Discovered during researches in All Saints archives, this is a photograph of the Church Rugby team in Season 1891/1892.
"Mail" records shows they were defeated by "Hartlepool Old Boys" at Foggy Furze on Saturday, 7th December that season in a Hartlepools Junior Cup 2nd Round tie. The "Mail" report also mentions Mr Thorne played splendid (sic), but he is not of the photo!
A note on the photo reads “Ted Withy, 151 Stockton Road, possibly E.A.Withy who is on the front row in the picture.
The draw for the Hartlepool Junior Cup that season shows the clubs that Stranton PC and Old Boys went into the hat with and gives a hint of the local Junior Club season at this time, there were other town Junior Clubs but involved in the County Junior Cup. The Hartlepool Cup draw included, Hartlepool Juniors, Ocean Wanderers, Hartlepool Wesleyans, West End Wanderers, West Hpool St James, Star of Egypt, Hpool Trinity and Rosebank. Old Boys and St James met in the Final, which had to go a replay due a protest from St James, the protest was upheld, and St James won the replay with Dr Bertie Morison presenting the Cup.
Row 4
Date (of image) : 1892
Donor : David House
Creator : Unknown
Part of the "All Saints Stranton Archives" collection
Location
Images from just a handful of the many Junior Clubs, that marked the Rugby scene in the two Boroughs during the 1890s, Quite a few would be age based, records make mention clubs as being for players “on average 16 years of age” for example and as young as “131/2 as was the case with St Hilda’s Choir RFC on one occasion. . Many of them played at some time in the Hartlepools Junior Cup (which was restricted to players under 20 years of age) as well as the County Cup Competitions and operated from pubs and church-based organisations.
By 1900, the game at this level was struggling, by that year Rovers III had only played a few games all season as so many Junior Clubs were defunct, Bertie Morison at Old Boys had brought the Big Three together to talk of forming a League of Junior Clubs to revive matters. By 1903 Harold Pyman had taken matters in hand and formed the Pyman Cup Competition on a home and away basis (no use of the word “League” for political purposes) and his initiative continues to today.
More detail »Images from Old Boys first period as a club. Formed by Dr A E Morison (who started his Rugby career with Rovers),from Old Boys of the 1st Boys Brigade who attended his Bible classes and kept in touch.
Boys Brigade started Rugby playing Rugby in 1887,while the name Old Boys appears from October, 1891 when they played West III. The Old Boys Institute was created in November, 1892 with Old Boys RFC being formalised in 1893 and playing their first game against Rovers II. Going from strength to strength, they soon had players in the County and England XV. From 1902 they went into decline, struggling financially, and by October 1906 suffered the loss of players but had no appreciable incubus (penalty) but an old debt of £40 would be covered by another body – it was reported in the “Mail”- . They played their “final” game in the Pyman League against West III that October to honour the fixture.
More detail »The central part of All Saints' Parish Church, Stranton was built in the 12th century and the tower in the 14th century. The clock was added in 1865.
Villagers of Seaton Carew were interred here prior to Holy Trinity Churchyard's Consecration.
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