John Forster Alcock

John Forster Alcock
Personal information
Full name John Forster Alcock
Date of birth (1841-04-14)14 April 1841
Place of birth Sunderland, County Durham, England
Date of death 13 March 1910(1910-03-13) (aged 68)
Place of death Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England
Position(s) Centre forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1862–1876 Wanderers
Harrow Pilgrims
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

John Forster Alcock (14 April 1841 – 13 March 1910) was an influential English sportsman and football organiser. He was founder of Football Association and FA Committee-member in 1863 – 1866.[1]

Biography

John Forster Alcock was born in Sunderland in 1841 to Charles Alcock (1807–1881) – a ship-owner and ship-broker – and Elizabeth Forster (1825–1891). He was the eldest child of 9 and the family lived on Norfolk Street (otherwise known as Sunniside), Sunderland and on the same street lived an uncle who headed the Alcock family's upholstery business. The Alcock family relocated prior to the 1861 census to the London area and both John Forster Alcock and Charles William Alcock (his younger brother) attended Harrow School.

Less is known of John Forster Alcock than his brother Charles, but he was a ship-owner and ship-broker who represented the Forest Club at the meetings that led to the foundation of the FA in 1863. He served on the committee of the FA until 1866 when he was replaced by Charles himself.[2]

John Forster Alcock died aged 68 in 1910.

Family

John Forster Alcock married Catherine Ruth Rouse (1848–1891) in 1867 and they divorced in 1874. He then married Augusta Lackland White (1867–1956) in Hampstead in 1886 and they went on to have three children:

  • Frank Alcock (1887–1917 Rhodesia Rifles attached Kings African Rifles<CWGC>),
  • Augusta Theodora Alcock (1888-unknown),
  • John Forster Alcock (1896–1977).

References

Notes
  1. ^ The Founding Fathers of Football
  2. ^ John Forster Alcock (1841–1910)
Bibliography
  • †Alcock, Charles. Football: our winter game. 1874.
  • Booth, Keith. The Father of Modern Sport: The Life and Times of Charles W. Alcock, Parrs Wood Press. 2002. ISBN 1-903158-34-6

External links