Robert Awdry (20 May 1881 – 3 February 1949) was an English

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

er who later became chairman of

Wiltshire County Council Wiltshire Council, known between 1889 and 2009 as Wiltshire County Council, is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Wiltshire in South West England, and has its headquarters at County Hall in Trowbridge. Since 2009 it has bee ...

. He played nine first-class matches for

Oxford University Cricket Club Oxford University Cricket Club (OUCC), which represents the University of Oxford, had held first-class status since 1827 when it made its debut in the inaugural University Match between OUCC and Cambridge University Cricket Club (CUCC). Follo ...

between 1902 and 1904. The third son of Charles Awdry of Shaw Hill House, Melksham, and afterwards of the Manor,

Littleton Panell West Lavington is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, on the north edge of Salisbury Plain, on the A360 road between Devizes and Salisbury, about south of Devizes. The parish includes the hamlet of Littleton Panell. The parish ...

, he was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

and

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

. He served in the

Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry The Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry (RWY) was a Yeomanry regiment of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom established in 1794. It was disbanded as an independent Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Territorial Army unit in 1967, a time when t ...

through

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, and after the war rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel commanding the regiment. He was

High Sheriff of Wiltshire This is a list of the sheriffs and (after 1 April 1974) high sheriffs of Wiltshire. Until the 14th century, the shrievalty was held ''ex officio'' by the castellans of Old Sarum Castle. On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Go ...

in 1928. He was a member of Wiltshire County Council 1919–49 and its chairman 1946–49. He was appointed CBE in the

1946 New Year Honours The 1946 New Year Honours were appointments by many of the Commonwealth Realms of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and to celebrate the passing of 1945 and the beginn ...

in recognition of his role as chairman of the council's Emergency Committee. Awdry was captain of

Wiltshire County Cricket Club Wiltshire County Cricket Club is one of twenty minor county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. Founded in 1893, it represents the historic county of Wiltshire. The team is a member of the Minor Counties Champ ...

for several years, and served as President and later Chairman of

Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society was founded in 1853, and is one of the largest county-based archaeological societies in the United Kingdom. It runs the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, Wiltshire which has the best Bronze Age ...

from 1939 until his death. Awdrey married Olive Muriel Tosswill in 1913 and they had one daughter. In 1920, Olive was appointed MBE for services to Wiltshire Women's County Agricultural Committee. Awdry had Hawkswell House built at

Little Cheverell Little Cheverell is a small village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. In some sources the Latinized name of Cheverell Parva is used, especially when referring to the parish. The village lies on the B3098 Westbury– West Lavington road, w ...

, Wiltshire around 1914–1920, and lived there until 1941.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Awdry, Robert 1881 births 1949 deaths English cricketers Oxford University cricketers Cricketers from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea People from Kensington People educated at Winchester College Alumni of New College, Oxford Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry officers British Army personnel of World War I High sheriffs of Wiltshire Members of Wiltshire County Council Wiltshire cricketers Commanders_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire

See also

References

External links