Edward Fortescue Wright
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Edward Fortescue Wright (born 11 March 1858 in Coburg, Chudleigh, Devon, murdered on 23 November 1904 in Kingston, Jamaica) was a Gloucestershire cricketer who emigrated to the West Indies. He was a right handed batsman and a round-arm right-hand fast bowler. He was educated at Sydney College, Bath. 'Scores and Biographies' notes that he was 5 foot 10 1/2 inches in height and weighed 11 stone 10 pounds.
Edward Wright played 4 matches for Gloucestershire in 1878 scoring 81 runs and taking 1 wicket. On his debut against Surrey James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual reported that "Mr. E. Wright, an amateur debutant, [contributed] a very freely hit 32.". Earlier he had played for Somerset in 1875, before they were first class, and for Devon between 1876 and 1884.
He joined the Colonial Service and was posted to British Guiana. He made his debut for the colony against Trinidad in 1882-83 when he took 4 wickets and then scored 123 out of the British Guiana total of 168. This was the first first-class century in the West Indies. In 1887-88 he took 3-17 and 7-15 against Barbados.
Against Slade Lucas's team in 1894-95 he took 5-34 in the first match and then scored 54 in the second match. More success followed in the 1895-96 Inter-Colonial Tournament when he scored 96 against Trinidad and then scored 26 and 85 and took 3-58 and 7-53 in the final against Barbados. In 1896-97 he played against Lord Hawke's team but had less success.
The following season he was posted to Jamaica and joined the Jamaican Constabulary. He was promoted to Inspector General in charge of the Jamaica Constabulary and in 1902 was awarded the C.M.G. for his services.
While in Jamaica he played three matches against RA Bennett side in 1901-02.
In 1904 a riot took place at Montego Bay. A small group of police with Wright in charge went there at once to investigate the incident. On the following day Wright and a colleague, Inspector Clarke, were strolling unarmed through the town and were mistaken for members of the local police force. They were attacked and whilst Inspector Clarke received a fractured skull from which he eventually recovered, Wright was so badly hurt that he died shortly afterwards. He is said to be the only UK first class cricketer to be murdered.
He married Constant Hext in 1881 and had a son Arthur played for the Army against the Royal Navy at Lord's in 1904 and also played for Devon. After the death of his first wife he married Annie Douglas Alexander in 1891.
[edit] References
- The Cricket Statistician, no. 53, pages 4 to 6, 'An Ill Wind in Jamaica' by Philip Thorn
