Sportsmen at Cheltenham College

A carte-de-visite portrait of six young sportsmen. The sitters' names have been inscribed in ink in the lower margin: W.J. Irwin, R.R. Lousada, J. Kinloch, A.K. Smith, E.H. Watts, J. Playfair.

Looking at the Cheltenham College Register: 1841-1910 online, these were:

(Standing, left) William John Irwin, born 22 September 1848, son of General William Irwin of Templemore, Ireland. A player in the Football XX in 1866.

After Cheltenham he attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, after which he joined the 104th Foot, transferring to the 20th Hussars in 1869. He retired from the Army in 1900 with the rank of Brevet-Colonel.

(Standing, centre) Reginald Robert Lousada, born 30 January 1850, son of John Baruh Lousada of Peak House, Sidmouth.

(Standing, right) John George Smyth Kinloch, born 8 January 1849, son of Sir George Kinloch, Bart. He was Captain of the Rifle Corps in 1867.

(Seated, left) Arnold Kirke Smith, born 23 April 1850, son of William Smith, Esq. of Barnes Hall near Sheffield. While at the school, he played in the Football XX in 1867. He was later one of the players in the very first England team, who played against Scotland on 30 November 1872. The knitted woollen jersey that he wore in that match was sold at auction for £21,000 in 1998.

He became an Anglican priest and, at various points in his ecclesiastical career was a Curate, Vicar and Rector. When he died on 8 October 1927 he was the Vicar of Boxworth in Cambridgeshire.

(Seated centre) Edmund Harry Watts, born 10 January 1849, son of Edmund Turner Watts, Esq. He played in the Football XX in 1868.

(Seated right) George James Playfair, born 31 March 1849, son of the Rt. Hon. Lyon Playfair.

Photographed by Richard Dighton of Cheltenham.