THE first Australian cricket team to tour England, some four years before the birth of the Ashes, contained one Tasmanian.
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But it should have been two and, in the words of The Strangers Who Came Home (Bloomsbury, $30) author John Lazenby, "therein hangs a sad tale".
Attempting to raise a team from the colonies, Victorian Jack Conway wrote on April 19, 1877, to John Arthur who was "widely renowned as Tasmania's first home-grown star".
Inviting Arthur on his cricketing circumnavigation of the globe, Conway also asked: "Would you favour me by asking Bailey (Launceston) if he would like to join the party?"
A tall, bearded opening batsman, Arthur had announced himself three years earlier with an eye-catching innings against W. G. Grace's All-England team.
Just two days after receiving Conway's letter at his home in Longford, Arthur died at the age of 32 in what was reported as "mysterious circumstances".
Uncharacteristically, Tasmania's two major newspapers gave contrasting accounts, The Examiner stating the death was the result of "a short attack of brain fever" while The Mercury cited pleurisy.
A death certificate confirmed inflammation of the brain, so The Examiner was right then.
However, in the space of those two days, Arthur had ensured Conway's letter was passed on to 23-year-old George Bailey, setting in motion an international cricketing dynasty still active today.
Bailey is described as "a wristy and accomplished middle-order batsman" which somewhat uncannily also rather accurately describes his great-great grandson and namesake, who also represents Australia and, like Arthur, hails from Longford.
The comparison doesn't end there. In this fascinating and in-depth account of the first Australian cricket tour of England, Lazenby describes the Bailey of the 19th century as "the most reliable of fieldsmen", another tag which could just as accurately be pinned on the 21st century descendant.
Bailey snr was destined to join the 1878 touring party that went on to provide a portent of the subsequent Ashes origins at Lord's by beating a powerful England XI, again featuring the increasingly annoyed Grace.
In a frighteningly low-scoring nine-wicket win at the home of cricket, 11th man Bailey was the not-out batsman (a gritty score of 3) either side of the hosts' dismal total of 52 featuring an impressive 13 ducks and Fred Spofforth's match bowling figures of 11-20.
However, having recorded just the second century by an Australian in England, Bailey was to miss out on an official Test appearance the following year after breaking his arm.
In what was meant to be part of a victory home-coming parade, Bailey's bone broke "with a noise like a pistol shot" as he hurled the ball back from cover point against NSW at Sydney's Moore Park.
Suspecting a weakness in the painful joint, Bailey had attempted to stave off serious injury ... by tying a handkerchief around it.
Bailey jnr was destined to provide another echo of his lineage four generations later when he taught himself to throw left-handed while recovering from a right shoulder injury.
The trailblazing Bailey was invited to tour again in 1880 but had gained swift promotion with his bank which promptly refused him the necessary leave, dispelling the belief that money's impact on cricket is a relatively modern thing.
Some 133 years later, his descendant finally confirmed the family's Test destiny as an ever-present member of Australia's 2013-14 Ashes whitewash, while also captaining his country in both shorter formats including as a member of a World Cup-winning squad.
But while the modern-day George Bailey may have the more impressive international credentials, he couldn't hold a torch to his ancestor's magnificent facial hair.