Hugh Orr
Hugh Orr (21 January 1878 – 19 April 1946) was an Australian-born English first-class cricketer.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Hugh James Orr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 21 January 1878 Deniliquin, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 19 April 1946 (aged 68) Putney Common, London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1902–1907 | Hampshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 11 December 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Orr at some point in his life came to England. In 1902 he joined Hampshire County Cricket Club, making his first-class debut against Worcestershire County Cricket Club. Orr would play one more match in 1902 before taking a four-year break from the game.
In 1907 he returned to play for Hampshire, playing four matches during the 1907 County Championship season. His final match for Hampshire came against Surrey. Orr was not known for his batting, and instead was used as a bowler, taking 11 wickets for the club at an average of 32.72. The 1907 season was his final one for Hampshire.
In 1912 Orr played a single first-class match for the Royal Navy against the Army, where in the Armies second innings Orr claimed his only five wicket haul in his first-class career, taking 7/74. This effort improved his overall first-class bowling figures to 19 wickets at the average of 24.63.
Died Wimbledon Putney Common, London on 19 April 1946.
My grandfather, Hugh James Orr. R.N., is listed in Wikipedia as an Australian cricketer playing in England in the early 20th century. He was, in fact, an all-round sportsman and won four caps playing rugger for Scotland. He came to England at about 11 to go to Dartmouth College, with a view to a career in the Royal Navy. He was sponsored by the then Governor General of Australia, Lord Jersey, and spent some time at his home, Osterley Park. He married a Scot and had three daughters in the early 1900s (and a daughter and a twin son a daughter who died in infancy). He rose to the rank of commander and he fought in the first world war. His last workplace was an office in Admiralty Arch over the entrance to The Mall in London. he was friends with Captain Scott, who asked him to join his last, fatal expedition to Antarctica - but his wife persuaded him not to go. I have large framed photos of him as captain with his team playing rugger in Varsity Matches and for the Army v Navy Match, at cricket at Lords. Latterly, when his health failed, he took up croquet and there is a sketch of him from a croquet magazine after he won an All-England tournament. I also have his 2 caps (with the 4 dates) which are photographed on the 100 He died of cancer in his home in Wimbledon and his wife was then offered a Grace and Favour property at Hampton Court Palace but she preferred to move to a small hotel room in west London.