George Harris, 4th Baron Harris
Encyclopedia
George Robert Canning Harris, 4th Baron Harris, GCSI
, GCIE
(3 February 1851 – 24 March 1932) was a British
politician, cricket
er and cricket administrator. He succeeded to his title in November 1872, before which he was known as The Honourable George Harris.
, was serving as Governor
, then moved to Madras
when his father was posted to the governorship there. At the age of 13, the young Harris was sent to Eton
to finish his education. His first important cricket match was the 1868 Eton-Harrow fixture at Lord's, where the eighteen-year-old started inauspiciously with 23 and six. In the same fixture the following year, when CJ Ottaway
scored his celebrated 108 to seal victory for Eton by an innings and nineteen runs, Harris went runless, and, in 1870 (by which time he was on the Kent Committee), he managed just twelve and seven.
. He also played for Kent
and Oxford University
. He won two of his four Tests as English captain, losing one and drawing the other.
In 1878-1879, Harris led a touring England side to Australia
. They played one Test match
at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
– the third Test ever played. Australia, led by Dave Gregory
, won by 10 wickets. Later in the tour, a match against New South Wales
led to the Sydney Riot of 1879
when an umpire employed by the English team made a decision against the locals.
Harris led England against Australia on three further occasions:
He played for Kent for over forty years, from 1870 to 1911, captaining them from 1871 to 1889 (some sources (e.g. CricketArchive) say 1875-1889, with no official captaincy appointment for 1871-4). He was President in 1875 and Secretary from 1875 to 1880.
In the early 1880s there were a number of bowlers who were widely considered to have unfair actions
, with the Lancashire
pair of Jack Crossland and George Nash
coming in for particular criticism. After playing for Kent against Lancashire in 1885, when he faced the bowling of Crossland and Nash, Harris decided to take action. He persuaded the Kent committee to cancel the return fixture. Later that season, Crossland was found to have broken his residential qualification for Lancashire by living in Nottinghamshire, and Nash dropped out of the side. Thus the two counties resumed playing each other the following season. Harris's Wisden obituarist wrote: "...there can be no doubt the action of Lord Harris, even if it did not entirely remove the throwing evil, had a very healthy effect on the game."
He had a long association with Lord's as both player and administrator. In 1862, aged eleven, he was practising at Lord's. It was not till 1929, at the remarkably advanced age of seventy-eight, that he played there for the last time, for MCC
v Indian Gymkhana.
He served as President of the MCC in 1895. He was a Trustee of MCC from 1906 to 1916 and Honorary Treasurer from 1916 to 1932. Additionally he was for some years chairman of the MCC Finance and Cricket Sub-committees. It is therefore not surprising that it was written of him: 'No man has exercised so strong an influence on the cricket world so long...'
In July, 1909 he chaired a meeting of representatives of England, Australia and South Africa which launched the Imperial Cricket Conference
and agreed rules to control Test cricket between the three nations. In 1926, he presided at a meeting at The Oval, when it was agreed that 'governing bodies of cricket in countries within the Empire to which cricket teams are sent, or which send teams to England' should be eligible for ICC membership. The meeting had the effect of creating three new Test-playing nations: West Indies, New Zealand and India.
Not all thought that he used his power well. Alan Gibson
once wrote that he was 'an antediluvian old tyrant', though he later retracted this, saying that Harris was a more complex figure than that. But, complex or not, Harris was never accused by contemporaries of being an intellectual; and he might have robbed England of the services of one of its greatest batsmen, Walter Hammond. Hammond had been born in Kent but chose to play for Gloucestershire, where he had gone to school. Hammond had not fulfilled the required period of residence to qualify, and once Harris discovered this Hammond was barred from playing for them again until the necessary time had elapsed. The affair resulted in Harris complaining about what he called 'Bolshevism' influencing cricket.
as Under-Secretary of State for India
from 25 June 1885, then as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for War
from 4 August 1886 to 1890 in the Conservative Government.
He served as Governor of the Presidency of Bombay in British India
from 1890 to 1895. His appointment was not universally well regarded, with one anonymous writer penning a poem expressing the hope that Bombay would not suffer too greatly from Harris' political inexperience.
His governorship was notable mainly for his enthusiastic pursuit of the sport of cricket amongst his fellow Europeans in the colony, at the expense of connecting with the native population. When the interracial Bombay riots of 1893 broke out, Harris was out of the city at Ganeshkind enjoying cricket matches. He returned to Bombay only on the ninth day of rioting, and then primarily to attend a cricket match there.
Many later writers credited Harris with almost single-handedly introducing and developing the sport in India
. The game was, however, well established among the natives before his arrival. Furthermore, in 1890, he rejected a petition signed by over 1,000 locals to relocate European polo players to another ground so that the locals could use the area for cricket matches. It was only in 1892 that he granted a parcel of land to the newly formed Mahomedan Gymkhana for a cricket field, adjacent to land already used by the Parsi Gymkhana. His reluctance to do so is evident in his written comment:
When Harris left India, having virtually ignored famine, riots and sectarian unrest, a publisher circulated a collection of newspaper extracts from his time as governor. The introduction stated:
On his return to England, Harris again served in the Conservative Government, as a Lord in Waiting, from 16 July 1895 to 4 December 1900.
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
, GCIE
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
(3 February 1851 – 24 March 1932) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician, 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 cricket administrator. He succeeded to his title in November 1872, before which he was known as The Honourable George Harris.
Early life
He was born in Trinidad when his father, George Harris, 3rd Baron HarrisGeorge Harris, 3rd Baron Harris
George Francis Robert Harris, 3rd Baron Harris GCSI , was a British peer, Liberal politician and colonial administrator...
, was serving as Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
, then moved to Madras
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
when his father was posted to the governorship there. At the age of 13, the young Harris was sent to Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
to finish his education. His first important cricket match was the 1868 Eton-Harrow fixture at Lord's, where the eighteen-year-old started inauspiciously with 23 and six. In the same fixture the following year, when CJ Ottaway
Cuthbert Ottaway
Cuthbert John Ottaway , one of the most talented and versatile sportsmen of the 1870s, was the first captain of the England football team and led his side in the first official international football match....
scored his celebrated 108 to seal victory for Eton by an innings and nineteen runs, Harris went runless, and, in 1870 (by which time he was on the Kent Committee), he managed just twelve and seven.
Cricket career
Lord Harris was the second-ever captain of the English cricket teamEnglish cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
. He also played for Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
and 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...
. He won two of his four Tests as English captain, losing one and drawing the other.
In 1878-1879, Harris led a touring England side to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. They played one Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
– the third Test ever played. Australia, led by Dave Gregory
Dave Gregory (cricketer)
David William Gregory was an Australian cricketer of the 19th century. A right-handed batsman, Gregory was the first Australian national cricket captain, leading the side for the first three recognised Test matches between England and Australia in March and April 1877 and January 1879...
, won by 10 wickets. Later in the tour, a match against New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
led to the Sydney Riot of 1879
Sydney Riot of 1879
The Sydney Riot of 1879 was a civil disorder that occurred at an early international cricket match. It took place in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, at the Association Ground, Moore Park, now known as the Sydney Cricket Ground, during a match between a touring English team captained by Lord...
when an umpire employed by the English team made a decision against the locals.
Harris led England against Australia on three further occasions:
- 1880 at The OvalThe OvalThe Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
– England won by 5 wickets in the first Test played in England. - 1884 at Lord'sLord's Cricket GroundLord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
– England win by an innings and 5 runs. - 1884 at The Oval – Drawn.
He played for Kent for over forty years, from 1870 to 1911, captaining them from 1871 to 1889 (some sources (e.g. CricketArchive) say 1875-1889, with no official captaincy appointment for 1871-4). He was President in 1875 and Secretary from 1875 to 1880.
In the early 1880s there were a number of bowlers who were widely considered to have unfair actions
Throwing (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, throwing, commonly referred to as chucking, is an illegal bowling action which occurs when a bowler straightens their arm when delivering the ball. The Laws of Cricket specify that a bowler's arm must be fully extended and rotated about the shoulder to impart velocity to...
, with the Lancashire
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...
pair of Jack Crossland and George Nash
George Nash (cricketer)
George Nash was an English professional cricketer during the 1880s. Nash played as a slow left-arm orthodox bowler for Lancashire, and later in Minor Counties cricket for his native Buckinghamshire.-Life and career:...
coming in for particular criticism. After playing for Kent against Lancashire in 1885, when he faced the bowling of Crossland and Nash, Harris decided to take action. He persuaded the Kent committee to cancel the return fixture. Later that season, Crossland was found to have broken his residential qualification for Lancashire by living in Nottinghamshire, and Nash dropped out of the side. Thus the two counties resumed playing each other the following season. Harris's Wisden obituarist wrote: "...there can be no doubt the action of Lord Harris, even if it did not entirely remove the throwing evil, had a very healthy effect on the game."
He had a long association with Lord's as both player and administrator. In 1862, aged eleven, he was practising at Lord's. It was not till 1929, at the remarkably advanced age of seventy-eight, that he played there for the last time, for MCC
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...
v Indian Gymkhana.
He served as President of the MCC in 1895. He was a Trustee of MCC from 1906 to 1916 and Honorary Treasurer from 1916 to 1932. Additionally he was for some years chairman of the MCC Finance and Cricket Sub-committees. It is therefore not surprising that it was written of him: 'No man has exercised so strong an influence on the cricket world so long...'
In July, 1909 he chaired a meeting of representatives of England, Australia and South Africa which launched the Imperial Cricket Conference
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
and agreed rules to control Test cricket between the three nations. In 1926, he presided at a meeting at The Oval, when it was agreed that 'governing bodies of cricket in countries within the Empire to which cricket teams are sent, or which send teams to England' should be eligible for ICC membership. The meeting had the effect of creating three new Test-playing nations: West Indies, New Zealand and India.
Not all thought that he used his power well. Alan Gibson
Alan Gibson
Norman Alan Stanley Gibson was an English journalist, writer and radio broadcaster, best known for his work in connection with cricket, though he also sometimes covered football and rugby union...
once wrote that he was 'an antediluvian old tyrant', though he later retracted this, saying that Harris was a more complex figure than that. But, complex or not, Harris was never accused by contemporaries of being an intellectual; and he might have robbed England of the services of one of its greatest batsmen, Walter Hammond. Hammond had been born in Kent but chose to play for Gloucestershire, where he had gone to school. Hammond had not fulfilled the required period of residence to qualify, and once Harris discovered this Hammond was barred from playing for them again until the necessary time had elapsed. The affair resulted in Harris complaining about what he called 'Bolshevism' influencing cricket.
Political career
Lord Harris served in the House of LordsHouse of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
as Under-Secretary of State for India
Under-Secretary of State for India
This is a list of Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State and Permanent Under-Secretaries of State at the India Office during the period of British rule between 1866 and 1948, and for Burma from 1858-1948....
from 25 June 1885, then as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for War
Under-Secretary of State for War
The position of Under-Secretary of State for War was a British government position, first applied to Evan Nepean . In 1801 the offices for War and the Colonies were merged and the post became that of Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies...
from 4 August 1886 to 1890 in the Conservative Government.
He served as Governor of the Presidency of Bombay in British India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
from 1890 to 1895. His appointment was not universally well regarded, with one anonymous writer penning a poem expressing the hope that Bombay would not suffer too greatly from Harris' political inexperience.
His governorship was notable mainly for his enthusiastic pursuit of the sport of cricket amongst his fellow Europeans in the colony, at the expense of connecting with the native population. When the interracial Bombay riots of 1893 broke out, Harris was out of the city at Ganeshkind enjoying cricket matches. He returned to Bombay only on the ninth day of rioting, and then primarily to attend a cricket match there.
Many later writers credited Harris with almost single-handedly introducing and developing the sport in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The game was, however, well established among the natives before his arrival. Furthermore, in 1890, he rejected a petition signed by over 1,000 locals to relocate European polo players to another ground so that the locals could use the area for cricket matches. It was only in 1892 that he granted a parcel of land to the newly formed Mahomedan Gymkhana for a cricket field, adjacent to land already used by the Parsi Gymkhana. His reluctance to do so is evident in his written comment:
- I don't see how we can refuse these applicants; but I will steadfastly refuse any more grants once a Gymkhana has been established under respectable auspices by each nationality, and tell applicants that ground having been set apart for their nationality they are free to take advantage of it by joining that particular club.
When Harris left India, having virtually ignored famine, riots and sectarian unrest, a publisher circulated a collection of newspaper extracts from his time as governor. The introduction stated:
- Never during the last hundred years has a Governor of Bombay been so sternly criticised and never has he met with such widespread unpopularity on account of his administration as Lord Harris.
On his return to England, Harris again served in the Conservative Government, as a Lord in Waiting, from 16 July 1895 to 4 December 1900.