Alfred Nolan Fell (17 January 1878 – 20 April 1953) was a New Zealand-born international

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

player for

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

as a member of

Edinburgh University RFC Edinburgh University Rugby Football Club is a leading rugby union side based in Edinburgh, Scotland which currently plays its fixtures in the Edinburgh Regional Shield competition and the British Universities Premiership. It is one of the eight ...

Personal history

Fell was born at

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

, New Zealand, on 17 January 1878, the son of Nelson mayor and painter,

Charles Fell Charles Yates Fell (5 August 1844 – 9 June 1918) was a New Zealand barrister, politician, watercolour artist, and photographer. Early life and family Fell was born in Nelson in 1844. He was the son of Alfred Fell, merchant and early settler ...

. He was educated at

Nelson College Nelson College is the oldest state secondary school in New Zealand. It is an all-boys school in the City of Nelson that teaches from years 9 to 13. In addition, it runs a private preparatory school for year 7 and 8 boys. The school also has ...

(1887–1896), a school his grandfather, Alfred Fell, helped found in 1856. British politician, Sir Arthur Fell was his uncle. He married Marion White in 1908 and had four sons and one daughter. One of his sons, Lieutenant David Walton Fell, Royal Army Medical Corps, died of wounds in

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

on 13 November 1942. Fell was also a keen yachtsman, a passion developed in his youth at Nelson. Fell died at his home at Church Street North,

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...

, on 19 April 1953, aged 75.

Rugby union career

Fell was a noted sportsperson, playing in his college's 1st XI and 1st XV (1894–1896). He was a champion 'miler' of the Scottish Universities (1901–1902) and Edinburgh University from 1901 to 1903. Fell was a player (1898–1905), secretary (1900–1901), and captain (1901–1903) of the Edinburgh University Rugby Football Club, which he is credited with building up to one of the best sides in the history of the game. As captain, his team's first season record read 15 wins, one draw, 425 points for and 6 against. He had previously played in New Zealand for Otago University (1896–1897), and represented

in 1896 and

Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...

in 1897. Fell played for Edinburgh District against Glasgow District in 1899; and for Cities against the rest of Scotland 1900. In 1901 he was selected for the Scottish national team as a wing three-quarters. Although picked to play, injuries in 1904 and 1905 prevented him playing in the tournament of those years. Fell was also selected to play against New Zealand in 1905, but declined as this was his home country. Commentators from the time noted that he was a fast runner and good on attack, but lacked defensive ability. His interest in rugby continued after he retired as a player, being one of the founders and first President of the Colchester Football Rugby Club from 1925 to 1939 and again from 1946 to 1949. The club was in recess over the war years.

Medical career

Fell followed his uncle,

Walter Fell Walter Fell (28 March 1855 – 22 November 1932) was a New Zealand physician and surgeon. Early life and education Fell was born on 28 March 1855 at his parents' house Sunnyside in Nelson, New Zealand. His parents were Fanny () and Alfred Fell. ...

, into medicine. He studied at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

and then the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

where he graduated MB and ChB in 1902, proceeding to the MD in 1906. He won the Muir Cup in 1900 and was a double blue that same year. In 1905 he became a member of the

Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...

and held house appointments at the

Royal Infirmary Royal Infirmary may refer to a number of hospitals in the United Kingdom: *England ** Blackburn Royal Infirmary **Bradford Royal Infirmary ** Bolton Royal Infirmary **Bristol Royal Infirmary **Chester Royal Infirmary **Derbyshire Royal Infirmary * ...

, the City Fever Hospital and the Corstorphine Convalescent Hospital in Edinburgh. He relinquished this position in 1907 and settled in general practice at

in 1907. He became president of the

Colchester Medical Society Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...

and was a member of the

Essex Panel Committee Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

and

British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...

. He was honorary secretary of the North-east Essex Division from 1915 to 1917 and again from 1920–21; honorary secretary of the Essex Branch from 1921 to 1924; chairman of the North-east Essex Division from 1927 to 1928, and president of the Essex Branch from 1930 to 1931.

Military service

From 1918 to 1919 he served as a temporary captain in the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...

and was based in Salonika, Macedonia;

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

, and the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

.OBITUARY – Mr C Y Fell, Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 137, 10 June 1918, Page 8

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fell, Alfred 1878 births 1953 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh British Army personnel of World War I Edinburgh District (rugby union) players Edinburgh University RFC players New Zealand emigrants to the United Kingdom People educated at Nelson College Royal Army Medical Corps officers Rugby union players from Nelson, New Zealand Rugby union wings Scotland international rugby union players Scottish rugby union players University of Otago alumni

Alfred Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...

Personal history

Rugby union career

Medical career

Military service

See also

References