William Henry Thorman
Encyclopedia
William Henry Thorman was an English
rugby union
forward who was a member of the British Isles XV
that toured South Africa in 1891
. Despite playing for Cambridge and the British Isles, Thorman was never awarded a national cap.
, County Durham
in 1869 to Robert Thorman, a ship-broker
and Harriet Marshall. He was educated at Richmond Grammar School and then West Riding, entering Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
in 1887. He received his Bachelor of Art in 1890 and moved to London to became a Clinical Assistant at St Thomas' Hospital
. By 1897 Thorman was a Licentiate
of the Royal College of Physicians
, becoming House Surgeon and Resident Medical Officer at the Royal United Hospital
in Bath, Somerset. He eventually returned to the North of England, practicing in Huddersfield
before becoming Medical Officer for Health
for the municipal area of Kirkburton
and Farnley Tyas
. He died in Bournemouth in 1922.
team, though he never played in The Varsity Match
so did not win a sporting blue for rugby. Having just finished his time at Cambridge, he was invited to join Bill Maclagan
's British Isles team on a tour of South Africa
. Thorman played in all six of the first encounters against regional and invitational teams, all wins for the tourists. But after the match against Port Elizabeth on 25 July, Thorman played no further games in the twenty match tour, including all three Test matches against the South Africans
. There is no record to state if this was because he was called back to Britain, became injured or just fell from favour.
On returning to Britain, Thorman joined St. Thomas' Hospital Football Club
, the hospital where he was a Clinical Assistant. Thorman was captain of St. Thomas' for three seasons, from 1892 through to 1895. In 1894 while still representing St. Thomas, he was chosen to join invitational touring side, Barbarian F.C.
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rugby union
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...
forward who was a member of the British Isles XV
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
that toured South Africa in 1891
1891 British Lions tour to South Africa
The 1891 British Isles tour to South Africa was the first British Isles rugby union tour of South Africa and only the second overseas tour conducted by a joint British team. Between 9 July and 7 September, the team played 20 games, including three tests against the South Africa national rugby union...
. Despite playing for Cambridge and the British Isles, Thorman was never awarded a national cap.
Personal life
Thorman was born in SeahamSeaham
Seaham, formerly Seaham Harbour, is a small town in County Durham, situated south of Sunderland and east of Durham. It has a small parish church, St Mary the Virgin, with a late 7th century Anglo Saxon nave resembling the church at Escomb in many respects. St Mary the Virgin is regarded as one of...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
in 1869 to Robert Thorman, a ship-broker
Shipbroking
Shipbroking is a financial service, which forms part of the global shipping industry. Shipbrokers are specialist intermediaries/negotiators between shipowners and charterers who use ships to transport cargo, or between buyers and sellers of ships.Some brokerage firms have developed into large...
and Harriet Marshall. He was educated at Richmond Grammar School and then West Riding, entering Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college is often referred to simply as "Caius" , after its second founder, John Keys, who fashionably latinised the spelling of his name after studying in Italy.- Outline :Gonville and...
in 1887. He received his Bachelor of Art in 1890 and moved to London to became a Clinical Assistant at St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS hospital in London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It has provided health care freely or under charitable auspices since the 12th century and was originally located in Southwark.St Thomas' Hospital is accessible...
. By 1897 Thorman was a Licentiate
Licentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
of the Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
, becoming House Surgeon and Resident Medical Officer at the Royal United Hospital
Royal United Hospital
The Royal United Hospital is a major acute hospital, located in the Weston suburb of Bath, England, which lies approximately miles west of the Bath city centre. The hospital currently has 565 beds and occupies a site...
in Bath, Somerset. He eventually returned to the North of England, practicing in Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
before becoming Medical Officer for Health
Medical Officer for Health
The Medical Officer for Health is a title usually given to the head of the health department at a municipal level.In the United Kingdom, the municipal position was an elected head of the local board of health, however the term has also been used to refer to the Chief Medical Officer...
for the municipal area of Kirkburton
Kirkburton
Kirkburton is a village, civil parish and local government ward in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, England, south east of Huddersfield, in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees...
and Farnley Tyas
Farnley Tyas
Farnley Tyas is a small village in West Yorkshire, England situated 3 miles south east of Huddersfield. It is located on a hilltop situated between Almondbury, Castle Hill, Thurstonland and Honley...
. He died in Bournemouth in 1922.
Rugby career
Thorman first came to note as a rugby player when he was selected for the Cambridge UniversityCambridge University R.U.F.C.
The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest...
team, though he never played in The Varsity Match
The Varsity Match
The Varsity Match is an annual rugby union fixture played between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. By tradition, the match is held on the second Tuesday of December. In 2005, however, this changed, and the match was on Tuesday 6 December. In 2007, it was held on a Thursday for...
so did not win a sporting blue for rugby. Having just finished his time at Cambridge, he was invited to join Bill Maclagan
Bill Maclagan
William Edward "Bill" Maclagan was a Scottish international rugby union forward who played club rugby for London Scottish F.C....
's British Isles team on a tour of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Thorman played in all six of the first encounters against regional and invitational teams, all wins for the tourists. But after the match against Port Elizabeth on 25 July, Thorman played no further games in the twenty match tour, including all three Test matches against the South Africans
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
. There is no record to state if this was because he was called back to Britain, became injured or just fell from favour.
On returning to Britain, Thorman joined St. Thomas' Hospital Football Club
Guy's, Kings and St. Thomas' Rugby Football Club
Guy's, Kings and St. Thomas' Rugby Football Club is the name given to the modern amalgam of three formerly distinct hospital rugby clubs each with a long history, having all been founded in the nineteenth century. The teams from Guy's Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital were the first to merge...
, the hospital where he was a Clinical Assistant. Thorman was captain of St. Thomas' for three seasons, from 1892 through to 1895. In 1894 while still representing St. Thomas, he was chosen to join invitational touring side, Barbarian F.C.
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
.