Berkeley John Byng Stephens CIE (22 July 1871 — 5 May 1950) was an English first-class cricketer and merchant.

Berkeley Stephens
Personal information
Full name
Berkeley John Byng Stephens
Born22 July 1871
Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire, England
Died5 May 1950(1950-05-05) (aged 78)
Barnwood, Gloucestershire, England
BattingRight-handed
RoleWicket-keeper
RelationsFrederick Stephens (father)
Arthur Byng (cousin)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1895/96–1899/00Europeans
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 4
Runs scored 4
Batting average 0.66
100s/50s –/–
Top score 2
Catches/stumpings 5/3
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 26 November 2022

The son of the cricketer and British Army officer Frederick Stephens, he was born at Huntingdon in July 1871. He was educated at Winchester College,[1] where he played for the college cricket team.[2] After completing his education, he worked as a merchant in Liverpool for Messrs W. & R. Graham & Co.. Going to British India, he worked in the teak trade for the Bombay and Burmah Trading Corporation, holding the position of manager of the companies Rangoon operations from 1905 to 1915.[1][2] While in India, Stephens played first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team on four occasions as a wicket-keeper in the Bombay Presidency Match between 1895 and 1899.[3] He took five catches and made three stumpings in these matches.[4] He was a made a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire in the 1915 New Year Honours, for his service as a Member of the Council of Harcourt Butler, the Lieutenant-Governor of Burma.[5] Returning to England in his later life, he was a director of the Cirencester Brewery.[6] Formerly a churchwarden at Cirencester, Stephens died there at a nursing home in May 1950, having spent the final years of his life in considerable ill-health.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b Winchester College, 1836-1906: A Register. P. and G. Wells. 1907. p. 438.
  2. ^ a b "Wisden - Obituaries in 1950". ESPNcricinfo. 4 December 2005. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  3. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Berkeley Stephens". CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  4. ^ "First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Berkeley Stephens". CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  5. ^ "No. 29024". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1914. p. 3.
  6. ^ £44,000 Gloucestershire estate. Gloucester Citizen. 25 July 1950. p. 5
  7. ^ Death of Mr. B. J. Stephens. Gloucestershire Echo. 6 May 1950. p. 6
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