Montague Druitt

Teacher and barrister. Played in the Winchester First Eleven in 1876 and member of the Kingston Park and Dorset Country Cricket Club. Dispite his gaunt appearance he was noted for his formidable strength in arms and wrists, once coming third in a cricket ball throwing event with a toss of over 92 yards.

Taking up a teaching job in Blackheath in 1881 he started playing for the Morden Cricket Club, Blackheath and was soon appointed Treasurer. After the merger of Morden Cricket Club with the Blackheath Cricket, Football and Lawn Tennis Company Druitt became a Director, being appointed Treasurer and Company Secretary. Elected as member of the MCC on 26 May 1884.

Druitt was found drowned in the Thames at Chiswick on 31 December 1888. His death is recorded as having occured on 4 December 1888, but recent studies suggest several days earlier. In 1894 he was named as a "Jack the Ripper" suspect by Sir Melville Macnaghten, Chief Constable CID, although there is little if any evidence to support this. In fact, his cricket matches in 1888 are sometimes used in his defence, like the match on 8 September, which started just eight hours after one of the "Jack the Ripper" murders.

Links to Druitt's matches on CricInfo:

• Gentlemen of Bournemouth v Parsees at Bournemouth, 3-4 Aug 1888
• Blackheath v Brothers Christopherson at Blackheath, 8 Sep 1888