James Genth (1849–1926) was a rugby union international who represented England from 1874 to 1875.James Genth Profile on espn.co.uk
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Early life

Born Jacob Scherer Genth on July 17, 1849, in

Ardwick Ardwick is a district of Manchester in North West England, one mile south east of the city centre. The population of the Ardwick Ward at the 2011 census was 19,250. Historically in Lancashire, by the mid-nineteenth century Ardwick had grown from ...

, Manchester, he was the fifth of at least seven children of Carl Georg Ferdinand Genth and Maria Louise née Scherer. Both his mother and father were originally from

Hessen-Nassau The Province of Hesse-Nassau () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1868 to 1918, then a province of the Free State of Prussia until 1944. Hesse-Nassau was created as a consequence of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 by combining the ...

and Jacob was baptised there in Frankfurt. His father, known as Ferdinand, had arrived in England in 1842, the year after marrying Maria. Ferdinand traded as a Shipping Merchant operating out of Lancashire. Although christened Jacob, his family were to refer to him as James by the time he was 11.1861 England Census Class: Rg 9; Piece: 2874; Folio: 93; Page: 8; GSU roll: 543042 By the age of 21, James was working as a commercial clerk in his father's firm.

Rugby union career

James Genth grew up in Fallowfield, Lancashire, now a suburb of Manchester. As such, he played his club rugby for Manchester.Marshall, Francis, ''Football; the Rugby union game'', p390, (1892) (London Paris Melbourne, Cassell and company, limited) Genth made his winning international debut on February 23, 1874, at The Oval in the fourth meeting of England and Scotland. He again represented England against Scotland the following year in Edinburgh where the match was drawn.

Career and later life

James was a keen sportsman and aside from rugby also played lacrosse, at one point represented the North in the North vs South match held at the Kennington Oval on 7 April 1877. He was a keen golfer as well. James Genth continued within his father's business and became a Shipping Merchant, residing in the family home in

Burnage Burnage is a suburb of the city of Manchester in North West England, about south of Manchester city centre and bisected by the dual carriageway of Kingsway. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, the population of the Bur ...

, Lancashire. By 1901 he had retired but still travelled extensively, describing himself as a

gentleman A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the ra ...

. James had moved to London by 1921 and from 1921 was married to Rose Ellen. He died on 2 April 1926.England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Genth, James 1849 births 1926 deaths English rugby union players England international rugby union players Rugby union forwards Manchester Rugby Club players