Researching Thomas Armstrong

While organist and faculty member of Christ Church, Oxford Armstrong combined academic work with practical musicianship, as player and conductor. From 1955 to 1968 he was principal of the Royal Academy of Music (RAM), London, where he was known for his concern for the well-being of his staff and students and his efforts to strengthen links with overseas music colleges.

Armstrong was born at Clay Cross, Derbyshire. He made his debut for Derbyshire in the 1929 season against Worcestershire in June when he bowled without taking a wicket and made 1 run in each innings. That was his only game that year and he only played two games in the 1930 season but took 4 wickets in them. In the 1931 season he began to play more regularly and in the 1932 season managed 5 for 27 against Warwickshire. In the 1933 season he reached a peak with 36 wickets and 7 for 57 against Somerset and 7 for 87 against Northamptonshire. He made his top score of 28 not out against Worcestershire in the 1934 season and took 5 for 72 against Nottinghamshire. In the 1935 season he made just one appearance which was against Lancashire when he took 5 for 13. He only turned out twice in the 1936 Championship winning season and in the match against Somerset at Wells he had Arthur Wellard dropped on one run before Wellard went on to strike him for seven sixes, including five from successive balls. In two games in the 1937 season he took 7 for 36 against Gloucestershire. He did not appear in 1938 and in the 1939 season took no wickets in three matches.

Armstrong was an accountant with Jaguar cars in Coventry and during the war he played a number of miscellaneous games for Coventry. He returned to the Derbyshire side in the 1946 season, another good season when he took 5 for 32 against Yorks. He then played one game in each of his final seasons 1949 and 1950, both against Lancashire. Armstrong was a league professional in the north and midlands, but never won a Derbyshire cap. His last game was with Smethwick in the Birmingham League.

Armstrong was a slow left-arm orthodox bowler and took 133 first-class wickets with an average of 24.35 and a best performance of 7 for 36. He was a left-hand batsman and played 83 innings in 58 first-class matches with a top score of 28 not out and an average of 6.28.

Armstrong died at Marfield Court Nursing Home, Leicestershire at the age of 90.

Armstrong made his first-class debut for Nottinghamshire against the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1892. From 1892 to 1896, he represented the county in 6 first-class matches, the last of which came against the Marylebone Cricket Club during the 1896 season. In his 6 first-class matches, he scored 67 runs at a batting average of 7.44, with a high score of 20*.

He died at the town of his birth on 5 July 1938.

Thomas Armstrong came from a sporting family. His brother Jack Armstrong played football for Nottingham Forest and another brother Albert played for Forest Reserves on several occasions.

His parents were from mill-owning families. After attending Queen Elizabeth School, Wakefield, he studied at the Royal Naval College, Keyham, followed by service in the Royal Navy during the First World War. He married in 1930 and then began writing novels. He achieved success with the immediately popular The Crowthers of Bankdam that was soon made into a film (Master of Bankdam). The couple lived in Yorkshire, initially in the West Riding and then in Swaledale for 30 years. Throughout his life he avoided personal publicity.

He was born in Durham, the son of miner Thomas Armstrong. He arrived in Australia around 1887 and attended school at Wickham, later joining a colliery firm as a junior clerk. On 2 December 1908 he married Anice Pepper, with whom he had three children. He was a Wickham alderman from 1917 to 1920, serving as mayor in 1919, and eventually rose to the position of general manager of his firm. From 1935 to 1955 he was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, first for the United Australia Party and then for the Liberal Party. Armstrong died in Newcastle in 1955.

The son of William Armstrong of Wingate, County Durham, a mining engineer, he was educated at Rossall School and at St John's College, Oxford, matriculating in 1868.

He played one first-class match for Oxford University Cricket Club in 1869. Below first-class, he had appeared in one county match, for Shropshire in 1868.

He passed the final law examination in 1875. He was in a partnership with Arthur Fell, as solicitors; it was dissolved in 1897. He died at Leigh Hall, East Grinstead in 1929.