Francis Brandt

BRANDT, MR. FRANCIS, who was born at Pendleton, near Manchester, on May 6, 1840, died at Cheltenham on July 17, aged 85. Scores and Biographies (vi-232) said he had "a great command over the ball, with a good pace and an easy delivery. As a bat he is by no means deficient, and is a dashing field, though generally short slip." He was in the Cheltenham College Eleven from 1856 until 1858, being coached by James Lillywhite, sen., and Grundy, and, in 1857 was regarded as the best Public School bowler of the year.

At Oxford he obtained his Blue in 1859 as a Freshman, and, playing three times against Cambridge, captained the Eleven in 1861 and was on the losing side each season. In his inter-University matches he scored 36 runs with an average of 9.00 and obtained ten wickets for 10.10 runs each. Among his contemporaries at Oxford were C. G. Lane, W. F. Traill, J. M. Dolphin, R. D. Walker and E. T. Daubeny. Proceeding later to India, he kept up the game in Madras, where, from 1884 until 1888, he was a Judge of the High Court of Judicature. On his return to England he became Professor of Oriental Languages at Cambridge University. His portrait can be seen facing page 6 of Annals of the Free Foresters, 1856-1894. Old James Lillywhite said that during the time he coached at Cheltenham Brandt was by far the best bowler the College turned out.