Archibald Balfour facts for kids

Archibald Balfour (born July 16, 1840 – died October 29, 1922) was an English first-class cricketer. This means he played in the highest level of cricket matches at the time. He was also a government worker and later a merchant.

Archibald Balfour: A Life Story

Early Life and Education

Archibald Balfour was born in Marylebone, England, in July 1840. His father was Charles Balfour. Archibald went to Westminster School, a famous school in London. After finishing school in 1859, he started working as a clerk. He worked for The Admiralty, which was a part of the British government in charge of the navy.

Cricket Career

Archibald Balfour loved cricket. He played three first-class cricket matches. In 1862, he played for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against a team from Sussex. This match took place at Lord's, a very famous cricket ground.

He also played two more first-class games. These were for the Gentlemen of the Marylebone Cricket Club. They played against the Gentlemen of Kent in 1862 and 1863. These matches were part of the Canterbury Cricket Week. Archibald didn't score many runs in these games. He made a total of 16 runs in his three matches, with his highest score being 5 runs.

Life as a Merchant

After his time working for the government, Balfour changed careers. He became a merchant, just like his father. He moved to Saint Petersburg in the Russian Empire. He lived there for many years, working as a merchant.

Later in his life, Archibald Balfour returned to England. He passed away in October 1922 in Chelsea, London.

Family Connections

Archibald Balfour came from a family of cricketers. His brothers, Edward and Robert, also played first-class cricket.

His daughter was Edith Lyttelton. She was born in Saint Petersburg in 1865. Edith became a well-known writer, writing novels and plays. She was also active during World War I and was interested in spiritualism.