Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Carpenter, Robert
CARPENTER, ROBERT (1830–1901), cricketer, was born at Mill Road, Cambridge, on 18 Nov. 1830. His elder brother George (1818-1849), a butcher, played cricket for the Cambridge town club about 1839. Originally a bootcloser by trade, Robert early became a professional cricketer in a humble way, having engagements at Godmanchester (1854), at Ipswich (1855-7), at Birkenhead (1858), and at Marlborough College (1859-60). Subsequently at Cambridge, where he was known as the 'Old Gardener,' he was custodian of Parker's Piece, a position which he resigned on 9 Nov. 1881. Carpenter appeared late in first-class cricket, first taking part in it in June 1858, when he scored 45 for the United XI against the All England XI at Lord's. His performance brought him immediate fame. The following year he first appeared for the Players v. Gentlemen, and played for them in eighteen matches from 1859 to 1873; his chief scores were 119 in 1860 and 106 in 1861 at Kennington Oval. In the famous match between Surrey and England in 1862, when John Lilly white no-balled Willsher for illegal bowling, Carpenter scored 94. Other noteworthy performances were 100 for Cambridgeshire v. Surrey at Kennington Oval in 1861 and 134 for the All England XI v. Yorkshire at Sheffield in July 1865. Carpenter's name is especially associated with that of Tom Hayward (1835-1876), also of Cambridgeshire. They were the two best batsmen in England for a few seasons from 1860, and with the bowler George Tarrant (1838-1870) raised Cambridgeshire for several seasons to a leading position among cricketing counties. They went together to America in 1859 with the English XI, and to Australia in George Parr's team in the winter of 1863-4. Through the greater part of his career Carpenter toured with the United XI throughout the country, playing against local teams of 18 or 22 players.
Carpenter, a strong man of medium height, batted in elegant style, standing up at the wicket 'to his full height in a commanding attitude like a man' (Pycroft's Cricketana, p. 237). He was the champion back player of the nineteenth century, a fine lofty square leg hitter, and a brilliant fieldsman at point.
He died on 13 July 1901 at his home in Cambridge. He was married. One of his sons, Harry Carpenter (b. 1869), is the Essex batsman.
[The Times, 15 July 1901; Wisden's Cricketers' Almanack, 1902, p. lix; Pycroft's Cricketana, 1865 (portrait with T. Hayward, p. 176); Daft's Kings of Cricket (portrait with T. Hayward, p. 69); Haygarth's Cricket Scores and Biographies, vi. 30; viii. 374; W. Caffyn's Seventy-one Not Out, 1899, pp. 123-41 passim (portrait with Diver and Hayward, p. 164); information from Mr. P. M. Thornton.]