Charles Scobie

Charles Smith Scobie (21 February 1895 — 2 September 1965) was a Scottish first-class cricketer and umpire.

The son of James Scobie, he was born at Edinburgh in February 1895. He was educated at Daniel Stewart’s College.^[1] Scobie began employment as a second class clerk with Sasine Office at the Registers of Scotland in May 1915,^[1] having been successful in an open competition for the role.^[2] He served in the British Army from July 1915, enlisting as a private with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and by the time he was sent to the Western Front he was an acting corporal.^[1] He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in September 1917, being commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant on probation in September 1917,^[3] and was confirmed in the rank in March 1918.^[4] He was seconded on attachment to 4 Squadron Australian Flying Corps in May 1918, before transferring to No. 80 Squadron RAF in July 1918, where he flew Sopwith Camels on low-level operations.^[1] At the end of the war he was transferred to the unemployed list, at which point he held the rank of lieutenant.^[5]

Following the war, Scobie returned to the Sasine Office.^[1] A club cricketer for Stewart's Former Pupils and Grange,^[6] he made his debut in first-class cricket for Scotland against Surrey at Glasgow in 1923. He played first-class cricket for Scotland until 1928, making eight appearances.^[7] Playing as a leg break googly bowler, he took 20 wickets at an average of 29.15;^[8] he took one five wicket haul, with figures of 5 for 112 against Lancashire in 1925.^[9] As a lower order batsman, he scored 95 runs in his eight matches with a highest score of 26.^[10] In addition to playing at first-class level, Scobie also stood as an umpire in the 1930 fixture between Scotland and Ireland at Aberdeen.^[11] He married Shena Bertram Melrose in July 1937 and later retired as assistant keeper at the Registers of Scotland. Scobie died at Edinburgh in September 1965.^[1]