Francis Luscombe
Birth name | Francis Luscombe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 23 November 1849 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Norwood, Surrey[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of death | 17 July 1926(1926-07-17) (aged 76) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of death | East Grinstead | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Tonbridge School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Francis Luscombe (23 November 1849 – 17 July 1926) was a rugby union international who represented England from 1872 to 1876. He also captained his country.[1]
Early life
Francis Luscombe was born on 1849 in Norwood, then in Surrey.[2] He was baptised at Ifield Church and with his family soon after moved to Croydon His father, John Henry Luscombe (1797 to 1883), was a shipowner who had married late in life at the age of fifty to Clara Bristow (1823 to 1910), twenty-six years his junior. Francis, known as Frank in his family, had at least three siblings, an older brother John Henry "Harry" (1848–1937), a younger brother, Alfred (1851–1942) and a younger sister Clara Elizabeth "Kitty" (1854–1900). He attended Tonbridge School.[3] and after leaving school worked for the insurance brokers, Lachlan & partners. By 1871 he was a partner at Vaughan Smith & Co., a brokerage specialising in Russia.
Rugby union career
A number of sources suggest that Francis and his brother John were the first brothers to appear together in a rugby international, in the first international in 1871.[4][5] However, this is a misconception because Francis Luscombe did not play in that first international, though his brother did.[6]
Prior to the first international and also before the foundation of the Rugby Football Union, Luscombe had not only established himself as a formidable rugby forward, but had also been instrumental in the creation of the Gipsies Football Club. It was founded in October 1868 by three Old Tonbridgians,[7] Francis Luscombe, J. A. Body, and W. J. Parker. These three men were keen on football and wanted to provide a football club in London with which Tonbridge's former pupils could affiliate, much as the Marlborough Nomads served Marlborough College. These three soon recruited a number of likeminded individuals and in the summer of 1868 they were able to arrange a card of matches for the season 1868–69. After the two first matches had been played a meeting was called on 17 October 1868 and "The Gipsies Football Club" was formed with Francis Luscombe elected as honorary secretary. The team was based in Peckham.[8] and was unbeaten in its first season (with 7 matches won and 11 drawn) and in the next season, 1869–70, the club continued its good form playing 18 out of which they drew 13, won 3 and lost just 2. Among the many opponents attracted to play the team were Blackheath FC, Richmond FC, Oxford and Cambridge Universities, Ravenscourt Park, Marlborough Nomads, Woolwich, Sandhurst, Cooper's Hill, St. Andrew's Rovers, Clapham Rovers, and West Kent.[9]
Such was the reputation of the club, that on 26 January 1871, the Gipsies were one of the twenty-one London and suburban football clubs that followed Rugby School rules that assembled at the Pall Mall Restaurant in Regent Street and formed the Rugby Football Union was formed. Luscombe was not only present but became one of the thirteen original committee members.[9] The first instance of the RFU trialing its laws was in 1871 in a match between the Football Company and Harlequins FC. Luscombe, who along with John Bentley had been instrumental in founding the Football Company, played in that match. The Football Company adopted the all white strip of Rugby School, and following this match it was decided that England should also wear white.
He did not find a place in that first Scotland vs England match in 1871 but was selected for the return match in 1872. Luscombe made his international debut on 5 February 1872 at The Oval in the England vs Scotland match.[1] In total he played four times against Scotland and twice against Ireland. He played his final match for England on 6 March 1876 at The Oval in the England vs Scotland match.[1] In the following 1877/78 season he was vice-president of the Rugby Football Union.[3]
Personal life
Luscombe also played Association Football and appeared for the first Crystal Palace FC between 1869 and 1870.[10] He later bred horses and was the owner of the Tilgate Forest Stud near Crawley in West Sussex.[3] Although married to Mary Edith Hogg on 5 April 1877, he had no children. Similarly, his sister Clara, had no issue. He did have a number of nieces and nephews via his two brothers.
References
- ^ a b c d Francis Luscombe Profile on espn.co.uk.
- ^ Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1881
- ^ a b c Dick Tyson, London's Oldest Rugby Clubs, p41 (JJG Publishing), 2008
- ^ Mathew Brown, Patrick Guthrie, and Greg Growden, Rugby for Dummies, Page 329, (For Dummies), ISBN 978-0-470-15327-7
- ^ Keith Quinn, The encyclopedia of world rugby, 1993, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC Enterprises)
- ^ Dick Tyson, London's Oldest Rugby Clubs, p. 40 (JJG Publishing), 2008
- ^ Steve Lewis, One Among Equals, page 253, 2008 (Vertical Editions:London)
- ^ Charles Dickens jr, Dickens's Dictionary of London, 1879
- ^ a b Marshall, Francis, Football; the Rugby union game, contribution by W Parker, (1892) (London Paris Melbourne, Cassell and Co, Ltd).
- ^ Law, Gordon (2021). Palace Pioneers: How the first Crystal Palace FC helped create the modern game. p. 87. ISBN 979-8772662892.
Sporting positions | ||
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Preceded by Henry Lawrence | English National Rugby Union Captain 1875–1876 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
- 1871–1873: Frederick Stokes
- 1874: Alfred Hamersley
- 1875: Henry Lawrence
- 1875–1876: Francis Luscombe
- 1877 – Mar 1878: Edward Kewley
- Mar 1878: Murray Marshall
- 1879: Frank Adams
- 1880–1881: Lennard Stokes
- Feb 1882: Charles Gurdon
- Mar 1882: Albert Hornby
- Dec 1882 – 1885: Edward Gurdon
- Jan–Feb 1886: Charles Marriott
- Mar 1886: Edward Gurdon
- 1887: Alan Rotherham
- 1889: Fred Bonsor
- Feb 1890: Andrew Stoddart
- Mar 1890: John Hickson
- Mar 1890: Andrew Stoddart
- 1891 – Jan 1892: Frederic Alderson
- Feb 1892: Sammy Woods
- Mar 1892: Frederic Alderson
- Jan 1893: Andrew Stoddart
- Feb 1893: Sammy Woods
- Mar 1893: Andrew Stoddart
- Jan–Feb 1894: Richard Lockwood
- Mar 1894: Ernest Taylor
- 1895: Sammy Woods
- 1896: Ernest Taylor
- Mar 1896: Frank Mitchell
- 1897: Ernest Taylor
- 1898: James Byrne
- 1899: Arthur Rotherham
- Jan 1900: Richard Cattell
- 1900: John Daniell
- Jan 1901: Jack Taylor
- Feb–Mar 1901: William Bunting
- Jan 1902: Harry Alexander
- Feb–Mar 1902: John Daniell
- Jan–Feb 1903: Bernard Oughtred
- Mar 1903: Toggie Kendall
- Jan 1904: Frank Stout
- Feb–Mar 1904: John Daniell
- Jan–Mar 1905: Frank Stout
- Dec 1905 – Dec 1906: Vincent Cartwright
- Jan 1907: Basil Hill
- Feb 1907: John Green
- Mar 1907: Ernest Roberts
- Jan 1908: Thomas Kelly
- Jan 1908: John Birkett
- Feb 1908: Curly Hammond
- Mar 1908: Lancelot Slocock
- Jan 1909: George Lyon
- Jan–Mar 1909: Robert Dibble
- Jan–Feb 1910: Adrian Stoop
- Mar 1910: Edgar Mobbs
- Mar 1910 – Feb 1911: John Birkett
- Mar 1911: Anthony Henniker-Gotley
- Jan–Mar 1912: Robert Dibble
- Apr 1912 – Mar 1913: Norman Wodehouse
- 1914: Ronald Poulton
- 1920: John Greenwood
- 1921: Dave Davies
- Jan 1922: Bruno Brown
- Feb 1922 – 1923: Dave Davies
- 1924–1926: Wavell Wakefield
- 1927: Leonard Corbett
- 1928 – Feb 1929: Ronald Cove-Smith
- Mar 1929 – Feb 1930: Joe Periton
- Feb 1930 – Jan 1931: Sam Tucker
- Feb 1931: Peter Howard
- Mar 1931 – Jan 1933: Carl Aarvold
- Feb–Mar 1933: Tony Novis
- 1934: Bernard Gadney
- Jan–Feb 1935: Douglas Kendrew
- Mar 1935 – Mar 1936: Bernard Gadney
- 1937: Tuppy Owen-Smith
- Jan–Feb 1938: Peter Cranmer
- Mar 1938 – Mar 1939: Henry Toft
- Jan–Feb 1947: Joe Mycock
- Mar–Apr 1947: Jack Heaton
- Jan 1948: Edward Scott
- Jan 1948: Tommy Kemp
- Feb–Mar 1948: Edward Scott
- Mar 1948: Bob Weighill
- Jan–Feb 1949: Nim Hall
- Feb 1949 – Mar 1950: Ivor Preece
- Jan 1951: Vic Roberts
- Feb–Mar 1951: John Kendall-Carpenter
- Jan 1952 – Mar 1953: Nim Hall
- 1954: Bob Stirling
- Jan–Feb 1955: Nim Hall
- Feb–Mar 1955: Peter Young
- Jan 1956 – Mar 1958: Eric Evans
- 1959: Jeffrey Butterfield
- 1960–1962: Dickie Jeeps
- Jan–Mar 1963: Richard Sharp
- May–Jun 1963: Mike Weston
- Jan–Feb 1964: John Willcox
- Feb–Mar 1964: Ron Jacobs
- 1965: David Perry
- 1966: Budge Rogers
- Jan 1967: Richard Sharp
- Feb–Nov 1967: Philip Judd
- Jan–Feb 1968: Colin McFadyean
- Feb–Mar 1968: Mike Weston
- Feb 1969: Dick Greenwood
- Feb–Apr 1969: Budge Rogers
- Dec 1969 – Mar 1970: Bob Hiller
- Apr 1970: Bob Taylor
- Jan 1971: Tony Bucknall
- Feb 1971: John Spencer
- Feb 1971: Bob Hiller
- Mar–Apr 1971: John Spencer
- Jan–Feb 1972: Bob Hiller
- Feb–Mar 1972: Peter Dixon
- Jun 1972 – Mar 1974: John Pullin
- Jan–Feb 1975: Fran Cotton
- Mar–May 1975: Tony Neary
- May 1975: John Pullin
- Jan–Mar 1976: Tony Neary
- 1977: Roger Uttley
- 1978: Bill Beaumont
- Feb 1979: Roger Uttley
- Feb 1979 – Jan 1982: Bill Beaumont
- Feb 1982 – Feb 1983: Steve Smith
- Mar 1983: John Scott
- Nov 1983 – Mar 1984: Peter Wheeler
- Jun 1984: John Scott
- Nov 1984: Nigel Melville
- 1985: Paul Dodge
- 1986: Nigel Melville
- Feb–Mar 1987: Richard Hill
- Apr 1987 – Feb 1988: Mike Harrison
- Mar 1988: Nigel Melville
- Apr–Jun 1988: John Orwin
- Jun 1988: Richard Harding
- Nov 1988 – Mar 1989: Will Carling
- May 1989: Rob Andrew
- Nov 1989 – May 1995: Will Carling
- May 1995: Rob Andrew
- Jun 1995: Will Carling
- Nov 1995 – Mar 1996: Will Carling
- Nov 1996: Phil de Glanville
- Dec 1996: Jason Leonard
- Feb–Jul 1997: Phil de Glanville
- Nov 1997 – Apr 1998: Lawrence Dallaglio
- Jun 1998: Tony Diprose
- Jun–Jul 1998: Matt Dawson
- Nov 1998: Martin Johnson
- Nov 1998 – Apr 1999: Lawrence Dallaglio
- Jun–Oct 1999: Martin Johnson
- Feb–Apr 2000: Matt Dawson
- Jun 2000 – Apr 2001: Martin Johnson
- Jun 2001: Kyran Bracken
- Oct 2001: Matt Dawson
- Nov 2001: Neil Back
- Nov 2001 – Mar 2002: Martin Johnson
- Mar–Apr 2002: Neil Back
- Jun 2002: Phil Vickery
- Nov 2002 – Feb 2003: Martin Johnson
- Mar 2003: Jonny Wilkinson
- Mar–Jun 2003: Martin Johnson
- Aug 2003: Jason Leonard
- Aug 2003: Dorian West
- Sep–Oct 2003: Martin Johnson
- Nov 2003: Phil Vickery
- Nov 2003: Martin Johnson
- Feb–Jun 2004: Lawrence Dallaglio
- Nov 2004 – Feb 2005: Jason Robinson
- Mar 2005 – Mar 2006: Martin Corry
- Jun 2006: Pat Sanderson
- Nov 2006: Martin Corry
- Feb 2007: Phil Vickery
- Mar 2007: Mike Catt
- May 2007: Jason Robinson
- Jun 2007: Jonny Wilkinson
- Aug 2007: Phil Vickery
- Aug 2007: Mike Catt
- Aug–Sep 2007: Phil Vickery
- Sep 2007: Martin Corry
- Oct 2007 – Feb 2008: Phil Vickery
- Feb 2008: Steve Borthwick
- Feb–Mar 2008: Phil Vickery
- Jun 2008 – Mar 2010: Steve Borthwick
- Mar–Nov 2010: Lewis Moody
- Nov 2010: Nick Easter
- Nov 2010: Lewis Moody
- Feb 2011: Mike Tindall
- Aug 2011: Lewis Moody
- Aug–Sep 2011: Mike Tindall
- Sep–Oct 2011: Lewis Moody
- Feb–Jun 2012: Chris Robshaw
- Jun 2012: Dylan Hartley
- Nov 2012 – Mar 2013: Chris Robshaw
- Jun 2013: Tom Wood
- Nov 2013 – Oct 2015: Chris Robshaw
- Feb 2016 – Mar 2018: Dylan Hartley
- Mar 2018: Owen Farrell
- Mar 2018: Dylan Hartley
- Jun–Nov 2018: Owen Farrell
- Nov 2018: George Ford
- Nov 2018 – Mar 2019: Owen Farrell
- Aug 2019: George Ford
- Aug–Sep 2019: Owen Farrell
- Sep 2019: George Ford
- Oct 2019 – Mar 2021: Owen Farrell
- Jul 2021: Lewis Ludlow
- Nov 2021: Courtney Lawes
- Nov 2021: Owen Farrell
- Nov 2021: Courtney Lawes
- Feb 2022: Tom Curry
- Feb–Jul 2022: Courtney Lawes
- Nov 2022 – Feb 2023: Owen Farrell
- Mar 2023: Ellis Genge
- Mar 2023: Owen Farrell
- Aug 2023: Ellis Genge
- Aug 2023: Owen Farrell
- Aug–Sep 2023: Courtney Lawes
- Sep–Oct 2023: Owen Farrell
- Feb 2024: Jamie George