Charles Awdry
Encyclopedia
Major Charles Edwin Awdry TD
, JP
(29 April 1906 – 16 November 1965) was an English
cricket
er and British Army
officer, as well as a Justice of the Peace
. The son of Charles Selwyn Awdry and Constance Lilias, he was born in Paddington
, London
and educated at Winchester College
.
style is unknown, but it is known that he was a right-arm fast-medium
bowler. In 1924, he made his debut for Wiltshire
against Berkshire
in the Minor Counties Championship. He played Minor counties cricket for Wiltshire from 1924 to 1939, making 93 appearances and taking nearly 300 wickets and scoring over 1,500 runs. He also played first-class cricket
on two occasions. The first of these was for the West of England
against the touring New Zealanders at the County Ground, Exeter
in 1927. He took the wicket of Herb McGirr
in this match, while in the West's only batting innings, he was dismissed for a duck
by Bill Merritt. His second first-class appearance came for the Minor Counties against Oxford University
in 1937. He was dismissed in the Minor Counties first-innings for 8 runs by David Macindoe
, while in their second-innings he was dismissed by the same bowler for 8 runs. With the ball, he took the wickets of Eric Dixon and Alexander Singleton in the Oxford first-innings, while going wicket-less in their second. Prior to playing for the Minor Counties, he toured Egypt
with Hubert Martineau
's XI in 1932 and 1933.
with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in 1928. On 8 March 1932, he was promoted from 2nd Lieutenant to Lieutenant
, along with the Viscount Weymouth
who also served in the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry at the time. He was promoted to Captain
on 14 May 1938.
Awdry would later serve in World War II
. During the conflict, he was awarded the "Efficiency Decoration
" in August 1944 for over twleve years in the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, which formed a part of the Territorial Army. He was promoted to Major on 1 June 1945. In 1956, he exceeded the age limit at which one could be part of the Territorial Army Reserve of Officers, and was removed from the reserve on 1 December, retaining the rank of Major. At some point he received the Territorial Decoration
.
in 1951, 1952 and 1953, but was unsuccessful on those occasions. However, he was successful in his nomination for High Sheriff 1954, a post which his father had previously held in 1901. Awdry also worked as a Justice of the Peace. He died at Bowden Hill
, Wiltshire
on 16 November 1965.
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(29 April 1906 – 16 November 1965) was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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...
er and British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer, as well as a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. The son of Charles Selwyn Awdry and Constance Lilias, he was born in Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
.
Cricket
Awdry's battingBatting (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball with a cricket bat to score runs or prevent the loss of one's wicket. A player who is currently batting is denoted as a batsman, while the act of hitting the ball is called a shot or stroke...
style is unknown, but it is known that he was a right-arm fast-medium
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
bowler. In 1924, he made his debut for Wiltshire
Wiltshire County Cricket Club
Wiltshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Wiltshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
against Berkshire
Berkshire County Cricket Club
Berkshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Berkshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and MCCA Knockout Trophy....
in the Minor Counties Championship. He played Minor counties cricket for Wiltshire from 1924 to 1939, making 93 appearances and taking nearly 300 wickets and scoring over 1,500 runs. He also played first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
on two occasions. The first of these was for the West of England
West of England cricket team
The West of England appeared in nine first-class matches between 1844 and 1948. Their first-class debut in 1844 came against the Marylebone Cricket Club, with their final appearance in first-class cricket coming against the East in 1948...
against the touring New Zealanders at the County Ground, Exeter
County Ground, Exeter
The County Ground is a cricket ground in Exeter, Devon. The earliest recorded match on the ground was in 1889 between the Gentlemen of Devon and Somerset. In 1902, Devon played their first Minor Counties Championship match on the ground, which came against Wiltshire...
in 1927. He took the wicket of Herb McGirr
Herb McGirr
Herbert Mendelson McGirr was a New Zealand cricketer who played in two Tests in 1930.An all-rounder who had almost 20 years of first-class cricket with Wellington, McGirr was a middle or lower order batsman who hit the ball hard and a steady medium-paced bowler...
in this match, while in the West's only batting innings, he was dismissed for a duck
Duck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
by Bill Merritt. His second first-class appearance came for the Minor Counties against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
in 1937. He was dismissed in the Minor Counties first-innings for 8 runs by David Macindoe
David Macindoe
Major David Henry Macindoe M.C. was an English cricketer. Macindoe was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium-fast. His bowling was characterised with a long run-up and a high arm action...
, while in their second-innings he was dismissed by the same bowler for 8 runs. With the ball, he took the wickets of Eric Dixon and Alexander Singleton in the Oxford first-innings, while going wicket-less in their second. Prior to playing for the Minor Counties, he toured Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
with Hubert Martineau
Hubert Martineau
Hubert Melville Martineau was an English patron of cricket and organiser of his own team. He also played three first-class matches between 1931 and 1932...
's XI in 1932 and 1933.
Military career
While at Winchester College, Awdry was part of the Cadets there, he later entered the Royal Wiltshire YeomanryRoyal Wiltshire Yeomanry
The Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry was a Yeomanry regiment of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom established in 1794. It was disbanded as an independent Territorial Army unit in 1967, a time when the strength of the TA was greatly reduced...
with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in 1928. On 8 March 1932, he was promoted from 2nd Lieutenant to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, along with the Viscount Weymouth
Henry Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath
Henry Frederick Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath JP , styled Lord Henry Thynne until 1916 and Viscount Weymouth between 1916 and 1946, was a British politician, aristocrat and landowner.-Background and education:...
who also served in the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry at the time. He was promoted to Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
on 14 May 1938.
Awdry would later serve in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the conflict, he was awarded the "Efficiency Decoration
Efficiency Decoration
The Efficiency Decoration is a defunct medal of Britain and the Commonwealth awarded for long service in the Territorial Army of the UK, the Indian Volunteer Forces and Colonial Auxiliary Forces....
" in August 1944 for over twleve years in the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, which formed a part of the Territorial Army. He was promoted to Major on 1 June 1945. In 1956, he exceeded the age limit at which one could be part of the Territorial Army Reserve of Officers, and was removed from the reserve on 1 December, retaining the rank of Major. At some point he received the Territorial Decoration
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
.
Personal life
Awdry married Ursula Marion Mordaunt, the daughter of Eustace Mordaunt and Cicely Marion Tubb, in 1933. He was nominated for High Sheriff of WiltshireHigh Sheriff of Wiltshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Wiltshire.Until the 14th century the shrievalty was held ex officio by the castellans of Old Sarum.-To 1400:*1066: Edric*1067-1070: Philippe de Buckland*1085: Aiulphus the Sheriff*1070–1105: Edward of Salisbury...
in 1951, 1952 and 1953, but was unsuccessful on those occasions. However, he was successful in his nomination for High Sheriff 1954, a post which his father had previously held in 1901. Awdry also worked as a Justice of the Peace. He died at Bowden Hill
Bowden Hill
Bowden Hill is a village in Wiltshire, England, 3.5 miles south of Chippenham and 1 mile to the east of Lacock. The village consists of about 50 houses, a pub, and a small industrial estate.-Origins of the name:...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
on 16 November 1965.
External links
- Charles Awdry at ESPNcricinfo
- Charles Awdry at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...