John Pardoe: Local Hero

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anthony.brown
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John Pardoe: Local Hero

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Reverend John Pardoe, the man I consider the driving force behind the first Hitchin F.C, founded in 1865.
A selected chronology of the life and times of a super Hitchinite, who deserves better than his usual simple description as Hitchin F. C's first ever club secretary.
1st April 1839 John Pardoe is born in Leytonstone, the son of Reverend John Pardoe (senior).
12th May 1839 Baptised.
Founder member of Forest F. C.
15th March 1862 He plays his first game for Forest F.C. v Crystal Palace, a 1-0 win for Forest. First ever game for both Forest AND Crystal Palace! According to Palace blogger Steve Martyniuk this game was also 'the world's first-ever game between future members of the FA'. The FA was formed in the following year.
5th April 1862 Scores a hat trick at Crystal Palace as Forest beat Palace 4-0.
7th November 1863 Scores a goal in Forest's 3-0 away win at Richmond.
14th November 1863 Scores a goal in Forest's 5-0 away win at Barnes. C. W. Alcock scores twice.
19th December 1863 Plays for Forest in their 4-0 home win against 'Thompson's XI'. C. W. Alcock is on the score sheet again.
13th February 1864 Scores in Forest's 2-2 draw against 'Thompson's XI' C. W. Alcock also scores. 'Pardoe for the Forest was justly admired' Bell's Life 20 Feb 1864.
27th February 1864 He plays his final game for Forest F.C., a 0-0 away draw at No Names, Kilburn.
2nd April 1864 Forest F. C. becomes Wanderers F. C.
3rd July 1864 Ordained Curate for Hitchin.
Founder member of Hitchin F. C.
24th November 1865 Elected (first ever) secretary of Hitchin F.C.
24th February 1866 Plays and scores in Hitchin F.C's first ever match against Mr Elphinstone's XI, a 2-1 win for Hitchin. A. C. Conder the other Hitchin scorer.
R. D. Elphinstone scored for his side (a scratch team of mainly Wanderers players sent up from London)
17th March 1866 Plays for Hitchin F. C against Mr Lucas's Team (a scratch team as previous game)). A 1-0 win for Hitchin.
9th March 1867 Plays for Hitchin F.C as they lose 0-3 at home to The Old Harrovians of Trinity College, Cambridge.
3rd April 1869 Time-keeper for Hitchin F. C's Hare and Hounds cross country race (taking in Charlton, Offley, Preston, and back, including a water jump). The race was won by 'Logsdon' and the 'handsome two-handled' cup was presented to him (Logsdon) by Hitchin F. C's first captain, the Solicitor & Coroner Francis Shillitoe, who will be featuring as founding father number 2.
1871 The Census shows him as Curate of Ippollits & Wymondly.
5th Sep 1872 Re-elected Captain of Hitchin F.C.
1873 Lord of the Manor of Leyton Grange, Essex 1873-92.
11th August 1876 Marries Isabella Charlotte Wilson (1857-1953) in Hitchin.
1881 The Census shows him living in New England, Hitchin with his wife and year old son Frank. Rector of Graveley.
1891 Living at the Rectory, Graveley. Wife and five children shown.
23rd April 1892 Dies.

His close contact with 'the father of modern football' C. W. Alcock and Association Football supremo A. F. Kinnaird ensured that Hitchin played regularly against Wanderers teams and offshoots of them like C. F. Reid's, R.D. Elphinstone's and Mr Lucas's XI.

If anyone can add to this brief summary of John Pardoe's part in the formation of the first Hitchin F. C. that would be great.
Last edited by anthony.brown on Tue Dec 08, 2020 11:24 pm, edited 22 times in total.


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Stuart
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Re: Hitchin FC: Founding Fathers (1)

Post by Stuart »

👍Fascinating stuff Anthony, so many familiar Hitchin names from the past, I guess the date of Forest becoming Wanderers is a typo 😊
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Re: Hitchin FC: Founding Fathers (1)

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One of many typos, no doubt, Stuart! Thank you for pointing it out. If it's the only way to get a reaction on this quiet bit of the forum, perhaps I should start making typos on purpose...........
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Re: John Pardoe: Local Hero

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Hi was doing some Research on Crystal Palace came across this.There is a typo the Forest games were 1862 not 1861.
As a question is there anywhere any original reports on the first F A Cup game between us..
Good Luck for when football returns.
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Re: John Pardoe: Local Hero

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Thank you for the correction, Norman. I've found a report of the first F. A. Cup game in The Sportsman of Wednesday 15th November 1871 . I'll add it to my Hitchin F. C: An Auspicious Beginning thread tomorrow. Best wishes.
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Re: John Pardoe: Local Hero

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I have found details of Reverend Pardoe's education.
Harrow School (Mr Rendalls House) Entered midsummer 1853. Left 1858. Home address given as Leyton Vicarage, Essex.
BA 1861 Trinity College, Cambridge.

Another celebrity to enter Harrow in John Pardoe's intake was (later General) Redvers Buller, who now has a large statue in the centre of Exeter (my favourite holiday destination!)

John Pardoe was a contemporary at Harrow of Sir Robert Dalrymple-Horn-Elphinstone, who entered Harrow School (Grove House) Sept/Xmas term 1855 and left 1860.

Pardoe and Elphinstone had already left the school before William Tindall Lucas entered (the Head Master's House) in the Xmas term 1861.



Thank you to The Harrow School Register 1800-1911.
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Re: John Pardoe: Local Hero

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The Forest Club v The Crystal Palace Club
This match came off on Saturday, the 15th March 1862, on the ground of the former club at Leytonstone, Essex. Play began at about half-past two, and ended at five p.m. The result was a victory for the Forest Club who obtained one goal, their opponents having got none. The play on both sides was acknowledged to be very good, and that the game was hardly fought is shown by the fact that the only goal was obtained after an hour and a half's play.
The players were:
The Forest: Messrs J.F.Alcock, C.W.Alcock, H.Bigland, C.Bigland, C.Jackson, A.W.Mackenzie, G.W.Mackenzie, J.Morgan, J.Pardoe jun, J.Robertson, C.Tebbut, A.Tebbut, M.Savill, J.E.White, and F.Woodward.
Crystal Palace: Messrs Allport, Bell, Cutbill, P.Cutbill, Day, Head, Jackson, R.Lloyd, Lloyd, Lloyd, Medwin, Phelps, Sharland, Turner, and Urwick.

Bell's Life Sunday 23rd March 1862
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Re: John Pardoe: Local Hero

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Football at The Crystal Palace
Forest Club v Crystal Palace
The return match between these two clubs came off on Saturday week (5th April 1862), on the ground of the latter, at the Palace. The weather which had been fine for the previous two or three days, was again wet, and the ground was not in first rate condition. Despite drawbacks, however, play commenced at three o'clock, and continued till five. The result was another victory for the Forest Club, for at the conclusion of the game they had obtained four goals, their adversaries none. Three of these were kicked by Mr Pardoe, and the other by Mr C.Bigland. The play on both sides was good, but it was evident that the Forest Club were decidedly superior to their opponents, who admitted that they (the Forest Club) had it all their own way.
The players were:
Forest Club: Messrs J.F.Alcock, C.W.Alcock, H.Bigland, C.Bigland, A.J.Burness, F.W.Connery, C.D.Jackson, D.J.Morgan, J.Pardoe, J.Robertson, W.J.B.Stanbridge, C.Tebbut, A.Tebbut, F.W.Woodward and A.W.Mackenzie.
Crystal Palace: Messrs W.Allport, F.Bevington, W.Cutbill, E.Cutbill, F.Day, T.Jackson, T.Lloyd, H.Lloyd, H.Lloyd jun, W.Noakes, Sharland, J.Turner, T.Unwick, H.Wood, and A.Wood.

Bell's Life Sunday 13th April 1862
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Re: John Pardoe: Local Hero

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The Forest Club
This club has lately had its hands, or rather, perhaps we should say its feet, full of work. It has played three matches in the last four weeks, and has fully sustained its reputation of never having suffered a defeat.
..............The third game was played on Saturday, Feb 13, when Thompson's Eleven came down to Leytonstone to endeavour to win back the laurels they had lost to the Forest Club on a former occasion. In spite, however, of all their efforts they were unable to attain the heights of their ambition, for though the result was not so disastrous to them as before, yet the game was drawn, both sides obtaining two goals. Messrs C.Alcock and Pardoe for the Forest and Thompson and Greaves for Thompson's were the fortunate players to get them. The afternoon was, to say the least of it wet, and most of the players were fully aware of the 'power of rain' before the game was commenced; but they managed by a judicious application of another kind of wet to keep their spirits up for this encounter. The play of Messrs Greaves and Burnett for Thompson's and Messrs J.F.Alcock and Pardoe for the Forest was justly admired. We think it saying a good deal for Thompson's Eleven when we record the fact that in no other match have the F.F.C. lost a goal, and it must be a satisfaction to the members of the Forest Club to know that the only adversaries who have got goals against them were able players and good fellows. In (this) match for the Forest Club were: Messrs J.F.Alcock (captain), C.W.Alcock, Absolom, Cotton, Cutbill, Edwards, Gardener, Jackson, Pardoe, C.Tebbut, and A.Tebbut. For Thompson's Eleven: Messrs Burnett, Finlay, Greaves, Harper, R.Y.Head, Lucas, Melhurst, Reeves, C.Wright, F,Wright, and A.Thompson.

Bell's Life Saturday 20th February 1864
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Re: John Pardoe: Local Hero

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Did you know that.......
John Pardoe appears in the only known photograph of Forest FC or Wanderers FC. Taken in 1863, it shows the Forest XI, who the following year became the famous Wanderers..
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