Jump to content

Allan Arthur (rugby union)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Allan Arthur
Date of birth(1857-04-03)3 April 1857
Date of death9 October 1923(1923-10-09) (aged 66)
Place of deathMoffat, Scotland
Rugby union career
Position(s) Forward
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
Glasgow Academicals ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1873–76 Glasgow District ()
1876 West of Scotland District ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1875–76 Scotland 2 (0)

Sir Allan Arthur (1857-1923) was a Scotland international rugby football player.[1][2] He later moved to India as a merchant, where he became a civil servant. He was knighted in 1900 for his Indian public service work.[3] He was named as one of Queen Victoria's birthday knights.[4]

Rugby Union career

[edit]

Amateur career

[edit]

Arthur went to school at Glasgow Academy and then Merchiston College.[3]

Arthur played for Glasgow Academicals.[2]

Provincial career

[edit]

Arthur was capped by Glasgow District.

He also played for the West of Scotland District on 28 February 1876.[5]

International career

[edit]

He was capped twice for Scotland between 1875 and 1876.[2]

Horse-racing career

[edit]

The newspaper The Sportsman noted in its obituary of Arthur that he was a noted owner of race horses. Arthur became the chairman of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club. The newspaper noted that although Arthur owned a number of horses, his colours did not merit any great success.[6]

Business and Civil Service career

[edit]

Allan's father, another Arthur Allan, was a merchant in the firm of Henry Montieith and Company.[4]

At the age of 20, the younger Allan went to India. He began in the employ of the merchants Finlay, Muir and Company. He later became a director of the merchant firm Ewing and Company.[3]

As a merchant, Allan became involved in the trade of jute. He became a director of an extensive jute shipping company: R. Steel and Company Limited.; and a director of the Manipiet Jute Company. He was also a director of the Union Baling Company.[7]

He was elected four times as the president of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce. He retired in 1920.[3]

His civil service career began in parallel. He was appointed a member of the Viceroy's Leglistaive Council; and in 1890 became the Sheriff of Calcutta. For his public services he received a knighthood in 1900.[3]

Family

[edit]

Arthur was unmarried.[3] He died at his home at Larch Hill in Moffat.[3] He was the brother of John Arthur who was also capped for Scotland during the first ever rugby international.[2]

Arthur's funeral was held on 11 October 1923. The funeral processed from Glasgow Central Station to the Necropolis,[8] where he is buried.[9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Allan Arthur". ESPN scrum.
  2. ^ a b c d Bath, p136
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "BNA: 0000563/19231010/092/0011" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ a b "BNA: 0000060/19000524/024/0006" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "BNA: 0000060/18760228/032/0006".
  6. ^ "BNA: 0001055/19231011/068/0004" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "BNA: 0001876/19000525/022/0002" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "BNA: 0000540/19231011/144/0012" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Allan Arthur (1857-1923) - Find a Grave Memorial".
Sources
  1. Bath, Richard (ed.) The Scotland Rugby Miscellany (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 ISBN 1-905326-24-6)