Reynell Cotton

{{Short description|English educator (1717–1779)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2016}}

The Reverend Reynell Cotton (1717–29 October 1779) was an English educator who was the rector of St Lawrence Church, Winchester and the founder of Hyde Abbey School in the city.{{cite book |last1=Carpenter Turner |first1=Barbara |title=Winchester |date=1980 |publisher=Paul Cave Publications |page=140 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2oVnAAAAMAAJ |isbn=0861460138}} He was born in Rudgwick, West Sussex and attended Winchester College. Interested in cricket, Cotton became president of the Hambledon Club in 1773 and 1774;{{cite magazine |url=http://newsite.horshamsociety.org/images/PDFfolder/archive/old_newsletters/hs0908.pdf |title=Reynell Cotton's Cricket Song |access-date=7 April 2021 |magazine=The Horsham Society Newsletter |publisher=The Horsham Society |page=62 |date=August 2009}} and is well-known for the Hambledon Club Song,{{cite news |title=The King's Head, Rudgwick, Sussex |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001852/19390802/041/0046 |access-date=7 April 2021 |work=The Tatler |issue=1988 |date=2 August 1939 |page=228 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}} which he wrote in 1767.{{cite news |first1=F. S. |last1=Ashley-Cooper |title=The Hambledon Cricket Chronicle |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001578/19230908/093/0020 |access-date=7 April 2021 |work=Illustrated London News |date=8 September 1923 |page=20 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |author-link=F. S. Ashley-Cooper}}