The son of the politician
John Bonham-Carter, he was born into the prominent
Bonham Carter family, in September 1858 at
Adhurst St Mary, Hampshire. He was educated at
Clifton College, where he played for and
captained the college cricket team. Following the completion of his education, he enlisted into the Gloucestershire Engineer Volunteer Corps as a supernumerary
sub-lieutenant in March 1876. In July of that year, he attended the
Royal Indian Engineering College (RIEC) on the Cooper's Hill Estate in Surrey. before resigning his commission in June 1880. In the month which followed his resignation, Bonham-Carter made his debut in
first-class cricket for
Hampshire against the
Marylebone Cricket Club at
Lord's in 1880. A gap of four years would pass until he next played first-class cricket, with him making a further seven appearances in 1884 and 1885; following the 1885 season, Hampshire lost their first-class status on the back of poor results. In eight first-class matches, he scored 260 runs at an
average of 17.33; he made two half centuries, with a highest score of 67. He was known to play
rugby union, having represented
Surrey while at the RIEC. As a brewer, he was a managing director of the
Brickwood brewery in
Portsmouth, having previously assisted his family with their running of the Spicer brewery. He was also a
justice of the peace and a former chairman of the East Hampshire
Conservative Association. His estate passed to his eldest son, Algernon, with parts of it being sold to the
Forestry Commission to cover
death duties. ==References==