# Eric Penn
> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Eric_Penn
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Eric_Penn.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Penn
> Source revision: 1193261475
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{short description|English soldier and cricketer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2016}}
'''Eric Frank Penn''' (17 April 1878 – 18 October 1915) was an English soldier and a [cricketer](/source/cricketer) who played [first-class cricket](/source/first-class_cricket) for [Cambridge University](/source/Cambridge_University_Cricket_Club) and the [Marylebone Cricket Club](/source/Marylebone_Cricket_Club) (MCC) between 1898 and 1903.[{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32000/32000.html | title = Eric Penn | publisher = www.cricketarchive.com | accessdate = 9 December 2014}}] He was born at [Westminster](/source/Westminster), [London](/source/London) and died in the fighting of the First World War near [Loos](/source/Loos%2C_Nord), [France](/source/France).
Eric Penn was the eldest son of [William Penn](/source/William_Penn_(cricketer)), a cricketer and a businessman who ran the family engineering company of [John Penn and Sons](/source/John_Penn_and_Sons) founded by his own father, [John Penn](/source/John_Penn_(engineer)), which was based in [Greenwich](/source/Greenwich), London. Eric Penn was educated at [Eton College](/source/Eton_College) and at [Trinity College, Cambridge](/source/Trinity_College%2C_Cambridge).[{{acad|id=PN897EF|name=Penn, Eric Frank}}]
Penn played cricket as a right-handed middle-order batsman and a right-arm slow bowler while at school. At Cambridge, he played in a few first-team games in 1898 but did not consolidate his place in the side and was not picked for [the University Match](/source/The_University_Match_(cricket)) against [Oxford University](/source/Oxford_University_Cricket_Club).[{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/5/5210.html | title = Scorecard: Cambridge University v Marylebone Cricket Club| date = 12 June 1899 | publisher = www.cricketarchive.com | accessdate = 12 December 2014}}] He was awarded a [Blue](/source/Blue_(university_sport)), though he took only one wicket in the 1899 University Match.[{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/5/5249.html | title = Scorecard: Oxford University v Cambridge University | date = 3 July 1899 | publisher = www.cricketarchive.com | accessdate = 12 December 2014}}]
There was then a hiatus in Penn's university and cricket career, as he joined the 3rd ([Militia](/source/Militia_(United_Kingdom))) battalion of the [Royal Scots](/source/Royal_Scots) as a [lieutenant](/source/Lieutenant_(British_Army_and_Royal_Marines)) on 30 August 1899. The battalion was embodied in December 1899 to serve in the [Second Boer War](/source/Second_Boer_War), and in early March 1900 left [Queenstown](/source/Cobh) on the ''SS Oriental'' for [South Africa](/source/South_Africa).[{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The War - Embarcation of Troops|date=3 March 1900 |page=9 |issue=36080}}][{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/5/5919.html | title = Scorecard: Cambridge University v Ireland | date = 29 May 1902 | publisher = www.cricketarchive.com | accessdate = 12 December 2014}}] He won a second Blue but again made little impact in the University Match.[{{cite news| title = Fallen Officers | newspaper = [The Times](/source/The_Times) |issue = 40994 | page = 4 | location = London | date = 25 October 1915}}][{{cite web|url=https://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/cricketers-who-died-in-world-war-1-part-4-of-5-167609 |title=Cricketers who died in World War 1 — Part 4 of 5 |work=Cricket Country |accessdate=28 November 2018}}]
In 1906, Penn married Gladys Eveleen Ebden, daughter of Charles Ebden of Baldslow Place near [Hastings](/source/Hastings) in [East Sussex](/source/East_Sussex).