|
Arnold
Hills |
Old
Harrovians AFC
1 appearance, 0 goals
P 1 W 1 D 0 L 0 F 5:
A 4
100% successful
1879
captain: none
minutes played: 90 |
|
Timeline |
|
Arnold Frank
Hills B.A. |
Birth |
Wednesday,
12 March 1857 in Denmark Hill, Camberwell, Surrey |
|
registered as Arnold in Lambeth
April-June 1857 Camberwell was in the Surrey Registration
County up until 1889 |
"12th, at
Denmark-hill, Surrey, Mrs. F. C. Hills, of twins, a son and daughter."
- The Era, Sunday, 15 March 1857. |
|
According to the 1861
census, Arnold Frank, along with Constance, are the youngest of five children to Frank C. and Ann
Ellen (née Rawlings). His father is a manufacturer of chimneys. They live with two
servants in Denmark Hill in St Mary's, Lambeth. |
|
According to the 1871
census, Arnold is a pupil in Holbrook. (His mother died on 31
October 1877 in Penshurst) |
|
According to the 1881
census, Arnold F. is residing with his widowed father and three of his
siblings at the Hotel Cecil at 14/15 Albermarle Street in St George
Hanover Square, Westminster. |
Marriage |
to Mary Elizabeth Lafone, on 12 May 1886 at Hanworth Parish Church in
Hanworth, Middlesex |
|
registered in Staines April-June 1886 |
"PENSHURST. MARRIAGE OF MR. ARNOLD F.
HILLS.
"The marriage of Mr
Arnold Frank Hills, youngest son of Mr. F. C. Hills, of Redleaf,
Penshurst, with Miss Lafone, eldest daughter of Mr Alfred Lafone, of
Hanworth Park, Middlesex, was solemnised on Wednesday, May 12th, at the
parish church, Hanworth. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Stephen
Bridge, Vicar of Droxford, assisted by the Rev. J. Winslow, Vicar of
Hanworth, and the Rev. E. D. L. Harvey, brother-in-law of the bridegroom.
The bride was given away by her father, Mr Alfred Lafone, and was attended
by her little nephew as page, and seven bridesmaids: The brother of the
bridegroom, Mr Ernest Hills, acted as best man. The bride wore a lovely
dress of cream white broché satin and train, trimmed with beautiful point d'Alençon lace, the gift of her sister, Miss J. Lafone, tulle veil, orange
blossoms and bouquet, ornaments, a diamond crescent, the joint gift of
Messrs. H. and M. Lafone, a diamond star, presented by Mr F. Hills, and a
handsome diamond bracelet, the gift of the bridegroom... The church was
prettily decorated and the service was choral. A large number of guests
were entertained at Hanworth Park, and after the breakfast the bride and
bridegroom started for Dover en route for the Italian Lakes."
- The Kent & Sussex Courier, Friday, 21 May 1886. |
Children |
Arnold and Mary Hills had five children together. Mary Monica (b.1888),
Arthur Lafone Frank (b.1890), Constance M.
(b.1893), Elizabeth U. (b.1895) and
Agnes Helen (b.15 April 1899) |
|
According to the 1891
census, Arnold F. is now married to Mary Elizabeth. He is a Ship builder
and Ironmaster. They live at Devon House in the High Road in
Chigwell, Epping. He has two children, Mary and Arthur.
They have six servants. First of many entrants in the GWR
Shareholders list is in 1892, Arnold address is
stated as Buckhurst Hill, Woodford in Essex.In 1896, he is residing at Monkhams in
Woodford Green. (His father died on 3 May 1892 in Penshurst) |
|
According to the 1901
census, A.F. is still married to Mary E. and they have three more children,
Constance, Elizabeth and Agnes. They all still live at Monkhams in Woodford Green, West Ham. Arnold Frank
Hills is confirmed in the 1901 Kelly's Handbook as residing at Monkhams.
In 1906, Arnold's address is stated as 17 Philpot Lane
in central London. |
|
According to the 1911
census, Arnold F., his wife and with two of their children, are at Rosemount
in Grand Parade, Eastbourne. Living? Holidaying? He is now chairman of
Thames Ironworks and lives with six servants, one secretary and one nurse. |
|
According to the 1921
census, Arnold Frank, a retired shipbuilder. and his wife, are living at
Hammerfield in Penshurst, along with a nurse and six servants. In 1924, Arnold's address
is still stated as 17 Philpot Lane. |
Death |
Monday,
7 March 1927, at Hammerfield, in Penshurst, Kent |
aged 69 years 360 days |
registered in Sevenoaks
January-March 1927 |
Obituary |
"MR.
ARNOLD HILLS DEAD. "Mr. Arnold F. Hills, the man
who built the last great battleship on the Thames, died yesterday at his
home at Penshurst, Kent. It is fourteen years since he waged his great
fight to keep alive the shipbuilding industry of the Thames. Eventually he
had to admit defeat when a series of Admiralty orders went North to the
great yards on the Tyne and the Clyde. The Thames Ironworks Company, of
which Mr. Hill was Chairman, once spent £70,000 a week in wages. - In the
last months of its existence the wages bill had dropped to £1,000 a week.
Mr. Hills, nevertheless, secured the Admiralty order for the Dreadnought
Thunderer
[left]
towards the end of the life of
the Company, and when the vessel was completed he came down to the slipway
in his invalid chair to see the launching. He had directed the intricate
details of the work from his sick-bed.".
-
Portsmouth Evening News, Tuesday, 8 March 1927
"DEATH OF MR. A. F. HILLS ― FORMER THAMES
SHIPBUILDER.
"The
death occurred on Monday of Mr. Arnold F. Hills, of Hammerfield,
Penshurst, Kent,
[left]
in his 70th year. Mr. Hills was well known in
Essex, where he formerly resided, for his activities in the cause of
temperance.
While at
Harrow Arnold distinguished himself by captaining the
football eleven in 1875, and carrying a still higher athletic reputation
through Oxford. While at University College he won the mile championship
in 1879, and played against Cambridge in the winning 'Soccer' eleven of
1877 and 1878, and also against the rest of the University, again with a
win. He played for England against Scotland in 1879, and gained his cap as
an International. In the schools he brought off a second-class in
classical moderations in 1877, and in modern history two years later.
"Mr. Hills became a director of the old Thames Iron Works, and for the
next 25 years made a great crusade in the interest of the Thames
shipbuilding. He built the Thunderer
[above],
the last of the Thames warships. Although crippled with rheumatism, he
continually agitated in the interests of the Thames shipyards, speaking at
demonstrations while lying on his cripple chair, but in spite of all he
could do the last was closed down in 1912. He took a great interest in his
employees, and under a profit-sharing scheme distributed £100,000 among
them. At one time 6,000 hands were employed at the Thames Iron Works when
four first-class battle cruisers were being built. One of these was
constructed for the Japanese Navy. Mr. Hills was able to secure the
building of the first Thames Dreadnought by quoting £25,000 under the next
lowest tender. In spite of cruel personal handicap he built a deep water
dock and other works at Dagenham for the construction of the Thunderer,
which despite the strike and lock-out of 1910 was launched within nine
months of the laying of her keel. "The late Mr. Hills was president of
the National United Temperance Council, the Essex United Temperance
Council, and the Vegetarians' Federal Union, and in connection with these
activities he gave some remarkable vegetarian lunches. He was the father
of the West Ham Football Club, which began its existence under the name of
the Thames Ironworks. Mr. Hills married in 1886 Mary Elizabeth, elder
daughter of Mr. Alfred Lafone, of Hanworth Park, Middlesex; and after
buying Hammerfield he occupied himself in local affairs to the extent of
being a J.P. and Deputy-Lieutenant for Kent." - The
Essex Chronicle, Friday,
11 March 1927. |
Probate |
"HILLS
Arnold Frank of Hammerfield Penshurst
Kent died 7 March 1927 Probate
London 20 September to Arthur
Lafone Frank Hills esquire and Mary Monica Parker (wife of John Oxley
Parker).
Effects £60496 14s. 9d."
[2019 equivalent: £3,829,061] |
|
Mary Hills died on 16 February 1942 |
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &
|
Playing Career |
Club(s) |
Attended Harrow
School, playing football 1875-76, captain in his last year; Went on to
Oxford University, earning his Blue 1877-78; then played his regular
football for Old Harrovians AFC; |
Club honours |
FA Cup
runners-up 1876-77; |
Individual honours |
None |
Distinctions |
He was
the AAA mile champion of 1878. (4 min. 28⅘secs) |
Height/Weight |
not known |
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990]. |
England Career |
Player number |
One of
eight who became the
62nd players
(66)
to appear
for England. |
Position(s) |
Forward. |
Only match |
No. 9, 5 April 1879, England 5 Scotland 4,
a friendly match at The Surrey Cricket Ground, The Oval, Kennington, London, aged 22 years 24 days; |
Individual honours |
None |
Distinctions |
The first twin
to play for England. |
Beyond England |
In 1880 Hills joined the
board of his father's company, Thames Ironworks & Shipbuilding. He
initially lived in the East India Dock Road in Canning Town. He became
concerned about the living conditions of the local people. Hills commented
that "the lack of recreational facilities was one of the worst
deprivations in the lives of West Ham residents". He added "the perpetual
difficulty of West Ham is its poverty, it is rich only in its population."
Thames Ironworks &
Shipbuilding occupied 30 acres of land at West Ham on the Essex side of
Bow Creek and was London's last surviving major shipbuilding firm. In 1860
it had employed 6,000 men, but by 1880 it was in decline and was suffering
from serious competition from companies based on the Clyde and in the
north of England. On the death of his father, Hills became the managing director
of the Thames
Ironworks & Shipbuilding Company.
Hills was also the first President of the London Vegetarian Society in
1888, and the Vegetarian Cycling and Athletic Club, and served as
President of a London Vegetarian Rambling Club. He founded The
Vegetarian, an independent magazine, as well as the Vegetarian Federal
Union in 1889, of which he was also President. He also had close
ties with the Temperance League. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming
(1990). Hatton Press, p.120./Oxford University AFC
website. |
The
Numbers
|
parties |
Appearances |
minutes |
|
captain |
1 |
1 |
90 |
0 |
none |
The minutes here given
can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only an
approximation. |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
4 |
+1 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
4 |
100 |
+1 |
His only match was a friendly match played at a home venue |
Match History
apps |
match |
match details |
comp |
res. |
rundown |
pos |
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