Guy Ashton joined International Cricket Tours in India this winter, and went in search of his great-grandfather’s former home in Kolkata. He tells his incredible family story.
It took a few searches online, but there it was.
In the India Daily News of Thursday, June 15, 1899 I found the address of my great-grandfather, H.S. Ashton.
An employee of Shaw Wallis & Co (a drinks business running to this day in India), a captain in the Cossipore Artillery Volunteers, and chairman of the India Tea Association, he lived at 32 Judge’s Court Road in what was then Calcutta.
The news reports mentioning him placed him there from about 1894 until he was reported as leaving for home – Essex – in 1906.
My partner, Fi, and I summoned an Uber from the Lalit Great Eastern Hotel where we were staying in anticipation of the T20I at Eden Gardens, and made our way to the house.
It was derelict, but obviously had once been a substantial villa set in gardens on a busy, central street.
It was moving to realise that I was standing looking at the house where my grandfather and his five brothers lived for the early years of their childhood (the eldest, Guy, after whom I was named, was born in 1893, and the youngest, Claude – my grandfather – was born in 1901).
Two of the brothers, Guy and Ralph, died young, but four – Gilbert, Hubert, Percy and Claude – returned to England with their parents.
These four surviving brothers all went to Winchester College, and the three eldest (Gilbert, Hubert and Ralph) went directly from there to the Western Front where they all served in the Royal Artillery.
Ralph was badly gassed, and Gilbert lost a thumb – but they all survived. Claude was at school for the duration of the war, playing in the 1st XI for four years (in 1919 he was in the side captained by Douglas Jardine).
The elder three returned from France at the end of the war and went up to Cambridge together, where they were joined in 1919 by Claude, who left Winchester that year.
So there was the strange coincidence of four brothers all being at university simultaneously.
And all of them were remarkable sportsmen.
Percy must have struggled a bit with poor lungs, but Gilbert, Hubert and Claude all represented Cambridge at cricket and football, each captaining the university in turn.
After Cambridge, the three brothers went on to their respective professional careers; Gilbert became headmaster of Abberley Hall in Worcestershire from 1921 until 1961. Hubert worked for Burmah Oil, and also was an MP and president of MCC.
Claude became a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse and then joined stockbrokers Cohen, Laming & Hoare. However, they carried on playing sport at the highest level.
All three played football for Corinthians competing in the FA Cup against the likes of Blackburn, West Ham, Newcastle and West Bromwich Albion. Claude also played for the England amateur side, and once played for the full England team as captain in the Home Championship in Belfast in 1925.
They also played cricket. Gilbert for Worcestershire, fitting in matches around his teaching career, and both Hubert and Claude for their home county of Essex. Hubert was an outstanding batsman – averaging 42 in 1922 when he was nominated as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
Gilbert was a batsman and leg-spinner but did not play much because of his school commitments. Claude’s career as an all-rounder over 17 years is summarised by his stats: But there is one game for which they are most celebrated.
In 1921 the Australians, led by the indomitable Warwick Armstrong (known for his size as “the big ship”) toured England undefeated.
As the Test series came to an end, the legendary Archie McClaren – an England cricketer from the 1890s – claimed he could raise a side to beat them. The side he put together included the three Ashton brothers: Gilbert (back row, far right), Hubert (back row far left) and Claude (front).
The match was held at Eastbourne in late August. The England XI batted first and were rolled over for a mere 43 in 20.1 overs. The Australian response was to set a lead of 131.
England XI’s second innings was more successful. Dominated by Aubrey Falconer’s 153, Gilbert contributed 36 and Hubert 75 as the total reached 326 setting a target of 203 for the Australians to win. They were bowled out for 167.
The Ashton brothers did not bowl, but took all of the six catches taken by their side in the match (Hubert four, Gilbert and Claude one each).
A remarkable victory, known as Falconer’s match for his fabulous innings.
As the second war approached, Claude joined the RAF Observer Corps. His status as a sporting legend was put to use; he was used as a recruiter, calling on young men to sign up.
Uncomfortable with persuading men to fight when he had not, he requested a transfer to flying duties and joined 256 Squadron in Lancashire. He was killed in a training accident whilst developing night radar when his Bristol Beaufighter collided with a Wellington bomber over north Wales on October 31, 1942.
Gilbert and Hubert lived into their 80s.
Every Ashton boy since then has had balls chucked at them to see if the remarkable gene would resurface. It hasn’t.
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