Henry Fitzroy (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
The Honourable Henry FitzRoy (born 13 September 1765 in England
; died 19 March 1794 in England) was a son of the 1st Baron of Southampton
who, as a member of MCC
, regularly took part in major cricket
matches as an amateur player. He made 44 known appearances from the 1788 season to the 1793 season.
FitzRoy is believed to have been right-handed as both batsman and bowler. He was a very useful bowler (underarm, pace unknown) who took 38 known wickets in his 44 matches, twice taking at least four in an innings. As a batsman, he made a few good scores, his best being 89 for MCC v Essex
at Hornchurch in 1791. A score of 89 at that time, given the prevailing conditions, was very high indeed. FitzRoy took only 11 catches in his career which suggests he was an outfielder.
FitzRoy was brother-in-law to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
having married Lady Anne Wellesley (c.1775 - 16 December 1844) on 7 January 1790. They had one child, Georgiana Frederica (1792-1821).
Like John Tufton, Thomas Scott
and a few others, FitzRoy died very young when the trend among cricketers of his era was to live a long life. He was playing regularly in 1793 but died, aged only 28, before the beginning of the 1794 season.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; died 19 March 1794 in England) was a son of the 1st Baron of Southampton
Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton
Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton was a British statesman and soldier.The second son of Lord Augustus FitzRoy and a grandson of the 2nd Duke of Grafton, FitzRoy joined the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards as an ensign in 1752...
who, as a member of MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
, regularly took part in major cricket
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...
matches as an amateur player. He made 44 known appearances from the 1788 season to the 1793 season.
FitzRoy is believed to have been right-handed as both batsman and bowler. He was a very useful bowler (underarm, pace unknown) who took 38 known wickets in his 44 matches, twice taking at least four in an innings. As a batsman, he made a few good scores, his best being 89 for MCC v Essex
Essex county cricket teams
Essex county cricket teams have been traced back to the 18th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. It is almost certain that cricket reached Essex by the 16th century and that it developed during the 17th century with inter-parish matches being...
at Hornchurch in 1791. A score of 89 at that time, given the prevailing conditions, was very high indeed. FitzRoy took only 11 catches in his career which suggests he was an outfielder.
FitzRoy was brother-in-law to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
having married Lady Anne Wellesley (c.1775 - 16 December 1844) on 7 January 1790. They had one child, Georgiana Frederica (1792-1821).
Like John Tufton, Thomas Scott
Thomas Scott (cricketer)
Thomas Scott was an English cricketer who played for Hampshire at the time of the Hambledon Club. He was a specialist batsman who may have been a regular opener, but it is not known if he was right or left-handed...
and a few others, FitzRoy died very young when the trend among cricketers of his era was to live a long life. He was playing regularly in 1793 but died, aged only 28, before the beginning of the 1794 season.
Major cricket career record
| Season | – | M | I | runs | HS | ct | wkts | BB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1788 | – | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1-? |
| 1789 | – | 2 | 4 | 20 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 3-? |
| 1790 | – | 6 | 11 | 139 | 36 | 1 | 14 | 4-? |
| 1791 | – | 13 | 24 | 386 | 89 | 1 | 12 | 3-? |
| 1792 | – | 12 | 20 | 96 | 20 | 4 | 3 | 3-? |
| 1793 | – | 9 | 16 | 197 | 64 | 5 | 5 | 3-? |
| Totals | – | 44 | 78 | 838 | 89 | 11 | 38 | 4-? |
External sources
Further reading
- Arthur HaygarthArthur HaygarthArthur Haygarth was a noted amateur cricketer who became one of cricket's most significant historians....
, Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744-1826), Lillywhite, 1862 - Timothy J McCannTimothy J McCannTimothy J. McCann has been an archivist at the West Sussex Record Office in Chichester since 1967. He has written several books about the history of Sussex including a classic work on cricket: Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century...
, Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century, Sussex Record Society, 2004