William Peterkin (1857-1945) was a Scotland international rugby union player and athlete.[1]

William Peterkin
Birth nameWilliam Arthur Peterkin
Date of birth(1857-12-31)31 December 1857
Place of birthEdinburgh, Scotland
Date of death22 March 1945(1945-03-22) (aged 87)
Place of deathHigh Wycombe, England
Rugby union career
Position(s) Forward
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
- Edinburgh University ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1880
1881
Edinburgh District
East of Scotland District
()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1881-85 Scotland 8 (2 tries)

Rugby Union career edit

Amateur career edit

He played for Edinburgh University RFC.[2] He captained the side.[3]

Provincial career edit

He played for Edinburgh District in the 1880 inter-city match, scoring two tries in the match.[4]

He played for East of Scotland District in the 5 February 1881 match against West of Scotland District.[5]

International career edit

He was capped eight times for Scotland between 1881 and 1885.[6]

Other sports edit

He was named in The Athletic News of 6 July 1881. The newspaper decried his slump in the shot put remarking that last year [1880] he putted the 'cannonball' a distance of 39 feet 6 inches (12.04 m) while this year he only managed a distance of 37 feet 2 inches (11.33 m). Likewise his throwing the hammer attracted 87 feet 7 inches (26.70 m); coming in first was H.H. Johnstone in that event with 89 feet 6 inches (27.28 m).[7]

He was a Scottish champion in the 100 yards sprint, and in the quarter mile sprint. He won the 1883 S.A.A.A. Championships in Powderhall in those events; and also came second in the weight putt or shot put. John Smith, the Scotland football internationalist and Edinburgh District full back came in second to Peterkin in the 100 yards sprint.[8]

He was named in the East Committee of the Scottish Amateur Athletics Association in 1888, alongside A. G. G. Asher and Alec Cameron.[9]

Family edit

Peterkin was one of the ten children of Elizabeth Mitchell Barclay (1823-1901) and William Arthur Peterkin (1823-1906). He had seven sisters and two brothers.

His father was a clerk of the Board of Supervision when that was established after the Poor Law commission; and was a visiting officer of the Poor Houses in Scotland. His father was also connected with the Monks of St Giles, a literary and social body in Edinburgh.

His grandfather was Alexander Peterkin S.S.C., who was the legal agent of the Church of Scotland at the time of disruption; and was acquainted with Sir Walter Scott.[10]

In 1902, he married Anna Maria Baker in Brighton, England.

References edit

  1. ^ "William Arthur Peterkin". ESPN scrum.
  2. ^ Scotland. The Essential History of Rugby Union. Nick Oswald and John Griffiths. Headline Publishing. 2003.
  3. ^ "Register". Retrieved 19 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  5. ^ "Register". Retrieved 19 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Statsguru - Player analysis - William Peterkin - Test matches". ESPN scrum.
  7. ^ "Register". Retrieved 19 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "Register". Retrieved 19 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Register". Retrieved 19 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Register". Retrieved 19 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.