Francis Spurway
Encyclopedia
Francis Edward Spurway was an English cricket
er who played 23 first-class
matches for Somerset County Cricket Club
between 1920 and 1929.
Edward Popham Spurway
, was born in Winchester
, Hampshire
. He served in the 5th Battalion, Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry) during the First World War. In July 1915 he was assigned as a temporary Captain
, which he then relinquished in April 1917, receiving a promotion from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant at the same time. Later in 1917, he was given command of a Company, and was assigned an acting Captain. In 1928, he relinquished his rank of Lieutenant, and became a Chaplain
in the Royal Army Chaplains' Department
, having an equivalent rank to Captain (Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class). By 1933, he was serving as a Church of England
minister in the parish of Bishop's Hull, Saint John.
for Somerset in 1920, making his highest score for the county during the second innings of the match against Oxford University
, scoring 35 runs. He played regularly for the county in 1920 and 1921, appearing 12 times across the two seasons. He played less frequently in later years, with just seven appearances in the next three years. He did not play first-class cricket between 1925 and 1928, but returned to play four matches for Somerset in 1929. He did not play in a modern wicket-keeper / batsman role, in which the wicket-keeper is generally considered a competent batsman, and instead was often part of the tail. He scored 328 first-class runs at an average of 9.37, and took 29 catches
and 14 stumpings.
The Spurway family had close connections with Somerset County Cricket Club; Francis' grandfather was noted in his Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
obituary as being "a well-known member" of the club, while his father, Edward Popham
, uncle, Robert Popham
and brother, Michael Vyvyan
played first-class cricket for the county.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played 23 first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches for Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
between 1920 and 1929.
Early life and military career
Francis Edward, the son of The ReverendThe Reverend
The Reverend is a style most often used as a prefix to the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. The Reverend is correctly called a style but is often and in some dictionaries called a...
Edward Popham Spurway
Edward Spurway
Edward Popham Spurway was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper who made two first-class appearances for Somerset County Cricket Club in the late 19th century, and served as the Rector of Heathfield from 1896 until 1914.-Early and personal life:Edward Popham, the...
, was born in Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. He served in the 5th Battalion, Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry) during the First World War. In July 1915 he was assigned as a temporary Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
, which he then relinquished in April 1917, receiving a promotion from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant at the same time. Later in 1917, he was given command of a Company, and was assigned an acting Captain. In 1928, he relinquished his rank of Lieutenant, and became a Chaplain
Military chaplain
A military chaplain is a chaplain who ministers to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and other members of the military. In many countries, chaplains also minister to the family members of military personnel, to civilian noncombatants working for military organizations and to civilians within the...
in the Royal Army Chaplains' Department
Royal Army Chaplains' Department
The Royal Army Chaplains' Department is an all-officer corps that provides ordained clergy to minister to the British Army.As of 2007, there are about 280 serving regular chaplains in the British Army; these can belong to either one of several Christian churches, or to the Jewish faith, although...
, having an equivalent rank to Captain (Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class). By 1933, he was serving as a Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
minister in the parish of Bishop's Hull, Saint John.
Cricket career
Spurway made his first-class cricketFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for Somerset in 1920, making his highest score for the county during the second innings of the match against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
, scoring 35 runs. He played regularly for the county in 1920 and 1921, appearing 12 times across the two seasons. He played less frequently in later years, with just seven appearances in the next three years. He did not play first-class cricket between 1925 and 1928, but returned to play four matches for Somerset in 1929. He did not play in a modern wicket-keeper / batsman role, in which the wicket-keeper is generally considered a competent batsman, and instead was often part of the tail. He scored 328 first-class runs at an average of 9.37, and took 29 catches
Caught
Caught is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. Being caught out is the most common method of dismissal at higher levels of competition...
and 14 stumpings.
The Spurway family had close connections with Somerset County Cricket Club; Francis' grandfather was noted in his Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
obituary as being "a well-known member" of the club, while his father, Edward Popham
Edward Spurway
Edward Popham Spurway was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper who made two first-class appearances for Somerset County Cricket Club in the late 19th century, and served as the Rector of Heathfield from 1896 until 1914.-Early and personal life:Edward Popham, the...
, uncle, Robert Popham
Robert Spurway
Robert Popham Spurway was an English cricketer who made 20 first-class appearances for Natal and Somerset County Cricket Club. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off break bowler...
and brother, Michael Vyvyan
Michael Spurway
Michael Vyvyan Spurway was a British civil servant in the Colonial Service and later a businessman. He also played county cricket for Somerset, and served as a pilot in the RAF in the Second World War.-Early life:...
played first-class cricket for the county.