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	Charles Alexander Hooper

Charles Alexander Hooper selected for England while playing for Middlesex Wanderers. Born 6th June 1869 in Eastington Glos. Died 16th September 1950 in Buckinghamshire. It looks like he started at Clifton in the 1887-88 season. He appeared in the first 2 matches that Clifton played against Bristol.

Charles Alexander Hooper was educated at Clifton College (Jan 1880-1888), where he was head of school, was a Cambridge Blue and also played for Gloucestershire. A solicitor (1894-1914), he was a member of England's first four-three quarters line against Wales in what was also their only win during the 1894 campaign. He emigrated to Hong Kong in 1914 and served in the Hong Kong Special Police Force during World War one. He scored 2 tries for the Barbarians against Corinthians on 11th April 1892 and 2 against Devonshire on 1st April 1891

Above dated 20th June 1887 congratulating Queen Victoria on the 50th anniversary of her reign. This year Clifton College also received its Royal Charter. Signed by Head Boy Charles Hooper.

Above the 1887 Clifton College Rugby XV with captain Charles Hooper seated extreme front. (Original photo deface by students).

Above the 1888 Clifton College Cricket XI with centre left Charles Hooper and his friend Edwin Field standing next to him in the centre.

Back Row (L-R): C.P.Simpson, W.I.Rowell, C.R.Nicholl, R.I.Aston, W.H.Thorman, R.Thompson, P.H.Illingworth. Seated: H.W.Patterson, G.McGregor, T.W.P.Storey, S.M.J.Woods, P.H.Morrison. On Ground: C.A.Hooper, A.Rotherham, F.C.Bree-Frink.

Above Cambridge XV of 1890 with Charles Hooper.

Back Row (L-R): J.C.Orr, S.M.J.Woods, W.M.Scott, C.A.Hooper, E.D.Mackie, H.C.Barraclough. Middle Row: ?, J.H.C.Fegan, J.E.Sandall, F.L.Thompson, R.A.Wilson, H.Roughton, A.E.Elliott. Middle Back: N.C.Cooper, H.A.Harrison. Middle Front: F.J.Nicholls, T.L.Harrison, ?. Front Row: ?, H.R.Langmore, G.A.Davies, J.Sanger, D.A.Nicholl, J.Bairstow, C.H.Tovey, H.Menzies, W.H.Fernie.

Above Group Photograph entitled 'Hawks v. Inexpressibles', in cricket whites and blazers. Cambridge University 1890. Charles Hooper at back. By permission of the Master and Fellows of St John's College, Cambridge.

In 1891 Charles Hooper was living with his parents at Eastington Lodge, Gloucestershire. They were

Eastington Lodge became known as The Rectory. His father Charles Henry Hooper managed 3 Mills for Hicks Bros. in Eastington.

Above the Gloucestershire side that played Lancashire in Manchester on March 14th 1891 with Clifton RFC player Charles Hooper.

Above the Barbarians side v Devonshire at Exeter, 1st April 1891 with ex Clifton player Charles Hooper.

Above Barbarians v Huddersfield, 29th December 1891 with Clifton players Richard Budworth and Charles Hooper. A mix of shirts, Budworth is wearing the old Barbarians shirt (as well as an England cap) with the skull and crossbones and other players are wearing shirts with the new (present day) badge that has the BRC letters.

Above a programme for the first international cap gained by Charles Hooper. It lists him as playing for Gloucestershire . The IRB Yearbook says Middlesex Wanderers. This match took place a year after Wales had won their first Triple Crown. This England side included 7 new caps. Notice the number of Yorkshire players in the England side. A year later came the Northern Union and the split. England lost their captain Richard Lockwood and many others.

Above the England team that beat Wales 24-3 on January 6th 1894 with Charles Hooper. Frank Soane is also listed for his county although he did in fact play for Bath. This was to be England’s only international match staged in Birkenhead. The teams that the players played for (as listed by the IRB) are below the picture. The team Heckmondwike is in West Yorkshire. The England Captain Dicky Lockwood owned a Heckmondwike pub, called The Queen, but was forced to leave the pub as a bankrupt, returning to manual labour in 1897. He became Chairman of the Rugby League in 1945. Rockliff are now known as Whitley Bay Rockcliff RFC which produces a club magazine called "The Severed Leg".

Action from the 1894 England v Wales match from the Illustrated London News. The caption read "Wells at last came away with a fine run, three parts the length of the field, and when collared, passed to Hooper; who transferred when a few yards from the goal line, to Murfitt, for the latter to run in between the posts." Although the man passing the ball looks nothing like Charles Hooper.

Above a programme for the second international cap gained by Charles Hooper, v Ireland on 3rd Feb 1894 at Blackheath. 20,000 people attended the match.

Standing (L-R): ?, F.Soane (Bath), ?, ?, ?, ?, ?. Sitting (L-R): ?, ? , R.E.Lockwood (Captain) (Heckmondwike), ?, ?. On Ground (L-R): A.Allport (Blackheath), C.Hooper (Middlesex Wanderers) , ?, ?.

Above the England team that played Ireland on February 3rd 1894 with ex Clifton RFC player Charles Hooper. Image courtesy of the RFU.

Above photograph from Charles Hooper’s last game for England v Scotland on 17th March 1894. The temporary stand at Raeburn Place had been erected for the sum of £45.

Standing (L-R): H.Speed (Castleford), W.Walton (Castleford), J.Hall (North Durham), J.F.Byrne (Moseley), H.Bradshaw (Bramley), A.E.Elliott (St.Thomas's Hospital), A.Allport (Blackheath). Sitting (L-R): W.J.Jackson (Halifax), F.Firth (Halifax), E.W.Taylor (Captain) (Rockcliff), S.Morfitt (West Hartlepool), T.Broadley (Bingley), F.Soane (Bath). On Ground (L-R): C.Hooper (Middlesex Wanderers), C.M.Wells (Harlequins).

Above the England team that played Scotland on March 17th 1894 with ex Clifton RFC player Charles Hooper. Image courtesy of the RFU

Ogden Cigarette card of Charles Hooper. Published in 1902. Hooper's initial mispelt E. He is wearing a Middlesex shirt for whom he was captain from 1895-96.

Back Row (L-R): G.L.Bullock, G.M.Foster, W.E.Newbigging, J.Gibbon, F.Kendall, H.H.Cobb, S.Gilmore, C.Dixon. Seated: W.P.Wells, E.B.L.Moore, C.A.Hooper (Captain), A.E.Elliot, P.E.Boddington. On Ground: L.E.Gilbert, H.Bond.

Above the Middlesex side of 1895-96 with Charles Hooper as Captain. This photograpgh appeared as part of a series called "Famous Footballers" and was issued by a National Newspaper in 1895.

Back Row (L-R): H.W.T.Patterson, A.Rouillard, H.W.Dudgeon, W.Thorman, W.Ashford, R.O.Atcherley, D.R.Hunt. Seated: H.T.Bell, C.A.Hooper, W.E.Bomet, E.Field, J.Calvanston, J.Hammond. On Ground: G.L.F.Bullock, A.Bromet.

Above the Richmond side of 1895 with ex Clifton players Charles Hooper and Edwin Field. Both had previously played for Middlesex Wanderers which had recently folded. Prior to that both had played for Cambridge University. This photograpgh appeared as part of a series called "Famous Footballers" and was issued by a National Newspaper in 1895.

There is an account of 3 games Middlesex Wanderers played againt Clifton College here with Charles Hooper and his brothers.

He married Frances ? between 1881 and 1891

In 1901 he was living at 3 Bradfield Gardens, Kew, London

In 1911 The Hoopers had been married for 10 years with no children. They were living at 24 White Rock, Hastings, Sussex.at

Above his signature

He emigrated to Hong Kong in 1914 and served in the Hong Kong Special Police Force during World War one.

Charles Alexander Hooper died on September 16th 1950. His obituary appeared in The Times on September 19th 1950 and said

HOOPER.- on Sept. 16 1950 in hospital, from cerebal haemorrage. CHARLES ALEXANDER HOOPER, of Ethorpe Hotel, Gerrards Cross, aged 81. Cremation private. No flowers. Letters may be sent to Mrs Moreland, Cherrycroft, Gerrards Cross.

Above the Ethorpe Hotel, Gerrards Cross where Charles Hooper lived before his death in hospital. Now a Chef & Brewer http://www.ethorpehotel.com He died at The Canadian Red Cross Memorial Hospital in Taplow, Buckinghamshire.