Marshall Brooks
Encyclopedia
Marshall Brooks was a nineteenth century sportsman who was the British Amateur High Jump champion in 1874 and 1876, world record holder for the High Jump on three occasions, as well as a rugby union
international who represented England
in 1874.
of Crawshaw
and Catherine Jones. He attended Rugby School
and went on to study at Brasenose College, Oxford
from where he received his Master of Arts (M.A.).
against Scotland
.
High Jump in both 1874 and 1876 and went on to become the British Amateur Champion in both those years. Prior to 1912, the high jump
world record was not ratified by the IAAF and therefore there is only an unofficial progression. However, on 30 March 1874 Brooks is said to have jumped 1.80m which at the time was the highest thus far recorded in the world. The mark was the next year equaled by a fellow Oxford student, Michael George Glazebrook, but on 17 March 1876, in Oxford, Brooks broke the record by jumping 1.83m. He broke this the next month in London, jumping 1.89m on 7 April 1876. This mark stood for four years until broken by Patrick Davin of Ireland on 5 July 1880, in Garrick.
Brooks at one point held the office of Justice of the Peace
for Cheshire and also the office of Justice of the Peace for Lancashire. He died on 5 January 1944 in Tarporley, Cheshire, England.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
international who represented England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in 1874.
Early life
Marshall Brooks was born on 30 May 1855 in Haslingden, Lancashire, the second son of Thomas Brooks, 1st Baron CrawshawThomas Brooks, 1st Baron Crawshaw
Thomas Brooks, 1st Baron Crawshaw was a British peer.Brooks was the son of John Brooks, a quarry owner, of Crawshaw Hall, Lancashire. He served as High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1884...
of Crawshaw
Crawshaw
-See also:*Suburbs of Hamilton, New Zealand...
and Catherine Jones. He attended Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
and went on to study at Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
from where he received his Master of Arts (M.A.).
Rugby union career
Brooks, having played for the Rugby School side, continued his playing at Oxford and there won a blue. From Oxford he was called up for England, and made his only international appearance on 23 February 1874 at The OvalThe Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
.
Athletics
At Oxford Brooks was also an athletics blue. He won the Varsity MatchVarsity match
A varsity match is a sporting fixture between two university rivals; in its original and most common form, it is used to describe meetings between Oxford University and Cambridge University.-Popular British and Irish Varsity matches:*University of Oxford v...
High Jump in both 1874 and 1876 and went on to become the British Amateur Champion in both those years. Prior to 1912, the high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
world record was not ratified by the IAAF and therefore there is only an unofficial progression. However, on 30 March 1874 Brooks is said to have jumped 1.80m which at the time was the highest thus far recorded in the world. The mark was the next year equaled by a fellow Oxford student, Michael George Glazebrook, but on 17 March 1876, in Oxford, Brooks broke the record by jumping 1.83m. He broke this the next month in London, jumping 1.89m on 7 April 1876. This mark stood for four years until broken by Patrick Davin of Ireland on 5 July 1880, in Garrick.
Later life and family
Brooks married Florence Thomas, the daughter of Frederick Freeman Thomas and Hon. Mabel Brand, on 29 April 1889 with whom he had the following children:- Dorothy Brooks b. 22 Mar 1890
- Thomas Marshall Brooks b. 23 Feb 1893, d. 15 Sep 1967
- Noel Brand Brooks b. 17 Dec 1896, d. 1984
- Marjorie Nell Brooks b. 11 Dec 1901, d. 1993
Brooks at one point held the office of Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Cheshire and also the office of Justice of the Peace for Lancashire. He died on 5 January 1944 in Tarporley, Cheshire, England.