Ellis Whately facts for kids

Ellis George Whately was born in Kensington, London, on July 27, 1882. He was a talented cricketer who played for Oxford University and Somerset. He played first-class matches from 1902 to 1905. Later, he became a solicitor and served bravely in the First World War. He passed away in Chelsea, London, on September 4, 1969. The MC means he received the Military Cross for his courage.

Cricket at School

Ellis Whately went to Eton College, a famous school. He played for the school's cricket team in 1900 and 1901. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-spin bowler.

Impressive Bowling

In the big Eton v Harrow match of 1900, he showed his skill. He took three wickets in the first part of the game. Then, he took five more wickets in the second part. This included a hat-trick, which means taking three wickets with three balls in a row.

Captaining Eton

In 1901, Whately became the captain of the Eton team. He scored 45 and 40 runs in that year's match. He also took four wickets. However, Harrow won the game by 10 wickets. In the same year, he also played some matches for Hertfordshire County Cricket Club. His family lived in Harpenden, Hertfordshire.

University Cricket Career

After Eton, Whately went to New College, Oxford to study. He was expected to be a great player for the university cricket team. He played several games for Oxford over four years.

Early Seasons at Oxford

In 1902, he played six matches for Oxford. His batting was not very strong, scoring only 15 runs in eight turns. But his bowling was better. In a match against Kent, he took five wickets for 66 runs. This was the only time he took five wickets in a first-class game. However, this was not enough for him to earn his "blue" for cricket that year. A "blue" is a special award for playing well in sports at Oxford or Cambridge.

Continuing to Play

The next year, 1903, was similar. He played four matches for Oxford. He scored a few more runs and took wickets more effectively. But it still wasn't enough to get his blue.

Playing for Somerset

In 1904, he did not play for Oxford. Instead, he played one match for Somerset against Oxford University. It was common for Somerset to "borrow" players from universities. This helped their team, which often had many amateur players. Whately's connection to Somerset is not clear. This was his only game for the team. He took two wickets and scored 13 and 20 runs. This was his best batting performance in a first-class match. He played two more games for Oxford in 1905, which were his last first-class matches.

Life After Cricket

After finishing his studies at Oxford, Whately joined his family's law firm. It was called Rooper and Whately. His father was also a partner there until 1936. Their office was in Lincoln's Inn Fields in central London.

Military Service in World War I

When the First World War began, Whately joined the British Army. He started as a second lieutenant in the 5th Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment. In September 1914, he moved to the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment.

Promotions and Awards

In early 1915, he was promoted to temporary lieutenant. By the end of 1916, he was a temporary captain. He was awarded the Military Cross in January 1917 for his bravery. In mid-1917, he became a deputy assistant to the Adjutant-General. His rank was still "2nd lieutenant (temporary captain)". In 1918, his rank became permanent. He was promoted from "captain (temporary major)" to brevet major. He left the army reserve in 1921 with the rank of captain and brevet major. He fully retired from his military commission in 1932, at age 50.

Personal Life

In 1918, Ellis Whately married Rhoda Milburn in London. They had four children: two sons, Gerald and David, and two daughters, Daphne and Angela.

Family Homes

In 1923, the Whatelys lived in Englefield Green. They had four maids to help with their household of two people. By 1936, they had moved to Virginia Water. Their family had grown to five people. They had nine servants, including a butler and a "pantryboy." By 1952, when their younger son David got married, the Whatelys had moved to Cadogan Square in Chelsea.

A Small Error

In his obituary, which is a notice about someone's death, his name was spelled incorrectly as "Whateley." This was in the 1970 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, a famous cricket book.