Walter Fellows

Walter Fellows (23 February 1834, in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire – 23 July 1902, in Toorak, Melbourne) was an English amateur cricketer who later became a clergyman in Australia. He was the brother of Harvey Fellows, who also played first-class cricket.

Walter Fellows was the seventh son of Thomas Fellows, of Moneyhill, Hertfordshire, and was educated at Westminster School and at Christ Church, Oxford.^[1]

He was an all-rounder who was first noted as a schoolboy cricketer at Westminster.^[2] In first-class cricket, he was mainly associated with Oxford University and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). He played for several predominantly amateur teams including the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players series. He had a reputation as a "terrific and very successful hitter".^[3] Fellows' name has appeared in the "records" section of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack for many years under the heading "Record Hit" with the same wording: "The Rev. W. Fellows, while at practice on the Christ Church ground at Oxford in 1856, drove a ball bowled by Charles Rogers 175 yards from hit to pitch."^[4] A note reproduced in an Australian newspaper in 1890 states that Fellows at the time was 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 17 stones 4 pounds.^[5]

Fellows made 24 known appearances in first-class matches from 1853 to 1857.^[6] He played in the University match for Oxford University against Cambridge University as a lower middle-order batsman and a bowler for four years from 1854 to 1857, making important batting contributions in 1854, 1856 and 1857 and having some limited success as a bowler in 1855 and 1856; he appeared in the Gentlemen v Players matches at Lord's from 1855 to 1857.^[7]

Fellows was ordained in 1858, and served as curate at Weedon and at Sidmouth,^[1] before he emigrated to Australia in 1863 to become the first vicar of St John's Church, Toorak.^[8] In Australia, he played for the Melbourne Cricket Club; a report in an Australian newspaper in 1878 indicates that Fellows was discouraged from playing in major matches by his bishop, Charles Perry, but that the retirement of Perry brought about a more permissive attitude from the new incumbent, James Moorhouse, and Fellows was able to resume.^[9]

He resigned his position due to ill health in 1900, and died at Toorak parsonage near Melbourne on 23 July 1902.^[1]

Fellows married, in 1862, Julia Packe, daughter of Rev. Christopher Packe, vicar of Ruislip.^[1]

• Altham, H S (1962). A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914). George Allen & Unwin.

• Walter Fellows at ESPNcricinfo
• CricketArchive record