Charles Coventry (British Army officer)

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = The Honourable
Charles Coventry

| image = Charles John Coventry (1867–1929).png

| caption = In The Sketch, 15 January 1896

| country = England

| full_name = Charles John Coventry

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1867|02|26|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Marylebone, Middlesex

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1929|06|02|1867|02|26|df=yes}}

| death_place = Earl's Croome, Worcestershire

| batting = Right-handed

| role = Batsman

| international = true

| testdebutdate = 12 March

| testdebutyear = 1889

| testdebutagainst = South Africa

| testcap = 64

| lasttestdate = 26 March

| lasttestyear = 1889

| lasttestagainst = South Africa

| columns = 2

| column1 = Test

| matches1 = 2

| runs1 = 13

| top score1 = 12

| bat avg1 = 13.00

| 100s/50s1 = 0/0

| hidedeliveries = true

| catches/stumpings1 = 0/–

| column2 = First-class

| matches2 = 2

| runs2 = 13

| top score2 = 12

| bat avg2 = 13.00

| 100s/50s2 = 0/0

| catches/stumpings2 = 0/–

| date = 11 October

| year = 2022

| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/115/115.html CricketArchive

}}

Colonel Charles John Coventry {{post-nominals|CB}} (26 February 1867 – 2 June 1929) was a British Army officer and an amateur cricketer who played in two retrospectively-recognised Test matches for England in 1889. Those were his only first-class appearances and he was never a member of any first-class county team.

Biography

File:St Nicholas, Earls Croome, Worcs - 11th Earl and C J Coventry image 2.jpg at St Nicholas' Church, Earl's Croome]]

Charles Coventry was born in Marylebone, Middlesex, the second son of George Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry. He was educated at Eton College.{{cite web |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/233654.html |title=Obituaries in 1929 |work=Wisden Cricketers' Almanack |year=1930 |access-date=11 October 2022}}

He joined the Worcestershire Militia, and subsequently served with the Bechuanaland Police and British South Africa Company. While with the latter, he was wounded during the Jameson Raid.{{Cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P344AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA604&ci=73%2C65%2C443%2C444 |title=Small Talk |journal=The Sketch |volume=XII |number=155 |page=604 |date=1896-01-15 |access-date=2023-09-06 |via=Google Books}}

In 1922, he took command of the re-formed Worcestershire and Oxfordshire Yeomanry Brigade, now serving as 100 Field Brigade, Royal Artillery. He retired from the Yeomanry in 1925.{{cite journal |last=Atkin |first=Susanne |date=Spring 1926 |title=C.J. Coventry: Katia and Beyond |journal=Friends of Croome News letter |pages=6–7}}

He died at his home in Earl's Croome, Worcestershire on 2 June 1929.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-obituary-the-hon-charles/131367157/ |title=Obituary: The Hon. Charles Coventry |newspaper=The Guardian |page=20 |date=1929-06-03 |access-date=2023-09-06 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Cricket

Coventry played his cricket for Worcestershire when it was still a minor county, that is, a county without first-class status. He was described as "a fair bat with a free style who can hit hard".{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

When the English tour to South Africa in 1888–89 was being put together, because the South Africans were considered weak, weaker players were selected for the English team. Coventry was one of those players selected. England still won the two games against representative South African sides easily, though Coventry did not feature prominently in either game: he batted at number 10 and did not bowl.[https://archive.acscricket.com/cricket/1889/136/index.html "The English Cricketers in South Africa"], Cricket, 16 May 1889, p. 124. On the whole tour he scored 174 runs at an average of 10.23 with a highest score of 33 not out, and took three wickets. He played no first-class cricket in his career other than in those two Tests.{{cite web |last1=Williamson |first1=Martin |title=The ignorant internationals |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/the-ignorant-internationals-436989 |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=12 June 2024 |date=27 November 2009}}

Family

Coventry married, in St Peter's Church, Eaton Square, on 16 January 1900, Lily Whitehouse, younger daughter of Mr. FitzHugh Whitehouse, of Newport, USA.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Court circular |date=17 January 1900 |page=7 |issue=36041}} His younger son Francis briefly succeeded as 12th Earl of Coventry.{{Who's Who | year=2007 | title =Francis Henry Coventry | id=U43368 | doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U43368}}