Ralph Forster JP (21 July 1835 – 17 February 1879) was an English first-class cricketer and barrister.

Ralph Forster
Personal information
Full name
Ralph Forster
Born21 July 1835
Spring Hill, County Durham, England
Died17 February 1879(1879-02-17) (aged 43)
Rome, Lazio, Italy
BattingRight-handed
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1859Cambridge University
1861–1870Marylebone Cricket Club
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 17
Runs scored 117
Batting average 5.57
100s/50s –/–
Top score 40*
Catches/stumpings 5/–
Source: Cricinfo, 20 April 2021

The son of Thomas Forster, he was born at Spring Hill in County Durham in July 1835. He was educated at Harrow School,[1] before going up to Caius College, Cambridge.[2] While studying at Cambridge, he made a single appearance in first-class cricket for Cambridge University against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's in 1859.[3] A student of Lincoln's Inn, he was called to the bar in January 1860.[4] During his legal career, Forster wrote the book Copyhold and Customary Tenures.[1] Beginning in 1861, Forster began playing first-class cricket for the MCC, making sixteen appearances to 1870.[3] He had little success in these matches, scoring 117 runs at a low average of 5.85 and a highest score of 40 not out.[5] He married Frances Joanna Stone in December 1862.[2] A justice of the peace, he died at Rome in February 1879 from Bright's disease.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b Dauglish, M. G.; Stephenson, P. K. (1911). The Harrow School Register, 1800-1911 (3 ed.). London: Longmans, Green, and Co. p. 225.
  2. ^ a b Venn, John. Alumni Cantabrigienses. Vol. 1. Cambridge University Press. p. 540.
  3. ^ a b "First-Class Matches played by Ralph Forster". CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  4. ^ Foster, Joseph (1885). Men-at-the-bar. Reeves and Turner. p. 162.
  5. ^ "First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Ralph Forster". CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  6. ^ Obituary. Edinburgh Evening News. 18 February 1879. p. 2.
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