It is, however incontestable that, having spent several years at the ancient foundation of Bromsgove School in Worcestershire, he entered Dublin University in 1852 and was in the 1st XI for three seasons from 1853. The XI had a very limited fixture list playing only three or four matches a season with Phoenix and the Dublin Garrison regular opponents. It seems a pity that the season was so limited as Robert's team-mates included some good cricketers, of whom the best was probably WH Johnston, Ireland's first wicket keeper.

No record of Robert's performances for the University have been seen but on 11 August 1856 - in which year his BA degree was conferred - he was one of the Dublin XXII who took on Charles Lawrence's United Ireland XI - formed in hopeful imitation of the great travelling XIs in England - at Phoenix. The United men emerged victorious but Dublin, who included the dedicated under armer Arthur Samuels and the Army officer Francis Northey, who 24 years later was to perish in the Zulu War, led on first innings and made the XI work for its victory. The difference between the sides was really Lawrence who took 32 wickets in the match. He dismissed Robert, who came in half way down the order, twice, hit wicket for 1 in the first innings and bowled for a slightly lower score in the second!

On 25 and 26 August Ireland played the Gentlemen of England the second of three such matches between 1855 and 1857, the first three games played by an Irish side. At no 9 in the Irish batting order, according to the scorecard, was R Roe who did little to stave off the defeat his side suffered, making 4 and 2, being dismissed by the Oxford captain Reginald Hankey on each occasion. It has generally been thought that this was, in fact, FGB Ponsonby, the future Earl of Bessborough, who had been responsible for the first match being played. He played again, for the opposition, the following year. He often appeared under an assumed name, using R Roe on three occasions in English cricket. However Robert was in Dublin at the time, both men playing for the Vice Regal XVI against the visitors in a match which immediately followed the "international." Thus while it seems strange that Ponsonby would not have participated in the game, it would also seems odd that, if he decided to play under an assumed name, he should have used one of another cricketer active in Ireland at that time. Despite the objections raised it is this writer's view that the balance of probability lies with Ponsonby having played, but the jury must remain out.

Neither distinguished himself in the match which followed. The visitors, having reinvented themselves as MCC, being too strong for their hosts. Batting at 10 Robert was caught off the Cambridge and Ireland all rounder Joseph McCormick for 7 in the first innings and run out for 1 in the second. Irony of ironies, he may well have been run out by Ponsonby who batted at 11, making 0 and 12*.

Though ordained in the Church of Ireland, Robert - who received his MA from the University in 1864 - followed a career in the Church of England. Beginning in parishes in the London area, where in 1881 he was living with his wife Frances, fourteen years his junior, and their eight year old son Robert, he then moved to Cornwall where he worked in several parishes, before returning to the capital. By 1901 he had retired to the south coast and was living in Hove, perhaps spending some time watching Ranji and CB Fry on the county ground. However by 1908 - as Crockford's Clerical Directory reveals - he was back at work, having returned to the parish of Lanteglos, where he had been more than 20 years earlier. He was still there at the time of his death. Whatever the reason was that had seen him back at work, it was not financial. His will shows that he left the then considerable sum of £23351.

Perhaps it will eventually be possible to discover whether or not Robert James Roe should really be featured on this site. We would be very interested indeed in any information which might throw any further light on the problem.

I am much indebted to Ms Aisling Lockhart of Trinity College, Dublin for invaluable help with some of the above details.

Edward Liddle, February 2011