Captain Thomas Ormsby JAMESON
3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own)

Date of birth: 4th April 1892
Date of death: 6th February 1965

Died aged 72
Unknown
Thomas Ormsby Jameson was born at 44 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin on the 4th of April 1892 the younger son of James Ormsby Jameson and Maria (nee Hone) Jameson of Dolland, Clonsilla, in County Dublin.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until March 1906 where he was a member of the Football XI in 1902, 1903, 1904 and 1905, when he was Captain, and of the Cricket XI in 1903, 1904 and 1905. He won the School Golf Competition in 1904 and the school Fencing and Boxing prizes in 1905. The school magazine wrote the following of his 1902 football season: - "(Inside left) - Was very much handicapped by an accident, which would have prevented most boys from attempting to play."

They wrote the following on his 1903 football season: - "(Centre forward) - Suffers from comparison with last year's pivot, but has improved considerably: possesses splendid grit, but is rather slow and an uncertain shot: ought next year to prove invaluable."

Of his 1904 football season they wrote: - "(Centre forward) - Has failed to reach expectations; curiously uneven; at one time showing flashes of brilliance, at another descending into mediocrity; inclined to feed one wing incessantly, to the detriment of the other, and to allow exhortation and reproach to take the place of sustained effort."

They wrote of his 1905 football season: - " Captain. (Centre forward) - Might make for himself a great name in this position. Very clever in attack, his sinuous runs always threatening danger. An object lesson in heading and combined work, some of his touches being gems. His weak point is a proneness to miss the mark when he has the goal at his mercy."

They wrote the following of his 1903 cricket season: - "Prefers bumble puppy to cricket, which is not the way to learn batting. A fair field." They wrote of his 1904 cricket season: - "Ought to have got a heap of runs as he can both hit hard and defend, but is deficient in judgement. very fair behind the wicket, and a capital field. Has bowled."

Of his 1905 cricket season they wrote: - "A first rate all round cricketer. With a little more judgement, will be equal to the best batsman we have produced, hitting finely all round. An excellent field anywhere, and a safe catch; an uncertain bowler, but has his bright days."

On leaving the school the magazine wrote of him: - "....will find at Harrow the right training ground for his talents in every branch of sport. He has shown abilities as a cricketer second to few or none. We are not quite sure whether the Harrow football will suit him, but we are sure the Racket court will."

He went on to Harrow School where he was in The Grove from April 1906 until 1911. He was a member of the Cricket XI in 1909 and 1910 where he opened the batting for the team. He was played Racquets for the school in 1910, reaching the semi final of the Public Schools Racquet Competition, and in 1911 and played Fives for the school in 1911.

On leaving school he was commissioned as a probationary 2nd Lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own), Special Reserve of Officers, on the 1st of December 1912. He served in Ireland and was confirmed in his rank with the 6th (Reserve)Battalion in April 1914.

On the outbreak of war he was mobilised with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant on the 14th of August 1914 and embarked for France with the 3rd Battalion of his regiment at Southampton on board the SS "Lake Michigan" at 3pm on the 8th of September 1914, arriving off St Nazaire on the 10th of September. They disembarked at 10am on the 12th of September 1914. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 15th of March 1915 and returned to England later that year. He was posted to the 6th (Reserve) Battalion of his regiment based at Sheppey in 1916. He was promoted to Captain on the 1st of January 1917 and was seconded to the West African Frontier Force on the 19th of September 1917. He returned to his old battalion on the 18th of January 1919 and served in Ireland from 1919 to 1922.

He served as Adjutant in the 21st (County of London) Battalion from the 10th of March 1923 to the 1st of October 1924 to run the family farm at Cappoquin.

In June 1919 he made his first class debut for MCC against Oxford University. Later that year represented Hampshire, The Army, Old Harrovians and the Rifle Brigade at cricket and won the final of the Army Racquets Doubles Championship in 1920 when the Times newspaper described him as : - "Second to no living amateur at squash racquets". He won the competition again in 1921. He had a large share in the winning of the Army Cricket Championship for the 3rd Rifle Brigade against the 17th Lancers, taking 9 wickets with his bowling. He also represented MCC and Combined Services against Australia in 1921. Also in 1921 he became the first Amateur Champion of Squash Racquets, a title he successfully defended for the following year and was runner up in 1924. He won the Army Championship for a record three years running from 1922-1924. He also represented the Combined Services XI against the Australians in 1921. He played two matches for the Gentlemen of Ireland and, in 1924/5, he toured South Africa under the captaincy of England Captain Lionel Tennyson, representing the MCC. On that tour he was second in the batting averages and third in the bowling averages. He was also invited to tour the West Indies and British Guyana with the MCC under the captaincy of P.F. Warner in the winter of 1925/6, sailing on the “Inanda” on December 16th 1925. He scored a century against Jamaica on the tour. He was invited to play for the MCC on a tour of the Argentine in the winter of 1926/7 along with A.W. Carr; he scored centuries in both of the opening two matches of the tour and took 10 wickets for 58 in the second test. He also played for Ireland from 1926 to 1928.

During his first class career, which lasted from 1919 to 1932, he scored 4,675 runs at an average of 26.56 and as a leg break bowler he took 252 first class wickets at an average of 24.03.

He was married to Joan Moira Maud (nee Musgrave) at St Mark’s Church, North Audley on the 11th of June 1920; they had two sons, Julian Ronald, born on the 3rd of February 1919 and William Shane Musgrave, born on the 29th of February 1924.

He was a member of the Jameson distilling family and was a major shareholder in the company. He lived at Rock House, Ardmore, Yougal, County Cork and died at St Michael's Nursing Home, Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin.
Went on to Harrow School

Back