Robert Drummond Balfour

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Robert Drummond Balfour
Robert Drummond Balfour c.1872
Born1 March 1844
Putney, Surrey, England
Died7 May 1915(1915-05-07) (aged 71)
EducationWestminster School, London
Bradfield College, Berkshire
Occupation(s)Cricketer
Stockbroker
Spouse
Catherine Elizabeth Donaldson
​
​
(m. 1876)​
RelativesEdward Balfour (brother)
Archibald Balfour (brother)

Robert Drummond Balfour (1 March 1844 – 7 May 1915) was an English cricketer who won four consecutive blues playing for Cambridge University between 1863 and 1866. Following University he continued his first-class career with a variety of invitational sides and represented Scotland against Surrey.[1][2]

Early career[edit]

Robert Drummond Balfour was born on 1 March 1844 in Putney, Surrey and was educated at Bradfield College, from 1857 to 1859 at Westminster School,[3] and then at Magdalene College, Cambridge.[4] He was a right-handed, middle or lower-order batsman and wicket-keeper. By the time he went up to Cambridge Balfour had already played a good standard of club cricket for I Zingari and for a XXII of Cirencester against the United All-England Eleven.[5] He made his first-class debut for Cambridge University against MCC in 1863, and remained a first choice in the eleven for five years.[3][6][7]

Later career[edit]

After completing his studies he continued to play regularly for the MCC and also once for the Gentlemen versus Players.[8] He represented Scotland in their first ever capped match, against Surrey.[1][9] His final appearance in first-class Cricket was for the MCC against Cambridge University in 1873.[10] In 59 first-class innings Balfour scored 685 runs at an average of 12.45. His highest score was 82. As a 'keeper he effected 33 dismissals, 22 of which were catches and 11 stumpings. There is no record of him bowling.[11] He is known to have batted alongside W. G. Grace, for example when he was first batsman in the MCC's match against Hertfordshire at Chorleywood, in May 1872.[12]

Share certificate showing Drummond as stock broker

Drummond Balfour became a stockbroker and a member of the Stock Exchange with the firm of Capel & Co.[13][4] He married Catherine Elizabeth Donaldson in 1876 and died on 7 May 1915 at Sherrards, a house located near The Frythe[12] in Welwyn, Hertfordshire.[4][14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Scotland Cap Matches played by Robert Drummond Balfour at Cricket Archive".
  2. ^ "The Home of CricketArchive". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  3. ^ a b The Elizabethan, vol. XIV, Westminster School, 1915
  4. ^ a b c "Robert Drummond Balfour at Holmes a Court Family History, retrieved July 2015".
  5. ^ "Miscellaneous Matches played by Robert Drummond Balfour at Cricket Archive, retrieved July 2015".
  6. ^ "First-Class matches played by Robert Drummond Balfour at Cricket Archive, retrieved July 2015".
  7. ^ "Robert Drummond Balfour, Team Records at Cricket Archive, retrieved July 2015".
  8. ^ "Gentlemen vs Players, Lord's 25th-27th June, 1866, retrieved July 2015".
  9. ^ "Christopher Egerton Balfour". Ayot St Peter Parish Website. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  10. ^ "MCC vs Cambridge University, 16th-17th June, 1873 at Cricket Archive, retrieved July 2015".
  11. ^ Philip Bailey, Philip Thorn and Peter Wynne-Thomas, Who's Who of Cricketers (London, 1984), p. 61
  12. ^ a b Richard J. Busby (1976). The Book of Welwyn: The Story of the Five Villages and the Garden City. ISBN 9780860230236.
  13. ^ The London Gazette 1895 Part 3 Page 4385
  14. ^ Venn, John (15 September 2011). Alumni Cantabrigienses. ISBN 9781108036115. Retrieved 21 July 2015.

External links[edit]

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