Francis Luscombe
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Francis Luscombe (23 November 1849 – 17 July 1926) was a rugby union international who represented
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
from 1872 to 1876. He also captained his country.


Early life

Francis Luscombe was born on 1849 in Norwood, then in Surrey. He was baptised at Ifield Church and with his family soon after moved to
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His father, John Henry Luscombe (1797 to 1883), was a shipowner who had married late in life at the age of fifty to Clara Bristow (1823 to 1910), twenty-six years his junior. Francis, known as Frank in his family, had at least three siblings, an older brother John Henry "Harry" (1848–1937), a younger brother, Alfred (1851–1942) and a younger sister Clara Elizabeth "Kitty" (1854–1900). He attended
Tonbridge School (God Giveth the Increase) , established = , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent day and boarding , religion = , president = , head_label ...
. and after leaving school worked for the insurance brokers, Lachlan & partners. By 1871 he was a partner at Vaughan Smith & Co., a brokerage specialising in Russia.


Rugby union career

A number of sources suggest that Francis and his brother
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...
were the first brothers to appear together in a rugby international, in the very first international in 1871. However, this is a misconception because Francis Luscombe did not play in that very first international, though his brother did. Prior to the first international and also before the foundation of the Rugby Football Union, Luscombe had not only established himself as a formidable rugby forward, but had also been instrumental in the creation of the
Gipsies Football Club The Gipsies Football Club was a short lived 19th century rugby football club that was notable for being one of the twenty-one founding members of the Rugby Football Union, as well as producing a number of international players in the sport's ear ...
. It was founded in October 1868 by three
Old Tonbridgians (God Giveth the Increase) , established = , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent day and boarding , religion = , president = , head_label ...
, Francis Luscombe, J. A. Body, and W. J. Parker. These three men were keen on football and wanted to provide a football club in London with which
Tonbridge Tonbridge ( ) is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling, it had an estimated populat ...
's former pupils could affiliate, much as the
Marlborough Nomads The Marlborough Nomads was a 19th-century English rugby union club that was notable for being one of the twenty-one founding members of the Rugby Football Union. They also supplied a number of players for the sport's early international fixtures. ...
served Marlborough College. These three soon recruited a number of likeminded individuals and in the summer of 1868 they were able to arrange a card of matches for the season 1868–69. After the two first matches had been played a meeting was called on 17 October 1868 and "The Gipsies Football Club" was formed with Francis Luscombe elected as honorary secretary. The team was based in Peckham. and was unbeaten in its first season (with 7 matches won and 11 drawn) and in the next season, 1869–70, the club continued its good form playing 18 out of which they drew 13, won 3 and lost just 2. Among the many opponents attracted to play the team were
Blackheath FC Blackheath Football Club is a rugby union club based in Well Hall, Eltham in south-east London. The club was founded in Blackheath in 1858, and is the fourth-oldest rugby club in continuous existence in the world, after Dublin University Fo ...
,
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,
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and Cambridge Universities,
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,
Marlborough Nomads The Marlborough Nomads was a 19th-century English rugby union club that was notable for being one of the twenty-one founding members of the Rugby Football Union. They also supplied a number of players for the sport's early international fixtures. ...
, Woolwich, Sandhurst, Cooper's Hill, St. Andrew's Rovers,
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, and
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.Marshall, Francis, ''Football; the Rugby union game'', contribution by W Parker, (1892) (London Paris Melbourne, Cassell and Co, Ltd). Such was the reputation of the club, that on 26 January 1871, the Gipsies were one of the twenty-one London and suburban football clubs that followed
Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. ...
rules that assembled at the
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in Regent Street and formed the Rugby Football Union was formed. Luscombe was not only present but became one of the thirteen original committee members. The first instance of the RFU trialing its laws was in 1871 in a match between the Football Company and
Harlequins FC Harlequins (officially Harlequin Football Club) is a professional rugby union club that plays in Premiership Rugby, the top level of English rugby union. Their home ground is the Twickenham Stoop, located in Twickenham, south-west London. Foun ...
. Luscombe, who along with John Bentley had been instrumental in founding the Football Company, played in that match. The Football Company adopted the all white strip of
Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. ...
, and following this match it was decided that England should also wear white. He did not find a place in that first Scotland vs England match in 1871 but was selected for the return match in 1872. Luscombe made his international debut on 5 February 1872 at
The Oval The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since ...
in the
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
vs
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
match. In total he played four times against Scotland and twice against Ireland. He played his final match for England on 6 March 1876 at
The Oval The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since ...
in the
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
vs
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
match. In the following 1877/78 season he was vice-president of the Rugby Football Union.


Personal life

Luscombe also played Association Football and appeared for the first Crystal Palace FC between 1869-1870. He later bred horses and was the owner of the Tilgate Forest Stud near Crawley in West Sussex.Dick Tyson, ''London's Oldest Rugby Clubs'', p41 (JJG Publishing), 2008 Although married to Mary Edith Hogg on 5 April 1877, he had no children. Similarly, his sister Clara, had no issue. He did have a number of nieces and nephews via his two brothers.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Luscombe, Francis 1849 births 1926 deaths English rugby union players England international rugby union players Rugby union forwards People educated at Tonbridge School