Charlie Newman (28 February 1857 – 28 September 1922) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

international three-quarter who played club rugby for Newport. He was awarded ten caps for

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

and captained the team on six occasions. An original member of the Newport squad he captained the team in the 1882/83 season.

Personal life

Newman was born Newport in 1857 to Edwin, an upholsterer, and Susannah. He was educated at Monmouth Grammar School, graduating to

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

in 1880. He was awarded his BA in 1884 and in 1887 collected his MA. In 1883 he was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly known as Durham Cathedral and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert, is a cathedral in the city of Durham, County Durham, England. It is the seat of t ...

, and in 1885 took his orders as a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

. Newman' was first the

Curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

of Tanfield in Durham from 1883 to 1887 before becoming the Curate of

Low Fell Low Fell is a suburb of Gateshead situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England. Built predominantly on sandstone, grindstone and clay, it is bordered by Sheriff Hill/Deckham to the east, Saltwell/Bensham to the w ...

a position he held from 1887 to 1893. In 1893 he left Low Fell to take up the position of

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

Hetton-le-Hole Hetton-le-Hole is a town situated in the City of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. It is in the historic county of Durham. A182 runs through the town, between Houghton-le-Spring and Easington Lane (the latter borders the County Durham Distri ...

, before taking his final position as

vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...

of Millfield until his death in 1922.

Rugby career

Newman played matches arranged by the South Wales Football Club, before the creation of the

Welsh Rugby Union The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; cy, Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the Sports governing body, governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby. The WRU is responsible for the running ...

. In 1876 he was part of a team that was made up of Welsh player that faced Clifton, and in December the same year beat Hereford.Smith (1980), pg 31. Newman was selected to play in the first Welsh international, against England in 1881. The Wales team was made up of players based more on reputation and background and was comprehensively beaten. Newman played the match at full back position, for the first, and last, time in his life,Smith (1980), pg 57. though he was not the only Welsh player in the wrong position on that day. Newman won a total of ten caps for Wales, and on 5 January 1884, he was given the captaincy of Wales in a game against England. Newman would captain his team on six occasions, losing four and drawing two. After retiring from rugby he became an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

clergyman, as would James Bevan and

Edward Peake Edward Peake (29 March 1860 – 3 January 1945) was a Wales international rugby union three-quarter and county cricketer. Educated at Oriel College, Oxford, Peake would win a Blue for cricket before representing Gloucestershire. Peake is most ...

, both teammates of Newman in the first Welsh international.Smith (1980), pg 7.

International matches played

WalesSmith (1980), pg 469. * 1881, 1882, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887 * 1882 * 1883, 1884, 1885

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Newman, Charlie 1857 births 1922 deaths Rugby union players from Newport, Wales Welsh rugby union players Wales international rugby union players Wales rugby union captains Newport RFC players Abergavenny RFC players Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge 19th-century Welsh Anglican priests 20th-century Welsh Anglican priests