Cecil Patteson Nickalls, D.S.O. (14 October 1877 – 7 April 1925) was a Colonel in the Royal Field Artillery. He was a champion polo player, and a champion rugby player, who took his own life with a gun on 7 April 1925.

Early life

He was born on 14 October 1877 in

Kent, England Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces the ...

to Sir Patteson Nickalls. His siblings were, Patteson Womersley Nickalls and Morres Nickalls. He was educated at Rugby School.

Career

In the 1890s he played cricket. He scored 109 at Lord's Cricket Ground against Marlborough for Rugby in 1894. He was on the British team that won the

International Polo Cup The International Polo Cup, also called the Newport Cup and the Westchester Cup, is a trophy in polo that was created in 1876 and was played for by teams from the United States and United Kingdom. The match has varied in length over the years ...

at the

Hurlingham Club The Hurlingham Club is an exclusive private social and athletic club located in the Fulham area of London, England. Founded in 1869, it has a Georgian-style clubhouse set in of grounds. It is a member of the Association of London Clubs. His ...

in 1902 with his brother Patteson Womersley Nickalls, Frederick Maitland Freake, Walter Selby Buckmaster, George Arthur Miller and Charles Darley Miller. He played on the English team against Ireland in 1905 and 1911. He served as a captain in the Royal Field Artillery in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He was awarded the DSO and wounded.

Personal life

He married Olivia Mary Miller in 1904 in

Rugby, England Rugby is a market town in eastern Warwickshire, England, close to the River Avon. In the 2021 census its population was 78,125, making it the second-largest town in Warwickshire. It is the main settlement within the larger Borough of Rugby whi ...

Death

Nickalls committed suicide with a gun on 7 April 1925 in

References

External links

1877 births 1925 deaths 1925 suicides Rugby union players from Kent English polo players English rugby union players Suicides by firearm in England International Polo Cup Royal Field Artillery officers Companions of the Distinguished Service Order British military personnel who committed suicide British Army personnel of World War I Military personnel from Kent Nickalls family {{UK-polo-bio-stub