Foster Cunliffe

For the English rugby union player, see Foster Cunliffe (rugby union). For the founder of the Royal Society of British Bowmen, see Sir Foster Cunliffe, 3rd Baronet.

Sir Foster Hugh Egerton Cunliffe, 6th Baronet (17 August 1875 – 10 July 1916) was an English historian and first-class cricketer who played for Oxford University from 1895 to 1898, for Middlesex from 1897 to 1903 and for Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) from 1899 to 1903. He was killed serving in World War I.^[1]

Foster Cunliffe

Cunliffe in around 1895
Personal information
Born	17 August 1875 Belgravia, London, England
Died	10 July 1916 (aged 40) Ovillers-la-Boisselle, France
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Left-arm medium
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1895–1898	Oxford University Cricket Club
1897–1903	Middlesex County Cricket Club
1899–1903	MCC
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 56 Runs scored 1,053 Batting average 15.26 100s/50s 0/0 Top score 70 Balls bowled 11,304 Wickets 235 Bowling average 21.78 5 wickets in innings 15 10 wickets in match 10 Best bowling 8/26 Catches/stumpings 25/–
Source: CricInfo, 5 November 2022

Biography

Cunliffe was born in Belgravia, Westminster, London, the son of Sir Robert Cunliffe, 5th Baronet of Acton Park, Wrexham, Denbighshire and his wife Eleanor Susan Emily Leigh daughter of Egerton Leigh.^[2] He was educated Eton College and at New College, Oxford and played cricket for the university from 1895 to 1898. In 1897 he made his debut for Middlesex and in 1899 began playing for MCC.

Cunliffe was a left-hand batsman and played 85 innings in 56 first-class matches with an average of 15.36 and a top score of 70. He was a left-arm medium pace bowler and took 235 first-class wickets with an average of 21.78 and a best performance of 8 for 26.^[3]

Cunliffe also played non-first class county cricket for Shropshire, in two matches in 1895.^[4]

Cunliffe became a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford and the first lecturer in military history at Oxford University, 1905–1908. in this capacity he worked closely with the history tutor C.T. Atkinson of Exeter College, Oxford.^[5] He wrote The History of the Boer War.^[6] He inherited the baronetcy on the death of his father in 1905.

During World War I, Cunliffe served with the 13th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade^[7] and reached the rank of major. He died of wounds at Ovillers-la-Boisselle, France. He was buried at Bapaume Post Military Cemetery, Albert, Somme.^[8][9] He is commemorated by a prayer book in the chapel at All Souls College, Oxford.^[10]

References

1. "Cricketers who died in World War 1 — Part 2 of 5". Cricket Country. 3 August 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
2. "1881 Census". www.familysearch.org. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
3. Foster Cunliffe. Cricket Archive
4. Percival, Tony (1999). Shropshire Cricketers 1844-1998. A.C.S. Publications, Nottingham. pp. 11, 42. ISBN 1-902171-17-9.Published under Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians.
5. John B. Hattendorf, "The Study of War History at Oxford, 1862-1990" in Hattendorf and Malcom H. Murfett, eds. The Limitations of Military Power: Essays Presented to Professor Norman Gibbs on his eightieth birthday (London: Macmillan, 1990), p. 13, 14, 41, 57.
6. F. H. E. Cunliffe,The History of the Boer War, London: Methuen & Co., 1901. archive.org. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
7. MacDonald, Lyn, "Somme", Michael Joseph 1983. Reprinted by Penguin, 2013. ISBN 978-0-241-95238-2 pp. 110–111, 129–130.
8. Lords Cricket Ground. Roll of Honour
9. D.H. Rowlands, For the Duration: The Story of the Thirteenth Battalion The Rifle Brigade, Simpkin, Marshall, 1932/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2023, ISBN 978-1-4745-3765-0, pp. 25, 71.
10. Imperial War Museum, War Memorial Register Ref 59901.

Baronetage of Great Britain
Preceded by Robert Cunliffe	Baronet (of Liverpool) 1905–1916	Succeeded by Robert Cunliffe