 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Frank Hay Gillingham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 6 September 1875 Tokyo, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 1 April 1953 (aged 77) Monaco | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Wicket-keeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1903–1928 | Essex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 23 July 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frank Hay Gillingham (6 September 1875 – 1 April 1953) was an English cricketer. He played for Essex between 1903 and 1928.[1]
Born in Tokyo to John Rowley Gillingham and his wife Sarah (nee Archer), he was educated at Dulwich College and Durham University. He worked in the City of London for a while but, after training for ordination at the London College of Divinity,[2] was ordained as a deacon in 1899 and priest in 1900 and became curate of Leyton (1899-1905).[3] He later became an army chaplain with the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers at Tidworth from 1905 to 1907[4] then again a curate at St James-the-Less, Bethnal Green, (1907-1910).[5] He was then successively Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Bordesley (1910-1914), Rector of St Mary Magdalen Bermondsey (1914-1923), Rector of St Margaret's, Lee (1923-1940).[6][7] and Rector of St Stephen Walbrook (1940-1953).[8] He was a Temporary Chaplain to the Forces during the First World War.[9] He was a Chaplain to the Royal Household from 1940 to 1953.[10]
As an amateur cricketer he was a member of the Essex XI who in 1905 beat the Australians at Leyton by 19 runs. He went on to tour Jamaica with the Hon. L H Tennyson's team in 1927. That year he also made the first ball-by-ball cricket commentary for the BBC, speaking for a total of 25 minutes over four sessions. He was reportedly fired by BBC chairman Lord Reith for reading advertisement placards out on air to fill time during a rain break.[11]