Only Once a Blue (3), Godfrey William Turner. – Tony Onslow
Almost certainly the first Southerner to play for Everton Football club, Godfrey Turner, came from a most eminent family background. His Father Charles, was a prominent floriculturist of Victorian England and was the lessee of the Royal Nurseries at Slough where he employed around 100 people. He had formerly held the license of a Flower Nursery at nearby Chelvey with his Wife Susannah and Godfrey, their 6thchild, was born here on the 26th of July 1854. Godfrey was educated Crawford School and Twickenham College after which his movements are something of an enigma. Official FA records place him acting as Umpire at an International match between Scotland and England – 23rd of March 1878 – at Hampden Park in Glasgow wherethe home side won 7-2. However, the claim that he was representing Edinburgh University does not comply with their Matriculation Album that lists his arrival as being the 12th of December 1878. Turner, at thismoment in time, claimed to be a...
Only Once a Blue (6) Joe Marsden by Tony Onslow
No transfer fee was mentioned when Joe Marsden joined Everton from Darwen where he had been born on the 11th of October 1869. The 1881 census finds him living with his parents, Thomas and Nancy, at 6 Sydney Street where he is employed, as a half-time Weaver, in the Cotton Industry. Marsden had fond childhood memories concerning the FA Cup exploits of his local team and would have been proud when he joined them on their home at Barley Bank Meadow. His Darwen side began the 1886-87 campaign a with stunning 7-1 win over Heart of Midlothian that was followed by victories over Bolton Wanderers and Chirk. Their hopes of winning the trophy however, disappeared at Perry Barr as they were beaten, 3-2, by Aston Villa. Marsden became club captain and was on the committee when they made an unsuccessful attempt to become founder members of the Football League. Darwen were members of the Football Alliance when he signed a Football League...
William Henry Briscoe. by Tony Onslow
Liverpool born William Briscoe appears in the Everton line up - having begun his career on Stanley Park – during their inaugural season in the Football League. Born the 24th of May 1866, he was the second of 3 children born to William and his wife, Ann. The 1871 census finds her, and the 3 children, boarding with the Kelly family at 15 Brisbane Street in Kirkdale where she declares to be a Ship Stewards Wife. The family later found a home of their own at 75 Windermere Street where William junior, after finding work as a Railway Clerk, began playing football for the church of St Benedict. The team had been formed by the resident Curate, William Edward Jackson. Born 27th June 1852 at Blackheath Park in Kent, he studied at the local proprietary college from where he matriculated to Cambridge University at Michaelmas Term, in 1874, and was admitted to Corpus Christie College. William Jackson later chose a living...
History, Members Work
John Arthur Eyton-Jones. By Tony Onslow
John Arthur Eyton-Jones. There was a "larger than usual" crowd of Journalists filling the Anfield Press Stand when the Everton players took to field, on the 7 of January 1888, to play Nottingham Rangers. They were here to record what side the club executive would place in field following the one-monthsuspension they had incurred for paying players they had imported fromNorth of the Border. The Scots had now departed so they were obligedto fill the vacant positions with local amateur players who were eligible for selection. One of them, John Arthur Eyton-Jones, had been born, 1863, at Wrexham in North Wales. The 1871 census records that Thomas Eyton-Jones is living with his Wife Sarah at Priory Street in Wrexham where they are waited up on by 5 servants. They have 3 sons Thomas John and Hugh who attend the local Grove Park School. On the 8th of October 1880, the name of JA Eyton-Jones appears playing football, for Saffron Waldron Town in...