William Smith-Masters

William Allan Smith-Masters , was an English cricketer and landowner.
Smith-Masters made his sole first-class appearance for Kent [County Cricket Club|Kent], selected by Lord Harris, in 1875 against Hampshire at the Winchester College Ground. Scoring 7 runs batting at number 8, his wicket was taken by Henry Tate caught behind by Lionel Hervey-Bathurst, whom he ran out in Hampshire's second innings.
A right-handed batsman, Smith-Masters was an first-class cricket|amateur gentleman cricketer] and prodigious run-scorer for North Kent, hitting at least three recorded centuries.

Early life and career

The elder son of the Revd Allan Smith-Masters and Rebecca née Randall, she was the daughter of the Ven. James Randall, Archdeacon of Berkshire, by his wife Rebecca née Lowndes. His father was Rector of Humber, Herefordshire then Vicar of Church of [St Mary and St Peter, Tidenham|Tidenham], Gloucestershire.
Educated at Marlborough College, Smith-Masters went up to Brasenose College, Oxford, and played cricket for BNC in 1872 against the England XI.
In 1875, Smith-Masters inherited the Camer estate with the lordships of the manors of Luddesdowne and Dodmore, and was appointed a JP for Kent.

Smith-Masters had a distinguished extended family. Descended from the Masters family who lived at Camer in Kent since the 16th century, his cousins were the Smith baronets.
His father, Allan Cowburn later Smith-Masters, played first-class cricket for Oxford University before assuming by Royal Licence, on 28 August 1862, the surname and arms of Smith-Masters, in right of his mother Katharine Cowburn née Masters Smith, eldest sister of William Masters Smith, High Sheriff of Kent.
By his first marriage in 1876 to Mary Smith Coxe, he had one daughter, Edith Smith-Masters who married in 1908 Colonel Oliver Henry North , brother of Brigadier-General Bordrigge North, leaving four sons. His second marriage in 1919 to Kathleen Gore produced no children.
His brother-in-law, Spencer Gore, played first-class cricket for Surrey, before winning tennis' first Wimbledon Championships. His other brother-in-law, Sir Fleetwood Edwards, Keeper of the Privy Purse to Queen Victoria, also played first-class cricket in one match for I Zingari.
His younger brother was the Revd John Smith-Masters , Rector of Yattendon, Berkshire, who married in 1888, Eliza Margaret, younger daughter of Swinton (botanist)|Swinton] Melville, late Bengal Civil Service, having issue,

1. Ernest Leslie Smith-Masters, married 1915 Joan Mary Dickinson, eldest daughter of the Revd George Lowes Dickinson, Rector of Drayton Parslow by his wife Evelyn Brougham, leaving :
* Colonel George Leslie Melville Smith-Masters, late RASC;
2. Revd Harold Allan Smith-Masters, married 1914 Elizabeth Palmer, only daughter of Montague Palmer, leaving:
* Anthony Bruce Smith-Masters ;
3. Captain Bruce Swinton Smith-Masters , Essex Regiment;
4. Lieutenant George Arthur Smith-Masters, Bedfordshire Regiment.