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|
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Alec
Morten |
Crystal Palace
(amateur) FC
1 appearance,
2 goals against
P 1 W 1 D
0 L 0 F 4: A 2
100% successful
1872-73
captain:
one
minutes played: 90 |
 |
|
Timeline |
| |
Alexander
Morten |
|
Birth |
1831 or 1832 in Paddington, Middlesex
or possibly, Brighton, Sussex |
|
|
registered before registration laws
Paddington was in the Middlesex County Registration up until 1889.
Some authors offer 15 November 1831 - but there is no evidence for this date. |
|
|
His date of birth is disputed; it is generally
given as 1831 but some authorities suggest 1832 - census records are
lacking and it is not certain whether the Morten known from church
registers to have been born in 1831 was the same man as the footballer of
the 1870s. What is certain - Morten was 23 years old on 17 March 1855,
the day of his marriage. |
|
|
Thanks to Andy
Mitchell's fantastic research, we know that Alexander had a sister,
Emmeline, who was also born in Brighton in 1833/34. Their father was
called Alexander, his mother, Frances. |
|
|
Alexander's
younger brother, William, is Baptism on 24 March 1840 at Holy Trinity in
Guildford.
According to the 1841
census, a ten year old Alexander Morten is a pupil at Amersham Grammar
School near Beaconsfield.(notes:- pupils ages were rounded-up or down) |
|
|
According to the 1851
census, the only possible/probable Alexander on this census is the 'clerk
to a stockbroker', lodging at 31 Tonbridge Place in St. Pancras. His
housekeeper is Sarah King. This Alexander, though, is the one stated as being born
in Brighton, Sussex. |
|
On 22 March 1854, Morten is accepted to the Stock Exchange, his address
is stated as 'Sydenham', and his bankers 'Messrs. Masterman & Co.' Over
the coming years, Morten applied for re-election, and in 1857, his address
is stated as being Elgin Crescent in Notting Hill. |
|
|
Both Alexander and Emmeline
applied for their passports in 1854, Alec was on 16 September {#17163), Emmeline earlier on 25 March (#10398) |
|
Marriage |
to Flora Hedger, on 17 March 1855, at St Peter's Church, Petersham,
Surrey |
|
"On the 17th inst., at St. Peter's Church,
Petersham, Alexander Morten, Esq., of Teddington, Middlesex, to Flora,
fourth daughter of George Hedger, Esq., of Petersham, Surrey."
- London Evening
Standard/Evening Mail, Monday, 19 March 1855. |
|
|
registered in Richmond January-March 1855 |
|
Children |
Alec and Flora Morten had six children together, all
baptised at St. John the
Evangelist Church, on Ladbroke Grove in Notting Hill, Florence
(b.27 June 1856), Frances Emily (bd.17 April 1858 stillborn),
Fanny Georgiana
(b.27 February 1859), Alexander George (b.2 June 1860), Frederick William (b.1861)
and Emily Standing (b.16 January 1863). |
|
|
By 1858-59,
they are living at 1 Elgin Crescent in Notting Hill. The 1860 London
Royal Book also states that Alexander is living at this same address.
According to the 1861
census, Alexander is now married to Flora, living at 1 Elgin Crescent,
Notting Hill. He has three children, Florence, Fanny and Alexander. They
have three servants living with them and Alexander is a member of the
stock exchange.
By March 1864, his Stock Exchange Membership
application stated he is now living in Langdown Crescent in Notting Hill.
|
|
|
According to the 1871
census, Alexander now has a fourth child, Emily. They live at 43
St. Julian's Road in Willesden with three domestic servants. Alexander is
a stockbroker.
The London Electoral Rolls show that Alexander lives
at 43 St. Julian's Road from 1871 until 1873. From 1876, he is at 48 Portsdown Road in Paddington. |
,%20Alexander.jpg) |
According to the 1881
census, Flora is head of the household at the time of the census, she is
the 'architects wife', and with all four surviving children, they live at
17 St. Oswald Street in Fulham, with a cook. Where is Alexander?
By
1885, the London Electoral Rolls reveal that Alexander George has taken
over the tenancy at 17 St. Oswald Street, until at least 1892. An
Alexander Morten is residing at 9 Pancras Street in Endsleigh from 1884
to 1889. |
|
According to the 1891
census, Alexander is now living on his own means, with his wife and two
daughters. Incidentally, his eldest daughter has married, has a son,
Raymond, and has moved back home after her husband died, she is now a Peck.
They're still living at 17 St. Oswald Street with a housemaid and a cook.
The London Electoral Rolls again reveal the address of Alexander, and
he is living at 21 Hogarth Road from 1895 until his death. |
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Death |
Saturday, 24 February 1900 at 21 Hogarth Road in Earl's Court, London |
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aged 68 years
nk days |
registered in Kensington January-March 1900 |
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Funeral |
Thursday, 1 March 1900
in Kensal Green
cemetery (left, courtesy of Andy Mitchell) in London. |
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|
Flora Morten died on 9 December 1900 at
Granville Mansions. |
|
source |
 Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990], Andy
Mitchell & |
|
Playing Career |
|
Club(s) |
No Names of
Kilburn between 1863-66, Morten turned out for Wanderers FC, the most
celebrated team of the day, between 1865 and 1874. He also played for Crystal Palace
FC - another leading amateur side,
and one that was in existence as early as 1861, though it has no
connection to the current Football League club of the same name. He was
rated as perhaps the best goalkeeper in the world during the early 1870s;
according to the Football Annual for 1873, "Toujours prêt is
his motto when between the posts, in which position he is without a rival,
never losing his head, even under the most trying circumstances." |
|
Club honours |
None |
|
Individual honours |
Middlesex FA |
|
Height/Weight |
not known |
|
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990]. |
|
England Career |
|
Player number |
One of
nine who became the
twelfth players
(12) to appear
for England.
|
|
Position(s) |
Goalkeeper;
Third
goalkeeper to appear. |
|
Only match |
No. 2, 8 March 1873, England 4 Scotland 2,
a friendly match at The Surrey Cricket Ground, The Oval, Kennington, London, aged
41/42 years
nk days.c |
|
Individual honours |
The South
(one appearance, 1870). |
|
Distinctions |
The oldest goalkeeper to play for England, and
the first to concede a goal, after circa. ten minutes. |
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Beyond England |
|
Served on the FA
Committee in 1874. Also a Stockbroker. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.181. |
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The Numbers |
|
parties |
Appearances |
withdrew |
minutes |
Goals Against |
GA ave.min |
clean sheets |
captain |
|
2 |
1 |
one |
90 |
2 |
45 |
none |
one |
|
The minutes here
given can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only
an approximation. |
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
GA |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
+2 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
100 |
+1 |
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His only match was a friendly match, at a home venue and as Captain |
Match History
|
apps |
match |
match details |
comp |
res. |
rundown |
pos |
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England
Football Online