Marshall Brooks (30 May 1855-5 January 1944) was a nineteenth-century sportsman who was the British Amateur High Jump champion in 1874 and 1876, world record holder for the High Jump on three occasions, as well as a rugby union international who represented England in 1874.

Early life

Marshall Brooks was born on 30 May 1855 in Crawshawbooth, Lancashire, the second son of Thomas Brooks, 1st Baron Crawshaw of Crawshaw and Catherine Jones. He attended Rugby School and went on to study at

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the mi ...

from where he received his Master of Arts (M.A.).Charles Mosley, ''Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition'', volume 1, page 961.

Rugby union career

Brooks, having played for the Rugby School side, continued his playing at Oxford and there won a blue. From Oxford he was called up for England, and made his only international appearance on 23 February 1874 at The Oval against Scotland.

Athletics

At Oxford Brooks was also an athletics blue. He won the Varsity Match High Jump in both 1874 and 1876 and went on to become the British Amateur Champion in both those years.Official Site
of the Achilles Club Prior to 1912, the

high jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

world record was not ratified by the

IAAF World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...

and therefore there is only an unofficial progression. However, on 30 March 1874 Brooks is said to have jumped 1.80m which at the time was the highest thus far recorded in the world.World Record Progression High Jump
/ref> The mark was the next year equaled by a fellow Oxford student,

Michael George Glazebrook Michael George Glazebrook was a Headmaster of Clifton College, later a Canon of Ely, and is reputed to have once held the world record for the high jump. Early life Michael George Glazebrook was born in 1853. He was the son of M. G. Glazebrook ...

, but on 17 March 1876, in Oxford, Brooks broke the record by jumping 1.83m. He broke this the next month in London at Lillie Bridge Grounds, jumping 1.89m on 7 April 1876. This mark stood for four years until broken by Patrick Davin of Ireland on 5 July 1880, in Garrick.

Later life and family

Brooks married Florence Thomas, the daughter of Frederick Freeman Thomas and Hon. Mabel Brand, on 29 April 1889 with whom he had the following children: #Dorothy Brooks b. 22 Mar 1890 #Thomas Marshall Brooks b. 23 Feb 1893, d. 15 Sep 1967 #Noel Brand Brooks b. 17 Dec 1896, d. 1984 #Marjorie Nell Brooks b. 11 Dec 1901, d. 1993, married Thomas Ashton, 2nd Baron Ashton of Hyde. Brooks at one point held the office of

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for Cheshire and also the office of Justice of the Peace for Lancashire. He died on 5 January 1944 in Tarporley, Cheshire, England.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooks, Marshall 1855 births 1944 deaths People from Crawshawbooth English rugby union players England international rugby union players Rugby union fullbacks People educated at Rugby School Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford British male high jumpers Younger sons of barons Rugby union players from Lancashire