Francis MacKinnon facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Francis Alexander MacKinnon
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| Born | 9 April 1848 Kensington, London |
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| Died | 27 February 1947 (aged 98) Forres, Scotland |
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| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Only Test (cap 17) | 2 January 1879 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1870 | Cambridge University | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1875–1885 | Kent | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 3 October 2009
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Francis Alexander MacKinnon (born April 9, 1848 – died February 27, 1947) was an English cricketer. He was known for being the longest-living Test player for many years. He lived to be 98 years and 324 days old. At the time of his death, he was also the oldest-ever first-class cricket player.
Contents
Who Was Francis MacKinnon?
Francis Alexander MacKinnon was a very interesting person. He was not only a talented cricketer but also a leader of a Scottish family group called a clan. He was known as the 35th Chief of the Mackinnon Clan.
Early Life and Education
Francis MacKinnon was born in a place called Acryse Park in Kent, England. This was near a town called Folkestone. He went to a well-known school called Harrow School. After that, he studied at St John's College, Cambridge, which is part of Cambridge University. He finished his studies there in 1871.
His Cricket Journey
Francis MacKinnon was an amateur cricketer, meaning he played for fun and not as a paid job. He joined the MCC in 1870. This club is very important in the world of cricket. He played first-class cricket from 1870 until 1885.
Playing for Cambridge University
While at university, he played for the Cambridge University team. In 1870, he earned his "blue," which is a special award given to athletes at some British universities. He played in a very famous game that year called the University Match. This game is sometimes called Cobden's Match. In that game, a player named Frank Cobden helped Cambridge win by just two runs in the very last moments!
Playing for Kent and England
From 1875, MacKinnon played for the Kent County Cricket Club. This was his home county team. He also got to travel to Australia with a cricket team led by Lord Harris in 1878–79.
His Only Test Match
During that tour, Francis MacKinnon played his only Test match. A Test match is the highest level of international cricket. In this game, he scored 0 runs in his first turn and 5 runs in his second turn. He was bowled out twice by a famous bowler named Fred Spofforth. His first time being out was part of the second-ever Test hat-trick. This is when a bowler takes three wickets in three balls. Later, in 1889, he became the President of the Kent cricket club.
Life Beyond Cricket
In 1888, Francis MacKinnon married a woman named Emily Hood. They had a son and a daughter together. Sadly, his wife passed away in 1934.
Besides cricket, he was involved in other areas. He was a captain in a military group called the Royal East Kent Yeomanry for many years. He also became a justice of the peace, which means he helped with local legal matters. When his father died in 1903, Francis became the 35th Chief of the Mackinnon Clan. This made him an important leader of his family's Scottish heritage.
Francis MacKinnon lived a very long life. He passed away at his home in Forres, Morayshire, Scotland.
