The son of Rt.Hon. Sir John Mellor, Kt., PC., of Kingstown House, Walmer, Kent and number 16 Sussex Gardens, London, by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of William Moseley.

He was educated at Cheltenham College, which he entered in August 1864. A member of the cricket eleven in 1869 he had been in the football XX in 1868. He left in June 1869 to go up to Trinity Hall, Cambridge. At school he was described as "a capital bat, playing very straight, and generally getting runs when most wanted; a safe field." This was at the end of the 1869 season when his highest score for the school was 23 and his average 9.14!

He was a middle order right hand batsman.

His first game for Lancashire was on 5th and 6th June 1874, at old Trafford, against Derbyshire, when he scored 17 and 3. Judging from the number of first appearances in this match it was either an unpopular fixture or for some other reason the county had difficulty getting a side together.

The following year, May 28th and 29th, he opened the innings with A.N.Hornby in the same fixture, scoring 8 and 0.

He went into business with his brother Philip Henry Mellor as cotton spinners at the Stourton Cotton Mills, Preston.

At the time of the 1881 Census he was staying with his brother William M. , aged 44, a J.P., county clerk and cotton broker, at Lingdale Road, Claughton, Birkenhead, Cheshire. Also present were his brothers wife Jane, age 43, two daughters Julia E.H. aged 10, and Violet F. aged 8, and two sons Robert A.F. aged 5 and Philip A.F. aged 1. Mrs Albert Furton, a widow of 27, born in Durham was also staying, as was Horace, unmarried aged 30, a cotton spinner. There were six domestic servants.

Horace retired to Beach House, Castletown, Isle of Man, where he became a J.P.

He was 91 years of age when he died.

(Article: Copyright © 2004 Don Ambrose)

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