George Leycester

For those of the same or similar name, see George Leicester (disambiguation).

George Hanmer Leycester (12 July 1763 — 6 October 1838) was an English amateur cricketer who made 50 known appearances in first-class cricket matches between 1790 and 1808.

George Leycester

Personal information
Full name	George Hanmer Leycester
Born	7 July 1763 Simpson, Buckinghamshire, England
Died	6 October 1838(1838-10-06) (aged 75) Marylebone, Middlesex, England
Batting	Unknown
Role	Occasional wicket-keeper
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1790–1808	Marylebone Cricket Club
1791–1808	Surrey
1791–1897	Hampshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 50 Runs scored 922 Batting average 10.35 100s/50s –/– Top score 49 Catches/stumpings 32/8
Source: Cricinfo, 9 June 2022

Life and cricket

The son of The Reverend Ralph Leycester and Susanna Hanmer, he was born at in July 1763 at Simpson, Buckinghamshire. He came of the well-known Cheshire family, the Leycesters of Tabley.^[1]: 494

Leycester was educated at Eton College,^[2] before matriculating to Christ Church, Oxford in 1782; however, he gained his degree from Merton College, Oxford in 1788 and his master's in 1790.^[3] A student Lincoln's Inn, he was called to the bar in the same year that he gained his master's degree.^[3]

Leycester was one of the leading cricketers in the final decade of the 1700s and the first decade of the 1800s. He made his debut in first-class cricket in 1790 for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against Hornchurch at Lord's Old Ground.^[4] Leycester was mainly associated with Surrey and the MCC, but also represented Hampshire, amongst other teams.^[5] He was an occasional patron of cricket, his own team appearing in a first-class match in 1802. Leycester played for the Gentlemen in the inaugural and second Gentlemen v Players matches in 1806.^[6][7] In 50 first-class matches, Leycester scored 922 runs at an average of 10.35 with a highest score of 49.^[8]

Leycester died at his Portland Place residence in October 1838; he was survived by his widow, Charlotte Jemima.^[9]

References

1. Woods, G. S. (1912). "Lyne, Joseph Leycester" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement). Vol. 2. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 494–496. OCLC 9509803.
2. Austen-Leigh, Richard Arthur (1921). Eton College Register 1753–1790. Spottiswoode, Ballantyne & Co. Ltd. p. 334.
3. Foster, Joseph (1888–1892). "Leycester, George (Hanmer)" . Alumni Oxonienses: the Members of the University of Oxford, 1715–1886. Oxford: Parker and Co – via Wikisource.
4. "First-Class Matches played by George Leycester". CricketArchive. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
5. Arthur Haygarth, Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744-1826), Lillywhite, 1862
6. "Gentlemen v Players, 1806". CricketArchive. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
7. "Gentlemen v Players, 1806". CricketArchive. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
8. "First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by George Leycester". CricketArchive. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
9. Deaths. Derby Mercury. 26 February 1851. p. 3

External sources

• George Leycester at ESPNcricinfo