A PHOTOGRAPH of the Crediton Grammar School rugby team from 1922-23 recently came into my possession having been uncovered in Australia a couple of months ago.

I received an email from Paul and Lorraine Johnson from Perth who had purchased an old print of a Dutch girl in traditional dress.

Underneath the print was this photograph.

They have no family connection with Crediton and it was pure chance that they made this purchase.

There are a number of names familiar to Crediton and the rugby club, notably Jack Labbett, Alan C T Blease and W Pinegar, who all played for Crediton in the Devon Junior Cup Final in 1925.

Blease also represented Devon against Somerset at Wellington in that same year at the age of 19. Additionally, as a schoolboy he won all but one of the athletic events at the school sports.

Quite how the photograph came to be in Australia is unclear although after attending Cambridge University, Blease did have a job with the Foreign Office and worked in India from 1926.

Whether he was transferred to Australia after that, I have no idea. Although born in India in 1906, I believe his mother was from Cheriton Fitzpaine.

I would be very interested to hear from any “Courier” readers who may have old photographs relating to Crediton Rugby Club and who would be prepared to let me copy them.

Paul Harris

Crediton

By email