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Walpole
Vidal |
Wanderers FC,
Old Westminsters AFC,
Oxford University AFC
1 appearance, 0 goals
P 1 W 1 D
0 L 0 F 4: A 2
100% successful
1870-73
captain: none
minutes played: 90 |
 |
|
Timeline |
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Reverend Robert Walpole Sealy Vidal |
|
Birth |
Saturday, 3 September
1853 in Cornborough House, Abbotsham, near Bideford, Devonshire |
|
|
no registration found |
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"On the 3d
inst., at Conborough, near Bideford, Devon, the wife of E. U. Vidal, Esq.,
of a son." - London Evening Standard, Tuesday, 6 September 1853 |
,%20Walpole.jpg) |
Baptism: 9 October
1853 in St. Helen's Church, Abbotsham. |
|
According to the 1861 census, seven
year old Walpole Sealy is the sixth of eleven children to Edward Urch
Sealy and Emma Harriet (née Eyre).
His father is a magistrate and a barrister, living at Cornborough House
[left] at
Abbotsham. There are seven servants. |
|
According to the 1871 census, seventeen year old Robert W.S. is a scholar
at St. Peter's College in Westminster. |
|
According to the 1881 census, Robert
W. Sealy is a lodger at the home of Caroline Mason. He is a vice principal
at Ely Theological College, living at 44 Market Street in Ely. |
|
First marriage |
to Lucy Christina Carter, on 2 June 1881, at Cotterstock,
Northamptonshire |
|
|
registered in Oundle March-June 1881 |
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"VIDAL―CARTER―June
2, at Catterstock, near Oundle, by the Rev. H. Scott Holland, Senior
Student of Ch. Ch., assisted by the Rev G. Huntingford, Rector of
Barnwell, and the Rev H. G. Woodhouse, Vicar of Cotterstock, the Rev. R.
W. Sealy Vidal, Vicar of Abbotsham, Devon, and the late vice-Principal of
Ely Theological College, to Lucy Christina, second daughter of the late T.
Fortescue Carter, Esq., of Wood-park, Neston." -
North Devon Journal, Thursday, 9 June 1881. |
|
Children |
Walpole and Lucy Vidal had one
daughter together, Walpole Eyre Sealy Vidal (b.1883). |
|
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Lucy Vidal died in 1883, his father, Edward, then
died 18 December 1884 |
|
Second marriage |
to Gertrude Molesworth, on 15 July 1885, in Abbotsham. Gertrude is a
British Subject Birth in Banglahore |
|
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registered in Bideford
July-September 1885 |
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"VIDAL―MOLESWORTH―On
the 15th inst., at Abbotsham Church, North Devon, the Rev. Robert Walpole
Sealy Vidal, Vicar of Abbotsham, son of the late Edward Urch Vidal, Esq.,
of Cornborough, near Bideford, to Gertrude, daughter of Major-General
Molesworth, R.A., of Kenwith, Abbotsham." - The Globe, Friday, 17 July
1885. |
|
Children |
Walpole and Gertrude Vidal had four children together, Alice Mary Sealy (b.16 October 1887), Edward Molesworth
Sealy (b.1889), Gertrude Sylvia Sealy
(b.9
August 1890) and Violet Inez (b.1900). |
|
|
According to the 1891 census, Robert W.S. Vidal is living at The Vicarage,
in Abbotsham, as the Vicar. He is married to Gertrude and they have four
children, Walpole, Alice, Edward and Gertrude. They have three servants. |
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"ALTERATION OF SURNAME. |
...ROBERT WALPOLE SEALY VIDAL,
of the Vicarage, Abbotsham, in the County of Devon, Clerk in Holy Orders,
HEREBY GIVE NOTICE that, by Deed Poll dated the Eleventh day of May, 1892,
and enrolled in the Chancery Division of Her Majesty's High Court of
Justice on the Twelfth day of May, 1892, I have assumed and taken the
Surname of SEALY," in lieu of the Surname of "VIDAL," omitting the
Christian name of "SEALY,"
and that I intend to be henceforward described in all deeds and other
documents, and to be known and sign myself as hereunto subscribed.
Dated this 26th day of May,
1892.
(Signed) ROBERT WALPOLE SEALY.
Witness, GEO. OLIVER PEARD,
Bideford Solicitor."
- Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, Friday, 3 June 1892. |
|
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(His mother died on 13 December
1897)
Cannot be found on the 1901 census. |
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According to the 1911 census, Robert Walpole Sealy is still living at The
Vicarage, in Abbotsham, as the Vicar. Still married to Gertrude and they
have two children living with them, Alice and Violet. They still have
three servants. |
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Death |
Thursday, 5 November 1914 at The Vicarage in Abbotsham, near
Bideford, Devon |
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aged
61 years 63 days |
registered as Robert Sealy in
Bideford October-December 1914 |
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"SEALY.―Nov 5th, at Abbotsham Vicarage, Robert
Walpole Sealy, M.A., Ch. Ch., Oxon, Prebendary Exeter Cathedral, aged 61."
- Hartland and
West Country Chronicle, Wednesday,
18 November 1914 |
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Obituary |
"DEATH OF
PREB. R. W. SEALY. Vicar OF ABBOTSHAM.
"We
regret to record the death, at his residence at Abbotsham Vicarage, near
Bideford, on Thursday of Prebendary Robert Walpole Sealy. He was the
eldest surviving son of the late Mr. E. U. Vidal,
J P, of
Cornborough, Abbotsham and was born in 1853. He was Curate at St.
Edmund's, Salisbury, 1877-9, vice-principal of Ely Theological College,
1879-81. A well-known North-Devon clergyman, Mr. Sealy for many years
threw himself heart and soul into public and Church work. Up to a few
weeks ago he was Rural Dean of Hartland, and not long since he was given
the vacant Prebendary stall at Exeter Cathedral. He was vice-Chairman of
the Bideford Board of Guardians, a member of the Bideford Rural District
Council, a Commissioner of Income-tax, past patron of the Bideford
Hospital, and he had also served on the County Education Committee.
"A
noted athlete in his day, Mr. Sealy was a prominent International
footballer, and was captain of the winning team for the Football
Association Cup, also captain of the Oxford University eleven; was founder
and first President of the Oxford University Golf Club, rowed in his
college eight, also played for Devon County cricket matches. and was also
a prominent member of the Royal North Devon Golf Club. By his first
marriage with a daughter of Mr. T. F. Carter, of Liverpool, he had one
son, now the Rev. W. E. Sealy, Curate of Fonthill, Surrey, and by his
second marriage with the daughter of the late General Molesworth, of
Kenwith, Abbotsham, who survives him he leaves a son, Lieut. E. M. W.
Sealy, R E,
who has just left for the Front, and three daughters, one of whom is
married to Mr. J. S. Nicholson, of Bristol. The Sealy's are an old Somerset
family long seated at Bridgwater, and Mr. Sealy reverted to the family
name in 1892, his father having assumed the additional name of Vidal on
settling in Devon."
- The North Devon Journal, Thursday, 12 November 1914 |
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Probate |
"SEALY
the reverend Robert Walpole of the Vicarge Abbotsham
Devonshire clerk died
5 November 1914 Probate
Exeter 14 December to
Gertrude Sealy widow.
Effects £5702 12s."
[2019 equivalent: £662,887]. |
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Gertrude Sealy died on 7
October 1953 in Abbotsham |
|
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &
 |
|
Playing Career |
|
Club(s) |
Vidal attended
school at Westminster, London and university at Christ Church, Oxford
before becoming a reverend. He was a member of the Wanderers FC team and
the Old Westminsters FC.
The following year, 1874, Vidal became a playing member of the Oxford University AFC. |
|
Club honours |
FA Cup
winners 1871-72 [probably the only schoolboy ever to win the FA Cup],
1873-74; runners-up 1872-73; |
| Individual honours |
None |
|
Distinctions |
Vidal also has
the very peculiar honour of being the only person to score a hat-trick
without anybody else touching the ball! Such were the rules of the day,
that the team who had scored got to restart the match. Vidal scored his
first, took the ball out of the net, put it down on the centre spot, ran
the length of the field and scored again (his second), took the ball out
of the net, ran back and repeated the feat (his third). The changing of
the rules in 1877 prevented further scenes like this to happen. The "king
of dribblers" showed why he was so called with this amazing feat. |
|
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
12th
players (15) to appear
for England. |
|
Position(s) |
Half-back |
|
Only match |
No. 2, 8 March 1873,
England 4 Scotland 2, a friendly match at The Surrey Cricket Ground, The Oval,
Kennington, London, aged 19 years 186 days. |
| Individual honours |
The South (one appearance, December 1870) |
|
Distinctions |
The first Devonshirian to represent England
Became for a
short while, England's
youngest ever international at 19 years 186 days. A record held between
1873 and 1877.
Older brother of
William Vidal and
George
Vidal.
Died thirteen days after Frank Heron |
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Beyond England |
|
Served on the FA
Committee 1872 and 1874. Ordained in 1877 and Vicar of Abbotsham, Devon,
1881 to his death.
-
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.255. |
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The Numbers |
|
parties |
Appearances |
minutes |
 |
captain |
|
1 |
1 |
90 |
0 |
none |
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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 |
4 |
2 |
+2 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
100 |
+1 |
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His only match was a friendly match and at a home venue |
Match History
|
apps |
match |
match details |
comp |
res. |
rundown |
pos |
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England
Football Online