Tom's Personal life

Tom was the fifth of seven children born to Benjamin and Sarah Armitage. Tom and his four brothers all followed in their father's footsteps and went into the family's stone mason business.

In 1869 Tom married Mary Ellen Marshall, and in the coming few years they went on to have two children, Herbert and Hannah.

In 1879 Tom became publican at the Plough Inn, Sheffield. Tom was very much at home at the Plough as it faced the Hallam Cricket Club where he had many friends. He lived their happily with his wife and two children until tragedy struck in the Spring of 1881 when Mary died aged just 29.

During Tom's time at the Plough Inn, he had grown close to his servent Evangeline Bryan. Tom married Evangeline just a couple of years later and shortly after, Eva gave birth to Ruth, the first of their 3 children.

Like many cricketers of his day, Thomas made a move to play and coach in America. In 1886 he left for Philadelphia and played a season for Oxford Cricket Club. Having enjoyed his experience in America he returned to England with plans to emigrate. In 1888, shortly after the birth of Tom Armitage Jr, the new family emigrated to Chicago, whilst his other 2 children Herbert and Hannah were left with grandparents in England.

Thomas struggled to make a living from cricket in America and with their third child, Sam, on the way, Tom took on extra work in the Pullman Car Factory, and for a while as a saloonkeeper in nearby Kensington.

These were difficult times for Tom and in May 1891 tragedy struck again when two of his children, Sam and Tom Jr, became ill and died on the same day. Three years later, poor health led Tom himself to be admitted to Kankakee Asylum where he stayed for 2 years. In 1897, however, he recovered and continued with his cricket career at Chicago's Pullman Palace Cricket Club. He worked their as coach and then later, in 1902, as groundsman.

In 1906 his daughter Ruth married another Englishman, Ernest W Southern. In 1907 his second wife, Evangeline died of Consumption and Tom moved in with Ernest and Ruth. He died on 21 September 1922 of Stomach cancer, aged 74, in Pullman, Chicago, USA.

Tom's cricket career

In 1869 he had his first professional engagement with the Longsight Cricket Club in Manchester. In 1870 he moved on to Keighley Cricket Club. He had many successful matches for Keighley and in 1872 he played his first match for Yorkshire County Cricket Club. He went on to play a total of 53 matches for Yorkshire between 1872 and 1878. At Yorkshire, he played with and against some of the best names in cricket including the famous W.G. Grace.

"Scores and Biographies (xii - 656) following a match at Lords said of him:

"Is an excellent bat and field anywhere, and is a straight round-armed middle paced bowler combined with underhand lobs, which at times have been very successful"

Tom's best period came in 1876 and 1877. Against Middlesex at Sheffield he made his highest score for the county, an impressive 95. His bowling was equally as impressive and made a great impression on fellow professional James Southerton who remarked "....he had never seen lobs that were so good". His form that season led him to be chosen by James Lillywhite for England's 1876/77 tour of Australia and New Zealand. A tour which gave Tom the chance to play in the first ever Test Match.

Tom ended his career in America, coaching and playing for several American Cricket Clubs. Amongst them were Oxford Cricket Club in Philadelphia and Pullman Palace Cricket Club in Chicago.