Jumbo Milton

Who was Jumbo Milton?

John Griffith "Jumbo" Milton was an international rugby union player for England.

Milton, who was born in South Africa, was the son of sportsman and politician William Henry Milton, originally an Englishman. After spending his early childhood in South Africa, he lived in Mashonaland briefly and was then sent to Bedford in England, to complete his schooling.

He played both cricket and rugby union for Bedford School, the two sports his father had excelled in.

While still a schoolboy, Milton was called into the England team for the 1904 Home Nations Championship, aged just 18. He played in all three Tests, against Wales, Ireland and Scotland. Milton made another appearance Home Nations, now representing the Camborne School of Mines, the following year against Scotland. His older brother Cecil was awarded a single cap against Ireland in 1906, in a match that Jumbo did not play in. Jumbo played his fifth and final Test at Dublin in the 1907 series. He also played for invitational tourists the Barbarians during his time in Britain.

Having returned to South Africa, Milton was selected in PW Sherwell's XI, which played a first-class cricket match against Transvaal in 1913/14. He opened the bowling for his team and from 17 overs finished with 0/78. It was not until his second and final appearance, during the same summer, that he took a first-class wicket. On this occasion he was playing for a Transvaal XI, against the Marylebone Cricket Club. His only wicket was that of England Test batsman Jack Hearne, who missed a century when Milton bowled him for 96.