Robert Porch
Encyclopedia
Robert Bagehot Porch played first-class
cricket
for Somerset
from 1895 to 1910. He was born at Weston-super-Mare
, Somerset
and died at Great Malvern
, Worcestershire
.
and both his grandfather, Thomas Porch Porch (originally named Thomas Porch Reeves), and his father, John Albert Porch, were long-serving members of the town council and mayor of Glastonbury three times each. Porch's mother was Margaret Bagehot from Langport
, a cousin of the economist and political writer Walter Bagehot
; the Bagehots were also prominent Somerset bankers and the family firm was Stuckey's of Langport, which had taken over Reeves and Porch and which was in Victorian times the second largest producer of banknotes in England after the Bank of England. The colonial administrator Montague Phippen Porch (1877–1964), who became the third husband of Jennie Jerome and therefore the stepfather of Winston Churchill
in 1918 (though three years younger than Churchill), was Robert Porch's first cousin. The Porch family's wealth was based on the bank, but a run on the bank in the early 20th century meant that the estate at Edgarley in Glastonbury was broken up on Robert Porch's father's death in 1914.
Robert Porch was educated at Malvern College
where he was a member of the first eleven at cricket and second eleven at football, and a school prefect. He then studied at Trinity College, Oxford
, graduating in 1898.
, but when Somerset played the university side in 1895, he played for the county team, scoring 11 and 42. At the end of the university term, he became a fairly regular player for Somerset in the second half of the 1895 season. In his third first-class match, against Essex
at Taunton, he scored an unbeaten 85, and this was to be the highest score of his cricket career; he was upstaged in the match, however, by the Essex total of 692, which was the highest total for the county for 95 years until beaten in 1990. Even that Essex record was upstaged in Porch's next match for Somerset at Taunton, though, when Lancashire
made 801, with Archie MacLaren setting a world record for the highest first-class score by making 424. In his obituary published in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
in 1964, Porch was quoted, apparently without irony, as "a great believer in the importance of fielding". The obituary says that his maxim was: "Save six fours when the other side is batting, and you have 24 to your name before you get off the mark, though it's not in the score-book."
Porch appeared again for Somerset in the matches at Oxford in 1896 and 1897, and played other matches for the county after the Oxford term was over in both seasons, though with little success. He then played twice in 1901, and once each in 1902 and 1903, and a final single match in 1910. In 1904 he became a master at his old school, Malvern College. He was also president of the old Malvernians' club, the Malvernian Society.
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...
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...
for Somerset
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...
from 1895 to 1910. He was born at Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and died at Great Malvern
Great Malvern
Great Malvern is an area of Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It is the historical centre of the town, and the location of the headquarters buildings of the of Malvern Town Council, the governing body of the Malvern civil parish, and Malvern Hills District council of the county of...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
.
Family and background
Porch's family were prominent bankers in the company of Reeves and Porch in the Somerset town of GlastonburyGlastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
and both his grandfather, Thomas Porch Porch (originally named Thomas Porch Reeves), and his father, John Albert Porch, were long-serving members of the town council and mayor of Glastonbury three times each. Porch's mother was Margaret Bagehot from Langport
Langport
Langport is a small town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated west of Somerton in the South Somerset district. The town has a population of 1,067. The parish includes the hamlets of Bowdens and Combe...
, a cousin of the economist and political writer Walter Bagehot
Walter Bagehot
Walter Bagehot was an English businessman, essayist, and journalist who wrote extensively about literature, government, and economic affairs.-Early years:...
; the Bagehots were also prominent Somerset bankers and the family firm was Stuckey's of Langport, which had taken over Reeves and Porch and which was in Victorian times the second largest producer of banknotes in England after the Bank of England. The colonial administrator Montague Phippen Porch (1877–1964), who became the third husband of Jennie Jerome and therefore the stepfather of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
in 1918 (though three years younger than Churchill), was Robert Porch's first cousin. The Porch family's wealth was based on the bank, but a run on the bank in the early 20th century meant that the estate at Edgarley in Glastonbury was broken up on Robert Porch's father's death in 1914.
Robert Porch was educated at Malvern College
Malvern College
Malvern College is a coeducational independent school located on a 250 acre campus near the town centre of Malvern, Worcestershire in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school for boys aged 13 to 18...
where he was a member of the first eleven at cricket and second eleven at football, and a school prefect. He then studied at Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
, graduating in 1898.
Cricket career
Porch was a right-handed middle-order batsman. He did not appear in first-class cricket for Oxford UniversityOxford 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...
, but when Somerset played the university side in 1895, he played for the county team, scoring 11 and 42. At the end of the university term, he became a fairly regular player for Somerset in the second half of the 1895 season. In his third first-class match, against Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
at Taunton, he scored an unbeaten 85, and this was to be the highest score of his cricket career; he was upstaged in the match, however, by the Essex total of 692, which was the highest total for the county for 95 years until beaten in 1990. Even that Essex record was upstaged in Porch's next match for Somerset at Taunton, though, when Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
made 801, with Archie MacLaren setting a world record for the highest first-class score by making 424. In his obituary published in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
in 1964, Porch was quoted, apparently without irony, as "a great believer in the importance of fielding". The obituary says that his maxim was: "Save six fours when the other side is batting, and you have 24 to your name before you get off the mark, though it's not in the score-book."
Porch appeared again for Somerset in the matches at Oxford in 1896 and 1897, and played other matches for the county after the Oxford term was over in both seasons, though with little success. He then played twice in 1901, and once each in 1902 and 1903, and a final single match in 1910. In 1904 he became a master at his old school, Malvern College. He was also president of the old Malvernians' club, the Malvernian Society.