John Wisden

John Wisden was born in 1826 Brighton. At the end of 1840s he began his business activities with George Parr in Leamington Spa Warwickshire. He began to sell cricket equipment to the players at Leamington Spa and this was the birth of John Wisden and Co. The company were initially equipment suppliers but in 1863 became involved in publishing when John launched his Wisdens Cricketers Almanack. At that time it was just one of several such publications but it is now the oldest continuously published sports handbook and is often referred to as The Cricketers Bible. The Almanack is now probably more famous than the man himself (information from Graces Guide- British Industrial History).