Clifton Rugby Football Club History
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Edward Watkins Baker
 
 
 

Edward Watkins-Baker was 1 of 7 brothers that played rugby for Clifton. He is also the only Clifton player that has played for the Barbarians. Many have played for them before or after playing for Clifton. Born on 30th June 1878. He attended Clifton College from 1890 - 1896. From Clifton he went to Winchester and during the vacations played for Clifton Rugby Club. He went to Edinburgh University in 1898 who he played rugby and cricket for. He also played rugby for Bristol, Harlequins, Edinburgh Wanderers, Blackheath and Gloucestershire.

OTHER RECORD: Barbarians Appearances 1903-04

Career Record: P7, W1, D0, L6, Tries 1, Cons 0, Pen 0, DropG 0

11-04-1903 v Swansea (St.Helen's, Swansea) L 0-28

13-04-1903 v Cardiff (Cardiff Arms Park) W 10-4

28-12-1903 v Newport (Rooney Parade, Newport) L 5-17

01-04-1904 v Penarth (Penarth) L 4-5

02-04-1904 v Cardiff (Cardiff Arms Park) L 0-8

05-04-1904 v Devonport (Devonport) L 8-19

06-04-1904 v Plymouth (Plymouth) L 8-26

In 1901 the Watkins-Bakers lived at Pan Avon on Clifton Down

Name Relation Age Occupation Where born
Thomas Watkins-Baker Head 53 Solicitor Monmouth, Wales
Julia Watkins-Baker Wife 48 Kinswinford, Staffordshire
Dudley Watkins-Baker Son 24

Mechanical Engineer

 Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol
Edward Watkins-Baker Son 22 Medical Student Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol
Cecil L. Baker Son 19 Solicitors Clerk Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol
Leonard F Baker Son 18 Clerk in Life Assurance Office Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol
Gladys M Baker Dau 16 Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol
Lionel C Baker Son 15 Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol
Kathleen J Baker Dau 13 Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol
Gertrude M. E. Warner Visitor 38 Living on Own Means Stafford, Staffordshire
Lily Ellis Servant 21 Housemaid Hastings, Sussex
Minnie Mills Servant 31 Cook Bedminster, Somerset
Francis H Jackson Servant 23 Butler Bristol
Edith Mary Baker Servant 26 Parlourmaid Charlton, Gloucestershire

For more on the Watkins-Baker family click here

Above Pan Avon, Clifton Down (right half of building), now renamed and part of Chatford House.

He played in an England trial match in 1901-02, while with Bristol. He never did play for England

1901-02 North v South at Fallowfield North (won) 4 0 20 (T.Simpson , W.Coby 1, H.F.Terry 1, N.S.A.Harrison 1) South 0 2 6 (F.G.Brooks 2)
  NORTH back:- G.Tattersall (Yorkshire). three-quarters:- T.Simpson (Nortumberland), J.T.Taylor (Duham), H.F.Terry (Cheshire) N.S.A.Harrison (Durham). halfbacks:- P.D.Kendall (Cheshire), B.Oughtred (Durham). forwards:- H.Alexander, C.S.Edgar, R.H.M.Taylor (Cheshire), W.Cobby, J.J.Robinson (Yorkshie), A.Nicholson (Nothumberland), J.Jewit, J.Waller (Durham).
  SOUTH back:- S.Horsley (Cambridge Universiy). threequarter:- F.Brooks, W.H.Goudge (Midland Counties), E.W.Baker (Clifton and Gloucestershire), G.S.J.Fuller-Eberle (Clifton, Oxford University and Gloucestershire). halfbacks:- E.J.Walton (Oxford University), C.B.Buck (Old Merchant Taylors). forwards:- H.W.Dudgeon (Richmond), D.D.Dobson, S.H.Osbourne (Oxford University), B.C.Hartley (Blackheath), G.Fraser (Richmond), C.Hall (Gloucestershire, A.O.Dowson (Midland Counties), L.R.Tosswill (St.Bartholomew's Hospial).

Back Row (L-R): G.Claridge, F.Channon, J.Lewis, J.Sweet. Middle Row: W.T.Pearce (Hon Sec), L.Thomas, H.Wilcox, T.Davies, M.G.Courtney, A.Harris, J.W.Jarman,. Seated: J.Oates, P.Hussey, C.Y.Adamson, J.L.Mathias (Captain), R.G.Vaughan (Vice-Captain), E. Watkins-Baker, J.Peters. Front: W.Needs, S.H.Foster.

Above the Bristol squad of 1901-02 with Edward Watkins-Baker. A team that included Bristol's first England International, Wallace Jarman. He had relinquished the captaincy the season before. The other important player in this squad was James Peters who had joined Bristol from the Dings Club. He was the first black player to play for England. He gained his first of 5 caps after he had left Bristol to work at Devonport dockyards and joined Plymouth. He made his England debut v Scotland on 17th March 1906. His final match for England was v Wales on 18th Jan 1908 at Ashton Gate, home of Bristol City Football Club. He went on to play Rugby League for Barrow.

Above: Tom Watkins-Baker, started with Clifton in 1896 and then he joined Bristol. He left with several other players in 1901 but did return to Clifton in 1907. He became President of Bristol Saracens RFC between 1906-07 and 1908-1910

Bristol lost 10 players the following season (1902-03) when the following departed - C.Y.Adamson, E.Watkins-Baker, M.G.Courtney, S.H.Foster, A.Harris, J.Lewis, J.Sweet, J.Peters, H.Wilcox and the captain J.L.Mathias was unable to play due to business commitments. This was after the loss of 4 1st team players in the 1900-01 season. The season before that every rugby team in the country lost players as many enlisted to fight in the Boer War.

Edward Watkins-Baker joined Clifton in 1902. His brother Claude had been made Vice-Captain of the Clifton 1st XV and his brother Tom had left Bristol. During his time playing for Bristol he was a student at Edinburgh University, on twenty-two occasions he travelled down to play in a match.

Standing (L-R):E.de Lissa, C.G.Robson, R.S.Wix, A.Brown, A.R.Thompson, E.M.Harrison (Guys Hospital), N.W.Godfrey (Moseley), F.H.Palmer (Richmond), G.Fraser, T.A.Gibson. Seated: E.C.Galloway (Marlborough Nomads), F.M.Stout (Gloucester), B.C.Hartley (Blackheath) (Captain), W.L.Y.Rogers (Blackheath), D.R.Bedell-Sivright (West of Scotland). On Ground: G.V.Kyrke (Marlborough Nomads), F.C.Hulme (Birkenhead Park), S.F.Cropper (Blackheath), P.Hutchison (Birkenhead Park), E. Watkins-Baker (Clifton).

Above the Barbarians who played Devonport Albion on 5th April 1904 with Cliftons Edward Watkins-Baker.

Above Edward Watkins-Baker from the Clifton XV of 1906-07. His last season with Clifton.

Edward Watkins-Baker married Mary Jeffries Davies circa 1895.  Mary Jeffries Davis was born on 23 August 1883 at Grimley. She was the daughter of John Jeffries Davis and Catherine ("Kate") Freer. She died on 22 May 1961 at age 77. She was buried at Capilano View Cemetery, West Vancouver, BC

Above the daughters of John Jeffries Davis, together with Tommy Watkins Baker, son of Mary and Edward. Tommy was born in 1905 (died 1925). This photograph was supplied by Bruce Coates on 6th July 2005, from his grandmother's album: the caption says it was taken in Croydon in 1906 or 1907.

Edward Watkins-Baker and his wife emigrated to Vancouver, Bristish Columbia in 1907. He played 1 game for British Columbia v an Australian Maori side in 1907 at Brockton Oval in Stanley Park, Vancouver. It was his first and last game in British Columbia colours.

In 1924 they moved to the North Shore and he was instrumental in forming North Shore All Blacks in 1930. They merged with West Vancouver Barbarians in 1969 to become Capilano Rugby Club, see http://www.capilanorfc.com/content/home.asp They play at Klahanie Park in West Vancouver. Klahanie in the local First Nation's dialect means, "Welcome".

Above Edward Watkins-Baker, aged 78, showing his Gloucestershire cap and scrapbook to Vancouver Rugby President Bob Spray. An article appeared on this in the the Vancouver Sun on April 26th 1957 prior to the British Columbia match v Barbarians on May 4th 1957 at the Empire Stadium in Vancouver. The Barbarians won 19-6. For match details see http://www.barbarianfc.co.uk/new_search/matchdetails.asp?matchid=364#match

Above the article from the Vancouver Sun on April 26th 1957

Although a qualified doctor in England he was not allowed to practice in Canada without redoing his medical exams. So he Before he retired he was a game warden in West Vancouver.

Edward Watkins-Baker died on 12th January 1967 aged 88.