William Henry Milton
Encyclopedia
Sir William Henry Milton (3 December 1854 - 6 March 1930) was the 3rd Administrator of Mashonaland
, played rugby
for England
and was South Africa
's second cricket
captain.
Born in Little Marlow
, Buckinghamshire
, England
. Milton played rugby for England in 1874 and 1875.
Milton emigrated to South Africa, arriving in Cape Town
in 1878. By the late 1870s, rugby football was very much battling to survive against Winchester College football
. Milton joined Villagers club and preached the cause of rugby, by the end of that year the football playing fraternity of Cape Town had all but abandoned the Winchester game in favour of rugby. He had two sons, Cecil and John
, both of whom would play rugby for England.
He made his Test cricket
debut in their first game of all, at Port Elizabeth in 1888/89. He was made captain for the second Test at Cape Town
, replacing Owen Dunell
, and made his third and final appearance (again at Cape Town) in 1891/92. He played three other first-class games: two for Western Province and one for Cape Town Clubs.
Milton then moved to Mashonaland
and under the influence of his friend Cecil John Rhodes
was Mashonaland's 3rd Administrator from 24 July 1897 to 24 January 1901.
In 1901 it was decided to combine the administration of Mashonaland and Matabeleland that had been separated 3 years before and Milton then became the Administrator of the whole of Southern Rhodesia. He retired in 1914 at the age of 60. In 1922, the biggest school in Bulawayo
at the time was renamed Milton High School
in his honour.
He died in Cannes
, France
at the age of 75.
Mashonaland
Mashonaland is a region in northern Zimbabwe. It is the home of the Shona people.Currently, Mashonaland is divided into three provinces, with a total population of about 3 million:* Mashonaland West* Mashonaland Central* Mashonaland East...
, played rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
for England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
and was South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
's second 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...
captain.
Born in Little Marlow
Little Marlow
Little Marlow is a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England.It is on the north bank of the River Thames, about a mile east of Marlow. The toponym "Marlow" is derived from the Old English for "land remaining after the draining of a pool"...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England
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...
. Milton played rugby for England in 1874 and 1875.
Milton emigrated to South Africa, arriving in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
in 1878. By the late 1870s, rugby football was very much battling to survive against Winchester College football
Winchester College Football
Winchester College Football, also known as Winkies, WinCoFo or simply "Our Game", is a code of football played at Winchester College. It is akin to the Eton Field and Wall Games and the Harrow Game in that it enjoys a large following from Wykehamists and old Wykehamists but is not played outside...
. Milton joined Villagers club and preached the cause of rugby, by the end of that year the football playing fraternity of Cape Town had all but abandoned the Winchester game in favour of rugby. He had two sons, Cecil and John
Jumbo Milton
John Griffith "Jumbo" Milton was an international rugby union player for England.Milton, who was born in South Africa, was the son of sportsman and politician William Henry Milton, originally an Englishman...
, both of whom would play rugby for England.
He made his Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
debut in their first game of all, at Port Elizabeth in 1888/89. He was made captain for the second Test at Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, replacing Owen Dunell
Owen Dunell
Owen Robert Dunell was a South African cricketer who captained his country in its first Test match in 1888/89.Although born in Port Elizabeth, Dunell was educated in England at Eton College and Oxford University...
, and made his third and final appearance (again at Cape Town) in 1891/92. He played three other first-class games: two for Western Province and one for Cape Town Clubs.
Milton then moved to Mashonaland
Mashonaland
Mashonaland is a region in northern Zimbabwe. It is the home of the Shona people.Currently, Mashonaland is divided into three provinces, with a total population of about 3 million:* Mashonaland West* Mashonaland Central* Mashonaland East...
and under the influence of his friend Cecil John Rhodes
Cecil John Rhodes
Cecil John Rhodes PC, DCL was an English-born South African businessman, mining magnate, and politician. He was the founder of the diamond company De Beers, which today markets 40% of the world's rough diamonds and at one time marketed 90%...
was Mashonaland's 3rd Administrator from 24 July 1897 to 24 January 1901.
In 1901 it was decided to combine the administration of Mashonaland and Matabeleland that had been separated 3 years before and Milton then became the Administrator of the whole of Southern Rhodesia. He retired in 1914 at the age of 60. In 1922, the biggest school in Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
at the time was renamed Milton High School
Milton High School, Bulawayo
Milton High School is a government all-boys high school located in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It was the first government all-boys school established in Bulawayo. It was founded in 1910 and is named after Sir William Milton, administrator of the British South Africa Company. The school's motto is Greek...
in his honour.
He died in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at the age of 75.