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Charles Augustus Ollivierre

 
POINT 2021-05-24 23:12:09 

The first Black man from the Region to
Tour , and play Cricket in England . I find it interesting that HE is never ever mentioned in the Region .

Perhaps that is because He was not from
Barbados , Jamaica ; Trinidad ; Guyana .
The fact that He was from St. Vincent ,
apparently means that his achievements
are not worthy of praise .

It is a crying shame that the WICBC/CWI
has not seen fit to honor him , it can
still seek solace in the fact that neither has the Government of St. Vincent & the Grenadines .

The Vice President of the WICBC/CWI , I
understand is a Vincentian . It would
on my opinion a very Good gesture , if
the Stadium in SVG , be renamed the
Charles Agustus Ollivierre Stadium .

Charles Augustus Ollivierre , lived near to the Victoria Park , where He
honed his Cricket Skills .

The Caretaker of the Park knew Charles
and his Brothers , and allowed them to play in the Park .

The Caretaker of the Park subsequently
got a Job at the Queen's Park Oval in
Trinidad ; When he heard that there was
going to be a maiden Tour of Players
from the Region Touring England , He
recommended that they invite Charles
Ollivierre to Trinidad , his batting
skills , made him a ,member of the first West Indies Team to Play Cricket in England .

WE live in the Age of Google , I invite all to Google :

CHARLES AUGUSTUS OLLIVIERRE

 
POINT 2021-05-24 23:21:42 

Moderator Please put the above in the
Rum Shop . Thank You .

 
openning 2021-05-24 23:55:54 

In reply to POINT

Perhaps that is because He was not from
Barbados , Jamaica ; Trinidad ; Guyana .
The fact that He was from St. Vincent ,
apparently means that his achievements
are not worthy of praise .




Can you tell us the teams me played for in England, and statistical data.

 
POINT 2021-05-25 04:27:59 

In reply to openning

You can look up Wikipedia , You will
get all the information You need , I
do not think that is hard for for
You to do .

You will get ALL the information You
want . You can also Google :
Oldebor, wordpress.com /tag/Charles
OLivierre .

All You have to do is Google:
Charles Augustus Ollivierre , You will get all the information You want.

 
Casper 2021-05-25 04:43:22 

In reply to openning

Just a little digging these days can help. Here is an interesting bit

Any West Indian cricket fan, with an interest in the history of cricket in the West Indies, should have heard of this player and become familiar with him.

I agree with you Point, such pioneers should be honoured.


BTW, if anyone is interested in the thesis mentioned in the linked piece above, you can read the whole thing here. It's very informative.


A thesis submitted by Jonathan Newman as part of the requirement for his MA degree at the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, entitled Massa Day Done: Cricket as a Catalyst for West Indian Independence, 1950-1962, traces the history and gradual evolution of cricket in the Caribbean Islands and the unifying effect the game had on the social matrix of the entire population of the areas colonised by the British in the 18th century
.


While all these momentous events were taking place in the major cricketing centres of the West Indies, a male child was born to a Helon Ollivierre in his Back Street residence, somewhere between Victoria Park and the local cemetery of Kingstown, in little St Vincent, a part of St Vincent and the Grenadines, a sovereign state of the Lesser Antilles Islands arc, in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, on July 20, 1876.

Ollivierre was a man of importance in the area, being considered one of the most popular and respected coloured gentlemen in the country. He was a nominated member of the Kingstown Board, belonged to a number of benefit societies, was Treasurer of the Mechanic Association and Chief Ranger of the local Court of the Ancient Order of Forresters.

St Vincent being one of the smaller islands, there were very limited opportunities for cricket for the talented Ollivierre brothers, Charlie, Richard, and Helon. Charlie moved to the larger island of Trinidad for better cricketing prospects, and there made his First-Class debut, primarily as a right-hand batsman, with the Trinidad team against Lucas s XI. Interestingly, the skipper of the Trinidad team for the match, Aucher Warner, elder brother of the more famous Plum, also made his debut in the same game. Charles performances with bat (7 and 12) were moderate, but he took 2 for 45. A future Caribbean star had been launched.

In a First-Class career spanning 1894-95 to 1907, Charles Augustus Ollivierre played 114 matches in all, aggregating 4,830 runs with a highest of 229 and an average of 23.56. He had 3 centuries and 25 fifties and held 110 catches. He claimed 29 wickets as well, with best figures of 6 for 51 and an average of 22.89. He had 5 five-wicket hauls and took 10 wickets in a match once. Considering that West Indies cricket was still in its relative infancy during his playing days, his figures bespeak the achievements of a player of notable merit.


The First Representative West Indies To Visit Mother England:

With an assurance from Hawke that the projected tour of England would indeed be on, preparations began on the Caribbean side in right earnest. The business of selecting the touring party began in January with the nomination of a Selection Committee comprising representatives of all the Caribbean islands. The Committee met in Trinidad. Warner, having been named captain of the touring side, was co-opted into the selection panel.

This was the final shape of the squad selected: Stanley Sproston, George Learmond and Tommy Burton (of Demerara); Percy Cox, William Bowring, Percy Goodman and Fitz Hinds (Barbados); Aucher Warner, Lionel D Ade, Float Woods and Lebrun Constantine (Trinidad), Malcolm Kerr and Gilbert Livingston (Jamaica); William Mignon (Grenada); and Charles Ollivierre (St Vincent), with WC Nock (Trinidad) as manager.



Writing in the 1930s, CLR James had this to say about Ollivierre: Up to a few years ago there were experienced West Indian cricketers who believed that Ollivierre was the best batsman the West Indies had ever produced. He was a big powerful man who at school threw 126 yards and cut one-handed for 6. He made most of the strokes with a few of his own, chiefly a glorious lofting drive over extra-cover's head.



It was not an auspicious beginning, London County winning by an innings and 198 runs after scoring a forbidding 538. Ollivierre had relatively decent figures (2 for 24). For the home team, Jack Mason scored 126 and had figures of 5 for 50 and 5 for 43. There is a story, apocryphal perhaps, related by Andy Carter in A Flash Outside The Off Stump, of the naturally exuberant Woods providing a humorous interlude by looking around the crowd and remarking to the Manger of the team: Mr Nock, they have a lot of white people in this country.

The visitors lost the first 3 games on the tour by large margins. Well, it was on record that after the formal welcome at London, Warner had remarked very politely to Grace: We have come to learn, Sir. Unfortunately, this courteous and deferential remark was grossly misrepresented in a cartoon appearing in the following day's edition of The Star depicting the familiar bearded figure of WG towering over a group of hideous, weeping pygmies with the caption, We have come to learn, sah.



July began on a more cheerful note for the visitors with their match against Leicestershire ending in a victory by an innings and 87 runs. For a change, the West Indians batted first, and began with a first-wicket stand of 238 in 135 minutes between Plum Warner (113, playing his only match of the tour) and Ollivierre (159, the highest score for the visitors on the tour). Bowling unchanged, Woods (5 for 39) and Burton (4 for 39) then dismissed the county side for 80. Following on, the home side were dismissed for 219.

 
POINT 2021-05-25 05:20:25 

In reply to Casper

Thank You . I really would like the
Stadium in SVG to be renamed The
Charles Augustus Ollivierre Stadium .

When He died people thought that he
was from Kingston , Jamaica , when in fact He was actually from Kingstown ,
St, Vincent . He however was born in
Bequia , the island in the Grenadines
nearest to Mainland St. Vincent .

He was lucky in 2 respects , He and
his brothers lived near to the Victoria Park , in Kingstown . He
and his brothers played in the park
regularly , and they knew the man who
was in charge of the Park , as a result He would always let them play in the Park .

The man subsiquently got the Job of being the Caretaker of The Queens Park Oval . When he heard that there
was going to be a Cricket Team going to England , he recommended that they
should send for Charles Ollivierre to see if he could make the Team .

Charles , and one of his brothers went to Trinidad , and Charles was
selected to go to England . As a result he was the First Black man to
be on a West Indies Team to Tour England .

I am disappointed that the Government
of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for
years , have not seen it fit to honour Charles Augustus Ollivierre ,
by renaming the most picturesque Cricket Ground in the Region , which is at Arnos Vale ; The Charles Augustus Ollivierre Cricket Ground .

 
openning 2021-05-25 10:01:59 

In reply to Casper
I read about him the first time Point posted, every year he seem to do the same.
Being the first black West Indian to play county cricket is a historic achievement, but he played cricket and there is no data to tell us, how good a cricketer he was.
Was he the Willie Mays type of being first?

 
DonD 2021-05-25 13:13:33 

In reply to POINT

The first Black man from the Region to
Tour , and play Cricket in England . I find it interesting that HE is never ever mentioned in the Region .


Charles Ollivierre was not the first black WI to tour England. He toured with the 1900 WI team with the likes of Lebrun Constantine - learie's father - Burton fron BG and perhaps some other blacks. Perhaps the reason Ollivierre is rarely mentioned or honoured is because the games in 1900 were not test matches. WI toured England in 1900, 1906 and 1923. Most of their games were first class but not tests. Test status was accorded in 1928. Ollivierre stayed on in England and played for Derbyshire from 1901-1907. Jack Williams in his book: Cricket and Race made brief references to Ollivierre . He even included a photograph of him on the same page with that infamous cartoon of WG Grace whipping the black piccaninny after his team had beaten the WI on the 1906 tour. Just a point of interest George's brother Richard did tour with the 1906 team.

I don't think we should be quick to accuse WI cricket administrators of all things insular or chauvinistic. Another point of information, I have written about Ollivierre on this board before.

 
POINT 2021-05-25 14:40:28 

Pardon the pun , the point I have made
is the freaking Fact that HE has not been honoured even by the Government of
St. Vincent and the Grenadines .

I do not nor do I expect the Worst
International Cricket Board in the world to honour him , due to the freaking fact that it is steeped in Insularity .

Never mind the fact that there is a
Vincentian , in a high position in
the current WICBC/CWI .

However the Government of St. Vincent & The Grenadines in my opinion has
absolutely no Excuse .

 
POINT 2021-05-25 14:58:55 

I do not expect , anyone outside
SVG , to champion the cause of Charles
Ollivierre , because he was not born in
their Island .

My beef is that it is high time that
the Government of St. Vincent & the
Grenadines honour Charles Agustus
Ollivierre .

There are many people in SVG who have
no idea who Charles Ollivierre was .
That is very sad , because there are
People living in Derbyshire , who were told of the exploits of Charles
Ollivierre on the Cricket Field .

The rank Insularity in the Region ,
no doubt prevents the Worst International Cricket Board in the
Commonwealth , to honour Charles
Ollivierre , but then I am not surprised .

 
POINT 2021-05-25 15:08:31 

In reply to DonD

I have absolutely NO DOUBT that if he was from Jamaica ; Trinidad & Tobago ;
Barbados or Guyana , He would have
be honoured by the WICBC/CWI .

My beef is that it is the responsibility of the Government of
St. Vincent & the Grenadines . I believe that currently there is a
Vincentian , in the WICBC/CWI ,
perhaps he is ignorant of the Cricket exploits of Charles Ollivierre .

However , my beef is with the Government of St. Vincent & the Grenadines .

 
POINT 2021-05-25 15:15:29 

In reply to openning

It is very obvious to me that your information of Charles Ollivierre is exceeding Shallow .

If you took the time and effort to Google him , perhaps just perhaps you would have a different perspective .
If however He was from Barbados , Your
perspective would be different .

In this modern age , You and others of your Ilk can read about Charles
Ollivierre . But perhaps your Insularity forbids you from doing that .

I have absolutely no doubt that if he
was from Barbados , You would have been lauding him . However the fact
that he aint from Barbados , you choose to belittle him .
C'est La Vie !!

But have no fear , it seems that the
Government of SVG , has yet to honour him .

 
openning 2021-05-25 16:44:02 

In reply to POINT
How many times have you posted on this subject?
Did he got other Vincentians/West Indians into the county/league circuit?
Surely it was a great personal achievement, just like Lord Constantine, Roy Marshall and others.
I am a Barbadian/Canadian, proud to be both.