Charles Gerard Barton DSO (26 April 1860 — 3 November 1919) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer. Barton served in the army from 1879 to 1905, seeing action in the Second Boer War, for which he was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order in 1901. As a cricketer, he played in both England and British India, making six appearances in first-class cricket.

Military career and first-class cricket

The son of The Reverend Joseph Barton, he was born in April 1860 at Sherfield English, Hampshire. Barton was educated at Sherborne School.^[1] From there he was commissioned into the Royal Sussex Regiment as a second lieutenant in October 1879,^[2] but resigned his commission in March of the following year to attend the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.^[3] Barton graduated from there into the 46th Foot as second lieutenant in January 1881,^[4] and shortly thereafter he was transferred to the 75th Foot.^[5] Promotion to lieutenant followed in July 1881,^[6] which came prior to him being transferred to the King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) in September 1881.^[7] A further promotion to captain followed in June 1889.^[8]

Barton's association with Hampshire County Cricket Club began in 1881, but he did not play first-class cricket for the club in the lead-up to its first-class status being rescinded in 1885. He continued to play second-class county cricket for Hampshire following the loss of its first-class status,^[9] most notably leading the county's bowling averages in 1891 with 42 wickets at an average of 9.79; in a match against the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1891 at Southampton, he took match figures of 14 for 67.^[10] However, it was to be while serving in British India that Barton made his debut in first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team in the 1893 Bombay Presidency Matches, playing twice against the Parsees.^[11] In 1894, Hampshire regained their first-class status. Returning to England, Barton made four first-class appearances for Hampshire, playing three times in the 1895 County Championship and once in the 1896 County Championship.^[11] Described by Wisden as a "useful all-round cricketer", he took 9 wickets with his slow left-arm orthodox bowling in six first-class matches at an average of 22.88; he took one five wicket haul, with figures of 6 for 27 for the Europeans.^[12]

With The King's Own, he served in the Second Boer War.^[1] During the war, he was promoted to major in January 1900 and was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order.^[13][14] Barton retired from active service in June 1905.^[15] He died from heart failure in November 1919 at Hatfield Peverel, Essex.^[10]