Charles Edmund de Trafford (21 May 1864 to 11 November 1951) was an English aristocrat and noted cricketer.

Early life

Charles was born at Trafford Hall, Trafford Park

Trafford Park

Trafford Park is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located opposite Salford Quays, on the southern side of the Manchester Ship Canal, it is west-southwest of Manchester city centre, and north of Stretford. Until the late 19th century it was the...

, Stretford

Stretford

Stretford is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Lying on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal, it is to the southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Salford and northeast of Altrincham...

, the second son of Sir Humphrey de Trafford, 2nd Baronet and his wife Lady Annette Talbot.

Cricket

In 1884 aged 20, Charles joined the team of Lancashire County Cricket Club

Lancashire County Cricket Club

Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...

. He soon made his name as a skilled cricketer and in 1885 joined Marylebone Cricket Club

Marylebone Cricket Club

Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...

. In 1894 he moved to Leicestershire County Cricket Club

Leicestershire County Cricket Club

Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....

 as captain, a position in which he remained for 17 seasons. He is largely credited with making Leicestershire into a first class club..

Personal life

In 1881, Charles's father, Sir Humphrey de Trafford purchased the Hothorpe Hall

Hothorpe Hall

Hothorpe Hall, in Theddingworth, Leicestershire, is a Georgian manor house near Market Harborough. It was the birthplace of Simon Elwes. It is currently used as a conference centre.-History:...

 Estate at Theddingworth

Theddingworth

Theddingworth is a village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. It lies at about west of Market Harborough on the road to Lutterworth. It is on the north bank of the River Welland and the Grand Union Canal passes within a mile...

, Leicestershire

Leicestershire

Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...

 from the Cook family and presented it to Charles. During his time at Hothorpe, Charles extended the Georgian Manor House and in 1892 built a Catholic Chapel there in memory of his brother Gilbert who had died in 1890.

On 15 October 1892, Charles married Lady Agnes Feilding, the daughter of Rudolph Feilding, 8th Earl of Denbigh

Rudolph Feilding, 8th Earl of Denbigh

Rudolph William Basil Feilding, 8th Earl of Denbigh, 7th Earl of Desmond was a British peer, succeeding to his titles on the death in 1865 of his father, the 7th Earl of Denbigh...

. Their son Edmund Hubert de Trafford served with distinction in World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, married the Hon. Cecilia Strickland later emigrated to Malta

Malta

Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

. Edmund and Cecilia's daughter Elizabeth returned to England and married Admiral Arthur Francis Turner

Arthur Francis Turner

Admiral Sir Francis Turner, KCB DSC was a British naval officer. He was the son of Rear Admiral AWJ Turner and his wife Mrs AM Turner .-Naval career:...

.

In 1893, Charles served as High Sheriff of Leicestershire

High Sheriff of Leicestershire

This is a list of High Sheriffs of Leicestershire. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred...

 and also as a Justice of the Peace. Charles and Lady Agnes resided at Hothorpe until 1928, when they moved to Rothley, where Charles died on 11 November 1951 aged 87.