Lovick Friend

Major-General Sir Lovick Bransby Friend (25 April 1856 – 19 November 1944) was a British Army major general and amateur sportsman. He served with the Royal Engineers and was Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, during the 1916 Easter Rising. As a sportsman, Friend played in goal for the Royal Engineers in the 1878 FA Cup Final and as a wicket-keeper in first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club.

Early life Friend was born at Halfway Street near Sidcup in Kent in 1856, the fourth son of wealthy merchant Frederick Friend and his wife Fanny (née Tyrell). He grew up at the family home, Woollett Hall at North Cray, and was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He was a mathematics scholar at Cheltenham and was awarded the Dobson Scholarship and the Cheltonian Society Prize in 1872, his final year at school. Although his Times obituary said that he was "proficient in all games, at cricket being exceptionally good", he did not play for the College XI,

Military career Friend won a prize for artillery whilst at the Woolwich and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1874 as a Temporary Lieutenant. His commission was made permanent in 1876 and he spent time stationed in Ireland and Hong Kong before being appointed as an instructor at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, in 1883 and promoted to captain in 1885. He subsequently held a variety of roles both in Egypt and in Britain in the years before the First World War. Promotions continued and Friend rose to the rank of major general in June 1912. He was appointed Major-General in charge of Administration at Irish Command in 1912 and succeeded Sir Arthur Paget as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, in 1914 the year the First World War began in Europe. When the Rising began on 24 April, Friend returned to Dublin and he received the surrender of the rebel leaders. Although The Times wrote that he had "firmly handled" the Rising, He was described in his Wisden obituary as a "good wicket-keeper", He played twice more for Kent in 1887 as well as appearing for I Zingari against the Gentlemen of England the same year. In 1888 he played for the Gentlemen of England against Oxford University, making his highest first-class score of 72 runs, and his final first-class appearance was for Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against Kent at Lord's in 1891. He played Army and club cricket, making his highest score of 208 for United Services Portsmouth in 1897, the last year he played for the RE. Whilst serving in the Far East he played for Hong Kong Cricket Club in 1880. He played for South Northumberland and Northumberland between 1887 and 1891 whilst stationed at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and such as Free Foresters and United Services. he played in goal for the team in the 1878 FA Cup Final.

Later life Friend spent time during his retirement in South Africa and Australia. He died in a nursing home at West Kensington in London on 19 November 1944 aged 88.