Researching Frederick Tate

Tate made his first-class debut for Hampshire in 1870 against Lancashire. On debut Tate took his only first-class five wicket haul, taking career best figures of 6/63 in Lancashire's first innings. Tate played two matches in 1870, with his second coming against Lancashire.

In 1872, Tate played two non first-class matches for Huntingdonshire, both against Bedfordshire, where in the first fixture, Tate took five wickets in Bedfordshire's first innings. During this period, Tate was a cricket coach at Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1873, Tate began a long engagement with Richmond Cricket Club.

Six years after his final appearance for Hampshire, Tate returned in 1876 to play for the county in two first-class matches against Derbyshire and finally Kent. In his four first-class matches, Tate took 13 wickets at a bowling average of 11.30.

Tate stood as an umpire in a single first-class match between Sussex and Hampshire. He died at Lyndhurst, Hampshire on 24 April 1935.

He was born in Grafton, Ontario, the son of Robert Tate and Margaret Clarke, and was educated there and in Brighton. Tate taught school for five years in Ontario and then travelled west in 1882. He was a sergeant-major in the Northumberland militia. In 1897, Tate married Mae Eliza Roberts. He ran unsuccessfully for the Lumsden seat in the provincial assembly in 1905. In 1908 Tate chose to contest the riding again but veteran MLA James Hawkes ran against him for the Provincial Rights nomination and although Tate narrowly defeated him many delegates declared that Hawkes was more entitled to the seat, for his part Hawkes declared that he "did not feel like supporting Tate."

The Liberals, sought to take advantage of this division by asking Hawkes to run as their candidate in the riding, replacing Premier Walter Scott, and it was reported that should he run as a Liberal or even as an independent in that constituency Hawkes could expect "a good thing" from the government. Hawkes rejected the Liberal offers and subsequently announced that he would support Tate, and it was believed that his large following within the German community would be decisive in the election. Recognizing that Hawkes could not be bought, members of the local Liberal association then offered the nomination to R.A. Carman, solely because he was known to be a friend of James Hawkes, but ultimately Carman did not run either. With the support of Hawkes Tate won the seat.

Tate lived in Wascana, Saskatchewan.