The Corbett family – the story of a vicar at St Mary’s Church and his three sportsmen sons.
Rev Elijah Bagott Corbett was born in 1837 in Staffordshire. He was ordained as a priest in 1863 and was appointed to the living at St Mary’s by a committee of Trustees in 1872.
He married Mary Anne Davies in Shrewsbury in 1863 and they went on to have 11 children. His 5 sons all became schoolmasters whilst none of his 5 daughters ever married.
Bertie Oswald Corbett was born at the vicarage in Thame in 1875 and attended Thame Grammar School, where he learnt to play football. He went on to study at Oriel College, Oxford University, earning a soccer blue in 1896-7 season. He was a left winger and played between 1896-1906 for Corinthians F.C, an English amateur football club based in London. Bertie was part of the Corinthians team which had a famous tour of Europe in 1904 returning unbeaten after 7 matches. Bertie made one appearance for an England team against Wales on 18th March 1901 at St James Park, Newcastle when they won 6-0.
Bertie is standing at the back 4th along from the left
Reginald (Rex) Corbett was born at the vicarage in Thame in 1879 and educated at Malvern College. He played football (left winger) for Old Malvernians Club after leaving school in 1898 and was also a member of the Corinthians Club from 1902 to 1905. Rex earned one cap for England in 1903 when they beat Wales 2-1 at Fratton Park, Portsmouth.
Reginald is in the back row, far right
Cornelius John Corbett was the youngest child. He matriculated at Oxford University in 1902 and then taught at Rycote School in Derby. In 1911 made his debut playing county cricket for Derbyshire, usually playing in August during the school holidays. He was a right-handed batsman who played 48 innings in 27 first class matches between 1911 and 1924.He scored 633 runs with a top score of 61 at Trent Bridge in 1920.
Elijah died at the vicarage in 1892 after a long illness and was buried in the churchyard together with his infant daughter Alice Amy who had died aged 4 weeks in 1873. His wife and younger children moved away from Thame after his death and Mary eventually settled in Poole, Dorset where she died in 1917.
The folder of documents and photographs can be found in the Museum library. The initial information was by means of a kind donation, which was then added to through further research by several volunteers.