John Thayer (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
John Borland Thayer, Jr. (April 21, 1862 April 15, 1912) was a first-class cricket
er and later a Pennsylvania Railroad
vice president, who died shortly before his 50th birthday in the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912. He is the only known first-class cricketer to have died aboard the ship.
, where he was captain of the baseball team in 1879. A member of a prominent American cricketing family, he played his first match for the Merion Cricket Club
as a 14-year old. Thayer was a part of the Philadelphian
side that visited England in 1884. During that tour he scored 817 runs with an average of 28, and took 22 wickets for 21 runs each. In his career, Thayer appeared in seven matches now recognised as first-class. Three of these were played for the Philadelphians and four were played for an "American Born" side. All were played at the Germantown Cricket Club in Pennsylvania
. In his first-class career, he scored 138 runs at 11.50 and took six wickets at 26.83. His highest score (24) and best bowling (3 for 17) both came for Philadelphia against the United States in October 1883.
Of the four children, only Jack accompanied his parents on the Titanic.
Following his cricket career, Thayer entered the business world. He was a vice-president of the Pennsylvania Railroad
. Thayer and his family had been in Europe as guests of the American Consul General in Berlin
, Germany
. The family boarded the Titanic as first-class passengers. The family had been preparing for bed when the collision with the iceberg occurred. As the ship sank, Thayer made sure that his wife and maid boarded lifeboats, after being told by the Titanic's designer, Thomas Andrews
, that the stricken ship did not have "much over an hour to live". His son, Jack, dove from the sinking ship and was able to swim to an overturned collapsible boat, where he also survived. However, Thayer Sr. made it clear that he had no intention of boarding a boat and remained on the Titanic as it went down. When all of the lifeboats were gone, one eyewitness reportedly saw Thayer looking "pale and determined by the midship rail aft of lifeboat 7." A short while later, he had gone, so it is likely that he moved to the stern like many other passengers and crew. Thayer's body, if recovered, was never identified.
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...
er and later a Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
vice president, who died shortly before his 50th birthday in the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912. He is the only known first-class cricketer to have died aboard the ship.
Early life and cricket career
Thayer attended the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, where he was captain of the baseball team in 1879. A member of a prominent American cricketing family, he played his first match for the Merion Cricket Club
Merion Cricket Club
Merion Cricket Club is a private club in Haverford, Pennsylvania, founded in 1865. The current clubhouse is its sixth, the last four having been designed by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness and his partner, Allen Evans .-History:...
as a 14-year old. Thayer was a part of the Philadelphian
Philadelphian cricket team
The Philadelphian cricket team was a team that represented Philadelphia in first-class cricket between 1878 and 1913. Even with the United States having played the first ever international cricket match against Canada in 1844, the sport began a slow decline in the country. This decline was...
side that visited England in 1884. During that tour he scored 817 runs with an average of 28, and took 22 wickets for 21 runs each. In his career, Thayer appeared in seven matches now recognised as first-class. Three of these were played for the Philadelphians and four were played for an "American Born" side. All were played at the Germantown Cricket Club in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. In his first-class career, he scored 138 runs at 11.50 and took six wickets at 26.83. His highest score (24) and best bowling (3 for 17) both came for Philadelphia against the United States in October 1883.
Family
On November 9, 1893, in Philadelphia, he married Marian Longstreth Morris (1872–1944), the daughter of Frederick Wistar Morris and Elizabeth Flower Paul. Both her parents were descendants of old-moneyed Philadelphia families. They had four children:- John "Jack" Borland Thayer IIIJack ThayerJohn Borland "Jack" Thayer III was from Philadelphia. He was a first-class passenger on the RMS Titanic who provided several first-hand accounts of the disaster.-RMS Titanic:...
(1894–1945) - Frederick Morris Thayer (1896–1956)
- Margaret Thayer (1898–1960) (Mrs. Harold Elstner Talbott, Jr.Harold E. TalbottHarold Elstner Talbott, Jr. was the third United States Secretary of the Air Force.-Biography:He was born in Dayton, Ohio, in March 1888 and died in 1957...
) - Pauline Thayer (1901–1981) (Mrs. Henry Hoffman Dolan)
Of the four children, only Jack accompanied his parents on the Titanic.
The Titanic
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
. Thayer and his family had been in Europe as guests of the American Consul General in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The family boarded the Titanic as first-class passengers. The family had been preparing for bed when the collision with the iceberg occurred. As the ship sank, Thayer made sure that his wife and maid boarded lifeboats, after being told by the Titanic's designer, Thomas Andrews
Thomas Andrews (shipbuilder)
Thomas Andrews, Jr. was an Irish businessman and shipbuilder; managing director and head of the draughting department for the shipbuilding company Harland and Wolff in Belfast, Ireland. Andrews was the shipbuilder in charge of the plans for the ocean liner...
, that the stricken ship did not have "much over an hour to live". His son, Jack, dove from the sinking ship and was able to swim to an overturned collapsible boat, where he also survived. However, Thayer Sr. made it clear that he had no intention of boarding a boat and remained on the Titanic as it went down. When all of the lifeboats were gone, one eyewitness reportedly saw Thayer looking "pale and determined by the midship rail aft of lifeboat 7." A short while later, he had gone, so it is likely that he moved to the stern like many other passengers and crew. Thayer's body, if recovered, was never identified.
Statistics links
- Player Profile: John Thayer from 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...