Henry North Holroyd, 3rd Earl of Sheffield (18 January 1832 – 21 April 1909), styled Viscount Pevensey until 1876, was an English

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

politician and patron of cricket. The

Sheffield Shield The Sheffield Shield (currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Marsh Sheffield Shield) is the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Sheffield Shi ...

is named after him.

Life

Born in

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropolitan borough, it me ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, Sheffield was the second but eldest surviving son of

George Holroyd, 2nd Earl of Sheffield George Augustus Frederick Charles Holroyd, 2nd Earl of Sheffield FRS (16 March 1802 – 5 April 1876), styled Viscount Pevensey from 1816 to 1821, was a British Conservative politician. Sheffield was the son of John Baker-Holroyd, 1st Earl of She ...

, and his wife the former Lady Harriet Lascelles, daughter of

Henry Lascelles, 2nd Earl of Harewood Henry Lascelles, 2nd Earl of Harewood DL (25 December 1767 – 24 November 1841), known as Viscount Lascelles from 1814 to 1820, was a British peer, slave plantation and other land owner, chiefly inherited art collector, and Member of Parliament. ...

. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

, and served as a diplomat in

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

and

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. He sat as Conservative

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for Sussex East from 1857 to 1865. In 1876 he succeeded his father in the earldom. Sheffield played cricket in his younger days, including one

first-class match First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...

, but is best remembered as a patron of the sport. He established a private ground at Sheffield Park near

Uckfield Uckfield () is a town in the Wealden District of East Sussex in South East England. The town is on the River Uck, one of the tributaries of the River Ouse, on the southern edge of the Weald. Etymology 'Uckfield', first recorded in writing as ...

, Sussex, and held numerous matches there, many of them against touring teams from overseas, and some of them of first-class standing.''The Oxford Companion to Australian Cricket'', Oxford, Melbourne, 1996, p. 250. Concerned with the declining standard of cricket in Australia, he organised, financed and managed the English tour of Australia in 1891–92 under the captaincy of

W. G. Grace William Gilbert Grace (18 July 1848 – 23 October 1915) was an English amateur cricketer who was important in the development of the sport and is widely considered one of its greatest players. He played first-class cricket for a record-equal ...

. While in Australia he donated £150 to the

New South Wales Cricket Association Cricket NSW (officially known as the ''New South Wales Cricket Association'') is an Australian sporting association that administers cricket in New South Wales. It is based at the Sydney Olympic Park. The New South Wales Blues, the New South Wal ...

which was used to purchase a plate and establish the competition known as the

, the domestic

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...

competition of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. He was a major benefactor of the Sussex County Cricket Club and served as its President from 1879 until 1897. Lord Sheffield died in Beaulieu-sur-Mer,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, in April 1909, aged 77. Rumoured to be homosexual,Frances, Tony:Far Pavilions: History lesson on unique cricket stage, ''The Daily Telegraph'', 14 July 200

/ref> he remained unmarried, and on his death the earldom became extinct. However, he was succeeded in his junior title of Baron Sheffield, which had a special remainder that allowed it to be passed through female lines, by his first cousin once removed,

Edward Stanley, 4th Baron Stanley of Alderley Edward Lyulph Stanley, 4th Baron Sheffield, 4th Baron Stanley of Alderley and 3rd Baron Eddisbury PC (16 May 1839 – 18 March 1925) was an English peer. Life He was the son of Edward Stanley, 2nd Baron Stanley of Alderley, and the former Hen ...

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990 *
MSN Encarta entry
accessed 29 March 2016.)

External links

* , - 1832 births 1909 deaths People educated at Eton College Diplomats from London Pevensey, Henry Holroyd, Viscount Earls in the Peerage of Ireland Holroyd, Henry English cricket administrators Pevensey, Henry Holroyd, Viscount Pevensey, Henry Holroyd, Viscount UK MPs who inherited peerages Holroyd, Henry Barons Sheffield 19th-century British businesspeople {{England-Conservative-UK-MP-1830s-stub