| John Vesey-Brown | |
| Country: | England |
| Fullname: | John Sidney Vesey-Brown |
| Birth Date: | 1899 |
| Birth Place: | Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England |
| Death Date: | June 1976 (aged 77) |
| Death Place: | Bermuda |
| Batting: | Unknown |
| Bowling: | Unknown |
| Club1: | Europeans |
| Year1: | 1939/40 - 1942/43 |
| Club2: | Madras |
| Year2: | 1940/41 |
| Columns: | 1 |
| Column1: | First-class |
| Matches1: | 5 |
| Runs1: | 48 |
| Bat Avg1: | 8.00 |
| 100S/50S1: | –/– |
| Top Score1: | 36 |
| Deliveries1: | 974 |
| Wickets1: | 26 |
| Bowl Avg1: | 15.88 |
| Fivefor1: | 3 |
| Tenfor1: | 1 |
| Best Bowling1: | 5/14 |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 2/– |
| Date: | 26 November |
| Year: | 2023 |
| Source: | https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/j-versey-brown-35758 ESPNcricinfo |
John Sidney Vesey-Brown (1899 – June 1976) was an English first-class cricketer, British Army officer and a director for the Mobil oil company.
The son of C. S. Vesey-Brown, who was the electrical engineer for Lincoln, Vesey-Brown was born there in 1899. He was educated in Oxfordshire at Bloxham School.[1] After completing his education, he enlisted in the British Army by lying about his age in order to serve in the First World War. He gained a commission as a temporary second lieutenant into the Durham Light Infantry in October 1917. Following the war, he was made a temporary lieutenant in May 1919, before completing his military service in September 1921. Following the end of his military service, he joined the oil company Mobil.[2] During the Second World War, he joined the Royal Norfolk Regiment with the rank of lieutenant colonel and later served as the coordinator of petroleum supplies for British West Africa.[2] For the first two years of his service with the Royal Norfolk Regiment, Vesey-Brown was stationed in British India. There he played first-class cricket, making his first-class debut for the Europeans cricket team against the Indians at Madras in the 1939–40 Madras Presidency Match. He made two further first-class appearances for the Europeans in the 1940–41 and 1942–43 Presidency Matches, in addition to playing for Madras against a touring Ceylon team, and for the Madras Governor's XI against Madras.[3] Playing as a bowler, he took 26 wickets in his five first-class matches at an average of 15.88; he took a five wicket haul on three occasions and once took ten wickets in a match.[4] His best innings figures of 5 for 14 came against Madras.[5]
In 1945, he was seconded to the Ministry of Fuel and Power,[2] where he was employed as an assistant-secretary, and was made an OBE in the 1946 New Year Honours. From 1949, he served as a director at Mobil.[2] Vesey-Brown later retired to Bermuda, where he died in June 1976.[1]