Thomas Crean

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Thomas Crean
Birth nameThomas Joseph Crean
Date of birth(1873-04-19)19 April 1873
Place of birthDublin, Ireland
Date of death25 March 1923(1923-03-25) (aged 49)
Place of deathMayfair, London, England
Height6 ft 1.5 in (1.87 m)
Weight14 st 7 lb (92 kg)
SchoolBelvedere College
Clongowes Wood College
UniversityRoyal College of Surgeons
Notable relative(s)Frank Crean (brother)
Fr Cyril Patrick Crean MBE (nephew)
SpouseVictoria Heredia
ChildrenVictor Crean
Patrick Crean
Carmen Crean
Rugby union career
Position(s) Forward
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1891-189x
1892-1895
1895-1896
1896-18xx		 Wanderers
St. Vincent's Hospital
Richmond
Johannesburg Wanderers		 ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1894-1896 Leinster 6 0(?)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1894-1896
1896
British Isles
 9
4		 0(6)
0(3)

Major Dr. Thomas Joseph Crean,

First World War he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
.

Crean played rugby for

Imperial Light Horse in the Second Boer War, and Frederick Harvey who served in the First World War. Crean, Johnston and Harvey all played club rugby for Wanderers. In 1896 Crean and Johnston were also members of the same British Isles squad that toured South Africa.[2]

Early years

Family

An illustration of Morrison's Hotel from 1821

Crean was born in Morrison's Hotel, which stood on the corner of

Canadian Government. This was the famous 'Frank Crean Expeditions to the New North-West' and Crean Lake in Prince Albert National Park
was named in his honour.

Crean was named after his uncle Dr. Thomas Joseph Crean, a successful practitioner and civil medical officer in the town of

Senior Medical Officer throughout England and the colonies, also holding such positions as Principal Civil Medical Officer (PCMO) of the Straits Settlements in 1886. John was Head of the Army Medical Department in Dublin while Crean was in school at Clongowes. Crean ultimately followed in the footsteps of these two men, becoming both a successful practitioner and an esteemed officer of the Royal Army Medical Corps.[citation needed
]

Education

Crean and his brothers all initially attended Belvedere College and Catholic University School before becoming boarders at Clongowes Wood College. Thomas attended Clongowes from 1889 until 1891. As a student he was noted as a fine athlete, excelling not only at rugby but also at both the quarter and half-mile running events.[1] He was also a very fine swimmer, and it was as a swimmer that he first demonstrated his bravery. On 11 September 1891, while swimming with fellow students near Blackrock, Dublin, he helped rescue a 21-year-old art student, William Ahern. Crean noticed Ahern was in trouble and together with a young solicitor named Leachman from Dundrum, he managed to bring him ashore. For his bravery he was awarded a medal by the Royal Humane Society.[1]

In October 1891 Crean commenced his medical studies at the Royal College of Surgeons and, after graduating as a doctor in 1896, he became a Licentiate of both the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Physicians.[1]

Rugby career

Clubs and Province

As a student Crean played at half-back and on joining Wanderers in 1891 he played in the same position for their third XV. However, after switching to the forward row for the 1892–93 season, he was quickly promoted to their senior side. While working as a young doctor in St. Vincent's Hospital, Crean also served as captain of the hospital's rugby team for four years in the Dublin Hospitals Rugby Cup. He went on to represent Leinster against both Ulster and Munster in 1894, 1895 and 1896. During the 1895–96 season he also played for Richmond, possibly working as a medic in London at the same time.[4] When he moved to South Africa he played for Johannesburg Wanderers.[1]

Ireland

Between 1894 and 1896, Crean made 9 appearances and scored two tries for Ireland. He made his international debut on 3 February 1894 in a 7–5 win against England at Blackheath.[4] On 24 February he helped Ireland defeat Scotland 5–0 at Lansdowne Road. Then on 10 March, he helped Ireland win both the 1894 Home Nations Championship and their first ever Triple Crown with a 3–0 win against Wales in Belfast. Among his teammates during the 1894 campaign was Lucius Gwynn. Crean also played in all three games during both the 1895 and 1896 Home Nations Championships. He scored both of his tries against Wales. The first came on 16 March 1895 in a 5–3 defeat at Cardiff Arms Park. Crean showed his strength and drive when he scored Ireland's only points by catching a long line-out throw before driving across the line with a number of Welshmen hanging out of him. The second try came at Lansdowne in an 8–4 win on 14 March 1896. The win helped Ireland win their second Home Nations title. This latter game would also be his final appearance for Ireland.[citation needed]

British Lions

In 1896 Crean was a member of the

Johnny Hammond, only played in seven of the 21 games and Crean took over the captains role in his absence, including for two of the Test games.[4]

Military career

Second Boer War

Victoria Cross

When the British Isles tour ended, Crean decided to stay on in

Robert Johnston won his Victoria Cross. In 1901, he became a Surgeon Captain
and on 18 December, at the Battle of Tygerkloof, he won his VC when he successfully attended the wounds of two soldiers and a fellow officer under heavy enemy fire. The citation read:

Thomas Joseph Crean, Surgeon Captain, 1st Imperial Light Horse. During the action with De Wet at Tygerskloof on the 18th December 1901, this officer continued to attend to the wounded in the firing line under a heavy fire at only 150 yards range, after he himself had been wounded, and only desisted when he was hit a second time, and as it was first thought, mortally wounded.[6]

He was wounded in the stomach and arm during these encounters and was in February 1902 invalided back to

captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps on 3 September 1902,[9] and was posted at Aldershot Garrison
.

First World War

In 1905, Crean married Victoria, daughter of Senor Don Thomas Heredia, of

mentioned in despatches. In June 1915 he was made a companion of the Distinguished Service Order. He was promoted to major on 26 February 1916, and commanded the 44th Field Ambulance, British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front.[10]

Later years

Crean returned to his practice in Harley Street but by now his war service had begun to seriously affect his health and he was unable to maintain the business. Towards the end of his life, Crean suffered from financial difficulties and in June 1922 he was declared bankrupt. He died from diabetes on 25 March 1923, aged 49, at his residence at 13 Queen Street, Mayfair, London.[4] He is buried in St Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green, (Grave No. 896).[11] His father, Michael Theobald Crean, is buried in the same cemetery but at a different plot.[citation needed]

His VC medal is displayed at the

Army Medical Services Museum.[11]
On 1 August 2001 the South African Post Office issued a stamp featuring Crean as part of their commemorations for the Second Boer War.

In 2019 his story along with other Wanderers Victoria Cross recipients Robert Johnston and Frederick Maurice Watson Harvey was told in a documentary entitled "Mark Our Place" directed and Produced by Ashley Morrison.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "From The Archives". IrishRugby.ie. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  2. ^ "Armed Forces' enduring sporting links in the spotlight at Twickenham". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  3. ^ "Todd, Alexander Findlater (TT892AF)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  4. ^ a b c d e f ""Hero" both on and off the pitch.Thomas, Joseph Crean. FRCI, VC, DSO". The Rugby History Society. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  5. ^ "Player Archive". The British & Irish Lions. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  6. ^ "No. 27405". The London Gazette. 11 February 1902. p. 843.
  7. ^ "Court Circular". The Times. No. 36714. London. 13 March 1902. p. 6.
  8. ^ "Ireland". The Times. No. 36765. London. 12 May 1902. p. 10.
  9. ^ "No. 27470". The London Gazette. 2 September 1902. p. 5684.
  10. ^ www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
  11. ^ a b "Grave Location For Holders of the Victoria Cross In : West London". Victoriacross.org. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2013.

Sources

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