Pelham von Donop
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel Pelham George von Donop (28 April 1851 – 7 November 1921) was an officer in the Royal Engineers
and later Chief Inspecting Officer of Railways. He represented the Royal Engineers at association football, appearing in two FA Cup Final
s, and made two appearances for England
.
, Hampshire
, the eldest of four sons (and three daughters) of Commander (later Vice-Admiral) Edward Pelham Brenton von Donop, RN
.
He was educated at Royal Somersetshire College, Bath, before entering the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich
in 1869. He represented the academy in the annual cricket match against Sandhurst
at Lord's
on 23–24 May 1870 and played against the MCC
at Lord's a year later. He was commissioned a lieutenant
in the Royal Engineers on 15 December 1871 and the following April was posted to the School of Military Engineering
at Chatham, Kent. Von Donop continued playing cricket while serving with the Royal Engineers: in one match, against the Harlequins at Chatham in June 1884 he scored 91 runs out of his side's total of 224.
which reached the 1874 FA Cup Final. In the
final, at Kennington Oval
on 14 March 1874, von Donop played at inside left
. The Engineers lost 2–0 to Oxford University
. The following year, the Engineers defeated Oxford University in the semi-final
to set up a second consecutive appearance in the final, this time against the Old Etonians
. The final was played at Kennington Oval on 13 March, with von Donop now playing at centre half
for the Engineers. The game ended in a goal-less draw. In the replay, at the same venue on 16 March, the Engineers won 2–0.
Von Donop also gained two caps for England
in friendly matches against Scotland
. He made his international debut on 8 March 1873, in the second official match played between the two countries, which England won 4–2. Von Donop, playing in the centre of the defence, was described as a "stalwart of the Royal Engineers team". He made his second international appearance two years later, on 6 March 1875, in a 2–2 draw.
Von Donop continued to represent the Royal Engineers until he was in his mid-30s: in November 1886, he scored three goals in a game against the Royal Military Academy
in December 1883. In September 1884, as a member of the Royal Engineers' 8th Railway Corps Company, he was posted to Egypt
to take part in the Nile Expedition
. While in Sudan
, his Company constructed 87⅓ miles of railway track, from Sarras to Akasha, to facilitate the transport of provisions and stores to and from the fighting front. He returned from Egypt in June 1886. Between January 1889 and February 1894, he served as Inspector of Submarine Defences at Bombay
, India
, where, on 15 March 1890, he married Ethel Farran Orr, the daughter of a Bombay barrister. He was promoted to Major in May 1890 and to Lieutenant-Colonel in December 1897.
He continued to play cricket at club level and in January 1890 he made two appearances for G F Vernon
's XI in matches against local sides at the Gymkhana Ground
, Bombay.
In 1899, von Donop left the Royal Engineers to become an Inspecting Officer of Railways for the Board of Trade
's Railway Inspectorate. He was promoted to Chief Inspecting Officer in July 1913 and held that position until his retirement in 1916. During his time with the Board of Trade he investigated numerous railway accidents, such as those at Witham
, Essex
in 1905 and at Ilford
, Essex
, in 1915, and also carried out safety inspections of tram
services, such as that at Warrington
, Lancashire
. He died on 7 November 1921 and is buried in Mortlake
.
Von Donop acted as godfather
to the writer P. G. Wodehouse
, who was named Pelham in his honour.
, achieved public recognition when he led a column during the Second Boer War
, served as Master-General of the Ordnance
(the fourth member of the Army Board
) and as Colonel Commandant of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, and ended his career as Major-General Sir Stanley Brenton Von Donop
KCB
KCMG
.
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
and later Chief Inspecting Officer of Railways. He represented the Royal Engineers at association football, appearing in two FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
s, and made two appearances for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
Early life
Von Donop was born in SouthseaSouthsea
Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, the eldest of four sons (and three daughters) of Commander (later Vice-Admiral) Edward Pelham Brenton von Donop, RN
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
.
He was educated at Royal Somersetshire College, Bath, before entering the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
in 1869. He represented the academy in the annual cricket match against Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
on 23–24 May 1870 and played against the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
at Lord's a year later. He was commissioned a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Royal Engineers on 15 December 1871 and the following April was posted to the School of Military Engineering
Royal School of Military Engineering
The Royal School of Military Engineering is the main training establishment for the British Army's Royal Engineers. After they have successfully completed their Phase 1 - Basic Soldier Training, members of the Corps of Royal Engineers attend 3 RSME, at Minley for Phase 2a - Combat Engineering...
at Chatham, Kent. Von Donop continued playing cricket while serving with the Royal Engineers: in one match, against the Harlequins at Chatham in June 1884 he scored 91 runs out of his side's total of 224.
Football career
As well as playing cricket, von Donop was soon selected to represent his regiment at football, and was in the Royal Engineers' teamRoyal Engineers A.F.C.
The Royal Engineers Association Football Club is an association football team representing the Corps of Royal Engineers, the "Sappers", of the British Army. In the 1870s it was one of the strongest sides in English football, winning the FA Cup in 1875 and being Cup Finalists in four of the first...
which reached the 1874 FA Cup Final. In the
final, at Kennington Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
on 14 March 1874, von Donop played at inside left
Inside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
. The Engineers lost 2–0 to Oxford University
Oxford University A.F.C.
Oxford University Association Football Club is an English football club representing the University of Oxford.-History:Formed in 1872, the club was a giant of the 1870s, winning the FA Cup 2-0 against Royal Engineers in 1874 and finishing the competition as runners up in 1873, 1877 and 1880, the...
. The following year, the Engineers defeated Oxford University in the semi-final
FA Cup Semi-finals
The FA Cup Semi-finals are played to determine which teams will contest the FA Cup Final. They are the penultimate phase of the FA Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world.- Location :...
to set up a second consecutive appearance in the final, this time against the Old Etonians
Old Etonians F.C.
The Old Etonians Football Club is an English football club whose players are taken from previous attendees of Eton College, in Eton, Berkshire.-History:...
. The final was played at Kennington Oval on 13 March, with von Donop now playing at centre half
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for the Engineers. The game ended in a goal-less draw. In the replay, at the same venue on 16 March, the Engineers won 2–0.
Von Donop also gained two caps for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in friendly matches against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
. He made his international debut on 8 March 1873, in the second official match played between the two countries, which England won 4–2. Von Donop, playing in the centre of the defence, was described as a "stalwart of the Royal Engineers team". He made his second international appearance two years later, on 6 March 1875, in a 2–2 draw.
Von Donop continued to represent the Royal Engineers until he was in his mid-30s: in November 1886, he scored three goals in a game against the Royal Military Academy
Later career
Von Donop was promoted to CaptainCaptain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in December 1883. In September 1884, as a member of the Royal Engineers' 8th Railway Corps Company, he was posted to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
to take part in the Nile Expedition
Nile Expedition
The Nile Expedition, sometimes called the Gordon Relief Expedition , was a British mission to relieve Major-General Charles George Gordon at Khartoum, Sudan. Gordon had been sent to the Sudan to help Egyptians evacuate from Sudan after Britain decided to abandon the country in the face of a...
. While in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, his Company constructed 87⅓ miles of railway track, from Sarras to Akasha, to facilitate the transport of provisions and stores to and from the fighting front. He returned from Egypt in June 1886. Between January 1889 and February 1894, he served as Inspector of Submarine Defences at Bombay
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where, on 15 March 1890, he married Ethel Farran Orr, the daughter of a Bombay barrister. He was promoted to Major in May 1890 and to Lieutenant-Colonel in December 1897.
He continued to play cricket at club level and in January 1890 he made two appearances for G F Vernon
George Vernon
George Frederick Vernon was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Middlesex County Cricket Club. He also played one Test match for England during the first-ever Ashes tour in 1882-83.Vernon was the son of George Vernon of 32 Montague Square...
's XI in matches against local sides at the Gymkhana Ground
Bombay Gymkhana
Bombay Gymkhana ,, established in 1875, is one of the premiere gymkhanas in the city of Mumbai, India. It is located in the South Mumbai area and was originally built as a British-only club, designed by English architect, Claude Batley. The Gymkhana Grounds lie in the southern end of the Azad Maidan...
, Bombay.
In 1899, von Donop left the Royal Engineers to become an Inspecting Officer of Railways for the Board of Trade
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
's Railway Inspectorate. He was promoted to Chief Inspecting Officer in July 1913 and held that position until his retirement in 1916. During his time with the Board of Trade he investigated numerous railway accidents, such as those at Witham
Witham
Witham is a town in the county of Essex, in the south east of England with a population of 22,500. It is part of the District of Braintree and is twinned with the town of Waldbröl, Germany. Witham stands between the larger towns of Chelmsford and Colchester...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
in 1905 and at Ilford
Ilford
Ilford is a large cosmopolitan town in East London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It forms a significant commercial and retail...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, in 1915, and also carried out safety inspections of tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
services, such as that at Warrington
Warrington Corporation Tramways
Warrington Corporation Tramways was the owner and operator of an electric tramway system in the early 20th century serving the town of Warrington, at the time a county borough of Lancashire, England...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. He died on 7 November 1921 and is buried in Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
.
Von Donop acted as godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
to the writer P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
, who was named Pelham in his honour.
Family
His youngest brother Stanley served in the Royal ArtilleryRoyal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
, achieved public recognition when he led a column during 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...
, served as Master-General of the Ordnance
Master-General of the Ordnance
The Master-General of the Ordnance was a very senior British military position before 1855, when the Board of Ordnance was abolished.-Responsibilities:...
(the fourth member of the Army Board
Army Board
The Army Board is the senior single-service management committee of the British Army:-Army Board members:*Civilian** The Secretary of State for Defence** Minister for the Armed Forces** Minister for Defence Equipment and Support...
) and as Colonel Commandant of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, and ended his career as Major-General Sir Stanley Brenton Von Donop
Stanley Brenton Von Donop
Major-General Sir Stanley Brenton Von Donop KCB KCMG is a former Master-General of the Ordnance.-Military career:Von Donop was commissioned into the Royal Artillery. He served in the Second Boer War and in 1901 was appointed Commanding Officer of Lord Methuen's Composite Regiment of Australian...
KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
.
Sporting honours
Royal EngineersRoyal Engineers A.F.C.
The Royal Engineers Association Football Club is an association football team representing the Corps of Royal Engineers, the "Sappers", of the British Army. In the 1870s it was one of the strongest sides in English football, winning the FA Cup in 1875 and being Cup Finalists in four of the first...
- FA Cup FinalFA Cup FinalThe FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
winner: 1875 - FA Cup FinalFA Cup FinalThe FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
finalist: 1874
External links
- England football career
- Royal Engineers Museum When the Sappers won the FA Cup (1875)