Reginald Hargreaves


Reginald Gervis Hargreaves was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Hampshire. He also played at first-class level for Marylebone Cricket Club, an England XI, Gentlemen of England, I Zingari and AW Ridley's XI. He married Alice Liddell, who as a girl had inspired Lewis Carroll's fantasy stories.

Cricket career

Hargreaves made his first-class debut for Hampshire against Kent at Catford Bridge in June 1875, scoring 9 and 1 and taking no wickets as Kent won by an innings inside two days.
His next game, against Sussex in the only first-class match ever played on the Green Jackets Ground in Winchester,
saw another innings defeat for Hampshire, but Hargreaves claimed his first wickets by taking 3/86 in the first innings.
Hargreaves' career-best score came while playing for an England XI against Cambridge University in 1877; he top-scored with 46 in the English first innings to help set up a four-wicket victory.
With the ball, he took four wickets on just one occasion, recording figures of 4/55 for Hampshire against Derbyshire in July 1878; Hampshire were nevertheless once again beaten by an innings.
His last two first-class appearances came two years apart. In August 1883, he played for Hampshire against Somerset at the Antelope Ground in Southampton, and was dismissed in the second innings by Edward Bastard. Hargreaves' final match at this level, in August 1885, was once more against Somerset at Southampton, but this time the venue was the County Ground, enjoying its first season of use. Once more he was dismissed by Bastard, though Hargreaves ended his career by being run out in the second.
At the time of his death, he was a vice-president of Hampshire County Cricket Club.

Personal life

Hargreaves married Alice Liddell - the inspiration for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - on 15 September 1880 in Westminster Abbey. They had three sons: Alan Knyveton Hargreaves, Leopold Reginald "Rex" Hargreaves, and Caryl Liddell Hargreaves. All three served in World War I; Alan and Leopold were killed in action, while Caryl survived to have a daughter and also served in World War II.
Hargreaves' brother-in-law Robert Henderson played 24 first-class games, mostly for Middlesex, between 1872 and 1878.