Died 100 years ago today: Nathaniel Creswick the co-founder of the world’s oldest football club
Nathaniel Creswick 31st July 1831- 20th October 1917 Age 86. Died 100 years ago today
Co-founder of Sheffield FC, the world’s first and oldest Football Club was a solicitor and son of a silver plate manufacturer. Later in life he became Chairman of Joseph Rodgers the Cutlery manufacturer and saved a man’s life when he was aged 29. His family home was Easthill House a few hundred metres from Sheffield FC’s Eastbank ground and when it was sold in 1872 Nathaniel Creswick Junior acted as solicitor on the transaction of his father’s house (also called Nathaniel).
Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Saturday 31 August 1872
I cover Nathaniel Creswick’s sporting achievements and military career in greater depth in my book “A History of Sheffield Football 1857-1889: Speed, Science and Bottom” http://bit.ly/2qYw0r0
His obituary of 1917 talks in great depth about the military life and barely mentions his claim to football immortality
Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 22 October 1917
When Creswick was aged 29 he saved a man from drowning and won a medal for his bravery.
Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 31 December 1860
The image below is the sports day of the West Riding Brigade R.F.A. at Colonel Clifford’s residence in Whirlow on August 31st, 1912 where Creswick acts as judge aged 81 years old and this is the last known photograph I have been able to find of him.
(Clifford House was built in 1894 for the colliery owner Denys Hague. From 1915 the house was lived in by Charles Clifford chairman of the Telegraph and Star newspaper. Clifford House, on Ecclesall Road South has recently been sold to St Luke’s Hospice next door).
Creswick is buried at Heeley Parish Church see video in attachment below:
Martin Westby author of A History of Sheffield Football 1857-1889 is giving a talk as part of the Off the Shelf Book Festival at the Creative Lounge at the Showroom Cinema, Paternoster Row on Wednesday 25 October 7.30pm. Tickets £6.00 (£5.00 concessions) http://bit.ly/2g3vkNi
