Charles Barton (cricketer)

Charles Gerard Barton DSO (26 April 1860 — 3 November 1919) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer. Barton served in the army from 1879 to 1905, seeing action in the Second Boer War, for which he was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order in 1901. As a cricketer, he played in both England and British India, making six appearances in first-class cricket.

Charles Barton
Personal information
Full name
Charles Gerard Barton
Born26 April 1860
Sherfield English, Hampshire, England
Died3 November 1919(1919-11-03) (aged 59)
Hatfield Peverel, Essex, England
BattingRight-handed
BowlingSlow left-arm orthodox
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1893Europeans
1895-1896Hampshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 6
Runs scored 29
Batting average 4.83
100s/50s –/–
Top score 22
Balls bowled 510
Wickets 9
Bowling average 22.88
5 wickets in innings 1
10 wickets in match
Best bowling 6/27
Catches/stumpings –/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 1 February 2010

Military career and first-class cricket

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The son of The Reverend Joseph Barton, he was born in April 1860 at Sherfield English, Hampshire. Barton was educated at Sherborne School.[1] From there he was commissioned into the Royal Sussex Regiment as a second lieutenant in October 1879,[2] but resigned his commission in March of the following year to attend the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.[3] Barton graduated from there into the 46th Foot as second lieutenant in January 1881,[4] and shortly thereafter he was transferred to the 75th Foot.[5] Promotion to lieutenant followed in July 1881,[6] which came prior to him being transferred to the King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) in September 1881.[7] A further promotion to captain followed in June 1889.[8]

Barton's association with Hampshire County Cricket Club began in 1881, but he did not play first-class cricket for the club in the lead-up to its first-class status being rescinded in 1885. He continued to play second-class county cricket for Hampshire following the loss of its first-class status,[9] most notably leading the county's bowling averages in 1891 with 42 wickets at an average of 9.79; in a match against the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1891 at Southampton, he took match figures of 14 for 67.[10] However, it was to be while serving in British India that Barton made his debut in first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team in the 1893 Bombay Presidency Matches, playing twice against the Parsees.[11] In 1894, Hampshire regained their first-class status. Returning to England, Barton made four first-class appearances for Hampshire, playing three times in the 1895 County Championship and once in the 1896 County Championship.[11] Described by Wisden as a "useful all-round cricketer", he took 9 wickets with his slow left-arm orthodox bowling in six first-class matches at an average of 22.88; he took one five wicket haul, with figures of 6 for 27 for the Europeans.[12]

With The King's Own, he served in the Second Boer War.[1] During the war, he was promoted to major in January 1900 and was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order.[13][14] Barton retired from active service in June 1905.[15] He died from heart failure in November 1919 at Hatfield Peverel, Essex.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b The Sherborne Register: 1550-1950 (PDF) (4 ed.). Warren & Son Ltd. 1950. p. 119.
  2. ^ "No. 24775". The London Gazette. 28 October 1879. p. 6116.
  3. ^ "No. 24822". The London Gazette. 12 March 1880. p. 2019.
  4. ^ "No. 24926". The London Gazette. 21 January 1881. p. 291.
  5. ^ "No. 24942". The London Gazette. 25 February 1881. p. 852.
  6. ^ Hart's Annual Army List, Militia List, and Imperial Yeomanry List. John Murray. 1890. p. 238.
  7. ^ "No. 25014". The London Gazette. 13 September 1881. p. 4687.
  8. ^ "No. 25952". The London Gazette. 9 July 1889. p. 3696.
  9. ^ "Teams Charles Barton played for". CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Wisden - Other deaths in 1919". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  11. ^ a b "First-Class Matches played by Charles Barton". CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  12. ^ "First-Class Bowling For Each Team by Charles Barton". CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  13. ^ "No. 27173". The London Gazette. 13 March 1900. p. 1711.
  14. ^ "No. 27359". The London Gazette. 27 September 1901. p. 6311.
  15. ^ "No. 27808". The London Gazette. 20 June 1905. p. 4321.
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