John Marshall Dugdale

John Marshall Dugdale was born at Irwell Bank, Eccles, Lancashire on 15 October 1851 and baptised at Eccles on 1 January 1852.[3] He was the son of John Dugdale, Esq. of 9, Hyde Park Gardens, London[4] and Llwyn, Llanfyllin, County Montgomery.[5] He attended Rugby School[3] and Brasenose College, Oxford where he received his B.A.[3]

1871 England squad with Ravenscourt Park players A. Davenport (left) and J. M. Dugdale (right) highlighted

Dugdale, having played rugby at school, went on to play for Ravenscourt Park FC, a stronghold of Old Rugbeians. He, along with nine other former pupils of Rugby School, was selected to play in the first international match in 1871.[2] The match was played on 27 March 1871 at Edinburgh against Scotland, and the hosts won.[1]

Following his education, he moved to London, giving him the opportunity to play for Ravenscourt Park. In London he trained as a barrister,[3] was a student of the Inner Temple from 18 January 1871 and subsequently called to the bar on 26 January 1875.[5] He was a member of the Oxford and Cambridge Club.[5]

He then moved to Montgomeryshire and became a member of the Northern circuit as a Justice of the Peace.[5] He became extremely active in political, military and administrative circles of Montgomeryshire. In 1872 he became the Cornet (Supernumerary) of the Yeomanry Cavalry of Montgomeryshire[6] and later Major of the Yeomanry from 1889 to 1892.[7] In February 1893, he became the Deputy Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire.[8] and served as Mayor of Llanfyllin from 1893 to 1899.[7] In 1896 his political career in Montgomeryshire continued to progress when he became the High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire.[9] In 1910 he was elected Mayor of Llanfyllin.[10] In addition, he was on the Board of Bangor University College.[7] He later authored a book about his chosen home, A History of the Parish of Llanfyllin from 1861 to 1915.[11]

He married Isabella Hargreaves, the only daughter of John Hargreaves of Spring Bank, Lancaster, on 20 July 1876 at Tarporley, Cheshire.[3] They had a number of children including John Percy, who attended Rugby and New College, Oxford, October from 1898 but died in 1900 in his early twenties; Maj. William Marshall Dugdale CB DSO TD (13 January 1881 – 13 November 1952), who after being in the Learning Land Agency, 1899–1901, served in the South African War of 1901–02, in the Imperial Yeomanry, leaving as a captain in 1902; and Gerald. All three sons attended Rugby School.[12]

Dugdale died on 30 October 1918 aged 67, at Llanfyllin and was buried there 2 November 1918.[13] His widow died on 28 August 1922.