James Greenlees

James Greenlees grave, Inveresk Cemetery

Dr. James Robertson Campbell Greenlees FRSE DSO & Bar (14 December 1878 – 16 May 1951)^[1] was a Scottish rugby union footballer, physician and teacher. As a sportsman he played club rugby for Cambridge University R.U.F.C. and Kelvinside Academicals RFC and international rugby for Scotland. After leaving international rugby he became a referee, officiating at Test level.

Personal history

Greenlees was born in Partick, Scotland in 1878 to Matthew Greenlees and Wilhelmina Alexander Campbell. He was educated at Kelvinside Academy and later Loretto School; he matriculated to St John's College, Cambridge in 1898.^[2] He gained his Bachelor of Medicine in 1907, and was a physician in Glasgow from 1906 through to 1926. He worked at Western Infirmary and the Sick Children Hospital, both based in the city. In 1926 he became headmaster of his former school, Loretto. Originally brought in as temporary cover after the untimely death of his predecessor, A.R. Smith, Greenlees became a permanent appointment. He intended to retire as head in 1939, but after the outbreak of World War II he continued in his post until 1945.^[3]

In 1938 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Ivan De Burgh Daly, Sir David P D Wilkie, Robert Alexander Fleming and Sir John Fraser (surgeon).^[4]

He died in 1951 and was buried against the west wall of the otherwise Victorian section of Inveresk Cemetery, west of St. Michael's Church.

Military service

With the outbreak of World War I, Greenlees joined the Royal Army Medical Corps and was posted to France. On 12 August 1915 he was promoted to temporary captain^[5] in the 22nd Field Ambulance; he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order that same year. He was later posted to the 98th Field Ambulance, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In 1917 he was awarded a Bar to his DSO, and the next year he was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. Greenlees was Mentioned in Despatches on four occasions.

Rugby career

Greenlees first came to note as a rugby player when he was chosen for the Cambridge University team in his first year at St. Johns. He won four sporting Blues playing in The Varsity Match each year from 1898 to 1901, and became University rugby club captain in 1900. While still playing at Cambridge, Greenlees was selected to represent Scotland in the 1900 Home Nations Championship, facing Ireland on 24 February. The game ended in a nil-nil draw and Greenlees was not chosen for the final game of the tournament. Greenlees missed the entire 1901 Championship, but played in all three matches of the 1902 Home Nations Championship, a terrible campaign for Scotland that resulted in three loses. The Scottish selectors kept faith in Greenlees and he was part of the 1903 team. After the disappointment of the previous campaign, Scotland responded by winning all three matches, taking the Championship title and the Triple Crown. In the final match of the Championship, played at Richmond against England, Greenlees was given the captaincy after regular captain Mark Coxon Morrison was unavailable. It would be Greenlees' final international game.

After leaving international rugby, Greenlees kept his connection with rugby by becoming a referee. He officiated two international games, the 1913 encounter between Ireland and England, and the England versus Wales match of 1914. He also refereed the South Africa match with Swansea in 1912. For the 1913-14 season he was President of the Scottish Rugby Union.

Family

In 1922 he married Allison Hope Cargill.^[6]

References