Henry Whatley Estridge (10 October 1837 – 15 January 1902) was an English first-class cricketer, a Royal Indian Navy and British Army officer, Colonial Service official, and naturalist.

Henry Estridge
Personal information
Full name
Henry Whatley Estridge
Born10 October 1837
Carshalton, Surrey, England
Died15 January 1902(1902-01-15) (aged 64)
Witney, Oxfordshire, England
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm underarm slow
RelationsGeorge Estridge (brother)
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 1
Runs scored 14
Batting average 7.00
100s/50s –/–
Top score 14
Catches/stumpings –/–
Source: Cricinfo, 3 June 2021

The son of George Estridge, he was born at Carshalton in October 1837. Estridge initially served in the Royal Indian Navy, serving in the Anglo-Persian War of 1856–57. He served as a midshipman aboard the sloop Clive, seeing action at the Battle of Bushire in December 1856.[1] Shortly after the conclusion of the conflict, Estridge returned to England where he purchased a commission with the rank of ensign in the 46th Regiment of Foot in September 1859.[2] He later purchased the rank of lieutenant in June 1862,[3] prior to retiring from military service in September 1865.[4] He played first-class cricket for the Gentlemen of the South against the Players of the South at The Oval in 1868.[5] Estridge batted twice during the match, being dismissed for scores of 0 and 14 by Edgar Willsher and James Southerton respectively.[6]

Estridge then proceeded to join the Colonial Service. He resided in the Seychelles from 1876 to 1885, where he was collector of customs at Mahé. While stationed at the Seychelles, he became interested in the flora and fauna of the islands, writing the book Six Years in the Seychelles. From the Seychelles he returned to England in 1885, where he presented a copy of his book to Queen Victoria. He returned to his duties with the Colonial Service in 1886, becoming the receiver and accountant-general for British Bechuanaland from 1886 to 1888.[7] Estridge was a non-resident fellow at the Royal Colonial Institute.[8] Estridge died at Witney in January 1902 and was survived by his wife, Selina Eliza Pye Estridge.[9] His brother, George, was also a first-class cricketer.

References

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  1. ^ English, Barbara (1971). The War for a Persian Lady. Houghton Mifflin. p. 159. ISBN 0395123445.
  2. ^ "No. 22311". The London Gazette. 30 September 1859. p. 3574.
  3. ^ "No. 22633". The London Gazette. 10 June 1862. p. 2992.
  4. ^ "No. 7577". The Edinburgh Gazette. 3 October 1865. p. 1191.
  5. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Henry Estridge". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Gentlemen of the South v Players of the South, 1868". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  7. ^ Guide to the South African Manuscript Collections in the South African Library, Cape Town. State Archives Service. 1995. p. 57. ISBN 0797032177.
  8. ^ Proceedings of the Royal Colonial Institute. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington. 1886. p. 252. ISBN 0797032177.
  9. ^ Deaths. Witney Gazette and West Oxfordshire Advertiser. 18 January 1902. p. 1
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