Henry Charles Malden (24 February 1829 – 13 June 1907) was a nineteenth-century schoolmaster and antiquarian, notable for his role in the history of football.

Early life

Malden was born in 1829 at

Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 23,999 according to the 2011 Census and an estimate of 24,847 in 2019. Its growth as a seaside resort came af ...

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

, the son of

Charles Robert Malden Charles Robert Malden (9 August 1797 – 23 May 1855), was a nineteenth-century British naval officer, surveyor and educator. He is the discoverer of Malden Island in the central Pacific, which is named in his honour. He also founded Windlesha ...

and his wife Frances (née Cole). From 1837 to 1843 he attended

Windlesham House School Windlesham House School is an independent boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 4 to 13 on the South Downs, in Pulborough, West Sussex, England. It was founded in 1837 by Charles Robert Malden and was the first boys' preparatory school ...

, which had been founded by his father. Rose Scott Malden, "Old Harry", in Wilson (1937), pp. 32-33 At the age of 15 he studied with the Rev. Thomas Scott in preparation for university.

Cambridge

From 1847 until 1851, Malden attended

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

. In 1848, Malden participated in the creation of a set of rules of football known as the "Cambridge Rules". As Malden recalled in 1897: According to his daughter Rose, Malden "always considered himself the father" of the

laws of Association Football Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

because of his role in the creation of the 1848 Cambridge Rules.

Philip Goodhart Sir Philip Carter Goodhart (3 November 1925 – 5 July 2015) was a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician, the son of Arthur Lehman Goodhart. Biography Goodhart attended the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut. He co ...

and

Christopher Chataway Sir Christopher John Chataway (31 January 1931 – 19 January 2014) was a British middle- and long-distance runner, television news broadcaster, and Conservative politician. Education He was born in Chelsea, London, the son of James Denys ...

write that Malden "can certainly claim as great a share of the history of football as

Webb Ellis William Webb Ellis (24 November 1806 – 24 January 1872) was an English Anglican clergyman who, by tradition, has been credited as the inventor of rugby football while a pupil at Rugby School. According to legend, Webb Ellis picked up the bal ...

". In 1851, Malden graduated from Cambridge with a football "

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...

Career

After Cambridge, Malden immediately returned to Windlesham House School, where he served as senior tutor under his father. He succeeded his father as headmaster upon the latter's death in 1855, continuing in this position until 1888.

Family

In August 1855, Malden married Euphemia "Effie" Margaret Scott. Effie was the daughter of the Rev. Thomas Scott, with whom Malden had studied before attending university. She died in 1862, after the birth of their fourth child. The widowed Malden married Catharine Walters in April 1865. Malden's four children with Effie were Emily Scott (born Brighton 1856, died Chelsea 1933, 1 son); Charles Scott (born Brighton 1858, died Brighton 1896, five children); Rose Scott (born Brighton 1860, died Hove 1947), and Henry Melville Scott (born 1862, died 1913, 5 children). His three children with Catharine were Winifrede Walters Scott (born Brighton 1866, died 1929); Mary Effie Walters Scott (born 1871, died 1956); and John Walters Scott (born Brighton 1883).Wilson (1937), pp. 37-38

Later life

In 1888, Malden suffered an attack of

typhoid Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...

. He retired as headmaster of Windlesham House School, succeeded by his eldest son Charles. He moved to

Crowborough Crowborough is a town and civil parish in East Sussex, England, in the Weald at the edge of Ashdown Forest in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, 7 miles (11 km) south-west of Royal Tunbridge Wells and 33 miles (53 ...

, where he lived for nine years before moving again to

Godalming Godalming is a market town and civil parish in southwest Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, at the confluence of the Rivers Wey and Ock. The civil parish covers and includes the settleme ...

in 1897. It was from Godalming that he wrote his 1897 letter to the

Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world an ...

describing his memories of the creation of the Cambridge rules of football, as noted above. He edited the parish registers of Godalming for publication in 1904. He sat on Brighton Town Council from 1886 to 1892, and on Godalming Town Council from 1891 until his death. He died in

on 13 June 1907. He was survived by his wife Catharine and six children.

Publications

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Malden, Henry Charles 1829 births 1907 deaths Football people in England Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge People educated at Windlesham House School