Francis Evelyn was a member of the Mid-Wales gentry who played once for the South Wales Cricket Club during 1883 whilst serving as a Lieutenant in the Shropshire Light Infantry.
Born in Presteigne, he was educated at Rugby School where he was in the eleven between 1876 and 1878, besides being captain of cricket in the latter season, prior to making his Herefordshire debut in 1879. He then went up to Oriel College, Oxford where he won Blues in cricket in 1880 as well as racquets. He made quite an impression in the Freshmen’s Match of 1880 scoring 70 and 79 and went on to play in four first-class matches that summer, including the Varsity Match, He only appeared once in the Oxford eleven the following year, playing against the MCC.
After coming down from Oxford, Francis initially became a Second Lieutenant in the Herefordshire Light Infantry before joining their counterparts in Shropshire. In August 1883 he also accepted an invitation to play for the South Wales Cricket Club against Shropshire at Shrewsbury with the right-hander opening the batting and making 19 in what proved to be his only innings for the Club.
1883 had also seen Francis score 105 for Herefordshire against Caernarvonshire at Hereford – this proved to be his highest score in representative cricket with the opener also making 75 for Radnorshire against the Free Foresters at Knighton in 1889. By this time, Francis had inherited the Kinsham Court Estate, which ha once been the home of Florence Nightingale, and, having also left the Light Infantry, he was living the life of a country gentleman and JP.
Francis sadly died of pneumonia and meningitus at Kinsham Court in December 1910.
EVELYN, Francis Lyndon
Born – Presteigne, Radnorshire, 24 May 1859.
Died – Kinsham Court, Herefordshire, 8 December 1910.