Paul Foley

Paul Henry Foley (19 March 185721 January 1928) was an English first-class cricketer, cricket administrator and barrister.

The son of Henry Hodgetts-Foley, a politician and member of a Stourbridge family of ironmasters, he was born at Westminster in March 1857. He was educated at Eton College, before going up to Christ Church, Oxford. A student of the Inner Temple, he was called to the bar in June 1880.

Although he did not play cricket for Oxford University Cricket Club, Foley was well connected in cricketing circles and became a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1878. Batting twice in the match, he was dismissed in the MCC first innings by Ted Tyler, while in their second innings he was dismissed for 13 runs by the same bowler. Foley became associated with Worcestershire County Cricket Club in 1878, later playing for them twice in the 1895 and 1896 Minor Counties Championship against Staffordshire and Northamptonshire.

Foley had a greater impact with Worcestershire as an administrator. He was elected co-secretary in 1885, holding that post until 1887, before becoming honorary secretary in 1892.

Outside of cricket, Foley also served as a justice of the peace. He served as the High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1906. In 1926, he donated 136 rare books in 242 volumes from the Stoke Edith House to Hereford Cathedral's library. However, the following year Stoke Edith House was destroyed by fire. Foley died suddenly at Pimlico in January 1928.