James Holt Marsh

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For other people with the same name, see James Marsh (disambiguation).

James Holt Marsh
Birth nameJames Holt Marsh
Date of birth(1865-10-31)31 October 1865
Place of birthRumworth, England
Date of death1 August 1928(1928-08-01) (aged 62)
Place of deathLeigh, England
SchoolEdinburgh Institute
UniversityEdinburgh University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Three-quarter
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1886–90
1890
1890–		 Edinburgh Institution F.P.
Edinburgh University
Swinton		 ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1886–88
1887–89
1890		 Edinburgh District
East of Scotland District
Lancashire		 ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1889
1892		 Scotland
England		 2
1		 (0)
(0)

James Holt Marsh (31 October 1865 – 1 August 1928),[1][2] was first a Scotland international rugby union player; and then an England international rugby union player.[3] He played club rugby for Edinburgh Institution F.P., Edinburgh University and Swinton; and provincial rugby for Edinburgh District and East of Scotland District.[4] He is the only player to have represented two international teams in the Home Nations Championship.[5][6] He was a General Practitioner by profession, holding a practice in Manchester for nearly forty years.[7]

Rugby Union career[edit]

Amateur career[edit]

Born in Rumworth, near Swinton in England, Marsh was schooled in Scotland. Marsh was educated at Edinburgh Institute before being accepted at Edinburgh University to study medicine.

At the time of his Scotland call up, Marsh was playing club rugby for Edinburgh Institution F.P., and was brought in at three-quarters.[8]

He moved to play for Edinburgh University in 1890. This did not go down well with his former club and the Athletic News of 27 October 1890 reported:[9]

Some rather bitter things are being said in Edinburgh about James Marsh, the Swintonian, preferring to play for Edinburgh University instead of with his old colleagues in the Edinburgh Institution Club.

This prompted a move to England that same season; and he then played for Swinton.[2]

Provincial career[edit]

He played for Edinburgh District against Glasgow District in the 1886 inter-city match.[8] He also played for Edinburgh in the 1887 and 1888 fixtures.

He played for East of Scotland District in their match against West of Scotland District on 29 January 1887.[10] He also played in the 1888 and 1889 fixtures.

Almost immediately on his move to Swinton, he was playing in the Lancashire versus Yorkshire match on 29 November 1890. He was noted as an Edinburgh University three-quarter and also as playing for Swinton. Lancashire won the match.[11]

After his move to England, it was during the 1890–91 season his strong club play brought him to the attention of the English selectors, and he was brought into England's annual North vs. South match.[12]

International career[edit]

In 1889, Marsh was selected for the Scottish international team when he was chosen to face Wales as part of the 1890 Home Nations Championship. Scotland beat Wales and Marsh was reselected for the second, and final game of the competition, away to Ireland at Belfast. With England having withdrawn from the tournament, a win over the Irish would give Scotland the Home Nations, but not the Grand Slam. Scotland won the match thanks to a single dropped goal from Henry Stevenson.

His move to England and his form for Swinton led to Marsh being selected for the 1892 Home Nations Championship for England in the game against Ireland, playing again at threequarters alongside Dicky Lockwood and George Hubbard. The English team was victorious, but Marsh was not selected for the team again. It is unknown if this was due to sanctions or actions taken by the rugby unions or if it was a selection choice.

Rugby League career[edit]

When Swinton converted from the rugby union code to the rugby league code on Tuesday 2 June 1896, Marsh would have been approximately 30 years of age. Consequently, he may have been both a rugby union and rugby league footballer for Swinton.

Medical career[edit]

After qualifying as a doctor, Marsh moved to Manchester to set up a medical practice.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Griffiths, John (2000). Rugby's Strangest Matches. Robson Books. ISBN 1-86105-354-1.
  • Griffiths, Terry (1987). The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records. London: Phoenix House. ISBN 0-460-07003-7.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Death details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Statistics at en.espn.co.uk (RU)". en.espn.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ^ "James Marsh". ESPNscrum.
  4. ^ Williams, Graham; Lush, Peter; Farrar, David (2009). The British Rugby League Records Book. London League. p. 178. ISBN 978-1-903659-49-6.
  5. ^ Kitson, Robert; New England picks from all corners to take on the world guardian.co.uk, 5 November 2008
  6. ^ Griffiths (2000), pg 28.
  7. ^ Griffiths (1987), pg 2:7.
  8. ^ a b "The Glasgow Herald – Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  9. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000986/18901027/005/0001 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/18870131/144/0007 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000986/18901201/050/0004 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ^ Griffiths (2000), pg 27.

External links[edit]

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