Michael Singleton
Encyclopedia
George Michael Singleton CBE
MC
(12 May 1913–11 December 2002) was an English
cricketer
who played three first-class
games, appearing once for Cambridge University
and twice for Worcestershire
. Michael took five wickets with his left-arm spin and scored 34 runs in his five innings. He later played for the Free Foresters and I Zingari
.
Singleton was born in Repton
, Derbyshire
, where his father was a schoolmaster. In 1916, his father became headmaster of The Elms School
in Colwall
. Michael was the eldest of four brothers. Sandy Singleton
was a county cricketer who became captain of Oxford and Worcestershire; John became a farmer in Scotland; and Tim Singleton became President of the Law Society
and was knighted.
He was educated at Uppingham
and Pembroke College, Cambridge
, and became a teacher at West Down School near Winchester
before rejoining his father as a teacher at The Elms.
In 1939, he joined the Army and formed a company of the Hereford Light Infantry. He was seconded to the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
, landing in France shortly after D-Day
, where he won the MC. He was offered the opportunity to join the regular Army in 1946, but returned to The Elms, where he succeeded his father as headmaster in 1948, remaining headmaster for 25 years, until 1973. He was also a local magistrate
, High Sheriff
of Hereford and Worcester
, and a Deputy Lieutenant
.
He married Diana Philpot in 1939, having five children. He died in Malvern
at the age of 89.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(12 May 1913–11 December 2002) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played three first-class
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...
games, appearing once for Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
and twice for Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
. Michael took five wickets with his left-arm spin and scored 34 runs in his five innings. He later played for the Free Foresters and I Zingari
I Zingari
I Zingari are English and Australian amateur cricket clubs.-History:...
.
Singleton was born in Repton
Repton
Repton is a village and civil parish on the edge of the River Trent floodplain in South Derbyshire, about north of Swadlincote. Repton is close to the county boundary with neighbouring Staffordshire and about northeast of Burton upon Trent.-History:...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, where his father was a schoolmaster. In 1916, his father became headmaster of The Elms School
The Elms School
The Elms School is a co-educational, independent, boarding, prep school located in Colwall, Herefordshire, England, at the foot of the Malvern Hills. Including its pre-prep department, it caters for children from 2½ to 13 years old....
in Colwall
Colwall
Colwall is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England on the border with Worcestershire, nestling into the side of the Malvern Hills. Areas of the village are known as Colwall Stone, Upper Colwall and Colwall Green along over a mile of the B4218 road...
. Michael was the eldest of four brothers. Sandy Singleton
Sandy Singleton
Alexander Parkinson Singleton, known as Sandy , was an English all-round cricketer: a right-handed opening batsman and slow left arm bowler. He played his county cricket for Worcestershire, captaining the side in 1946, and also captained Oxford University and Transvaal...
was a county cricketer who became captain of Oxford and Worcestershire; John became a farmer in Scotland; and Tim Singleton became President of the Law Society
Law society
A Law Society in current and former Commonwealth jurisdictions was historically an association of solicitors with a regulatory role that included the right to supervise the training, qualifications and conduct of lawyers/solicitors...
and was knighted.
He was educated at Uppingham
Uppingham School
Uppingham School is a co-educational independent school of the English public school tradition, situated in the small town of Uppingham in Rutland, England...
and Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
, and became a teacher at West Down School near Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
before rejoining his father as a teacher at The Elms.
In 1939, he joined the Army and formed a company of the Hereford Light Infantry. He was seconded to the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. The regiment's traditions and history are now maintained by The Rifles.-The 51st Foot:...
, landing in France shortly after D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, where he won the MC. He was offered the opportunity to join the regular Army in 1946, but returned to The Elms, where he succeeded his father as headmaster in 1948, remaining headmaster for 25 years, until 1973. He was also a local magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
, High Sheriff
High Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
of Hereford and Worcester
Hereford and Worcester
Hereford and Worcester was an English county created on 1 April 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972 from the area of the former administrative county of Herefordshire, most of Worcestershire and the county borough of Worcester.It bordered Shropshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands to the...
, and a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
.
He married Diana Philpot in 1939, having five children. He died in Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
at the age of 89.
External links
- Statistical summary 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...
- Obituary, The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, 30 January 2003