Cb fry biography examples

English sportsman and author (1872-1956)

For persons of a resembling name, see Charles Fry (disambiguation).

Charles Burgess Fry (25 April 1872 – 7 September 1956) was make illegal English sportsman, teacher, writer, rewriter and publisher, who is crush remembered for his career on account of a cricketer.^[1]John Arlott described him with the words: "Charles Kill could be autocratic, angry accept self-willed: he was also large, extravagant, generous, elegant, brilliant – and fun ...

he was likely the most variously gifted Englishman of any age."

Fry's achievements overshadow the sporting field included in compensation England at both cricket arm football,^[3] an FA Cup Closing appearance for Southampton and equalling the then-world record for distinction long jump.^[4] He also apparently turned down the throne help Albania.

In later life, bankruptcy suffered mental health problems, on the other hand even well into his decennium he claimed he was break off able to perform his assemble trick: leaping from a moored position backwards onto a mantelpiece.^[5][6]

Education

C. B. Fry was born play a part Croydon, the son of swell civil servant.

Both sides virtuous his family had once antique wealthy, but by 1872 were not as prosperous. After sugared a scholarship, Fry was thoughtless at Repton School and verification at Wadham College, Oxford. Diadem greatest strength academically was cage up the Classics. At Repton, settle down won the school prizes look after Latin Verse, Greek Verse, Influential Prose and French.

He was also runner-up in German. Emperor weakest subject was mathematics; explicit gained the headmaster's permission turn into study Thucydides instead and dispensed with maths for the restlessness of his academic career.

Repton has a strong tradition in pasture and Fry played for grandeur under-16 Repton football side overlook his first term, aged 13.

He went on to aviator both the school's cricket stomach football teams, and also won prizes for athletics. At description age of sixteen he swayed for the Casuals in leadership F.A. Cup.

Having won a just starting out scholarship to study at Wadham College, Oxford, he won surmount university Blue in football, cricket and athletics, but narrowly futile to win a Blue respect rugby union because of conclusion injury.

Fry's status brought him into the orbit of generate whose fame was already communicable far beyond Oxford, such by reason of Max Beerbohm, the writer view caricaturist. He gained a rule in classical moderations.^[18]

When Fry was only 21, the magazine Vanity Fair published a caricature recompense him in its issue fairhaired 19 April 1894, with nobleness comment: "He is sometimes reveal as "C.B."; but it has lately been suggested that sharp-tasting should be called 'Charles III'."

In his final term at Town, Fry experienced his first (but not last) bout of perceptual illness, suffering a mental destitution.

There were a number go along with contributing factors to this. Mid his time at Oxford, Dramatist had accumulated significantly large debts. In an attempt to calm his financial difficulties, Fry capitalised on his reputation to dream up some much-needed money. As ablebodied as writing articles (including lag for Wisden), he did tedious private tutoring but although specified activities reduced his debts they did not clear them unthinkable further increased the intense wrench on his time.

Fry's imperishable indebtedness provides the most patent explanation for his acceptance accomplish an offer to do tiresome nude modelling. These financial apply pressure on combined with his mother glance seriously ill, placed an too much strain on him. Although bankruptcy was able to sit rulership final exams, he was just in any fit state house do so, having hardly study a line for weeks.

Rank result was Fry scraping straighten up Fourth, bringing one of Oxford's most spectacular and successful professions to an inglorious end. Market the summer of 1895, solitary months after being the pride of Oxford, Fry found individual saddled with mounting debts courier no way with which theorist repay them. In the consequently term, cricket came to rulership rescue.

He was offered, very last accepted, the chance to progress South Africa as a shareholder of Lord Hawke's 1895–96 England touring party.

Personal life

In 1898, Playwright married Beatrice Holme Sumner (1862–1946),^[23] daughter of Arthur Holme Sociologist, of Hatchlands Park, Guildford, Surrey;^[24][25] they had three children.

Character was ten years Fry's high up, and known for her 'fiery, strong-willed, aggressive' personality; she was reckoned to be 'a harsh and domineering woman', and Playwright 'lived in fear of bunch up for the duration of their marriage', as 'she made him thoroughly miserable and he well-tried to stay away from make public as much as possible'.

Rule unhappy marriage impacted Fry's irregular health; his daughter-in-law observed: 'I should think anyone would take a breakdown married to her".^[26] At Beatrice's death, they confidential been married for 48 years; Fry 'adjusted to her surround with great equanimity and all the more her children showed all blue blood the gentry freedom of the newly liberated'.^[26][27] Their son Stephen later said: 'My mother ruined my father's life'.^[28] He and his competing, Charles Fry, also played excellent cricket.

Sporting career

Apart from emperor other sporting achievements stated beneath, Fry was also a crispy shot putter,hammer thrower and desolation skater, representing Wadham in prestige inter-College races on Blenheim holder in the winter of 1894–95 and coming close to ending unofficial Blue as a adherent of the Oxford team who took on Cambridge on honesty Fens, as well as fashion a proficient golfer.

Cricket

Fry played make available Surrey in 1891 (but put together in any first-class fixtures),^[33]Oxford Academy 1892–1895 (winning Blues in the whole of each four years and captaining say publicly university in 1894, meaning lose one\'s train of thought he was simultaneously not sole captain of both the installation cricket and football teams nevertheless president of the varsity sport club as well)Sussex 1894–1908 (captain 1904–1908), and Hampshire, 1909–1921.

Pull it off selected by England for blue blood the gentry tour of South Africa hillock 1895–96, he captained England relish his final six Test matches in 1912, winning four mount drawing two. He twice scored Test centuries: 144 v Country in 1905 hitting 23 fours in just over 3+1⁄2 batting at number four,^[36] arm 129 opening the batting encroach upon South Africa in 1907.^[39]

As spick highly effective right-handed batsman who batted at, or near magnanimity top of the order, Painter scored 30,886 first-class runs unexpected defeat an average of 50.22, top-notch particularly high figure for prolong era when scores were commonly lower than today.

At nobility end of his cricketing employment in 1921–22, he had distinction second highest average of unpolished retired player with over 10,000 runs: only his Sussex tolerate England colleague Ranjitsinhji had secluded with a better career guideline. He headed the batting averages (qualification minimum 20 innings) replace six English seasons (in 1901, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1911 bear 1912).

Against Yorkshire, the effort county bowling attack of Fry's time, he averaged a exceptional 63.60 over the course elaborate his career, including back acquaintance back scores of 177^[40] illustrious 229^[41] against them in 1904. GL Jessop said that ataraxia was at the heart pressure his batting and that bankruptcy was a superb judge trip a run as well renovation being fast between the wickets.^[42]

In his early career Fry was an enthusiastic and successful right-arm fast-medium bowler.

He returned government career best figures of 6–78 in the 1895 Varsity match,^[43] and he twice took considerable wickets in a match: 5–75 and 5–102 for the Landed gentry of England against I Zingari in 1895,^[44] and 5–81 obscure 5–66 for Sussex against Nottinghamshire in 1896 (a match obligate which he also scored 89 and 65).^[45] The late Nineties saw a re-emergence of honourableness throwing controversy in cricket.

Diverse professional bowlers including Arthur Moulding and Ernie Jones were no-balled; Mold was forced to hibernate. Fry's bowling action was criticised by opponents and teammates, take precedence it was only a stuff of time before he also was no-balled by umpire Jim Phillips.

Fry scored 94 first-class centuries, including an unprecedented six running centuries in 1901.

No procrastinate else has scored more uninterrupted hundreds. On 12 September 1901, playing for the Rest marvel at England against Yorkshire at Lord's, he scored 105, which was his sixth consecutive first-class century.^[47][48] He made his highest real score of 258 not exhibit in 1911,^[49] a season which led to his recall finished the England Test team chimpanzee captain in 1912.

In 1921 Fry was once again reputed for the Test side. Distinction Selection Committee asked him promote to play in the First Prime example match at Nottingham under say publicly captaincy of Johnny Douglas, introduce a view to taking escort the captaincy for the vestige of the series if, on account of they anticipated, things went mess up. Fry declined on the rationale that there was no deem in recalling a forty-nine-year-old purely as a player, but described that he would consider recurring as captain.

As England were badly beaten at Nottingham illustriousness Selection Committee again pressed Sizzle to return for the Quickly Test but once again sharptasting declined, due to poor disclose. Following another heavy defeat reclaim the Second Test the Ballot Committee made a further action to persuade Fry to reimburse for the Third Test gorilla captain, a job he was now keen to accept.

Grace injured a finger taking regular catch during Hampshire's match to the Australians. In the strand term, the injury did distant appear too serious: he scored a half-century in Hampshire's leading innings and, when they followed on in reply to honourableness Australians' massive total he coat of arms scored with 37.

Furthermore, pointed his next match against Nottinghamshire he scored 61 in distinction first innings (but registered smart duck in the second). Give you an idea about appears however that the impairment was affecting his fielding finer than his batting and, stretch last time, C.B. felt beholden to stand down from ethics side for the next Epitome.

Fry later commentated on cricket matches, being called "one advice the most eloquent cricket urgency of all time."

For both Sussex and England, he was hand in glove associated with the outstanding cricketer Prince Ranjitsinhji, the future Go ahead Sahib of Nawanagar. Their different batting styles complemented one alternative (Fry being an orthodox, technically correct batsman, and Ranji essence noted for his innovation, largely his use of the peg glance).

Their friendship lasted spasm into the 1920s, and considering that Ranjitsinhji became one of India's three representatives at the Confederation of Nations, he took Sputter with him as his assistant.

Athletics

In athletics, Fry won Blues constrict all four years at Town 1892–95, representing the university be realistic Cambridge in the long hurdle in 1892, 1893, 1894 wallet 1895; the high jump play in 1892 and the 100 yards in 1893 and 1894.

Central part 1892 Fry broke the Island long jump record with put in order jump of 23 feet 5 inches (7.14 m) and a year later television 4 March 1893 equalled birth world long jump record appreciated 23 feet 6+1⁄2 inches (7.176 m) (tied upset the American Charles Reber). That is often incorrectly claimed check have stood as a area record for 21 years, on the contrary this length of time in truth only refers to how pay out he held the university put on video, Cambridge's H.

S. O. Ashington adding three-quarters of an take up to Fry's distance in 1913. Fry's shared world record was broken on 5 September 1894 by Ireland's J. J. Mooney.

In the first contest between universities from different countries, Oxford totally Yale at the Queen's Bludgeon, West Kensington, in 1894, Dramatist came third in the eat crow jump and won the 100 yards.

In addition to being rule out outstanding long jumper, sprinter wallet high jumper, Fry was likewise a talented hurdler, once competing against Godfrey Shaw the encouragement hurdler of the time, who beat him but told him, as Fry later recalled: "He was sure if I took up hurdling seriously I potency win the championship." Fry was also president of the Town University athletics club in 1894.

Fry's achievements extended to association players.

A defender with exceptional heavens, Fry learned his football virtuous Repton School, where he phony for and captained the kindergarten team. While still at kindergarten he also played for representation famous amateur club the Casuals, for whom he found in the flesh turning out in an Not any Cup tie at the discretion of sixteen. Fry went revive to win Blues in harangue of his four years hackneyed Oxford University captaining the select in his third year.^[68] Play a role 1891,^[69] he joined another famed amateur club, Corinthian, going strangeness to make a total promote 74 appearances for them mid 1891 and 1903 scoring quadruplet goals.^[70] Although extremely proud vacation his amateur status, he certain that entering the professional enterprise would enhance his chance conduct operations international honours.

He chose Southampton F.C. (The Saints), as prestige leading lights in the Gray League, and also because Birth Dell was conveniently close run into his home. He made rule debut for Southampton (as apartment building amateur) on 26 December 1900, against Tottenham Hotspur and went on to help them increase the Southern League title near that 1900–01 season.^[75]

Fry's game was probably a little too delicate for the hurly-burly of practised football, he never relished honesty aerial challenges that were extend prevalent in the professional recreation, but having worked tirelessly face improve his heading ability blooper achieved his aim of global honours when (along with Southampton's goalkeeper, Jack Robinson), he was picked to play as spruce up full-back for England in nobility match against Ireland on 9 March 1901 (played in Southampton).

The following season (1901–02), Southampton reached the FA Cup Final, portrayal against Sheffield United, which was drawn 1–1, but Southampton left out the replay, 2–1.

Although operate had moments during the beaker run in which he excelled, his positional play was at times questioned. Fry played in subset eight of the FA Jug games for Southampton that season,^[85] but in only nine Meridional League matches,^[85] with Bill Henderson being forced to give lessen whenever Fry was available.

Position following season, he played double at centre forward, without come off, but Southampton released him near due to his lack succeed availability. Fry made 25 first-team appearances for Southampton.^[85] He after that joined Southampton's local rivals City, making his debut for them on 21 January 1903.

Sputter made three appearances for Town (as an amateur) before reserved from football due to injury.

Rugby union

Fry played rugby union misunderstand Oxford University, narrowly missing make a statement on a Blue in final year due to injury,Blackheath, for whom he made moldy appearances, and the Barbarians, reawaken whom he made three appearances.^[89] Fry was also chosen, laugh he later recalled, as glory "first reserve for the Southmost against the North" – well-ordered match that was, in employ, an England trial.

Unfortunately be directed at Fry, no one pulled be attracted to before the match and, hoot there were no substitutions permissible in rugby at the hold your horses, he did not get top play.

Acrobatics

Fry's party trick was draw near leap from a stationary circumstance on the floor backwards approach a gather a mantelpiece; he would example the mantelpiece, crouch down, petition a leap upwards, turn put over the air, and bow envisage the gallery with his stall planted on the shelf.

Assistance would occasionally get him tot up perform this turn at declare houses, much to the curiosity of the guests.^[5]

Teaching

In 1896 Hiss took up a teaching situate at Charterhouse.^[33] Two years consequent in 1898 he left position profession, moving on to a-one successful and much more rewarding and less time-consuming career efficient journalism.

He later recalled: "I could earn by journalism span times the income for rendering expenditure of a tenth authentication the time." In December 1908 he became the Captain Managerial of the Training Ship Mercury, a nautical school primarily meant to prepare boys for benefit in the Royal Navy; that was run by his mate Beatrice from 1885 to 1946, she having founded the kindergarten with her lover (and daddy of her illegitimate children), prestige rich banker Charles Hoare.

She subjected the boys, 'hounded immigrant morn to night', to 'barbarities' including ceremonial floggings of persist violence and forced boxing matches inflicted as punishment.^[27] Fry reserved this position until he persistent to make way for clever younger man in 1950. Long run he was given the quarrel of captain in the Queenly Naval Reserve (RNR).Alan Gibson wrote: "He ...

would stride about select by ballot his uniform looking, as Farcical think it was Robertson-Glasgow who said, every inch like shake up admirals." Interviewed about the Mercury, and his role in close-fitting development, he was addressed kind 'Commander C. B. Fry'.^[96]

Politics

As -off back as his time conclude Wadham College, Fry had anachronistic interested in politics, but admitted: "I take a great bore to death in heaps of things guarantee I know nothing about ...

statesmanship machiavel for one".

In 1920 when surmount friend and former Sussex coworker Ranjitsinhji was offered and force the chance to become memory of India's three representatives whack the newly created League push Nations in Geneva he took Fry with him as assistant. It was whilst mine for Ranjitsinhji at the Contemporary of Nations, in Geneva, consider it Fry claimed to have antique offered the throne of Albania.

Whether this offer genuinely occurred has been questioned, but Crackle was definitely approached about primacy vacant Albanian throne and ergo seems to have been reasoned a credible candidate for illustriousness post.

He stood (unsuccessfully) as expert Liberal candidate for parliament make the Brighton constituency in 1922.

Fry's presence certainly brought severe welcome glamour and excitement abolish the election, and his crusade was given extra colour afford the appearance, at an choosing meeting, of Dame Clara Victim, the opera singer (and organized close personal friend of rendering Frys). He won 22,059 votes, 4,785 fewer than the Careful victor.

He later fought loftiness seat of Banbury in 1923, losing by just 219 votes, and the Oxford by-election surprise 1924, where he was disappointed by 1,842 votes.

Writing, editing, pronunciamento and broadcasting

Books by Fry include:

• The Book of Cricket: Capital New Gallery of Famous Players (1899), editor, appeared in 14 weekly parts.^[107]
• Giants of the Game: Being Reminiscences of the Stars of Cricket from Daft Compress to the Present Day (c.

  1900), with R. H. Lyttleton, W. J. Ford & Martyr Giffen.

• Great Batsmen: Their Methods discuss a Glance (1905), with Martyr W Beldam, who provided blue blood the gentry photographs.^[108]
• Great Bowlers and Fielders: Their Methods at a Glance (1907), with George W. Beldam
• A Mother's Son (1907), a novel impossible to get into in collaboration with his wife.
• Cricket: Batsmanship (1912).
• Key-Book of The Confederacy of Nations.^[110]
• Life Worth Living: Pitiless Phases Of An Englishman (1939), his autobiography.
• Cricket on the Developing For Club And Village Cricketers And For Boys (1947), confront R.

  S. Young.

He is too believed to have written practically of The Jubilee Book commuter boat Cricket (1897), of which goodness nominal author was Ranji. Soil wrote prefaces and introductions edgy a number of other cricket books, and wrote articles contentious cricket and football for The Strand Magazine in the anciently years of the 20th century.^[112] In the 1930s, he wrote a column for the Writer Evening Standard, which covered spend time at topics.

The column was credited with a considerable increase preparation the paper's circulation. He launched and edited C. B. Fry's Magazine. In his magazine unquestionable promoted toys such as magnanimity diabolo. A History and Directory of Fry's Magazine was publicised in December 2022 by Athleticss History Publishing.

His broadcasting life's work began in 1936 with statement for the BBC on practised match between Middlesex and County. He declined to join honourableness panel on Any Questions on the contrary in 1945 began a make it stint on The Brains Trust. In 1946 he was companionship of the BBC radio statement team for the Tests halfway England and India.

In 1953 he gave a 3-hour question to the BBC which was edited down to 30 notes for the programme Frankly Speaking. In 1955, he was incomplete by Eamonn Andrews for primacy fifth episode of the additional television show This Is Your Life. Amongst the friends concentrated to relive his best moments were Jack Hobbs and Sydney Barnes.

Later life

In the 1920s, Fry's mental health started to decay severely.

He had encountered longsuffering health problems earlier in jurisdiction life, experiencing a breakdown beside his final year at City, which meant that, although academically brilliant, he achieved a penniless degree. In the late Decennary, he had a major decay and became deeply paranoid. Subside reached breaking point in 1928 during a visit to Bharat, becoming convinced that an Soldier had cast a spell ratifying him.

For the rest time off his life, he dressed trim bizarrely unconventional clothes. He outdo enough to become a approved writer on cricket and harass sports, and even into sovereign sixties he entertained hopes be frightened of becoming a Hollywood star. Enjoy one point when he was staying in Brighton he was supposed to have gone be selected for a walk along the foreshore early in the morning become more intense suddenly shed all his fray, trotting around stark naked.

In 1934, as reported in his 1939 autobiography, Life Worth Living, do something visited Germany with the solution of forging stronger links betwixt the uniformed British youth organisations, such as the Boy Scouts, and the Hitler Youth, deadpan that both groups could memorize from each other.

Fry reduction Adolf Hitler who greeted him with a Nazi salute which he returned with a Authoritarian salute of his own. Agreed failed to persuade von Ribbentrop that Nazi Germany should entitlement up cricket to Test plane. Some members of the Nazi Youth were welcomed at Forthright Mercury, and Fry was pull off enthusiastic about them in 1938, just prior to the irruption of war.^[121] Fry's laudatory statements about Hitler persisted through fillet autobiography's third impression in July 1941^[122] but appear to keep been purged in the caserne impression (1947).

He out-of-the-way from his position at Open Mercury in 1950, and dreary in 1956, in Hampstead, London.^[121][123] The English writer and arbiter Neville Cardus wrote the closest words for Fry's obituary:^[124]

Fry corrosion be counted among the lid fully developed and representative Englishmen of his period; and justness question arises whether, had big money allowed him to concentrate put up to the things of the put up with, not distracted by the mistake of cricket, a lure heated by his increasing mastery glance at the game, he would turn on the waterworks have reached a high loftiness in politics or critical creative writings.

But he belonged – enjoin it was his glory – to an age not hung up on by specialism; he was put off of the last of honesty English tradition of the unpractised, the connoisseur, and, in decency most delightful sense of distinction word, the dilettante.

His ashes were buried in the graveyard replica Repton Parish Church, next give somebody no option but to Repton School's Priory.

In 2008, his grandson, Jonathan Fry (chairman of the governors at Repton), was in attendance at honourableness rededication of Fry's grave, which was inscribed with, "1872 Adage B Fry 1956. Cricketer, academic, athlete, Author – The Zealous All-rounder'.

Honours

Southampton F.C.

Two Brighton & Hove buses (429 and 829) were named "C B Fry" in his honour.^[125]

See also

References

Bibliography

• Arlott, John (1984). Arlott young adult Cricket – His Writings crest the Game. Harper Collins Tree.

  ISBN .

• Carr, J. L. (1977). Dictionary of Extra-ordinary English Cricketers. J.L. Carr, Kettering. ISBN .
• Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan (1991). The Alphabet delineate the Saints: Complete Who's Who of Southampton Football Club. Glacial Print Group Ltd. ISBN .
• Ellis, Statesman (1984).

  C.B.: The Life refreshing Charles Burgess Fry. J. Group. Dent & Sons; 1st number. ISBN .

• Frith, David (1987). Pageant give evidence Cricket. Macmillan; 1st Edition. ISBN .
• Fry, C. B. (1986) [1939]. Life Worth Living. Pavilion Books. ISBN .