Herbert Rawson

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Herbert Edward Rawson

Companion of the Order of the Bath
Queen's South Africa Medal
King's South Africa Medal
Alma materWestminster School
Royal Military Academy, Woolwich
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Armstrong
RelationsRawson W. Rawson (father)
William Rawson (brother)

Colonel Herbert Edward Rawson

1875 as a member of Royal Engineers A.F.C.

Rawson served with the Royal Engineers (RE) in South Africa during the Second Boer War and later commanded the Royal Engineers in the colony. He was later a staff officer commanding the RE in the north of England.

Early life

Rawson was born in Port Louis, British Mauritius, the son of Rawson W. Rawson and his wife Sophia Marianne Ward.[1] His father was Treasurer and Paymaster-general in the colony and went on to serve as Secretary of Cape Colony between 1854 and 1864 and Governor of the Bahamas between 1864 and 1875.[1][2] Rawson was educated at Westminster School in London, as was his younger brother William. He played cricket whilst at school, playing in the 1st XI in 1869 and 1870 as a wicket-keeper.[1]

Military career

After leaving school he joined the

lieutenant-colonel on 7 July 1899.[1][5][6][7][8]

After the outbreak of the

colonel in November 1900. He commanded Royal Engineers in the Pietermaritzburg area during the later part of the war.[9][10][11] He was mentioned in dispatches several times and awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with four clasps and the King's South Africa Medal with both clasps.[1][9]

Following the end of hostilities in June 1902, Rawson left Cape Town on the SS Orissa, which arrived at Southampton in late October 1902.[12] He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the October 1902 South African honours list.[13] On his return he took command of the Royal Engineers in Dublin.[14]

Rawson returned to serve again in South Africa between 1905 and 1907, commanding Royal Engineers in the colony. His rank of colonel was made substantive in 1905 and he went on to serve as RE commander of the Northern Command at York.[1][7][15] He retired from the army in September 1909,[16] authoring academic papers in areas of the aeronautics and meteorology during his retirement.[1]

Football career

The Royal Engineers team of 1875. Rawson is third from right in the back row.

Rawson played football at Westminster between 1869 and 1871, becoming captain in his final year.

The following year, the Engineers again reached the final, this time defeating the Old Etonians 2–0 in a replay, after a 1–1 draw in the first match.[19]

Shortly before the 1875 FA Cup Final, Rawson was selected (along with William) for the England team against Scotland. This was the first occasion on which two brothers played for England in the same match.[20] The match ended in a 2–2 draw.[21] He scored five goals in a match for the Engineers in 1875–76 when the side beat High Wycombe 0–15.[1]

Cricket career

Cricket information
BattingRight-handed
RoleWicket-keeper
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1873–1895
Royal Engineers
1873Kent
Source: CricInfo, 2 August 2020

Rawson was also a

Royal Engineers when he was serving in the United Kingdom. He was described as "for many years the best wicket-keeper in the Corps",[22] often standing up to the stumps to fast bowling.[1]

In September 1873 he made his only appearance in

Royal Artillery instead. He continued to play club cricket for the RE until 1893 and played in Canada whilst serving there in the late 1880s. His final significant match was for an MCC side in 1897.[1]

Family and later life

Rawson married Elizabeth Armstrong in Dublin in 1875. In later life he lived at Heronsgate in Hertfordshire. He was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Vice–President of the Royal Meteorological Society and was on the council of the African Royal Aeronautical Society.[1][25] He died at Westminster in 1924 aged 72.[26]

Sporting honours

Royal Engineers

  • 1875
  • 1874

See also

References

  1. ^
    Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians
    . Retrieved 21 December 2020 )
  2. ^ Obituary, The Times, 22 November 1899, p. 6. Available online at The Times Digital Archive (subscription required). Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  3. ^ A Boer War C.B. group of three to Colonel H.E.Rawson, Royal Engineers, Bonhams. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  4. ^ Boer War CB to Col H E Rawson, RE, Anglo Boer War forum. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  5. Hart's Army List, 1888, p. 210. (Available online
    . Retrieved 2 August 2020.)
  6. . Retrieved 2 August 2020.)
  7. ^ . Retrieved 1 August 2020.)
  8. ^ Baker Brown W (1952) History of the Corps of Royal Engineers, volume IV, p. 304. Chatham: The Institution of Royal Engineers. (Available online. Retrieved 2 August 2020.)
  9. ^
    Hart's Army List, 1906, p.218b. (Available online
    . Retrieved 2 August 2020.)
  10. ^ Hart (1909) p.218b. (Available online. Retrieved 1 August 2020.)
  11. Hart's Army List, 1911, p. 1671. (Available online
    . Retrieved 1 August 2020.)
  12. ^ "The Army in South Africa - Troops returning home". The Times. No. 36900. London. 16 October 1902. p. 8.
  13. ^ "No. 27490". The London Gazette. 31 October 1902. p. 6899.
  14. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36956. London. 20 December 1902. p. 6.
  15. ^ Hart (1906) p. 105.
  16. ^ Hart (1911) p. 1403. (Available online. Retrieved 1 August 2020.)
  17. .
  18. ^ "FA Cup Final 1874: Richard Bevan's Sporting Chronicle website". Archived from the original on 24 August 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
  19. ^ "FA Cup Final 1875: Richard Bevan's Sporting Chronicle website". Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
  20. ^ "First occasion when two brothers played for England in the same match". This can be verified by scrolling through the team lists for the first few England matches. Although Charles Clegg played in the first match and his brother William Clegg was in the second, they did not play together. William Rawson and Herbert Rawson played together in match 4. The history of the Wanderers says that Hubert Heron and his brother Francis (or Frank) were the first brothers to play together but that was not until match 5 in 1876.
  21. ^ International debut for England v. Scotland, 1875: EnglandFC website. Archived 10 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ Quoted in Carlaw, p. 405.
  23. ^ Herbert Rawson, CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  24. ^ Rawson, Col Herbert Rawson, Obituaries in 1925, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1926. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  25. ^ Ansell F (2013) Medals of former Heronsgate soldier to be auctioned, Watford Observer, 8 April 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  26. Cricinfo
    . Retrieved 2 August 2020.

External links