Ernest Leith Tomkins (15 February 1869 – 17 May 1927) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer.

Ernest Tomkins
Personal information
Full name
Ernest Leith Tomkins
Born15 February 1869
Rangoon, Burma, British India
Died27 May 1927(1927-05-27) (aged 58)
Dieppe, Normandy, France
BattingRight-handed
RoleWicket-keeper
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1899/00–1900/01Europeans
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 2
Runs scored 67
Batting average 22.33
100s/50s –/1
Top score 65
Catches/stumpings 3/2
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 22 November 2022

The son of Major-General William Percival Tomkins and his wife, Annie, he was born in British Burma at Rangoon in February 1869. He was educated at Wellington College,[1] before attending the Royal Military Academy. He graduated in February 1888 as a second lieutenant into the Royal Artillery,[2] with promotion to lieutenant in February 1891.[3] He was seconded in September 1897 to the Indian Ordnance Department,[4] with promotion to captain following during his secondment in October 1898.[5] Tomkins played first-class cricket in British India as a wicket-keeper for the Europeans cricket team on two occasions against the Parsees in the Bombay Presidency Matches of 1899 and 1900.[6] He scored 67 runs at an average of 22.33;[7] his highest score of 65 came in the 1899 fixture, and was the second highest score of the Europeans first innings, behind J. G. Greig's 184.[8]

Tomkins was later promoted to major in December 1908,[9] before serving in the First World War, during which he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in February 1916.[10] Following four years service as a regimental lieutenant colonel, he was placed on the half-pay list in January 1921 and was removed from the Reserve of Officers in March 1924, having obtained the age limit of liability to recall.[11] Tomkins was married to Marie-Louise Marigny, a Frenchwoman. Their son, Edward, was a British diplomat.[12] Tomkins died in France at Dieppe in May 1927.[13]

References

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  1. ^ Bevir, Joseph Louis (1906). Wellington College Register. Wellington College. p. 308.
  2. ^ "No. 25790". The London Gazette. 24 February 1888. p. 1225.
  3. ^ "No. 26139". The London Gazette. 27 February 1891. p. 1120.
  4. ^ "No. 26887". The London Gazette. 31 August 1897. p. 4876.
  5. ^ "No. 27021". The London Gazette. 8 November 1898. p. 6511.
  6. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Ernest Tomkins". CricketArchive. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  7. ^ "First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Ernest Tomkins". CricketArchive. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Europeans v Parsees, Bombay Presidency Match 1899/00". CricketArchive. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  9. ^ The New Army List and Militia List. 1911. p. 75.
  10. ^ "No. 29533". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 March 1916. p. 3541.
  11. ^ "No. 32922". The London Gazette. 28 March 1924. p. 2609.
  12. ^ Townsend (ed.), Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 18th ed., vol. 2, 1968, p. 43
  13. ^ Wills and estates. The Scotsman. 8 July 1927. p. 7
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