John Wolstenholme (1851 – 5 February 1914^[1]) was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Hawke's Bay from 1887 to 1898.

Wolstenholme was born in Lancashire. He became a school teacher, and married Mary Anne Leach in Darwen in July 1880.^[2] They moved in the 1880s to New Zealand, where he taught in the Hawke's Bay area, conducting the school at Norsewood.^[3]

Wolstenholme was an all-rounder at cricket. In November 1892, he was described by the Hawke's Bay Herald thus: "has a good defence and splendid execution, and hits very hard when once set", and a fast bowler "with rather a low delivery" who "always gets wickets".^[4] He usually opened the batting, as he did when he made his highest first-class score of 103 in an innings victory over Taranaki in 1897–98.^[5] In Hawke's Bay's victory over Taranaki in 1891–92 he took 4 for 24 and 4 for 9.^[6]

After his playing career ended, he umpired several of Hawke's Bay's home matches between 1899 and 1901.^[7]

Wolstenholme was appointed headmaster of the school at Port Ahuriri, Napier, in 1890,^[8] and the school's academic and attendance records improved markedly under his stewardship.^[9] After retiring from the position after some years, he was the storekeeper at the small town of Ongaonga, in Central Hawke's Bay.^[10] In June 1906, he disappeared for several days before being found in Wellington living under an assumed name.^[11][12] He returned to Napier to live, working as a relieving teacher until his sudden death in February 1914.^[10] Mary Anne and several grown-up children survived him.^[1]