Dr. Thomas John Pryce-Jenkins (1 February 1864 – 6 August 1922) was a Welsh 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 ...

wing who played club rugby for

London Welsh London Welsh Rugby Football Club () was a rugby union club formed in 1885. Based in Old Deer Park, Richmond-upon-Thames, London Welsh RFC played in the English Premiership in the 2012–13 and 2014–15 seasons, after gaining promotion from ...

and county rugby for Middlesex. Pryce-Jenkins represented

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

twice but he is more notable within the field of rugby for being a founding member of London Welsh.

Personal history

Pryce-Jenkins was born in 1864 to the rector of Llanllwch, a village outside

Carmarthen Carmarthen (, ; , 'Merlin's fort' or possibly 'Sea-town fort') is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community (Wales), community in Wales, lying on the River Towy north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. At the 2021 United Kingdom cen ...

in South Wales.Jones (1985), pg 5. He was educated at

Llandovery College Llandovery College () is a coeducational independent boarding and day school in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The college consists of Gollop Preparatory, Senior School and Sixth Form. It was previously known as "Welsh College, Llandovery" ...

and later

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

. After leaving university, Pryce-Jones took time away from education and joined a touring theatrical company. After four years he returned to London and completed his medical studies, setting up a surgery at Hills Place behind the

Palladium Palladium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pd and atomic number 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1802 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas (formally 2 Pallas), ...

. A strong athlete he turned his amateur interest in games into his medical speciality, treating athletic injuries. Notable patients included runners Alfred Shrubb and Reggie Walker.Jones (1985), pg 4. He would later treat players from London Welsh never charging them for his services. Pryce-Jenkins took a leading role in the formation of the London Welsh Battalion at the outbreak of World War I, and became a medical advisor at the London Depot. Pryce-Jenkins was also an amateur writing, completing several short stories and a play, 'Sands of Time'. Pryce-Jenkins died in 1922 at the age of 58, and was buried at

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also ) is an area in London, England, and is located in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. Oxford Street forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropo ...

Cemetery.

Rugby career

In 1885 a group of rugby enthusiasts met to form a rugby club within London, specifically for Welsh players. An informal meeting took place that year, followed by an official formation at the Arlington Hotel in

Fleet Street Fleet Street is a street in Central London, England. It runs west to east from Temple Bar, London, Temple Bar at the boundary of the City of London, Cities of London and City of Westminster, Westminster to Ludgate Circus at the site of the Lo ...

on 24 June. Pryce-Jenkins was one of those present and became a member of the first committee.Jones (1985), pg 3. Although representing other clubs before this time, Pryce-Jenkins played the majority of his club rugby for London Welsh, and was still playing for the club when he was selected to represent Wales in 1888. His first cap was against Scotland under the captaincy of Tom Clapp, and Pryce-Jenkins scored the only points of the game when he ran half the length of the pitch to score in the first half. Wales are then reported to have killed the game by lying on the ball or kicking it continually out of touch. His second and final international match was an away trip against Ireland, which Wales lost.

International matches played

WalesSmith (1980), pg 470. * 1888 * 1888

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pryce-Jenkins, Thomas 1864 births 1922 deaths 19th-century Welsh medical doctors 20th-century Welsh medical doctors London Welsh RFC players People educated at Llandovery College Rugby union players from Carmarthen Rugby union wings Wales international rugby union players Welsh rugby union players