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ARTHUR CURSHAM - ENGLAND FOOTBALL CAPTAIN

Our 'Victorian sport' archive continues to grow and includes a number of subjects never before fully researched. Here Peter Seddon considers the long-forgotten Arthur Cursham, both a Derbyshire cricketer and England footballer.

Few would recognise the name Arthur Cursham today. Not in the least surprising really - he was a cricketer and footballer in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. But his credentials are well worth recording for posterity.

Arthur William Cursham was born in Wilford, Nottinghamshire, on 14 March 1853.

While at Oakham School he acquired sporting proficiency at both football and cricket and later played both games at a first-class level.

Shortly before Christmas 1876 he made his senior football debut for Grantham Town against their Lincolnshire rivals Bourne. He continued to make occasional guest appearances for Grantham and bowed out on a high in March 1879 in their 13-0 thrashing of Sleaford.

The reason he made only guest appearances was that he had also joined the ranks of the football pioneers Notts County - he played many games for the club between 1876 and 1883. However, these appearances are considered 'unofficial', since the Football League did not begin until 1888.

Arthur Cursham also played occasional games for the Nottingham Law Club and for the Sheffield side Thursday Wanderers. A contemporary pen-picture summed him up succinctly: 'A very fast and energetic forward'.

The pinnacle of his football achievements was in winning six caps for England between 1876 and 1883.

For the game against Scotland at Hampden Park, Glasgow, on 2 March 1878 he was made England captain - the sixth man to be so honoured.

Although Cursham scored a goal, his big day as skipper did not prove an auspicious one - England were beaten 7-2. Nevertheless Cursham's strike made him England's joint top scorer that season - with only a solitary goal to his name!

His first-class cricket career spanned 1876 to 1880. From 1876 to 1879 he played 12 games for Nottinghamshire, but thereafter transferred his allegiance to their close rivals Derbyshire.

It has not been recorded by what right he made the switch, but he almost certainly qualified to play for Derbyshire under the two year residency rule - a short biography of him says that he was 'a proprietor of a colliery near Ambergate'.

He made his debut for Derbyshire on 5 June 1879 against Lancashire at Old Trafford - as with his football 'red letter day' all did not go to plan. In his first innings he was out LBW for a duck, and in his second he was bowled for only four.

A curiosity of the game was that the bowler who nabbed him on each occasion achieved the hat-trick. He was the celebrated A. G. 'Dick' Barlow, who in 1875 had himself played a solitary game for Derbyshire - an appearance not recorded in the club's official published history as it was not in a county match.

Despite Cursham's opening hiccup he continued to play for Derbyshire during 1879 and for part of 1880 - he played 9 games for the county in all.

His overall record with Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire was a modest one - in 21 matches he scored 314 runs at a meagre average of 8.97, although his highest score was a creditable 67. As a bowler he delivered 104 balls and bagged only a solitary wicket for an average of 49 runs.

Nevertheless he occupies an unassailable place in the sporting annals of Derbyshire - he was the first man to play both cricket for Derbyshire and to captain England at football. Only John Goodall and Ernest Needham - also from the Victorian era - matched that rare feat.

Nor was Arthur the only sporting talent in the family. His younger brother Harry Cursham was also a county cricketer who played football for England and Notts County. He is featured in a separate article at Cursham, Harry - Repton 'Old Boy' Holds FA Cup Record.

Little else has been recorded of Arthur Cursham's life save its untimely close.

Towards the end of 1884 he emigrated to the United States and settled in Florida. But only a few months after his arrival he contracted malaria, and died there of yellow fever on Christmas Eve 1884. He was aged only 31.

His place of burial has not been recorded - but presumably a Derbyshire cricketer and England football captain lies at rest in Florida to this day.

                                                          R.I.P. ARTHUR WILIAM CURSHAM 
                                                       DERBYSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB  
                                                           ENGLAND FOOTBALL CAPTAIN  
                                                               BORN 1853   DIED 1884                                                                    
 

It has not been possible to source a picture of Arthur Cursham. If you have access to one you can add it here. If you can provide more information about Arthur Cursham, click 'edit' or 'discussion' and begin writing.

• Cursham, Harry - Repton 'Old Boy' Holds FA Cup Record

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County:  Derbyshire

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