Philip Beaver was a leading figure in club cricket in the London area in the 1860s and early 1870s with the Old Cheltonian helping his friends in the South Wales Cricket Club to secure several fixtures, besides joining his friends on the Club’s tours in 1864 and 1865.
The son of Major Herbert Beaver, a Paymaster in the Indian Army, Philip was educated at Cheltenham College where he showed promise as a top-order batter. His first major match came in 1862 when he played against the South Wales club for the Gentlemen of Surrey at The Oval. The same happened in 1864 prior to Philip jorning his Welsh friends for the matches against the Gentlemen of Kent at Gravesend as well as the Knickbockers at Islington where he made a forthright 36. A few days later he played for the Southgate club against the Welsh team.
The following year, Philip also featured in three of the Club’s games in the London area, playing against Middlesex Club and Ground at Islington, I Zingari at Lord’s where he made 24 in the second innings, plus the match against Surrey Club and Ground where Philip scored 18 and 29 at The Oval.
Philip was also a member of the MCC, Incogniti and the Free Foresters, prior to following his father into military service in India and Afghanistan and meant that he only occasionally appeared in club cricket when briefly returning on leave to the UK. He served in the Fourth Brigade of the Royal Artillery and rose to the rank of Brigadier-General before retiring and returning to live in the Paddington area.
BEAVER, Philip Keith Lonsdale.
Born – Viragapatow, Madras, India 28 June 1843.
Died – Paddington 24 July 1922.