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William F B Calvert and brothers John and George.
William Calvert an Englishman and Farm Manager took a working holiday in Australia in Farm Management. Whilst there he met and married an Australian girl Mary E Imber their first child was born in Australia in 1859 and they named him William Farrar Butters Calvert.
William and Mary and baby William F B decided to come back to England in 1860 and set up their own farm in the Holderness area and settled in Patrington East Yorkshire.
William and Mary had another two boys John F B and George E. Following the death of her husband Mary married for the second time John Cautley a doctor and they had a couple of girls all born in East Yorkshire.
The boys are recorded in 1871 as being schooled in Charlotte Street private school in Sculcoates Hull. The boys took a big interest in a number of sporting activities which included horse riding, shooting, fishing athletics and rugby football being the one they all excelled in.
Their farming attributes were their main concerns when their father died and in 1881 the family had moved to Brigg as farm owners employing 10 workers and 5 boys. Being experienced in farming and horticultural and the care of horses the boys were very keen to get involved within the local community activities and they were often asked to be judges in the area Gymkhana shows awarding prizes which they had provided to the various winners.
William a very keen sportsman in horse riding, fishing, shooting, a highly respected cricketer and a top class rugby player who was a member of the Old Albert rugby football Club. That changed its name and became Hull White Star.
Although White Star were quite successful they found it difficult to keep hold of their best players and the crunch came when they decided to amalgamate with Hull FC.
Hull FC and Hull White Star amalgamated in 1881 and renaming as Hull FC, that later become Hull Rugby League Football Club.
William F.B Calvert took over the captaincy from George Hoskins after the first season and during long association with Hull FC he represented Yorkshire against Cheshire in New Brighton, and Oxfordshire in Oxford.
A great player and fans favourite, he was awarded a benefit match on the 1 Apr 1897 for his long association with Hull FC playing 216 matches and scoring 61 tries. Williams brothers John and George also played for Hull FC and all three brothers played for Hull FC during the 1880s.
Outside Rugby, William, John and George took ownership of a local brewery but it was not long before they were forced to give up the business being bankrupt.
In 1889 William Calvert and his wife Mary Ann were the landlord of the Plimsoll Hotel in Witham Hull, what happened in the preceding years is unclear but in the 1901 census they are living at 11 Woodhouse Street Hull and William working on the East Hull Docs as a general labourer.
William F B Calvert a popular person and a great sportsman sadly died at the age of 49. So popular was he in the city that the athletic section of the community assembled in large numbers at the Hull Crematorium on the 07 April 1908 when the funeral rites of the popular ex Hull FC footballer, William F. B. Calvert were performed.
From the house 11, Woodhouse Street the coffin was carried shoulder high the mile or so to the Hedon road Crematorium, a great interest being displayed as the cortege passed through the streets. Re-lays of workmates of the deceased bore the coffin on the journey, they included a large number from Hull Stevedores Co.
The Hull Football Club, and the Hull Cricket Club were largely represented as well as the Amalgamated Angling Association, The Anglers Preservation society and many of the angling clubs of Hull, for Calvert was a most ardent disciple of the rod and line. There were several old players in attendance and Phil Soulsby the Hull star cricketer recently stricken with blindness was amongst others showing their respect.
Brother John F B was regular player for Hull FC during the 1880s, and played together in the Cup final Match against Bradford on 9 Apr 1884 with Bradford winning the match, John Calvert retired from rugby and able to live of his own means from his Racing Commission agency business.
He was a bit of a lad at times, he was chatting to a friend when a police constable asked him to move and clear the footpath refusing to move because he felt that he was spoken to like a dog. John was summonsed at the Hull police court for obstructing the footpath and refused to move when requested to do so. The judge reminded John that he should have moved when requested to do so. Having regard to the circumstances, judgment would be respite on the cost being paid.
John had being paying Edwin Levi 3 pound a week for cab rides and lent him 20 pounds towards a new cab. John was in court again this time for assaulting the cab man Edwin Levi. John saw him in the street and struck him once, apparently the cab man Levi had an affair with Johns wife the assault was admitted and John was fined 40pounds and bound over to keep the peace for six months.
Brother George Edmond also a regular player in Hull FC and playing in the back line was more down to earth than his brothers. After retiring from his playing career he took permanent employment as a Railway Checker. His brother got him to join them in the Brewery business which collapsed so he later took a job as a Timber Checker in Thorngumbald East Yorkshire.
