TQ1066 : Grave of Edward “Lumpy” Stevens

The grave is immediately south of the tower of St Mary’s Church at Walton-on-Thames.
Edward ‘Lumpy’ Stevens (1735 – 1819), a well known cricketer whose accurate bowling between two stumps led to the introduction of the third stump.
Stevens was employed as a gardener at Mount Felix by Charles Bennet, 4th Earl of Tankerville (1743 – 1822). The Earl was a keen cricketer and was one of those who sat at the first meeting to lay down the rules of the game. At the time cricket was a game of the upper classes. However, they would employ working men who were good at the game so as to have them for their team. At the time not many working class people had a headstone, but because he was such a great sportsman he was given one. The headstone did get broken many years ago, but the top part was placed back on his grave. The inscription on the headstone is very difficult to read, but with a careful look you can make out part of his name.