UP
Charles Cyril Lampriere Master of Arts, Hull FC, Centre three quarter
The Hull FC, supporters and the teaching profession will learn with great regret of the death of Mr Charles Cyril Lempriere, M. A., at the age of 68 on the 24 January 1939. passed away at the home of his Brother-in-Law, the Bishop of Ely Dr H O F Heywood, who incidentally was a former Bishop of Hull.
The name Lempriere will always live in the annals of the Hull Rugby Football Club, Lempy was a three-quarter who brought the crowd to their toes with his dazzling runs and his classical tries. Within a year of him playing for Hull FC he took over the captaincy from the veteran Laurie Donkin, he retired in 1899 and although he has been away from the city for many years his memory will always remain.
A Native of Hull
On his 67 Birthday, Mr Lempriere writing from Kingsway, Mildenhall sent to Kingstonian some interesting particulars of his career. He wrote:
I am the son of the late Captain P. R. Lempriere, Royal Artillery and later a sub agent of the Bank of England I was born in Hull in 1870 in that grim grey building halfway down Whitefriargate and called the Bank of England
.
Transferring with my father the sub agent to the Park Lane Branch of that institution in Leeds at the age of two. I was young enough, but I had left behind the two brothers in Spring Bank cemetery, victims of the scourge of scarlet fever which raged in the port in 1872. The stained glass to their memory may still be seen in the porch of St Mary s Lowgate while within the church in later days, two brass plates were erected at the west end to recall respectively my fathers and eldest uncles work that had been done there viz Captain P R and G R Lempriere
The One and Only Game
.
At six years of age I was transferred not yet in football sense to the Bank of England Upper King Street Manchester and my soccer career started at Reigate Grammar School Surrey until the age of 8, and for 10 years at Llanddulas North Wales and Radley College
.
At 18 I had got to Radley College Oxford where I learned the One and Only Game Rugby and in my last year there, I was playing for the Varsity against the Harlequins on the 1 Nov 1892, following that, Newport and other famous teams, although I never got my Blue
.
Over to Professionalism
.
By the time I was 23 I was back in Hull having had about eight years of the best class of Rugby Union football of nearly international standard. This was in 1893 when I took a position at Hymers College, I was invited to play for the Hull club and was faced with the vitally important decision of going over or not with the Northern Union to open professionalism. I chose the latter course and from that day was not allowed to play with old college friends or amateurs despite being an amateur as I did not receive any cash incentive for playing rugby for Hull FC. In addition one morning at Hymers College I found a note from colleagues bearing the words
.just for a handful of silver, he left us
. Quoting Browning famous poem. For some reason which is still obscure to me 40 years later, open professionalism is quite all right in soccer, cricket, tennis, billiards, racing and running, but all wrong only in the game of rugby
I was honoured to being the
.Guest of Honour
at the Queens Hotel 14 April 1898 prior to my retirement from rugby at the end of the season, and I have behind me as I write the magnificent silver tray, candelabra, salad bowl and cup which my very kind Hull friends presented me on my departure in 1899 to seek my fortunes first at Flamborough and subsequently at Harrogate and Marston Moor near York
Marston Moor Days
It was at Marston Moor that Mr. Charles Cyril Lempriere was the founder head master of Red House preparatory School, where he spent the years from 1902 to 1922. He was then in a comfortable financial position, but lost his money in oil share company in the States.
He took up teaching again and after filling a number of positions moved to Mildenhall in 1928. He took a deep interest in the local football club and opened a baseball league in the 19 villages of the rural district.
Mr. Lempriere was married in 1908 to Miss Lucy Waddington. There are no children.
