Heathcote Williams (cricket administrator)

Edward Heathcote Williams (23 March 1859 – 28 November 1931) was a New Zealand lawyer, farmer and cricket administrator.

Heathcote Williams
Personal information
Full name
Edward Heathcote Williams
Born(1859-03-23)23 March 1859
Pakaraka, Northland, New Zealand
Died28 November 1931(1931-11-28) (aged 72)
Auckland, New Zealand
RelationsHenry Williams (grandfather)
James Busby (grandfather)
John William Williams (father)
Kenneth Williams (brother)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1891-92Hawke's Bay
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 1
Runs scored 4
Batting average 4.00
100s/50s 0/0
Top score 4
Catches/stumpings 0/0
Source: Cricinfo, 26 April 2022

Early life and family

Heathcote Williams was one of 11 children, eight boys and three girls, to John William Williams and Sarah nee Busby. His father was a New Zealand politician, and his grandfather Henry Williams was a missionary who arrived in New Zealand in 1823. His maternal grandfather was James Busby, the British Resident in New Zealand, who arrived in 1833. One of his brothers, Kenneth, was also a New Zealand politician.

Williams was educated at Auckland Grammar School.[1] After three years working in a bank in Wellington he was articled to a lawyer there.[2] He moved to Napier in 1881.[3]

Cricket career

Heathcote Williams' playing record was modest – one first-class match for Hawke's Bay in 1891-92 when he captained his side to an innings victory over Taranaki[4] – but he became one of the leading cricket administrators in New Zealand.

He was the president of the Hawke's Bay Cricket Association from 1892 until his death in 1931.[1] In Christchurch on 27 December 1894, as a delegate from Hawke's Bay, he presided at a meeting of 12 delegates from around New Zealand at which the New Zealand Cricket Council was formed. He was elected the inaugural president.[5] In all he served as president of the Council eight times.[3]

References
  1. Greg Ryan, Where the Game Was Played by Decent Chaps, PhD thesis, University of Canterbury, 1996, p. 245.
  2. "Mr. E. H. Williams". Hawke's Bay Tribune: 5. 28 November 1931.
  3. "Obituary: Mr. E. Heathcote Williams". Press. Vol. LXVII, no. 20407. 30 November 1931. p. 11.
  4. "Taranaki v Hawke's Bay 1891-92". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  5. "Cricket Conference: Formation of a New Zealand Council". Press. Vol. LI, no. 8987. 28 December 1894. p. 3.
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