So, Was H.H. Hartshorne The True Founder Of Aston Villa?

"Who's he?", people will ask!

Well, I first spoke of him in my 'Villa Chronicles' book that was published in 2009, but this is what it says on my Villa History page:

There was no specific founder of the club, but perhaps H.H. Hartshorne should be given a good deal of the credit for the football club's formation. The football club has its origins in The Aston Villa Wesleyan Chapel Cricket Club, which had been started two years previously (1872). The bible class teacher, H. H. Hartshorne, suggested to the players that they should take up a winter sport to keep fit, and thus 15 of its members began the soccer team, with Hartshorne becoming the club's first president.

Note that one of the founders, Jack Hughes, was always adamant that all 15 were the founders and not just the 4 - of whom Hughes was one - that went to evaluate a football match (and afterwards convened under a lamppost) shortly before the club began. I have published elsewhere the names of the 15 as revealed by Hughes.

What happened to Henry Haynes Hartshorne (his full name was supplied by Ron Dovey, with great appreciation. Ron found H.H.H.'s gravestone.) has not been revealed except that he died at Hall Green in 1913 (aged 80), completely forgotten - one suspects - by those in the hot seat at Villa Park. But would Villa's football have got underway but for his prompt? 

It is noteworthy that Hartshorne seems to have withdrawn his involvement as president about the time of George Ramsay's arrival. Perhaps Hartshorne could see what was coming and that the players would no longer be so committed to the Bible Class, which was (surely) his main interest. The players had, in fact, already virtually given up on cricket and much preferred the game of footie.

Anyhow, this is just a snippet from my website which, over the last 12 months or so, has been extended quite a lot in respect of football results and details about every major match. The site is now being extended to cover Villa's history by 'era' - meaningful and logical periods of time to describe developments in the club's history in interesting detail. The 1874-1893 and 1893-1905 eras are now 'up', and later eras will follow every 2 months or so. Just click here and all will be revealed!

I do hope that Hartshorne's name is not forgotten again, as it was until my research of 15 years ago brought it to light.

UTV!