Tom Jameson

Thomas Ormsby Jameson (4 April 1892 — 6 February 1965) was an Irish first-class cricketer and a soldier in the British Army. As a cricketer, he made 124 appearances in first-class cricket as an all-rounder. He was mostly associated with the British Army cricket team, Hampshire County Cricket Club, and the Marylebone Cricket Club, though he also represented Ireland twice. In first-class cricket, he scored nearly 4,700 runs and took over 250 wickets. In the British Army, he was an officer in the Rifle Brigade, with which he served in the first part of the First World War, before serving with the Royal West African Frontier Force. A major shareholder in Jameson Irish Whiskey, he was descended from its founder John Jameson.

Early life and education Jameson was descended from John Jameson, a Scotsman who founded the Jameson Whiskey Distillery in Dublin. He was born to James Ormsby Jameson and Maria Hone in Clonsilla in April 1892; his grandfather was the cricketer William Hone. He then proceeded to Harrow School, playing cricket for the school and taking part in the famous Fowler's match (named for his fellow Irish compatriot Robert St Leger Fowler) against Eton in 1910. An all-round sportsman, he also represented Harrow in rackets and fives. serving in Ireland, He served in the First World War with the 3rd Battalion on the Western Front, with Jameson departing for France in September 1914 on board the from Southampton. with Jameson returning to England toward the end of 1915. The following year he was posted to the 6th Reserve Battalion, based on the Isle of Sheppey. he was seconded to the Colonial Office in September 1917 and served in West Africa with the West African Frontier Force. He spent three years from 1919 to 1922 serving in Ireland, before joining the 21st (County of London) Battalion as an adjutant from March 1923 to October 1924, after which he left the military and returned to Ireland to run the family farm at Cappoquin. The following month, he made his debut for Hampshire against Yorkshire at Dewsbury in the County Championship, with him making a further eight appearances for Hampshire that season. Jameson scored his maiden first-class century in 1921, making 119 for the Army against the Royal Navy at Lord's. At the end of the season, he played for the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players fixture at The Oval. he played for them in 1922 against Oxford University. Although he featured just once for Hampshire in 1924, Jameson made three final appearances for the Army, made a final appearance for the Combined Services against the touring South Africans, and played twice for the MCC. as a bowler, he took 47 wickets at an bowling average of 17.61.

Post-military service

The month after his military career came to an end, Jameson was selected to tour South Africa with Solomon Joel's personal eleven, which was captained by Lionel Tennyson, Jameson's captain at Hampshire. In an innings victory over Warwickshire, he scored 103 batting at number eight. He also took 28 wickets during the season, which included his career-best figures of 7 for 92 against a strong Lancashire batting lineup.

During the winter which proceeded the 1925 season, Jameson toured the West Indies with an MCC team captained by Freddie Calthorpe. He made eleven first-class appearances during the tour, including playing in three matches against the West Indies, On the tour, he made four first-class appearances against the Argentine national team. Although he did not play first-class cricket during the 1927 English season, he did return in 1928, making four appearances for Hampshire, two for the MCC against the West Indians and Wales, in all first-class cricket Jameson scored 4,675 runs at an average of 26.56, scoring five centuries, with a top score of 133. "A more than useful slow bowler", and 1923/24 seasons.

Personal life and death Jameson remained a major shareholder of Jameson's throughout his life. In later life, he lived in Ardmore in County Waterford. Jameson died in a care home in Dún Laoghaire near Dublin on 6 February 1965.