Stephen Charles (cricketer)

Stephen Flockton Charles (17 August 1858 − 24 June 1950) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer.

Stephen Charles
Personal information
Full name
Stephen Flockton Charles
Born17 August 1858
Romford, Essex, England
Died24 June 1950(1950-06-24) (aged 91)
Wroxham, Norfolk, England
BattingRight-handed
RoleWicket-keeper
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1895–1905Marylebone Cricket Club
1906–1907Norfolk
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 8
Runs scored 143
Batting average 20.42
100s/50s –/–
Top score 30
Catches/stumpings 4/5
Source: Cricinfo, 15 July 2019

Charles was born at Kensington in August 1858. He was educated at Harrow School, before attending the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.[1] He graduated from Sandhurst in February 1878, entering into the Middlesex Regiment as a second lieutenant,[2] before resigning his commission with the Middlesex Regiment in April of the same year.[3] He was serving with the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1880, with promotion to the rank of lieutenant coming in July 1880.[4] He was promoted to the rank of captain in July 1888.[5] He married Mina Steele Watson in 1890, with Charles seconded for service with the Auxiliary Forces in July of the same year,[6] with him vacating the secondment in May 1893.[7]

Charles made his debut in first-class cricket for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against Dublin University at Dublin in 1895. He made three further first-class appearances for the MCC in 1897, playing against Oxford and Cambridge Universities, in addition to the touring Philadelphians.[8] He played two first-class matches for the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players fixtures of 1897 and 1898.[8] He was promoted to the rank of major in November 1897.[9] He appeared in a first-class match for the MCC in 1899, against Derbyshire at Lord's.[8] He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in April 1902,[10] before retiring from active service in November 1903.[11] He made a final appearance in first-class cricket for the MCC in 1905, against Oxford University at Lord's.[8] In eight first-class matches, Charles scored a total of 143 runs at an average of 20.42, with a high score of 30.[12] He played minor counties cricket for Norfolk in 1906 and 1907, making fourteen appearances in the Minor Counties Championship.[13] He died at Wroxham in June 1950, at the age of 91.

References

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  1. ^ Welch, Reginald Courtenay (1894). The Harrow School Register, 1801-1893. Longmans, Green. pp. 415.
  2. ^ "No. 24555". The London Gazette. 26 February 1878. p. 958.
  3. ^ "No. 24570". The London Gazette. 9 April 1878. p. 2453.
  4. ^ "No. 24865". The London Gazette. 20 July 1880. p. 4043.
  5. ^ "No. 25838". The London Gazette. 17 July 1888. p. 3882.
  6. ^ "No. 26082". The London Gazette. 26 August 1890. p. 4667.
  7. ^ "No. 26401". The London Gazette. 12 May 1893. p. 2755.
  8. ^ a b c d "First-Class Matches played by Stephen Charles". CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  9. ^ "No. 26911". The London Gazette. 16 November 1897. p. 6307.
  10. ^ "No. 27426". The London Gazette. 18 April 1902. p. 2603.
  11. ^ "No. 27618". The London Gazette. 20 November 1903. p. 7141.
  12. ^ "Player profile: Stephen Charles". CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  13. ^ "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Stephen Charles". CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
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