TOPIC:

An "ECLIPSE" cricket ball, with applied silver band engraved: "PRETORIA, TRANSVAAL, S.A. 1900. IMPERIAL YEOMANRY v MILITARY OF PRETORIA / HENRY STANLEY'S LAST CRICKET MATCH, 78 NOT OUT AND 4 WICKETS".
With impressed "ECLIPSE" trade mark.

Lieut. Henry Thomas Stanley, 25th Company, 7th Battalion I.Y., was killed in action at Hekpoort, on 16th September 1900, aged 27. Previous to enlisting with the Imperial Yeomanry in February 1900, he played for Somerset County Cricket Club and the M.C.C., participating in 63 first-class matches between 1894 and 1899.





After the occupation of Pretoria, while off duty, the British troops kept themselves busy by organising and participating in a variety of sporting events. Competitions between different arms of the military became a staple of the Pretoria social calendar, with cricket matches attracting the great and the good. Indeed, Lord Roberts’ guaranteed presence at such events made him an easy target, leading to an assassination attempt in August 1900: “August 13th – We hear today of another attempt on Lord Robets’ life at a cricket match, and that eleven of the ringleaders have been captured” (Gloucester Citizen, 10/09/1900). After this, security was tightened to the point where one observed “there’s no fun here – if a cricket match takes place they always have a strong force of armed police there, so it is not much fun going” (Guernsey Star, 13/09/1900).

A number of well-known county cricketers, including Henry Stanley, joined the Imperial Yeomanry, and whilst in Pretoria represented the I.Y. in matches against various branches of the military. Stanley’s last match appears to have been in late August 1900, shortly before his company moved out to Hekpoort, 40 miles west of the capital.



Taunton Courier, 3rd January 1900

GALLANT RESPONSE BY WEST SOMERSET YEOMANRY.

In response to the call by the War Office for Volunteers for active service in South Africa, on enquiry at the head-quarters of the West Somerset Yemanry at Taunton, we were informed by Sergt.-Major Short that several officers and men of the Regiment had readily come forward. The officers who have already volunteered are Major Barrett, of Moredon, North Curry; Captain Firebrace, of the Crewkerne Troop, the former Conservative candidate for South Somerset; Lieutenant H.T. STANLEY, the son of Mr E.J. Stanley, M.P., of Quantock Lodge, and the well-known cricketer; Lieutenant Myburgh, who resides in London, but who is now well-known in West Somerset; and Captain and Adjutant Beaumont, who was only recently appointed to the adjutancy of the Regiment. Captain Carleton Smith, of the Wellington Troop, is now at the front.


Sporting Life, 9th March 1900

ANOTHER CRICKETER FOR THE FRONT.

Lieut. STANLEY, who left the Royal Albert Docks in the Mahratta on Wednesday [6 March] with the West Somerset Yeomanry for South Africa, is the Eton, Oxford, and Somersetshire cricketer, H.T. Stanley.




Lieutenant Henry Thomas STANLEY with his troop of the 25th (West Somerset) Company, 7th Bn. I.Y., taken prior to embarkation on 7 March 1900. Photographed by H. Montague Cooper, of Taunton, Burnham & Lynton.





Northern Echo, 16th April 1900

The war has claimed some hundreds of England’s cricketers, and most of the county elevens will suffer in consequence. Yorkshire have F.S. Jackson, Frank Mitchell, and F.W. Milligan at the front, and the latest news is that Lieut. Milligan was either killed a fortnight ago, while serving under Colonel Plumer, near Mafeking, or seriously wounded, and a prisoner. Derbyshire has R.G. Kenward; Essex, A.J. Turner; Middlesex, C.P. Foley and Dr Thornton; Worcestershire, W.L. Foster; Kent, A.H. du Boulay, R.O.H. Livesay, and L.J. Le Fleming; Somerset, Hedley, H.T. STANLEY, H.W. Kettlewell, F.A. Phillip, and Griffin; Hampshire, Major Poore, Colonel Spens, Captain Luard, Lieut. Barrett, Lieut. Palmer, and Major C. Heseltine.


Northern Echo, 11th May 1900

CRICKETERS AT THE FRONT.

It has quite escaped the notice of the public how many useful cricketers hold commissions in the Imperial Yeomanry. Here is a list, furnished by a member of the M.C.C. with his comments: – Mr W.E.T. Bolitho was in the Harrow and Oxford elevens, and is enthusiastic over Devonshire county cricket. Mr Christopher Heseltine is the Hampshire fast bowler, and was at Eton. Another old Etonian is Mr Henry T. STANLEY, a slow bat, who last season scored 111 for Somerset v. Gloucestershire. Mr H.O. Peacock was also at Eton, and has often played for Lincolnshire, and sometimes for the M.C.C. Mr H.E. Crawley was captain of the Harrow eleven in 1883. Mr W.R.F. Mainwaring has been associated with Staffordshire cricket. Sir John Dickson-Poynder has often played for the fashionable I. Zingari; and Mr R.T. Jones, who represents Shropshire, was in the Eton and Oxford eleven. Mr George Kemp, M.P., might direct the team in the field, for not only was he in the Shrewsbury and Cambridge eleven, but he has often played for Lancashire, and represented the Single v. Married at Lords in 1892.














Death of Lieutenant Stanley.

Monday, September 18th.

There is a funeral today – an officer's – and we (the Composite Squadron) are stopping in camp for it, as it concerns us. So, I will tell you all about it. Yesterday was Sunday, seldom a day of rest out here. We, the three squadrons of Yeomanry attached to Clements' force, were sent out early on a reconnaissance. Without any opposition we advanced in a westerly direction towards Boschfontein, almost the same way as on Monday last, for about four miles, the Devon and Dorset troops of our squadron being on the right, our Sussex troop on the left, the Roughriders (72nd I.Y.) in reserve, and the Fife Light Horse scouting ahead. The Fifes had reached the foot of a high grass-covered kopje, and were about to ascend it, when the enemy opened a hot fire on them, causing them to scoot for their lives, which they managed to do successfully. We then galloped up, dismounted, and opened fire on the hill-top, the Devons and Dorsets doing the same on our right, and the Fifes falling back on our left. Where the Roughs were we never knew, probably their officers did. Taking into account the absence of the Nos. 3, with the led horses, and one group of our troop being sent some distance to the left, we only numbered six and our officer, Mr Stanley, well-known in the cricket world as a Somerset County man. Our led horses were in a donga in the rear. The position we occupied, I should mention, was at the base of a kopje opposite to that held by the Boers. We were sighting at 2,000 [yards], when our Captain, Sir Elliott Lees, rode up and said he could not make out where the Devons and Dorsets who should have been on our right, were. As a matter of fact they had retired unknown to us. This the wily Boers had seen and quickly taken advantage of, for Sergeant-Major Cave, of the Dorsets, rushing up to us crouching down, told us to fire to our right front, where some trees were about three or four hundred yards away. Sir Elliott Lees then came up again from our left. Mr Stanley, seeing the hot corner we were in, retired us about a dozen yards back to the deepest part of the donga, where our led horses were, and ordered the fellows with the horses to retire, and later, gave the command for us to do the same in rushes by threes. Meanwhile our bandoliers were nearly empty, and the Boers were creeping round to our right, which would enable them to enfilade our position. The first three retired, and we were blazing away to cover them, with our heads just showing as we fired over the top of the donga, when the man on my right said, "Mr Stanley is hit", and looking at him, for he was close to me on my left, I saw he was shot through the head, the blood pouring down his face. Sir Elliott, the other man, and myself were the only ones left in the donga then, so the Captain, taking hold of poor Stanley by his shoulders, and I his legs, we started to carry him off. As we picked him up, he insisted, in a voice like that of a drunken man, on somebody bringing his carbine and hat. "Where's my rifle an' hat? Rifle an' hat!" The third man took them and gat, I heard this later. You have no idea what a weight a mortally-wounded man is, and the poor fellow was in reality rather lightly built. On we went, stumbling over stones, a ditch, and into little chasms in the earth. Once or twice he mumbled, "Not so fast, not so fast!" The bullets buzzed, whistled, and hummed by us, missing us by yards, feet, and inches, knocking up the dust and hitting the stones and thorn bushes we staggered through. We, of course, presented a big mark for the Boers, and were not under any covering fire so far as I am aware. The Captain, who is grit all through, soon found it impossible to carry the poor fellow by the shoulders, the weight being too much for him, so I offered and we changed places, Sir Elliott taking his legs and on we went, pausing, exhausted, perspiring and breathless, now and again, for a rest. At last, turning to our left, we reached a little bit of cover, thanks to a friendly rise in the ground, and falling into a kind of deep rut with Stanley's body on top of me, I waited while the Captain went to see if he could get any assistance. Presently he returned with a Somerset man, and a minute or so later a Fife fellow, a medical student, came up. The former and I then got him on a little farther. After a few minutes' deliberation, the Captain said, reluctantly, "we must leave him". We all three asked permission to stay. To which Sir Elliott replied, "I don't want to lose an officer and three men. Come away, men!" We then moved the poor fellow into a cutting about two feet deep and three feet wide, and arranged a haversack under his head [and some leaved twigs to keep some on the sun off his face]. As we loitered, each unwilling to leave him first, Sir Elliott thundered at us to come on, saying, "I don't know why it is, but a Yeoman never will obey an order till you've sworn at him". Then reluctantly we set off in single file, working our way back by the bank of a stream, and still under cover of the rise in the ground, a little way up which we found one of our Sussex men, with his horse bogged to the neck. Further on we paused a moment, and the Fife man, saying that he thought the wound was not mortal, suggested that it would be well for somebody to be with Stanley so as to prevent him from rolling on it, and then asked permission to return. My Fife friend had not seen what I had. He had only seen where the bullet went in, not where it came out. Seeing that the Captain was about to give him permission, I said "Mr. Stanley is my officer, sir, and I think I have the right to go", and he let me. I gave one my almost-empty bandolier, and another my haversack, telling him it contained three letters for the post, and – if necessary, to post them. My rifle I had already thrown into a ditch at Sir Elliott's command. Then I worked my way back, hoping that I should not be shot before reaching him. I got there all right, and evidently unseen; lying down by him, I arranged my hat so as to keep the sun off his face, and cutting off part of my left shirt sleeve, with the water from my bottle, used half of it to bathe his temples and wipe his bubbling, half-open mouth. The other I moistened, and laid over the wound. He was quite unconscious, of course, and his case quite hopeless. Once I thought he was gone, but was mistaken. The second time, however, there was no mistake.

I waited by the brave man – who had been our troop leader for the last fortnight, and who had, I am sure, never known fear – for some time deliberating what to do. Shots were still being fired from somewhere in my vicinity, while our firing I had gloomily noted had receded, and finally ceased. By-and-bye, all was silent, then a bird came and chirped near me and a butterfly flitted by. At length, as it appeared to me useless to wait by a dead man, I determined to get back to camp, if possible, instead of waiting to be either shot in cold blood, or made a prisoner. After carefully going through all his pockets, from which I took his purse, watch, whistle, pipe, pouch, and notebook, and, attaching his glasses to my belt, having arranged him a little and laid my bloody handkerchief over his face, I got up, and worked my way along by the river bank till compelled to go into the open. I trusted to a great extent to my khaki on the dry grass, and daresay it saved me from making much of a mark; but spotted I was, and from the right and left the bullets came very thick and unpleasantly close. For about a mile I was hunted on the right and left like a rabbit. At first I ran a little, but was done, and soon dropped into a staggering walk. After a while I came on Dr Welford and his orderly behind some rocks, just coming out, but when he heard my news he turned back, and, as I refused to use his horse, which he offered me, at my request rode off, and got potted at a good deal. Further on, he waited for me. He is a brick, our doctor; and when he learnt I was thirsty, and he saw my tired condition (the sun on my bare head had been most unpleasant) he offered me a drop of whisky and water, adding, "You'd better have it when we get round the bend of the kopje ahead". I thanked him, and said I thought it would be more enjoyable there. Enjoy it I did. Finally, I reached the camp and told the Captain the sad news, at the same time handing in the gallant officer's belongings. His watch was at 12.5 when I left him. Sir Elliott was most kind to me, and said I had acted gallantly, and he had told the Major (commanding us). Then Major Brown came up, and he also was very complimentary. Of course, there was nothing in what I had done that any other man would not have done, and I told them so, especially as the example set by the Captain made it impossible for a man to be other than cool. Lieutenant Stanley, who took command of us when we left Pretoria a fortnight ago, had soon become very popular, for he was a thorough sportsman, keen as mustard, quite unaffected and absolutely fearless. I feel pleased with myself for taking everything off the poor fellow before I left him; for when, late last night, the ambulance came in with him, the doctor's orderly told me that they found him stripped of his boots, gaiters, and spurs – which was all that were left worth taking.


His Burial.

And far and wide,
They have done and died,
By donga, and veldt, and kloof,
And the lonely grave
Of the honored brave,
Is a proof - if we need a proof.

E. Wallace.


Tuesday, September 19th.

We buried Lieut. Stanley yesterday at mid-day, the sergeants acting as bearers, we Sussex men (of the dozen of us, two were with him at Eton and one at Oxford) as the firing party, while the whole squadron, officers and men followed. About three-quarters of a mile from our present camp, in the garden of a Scotchman named Jennings, by a murmuring, running stream, and beneath some willows, we laid him. By the side of the grave was a bush of Transvaal hawthorn, covered in white blossom, at the end were roses to come, and away back and front were the white-covered pear trees and pink-covered peach, perfuming the clear, fresh air, while on the sides of the babbling stream were ferns and a species of white iris. Sewn up in his rough brown military blanket, he was lowered to his last resting-place, the Major, reading the Burial Service.

"--- Is cut down like a flower."

He could not have been more than twenty-five. Then, "Fire three volleys of blank ammunition in the air. Ready! Present! Fire!" Again and again, and the obsequies of a brave officer and true English gentleman and sportsman were over.












Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 20th September 1900

THE LATE MR H.T. STANLEY.

It was with deep regret the news of the death of Lieutenant Henry Thomas STANLEY, West Somerset Imperial Yeomanry, in a skirmish with the Boers at Hekpoort on Sunday, the 16th inst., was read by Somerset folk. This makes the second loss to Somerset cricket caused by the Boer War, as there has appeared no further intelligence to contradict the death of Mr F.A. Phillips. Mr Stanley was the eldest son of Mr E.J. Stanley, M.P. for the Bridgewater Division of Somerset, whose lovely home, Quantock Lodge, has often been the scene of happy and hospitable cricket matches in which the deceased gentleman, who has died fighting for his country at the early age of 27, was the leading spirit. Although tried in the Seniors’ match at Oxford, he did not play for his ’Varsity. Still, he was included in the Somerset eleven which opposed Oxford in May, 1894, and the success he then met with led to his obtaining a place in their engagements with Kent and the South Africans. He had a large share in the victory his side obtained over the latter at Taunton, for in the second innings he carried out his bat for 61. Mr Stanley’s average for all Somerset matches that year was 25.3. He played more in the following season, but was not quite so successful, his best of eight innings being 53 against Oxford University. He did well against Gloucestershire at Bristol in 1896, making 79. In the succeeding season he was able to render more useful service, and he was of equal value in 1898. The following summer he again showed a distinct partiality for Gloucestershire bowling, and made the only hundred of his career in a county engagement on the Spa Ground at Gloucester. Then he scored 127, and was not dismissed till the total reached 400. He was a batsman of the safe and steady school, his defence was of the soundest possible description, and he was greatly missed by his colleagues in the past season. As a fielder he did many fine things at point. In 1897 he visited the West Indies with Mr Priestley’s team, and came out fifth amongst the batsmen of the party, in front of his captain, S.M.J. Woods.







“To the dear memory of / Henry STANLEY / eldest son of Edward & Mary Stanley / of Quantock Lodge / in this parish / Lieutenant / in the West / Somerset / Yeomanry / & the XXVth Company / Imperial Yeomanry / who fell in action / at Hekpoort / South Africa / on the XVIth of / September MCM / aged XXVII / and was laid / to rest / near the field / of battle. / Not here he lies, not here / but far away / in other earth / by other grass o’erspread / yet by his home / this cross shall stand and say / he lives among his own.”



Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 25th September 1902

THE LATE LIEUT. H.T. STANLEY.

In the churchyard at Over Stowey there now stands a most handsome and massive cross, which has just been erected to the memory of Lieut. Henry T. STANLEY, the well-known Somerset cricketer, who met with his death in the late war, when serving with the 25th Company of Imperial Yeomanry. The cross has been erected by the Hon. Mrs Stanley, and is on the south side of the church, and in front of the new part of the chancel, which Mr Stanley, M.P., is having enlarged, also to the memory of his son. The cross, which is octagonal in shape, stands about nine feet high, and it and the three bases are of polished Cornish grey granite, and on the top and middle bases are most appropriate inscriptions, including the following one: – “To the dear memory of Henry Stanley, Lieutenant in the West Somerset Yeomanry and the 25th Company Imperial Yeomanry, eldest son of Edward and Mary Stanley, of Quantock Lodge, in this parish, who fell in action at Hekpoort, South Africa, on the 16th of September, 1900, aged 27, and was laid to rest near the field of battle”. The service of dedication took place on Tuesday evening – the anniversary of the death of the gallant young officer – and was of a most impressive nature.








Western Daily Press, 1st November 1902

THE LATE LIEUTENANT H.T. STANLEY.

MEMORIAL FROM BROTHER OFFICERS.

In addition to the handsome monument recently erected in Over Stowey churchyard by the Hon. Mrs Stanley, of Quantock Lodge, in memory of their gallant son, Lieut. Henry Stanley, a memorial has just been placed in position in Over Stowey Parish Church by the brother officers of the deceased. It consists of a large tablet in bronze, mounted upon a slab of polished Devonshire marble. Within an ornamental border is inscribed: “In memory of Henry Thos. Stanley, Lieutenant West Somerset Yeomanry, and 25th Co. Imperial Yeomanry, who was killed in action at Hekpoort, Transvaal, September 16th, 1900, aged 27. This tablet is placed here by his brother officers, as a token of affection and esteem for one who was loved by all ranks of the regiment”. Above the inscription is engraved the badge of the Somerset Yeomanry, and below the arms and crest of the Stanley family. The carrying-out of this permanent memorial to one of Somerset’s most gallant sons has been done, under the personal superintendence of Major H.T. Daniel, W.S.I.Y., by Messrs Harry Hems and Sons, sculptors, of Exeter.



IN MEMORY / OF / HENRY THOMAS STANLEY, / LIEUTENANT WEST SOMERSET YEOMANRY. / AND / 25TH COMPANY IMPERIAL YEOMANRY, / WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION AT / HEKPOORT, TRANSVAAL, / SEPTEMBER 16TH 1900, AGED 27. / THIS TABLET IS PLACED HERE / BY HIS BROTHER OFFICERS / AS A TOKEN OF AFFECTION / AND ESTEEM FOR ONE WHO WAS BELOVED / BY ALL RANKS OF THE REGIMENT. / QUI ANTE DIEM PERIIT / SED MILES SED PRO PATRIA.



Western Daily Press, 3rd December 1900

SOMERSET COUNTY CLUB.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The Hon. Sir Spencer Ponsonby Fane, G.C.B., presided at the annual meeting of the Somerset County Cricket Club, held at the London Hotel, Taunton, on Saturday afternoon, and there was a large attendance of members. Prior to the commencement of the business the Chairman proposed “That this general meeting of the Somerset County Cricket Club desire to express their sincere sympathy with Mr E.J. Stanley, M.P., and the Hon. Mrs Stanley in the loss which they have sustained by the untimely death of their son, Mr H.T. Stanley”. Sir Spencer remarked that Mr Henry Stanley was a constant member of the team, and was always ready to play and always ready to do his best. (Hear, hear). The motion was carried in silence.



SEE ALSO: Lt. Henry Thomas Stanley 25th W.Som 7th Batt IY


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Percy Ross describes Lieutenant Stanley's original resting place thus: "About three-quarters of a mile from our present camp, in the garden of a Scotchman named Jennings, by a murmuring, running stream, and beneath some willows, we laid him. By the side of the grave was a bush of Transvaal hawthorn, covered in white blossom, at the end were roses to come, and away back and front were the white-covered pear trees and pink-covered peach, perfuming the clear, fresh air, while on the sides of the babbling stream were ferns and a species of white iris".

The Scotsman referred to appears to be Jeremiah Jennings, a farmer living at Hekpoort, who died in 1927.

Stanley's remains were later moved to Burgershoop Cemetery, Krugersdorp, a somewhat less romantic spot than that described by Corporal Ross.










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Thank you for sharing your research Neville, I found this very interesting.

I have just come across this excellent biography of Henry Stanley by Barry Phillips (2018). Further details regarding his time in South Africa appear in the same author's "Somerset Cricketers Revisited" (2023). It hadn't crossed my mind for a moment that Lt Stanley's life had already been so well researched.

I have been in touch with Barry Phillips and, unsurprisingly, he wishes he had known about the cricket ball before he went to press ...


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