A silver ink stand presented to the Australian cricketer Vernon Ransford by The Rt. Hon. William Humble Ward, the 2nd Earl of Dudley, and Governor Gen

A silver ink stand presented to the Australian cricketer Vernon Ransford by The Rt. Hon. William Humble Ward, the 2nd Earl of Dudley, and Governor General of Australia in 1910, hallmarked Charles Stuart Harris, London, 1908, the twin hinged lids engraved with the Royal and Australian Coat of Arms and inscribed V.S. RANSFORD, FROM, THE GOVERNOR GENERAL, 27TH APRIL 1910, lacking one original glass inkpot to interior Vernon Seymour Ransford was born 20th March 1885 at South Yarra, Melbourne. The left-hand bat and slow left-arm orthodox bowler played in 20 Tests for Australia between 1907 and 1912. His best series was in the Ashes tour of England in 1909 when he headed the batting averages 58.83 and scored 143 not out in the Lord's Test and a career-best 190 in the Tour match v MCC, also at Lord's. In 1910, the year inscribed on this presentation, he was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year. After retiring he served as secretary to the Melbourne Cricket Club, where he had played in domestic cricket, from 1939 to 1957. Ransford died a day short of his 73rd birthday at Brighton, Melbourne, in 1958.