Born On This Day: 13th October

Reginald Hargreaves was born in Accrington, Lancashire in 1852. He was a middle order batsman and under-arm lob bowler who played in 12 first-class matches as an amateur for Hampshire between 1875-1885.

After Hampshire lost their first-class status he played on with his final match for the county v Norfolk in 1889. He played also for MCC, Eton Ramblers, I Zingari, the Gentlemen of England and other notable sides.

He was educated at Eton, then attended Oxford University although he played no first-class cricket there, but he won a ‘blue’ for Royal Tennis. For Hampshire, he scored 307 runs at 15.35, with a best of 38*, and took 14 wickets, including 4-55 v Derbyshire in 1878.

He is however, perhaps best remembered as the man who married ‘Alice in Wonderland’, Alice Liddell, the girl on whom Lewis Carroll based his famous story; the couple, who lost two sons in the First World War, are buried together in the parish church at Lyndhurst.

Also today: Harold Denham, Dr George Manners, William Shirley