View source for Claude Ashton

{{short description|English footballer and cricketer}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Claude Thesiger Ashton
| birth_date         = 19 February 1901
| birth_place        = Calcutta, British India
| death_date         = {{death date and age|df=y|1942|10|31|1901|2|19}}
| education          = Winchester College
| alma_mater         = Trinity College, Cambridge
| occupation         = Amateur Footballer
First-class cricketer
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
'''Claude Thesiger Ashton''' (19 February 1901 – 31 October 1942) was an English [[amateur sports|amateur]] [[association football|footballer]] and [[first-class cricket]]er. As footballer he played for [[Corinthian F.C.|Corinthians]] in several different positions including [[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]] and [[centre forward]], although his preferred position was [[wing-half]]. He made one appearance for the [[England national football team|England]] national team in 1925 when he was appointed team [[Captain (association football)|captain]]. As a cricketer he played for [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|Cambridge University]] and [[Essex County Cricket Club|Essex]]. A pre-war officer of the [[Auxiliary Air Force]], he died as a result of a mid-air collision in a training accident in the [[Second World War]].

==Early life==
Ashton was born in [[Calcutta]], India and was the youngest of four sons of Hubert Shorrock Ashton and of Victoria Alexandrina Ashton (née Inglis). Ashton's mother, Victoria, was the daughter of Sir [[John Eardley Wilmot Inglis]], who commanded the British forces at the [[Siege of Lucknow]], and [[Julia Selina Inglis|Julia Selina Thesiger]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Victoria Alexandrina Inglis|url=http://histfam.familysearch.org/getperson.php?personID=I6126&tree=Kings|publisher=Family Search|access-date=17 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330202349/http://histfam.familysearch.org/getperson.php?personID=I6126&tree=Kings|archive-date=30 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

His brothers included [[Hubert Ashton|Hubert]], [[Gilbert Ashton|Gilbert]] and [[Percy Ashton|Percy]], all of whom played first-class cricket.
Claude was educated at [[Winchester College]] where he was captain of cricket, football, [[Racquets (sport)|racquets]] and [[fives]]. He then went up to [[Trinity College, Cambridge]] and earned his [[Blue (university sport)#University of Cambridge|blue]] at hockey, cricket and football. When Claude Ashton and his two brothers, Hubert and Gilbert, were together in the [[Cambridge University A.F.C.|Cambridge football team]] of 1920, the university side earned itself the nickname of "Ashton Villa".<ref>The Trusty Servant, November 2011</ref> Although he became football captain in his third year at University, he was unable to take part in the 1923 match against [[Oxford University A.F.C.|Oxford University]].

==Cricket career==
{{Infobox cricketer
| name              = Claude Ashton
| image             = 
| caption           =
| batting           = Right-handed
| bowling           = Right-arm medium
| columns           = 1
| column1           = [[First-class cricket|First-class]]
| matches1          = 127 
| runs1             = 4,723
| bat avg1          = 24.98
| 100s/50s1         = 4/26
| top score1        = 118
| deliveries1       = 7,718
| wickets1          = 139
| bowl avg1         = 30.92
| fivefor1          = 5
| tenfor1           = 1
| best bowling1     = 7/51
| catches/stumpings1= 113/–
| source            = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/4/4765/4765.html CricketArchive
| date              = 28 December
| year              = 2021
}}
Ashton first played for the [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|University Cricket eleven]] in May 1921, and in 1921 he made 557 runs for the university at an average of 46.41. His best scores were 101 [[not out]] off the [[Surrey County Cricket Club|Surrey]] bowlers at [[the Oval]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/10/10138.html |title=Surrey v Cambridge University; June 1921 (Match summary) |access-date=27 October 2017 |archive-date=5 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605094542/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/10/10138.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and with 98 against [[Marylebone Cricket Club|M.C.C.]] at [[Lord's]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/10/10168.html |title=Marylebone Cricket Club v Cambridge University, June 1921 (Match summary) |access-date=27 October 2017 |archive-date=18 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818043925/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/10/10168.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the match against [[Oxford University Cricket Club|Oxford University]] in July, he played alongside his brothers [[Gilbert Ashton|Gilbert]] (captain) and [[Hubert Ashton|Hubert]] making 48 runs (with Hubert scoring 118) as Cambridge won by an innings and 24 runs.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/10/10187.html |title=Oxford University v Cambridge University; July 1921 (Match summary) |access-date=27 October 2017 |archive-date=21 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221105622/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/10/10187.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

After the varsity match, Claude joined Hubert at [[Essex County Cricket Club|Essex]] with only modest success, scoring 240 at an average of 18.46. With one appearance for the England XI against Australia, his aggregate for the season was 798 at an average of 29.55.

In July 1922, he again joined Hubert (now captain) in the varsity match which was won by an innings and 100 runs, after Hubert (on 90) (with [[Percy Chapman]] on 102) declared at 403 for four wickets. As a result, Claude was unable to bat and only bowled three overs without claiming a wicket.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/10/10524.html |title=Oxford University v Cambridge University; July 1922 (Match summary) |access-date=27 October 2017 |archive-date=16 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116190251/https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/10/10524.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Rain interfered with many matches in 1922 but Claude's aggregate for the university and Essex for the year was 797 runs, average 28.46. His best performance came in early August against [[Middlesex County Cricket Club|Middlesex]], when he scored 110 not out in a drawn match.

For 1923, he succeeded his two elder brothers as captain of [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|Cambridge University]], but was unable to emulate his brothers in the varsity match. Oxford batted all the first day, and during the night a severe thunderstorm with a deluge of rain completely altered the conditions at Lord's, with the result that Cambridge were dismissed twice and beaten on the Tuesday by an innings and 227 runs, the most overwhelming defeat in the whole series of university matches and the three most decisive results to occur consecutively.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/10/10879.html |title=Oxford University v Cambridge University; July 1923 (Match summary) |access-date=27 October 2017 |archive-date=18 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418081947/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/10/10879.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Claude thus ended his time with the university in rather dismal circumstances.

In the 1923 season as a whole, however, he amassed 916 runs at an average of 24.75, and claimed 50 wickets with his medium-pace bowling, together with 21 catches.

Over the next few years, his business commitments restricted his cricket and between 1930 and 1933 he played no first-class cricket. After a five-year absence from first-class cricket, he returned for Essex at the end of May 1934 in a match against [[Kent County Cricket Club|Kent]] at [[Old County Ground, Brentwood|Brentwood]]. In an astonishing match Kent scored 803 for four wickets, with [[Bill Ashdown]] scoring 332, [[Frank Woolley]] 172 and [[Les Ames]] 202 [[not out|n.o.]] (185 runs were scored off Ashton's 31 overs). In reply, Essex managed 408 in the first innings, with centuries from [[Dudley Pope (cricketer)|Dudley Pope]] and [[Jack O'Connor (English cricketer)|Jack O'Connor]], while Ashton could only contribute 11. Following on, Essex were bowled out for 203, with Ashton making 71 not out.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/14/14992.html |title=Essex v Kent; May/June 1934 (Match summary) |access-date=27 October 2017 |archive-date=28 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028205543/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/14/14992.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

A few days later, he made his highest first-class score of 118 against [[Surrey County Cricket Club|Surrey]] (again at Brentwood), helping O'Connor put on 287 for the fifth wicket, a then Essex record, in a total of 570, which brought victory by an innings and 192.<ref name="Haigh">{{cite book|last1=Haigh|first1=Gideon|title=Peter The Lord's Cat and Other Unexpected Obituaries from Wisden|date=2006|publisher=John Wisden & Co|location=London, Eng|isbn=1845131630|pages=11}}</ref> The stand occupied only two hours twenty minutes, and the fourth hundred of the innings came in 38 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/15/15001.html |title=Essex v Surrey; June 1934 (Match summary) |access-date=27 October 2017 |archive-date=10 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110005551/https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/15/15001.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The combined total of runs scored in these two matches was 2362. In six games for Essex in 1934, Ashton scored 416 runs and headed the averages with 59.42.

His fourth and final century came against [[Gloucestershire County Cricket Club|Gloucestershire]] in July 1936, when he scored 100 in a drawn match, thereby passing a career total of 4500 runs.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/15/15879.html |title=Gloucestershire v Essex; July 1936 (Match summary) |access-date=27 October 2017 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173208/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/15/15879.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

His first-class cricket career spanned 18 years from 1921 to 1938 during which he scored an aggregate of 4723 runs at an average of 24.98, took 139 wickets as a bowler, and held 113 catches.

==Football career==

===Corinthians===
At [[Cambridge University A.F.C.|Cambridge University]], he became football captain in his third year, but unable to take part in the 1923 match against [[Oxford University A.F.C.|Oxford University]]. After graduating, he played for [[Old Wykehamists F.C.|Old Wykehamists]], and he, [[Hubert Ashton|Hubert]] and Gilbert occupied the inside-forward positions for Old Wykehamists in [[Arthur Dunn Cup]] ties.

Whilst at university, he joined his two brothers at [[Corinthian F.C.|Corinthian]], making his first appearance on 18 December 1920 playing at [[wing-half]] in a 4–2 victory over [[Brighton and Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton and Hove Albion]]. In the next match, against the [[Isthmian League]], he played at inside left alongside his two brothers. Over the next two seasons he generally played as a [[Striker (association football)|forward]], before reverting to left-half in 1923–24, occasionally dropping back into defence. On 29 November 1924 he played in goal against [[Oxford University A.F.C.|Oxford University]] deputising for [[Benjamin Howard Baker]].

For the 1925–26 season, he was restored to the forward line with great success. Over the next five seasons, he scored 103 goals from 89 appearances, including five goals against Northern Nomads on 24 December 1927, United Hospitals on 20 October 1928 and The Army on 19 January 1929. He played for the "Amateurs" in the [[1929 FA Charity Shield]].<ref>{{Cite news | work = Derby Daily Telegraph | title = Professionals v. Amateurs – selected teams for annual match | date = 26 September 1929 | access-date = 21 March 2016 | page = 10 | via = British Newspaper Archive | url = http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000327/19290926/085/0010 }}</ref> In 1932 he dropped back into midfield and ended his career with the Corinthians in November 1934.

His final appearance for Corinthian came in an [[FA Cup]] first round tie against [[Watford F.C.|Watford]] on 24 November 1934, which was lost 2–0. In his fifteen seasons with Corinthian, he appeared in all 20 FA Cup ties played by Corinthian, scoring seven goals including a pair against [[Walsall F.C.|Walsall]] on 8 January 1927 and a [[hat-trick]] in a 5–0 victory at [[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]] in the third round on 12 January 1929. His first goal against Norwich came at thirty minutes when he scored with a drive, following a pass from [[Jackie Hegan]]. He increased the lead two minutes before the break after a cross from Hegan, when he "proceeded to slot the ball gently past the surprised goalkeeper". His third goal came near the end of the game when he ran through to complete his hat-trick.<ref>{{cite book | author=Rob Cavallini| title=Play Up Corinth: A History of the Corinthian Football Club | publisher=Tempus Publishing | year=2007|pages=160–161| isbn=978-0-7524-4479-6}}</ref> He also scored Corinthian's consolation goal in a 3–1 defeat by [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] at [[Crystal Palace National Sports Centre|Crystal Palace]] in front of a crowd of 56,338 on 29 January 1927.<ref>[http://www.khscott.org.uk/nufc/includes/match_detail.php?id=4650 Corinthian 1 - Newcastle United 3, 29 January 1927 (Match summary)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509044809/http://www.khscott.org.uk/nufc/includes/match_detail.php?id=4650 |date=9 May 2008 }}</ref>

In his career with Corinthian, he played a total of 208 matches, only exceeded by [[Tommy Whewell]] and [[Benjamin Howard Baker]], and scored 145 goals.

===England===
He was selected for the [[England national football team|England]] national team for the match against [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]] at [[Windsor Park]], [[Belfast]] on 24 October 1925, and was appointed captain for his solitary appearance for the full national side, playing at [[centre-forward]]. He did not have a particularly memorable game, failing to "give cohesion to his line and his shooting was weak".<ref>{{cite book | author=Graham Betts| title=England: Player by player | publisher=Green Umbrella Publishing | year=2006| page=15|isbn=1-905009-63-1}}</ref> He was generally considered to be a good tackler and dribbler, but weak in the air. The game ended in a 0–0 draw.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.englandstats.com/matchreport.php?mid=147 |title=Northern Ireland 0 - England 0; 24 October 1925 (Match summary) |access-date=29 April 2008 |archive-date=22 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522051639/http://www.englandstats.com/matchreport.php?mid=147 |url-status=live }}</ref> He was the last player to captain England in his only international.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamCapt/CaptBio/CaptAshtonCT.html |title=England captains |access-date=29 April 2008 |archive-date=15 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115050239/http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamCapt/CaptBio/CaptAshtonCT.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

He also made 12 appearances for the England Amateur XI.

==Hockey==
Whilst at Cambridge, he twice played hockey against Oxford.<ref name="Haigh" /> After retiring from football, he joined the [[Beckenham]] hockey club and was given a trial for England.

==Life outside sport==
On graduating from Cambridge University, he qualified as a [[Chartered Accountant]], and later worked in the [[London Stock Exchange]].

He was married to Isabel Norman-Butler and had three children. His wife's sister was married to [[George Abell (civil servant and cricketer)|George Abell]] who played cricket for [[Worcestershire County Cricket Club|Worcestershire]] and Oxford University.

He was commissioned as an acting [[pilot officer]] in [[No. 909 Squadron RAF|No. 909 (County of Essex) (Balloon) Squadron]], Auxiliary Air Force on 5 July 1938,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34544|page=5420|date=23 August 1938}}</ref> he was promoted to [[flying officer]] later that year.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34581|supp=y|page=8079|date=20 December 1938}}</ref> He was called to active service at the outbreak of the [[Second World War]], and was promoted [[flight lieutenant]] on 18 September 1939.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34581|supp=y|page=7189|date=27 October 1939}}</ref> On 25 February 1942 he transferred to the General Duties Branch for flight training, reverting to the rank of flying officer.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35630|supp=y|page=3097|date=10 July 1942}}</ref> He was posted in rank of squadron leader to [[No. 256 Squadron RAF]] and was killed on 31 October 1942,<ref name=CWGC>[http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2722140 Casualty details—Ashton, Claude Thesiger] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202014226/https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2722140 |date=2 February 2018 }}, [[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]]. Retrieved 1 May 2008</ref> when as a navigator/observer flying in a [[Bristol Beaufighter]] ''X7845'' it collided in mid-air with a [[Vickers Wellington]] during a training mission near [[Caernarfon]], [[North Wales]]. The pilot of his Beaufighter was Squadron Leader [[Roger Winlaw]], a fellow [[Old Wykehamist]] who had played 52 games for [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|Cambridge]] and [[Surrey County Cricket Club|Surrey]]. He is buried in the [[Ingatestone]] and [[Fryerning]] Cemetery in [[Essex]].<ref name=CWGC/><ref>{{ASN accident|wikibase=yes|id=227828|type=Accident|title=Beaufighter X7845|access-date=24 March 2020}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of England international footballers born outside England]]
* [[List of English cricket and football players]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/155683.html Wisden obituary]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131105085154/http://cricketarchive.com/Essex/Players/4/4765/4765.html Essex CricketArchive]
*[http://content-www.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/8571.html Profile on ESPNcricinfo]
*{{Englandstats}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080510050414/http://www.englandfc.com/Profiles/php/PlayerProfileByName.php?id=29 England profile www.englandfc.com]
*[http://www.stock.org.uk/history/virtual-ingatestone/index.htm Ingatestone war memorial]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20181026123608/http://www.corinthian-casuals.com/player-profiles.html Corinthian Casuals F.C. - Player profiles]

{{Inglis family}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashton, Claude}}
[[Category:1901 births]]
[[Category:1942 deaths]]
[[Category:Burials in Essex]]
[[Category:Cricketers from Kolkata]]
[[Category:People educated at Winchester College]]
[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:England men's international footballers]]
[[Category:England men's amateur international footballers]]
[[Category:Cambridge University A.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Corinthian F.C. players]]
[[Category:English cricketers]]
[[Category:Cambridge University cricketers]]
[[Category:Essex cricketers]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force squadron leaders]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force pilots of World War II]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force personnel killed in World War II]]
[[Category:Free Foresters cricketers]]
[[Category:Footballers from Kolkata]]
[[Category:English cricketers of 1919 to 1945]]
[[Category:Men's association football inside forwards]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1942]]
[[Category:British sportspeople in British India]]
[[Category:Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Wales]]
[[Category:Victims of mid-air collisions]]