Remembering John Abbott King and Lancelot Andrew Noel Slocock
Remembering the lives of John Abbott King and Lancelot Andrew Noel Slocock who both died on 9 August 1916 in WW1.
John Abbott King, known as Jack, was born in Burley-in-Wharfedale, to the north-west of Leeds, and was the shortest man to wear an England jersey.
His height of 5ft 5in (1.65m) was in contrast to his chest measurement of 46 inches, giving him the nickname of “Pocket Hercules”.
His father, also John Abbott King, was a master cloth finisher, and he and his wife Mary Jane had eight children, John Abbott junior being the oldest of the three boys. After an elementary local education, he attended Giggleswick School in 1898-99, which was long enough to gain 2nd XV colours.
Grand Slam winner
Early in the 1900s he spent time in South Africa, where he played rugby for Durbanville and Somerset West, but returned to England in 1906 where he became a staunch member of the Headingley team, and took a farm in Ben Rhydding, near Ilkley in his native Wharfedale.
He rose to become captain of Yorkshire, for whom he played 46 times, and also played for the Barbarians and 12 times as a forward for England in 1911 to 1913, the last season being England’s first as Grand Slam winners.
Battle of the Somme
He volunteered for military service on 6 August 1914, leaving his sisters to run the family farm. Some of his fellow rugby players helped with the harvest.
Having overcome the normal minimum height for service of 5ft 6in, he initially joined the Yorkshire Hussars and went France in April 1915. In 1916, in order to see more action, he transferred to 1/10th (Liverpool Scottish), Battalion, the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment, and by August of that year the Battalion was engaged in the Battle of the Somme, as part of the British attacks near Guillemont.
'So long as I don’t disgrace the old Rugby game, I don’t think I mind'
These were stopped on the first day (8 August) by fierce resistance, but the 1/10th King’s again attacked very early the next morning, although without success. John Abbott King was killed in action that day. Fellow England international Lancelot Slocock was killed on the same day, in the same battle also fighting with the Liverpool Scottish.
In his last letter home ”Jack” King wrote: “So long as I don’t disgrace the old Rugby game, I don’t think I mind”.
Lance Corporal John Abbott King has no known resting place, but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France [Panels 1 D 8 B and 1 D 8 C], and also at Giggleswick School, by Yorkshire County RFC, as well as on the Liverpool Scottish memorial (St Georges Hall, Liverpool), at St. John the Evangelist's Church in Ben Rhydding. He did not marry.
Lancelot Andrew Noel Slocock, more often called Andrew or Noel, was born in Wooton Wawen, near Stratford-upon-Avon.
He was one of 10 children of Reverend Frederick Henry Slocock and his wife Judith Emily, who also came from an ecclesiastical background.
His father became Rector at Mottisfont in Hampshire, and Lancelot was educated at Marlborough College where, as well as playing in the 1st XV, he also represented the College at cricket and hockey.
After his education finished he moved to Liverpool and worked in the cotton trade, but found good time to play rugby as a forward for Liverpool, for whom he became secretary.
Honours for Lancashire and the North
After honours for Lancashire and the North, he first played for England in 1907, though he had been chosen earlier for the match against the South African tourists in December 1906.
Sadly a clerical error sent the invitation to Arnold Alcock of Guy’s Hospital, who thus gained his one and only cap. Slocock subsequently played in all internationals for two years, including being captain in 1908 game versus Scotland at Inverleith, where he scored his final international try.
He had little time for rugby after that as his business took priority, and often involved trips to the USA. In 1912 he married Elinor Cook, and they moved in 1914 to live in Savannah, Georgia.
Second Lieutenant
He nevertheless returned to England in 1915 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 1/10th Battalion of the Kings (Liverpool) Regiment. This was a Territorial Battalion, more commonly known as Liverpool Scottish.
Slocock arrived in France in January 1916 to join his Battalion. The 1/10th, part of the 55th division, was shortly afterwards to take part in the Somme offensive. He died on 9 August 1916 at Guillemont alongside his Battalion colleague and fellow England international King who was fighting alongside him..
Lieutenant Lancelot Andrew Noel Slocock has no known resting place, but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial (Pier & Face 1D 8B & 8C), and also at Marlborough College, the Liverpool club at Aigburth, Birkenhead Park FC, the Liverpool Cotton Exchange and on the Liverpool Scottish memorial in the city’s St Georges Hall.
There is also a wooden plaque in Frieth Church, Bucks, which he shares with his younger brother Cyprian. He was survived by his wife Elinor and son Anthony. In 1919 Elinor re-married, to William Wilson.
