Research In search of Dick Casey

finderouter

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Ok everyone, a new person to find out about. Ernie Blencowe.
For what I can find out, everyone has Ernie Blencowe born 11 March 1876, died 20 May 1948.
The person who was born in 1876 is Edwin John Blencowe and his father is John Robert Blencowe, and this person died in 1919.
upload_2018-1-7_7-48-33.png

upload_2018-1-7_7-49-11.png


Then if you go to the death date it is Ernest John Blencowe (SA) aged 67 died 20 May 1948.
upload_2018-1-7_8-3-56.png


Does anyone know his real birth date?
Rob.
 

finderouter

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Albert John Blencowe.
Not real sure, but I reckon he was The Bayside Burglar. In 1907 he was sentenced to 2 years jail and was a footballer.
The South Melbourne player stopped playing after 1906. Could this be the same person who played for South Melbourne between 1905 - 1906?
 
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Albert John Blencowe.
Not real sure, but I reckon he was The Bayside Burglar. In 1907 he was sentenced to 2 years jail and was a footballer.
The South Melbourne player stopped playing after 1906. Could this be the same person who played for South Melbourne between 1905 - 1906?

An Albert John Blencowe died in early July 1954
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23417548

The Vic BDMs entry has him as #7096 that year with age at about 69 years, meaning born c 1885
which looks quite okay when we're trying to find footballer playing at age 20.
 

35Daicos

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Ok everyone, a new person to find out about. Ernie Blencowe.
For what I can find out, everyone has Ernie Blencowe born 11 March 1876, died 20 May 1948.
The person who was born in 1876 is Edwin John Blencowe and his father is John Robert Blencowe, and this person died in 1919.
View attachment 449443
View attachment 449444

Then if you go to the death date it is Ernest John Blencowe (SA) aged 67 died 20 May 1948.
View attachment 449446

Does anyone know his real birth date?
Rob.
An Albert John Blencowe died in early July 1954
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23417548

The Vic BDMs entry has him as #7096 that year with age at about 69 years, meaning born c 1885
which looks quite okay when we're trying to find footballer playing at age 20.
Interesting to note that the old AFL Historical Statistics site had 16 June 1880 for his DOB. The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers has this as well.

So why (and when) was it changed to 11 March 1876? Being aged 67 on 20 May 1948 would obviously fit perfectly if he really was born 16 June 1880.
 
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Interesting to note that the old AFL Historical Statistics site had 16 June 1880 for his DOB. The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers has this as well.

So why (and when) was it changed to 11 March 1876? Being aged 67 on 20 May 1948 would obviously fit perfectly if he really was born 16 June 1880.

Mmm..wonder where the June 1880 person was meant to have been born,
'cos the only two births in Vic BDMs for Blencowe surname in 1880 & 1881 are females !
 

35Daicos

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Mmm..wonder where the June 1880 person was meant to have been born,
'cos the only two births in Vic BDMs for Blencowe surname in 1880 & 1881 are females !
Yes, I checked and was annoyed to find that! Seeing your post in the other thread about the "unknown" South Melbourne players (where Blencowe is named) it seems very possible that they may have "invented" something for this bloke!!
 

35Daicos

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Mmm..wonder where the June 1880 person was meant to have been born,
'cos the only two births in Vic BDMs for Blencowe surname in 1880 & 1881 are females !
Ernest John Blencowe, who died in 1948, lived at One Tree Hill in Adelaide. I can't find an Army record for him but there is a record for Alexander Howard Blencowe, who was born at One Tree Hill, and had a mother who lived there as his Next of Kin. It's likely to be the same family, as the Army records say Alexander (who was killed in France in 1916) had Arthur for his eldest brother (which seems to match what's on the death notice for Ernest John).

Edit: There was also a sister named Elizabeth according to the Army records of Alexander, that should match the Lizzie on that death notice, so very likely indeed to be the same family. There's also an Alice mentioned in the records, so absolutely likely to be the same family!!

So did Ernest John Blencowe really make it over to Melbourne (from SA) and play in the VFL for a couple of seasons (the player joined South Melbourne from Leopold), or have they simply got the wrong person? I'd say they may well have the wrong person! Pretty fair mystery, that's for sure!!
 
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35Daicos

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An Albert John Blencowe died in early July 1954
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23417548

The Vic BDMs entry has him as #7096 that year with age at about 69 years, meaning born c 1885
which looks quite okay when we're trying to find footballer playing at age 20.
http://www.familytreecircles.com/blencowe-deaths-males-victoria-australia-1882-1958-56100.html

Albert John BLENCOWE.
Died: 1954 Balwyn, Victoria.
Age: 69 years.
Parents: John Abraham BLENCOWE & Annie BROWN.
 

35Daicos

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Albert John Blencowe.
Not real sure, but I reckon he was The Bayside Burglar. In 1907 he was sentenced to 2 years jail and was a footballer.
The South Melbourne player stopped playing after 1906. Could this be the same person who played for South Melbourne between 1905 - 1906?
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/202909194

It just has to be this fellow (who played for South Melbourne), doesn't it?!

FOOTBALLERS FALL
DESERTS GAMES TO BECOME BURGLAR.
MELBOURNE, 2 p.m.
Albert John Blencowe, a young man of clean cut athletic appearance, and a well-known footballer, pleaded guilty in the Criminal Court this morning to six charges of housebreaking. He was remanded for sentence.
 
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https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/202909194

It just has to be this fellow (who played for South Melbourne), doesn't it?!

FOOTBALLERS FALL
DESERTS GAMES TO BECOME BURGLAR.
MELBOURNE, 2 p.m.
Albert John Blencowe, a young man of clean cut athletic appearance, and a well-known footballer, pleaded guilty in the Criminal Court this morning to six charges of housebreaking. He was remanded for sentence.

Yes, I think so.
Have had a glance online but I couldn't see any Vic Police Gazettes easy to browse or search.
Hopefully his criminal record file will have some detail (e.g. DOB) which helps confirm.

Whatever the situation, this possibly needs to be moved to the inaccuracy thread ?
 

35Daicos

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Yes, I think so.
Have had a glance online but I couldn't see any Vic Police Gazettes easy to browse or search.
Hopefully his criminal record file will have some detail (e.g. DOB) which helps confirm.

Whatever the situation, this possibly needs to be moved to the inaccuracy thread ?
Yes, it should be!

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/165441482 (9 June 1906)

^ This is a potential "fly in the ointment", as an A. Blencowe was playing football for Sandringham in 1906. I've also seen another article where someone with that name won a running race held by that football club. Since the criminal was operating in that area/or from there I think, that is a fair worry!

Edit: Yes, it was Albert Blencowe who won the race:- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/164415872 (17 Nov 1906)
 
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35Daicos

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Yes, I think so.
Have had a glance online but I couldn't see any Vic Police Gazettes easy to browse or search.
Hopefully his criminal record file will have some detail (e.g. DOB) which helps confirm.

Whatever the situation, this possibly needs to be moved to the inaccuracy thread ?
This has the criminal residing at Sandringham, so if he was playing for Sandringham FC in 1906, he pretty surely can't have been the South Melbourne 1905-06 player, can he?!:- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/200487160 (16 Feb 1907)

It does say he was 23, so (if accurate) should have been born in 1883/84 FWIW.

Edit: I'm still not sure; the Sandringham team that Blencowe was playing for looks like it may have been an actual junior (underage) team, not just a "so-called" junior team, as some of the players were also playing for college teams. So, perhaps it was a different Albert Blencowe who played for that team, and the Albert Blencowe (meant to be 23 years of age in early 1907) who got nabbed for a bunch of crimes just may have been a different one, and could well have played for South Melbourne for a couple of seasons. Maybe!!

Overall, something is clearly wrong in the records with this player. Whether it's the name, DOB or DOD, something is surely not right!
 
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35Daicos

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This says "Mentone have greatly strengthened their team by the inclusion of Bert Sharpe and Percy Blencowe, both of whom have done service in League society":- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/164349161 (25 July 1908)

If they have this story/name right then Percy may well be our man, as there's only been two players with that surname ever; the "mystery" South Melbourne player and John who played just a few years later for Essendon and Geelong. Perhaps this could be him?:-

Birth Certificate


Record information
Event Birth
Event registration number 2940
Registration year 1887

Personal information
Family name BLENCOWE
Given names Percival Stewart
Sex Unknown
Father's name John Robert
Mother's name Louisa (Galagher)
Place of birth FITZ

Death Certificate

Record information
Event Death
Event registration number 806
Registration year 1951

Personal information
Family name BLENCOWE
Given names Percival Stuart
Sex Male
Father's name BLENCOWE John Robert
Mother's name Louisa (Gallagher)
Place of birth FITZROY
Place of death MELBOURNE SOUTH
Age 63

Death Notice:- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23043502

Edit: I see these are the same parents as for the chap (born in 1876 and died in 1895) mentioned in the first post on this topic by finderouter. It looks like Percy Blencowe went to Mentone College, was a good cricketer, and his father was President of the Mentone Lawn Bowls club for quite a few years.
 
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Edit: I see these are the same parents as for the chap (born in 1876 and died in 1895) mentioned in the first post on this topic by finderouter. It looks like Percy Blencowe went to Mentone College, was a good cricketer, and his father was President of the Mentone Lawn Bowls club for quite a few years.
Irony then as Albert was a Greenkeeper for the East Camberwell Bowling Club http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23415065
 
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This has the criminal residing at Sandringham, so if he was playing for Sandringham FC in 1906, he pretty surely can't have been the South Melbourne 1905-06 player, can he?!:- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/200487160 (16 Feb 1907)

It does say he was 23, so (if accurate) should have been born in 1883/84 FWIW.

Edit: I'm still not sure; the Sandringham team that Blencowe was playing for looks like it may have been an actual junior (underage) team, not just a "so-called" junior team, as some of the players were also playing for college teams. So, perhaps it was a different Albert Blencowe who played for that team, and the Albert Blencowe (meant to be 23 years of age in early 1907) who got nabbed for a bunch of crimes just may have been a different one, and could well have played for South Melbourne for a couple of seasons. Maybe!!

Overall, something is clearly wrong in the records with this player. Whether it's the name, DOB or DOD, something is surely not right!
Its an interesting search thats for sure. I do agree we have 2 different Blencowes playing a high standard of football and athletic endeavour. I think your argument on Percy might have better merit at this stage.

Timeline of P Blencowe and A Blencowe

1905
P Blencowe comes 2nd as a senior at Mordialloc swimming comp http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9900290
Blencowe plays cricket at South Melbourne http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article192227102
Blencowe plays cricket at St Kilda http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140780392

This one I think is very important . It notes a PS Blencowe and his College scores. Note Working Mans College http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9892493
(Working Mens College is the forerunner to the RMIT and is on the same ground) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_Men's_College,_Melbourne

Blencowe captains WMC (assume Percy) against Bendigo http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article227783336

May 1905 A. Blencowe is named in a Sandringham junior team along with an L Blencowe as emergency http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165443118 ( I note 2 possible names for this L Blencowe both brothers of the John Abraham and Annie Brown John Albert b 1885 . James Leslie b1888 or Louis Victor b1890

Yet in August Blencowe starts for SMFC and its noted he is a Leopold junior http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198595049 ( I dont know Melbourne but I thought Leopold was Geelong area)

1906
Season opener and once again Blencowe gets the nod as a Leopold player http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139182895
9th June 1906
This gives A as an initial for the Sandringham FCA ie A Blencowe was very good in the air ( irony is they played Mentone :D )
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165441482
On the same day Blencowe plays for the Working Mans College http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139185162 my other link establishes this Blencowe to be P Blencowe this also notes Blencowe to be from Mentone college

June 23 a note which states Blencowe , along with others, is injured.How can he be playing College football.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article162257151

(the discussion then becomes can Percy go from WMC to SMFC easier than A(lbert) go from Sandringham to Souths ie it seems difficult for the Sandringham footballer to play for Sandringham on September 1 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164416227 then front up for SMFC the following week September 8
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article162255531 )

November 17 might finish this argument Albert Blencowe wins a mile race held by the Sandringham Football Club as a means to keep players together
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164415872

An advert for a car placed by JA Blencowe in Sandringham establishes (for me ) the location of the Blencowe family in Sandringham .
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164419485

John Abraham is the father of John Albert/Albert John Blencowe 1885-1954

1903
This helps place Percival in Mentone . A death notice for Evelyn , daughter of John Robert of Mentone is placed http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9801934
This links to John Robert and Louisa Gallagher also the parents of Percival.

Either there was a 3rd Blencowe or it is one of these 2. If it is one of these 2 then I lean towards Percy. The criminal note can still refer to Albert who starred for Sandringham
 

finderouter

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Blencowe came back into the team to replace Thomas, so he could have played the week before for another team.
Leopold FC was in Melbourne and I'm pretty sure they had a home ground in the Port Melbourne area.
upload_2018-1-8_10-46-43.png

It is a bit of a puzzle, but I still reckon its the burglar man. Seems strange that no football after 1906, why, beacause he can't get out to play.
Got to stop looking at this stuff otherwise I won't have any hair to comb.
Good to see that people are out there willing to help resolve things.
 

finderouter

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This is a mug shot from 1907 of the burglar when he was sentenced. If anyone can find a photo of the South Melbourne player from 1905-1907, it will prove or eliminate this one.

upload_2018-1-8_16-36-11.png
 

35Daicos

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I think Percy should be a clear favourite, especially as a newspaper did name him as being an ex-League player. A few things seem to fit, and he was certainly a "sporty" type. Albert must still have some chance, but the one the official records have (Ernie) appears to have no real chance at all! I wish more could be found about Blencowe playing for Leopold (prior to joining South Melbourne), but I can't see anything.

The Swans' website actually calls their past player Edwin, which is interesting, but very unlikely to be correct (looking at the post on the top of the page)!!:-
BLENCOWE, EDWIN (SOUTH) 1905-06, 7 games, 0 goals.
http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/club/history/every-player
 
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I think Percy should be a clear favourite, especially as a newspaper did name him as being an ex-League player. A few things seem to fit, and he was certainly a "sporty" type. Albert must still have some chance, but the one the official records have (Ernie) appears to have no real chance at all! I wish more could found about Blencowe playing for Leopold (prior to joining South Melbourne), but I can't see anything.

The Swans' website actually calls their past player Edwin, which is interesting, but very unlikely to be correct (looking at the post on the top of the page)!!:-
BLENCOWE, EDWIN (SOUTH) 1905-06, 7 games, 0 goals.
http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/club/history/every-player
Interestingly this looks to be confused with an older brother of Percy. Boyles have 'Ernie' born 1876 and say he died 1948. The only Blencowe in Vic BDM is Annie Blencowe

Edwin John son of John Robert and Lousia (Gallagher) born 1876 died 1895 , cant be him then. Maybe the Sydney Swans need to clarify who they think Edwin is
 

35Daicos

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Interestingly this looks to be confused with an older brother of Percy. Boyles have 'Ernie' born 1876 and say he died 1948. The only Blencowe in Vic BDM is Annie Blencowe

Edwin John son of John Robert and Lousia (Gallagher) born 1876 died 1895 , cant be him then. Maybe the Sydney Swans need to clarify who they think Edwin is
Yes, it obviously can't be Edwin as he died way too early. The Swans' people seemingly have got this badly mixed up.

Reading that article from 1951 ( https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/thre...fficial-records.1089761/page-52#post-53915673 ) is a real eye-opener. Blencowe was one of the players they were trying to properly identify (all those years after he had played), and it's easy to imagine when you look at this situation that they may have relied a fair bit on guesswork to get the job done.
 
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Dick Casey remains the VFL man of mystery.



Interestingly 2 Caseys a "W", a defender, and a "R" , a forward and presumably our man, appear for Brunswick in 1902

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article67425214

In 1903 the forward Casey, presumably our man, was Brunswick Captain

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article67427025
Casey was playing in 1904 as this reference to R Caseyin relation to a report suggests

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article67429374
Permit for R Casey Brunswick to Sth Melbourne 6 May 1905
 

finderouter

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Here's another mystery man. Bill Ahern. Carlton 1897.
Has anyone eliminated a William Ahern born 1871, died 4 Nov 1955?
 
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