Alexander Bisset (18 October 1883 – 14 February 1927) was a

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

international

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player.

Rugby Union career

Amateur career

He played for

Edinburgh Wanderers Edinburgh Wanderers is a former rugby union club, founded in 1868. It was latterly a tenant of the Scottish Rugby Union, playing home fixtures at Murrayfield Stadium for nearly 75 years. In 1997 it merged with Murrayfield RFC to form Murrayfi ...

in 1902. He played for the Edinburgh Wanderers (so termed but a few Edinburgh Academicals players also found their way into the Wanderers line up) side to face Canada in December 1902. Bisset then played

for RIE College at Cooper's Hill. He, later at the end of 1904, played for London Scottish. By 1905, Bisset was back in Scotland playing for

again.

Provincial career

He was capped by Provinces District in January 1904, playing against the Cities District. The ''Dundee Evening Telegraph'' of 19 January 1904 noting:

The surprise packet here was Bisset of Cooper's Hill, who, called in as practically an emergency man, gave a splendid exhibition.

Later in December that year, Bisset played for the

Anglo-Scots Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to, or descent from England, English culture, the English people or the English language, such as in the term ''Anglosphere''. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people of British pe ...

against the South of Scotland District. Previewing the 1905 Provinces versus Cities match, Bisset was noted as a doubtful starter as he had played in a number of recent matches, in the ''Scottish Referee'' newspaper of 13 January 1905. They termed Bisset a 'terror for his size'.

International career

He was capped just the once for the

international side, turning out against Wales in 1904.

Civil Service career

Anderson sat a competitive examination on 30 June 1903. The newspapers such as the ''London Evening Standard'' of 12 August 1903; and the ''Lahore Civil and Military Gazette'' of 3 September 1903 both noting that Anderson was in the top 9 places; thus securing him one of 9 available posts - 8 in India and 1 in Sudan. Anderson had the third highest marks with 9902. The appointment of Anderson and the 8 others was dependent on passing a medical. Anderson's post, which given he ended up in Sudan it seems very likely he then obtained, was for the Sudan Forest Department. He went into the Sudan Government Service.

Retirement

Bisset retired in Moffat, Dumfries-shire. He found himself in the ''Sunday Post'' newspaper of 12 July 1925 when he was convicted of reckless driving.

"We are criticised for being far too lenient and not sending people to prison in cases of this kind," said Sheriff Campion Dumfries' Sheriff Court in imposing a fine of £20 and suspending the driving license of Mr A. A. Bisset, retired civil servant, Bankfoot, Beechgrove, Moffat, who was convicted of reckless motor driving. It was alleged that on 3rd June, on the Glasgow-Carlisle Road, opposite the lands of Dinwoodiegreen, Applegarth, near Lockerbie, while under the influence of drink, ha drove a motor car recklessly, and caused to collide with, and damage, another motor car driven Muriel Helen Baird, 9 Whittinghame Drive, Kelvinside, Glasgow.

Family

He was born to John Bisset (1848–1928) and Eliza Anderson (1846–1919). John Bisset was a bank manager for the Bank of Scotland, first in Edinburgh and then in Glasgow. As well as Alexander they had a son John Stormont Bisset (1882–1961) and a daughter Jessie Bisset. John Stormont Bisset went into the Royal Engineers and became a Lieutanent Colonel.

Death

He is buried in the Grange cemetery in Edinburgh.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bisset, Alexander 1883 births 1927 deaths Edinburgh Wanderers players London Scottish F.C. players Provinces District (rugby union) players RIE College RFC players Rugby union players from Duns, Scottish Borders Scotland international rugby union players Scottish Exiles (rugby union) players Scottish rugby union players Rugby union halfbacks