William Kendle

William James Kendle (9 April 1847 — 30 January 1920) was an English first-class cricketer and clergyman.

The son of W. T. Kendle, he was born at Broadlands near Romsey in April 1847. Kendle was educated at Sherborne School,[1] before matriculating to Caius College, Cambridge.[2] At Cambridge, he was a member of Cambridge University Cricket Club but did not play at first-class level for the university. However, he did play first-class cricket for Hampshire during his studies, making a single appearance against the Marylebone Cricket Club at Southampton in 1869.[3] After graduating from Cambridge, he was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon at Ripon Cathedral in 1871. Later that same year he took up the post of curate at Elland, which he held until 1881.[2] Despite his ecclesiastical duties in the North of England, Kendle still found the time to play first-class cricket for Hampshire, making one appearance in 1875 and three in 1878.[2] In five first-class matches for Hampshire, he scored 66 runs at an average of 7.33, with a highest score of 29.[4]

In 1881, he moved to Dorset where he was chaplain of the Dorset County Asylum until 1882. From there, he spent a year as curate of Wimborne St Giles,[2] prior to being appointed vicar at Aspall in Suffolk in 1886.[1] The following year, he was appointed reverend of Woodsford with Tincleton in 1887; he held this post for 33 years.[2] While in Dorset, he rekindled his association with Sherborne School by serving as honorary secretary of the Old Shirburnians Cricket Club.[1] Kendle died at Woodford in January 1920.[5] His uncle, Charles Kendle, was also a first-class cricketer.