Frederick Ernest Chapman

Frederick Ernest Chapman was the son of Henry Chapman, a chartered accountant living in Westoe, and his wife Dora.

He was one of seven Chapman brothers who attended the High School. Alan Edward had died at the age of only 15, and of the remaining brothers, Robert, Laurence Alfred and Charles Lancelot are known to have served in WW1.

One of their sisters, Marion Dorothy Chapman also served. She was a a nurse with the Voluntary Aid Detachment (founded by the Red Cross) in Egypt, where she died of a lung infection in August, 1918.

Frederick joined the High School in 1895, and remained there for 10 years. On leaving, in 1905, he went to Durham College of Medicine, and became a doctor.

However, his real claim to fame was as an English Rugby Football International, playing 7 times for England between 1910 and 1914.

He was considered to be the most talented rugby player of the Chapman brothers and, like many rugby players from the school, was also a member of Westoe Rugby Club.

He played for Westoe from 1902 through to 1912, playing 6 games on the second XV and 61 on the first XV. He also represented Durham University whilst studying medicine, and appeared for Durham County on 31 occasions (many times as captain) scoring 14 tries, 12 goals and 3 penalties.

In 1908, Frederick travelled with the Anglo-Welsh Touring Party playing in Australia and New Zealand.

It was during his time at Westoe that he is credited as scoring the first try, the first penalty goal and the first conversion at the first ever International match at Twickenham Stadium (opened in 1909) on 15th January, 1910.

In 1911, Frederick was working as House Physician at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Newcastle, and in 1912 was apointed as House Surgeon at Hartlepool Hospital, and subsequently joined the Hartlepool Rovers Rugby Club.

When war broke out, he was appointed as a temporary Surgeon with the Royal Navy on 24-Oct-1914. He later transferred to the Royal Army Medical Corps and was made a temporary Lieutenant on 19-May-1915.

He was in service in Gallipoli and at the Battle of Albert, and was wounded twice (although his wounds were, according to an entry in the school records, "very slight").

After the war he went back to medical practice, and was a doctor at Hartlepool until he died of pneumonia in May 1938, at the age of 50.

Source: South Shields Grammar Technical School for Boys

Medal Index Cards

findmypast Transcription

• First name(s) Frederick Ernest
• Last name Chapman
• Year 1914-20
• Service number -
• Rank Surgeon, Lieutenant, Captain
• Second rank Lieutenant
• Third rank Captain
• Regiment Royal Navy, Royal Army Medical Corps
• Second corps Royal Army Medical Corps
• Third corps Royal Army Medical Corps
• Service record Rank: Surgeon, Corps: Royal Navy
• Second service record Rank: Lieutenant, Corps: Royal Army Medical Corps
• Third service record Rank: Captain, Corps: Royal Army Medical Corps
• Image link http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D1762123
• Country Great Britain
• Medal type British Army Medal Index Cards, 1914-1920
• Archive reference WO372/4

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Feb 18 2017, 22:10:47 UTC
• Residence: 1901 - Seacroft, Harton, Harton, Durham, England
• Reference: 1901 England & Wales Census - SmartCopy: Feb 18 2017, 23:11:04 UTC