Christopher Barnes (cricketer)

Christopher Hewetson Barnes (7 February 1833 – 28 September 1884) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer.

The son of the surgeon Christopher Hewetson Barnes, he was born at Marylebone in February 1833. A career soldier, he was an officer in the Royal Artillery and served in British India with the Bengal Artillery. Barnes was seriously wounded by a bullet to his right breast on 10 November 1857, during the rebel siege of Neemuch Fort in Rajputana, which was a part of the Indian Mutiny.[1] He recovered from his wounds and returned to England, where he played first-class cricket for the Marylebone Cricket Club on four occasions in 1860, against Oxford University and Cambridge University, in addition to county opponents in the form of Kent and Sussex.[2] He had little success in these four matches, scoring just 17 runs.[3]

Continuing to serve in the Bengal Artillery, he was promoted to second captain in October 1861.[4] He was made a captain in February 1870,[5] with promotion to major following in July 1872.[6] Holding the rank of lieutenant colonel by 1882, he was promoted to colonel in December 1882.[7] Barnes was appointed to the staff to command the Royal Artillery in Egypt in July 1884.[8] His command in Egypt was however short-lived, with Barnes falling ill from dysentery. He died on 28 September 1884, while being nursed at General Stephenson's Cairo house.[9] He was survived by his son, Henry, who also played first-class cricket.