Herman Griffith
1914 • Founder & Pace Bowler
The founding father of Empire — “Mr. Empire”
About
- Era1914
- RoleFounder & Pace Bowler
- SportCricket
- LegacyClub Founder
In Action
Biography
Herman Clarence Griffith — known to all as “Mr. Empire” — is the reason this club exists. In 1913 he was denied membership to Spartan Cricket Club because of the colour of his skin and his social class. Rather than accept that injustice, he chose defiance.
On Empire Day, 24 May 1914, Griffith and a group of like-minded men founded Empire Club — a club open to all, regardless of race or social standing. What began as a response to exclusion grew into one of the most decorated sporting institutions in Caribbean history.
On the field, Griffith was a fearsome fast bowler and the first Black captain of Barbados. He earned lasting fame as the bowler who dismissed the great Don Bradman for a duck — a moment that spoke to the very spirit of the club he built: strength through adversity.