Donald Boumphrey
Encyclopedia
Donald Boumphrey MC
(4 October 1892 – 12 September 1971) was an English
cricket
er, educator and British Army
officer. As a cricketer, his batting and bowling
styles are unknown.
Born in Birkenhead
, Cheshire
to Edwin Joseph Boumphrey and his wife Mary, he was christened
in Wallasey
, Cheshire on November 13, 1892. He was educated at Shrewsbury School
, where he represented the school cricket team. Boumphrey attended the school with future cricket writer Neville Cardus
, who played on the school team with him. Cardus later described Boumphrey "as one who, but for the Great War, would undoubtedly have been one of the finest schoolboy cricketers this country has ever turned out."
Boumphrey made his debut for Cheshire
in the 1914 Minor Counties Championship against Northumberland
. Boumphrey played Minor counties cricket for Cheshire from 1914 to 1933, which included 41 Minor Counties Championship matches In 1928, he played his only first-class
match representing Wales against the touring West Indians. In this match he opened the batting for Wales, scoring 6 runs in the Welsh first-innings before being dismissed by George Francis
and in their second-innings he scored 4 runs, before being dismissed by Learie Constantine
.
He served in the British Army
during the First World War and was mentioned in dispatches in the London Gazette
. One such mention confirmed his awarding of the Military Cross
in 1917, at which time he held the rank of Temporary Lieutenant
in the Machine Gun Corps
. Following the war he began coaching cricket and rugby
at Rydal Penrhos school
, an association which was to last for forty years. With the onset of the Second World War, he was mentioned in dispatches in the London Gazette in 1943, having been granted the rank of 2nd Lieutenant for his service with the Army Cadet Force
. He was based in Caernarfonshire
at the time. His father died on 6 May 1941, with mention being made in the London Gazatte of Boumphrey being the executor of his late fathers estate, including property in Fareham
, Hampshire
.
His brother, Colin, who played a single first-class match for the Royal Air Force
died in 1945. Following his death, Boumphrey made a claim for his brothers home in Aughton
, Lancashire
. It was in that house that Boumphrey died on September 12, 1971.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(4 October 1892 – 12 September 1971) was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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...
er, educator and British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer. As a cricketer, his batting and bowling
Bowling (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...
styles are unknown.
Born in Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
to Edwin Joseph Boumphrey and his wife Mary, he was christened
Infant baptism
Infant baptism is the practice of baptising infants or young children. In theological discussions, the practice is sometimes referred to as paedobaptism or pedobaptism from the Greek pais meaning "child." The practice is sometimes contrasted with what is called "believer's baptism", or...
in Wallasey
Wallasey
Wallasey is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England, on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the northeastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula...
, Cheshire on November 13, 1892. He was educated at Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
, where he represented the school cricket team. Boumphrey attended the school with future cricket writer Neville Cardus
Neville Cardus
Sir John Frederick Neville Cardus CBE was an English writer and critic, best known for his writing on music and cricket. For many years, he wrote for The Manchester Guardian. He was untrained in music, and his style of criticism was subjective, romantic and personal, in contrast with his critical...
, who played on the school team with him. Cardus later described Boumphrey "as one who, but for the Great War, would undoubtedly have been one of the finest schoolboy cricketers this country has ever turned out."
Boumphrey made his debut for Cheshire
Cheshire County Cricket Club
Cheshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Cheshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
in the 1914 Minor Counties Championship against Northumberland
Northumberland County Cricket Club
Northumberland County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northumberland and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
. Boumphrey played Minor counties cricket for Cheshire from 1914 to 1933, which included 41 Minor Counties Championship matches In 1928, he played his only 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...
match representing Wales against the touring West Indians. In this match he opened the batting for Wales, scoring 6 runs in the Welsh first-innings before being dismissed by George Francis
George Francis (cricketer)
George Francis was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' first Test in their inaugural Test tour of England. He was a fast bowler with a renowned pace.Francis was born in Trents, St. James, Barbados...
and in their second-innings he scored 4 runs, before being dismissed by Learie Constantine
Learie Constantine
Learie Nicholas Constantine, Baron Constantine MBE was a West Indian cricketer who played 18 Test matches before the Second World War. He took West Indies' first wicket in Test cricket and was the team's leading all-rounder and opening bowler for the entirety of his career...
.
He served in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the First World War and was mentioned in dispatches in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
. One such mention confirmed his awarding of the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in 1917, at which time he held the rank of Temporary Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Machine Gun Corps
Machine Gun Corps
The Machine Gun Corps was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in World War I. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks in combat, and the branch was subsequently turned into the Tank...
. Following the war he began coaching cricket and rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
at Rydal Penrhos school
Rydal Penrhos
Rydal Penrhos is a private co-educational boarding school in Colwyn Bay, North Wales. It is located on multiple sites around the town including a site in the neighbouring village of Rhos-on-Sea where it keeps its watersports equipment for easy access to the beach.The school, as it exists today,...
, an association which was to last for forty years. With the onset of the Second World War, he was mentioned in dispatches in the London Gazette in 1943, having been granted the rank of 2nd Lieutenant for his service with the Army Cadet Force
Army Cadet Force
The Army Cadet Force is a British youth organisation that offers progressive training in a multitude of the subjects from military training to adventurous training and first aid, at the same time as promoting achievement, discipline, and good citizenship, to boys and girls aged 12 to 18 and 9...
. He was based in Caernarfonshire
Caernarfonshire
Caernarfonshire , historically spelled as Caernarvonshire or Carnarvonshire in English during its existence, was one of the thirteen historic counties, a vice-county and a former administrative county of Wales....
at the time. His father died on 6 May 1941, with mention being made in the London Gazatte of Boumphrey being the executor of his late fathers estate, including property in Fareham
Fareham
The market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly in the centre of the South Hampshire conurbation.It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area...
, 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...
.
His brother, Colin, who played a single first-class match for the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force cricket team
The Royal Air Force cricket team is a cricket side representing the British Royal Air Force. The team played 11 first-class matches: nine between 1922 and 1932, mostly against other branches of the Services, and another two in 1945 and 1946. Their home ground is the Royal Air Force Sports Ground,...
died in 1945. Following his death, Boumphrey made a claim for his brothers home in Aughton
Aughton, Lancashire
Aughton is a village and civil parish within the West Lancashire district of Lancashire, England, situated between Ormskirk in Lancashire and Maghull in Merseyside. It is a residential area with tree lined roads being found in all parts of the parish and with an area of 1,658 hectares...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. It was in that house that Boumphrey died on September 12, 1971.
External links
- Donald Boumphrey at ESPNcricinfo
- Donald Boumphrey at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...