great-great nephew John Morphet, of Lancaster, spotted initial research posted on the club website by Peter Metcalfe and club president Tom Sharp, and took along a wealth of sporting and military memorabilia.

JM (Jack) Morphet was a farmer’s son from Gawthrop in Dentdale, who went to Settle to work as a solicitor’s clerk and later as a school attendance officer. He already had an outstanding sporting career as a quarter-mile runner and played football for Burnley, Aston Villa and Lincoln City.

He had also played cricket for Hawes, where he held the record score of 159 not out.

Jack’s obituary in the Craven Herald ran to several columns, describing his implacable tackling at full-back for Settle and his astonishing career as a cricketer. He started as a fast-medium bowler but converted to leg-spin in 1908 and immediately became a “terror to batsmen” for many seasons in the Ribblesdale League. In 1913, he took 85 wickets at an average of 9.12 and, in what was to be his final season in 1914, he claimed 46 wickets at 10.5.

Jack was among the first to volunteer for service at the outbreak of the First World War, joining 1/6 Battalion The Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment in Skipton, even though at 38 he was over the legal age for recruitment. His regiment landed in France in January 1915 and he met his death in the trenches on August 22.

Jack’s geniality, modesty and kindness were praised, as were his “determination, coolness, grit and enthusiasm, fostered and cultivated on the playing fields of Yorkshire”. He was “the true type of English sportsman, as victory never spoilt him and defeat never embittered him”.

Apart from cricket, football and wartime medals taken along by the family, the most treasured item on display was the mounted and inscribed ball with which Jack Morphet took four wickets in four balls for Settle in a match against Skipton on September 4, 1914, almost certainly his last ever match. In pride of place above the club bar is a photo of Settle CC as 1914 Ribblesdale League champions, with Jack in the front row.

The family had never seen this before and were able to make a copy before photographing the old pavilion, the war memorial and the house in Craven Terrace where Jack lived.

“It was important for the family to honour my great-great uncle’s memory and the exact centenary of his sad death was just the right occasion,” said Mr Morphet.

And Dr Metcalfe added: “It was a privilege to meet the family and share our research on Settle’s most distinguished and valiant sportsman."

L/Cpl J M Morphet is buried along with 29 fellow 'Dukes' in Colne Valley Cemetery near Ypres in Flanders, Belgium. Movingly, Jack’s obituary mentions that a cricket ball was found in his kitbag after his death and, saddest of all, that Jack was engaged to a Settle lady, with the wedding planned on his return from the war.