| Birth name | Jacob Scherer Genth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | July 17, 1849 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Ardwick, Manchester | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | April 2, 1926 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Fulham, London (aged 76 years 259 days) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Shipping Merchant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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James Genth (1849–1926) was a rugby union international who represented England from 1874 to 1875.[2]
Born Jacob Scherer Genth on July 17, 1849, in Ardwick, Manchester,[2] he was the fifth of at least seven children of Carl Georg Ferdinand Genth and Maria Louise née Scherer. Both his mother and father were originally from Hessen-Nassau and Jacob was baptised there in Frankfurt.[3] His father, known as Ferdinand, had arrived in England in 1842,[4] the year after marrying Maria.[5] Ferdinand traded as a Shipping Merchant operating out of Lancashire.[6] Although christened Jacob, his family were to refer to him as James by the time he was 11.[6] By the age of 21, James was working as a commercial clerk in his father's firm.[7]
James Genth grew up in Fallowfield, Lancashire, now a suburb of Manchester. As such, he played his club rugby for Manchester.[1] Genth made his winning international debut on February 23, 1874,[2] at The Oval in the fourth meeting of England and Scotland.[1] He again represented England against Scotland the following year in Edinburgh where the match was drawn.[1]
James was a keen sportsman and aside from rugby also played lacrosse, at one point represented the North in the North vs South match held at the Kennington Oval on 7 April 1877.[8] He was a keen golfer as well.[9] James Genth continued within his father's business and became a Shipping Merchant, residing in the family home in Burnage, Lancashire.[10] By 1901 he had retired[11] but still travelled extensively, describing himself as a gentleman.[12] James had moved to London by 1921 and from 1921 was married to Rose Ellen.[13] He died on 2 April 1926.[14]