John D Graham (rugby union)
| Born | John Duncan George Graham 13 April 1856 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Died | 6 March 1931 (aged 74) Ryde, Isle of Wight, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John Duncan George Graham (13 April 1856 – 6 March 1931) was an English rugby union forward who represented the England national team in 1875. After his brief international sporting career, he became a merchant and financial agent active in London during the late Victorian and Edwardian periods.
Early life and education
[edit]Graham was born in Wimbledon, Surrey, on 13 April 1856.[1] He was baptised on 12 November 1856, the son of Robert Graham, an iron merchant, and Anne (née Gartmore).[2] He grew up in Wimbledon in a large middle-class household that included his siblings Robert, Elizabeth, William, Jane E., Henry James, and Francis K.[3] His elder brother, Henry James Graham, later gained four caps for England and became Honorary Secretary of the Rugby Football Union.
He attended Wellington College, Sandhurst, Berkshire as a boarder.[4]
Rugby career
[edit]Like his brother, Graham was associated with Wimbledon Hornets during the formative years of organised rugby.[5] Playing as a forward, he was selected to represent England in the international match against Ireland in Dublin on 13 December 1875.[6]
In that fixture he appeared alongside his brother Henry, both being listed as forwards for Wimbledon.[7] The match was his only appearance for England.
Commercial career
[edit]Following his education, Graham entered the financial sector. In 1881 he was living with his mother in Wimbledon and was employed as a clerk to a stockbroker.[8]
By 1891 he had established himself in Westminster as head of his own household, employing domestic servants.[9] Over time he developed a career as a merchant and financial agent, remaining active in London commercial life into the twentieth century.[10]
Marriage and later life
[edit]On 15 June 1889 Graham married Eliza Ann Collins at Ramsgate, Kent.[11] By 1911 he was widowed.[12]
He died on 6 March 1931 at Ryde, Isle of Wight.[13]
References
[edit]- ↑ Eric Lemon, They Played Rugby for England 1871–2025 (2026), p. 449.
- ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538–1975, entry for John Duncan George Graham, baptised 12 November 1856, Wimbledon, Surrey.
- ↑ 1861 Census of England and Wales (RG 9/454), Wimbledon.
- ↑ 1871 England Census, Sandhurst, Berkshire, RG10/1296, folio 62, page 6.
- ↑ Lemon, p. 449.
- ↑ Lemon, p. 449.
- ↑ Francis Marshall, Football: The Rugby Union Game (London, 1892; repr. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015), p. 153.
- ↑ 1881 England Census, Wimbledon, Surrey, RG11/829, folio 20, page 1.
- ↑ 1891 England Census, St Margaret and St John the Evangelist, Westminster, RG12/82, folio 150, page 17.
- ↑ 1911 England Census, St Luke, London, RG14/1249.
- ↑ England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973, entry for John Duncan Graham and Eliza Ann Collins, 15 June 1889, Ramsgate, Kent.
- ↑ 1911 England Census, St Luke, London, RG14/1249.
- ↑ Lemon, p. 449.
