Born 30/1/1857 on Malta Died 26/1/1936 at Smeeds Farm, Monks Horton, Hythe, Kent
A coal factor by profession and later Secretary to a colliery fitter.
Arriving in England in the 1870s he married a girl from Bromley in 1879 and moved to the North East where he first appeared in the 1881 census. He played for Hartlepools Football Club (founded in 1875 and amalgamated with Hartlepool Rovers in 1883) and Hartlepool Rovers. Hill Captained the latter from 1887 to 1890 and was the first Hartlepools player to gain the distinction of playing for the County in 1879 against Yorkshire. He was always a first choice for the pack. He was to give ‘fine service’ to the County for 12 seasons appearing in 29 matches and showing superior versatility by playing in all positions including threequarters. On several occasions he was also to Captain the County side. On two occasions he played in the Northeast v North West game. Of special note is the fact that he captained the Rovers team versus the New Zealand Native Team (aka The Maoris) at The Friarage on 14th November 1888. This was the first side from overseas to visit and play international rugby in the Home Unions.
As a rugby administrator he was the Secretary of Hartlepools in 1882 before going on to be Secretary and Treasurer of Hartlepool Rovers in 1886 – 87. He was also Secretary of the County from 1889 to 1894. Vice President from 1895 to 1900 and President for the succeeding two years.
In 1891 – 92 although retired he turned out in the North v South game (an England Trial) at Newcastle when W E Bromet failed to arrive for the start of the game. On Bromets arrival he withdrew from the game.
Little information exists about his refereeing career but The Sunderland Echo of 20/2/1902 indicates that was to referee Ireland 5 v Scotland O at the Balmoral Showgrounds, Belfast on 22/1/1902.
Date (of image) : 1883
Donor : Mr. David Rice
Creator : unknown
Location
Although dating officially from 1876, the Durham County Rugby Union, like many of its Clubs, has a pre-history stretching back to at least 1873. That year a group of enthusiasts in the County received an invite from Yorkshire RFU (formed in 1870) suggesting “you give us contest at Rugby” After a champagne luncheon the invite was accepted, and Durham played Yorkshire in Leeds.
This gallery has a selection of images concerning the clashes between Durham County & the Counties in the Northern Championship, leading to 1892 which year can be seen as the Zenith for Rugby Union popularity in the North. The years following this period brought on the spilt with the Rugby League and the rise in popularity for Association Football.
The Yorkshire, Lancs and Cheshire Unions were then at the peak of their powers but 1892 was a fateful year for their clubs, and were on the cusp of a disastrous split with the R.F.U. over broken time payments.
It is easy to look back at the past with a rosy hue, these images show that even in the great eras, travel chaos, disappointing results, new law changes and violence (on and off the field) were not uncommon.
More detail »Images of the first known Rugby club in the 'Pools. The club was eventually dissolved in 1883 to join with Hartlepool Rovers to create a stronger Rugby club base in Hartlepool.
An early game for the Hartlepool Club was against United Sunderland on Feby 19th 1876 on the Friarage Field, with 14 men, they beat the Wearsiders 11 men by 4 tries, 1 poster 6 touchdowns to 1 rouge. The Hartlepool X1V was P Chamberlain (Captain), Alfred Belk, E Bell, Thomas Wearmouth, J Wilson, William & Arthur Hill, Bulmer, Sidney Wishart, Irvine, Otto & Henry Trechmann, W Gray & Henry Smurthwaite. The same year, Sunderland opened their new season and got their revenge on 31st October 1876 by trouncing Hartlepool by 3 goals, 3 tries, 1 rouge to two rouges. This was the score at 5.10 p.m. and “as it was now dark”, they stopped play!
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Images from Rovers from before they took over Hartlepool FC in 1883 and their exploits in the Senior Cup. It is difficult for us today to imagine the effect the introduction of the Durham County Senior Competition in 1881 had on Rugby in the area.
Within a few short seasons of its introduction clubs had organised their teams more formally to ensure they won games and ideally the Cup. By 1885, Durham City, having defeated Boldon, Humbledon and North Durham, reached the Final against Sunderland Rovers. The game was played at the Friarage Field , here in Hartlepool, in front of a crowd of 9,000. The numbers swelled by train excursions from Sunderland, Shields, Newcastle, Darlington, Stockton and Middlesbrough to see City lift the Cup for the first time.
The Cup was not without its detractors and the Competition was withdrawn in 1886 but restored a year later when Rovers won for a second time (they had defeated North Durham in 1884) beating Humbledon in 1887.
The 1888 Final saw Durham City overcome Rovers on Ashbrooke before a crowd of 10,000 spectators, 1200 had arrived from Durham by a special train. A Darlington newspaper of that era reported “that the news of the defeat of Rovers was received in Hartlepool with dismay, the blinds were drawn, many places wearing an air of mourning, whilst one enthusiastic supporter of Rovers an outfitter at West Hartlepool, edged the telegram announcing the feat with a deep border of black”! The outfitter referred to was probably Bramwells of lynn Street and their Business card appears in this Gallery.
Rovers soon revived and went on to play in a great number of Finals, this early period being particularly successful featuring in eight of the Finals in the decade covered by this Gallery. The Robert Wood collection contains a number of posters advertising games in the Competition which was always held in March, a simpler and very successful format that was tried in recent times with success.
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