Charles Miles (cricketer, born 1854)

Charles Napier Miles CB MVO (9 April 1854 — 25 May 1918) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer.

Miles was born in Bristol at Clifton in April 1854 to the politician William Miles. He was educated at Eton College,[1] where he played for the college cricket eleven.[2] After completing his education, Miles was commissioned into the Royal North Gloucestershire Militia as a lieutenant in July 1872.[3] In 1874, he made a single appearance in first-class cricket for the Gentlemen of Marylebone Cricket Club against the Gentlemen of Kent at the Canterbury Cricket Week.[4] Batting once in the match, he was dismissed for 8 runs Henry Renny-Tailyour.[5] He transferred from the militia to the regular army in November 1875, joining the 1st Regiment of Life Guards.[6] Miles served in the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882, being mentioned in dispatches and being decorated with the Khedive's Star.[1] He was promoted to captain shortly after the conclusion of the conflict,[7] with promotion to major following a little over a decade later in December 1893.[8]

His next promotion followed in June 1895, when he was made a brevet lieutenant colonel,[9] before gaining the rank in full in December 1898.[10] Miles later served in the Second Boer War, where he commanded a composite regiment of the Household Cavalry.[1] In 1901, he was made both a Member of the Royal Victorian Order, 4th Class in May,[11] and a Companion to the Order of the Bath in September.[12] Following the end of the war, Miles was placed on the half-pay list on completion of his period in command and was made a brevet colonel in December 1902.[13][14] In November 1903, he was one of three nominees for High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1904,[15] but was beaten to the nomination by Hugh Morrison. Miles died at Inglebourne Manor near Malmesbury in May 1918, following an operation.[2] His brother, Audley, also a played first-class cricket, as did his cousin's Philip Miles and Robert Miles.