N o .125
elevenses with a friend, he commented
wryly, ‘A normal morning in the house.
The meat for lunch has gone off and
there’s been a stabbing.’
One of the high points of his tenure was
The Queen Mother’s visit to Beloe’s in
1977. When she asked him where he
lived he said, ‘Southwold, in Suffolk.’
‘I know it,’ she replied. ‘I planted a tree
there.’ ‘Yes,’ said Hewitson. ‘When I take
my dog Jasper for his evening walk, he
always uses it.’
He retired from the house after 15 years
– and after attracting record numbers
of applicants. He then served a further
15 years as Registrar. This required him
to keep the school full and to persuade
T he T rusty S ervant
housedons to accept late applicants or
those who had not found places in other
houses. His very reasonableness and
straightforwardness made potentially
difficult negotiations easy.
After his retirement in 2000, he became
chairman of the Corinthian-Casuals,
accompanying them on their trip to
Brazil and presiding over their centenary
match against Manchester United in
2004 in which Man U avenged their
11-3 defeat of 1904.
His retirement, divided between his
flat in the Barbican and his house in
Suffolk, allowed him to explore his many
other interests, particularly in bicycles
and cars. Trips to the French Alps to
witness the more gruelling stages of the
Tour de France were mixed with rallies
of Lancia Aurelia enthusiasts in Italy
and excursions to Norwich to see his
own Aurelia and chat for hours with his
mechanics. He claimed to have been to
the film The Italian Job armed with an
umbrella, using the handle as a gear lever
during high-speed chases.
His wife, Shirley, who died tragically
early in 1980, was the perfect support
for him, as was later his companion,
Judy Shedden. He is survived by his two
sons, David (I, 77-81) and John (F, 80-
85), whom he regarded with pride and
devotion, and by his four grandchildren.
Hubert Doggart
(E, 38-43; Co Ro, 50-72)
Michael Nevin (I, 63-68; Co Ro, 74-12)
writes:
Hubert Doggart, who has died aged 92,
was in Freddie’s from 1938 to 1943, a
don from 1950 to 1972, and Housedon
of Trant’s from 1964 to 1972. As a boy at
Winchester he made his mark as a games
player of rare talent and versatility. He
captained the school at cricket, soccer
and rackets, and in 1943 won the public
schools rackets doubles championship.
On leaving school Hubert joined the
Army, and in 1944 carried off the Sword
of Honour at Mons. Commissioned into
the Coldstream Guards, he served in
north-west Europe, before being posted
to the 6 th Guards Brigade HQ. He
remained in the Army until 1947.
Hubert was thus 22 when he went up to
King’s College, Cambridge. In May 1948,
at Fenner’s, he made a sensational debut
in first-class cricket, scoring 215 not out
against a Lancashire side that included
two test bowlers: this remains the
English record for any batsman making
his first-class debut. In 1949, Doggart
(219 not out) and Dewes (204 not out)
shared an unbroken partnership of 429
against Essex. In 1950, he captained the
university at cricket, soccer, squash and
rackets, and in addition gained a half-
blue for rugby fives. Somehow, in that
crowded summer, he played for England
in two tests against the West Indies
and also managed to obtain a second in
History.
Self-discipline was never lacking.
Moreover, along with his fellow
Cambridge cricketers David Sheppard
and John Dewes, Hubert was ever
conscious of Christian obligation. In
September 1950 be began teaching
at Winchester, effectively turning his
back on cricketing stardom. As master
in charge of cricket he instilled in us
a love of the game, which has lasted
all our lives. On a wet April day, when
7
conditions prevented outdoor practice,
he asked us round to the drawing-room
in Trant’s, and, brandishing a bat in front
of the fire, demonstrated every stroke in
the book. He often played against Lords
in club matches. I remember especially
the brilliance of his leg-side shots: he
would sweep at will behind square, in
front of square, wherever the fielders
weren’t. He also bowled his off-spinners
with canny variety, ensnaring many a
naive adolescent. Hubert’s voice rings
in the memory to this day. It was high-
pitched, lyrical, and it carried a long way.
At Fenner’s, his calls while batting were
said to have caused many a run-out on
adjacent pitches. If you were fielding
in the middle of New Field, you could
hear him talking in Hunter Tent. His
tone was invariably kindly and above all
enthusiastic.
Hubert, however, was far more than a
brilliant games player. He was a great
educator. He brought the same infectious