Francis Elmer Speed (28 February 1859 — 28 August 1928) was an English first-class cricketer, barrister, stockbroker and British Army officer.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francis Elmer Speed | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 28 February 1859 Paddington, Middlesex, England | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 23 August 1928 (aged 69) Goodnestone, Kent, England | ||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||
| 1882–1884 | Marylebone Cricket Club | ||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Source: Cricinfo, 12 August 2021 | |||||||||||||||
The son of William Speed, he was born at Paddington in February 1859. He was educated at Rugby School,[1] where he played for and captained the school cricket eleven.[2] A student of the Middle Temple, he was called to the bar to practice as a barrister in 1883.[3] Described by Wisden as "a sound batsman and in the field, though not always, [a] wicket-keeper",[2] Speed played first-class cricket for the Marylebone Cricket Club on three occasions, making two appearances in 1882 against Kent and Nottinghamshire, and one appearance in 1884 against Nottinghamshire.[4] He scored 30 runs across his three matches, with a highest score of 16.[5] In addition to playing first-class cricket, Speed also made minor appearances for Herefordshire.[2]
Speed later changed professions and became a stockbroker.[1] He also served in the Royal East Kent Yeomanry, being commissioned as a second lieutenant in March 1900.[6] He served in South Africa in the Second Boer War.[7] Speed was appointed High Sheriff of Kent in March 1914,[8] having been unsuccessful in his 1912 and 1913 nominations.[9][10] He was made a temporary major in the Yeomanry in May 1914[11] and served in the First World War and was attached to headquarters,[12] before being restored to the Royal East Kent in November 1916.[13] He was made up to the full rank of major in June 1917,[14] before relinquishing his commission on account of ill health in September 1917.[15] A justice of the peace for Kent,[16] Speed lived out his final years in the county at Knowlton Court near the village of Goodnestone. He died there in August 1928.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b Mitchell, A. T. (1902). Rugby School Register 1852–1874. Vol. 2. A. J. Lawrence. p. 339.
- ^ a b c d "Wisden - Obituaries in 1928". ESPNcricinfo. 2 December 2005. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
- ^ Foster, Joseph (1885). "Speed, Francis Elmer". Men-at-the-bar. Reeves and Turner. p. 440.
- ^ "First-Class Matches played by Francis Speed". CricketArchive. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
- ^ "First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Francis Speed". CricketArchive. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
- ^ "No. 27173". The London Gazette. 13 March 1900. p. 1717.
- ^ Big Fortune for Widow. Sheffield Independent. 23 November 1928. p. 4
- ^ "No. 28811". The London Gazette. 10 March 1914. p. 2159.
- ^ "No. 28551". The London Gazette. 17 November 1911. p. 8343.
- ^ "No. 28663". The London Gazette. 15 November 1912. p. 8370.
- ^ "No. 28830". The London Gazette. 12 May 1914. p. 3840.
- ^ "No. 29840". The London Gazette. 28 November 1916. p. 11599.
- ^ "No. 29858". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 December 1916. p. 12098.
- ^ "No. 30157". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 June 1917. p. 6503.
- ^ "No. 30311". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 September 1917. p. 10014.
- ^ Death of Major Elmer Speed. Dover Express. 31 August 1928. p. 7