Cuthbert Burnup

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Cuthbert James Burnup (b. November 21, 1875 at Blackheath, Kent. d. April 5, 1960 at North End, Golders Green, Middlesex) was an amateur cricketer and footballer who gained fame through his participation in sports around the turn of the century. An English international in football, Burnup is more renowned as a Kent cricketer but his abilities were never to result in international selection despite immense early promise.

Burnup came from a privileged background, alumni at both Malvern School and Cambridge University he gained a blue in football and cricket [1]. A cautious opening batsman and occasional bowler, Burnup was in the Cambridge side for three years from 1896. Upon graduating from University he maintained an active interest in both sports, a cricketer of great promise in his youth and being selected to play for his ‘home’ county of Kent becoming a footballer with the Corinthians going on tour with ‘Pa’ Jackson’s club to South Africa in 1896, his absence from the Kent CC side that year being keenly felt [2].

Such was his abilities as a footballer, and such was the influence of the amateur game on the Football Association at the time that Burnup was selected to represent England in the Auld Enemy match in Glasgow on April 4, 1896 in the 2-1 defeat [3]. But this was a galling defeat that did much to signal the end of the reliance of the Football Association on amateur footballers. It was his only game for England.

His appearances for Kent coincided with their rise as the pre-eminent County side in English cricket [4]. His greatest talent lay with the willow, although he was a fair bowler. His abilities with the bat earned him considerable fame and there was clamour for an England place [5]. But this was never to be. He played for Kent until 1907, making 1,000 runs in a season eight times. His best season was 1902 when he scored 2,048 runs. He was captain of Kent in 1903 and was also named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in that year.

Burnup captained Kent CC on their North American tour of the United States in 1903 [6] and later for Ashford [7].