Henry Bonham (1749–1800) was an English landowner and cricket lover. He played one game for

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

when their matches were organised by the

Hambledon Club The Hambledon Club was a social club that is famous for its organisation of 18th century cricket matches. By the late 1770s it was the foremost cricket club in England. Foundation The origin of the club, based near Hambledon in rural Hampshire, ...

. He was born to John Bonham of

Petersfield Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth a ...

, Hampshire, one of a family of two boys and two girls. The Bonhams were a well-known and well-to-do Hampshire family. Henry bought the

Buriton Buriton () is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is located 2 miles (3.3 km) south of Petersfield. History About a mile north-west of Buriton was the extensive manor of West Mapledurham, for ...

estate in 1798 from Lord Stawell, who had previously acquired it from the historian

Edward Gibbon Edward Gibbon (; 8 May 173716 January 1794) was an English historian, writer, and member of parliament. His most important work, ''The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'', published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788, is k ...

. He was appointed

High Sheriff of Hampshire This is a list of High Sheriffs of Hampshire. This title was often given as High Sheriff of the County of Southampton until 1959. List of High Sheriffs *1070–1096: Hugh de Port "Domesday Book Online" *1105: Henry de Port (son of Hugh) *1129: W ...

for 1794–95. He was very fond of cricket and belonged to the

, the forerunner of Hampshire Cricket Club, where he was Steward six times and also Secretary. Bonham played one first-class match in 1778 as a gentleman amateur against

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

. On his death in 1800 he was buried at East Meon. Buriton passed to his brother Thomas who willed it on his own death to his cousin John Carter. Carter then changed his name to Bonham-Carter.

References

External sources

Henry Bonham
at CricketArchive {{DEFAULTSORT:Bonham, Henry 1749 births 1800 deaths People from Petersfield English cricketers Hampshire cricketers English cricketers of 1701 to 1786 High Sheriffs of Hampshire