Hubert Turtill

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
01-02-1880
N/A
Date unknown.
Canterbury- NZ
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
02-09-1909 v Hull K.R.
Warrington
1914- Killed in Action
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1909-1913
140 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
3
200
0
409

Biography of Hubert Turtill



HERITAGE NO : 190
Hubert Sydney Turtill by Dave Dooley:
Hubert Sydney Turtill was a stalwart for the Club prior to the First World War. He was signed at the end of the inaugural New Zealand tour of 1907/08. Hubert was born on February 1st 1880 in London but emigrated to New Zealand as a child. He was rather portly and attracted the nickname `Jumbo` later shortened to `Jum`. Jum was the first All Black player to emanate from the Canterbury RU club. In New Zealand the classy full back worked as a Sheet Ironworker. In 1901 he lived at 8 Hardman Street, Sydenham, Christchurch. He signed for the Saints from the Canterbury club in New Zealand because of the friends he had made in the town during the tour. `Jum` was regarded as one of the best full backs in the world.
He made his debut for the Club on the 2nd September 1909 against Hull KR at Knowsley Road. Outside rugby Jum was the popular landlord of the Nelson Hotel in Bridge Street. He played his last match for the Club against Warrington on the 21st February 1914. Tragically, Hubert died in April 1918 in action during the First World War whilst serving with the Royal Engineers.

H S Turtill a further appreciation by SHS

Hubert Sydney Turtill was born on February 1, 1880, in Mile End, London a few days after his father died, aged 32. His mother Alice decided on a fresh start when her son was four years old and they embarked on the long sea voyage to New Zealand, where she had relatives. A chubby youngster who was nicknamed Jumbo by the passengers travelling with his family on the ship out, shortened to Jum, this name remained with him for the rest of his life, although as a young man he developed a fine athletic frame and started to turn heads with his prowess on the rugby field. A brilliant full-back, who would offer much more than the usual defensive and kicking duties of his peers, Jum became a renowned provincial player with Canterbury and a fully-fledged All Black in 1905.

Turtill went on to join the rebel Northern Union tour to the British Isles in 1907-08, who thrilled the crowds with their attractive brand of rugby. The professional tourists were dubbed the All Golds and they held a special affection for St. Helens, as it was the birthplace of their first Prime Minister, Richard Seddon. The team actually played twice in the town, such was their popularity. This was a major reason why the Saints, arguably one of the leagues poorer relations at the time, were able to secure the services of H S Turtill for the start of the 1909/10 season. He had gained a fearsome reputation on the tour and in the opinion of many who saw him he was the worlds best full-back. He could kick well with either foot, was gifted with tremendous tackling power and a fine turn of speed. Jum also had the reputation of being a fine all-round sportsman too, also excelling at cricket.

He later returned to England with his wife, who was New Zealand-born, to sign for Salford, but he joined St. Helens instead for a fee of 150 pounds. Turtills friend on tour, Arthur Kelly had become Saints first overseas signing shortly before and this was a big influence on his decision.

His signing was the talk of the Northern Union and he became an ever-present in his first season at Knowsley Road. He added a whole new dimension to full-back play with his adventurous attacking instincts. Jum became the first player in the clubs history to kick fifty goals and score a century of points, which he achieved in his first season with the Saints. His best return for the club was 61 goals in 1911/12. He opened a tobacconists shop in Duke Street and when the new Saints jersey of blue and black hoops was displayed in the window, the Police had to move the crowds along.

A tremendously popular fellow with the supporters, Jum became Mine Host of the Nelson Hotel and, in September 1914, he became the first publican in the town to answer his countrys call when he joined the St. Helens Engineers and was part of the Territorial Force of the 422 Field Company, under the command of 55th West Lancs Division. He saw action in the muddy trenches of some of the most infamous encounters of the war, under constant bombardment in trenches with the constant threat of gas attacks.

Jum survived hellish conditions at Pilkem Ridge and Menin Road Ridge, before losing his life at Givenchy in the German Spring offensive of 1918, when he was killed by shrapnel when a shell hit his billet on the morning of 9th April. He was 38 years old. A letter of condolence from the battlefield to his wife was written by his Company Quarter Master Sergeant, Harry Mercer, the former Saints Secretary.

Jum was buried at Browns Road Military Cemetery, Festubert in the Pas de Calais. It should also be noted that Thirteen All Blacks lost their lives in the WWI including the captain of the original All Blacks, Dave Gallaher.

Jum Turtill was the Saints first big-name overseas signing and did much to elevate the status of the St. Helens club in the years just before 1914. Sadly, his son Alan was also a victim of the Second World War in Libya, North Africa aged 32. He was a Captain with the 21st Battalion New Zealand Infantry. His name can be seen on the War Memorial in Victoria Square. Jums wife Edith later returned to New Zealand, leaving the Bridge Hotel, where the tenancy was taken up by Oliver Ellaby, the father of another Saints great Alf Ellaby. Jums provincial and international caps, plus his All Black jersey and associated ephemera were auctioned in a Cardiff saleroom in March 2019 for a considerable fee, a reflection of his status in both codes of rugby.



SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1909~10 0 55 0 35
1910~111 47 0 31
1911~12 2 63 0 36
1912~130 19 0 14
1913~140 20 0 24
TOTALS:3 204 0 140
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1909-100101
1909~10 0001
1911~12 0301
TOTALS:0403

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
2nd Sep 1909 1
L
 1 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 7 30 2 VIEW
4th Sep 1909 2
W
 1 Broughton Rangers L A 10 7 1 VIEW
11th Sep 1909 3
D
 1 Runcorn L H 5 5 VIEW
18th Sep 1909 4
L
 1 Warrington L A 15 19 3 VIEW
25th Sep 1909 5
W
 1 Bramley L H 27 5 3 VIEW
2nd Oct 1909 6
W
 1 Barrow L A 21 9 3 VIEW
9th Oct 1909 7
W
 1 Treherbert L H 36 12 3 VIEW
16th Oct 1909 8
W
 1 Widnes LC1 A 10 4 VIEW
23rd Oct 1909 9
D
 1 Dewsbury L H 8 8 1 VIEW
30th Oct 1909 10
L
 1 Swinton LC2 A 0 2 VIEW
6th Nov 1909 11
L
 1 Leigh L A 5 13 VIEW
13th Nov 1909 --
L
 1 Hull* F A 21 33 1 VIEW
20th Nov 1909 12
W
 1 Widnes L H 37 8 1 VIEW
27th Nov 1909 13
L
 1 Oldham L H 5 31 VIEW
4th Dec 1909 14
W
 1 Hunslet L A 24 8 1 VIEW
11th Dec 1909 15
W
 1 Salford L H 7 3 1 VIEW
13th Dec 1909 16
W
 1 Swinton L A 20 9 3 VIEW
18th Dec 1909 17
L
 1 Oldham L A 6 36 VIEW
25th Dec 1909 18
W
 1 Runcorn L A 13 0 1 VIEW
27th Dec 1909 19
L
 1 Wigan L H 6 7 VIEW
1st Jan 1910 20
W
 1 Broughton Rangers L H 15 8 3 VIEW
8th Jan 1910 21
L
 1 Salford L A 5 24 1 VIEW
15th Jan 1910 22
W
 1 Leigh L H 11 3 1 VIEW
22nd Jan 1910 --
L
 1 Coventry * Fr A 11 19 VIEW
5th Feb 1910 23
L
 1 Dewsbury L A 3 11 VIEW
12th Feb 1910 24
W
 1 Warrington L H 18 10 3 VIEW
19th Feb 1910 25
L
 1 Rochdale Hornets L A 0 6 VIEW
26th Feb 1910 26
W
 1 Barrow CC1 A 15 0 3 VIEW
5th Mar 1910 27
W
 1 Swinton L H 26 5 2 VIEW
12th Mar 1910 28
L
 1 Halifax CC2 A 6 21 VIEW
19th Mar 1910 29
L
 1 Widnes L A 3 10 VIEW
25th Mar 1910 30
L
 1 Wigan L A 10 23 1 VIEW
29th Mar 1910 31
W
 1 Hunslet L H 28 15 5 VIEW
2nd Apr 1910 32
W
 1 Bramley L A 33 18 3 VIEW
9th Apr 1910 33
W
 1 Barrow L H 21 5 3 VIEW
16th Apr 1910 34
W
 1 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 23 8 3 VIEW
23rd Apr 1910 35
W
 1 Rochdale Hornets L H 20 11 4 VIEW
3rd Sep 1910 36
W
 1 Oldham L H 16 5 2 VIEW
10th Sep 1910 37
L
 1 Runcorn L A 4 8 2 VIEW
17th Sep 1910 38
W
 1 Salford L H 19 14 2 VIEW
24th Sep 1910 39
W
 1 Merthyr Tydfil L A 17 6 4 VIEW
1st Oct 1910 40
L
 1 Widnes L A 12 28 2 VIEW
8th Oct 1910 41
W
 1 Broughton Rangers L H 31 2 5 VIEW
15th Oct 1910 42
L
 1 Leigh L A 5 9 1 VIEW
22nd Oct 1910 43
L
 1 Rochdale Hornets LC1 H 5 11 1 VIEW
29th Oct 1910 44
L
 1 Warrington L H 9 17 VIEW
12th Nov 1910 45
W
 1 Merthyr Tydfil L H 13 3 2 VIEW
19th Nov 1910 46
L
 1 Barrow L A 11 16 1 VIEW
26th Nov 1910 47
W
 1 Batley L H 8 5 1 VIEW
3rd Dec 1910 48
W
 1 Rochdale Hornets L H 21 8 3 VIEW
10th Dec 1910 49
L
 1 Oldham L A 0 9 VIEW
17th Dec 1910 50
W
 1 Warrington L A 8 7 1 1 VIEW
24th Dec 1910 51
W
 1 Runcorn L H 25 3 2 VIEW
31st Dec 1910 52
L
 1 Batley L A 8 24 1 VIEW
21st Jan 1911 53
L
 1 Wakefield Trinity L H 8 18 1 VIEW
28th Jan 1911 54
L
 1 Broughton Rangers L A 7 14 2 VIEW
4th Feb 1911 55
W
 1 Coventry L H 26 15 3 VIEW
11th Feb 1911 56
D
 1 Barrow L H 8 8 1 VIEW
18th Feb 1911 57
W
 1 Bramley CC1 H 26 7 4 VIEW
4th Mar 1911 58
L
 1 Leeds CC2 H 6 11 VIEW
11th Mar 1911 59
L
 1 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 10 42 2 VIEW
18th Mar 1911 60
W
 1 Leigh L H 10 3 2 VIEW
22nd Mar 1911 61
L
 1 Salford L A 6 19 VIEW
1st Apr 1911 62
L
 1 Widnes L H 6 16 VIEW
14th Apr 1911 63
L
 1 Wigan L A 8 25 1 VIEW
15th Apr 1911 64
L
 1 Swinton L A 9 23 VIEW
17th Apr 1911 65
L
 1 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 3 20 VIEW
22nd Apr 1911 66
L
 1 Rochdale Hornets L A 2 17 1 VIEW
2nd Sep 1911 67
W
 1 Barrow L A 15 6 2 VIEW
9th Sep 1911 68
W
 1 Warrington L H 10 2 2 VIEW
16th Sep 1911 69
W
 1 Swinton L A 13 5 1 VIEW
23rd Sep 1911 70
W
 1 Runcorn L H 25 0 2 VIEW
30th Sep 1911 71
L
 1 Leigh L H 11 13 1 1 VIEW
7th Oct 1911 72
L
 1 Widnes L A 11 14 1 VIEW
14th Oct 1911 73
L
 1 Australia Tour H 5 16 VIEW
21st Oct 1911 74
W
 1 Salford LC1 H 18 7 VIEW
28th Oct 1911 75
L
 1 Coventry L A 8 10 VIEW
4th Nov 1911 76
L
 1 Wigan LC2 A 8 22 VIEW
11th Nov 1911 77
L
 1 Ebbw Vale L A 0 2 VIEW
18th Nov 1911 78
W
 1 Salford L A 15 13 2 VIEW
25th Nov 1911 79
W
 1 Rochdale Hornets L H 27 12 2 VIEW
2nd Dec 1911 80
W
 1 Broughton Rangers L H 10 5 2 VIEW
7th Dec 1911 81
W
 1 Oldham L H 21 11 3 VIEW
9th Dec 1911 82
W
 1 Warrington L A 17 2 2 VIEW
16th Dec 1911 83
W
 1 Coventry L H 31 2 4 VIEW
23rd Dec 1911 84
W
 1 Runcorn L A 9 0 VIEW
25th Dec 1911 85
W
 1 Widnes L H 9 4 3 VIEW
26th Dec 1911 86
L
 1 Wigan L H 3 16 VIEW
30th Dec 1911 87
L
 1 Oldham L A 5 35 1 VIEW
1st Jan 1912 88
W
 1 Hunslet L H 31 10 5 VIEW
6th Jan 1912 89
L
 1 Wakefield Trinity L A 5 14 1 VIEW
13th Jan 1912 90
W
 1 Ebbw Vale L H 34 0 5 VIEW
27th Jan 1912 91
W
 1 Rochdale Hornets L A 10 3 VIEW
17th Feb 1912 92
L
 1 Barrow CC1 A 3 13 VIEW
20th Feb 1912 93
L
 1 Dewsbury L A 8 17 1 VIEW
24th Feb 1912 94
W
 1 Leigh L A 30 0 4 VIEW
2nd Mar 1912 --
W
 1 Runcorn * Fr 27 8 3 VIEW
9th Mar 1912 95
W
 1 Swinton L H 20 5 4 VIEW
16th Mar 1912 96
W
 1 Salford L H 19 6 1 VIEW
28th Mar 1912 97
W
 1 Dewsbury L H 20 0 3 VIEW
30th Mar 1912 98
W
 1 Barrow L H 43 2 8 VIEW
5th Apr 1912 99
L
 1 Wigan L A 14 17 VIEW
6th Apr 1912 100
L
 1 Broughton Rangers L A 5 21 1 VIEW
8th Apr 1912 101
W
 1 Wakefield Trinity L H 41 2 1 2 VIEW
13th Apr 1912 102
L
 1 Hunslet L A 7 34 VIEW
7th Sep 1912 103
W
 1 Barrow L H 15 2 2 VIEW
14th Sep 1912 104
W
 1 Runcorn L A 11 8 1 VIEW
21st Sep 1912 105
L
 1 Hunslet L H 5 22 VIEW
28th Sep 1912 106
D
 1 Oldham L A 10 10 2 VIEW
5th Oct 1912 107
L
 1 Swinton L A 2 9 1 VIEW
12th Oct 1912 108
W
 1 Widnes L H 21 2 3 VIEW
26th Oct 1912 109
L
 1 Runcorn L H 5 12 1 VIEW
2nd Nov 1912 110
W
 1 Warrington LC1 H 18 10 1 VIEW
9th Nov 1912 111
L
 1 Leigh L A 5 8 1 VIEW
16th Nov 1912 112
L
 1 Rochdale Hornets LCSF A 8 10 1 VIEW
21st Nov 1912 113
L
 5 Warrington L H 7 10 2 VIEW
23rd Nov 1912 114
W
 1 Broughton Rangers L H 20 12 3 VIEW
7th Dec 1912 115
W
 1 Dewsbury L H 16 9 1 VIEW
14th Dec 1912 116
L
 1 Salford L A 3 11 VIEW
6th Sep 1913 117
W
 1 Runcorn L A 10 5 1 VIEW
13th Sep 1913 118
L
 1 Oldham L H 13 21 1 VIEW
20th Sep 1913 119
L
 1 Salford L A 4 17 2 VIEW
27th Sep 1913 120
W
 1 Dewsbury L H 16 12 2 VIEW
4th Oct 1913 121
L
 1 Warrington L A 11 22 1 VIEW
18th Oct 1913 122
W
 1 Leigh L H 37 7 5 VIEW
8th Nov 1913 123
W
 1 Broughton Rangers L H 18 8 2 VIEW
15th Nov 1913 124
L
 1 Oldham LCSF A 5 17 1 VIEW
19th Nov 1913 125
W
 1 Wakefield Trinity L A 24 8 4 VIEW
22nd Nov 1913 126
L
 1 Barrow L H 11 18 1 VIEW
29th Nov 1913 127
L
 1 Hunslet L A 11 20 VIEW
6th Dec 1913 128
W
 1 Swinton L H 19 5 VIEW
13th Dec 1913 129
W
 1 Runcorn L H 18 5 VIEW
20th Dec 1913 130
L
 1 Rochdale Hornets L A 2 31 VIEW
25th Dec 1913 131
W
 1 Widnes L H 10 3 VIEW
26th Dec 1913 132
L
 1 Wigan L H 3 17 VIEW
27th Dec 1913 133
L
 1 Broughton Rangers L A 0 11 VIEW
1st Jan 1914 134
D
 1 Huddersfield L H 8 8 VIEW
3rd Jan 1914 135
W
 1 Hull L A 8 6 VIEW
10th Jan 1914 136
W
 1 Wakefield Trinity L H 12 5 VIEW
17th Jan 1914 137
L
 1 Barrow L A 5 24 VIEW
24th Jan 1914 138
L
 1 Swinton L A 3 16 VIEW
2nd Feb 1914 139
L
 1 Hull L H 7 15 VIEW
21st Feb 1914 140
L
 1 Warrington L H 8 22 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 71 | LOSSES : 67 | DRAWS : 6

GALLERY





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