Albert Elliott
Encyclopedia
Albert Ernest Elliott was an English
rugby union
player who played club rugby for Cambridge University
and St. Thomas' Hospital
. Elliott gained his only international cap when he was selected for England
in 1894. He is also notable for being one of the few international rugby players to die serving during the Boer War.
in 1869, the youngest son of Thomas Christopher Elliot, a merchant, and Mary Jane Mason. He was educated at Cheltenham College
before matriculating to St John's College, Cambridge
in 1888. He received his BA
in 1891, and continued his medical training at St Thomas' Hospital
in London. He completed his studies in 1898, gaining his diploma of Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians that year. He became the Resident Medical Officer at Queen Charlotte's Hospital.
With the outbreak of the Second Boer War
, Elliott volunteered for service, and was utalisied as a medic attached to No.4 field Hospital. He was present at both the Battle of Spion Kop
and Battle of Vaal Krantz
and aftwards was posted at Ladysmith
. He was made Civil Surgeon-in-charge of the 4th Brigade, in medical charge of the 21st, 42nd and 53rd Batteries of the Royal Artillery. He held this role until his death from fever on 1 December 1900 at Middelburg
, Transvaal.
, winning his 'Blue' in the 1891 victory over Oxford. On leaving Cambridge, he joined St Thomas' Hospital rugby team, and it was while at the hospital club he won his first and only international cap. Elliot was selected for the England team to play in the final game of the 1894 Home Nations Championship
, an encounter against Scotland
. Played away from home at Raeburn Palace in Edinburgh, the Scottish team won the match 6-0, and Elliot was not reselected for the next tournament. The next season, Elliott was selected to play for invitational touring side, the Barbarians
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player who played club rugby for Cambridge University
Cambridge University R.U.F.C.
The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest...
and St. Thomas' Hospital
Guy's, Kings and St. Thomas' Rugby Football Club
Guy's, Kings and St. Thomas' Rugby Football Club is the name given to the modern amalgam of three formerly distinct hospital rugby clubs each with a long history, having all been founded in the nineteenth century. The teams from Guy's Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital were the first to merge...
. Elliott gained his only international cap when he was selected for England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in 1894. He is also notable for being one of the few international rugby players to die serving during the Boer War.
Personal history
Percival was born in Basset Mount, SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
in 1869, the youngest son of Thomas Christopher Elliot, a merchant, and Mary Jane Mason. He was educated at Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
before matriculating to St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
in 1888. He received his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1891, and continued his medical training at St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS hospital in London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It has provided health care freely or under charitable auspices since the 12th century and was originally located in Southwark.St Thomas' Hospital is accessible...
in London. He completed his studies in 1898, gaining his diploma of Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians that year. He became the Resident Medical Officer at Queen Charlotte's Hospital.
With the outbreak of the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, Elliott volunteered for service, and was utalisied as a medic attached to No.4 field Hospital. He was present at both the Battle of Spion Kop
Battle of Spion Kop
The Battle of Spion Kop was fought about west-south-west of Ladysmith on the hilltop of Spioenkop along the Tugela River, Natal in South Africa from 23–24 January 1900...
and Battle of Vaal Krantz
Battle of Vaal Krantz
The Battle of Vaal Krantz was the third failed attempt by General Redvers Buller's British army to fight its way past Louis Botha's army of Boer irregulars and lift the Siege of Ladysmith...
and aftwards was posted at Ladysmith
Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal
Ladysmith is a city in the Uthukela District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is north-west of Durban and south of Johannesburg. Important industries in the area include food processing, textile and tyre production...
. He was made Civil Surgeon-in-charge of the 4th Brigade, in medical charge of the 21st, 42nd and 53rd Batteries of the Royal Artillery. He held this role until his death from fever on 1 December 1900 at Middelburg
Middelburg, Mpumalanga
Middelburg is a large farming and industrial town in the South African province of Mpumalanga.Middelburg was established as Nasareth, , in 1864 by the Voortrekkers on the banks of the Klein Olifants River. The name was changed in 1872 to Middelburg to mark its situation midway between the Transvaal...
, Transvaal.
Rugby career
Elliot's is first recognised as a rugby player, when he joined the Cambridge University team. He played in on Varsity MatchThe Varsity Match
The Varsity Match is an annual rugby union fixture played between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. By tradition, the match is held on the second Tuesday of December. In 2005, however, this changed, and the match was on Tuesday 6 December. In 2007, it was held on a Thursday for...
, winning his 'Blue' in the 1891 victory over Oxford. On leaving Cambridge, he joined St Thomas' Hospital rugby team, and it was while at the hospital club he won his first and only international cap. Elliot was selected for the England team to play in the final game of the 1894 Home Nations Championship
1894 Home Nations Championship
The 1894 Home Nations Championship was the twelfth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 6 January and 17 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
, an encounter against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
. Played away from home at Raeburn Palace in Edinburgh, the Scottish team won the match 6-0, and Elliot was not reselected for the next tournament. The next season, Elliott was selected to play for invitational touring side, the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
.