Gilbert E. Primrose
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Edward Primrose was a Scottish amateur sports
man who made one appearance for the Scottish football XI against England in the representative match
played in February 1871. He later settled in Helidon
, near Brisbane
in Queensland
, Australia where he became a director of the Helidon Spa Water Company.
, near Edinburgh
, the third of the six sons of the Hon. Bouverie Francis Primrose (1813–1898) and his wife, Frederica Sophia Anson (1814–1867). His father was the son of Archibald Primrose, 4th Earl of Rosebery
and Harriett Bouverie. His mother was the daughter of Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson
and Lady Anne Margaret Coke.
His brothers included Francis Archibald, (born 1843), Henry William
(1846–1923), who became chairman of the Board of the Inland Revenue
, and George Anson Primrose (1849–1930), who became a vice-admiral.
Primrose was baptised at St. John's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh
and educated at Trinity College, Glenalmond. On 13 May 1893, in Brisbane
, Queensland, he married Jessie Catherine Costelloe, daughter of Lieutenant Costelloe of Lackeen Castle, Birr
, Ireland.
club) was selected as a late replacement for William Baillie-Hamilton
for the international football match against England. (In some contemporary match reports, he is listed as "C.E. Primrose".) The match ended in a 1–1 draw with goals from Charles Nepean
and Robert Walker. In many present-day databases, Primrose is confused with his elder brother, Henry
, who played for Scotland on 19 November 1870.
, Australia where his brother Francis had already settled. In January 1871, Francis is listed as having made a "pre-emptive selection" of 264 acres of agricultural land at Emu Creek, about 17 miles north of Crows Nest
.
By the mid-1880s, Gilbert Primrose was involved with the Helidon Spa Water Company. The quality of the water at Helidon
had long been known to the indigenous population who claimed that their strength came from the water. The first European to come across the waters at Helidon was the botanist and explorer, Allan Cunningham
in the 1820s. In the early 1880s, the Helidon Spa company was established to bottle the water from the spring.
In October 1885, a special train was laid on to transport potential investors from Brisbane
to view the Helidon Spa Springs. After the party were shown the source and tasted the water (described as "full of sparkling effervescence and perfectly clear"), Primrose explained that as the former partnership "had expired by eflluxion of time", he was seeking investors in a proposed limited company, "which resulted in several shares being taken up by the gentlemen present."
Primrose became managing director of the company, and in October 1895 he sued a Jean de Raeve for an unpaid debt of £19 0s. 7d due to the company. The company's success was such that competitors were frequently taken to court for breach of copyright; in May 1897, Primrose successfully took action against Alfred Lucas Gardner, trading as "Owen Gardner and Sons" for "infringement of his patent rights in connection with the sale of Helidon Spa water".
Although the spring was at Helidon, the company had a bottling plant in Brisbane.
, London.
In October 1900, Primrose and his family published a notice in The "Sydney Morning Herald", thanking "their many kind friends and sympathisers for wreaths and letters of sympathy received during their recent sad bereavement".
Primrose subsequently returned to England where he died at Worthing
, West Sussex
on 16 February 1935.
Amateur sports
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
man who made one appearance for the Scottish football XI against England in the representative match
England v Scotland representative matches (1870–1872)
Between 1870 and 1872, the Football Association organised five representative association football matches between teams from England and Scotland, all held in London. The first of these matches was held at The Oval on 5 March 1870, and the fifth was on 21 February 1872. The matches, which were...
played in February 1871. He later settled in Helidon
Helidon, Queensland
Helidon is a town in the Lockyer Valley region of south east Queensland, Australia. Helidon is located on the Warrego Highway, west of the state capital, Brisbane and east of Toowoomba...
, near Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia where he became a director of the Helidon Spa Water Company.
Family and education
Primrose was born at DalmenyDalmeny House
Dalmeny House is a Gothic revival mansion located in an estate close to Dalmeny on the Firth of Forth, to the north-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was designed by William Wilkins, and completed in 1817.Dalmeny House is the home of the Earl and Countess of Rosebery. The house was the first in...
, near Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, the third of the six sons of the Hon. Bouverie Francis Primrose (1813–1898) and his wife, Frederica Sophia Anson (1814–1867). His father was the son of Archibald Primrose, 4th Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Primrose, 4th Earl of Rosebery
Sir Archibald John Primrose, 4th Earl of Rosebery KT, PC, FRS was a British Member of Parliament.Archibald Primrose was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge, gaining his MA in 1804...
and Harriett Bouverie. His mother was the daughter of Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson
Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson
Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson was a British politician and peer.Anson was the son of George Adams, who later changed the family name to Anson in 1773, after inheriting Shugborough Hall from his maternal uncle, Lord Anson...
and Lady Anne Margaret Coke.
His brothers included Francis Archibald, (born 1843), Henry William
Henry Primrose
Sir Henry William Primrose K.C.B., C.S.I., I.S.O., P.C. was a Scottish civil servant. He joined the Treasury in 1869, served as private secretary to the Viceroy of India from 1880 to 1884 and to Gladstone in 1886. He was secretary of the Office of Works from 1887 to 1895...
(1846–1923), who became chairman of the Board of the Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
, and George Anson Primrose (1849–1930), who became a vice-admiral.
Primrose was baptised at St. John's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh
Church of St John the Evangelist, Edinburgh
The Church of St John the Evangelist is a Scottish Episcopal church in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is sited at the west end of Princes Street, and is protected as a category A listed building.-Background:...
and educated at Trinity College, Glenalmond. On 13 May 1893, in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland, he married Jessie Catherine Costelloe, daughter of Lieutenant Costelloe of Lackeen Castle, Birr
Birr
Birr is a town in County Offaly, Ireland. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe....
, Ireland.
Football career
On 25 February 1871, Primrose (a member of the Civil ServiceCivil Service F.C.
Civil Service F.C. is an English football club based in the city of London. The club originally played both association football and rugby football and the Civil Service, along with Blackheath F.C., is one of the two clubs that can claim to be a founder member of both the Football Association and...
club) was selected as a late replacement for William Baillie-Hamilton
William A. Baillie-Hamilton
Sir William Alexander Baillie-Hamilton C.B., K.C.M.G. was a Scottish civil servant, who became Private Secretary to the Chief Secretary for Ireland and to the Secretary of State for the Colonies between 1886 and 1892...
for the international football match against England. (In some contemporary match reports, he is listed as "C.E. Primrose".) The match ended in a 1–1 draw with goals from Charles Nepean
Charles Nepean
The Rev. Charles Edward Burroughs Nepean was an English amateur cricketer and footballer who later became a vicar in the Church of England...
and Robert Walker. In many present-day databases, Primrose is confused with his elder brother, Henry
Henry Primrose
Sir Henry William Primrose K.C.B., C.S.I., I.S.O., P.C. was a Scottish civil servant. He joined the Treasury in 1869, served as private secretary to the Viceroy of India from 1880 to 1884 and to Gladstone in 1886. He was secretary of the Office of Works from 1887 to 1895...
, who played for Scotland on 19 November 1870.
Helidon Spa Water Company
Primrose later emigrated to QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia where his brother Francis had already settled. In January 1871, Francis is listed as having made a "pre-emptive selection" of 264 acres of agricultural land at Emu Creek, about 17 miles north of Crows Nest
Crows Nest, Queensland
Crows Nest is a town in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The town is located on the New England Highway from the state capital, Brisbane and from the nearby city of Toowoomba within the Toowoomba Region local government area...
.
By the mid-1880s, Gilbert Primrose was involved with the Helidon Spa Water Company. The quality of the water at Helidon
Helidon, Queensland
Helidon is a town in the Lockyer Valley region of south east Queensland, Australia. Helidon is located on the Warrego Highway, west of the state capital, Brisbane and east of Toowoomba...
had long been known to the indigenous population who claimed that their strength came from the water. The first European to come across the waters at Helidon was the botanist and explorer, Allan Cunningham
Allan Cunningham (botanist)
Allan Cunningham was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his travels in New South Wales to collect plants.- Early life :...
in the 1820s. In the early 1880s, the Helidon Spa company was established to bottle the water from the spring.
In October 1885, a special train was laid on to transport potential investors from Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
to view the Helidon Spa Springs. After the party were shown the source and tasted the water (described as "full of sparkling effervescence and perfectly clear"), Primrose explained that as the former partnership "had expired by eflluxion of time", he was seeking investors in a proposed limited company, "which resulted in several shares being taken up by the gentlemen present."
Primrose became managing director of the company, and in October 1895 he sued a Jean de Raeve for an unpaid debt of £19 0s. 7d due to the company. The company's success was such that competitors were frequently taken to court for breach of copyright; in May 1897, Primrose successfully took action against Alfred Lucas Gardner, trading as "Owen Gardner and Sons" for "infringement of his patent rights in connection with the sale of Helidon Spa water".
Although the spring was at Helidon, the company had a bottling plant in Brisbane.
Later life
In May 1899, Primrose was appointed to represent Queensland at the "Greater Britain Exhibition" to be held at Earls CourtEarls Court
Earls Court is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It is an inner-city district centred on Earl's Court Road and surrounding streets, located 3.1 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It borders the sub-districts of South Kensington to the East, West...
, London.
In October 1900, Primrose and his family published a notice in The "Sydney Morning Herald", thanking "their many kind friends and sympathisers for wreaths and letters of sympathy received during their recent sad bereavement".
Primrose subsequently returned to England where he died at Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
on 16 February 1935.