Walter Frank Quantock Shuldham (17 June 1892 – 7 February 1971) played first-class

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

for

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

in 1914 and 1924. He later played in two first-class matches in India. He was born and died at

Stoke-sub-Hamdon Stoke-sub-Hamdon (or Stoke sub Hamdon), also known as Stoke under Ham, is a large village and civil parish in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England. It is situated west of Yeovil, with which it is linked by the A3088 road. The parish ...

Cricket career

Shuldham was the only son of the lord of the manor at Norton Manor, Norton-sub-Hamdon. He was educated at

Marlborough College Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Founded in 1843 for the sons of Church ...

, where he was an opening or middle order right-handed batsman. He played for Somerset in two matches in a week just before the start of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

in 1914 with no success, and then reappeared in four further matches in 1924. His highest score, however, was only 25, made in a 1924 match against

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...

. He did not improve on this in two first-class matches for scratch Indian teams against the MCC side that toured India in 1926-27.

Military career

Shuldham was commissioned into the West Somerset Yeomanry as a Second Lieutenant on 29 August 1914 and was promoted a temporary Lieutenant on 10 December 1915. He was seconded (on probation) to the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

as a Lieutenant on 15 March 1917 and was posted to the

104th Wellesley's Rifles The 104th Wellesley's Rifles were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1775, when they were raised as the 5th Battalion, Bombay Sepoys and presently its designation is 3 Guards (1 Rajputana Rifles) o ...

. He would have served with them in Mesopotamia. Between 22 July 1917 and 5 November 1917, and again from 30 November 1917 to 7 December 1918 he held the rank of acting Captain, often commanding a company. He was admitted to the Indian Army on 3 April 1918. He was promoted Captain 19 May 1919 and served in South Persia in 1919-20. He was appointed to the Indian Political Department on 25 May 1920 and remained with them for the rest of his time in the Indian Army. He was promoted to Major on 19 May 1933 and retired from the army on 17 March 1935. In retirement, he was appointed

High Sheriff of Somerset The office of High Sheriff of Somerset is an ancient shrievalty which has been in existence since the 11th century. Originally known as the "Sheriff of Somerset", the role was retitled on 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Government A ...

for 1954. He died at his home at East Stoke House in Stoke-sub-Hamdon where the Shuldham family still (as of 2011) runs an organic fruit-growing business.

Personal life

Shuldham married Doris Elizabeth Vaughan in 1920 and had four sons (one of whom was killed in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shuldham, Walter 1892 births 1971 deaths English cricketers Somerset cricketers High Sheriffs of Somerset British Indian Army officers Indian Army personnel of World War I West Somerset Yeomanry officers Military personnel from Somerset People from South Somerset (district) Cricketers from Somerset