Thomas Tapling

He played first-class cricket and was also an eminent philatelist who formed one of the greatest stamp collections of his era.

[1] Tapling originally intended a career in law, and he was called to the bar at the Middle Temple as a barrister.

[1] This does not appear to have been a burden and the business prospered and expanded, providing him with the money to travel and build his stamp collection.

He accepted but was late joining the squad after a close friend was taken ill in Italy and he opted to stay with him.

Among his holdings were many world-famous rarities, including both values of the "Post Office" Mauritius and three examples of the Inverted Head Four Annas of India.

It is the only intact private collection formed during the Nineteenth century, with examples of practically every stamp issued world-wide up to 1889.