William Justice Ford

William Justice Ford (7 November 1853 – 3 April 1904) was an English schoolmaster, known as a cricketer and sports writer.

William Justice Ford
8th Headmaster of Nelson College
In office
1886–1888
Preceded byJohn Chapman Andrew
Succeeded byJohn William Joynt
Personal details
Born(1853-11-07)7 November 1853
Paddington, Middlesex, England
Died3 April 1904(1904-04-03) (aged 50)
Kensal Green, Middlesex, England
Spouse
Katherine Macey Browning
(m. 1887)
RelationsFrancis Ford (brother)
Lionel Ford (brother)
Henry Justice Ford (brother)
George Samuel Ford (grandfather)
Neville Ford (nephew)
Bear Grylls (great-great-nephew)
Cricket information
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm slow
RoleOccasional wicketkeeper
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1873–1874Cambridge University
1879–1894Middlesex
1881–1896Marylebone Cricket Club
1886/87–1888/89Nelson
First-class debut19 May 1873 England XI v Cambridge University
Last First-class14 May 1896 MCC v Leicestershire
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 25
Runs scored 711
Batting average 17.77
100s/50s 0/4
Top score 75
Balls bowled 401
Wickets 13
Bowling average 16.38
5 wickets in innings 1
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 6/56
Catches/stumpings 19/2
Source: CricketArchive, 5 February 2016

Life

The eldest of seven sons of William Augustus Ford, of Lincoln's Inn Fields, by his wife Katherine Mary Justice, he was born in London on 7 November 1853; of his brothers, Augustus Frank Justice (b. 1858) and Francis Gilbertson Justice (b. 1866) distinguished themselves in Repton, Cambridge University, and Middlesex cricket, while a third, Lionel George Bridges Justice (b. 1865), became headmaster of Harrow School in 1910. Educated at Eagle House, Wimbledon, and at Repton School, where he played in the cricket eleven (1870–2), William entered St. John's College, Cambridge, as minor scholar in 1872, having first entered Trinity College earlier that year. He became foundation scholar in 1874, and graduated B.A. with second-class classical honours in 1876, proceeding M.A. in 1878.[1][2]

Ford was a master at Marlborough College from 1877 to 1886, and from that year until 1889 was headmaster of Nelson College, New Zealand. On his return to England he became in April 1890 headmaster of Leamington College, from which he retired in 1893.[1]

Ford died of pneumonia at Abingdon Mansions on 3 April 1904, and was buried at Kensal Green.[1]

Cricketer

Ford was a cricket blue at Cambridge, and played for Middlesex.[2] He was 6 ft. 3 in. in height and weighed in 1886 over 17 stone. He was reputed as one of the hardest-hitting cricketers, surpassed only by Charles Inglis Thornton. His longest authenticated hit was 144 yards; in August 1885 at Maidstone he scored 44 runs in 17 minutes in the first innings, and 75 runs in 45 minutes in the second innings for Middlesex v. Kent. He was a slow round arm bowler and a good field at point.[1]

Works

After retiring from teaching, Ford wrote on cricket, publishing A Cricketer on Cricket (1900); Middlesex County Cricket Club 1864–1899 (1900); and A History of the Cambridge University Cricket Club 1820–1901 (1902). He compiled the articles on "Public School Cricket" for Wisden's Cricketers' Almanack from 1896 to 1904 and in Prince Ranjitsinhji's Jubilee Book of Cricket (1897). He also contributed articles to the Cyclopaedia of Sport and to the Encyclopædia Britannica, and the chapter on "Pyramids and Pool" to the Badminton Library volume Billiards.[1]

Family

Ford married Katherine Macey Browning at All Saints' Church, Nelson, on 22 December 1887.[3]

Notes

  1. Lee, Sidney, ed. (1912). "Ford, William Justice" . Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement). Vol. 2. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  2. "Ford, William Justice (FRT872W)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  3. "Marriage". Nelson Evening Mail. 22 December 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 5 February 2016.

Attribution

Wikisource This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1912). "Ford, William Justice". Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement). Vol. 2. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

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