George Robert Leather

 It was on the 17th January 2012 that I posted a piece about the background of my mother Dorothy Askew. I said at the time "I want to write on this blog about my great grandfather George Robert Leather who played football for Rotherham Town"  when they were in the Second Division of the Football League from 1893 to 1896. I had left it there until I was able to visit Rotherham Archives. Because it was closed on that Saturday I went to Rotherham, I have now found I probably have all the information I need. 

George was my mother's grandfather as shown on the chart below. 

George was born in Castle Northwich, Cheshire on 10th February 1867. His parents were Samuel Leather and Mary Ann Lindop. He was obviously a talented footballer at a young age as around 1890 he was scouted for Rotherham Town by a representative of the chairman George Gummer.

George Gummer was the son of William Gummer who founded Effingham Brassworks in 1871. The business was passed down to George and his brother William. The business thrived and was exporting brass products across the world. George was an Alderman for 28 years and elected mayor of Rotherham three times from 1899. He was chairman of Rotherham Town when they were founder members of the Midland League in 1889 and when they entered the Football League Second Division in 1893.

George Leather moved to Rotherham around 1890 and was living in Masbrough in 1892 when at the age of 23 he married Hannah Elizabeth Boler. On the marriage certificate his occupation is Blacksmith which would be right when he worked at the Brassworks.  George was playing for the club for the two seasons from 1891 when Rotherham Town were Midland League Champions, and we know he was playing for them when they entered the Football League in 1893. George is in the team who played Liverpool three times in 1892/3 according to the website "Play Up, Liverpool". George was then 23-24. He was known as the "Northwich Flyer". He was obviously a fast winger. Here he is on the line up.

However, Rotherham Town folded in 1896 when they failed to apply for re-election, having struggled to come next to bottom that season. George would have been 29. There is a possibility that he joined Thornhill (that was formed in 1877 and went on to become Rotherham County in 1905). It is just that a distant uncle, Peter Clifford, wrote to me many years ago to say that he thought George played for County, or Thornhill as it was then. 

However in 1899, Rotherham reformed as Rotherham FC (following the amalgamation of Rotherham Casuals and Rotherham Grammar School). Here is the photo of the team in 1900/01. Is George there?

I'm not sure if George is on the left or is the trainer? He would be 33 by this time, so who knows? In 1902 Rotherham FC were once again renamed Rotherham Town. There is an old film on YouTube of Rotherham Town  versus Thornhill, a match played on 11th February 1902. Bob was probably the assistant trainer. The next photo is very important as it shows the Rotherham Town team who won the charity cup in 1902/3. Bob Leather is on the right and described as assistant trainer. 

A note I have from a Lynne Shepherd (George being her husband's great grandfather) about the time he had arrived in Rotherham but had not yet signed for the club. He had met his future wife Hannah Boler in the town and "had arranged to meet her on the High Street. But because she was late he thought she wasnt going to turn up and had decided to go back to Cheshire. Just as he was about to leave, he saw her at the bottom of the High Street rushing up to meet him. He then decided to stay and signed for Rotherham Town. As he still had to work even though he was a professional footballer .... he worked for George Gummer part time. He later became coach/manager of Rotherham Town". Or trainer as the 

photo above.

My thanks go to Peter Clifford for the information that started me on this article. He is the son of my Auntie Nellie (ne Leather) , who was the younger sister of my my grandmother born Edith Agnes Leather. George was their father. My mother Dorothy was actually born in George's house at 1 Johnson Street  in Rotherham. Peter was the fabric officer at Rotherham Minster and his wife Doreen is the treasurer.

There is a huge amount of information about the history of Rotherham Town and their eventual amalgamation in 1925 with Rotherham County (previously Thornhill) to form Rotherham United. That also goes for George Gummer and Effingham Brassworks, and for football kits go to historicalkits.co.uk.

For details of his family history go to:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~davidbbroberts

For the history of Rotherham football clubs go to:

http://www.the millers.co.uk/page/ClubHistory