This is a terrible crisis and confirm something happened. That there were 4 sittings responding to rehash of well. What's the full boxset on b.b.c. I pan over the next hour we're going to unravel the extraordinary Untold Story of England's 1st black rugby union international sporting yearbooks and almanacs are full of trailblazing sports people who fought past prejudice and adversity to reach the top be union look no further than Jimmy Peters John Inverdale tells Jimmy story here on 5 Live it contains some language you may find offensive. Jimmy Peters was the 1st international rugby player to wear the white jersey of England and to be black it was a further 80 years before anybody else achieved that feat his story is remarkable and much of it remains untold until now. So many areas of Jimmy's early life are shrouded in mystery but what we do know is that he was the 1st child of George and Hannah Peters and they go on to have 3 more and one key thing to point out early on is that Jimmy's parents shared a mixed race marriage George was born in the West Indies and travel to England at some point before 879 Jimmy's birth and if an interracial marriage in 1000 wasn't unique anough then the occupation that George put on Jimmy's birth certificate would really make the Peters stand out because Roll up roll up George was a circus showman. Professor Vanessa Toolman has studied circus is side shows and variety when you look at the history of Jimmy's family the menagerie which he was part of is a separate show a menagerie show isn't a wild animal exhibition which is a separate tradition from the circus so he wasn't actually working with what we call a traditional circus he was working move in a menagerie and a menagerie is a traveling zoo which from the 820 is incorporated wild animal acts and lion taming from 140 is to the appearance of the kind of wild animal lion taming Act which was an American invention in a way that came over and then was taken on by British when George Peters is working within the menagerie and circus the menagerie itself had become a touring show and there was very very famous menagerie companies so in 18 Eighties you get both you get the big circuses Yeah the big banana trees and then you get showman like dojo sand who combines them both into one big super circus and it was really the height of the circus the British circus and menagerie of that period. To Miss father he was a lion tamer he worked to a Cedric's menagerie Sedgwick's had a number of high profile black animal trainers and an archery lion tamers. So it would have been almost like you go into a zoo and then eco in and you would actually see a cage pop a big metal cage and there would be the Lions in there and the animal trainer would go in is not the big ring that you imagine it's not a massive ringing people go in the menagerie is a very different type of show probably hundreds of people watching. There's a great quote in the 19th century when people talk about everybody wants to be amused everyone wants to be attained and people will travel for miles in order to be shown spectacle and drama and sensation and it is also that great sensation period so a circus acts a menagerie acts responded to the needs of the public all the clients all the the audience so everything became a little more extreme some quite extraordinary examples of people put in their life for them I mean 879 is when you get women being shocked our of Callan's you've got the plan who was again of Europe in black mixed race how to who was doing her incredible cannonball act in 879 so you do really have this incredible aspect of what we think of these kind of acts which had just testifying so it was in that world that world where the impossible had to be achieved in order 20 in the public . It's not known how George and Hannah met how I was born and where in Shropshire their children were born where ever George was travelling Jimmy was born in Salford Manchester Charlotte less than 2 years later in Liverpool and by 8862 more boys had been added to the family Robert and Henry who were both born in Bristol at the time of Charlotte's birth George was a travelling showman and even though when Robert was born he was working as a laborer in a brick yard he was never far away from the circus when their 4th child was born while that's when the story assumes a gruesome and tragic dimension George's name should have been on the birth certificate the father's column is black. Because George was a lion tamer and one day he went into the cage to feed him the lion attacked and mold George to death the people loved going to see a lion tamer because almost like gladiatorial Prescott quite angry parties had this should be abolished but there's also this amazing love of saying the lion and the animal trainer in the cage The accident left Hannah widowed and alone in Bristol with no money 3 mixed race children and another child on the way. You'd have thought the horrific nature of George's death would have meant the Peters would have steered clear of the circus but no by the time of George's death young Jimmy who was no older than 7 was already part of the show however when his dad died Jimmy was moved by his mother to travel with another family and started to ride horses you know children stop having in the circus from about the age of 4 or 5 so you know the fact that he was a question ways he would have been performing from a very small age there's no doubt about it. Children riders were very popular that period they would do an act which is basically where they would jump over the horse as it was going well it was called a leaping at a popular funky uses soda pop out in 10 to 5 other black child protegees who went on to become very famous circus performers and the leaping at literally he would leap over 2 or 3 horses as. He would go up and down he would be some of the acts some of the shout acts will stand on the head it's not just driving around on a horse standing Beth it's literally performing stores about 8 feet on the horse or 2 horses or females as for horses there some of the most famous acts include 7 horses so this is a very very incredibly athletic coordinated Hussein and he was trained in a question right there was a kind of x. He would have been doing there were doubtless many reasons why Jimmy's mother Hannah felt the safest place for this was as a traveling performer money status but perhaps the inclusive ety of the circus made the pieces a mixed race family in 18 eighties England less unusual. The role of black people in the circus is something that hasn't really been a says I just know any large article on it which traces the careers of 50 performers hadn't sound a lot I would very much doubt there's 50 performers in contempt today so you have to think in the context. Of the concepts of a far smaller black British population it was seen as an area obviously there's elements of colonialism and there there's elements of the exotic and especially how some of the circus performers about trade that the circus took anyone we goddess of race ethnicity background gender it was you a political and the weighing on the show on the fact land that people wanted to ability to do something extraordinary and if you were from a particular ethnic background that would be emphasized in the publicity because it was exotic is a difficult thing 1st now to think about was this even more of a form of a system because obviously it was by the time the people who performed in the circus they got the same ways they were there were they travel together there's lots of interracial marriages most l. Than there would have been outside the circus and people of black origin rose to prominence and power and ours here within the circus which is I think a really amazing story. To Miss father had a role in the circus it wasn't looked upon negatively that he might a white woman he had children with and those children were accepted by the circus that's again an incredible story. The story is so people outside circus history is exotic to myself as a circus is to and that's really part of what I've been trying to do for the last 2 years is to demonstrate the circus was a place for inclusive and a place where gender race or not the major concerns in fact one of the most famous circus fights is of the 1920 century Thomas Hans said that the pervert out of the ring has no racial divide and I think that's something to really emphasize that the British circus and I brought people of extraordinary talents to be part of that nation because of race and gender. The ever aspect of think is they were really amazing young individuals from the background they came from and it was probably a sad occurrence that they face more racism outside the ring and they would incite . But Jimi said goodbye to the circus and here's why Barbara Dunbar is his granddaughter he was with another family he broke his arm because he couldn't perform he was found by the performance tied to a caravan we Ore and they took a loan from there the Portman's were one of the richest families in Britain and their connection to Jimmy's story has always been fundamental to what happened next the boy they found was broken on able to perform and in need of care Tom Mayberry has been studying the family the meeting of the 2nd Vikram Portman and his wife and Jimmy Peters is a pretty unexpected one and a very heartwarming one in so many ways they were seen as leaders of society a Victorian society partly based upon their wealth but also on role service that his father the 1st by counts had been a friend of the prince consort he was Lord Warden of the Stan Aris that he was a very prominent member of parliament before he became of I count and often spoken parliament for the rights of the laboring poor I suppose the way the 2nd vi count who inherited on his father's death in $888.00 how he stablished his parents to credit credentials was with an enormous building scheme the year after his father's death he began the construction of a new country house Bryanston just outside Branford form in Dorset the new Bryanston house which is a colossal building a secluded private kingdom set in the midst of its woodland and it expressed the Portman family's view itself they were special people and very very wealthy ones when you read the obituaries in the Times and other newspapers of people like Lord Portman or lady Portman It speaks in conventional terms of their charity and of care for their talents and for the poor but actually from other things we know of the 2nd vi count and his wife. They seem to have been rather imperious people certainly charitable they've rebuilt a lot of Labor's cottages on the estates they rebuilt farms they were landlords on a grand scale but this very human stories perhaps a little more surprising though certainly perfectly plausible and they invested a lot in the welfare of the poor on their London station Mala been with facilities for the poor ensuring that infested tenement blocks were torn down and better accommodation provided so in one sense they did invest a lot of their wealth in care for their tenantry and care for the poor but as I say this very human story is slightly more surprising but perfectly plausible certainly the circus was frequently touring the towns of Dorset in that period showing up in Blanford and other places very regularly so it's perfectly likely that the circus did this it planted for him and perfectly likely as well that lady Portman heard the story of Jimmy pieces took an interest in it and ensured that provision was made for his future welfare in the diary of a woman who lived on the Branson estate there's a similar story where Lady Portman effectively rescued the child of a woman a state worker who was in danger of falling on very hard and difficult times she intervened and made sure that the child was cared for so there was a precedent for doing things like that and the provision lady Portman set up would prove to be the change in circumstance that Jimmy needed in the 1890 he was placed by Lord and Lady Portman into the care of a charity called feedings of freedoms Holmes was effectively a child care organization which was originally involved in the rescue of boys off the streets of London the work was started by James Fieger and hence the name David Waller is their former chief executive we know very little about Jimmy coming to the home we just have. One sheet of paper which is like record of his admittance but it says very little information at the top it's got no pipe suggests there are no other papers about his admission at the time he's got his name and tells us that he was admitted in November 8090 the state of birth his record is the orchestra 7 and his mother is recorded as being Mrs Hart 6 unity court since Phillips Yes hot because just a couple of years after George's death Hannah had remarried a labor of cold William Hart and a friend of Mr Daniel St Leonards Blanford Dorset is also noted missed done you'll is a key link between the Portman's and Jimmy she lived in a house called Leonard in Blanford in Dorset and was the daughter of Dr Daniel the family surgeon of the Portman family if Jimmy had broken his arm when the circus came to Dorset then the Portland's and Daniels teamed up to make sure his luck was about to change Interestingly his white is recorded as 5 stone 2 pounds on admission and his height 4 foot 6 and a quarter inches and under the question how received it is just sent by Mr a new. Home for boys was all about giving children a 2nd start and boy did Jimmy need that the school gave children a trade a sense of togetherness and moral fiber there was a very strict regime in the house and that strict regime included during the weekdays Bible classes and assembly times and prayers and things like that and then on a Sunday for example there would be a morning service there would be Bible class in the afternoon and there would be an evening service as well and boys would be in those days expected to attend I don't think it would have been any option. There were 4. James Fagan taught the boys printing carpentry shoemaking and tailoring and we know from the little summary shape that we have the Jimmy pages went to the printing initially and then the year before he left the 1900 $98.00 at the beginning of the year he started to take up carpentry those were the 2 traits that Jimmy Page has got involved James Peake and was always very keen to make sure the boys had an opportunity for stuff in life and therefore these traits provided an opportunity it's also noted that he was Mr Fieger door boy for a period to be James Fagan store boy he would have had to be interested James Fagan wouldn't use any boy if he wasn't to be trusted in that sort of role and it was. Peter's would have worked hard to achieve that point within the organization. Sport played a big role that Fagan's with the home holding annual sports days so. He saw sports as a very important part of developing a boy physically as well as he was very concerned for their spiritual wellbeing as well and in fact in one of the articles in the rescue which was Magazine at the time there is a little pen picture painted of Jimmy Peters and his prowess which is quite interesting and this is what he says about Jimmy pages Jimmy pieces is the champion athlete he seems constructed differently to all of the humans joints and springs inside cricket or football to me is admitted Li The captain but it was on a roll of on a day last March when we had our athletic sports at the London athletics club ground at Stamford Bridge that Jimmy revealed an acuteness. Forehand excitement rose to fever point for the interest in athletics is very keen and not so nice when discussing their chances for this or that event I understand Jimmy lay low and more inscrutable sphinx like face but when the day arrives He just swept the board $100.00 yards the mile long jump high jump walking race kicking the football and throwing the cricket ball now and then it seemed the chain of success would be broken but at the pinch Jimmy could always do the little bit extra to win but Jimmy's best performance that day we all felt was when he gallantly gave up one of his own prizes to another fellow who'd been his closest rival Oh. And the article goes on to just give a little bit more of Jimmy's background shows the fact is Jimmy was trained in a circus and was a barebacked rider when he met with an accident and was deserted with a broken arm but the troop to whom his mother transferred him. Although his father met with a shocking death in a lying cage a kind lady sent him to us from Dorset and has cared for him ever since there's another article about the use of athletics in the rescue in March 1895 and he talks particularly about football and by football he means rugby union there is of course a certain amount of risk about football but this I'm happy to say is much less than it used to be in the Rugby Union game at any rate we have gone through 2 seasons without any injuries worth mentioning and an occasional accident would be in my opinion quite a trifle to set off against the physical and moral qualities that properly played football tends to develop for the training of mind and body football is much more valuable than cricket it imposes a sharp test on the temper it's no easy matter at 1st to learn to preserve a good nature and frame of mind in a tight scrimmage or when tackled low and brought down unceremoniously in a brilliant run again it teaches unselfishness a good football player must learn to combine with others to adapt himself to the play of those co-operating with him and to fit into his place like part of the machine whilst at the school the boys would play most of the rugby matches at the nearby Blackheath rugby club and Jimmy would also watch the 1st 15 play at weekends his time at the home changed his life he was given a new focus almost built in James Figgins image he could quote passages of the Bible he was teetotal trained as a carpenter and a printer trades that would see him in demand for the rest of his working life. The Portman's continued to play their part to his Jimmy's granddaughter Barbara. The. Money with David Waller Jimmy's early life was one that was very un promising his life before he came to frequency was probably one where he was not in a very healthy environment probably had no formal schooling and perhaps no real future prospects for parents it after his accident he was abandoned by the circus troupe and who knows what might have happened to him he could have ended up on the streets if Mr and you could not take an interest in him but Jimmy was obviously very naturally gifted to sports and figure provided the opportunity and discipline for Jimmy to develop particularly in the sport of rugby union and a level of schooling for him as well as a background in the carpentry try so I think that was a real opportunity for Jimmy from which he was able to move forward in life and. The gifts that he had. When Jimmy left the home in 8098 he was 18. Arrange his train to Bristol and the job for him as a carpenter with a local company in Bristol he found his mother now married for more than 10 years living in. At the time rundown area of the city along with Hannah and stepfather William Hart Jimmy lived with his brothers and. Sister. Was moved to the salvation . Of the house in Bristol there are many reasons why somebody would be referred to that home with police or prisons by their parents because of their behavior and a significant proportion of them in those homes had a drinking problem what we do know the. Record at the time is that she had never been in trouble with the authorities had a drink. So here's how the late 19th century England widowed from a black West Indian travelling showmen with 4 children who are a mixed race one child in an orphanage hundreds of miles away and as far as we know never contacting him another child is placed in what the family called the home for broken women in the same city in all of this she remarries an 891 at a time when Jimmy was still away. Youngest child Henry are lodging in Wales. Who's 8 at the time visiting musical artists Thomas. And Charlotte is nowhere to be seen. Paints. And desolate picture. It was at this point at the turn of the century that Jimmy threw himself into the sport that was the changes life rugby historian Tom where it looks like his sort of firsts club was things club where it was historically it was a relative or working class quite poor area and from my understanding of the club it was actually set up as something of a kind of mission club by people from Clifton So the society wealthy area of Clifton clubs up there had decided to set up this this club to sort of imbue the positives of playing sports generally and and rugby specifically to the working class area this reporter in a personal mercury from the the 24th of March of him playing for a 2nd say man he seems to make a pretty big impact pretty quickly because within the year he's then playing for the Bristol club and we should probably kind of view Bristol Cup at this point a little bit more like a kind of regional club because Bristol is the sort of super cop in the area this time they're playing against black 8th they're playing at Cardiff they're playing into the sort of really big high profile clubs Bristol rugby club historian Mark Hoskins it's very interesting in those days people were either invited for trials or they turned up for a trial and he would have been noticed at the trial and then selected for Bristol and it's very very interesting because he has this nickname darkie Peters and you'd think well that's racist in in the context of the tilings I'm guessing it was just a nickname that a lot of people had I didn't think he was viewed in any racist way by any of the Bristol players he was more than happily accepted into the team and very interesting the press the 1st press reference I've found him as a Bristol player refers to him as a gentleman of color as if the readers need to be told that Jimmy's impact on the rugby pitch was instant that this incorporating some of the skills he learned from the circus and honed at Feig ns I think it was quite an athletic player from what I read and I think he was very good. Getting his 3 quarters involved in the game I think he had quite a shot pass quite a fast pass and say this was obviously valued and regarded he was halfback Nowadays we would say we were playing at. Number 9 a number 10 those specifics of position hadn't really ascribed as yet there's still an awful lot of evolution happening in the game and he was one of the smaller players on the pitch as a kind of modern halfbacks but there is this sort of evolution coming through of which pater's is right at the Vanguard which is you have a clear cut back to put the scrum and half back legs properly with the backs and Peters was playing more connection. In the context of his times Peters was quite an exciting player I think he was a skilful player I think he was an athlete I think he was a very good ball handler and this was why you got as far as he did in the game. Bristol career was relatively short lived spending 2 seasons there and playing 35 times as well as representing Somerset in the County Championship is the lection was raising eyebrows everywhere the press reports about him. At one time he was the most dangerous halfback in the West and the cleverest halfback in the kingdom. He was excused his poor play in a game against them because he'd been working all night with the same paper then the men to his poor lack of judgment and stated the present had the mortification of seeing the worst halfback play that's been seen since the club became 1st class it's impossible to know the extent of the racism Jimmy encountered from subtle and demoralizing and offensive but he was known as darkie by everybody even the newspapers even members of the Bristol committee had their differences about Jimmy when it was reported in the local press that committee a man who resigned the local newspaper even wrote and discussed it Peters was keeping a white man out of the side over a century later it's still something. That divides opinion so what I've got in front of me here is Bristol's annual report for the $9999.00 written one sees and it mentions for example that 1st 15 of caps were awarded to Claridge j. Sweet h.t. Where Peters So we know he felt his 1st team cap that season and we go on to look at the resignations after that it says going to. Found it impossible to resume his work on the committee from which also Parsons and t. Walk ins Baker resigned while Parsons and what were players and they resigned because they went to work abroad and it also goes on to say much to the regret of their colleagues g r l a broad and also resigned the committee would record their high appreciation of the labors of these gentlemen and their regret of their loss from the executive so jel and Brian resigned it doesn't say why they resigned but again I've got no evidence that they left because of Jimmy Peters if we look in the committee minutes around the clock it's towards the end of the 1900s there is a record of Mr Pike resigning his committee position supposed to business and also the same time Mr Blizzard's who is the captain of the 2nd 15 felt compelled to resign at the close of the season for the committee urgently pressed him to reconsider his decision the minutes record 5 days later at the earliest and unanimous request of the committee Mr President Mr Pike withdrew their resignations and consented to stand for another season and these are normally attributed to. Animosity pater's even though there isn't any explicit mention in those minutes it's basis directly to the pater's joining a club it's. It . Was. Jimmy left Bristol at the end of the $92.00 season and after resisting the lure of money and a move to rugby league he made the bold transition from Bristol to Plymouth it's thought this is mainly due to the offer of work because this was a time when transfers simply didn't happen here as rugby historian Tony Collins Well he was seen as the fulcrum around which the teams in which he played revolved so he was the organizer he was the general he was the player who to some extent who the teams were built around at the time Plymouth are also one of the leading clubs not just in the southwest but in the rest of the contract the docks are booming they attract to big crowds and they had a strong team that could attract players from not just from the Plymouth area but from us with Jimmy from further afield Jimmy instantly imposed himself on the Plymouth side and within a year he represented his 2nd county as he was picked for Devon in the County Championship at that point in the history of the County Championship was the most important domestic competition other than internationals there were no other important competitions the rib Union did not allow elite competition sounded in our national cup competition so there were some local cup competitions but the main competition was the County Championship and after the sports of the northern clubs in Yorkshire Lancashire 995 the County Championship really became the focus for domestic English and because of the strength of the game in the southwest and the fact that in the Southwest Ruby was a game that encompassed all sections of society all the way from those who'd been educated at public school all the way down to money will workers like Jimmy it meant that they had a tremendous range of players from which they could select They had huge crowds that watch the matches so that gave tremendous impetus and also and I think this is something we forget it. The people of Plymouth and Devon become part of Ruby express their identity through and so it allowed them to express the intensely can see pride in a way that's not really possible in any other walk of life so when Devon played a county match this was some of the everyone in Devon could unite around they had tremendous crowds of matches they would get behind the same and a victory for the county team was as important to the people who watched it as it was for the players themselves and that was one of the secrets of rugby success when devil won the county championship that made them the best team in the contract was the Devon side with Jimmy Peters as its playmaker rose to prominence twice making the County Championship final in 106 and 908 in the 1st Devon won convincingly extra 163 and then it will the final ended as a 3 all draw and the trophy was shared after a replay and a game that it's not just about Robbie It says something about Devon and its place in Britain and Devon like a lot of places in Britain often sees itself on the margins it's often thinks that it's been excluded from what goes on in London in the big cities Now here's a chance for the people of Devon to make their mark and that's what Devon County Championship winning side did it put Devon on the map and put Devon players on the map. Since joining Plymouth and representing Devon Peter's reputation rose across the land newspapers calling him a revelation a champion athlete and one of the best half backs England has ever had yet the r.f.u. And the England selection committee didn't seem to agree. On. The way that the England team selection worked at the time was still quite heavy sort of Home Counties Oxford Cambridge by us. There was only one selector that came from the West Country they worked on the trial games and reports it's worth a look at the. Looked real country that if it was purely to America there was a very prominent West Country rugby writer he was sort of banging the drum. For. What's. Actually does directly reference that kind of believed that there was a problem with his rice and that that was something that really came into the western times is very very expressive. Color is the difficulty. For the chances of success however winning the county championship meant that it was no longer possible to ignore those players because they were at the top of the game so. Jimmy wasn't among them initially possibly. Possibly because there were other. Point but eventually it became impossible to ignore. Him. And Devon were the dominant county of the side. Peters was overlooked for the England team against Wales and a Plymouth journalist. Peters is acknowledged to be the best. That could have been chosen for this particular game but that a certain reason influence the reason is obvious to those who know Peter's. Action Committee could ignore. The week off to Devon stunning County Championship. Selected to face Scotland but as the Yorkshire Post reported. Decision wasn't met with universal delight haters but other ways of West Indian extraction in the selections by no means popular on racial grounds when Jimmy was finally picturing the only 1906 to play against Scotland it was a personal triumph and all the barriers that he'd had to overcome in his life been abandoned by his parents the struggles that he'd had a Bristol and the fact that he was a black man in a white man's world it's difficult for us to imagine what that must have felt like to him in terms of vindication in terms of pride they did overcome these obstacles that he's talented finally been recognized so for Jimmy himself to have achieved to have reached the highest stage in the game must have brought him an incredible sense of pride and self-worth that at last he'd been accepted as an equal because of his skills he'd skills that allowed him to be accepted on the same basis as every other person pioneer of being in that time so you know we can only guess at what was going on inside his mind but you can imagine when he got a letter from the r.f.u. Which you know says very brief I would've said you have been selected to play for England please can you turn up such and such a time at such and such players and he would also have been reminded to bring his boots and socks with him as well and that was probably it so you get a probably a telegram followed by a letter but when he held them in his hands he must avoid the back and thought how far he had come from being a boy in the circus who had to be abandoned by his parents to becoming one recognised as one of England's best rugby players. I'm Peter has played twice for England in 106 once again Scotland when an out of form England who hadn't won for 2 years scored an unexpected victory This was followed less than a week later when Peter starred and scored in the 1st. Between. The fact that. Up until this point. The issue of Peter had not materially. To change. With. The real reason. And it started before even kicked in. The Spring. And despite being told that he was one of the best and. They wouldn't take the. Commission report. But it's reported that one of the. Once again the it's a story that has been disputed ever since I simply don't believe that the Springboks were going to boycott the guy and not play against Pace's house I don't really believe they found out sort of very late in the day that was going to happen I think Pace's fine being what it was I think there would have been ample opportunity beforehand for them to at least know I think knowledge would have got to them beforehand especially given his pride twice for England to this point he's very much the sort of superstar this Devon Tate they would have 9 I don't buy the high commissioner coming down from the stand not least because the South African High Commission at this stage was in Durban dealing with the railway crisis it may well have been another high commissioner a lot of the knowledge we have about watching happen comes down to a storm could Jeff lever substantial amount of work looking at Afrikaans and French sources around South Africa sort of attitudes and in one of the Afrikaans diaries they have a memory of the game and talk about one of the biggest African players going out to try and injure pater's to get him off the pitch there is also a mention when the staff contain play against the French team later in the Tour of Holder is looking very uncomfortable shaking hands having photos taken with him he was the French captain who was from Guyana about apply the paces of that fit that they would have been uncomfortable playing in space his they wouldn't have enjoyed wouldn't have wanted to share a pitch with a black player perhaps but that they went as far as to commit to a boycott or to to not go around the pitch I. Struggle to play for the story gathers even more momentum when later in the Tour Peters is selected to play for England against the Springboks he wasn't even picked for the trial matches of North against South or England against the rest half a dozen other players would chosen in Jimmy's position for those games so effectively what the selectors were saying was in 6 months you've gone from being the best halfback in the country to not even being. In the top 6 it's not hard to imagine the political machinations in the background to ensure his exclusion whilst there is no as often there's no smoking gun in terms of discrimination against Cheney if you look at the context of the times and look at the subsequent history of how Rubin South Africa are operating under apartheid then we can say that it's quite probable with the case that it was what was would be known as a gentleman's agreement that he wouldn't be picked to play in an international match. After the South Africa controversy you'd have thought his international playing days would be over but no 2 months later he was back playing against arland in Dublin in the last but it was Jimmy's break that set up England 2nd try his final 2 internationals were significant for reasons away from rugby the March 19th 7 game against Scotland was played at Blackheath the ground that Jimmy played on as a boy when he was at fi Guinn's orphanage and his last came the following year at Ashton Gate the home of Bristol City the city of his 1st club and the home of his mother and brothers. And that was the end of the international career of James Peters he carried on turning out for devil and Plymouth but an accident on Plymouth docks which saw him lose some of his fingers all but ended his playing days that's for next term Plymouth cassette who described him having this accident and say that Peters was one of the best halfback Stephan ever had and football enthusiasm the 3 tons of favorite pub are not likely to see him suffer from a monetary point of view which seems to indicate that there might have been a bit of money coming as way with that he carried on playing very well up until then he was the man of the year for the playoffs sports and Gazette and they actually took the liberty of calling him an honorary white man courtesy of his play which seems an extraordinary racial epithet to talk about now Burt's I think was meant with nothing but love at the time it is meant in a purely kind of positive way and is something that in a famous was obviously indicative of the fact he's a very good player but again still does seem remarkable that that sort of language is is being used in a lot of ways Jimmy's career reflected a lot of the very interesting issues that were going on in Ruby at that time not simply questions of race but also questions of professionalism the relations between reviews so in many ways Jimmy's life capsulated all the highs the lows the controversies of Robey in that Edwardian period so he was very much a representative of the life of rugby at that time the end of Jimmy's career was very interesting because it coincided with a moment of turmoil in Ruby in the south west in 1909 Jimmy was given a testimonial by the club now in those days being given a testimonial by a club was a seen as by the ruby Union as an act of professionalism and against the amateur regulations and when Jimmy subsequently decided that the injury wasn't as bad as what he feared that he actually. Could continue to play he was banned from playing rugby and because he'd accepted among his repayment in the form of testimonial at the same time that this was happening there was a lot of disquiet in the southwest about the way that clubs in the south west have been treated bad or of being in and the fact that players were losing money to play the game there was also a threat from soccer climate Argyll a recent being formed and now putting credible pressure on rubber clubs that a number of them started to talk to the northern units in the rebuild and in fact 112 a number of clubs broke away from being so form a Western league of the Northern Union now as you might imagine those days the distance to travel from Plymouth to barrow in the north of England was almost impossible and sadly very expensive the Western league of the Nazneen died after the less than a single season because of the tremendous cost that ring cared in not all of those players that played in that competition were banned by the Robina's arses and many of the officials were because at that point anyone who had any contact whatsoever with rebelling was banned for life and wants to me was banned he made his way to barrow in the north of England at that point one of the leading Rabelais clubs and played for a season a half a barrow and then subsequently transferred to San talons in the summer of 1914 Sadly we never got a chance to say how he would perform with a leading 4 blacks and Alan's because obviously the summer of 14 was abruptly ended in August when the 1st world war broke out. When war was declared Jimmy was called back to Plymouth docks to serve his time on the coast as a carpenter his job saving him from life on the front line as it was classed as a reserved occupation there is a Jimmy Peters Commonwealth War Graves and Greenbank cemetery in Bristol but the family insist this was the identity his cousin Joseph Spratt stole so that he could join Bristol's own 12 but talian Gloucestershire Regiment Joseph though caught TB before leaving England and so like his cousin never experienced life in the trenches. After rugby Jimmy spent his remaining years in Plymouth and he was even a publican for a while no danger of teetotal or Jimmy drinking the profits away but it was on the Devon coast that he'd built a family with his wife Racine or our new one time we were talking about food and Graham said oh well red head you obvious well as anyone else that was it that's all he said that was part of their menu I suppose granddaughter Barbara Dunbar he never told me anything it was my grandmother told me because Grant didn't make much of it he obviously told my grandmother and she would occasionally tell you different things well in his life he was a good man he was gentle he was a truthful man I know this may sound silly but he believed in the Bible and he quote the Bible quite often so obviously in the orphanage he'd been given a good grounding in it but he was a very gentle man in every sense of the word never saw him without his pipe or is dog I could have wished for a better grandfather but I think there were a lot of family didn't like it and factor I know he didn't like it was definitely some distance between brothers and sisters because of now marrying a black man but there were 2 or 3 of them were very anti ground they didn't like the fact that. Married a Black I mean a lot of the family welcome to him with oh no no because it was his nature I mean he was one of the kindest man you could wish to me but he never let. People who weren't very nice true or eat him it didn't upset him. I think he must have been used to it all as lawyers that would say it was water off a duck's back but something Barbara was in her twenty's when her grandfather died in 1954 but the Bristol side of the family never got to know him his great niece came Towser when I 1st started asking in my mother about him she used to say oh we died in the 1st world war but all changed in 2003 today. The Museum of rugby in Tottenham is the setting for a historic family reunion and the chance to pull is. Dedicated to Jenny sporting Kuala my and c When I was little she used to get her photograph album out and there was a little it's called a cabinet card and they were taken in Edwardian days you would go to a studio get your photograph taken and pull the photograph from the studio and this little card has always been in her collection I never realized the significance of that card until I started doing family history I did a little bit of digging every now and then I'd check and I couldn't find anything and then one year in June 2003 my Dad phoned up and he said there's an article in the local paper about a James Peters There's a big exhibition it Twickenham you members says the photograph it looks so like her dad she thinks it might be the lad in the photograph the little card that you've got to I go in touch with Twickenham emailed the curator and he came back and he said Give me some information the things that you know about him I saw his dad was George his mum was Hannah I said I don't we don't know anything else apart from We've got the family grave see here with Hannah and he said you've just solved a mystery because we don't know where his mum went they knew nothing about his mum but Hannah and he said you are related to Jim. Peter as a combination of work family commitments and not having the money to travel meant the Plymouth and Bristol sides of Jimmy's family never met the man who brought the pieces together was jet Smith the exhibition came about because I used to flick through fires as I was researching us looking for people looking for stuff for magazines and journalists wanting some and I came across this guy's face and I just couldn't quite understand why I couldn't go to a book who would tell me you know in detail who's guy was and how he played rugby when he was the only person of the ethnicity in that period and the lack of that book meant well aside asking questions and smote knowledgeable Garson us darkie pizzas and incident as he showed him us was no more done so his legacy was really from those people myself and sent home to say this is dark it is a that's not run very well how do you he's the only one there's no Nelson's lists and we stop and storms start to put together so the expression is really me just wanted on outs myself and nothing there would be others who'd been treated as well and soon to come together so 2 sides of the family the older generation drifted apart we all met it Twickenham and it was brilliant to find it fit this little cart of this little boy who I just knew was to me my great uncle was actually something very special I mean it didn't perspective really that we had had someone who was great and in fact. Jimmie Peters was hardly a trailblazer it took 80 years for the next black player to represent England when Chris ot scored a hat trick against in 1988 but we have to see him is a lost opportunity he was a great player an outstanding player of his generation who overcame the prejudices of many of those people around him. He doesn't lead inspiring lots of other in a talented young. Come in and play as well you know it doesn't lead to any sort of real kind of headway made in terms of race relations and so Jimmy's career and his achievements I would say were more of a missed opportunity. But that's what makes Jimmy's story even more incredible in his lifetime he pushed aside the racial obstacles that stood in his way rugby waited 8 decades to follow him and football and cricket wouldn't have their 1st black internationals until 978 and 980 his talent made sure that nobody could ignore him he was a one off a gentleman a pioneer from a Jimmy is someone who we need to celebrate as an absolutely remarkable individual . Player if we just look at Jimmy in terms of the color of his skin I think we do him a disservice because he was one of the most important players in the game in the middle of the 1900. Characters Well we should look at his story realize this is someone who can a lot of setbacks and celebrate him for his personal achievement on putting my Bristol club's historian hat on now I think it's absolutely wonderful that we can claim to have England's 1st black player as one of our members it's a wonderful part of Bristol's history and to think that a member of our family achieved so much in a day when even. Racism the importance of what he achieved there. It's still being talked about he's my hero over a century later he remains an inspiration to those wearing the red rose of England . Think contain. Internationals and Pete is one of those who story that he picked up on for the. Banks are inspired by him as. The final word goes to a highly respected rugby historian Brendan Gallagher who wrote the story of a severely disadvantaged black orphan who was handicapped in his later career and yet who played for England is a remarkable almost Dickensian tale it is hard to think of a more inspiring modern day role model in all of sport. Thank you that was join in but presenting Jimmy pieces England for black rugby union international Coming up Boris Johnson they just don't seem to do that even when they've been defeated so can the Pm get breaks it over the line really need extra time even though he swears he doesn't the sick and tired of hearing about breaks it but if you are you come to the I'm afraid now stick around Michael Gove is only in just a moment. But after the. News . A plane. C.b.c. Radio 5 Live. This is politics and Richard Foster has the top story this hour Michael Gove's says plans for a no deal breakers it's a being stepped up and leave it late to rescue the points against Manchester United to spread the other people's politics podcast is available after the show from b.b.c. Sound. This is b.b.c. 5 Live. Michael Gove's told this program he's stepping up preparations for a no deal Bragg's it because there's no guarantee the e.u. Will grant the u.k. Another extension it follows the Commons vote yesterday when M.P.'s backed an amendment to withhold approving Boris Johnson's deal until all the legislation has been passed that's the official assessment because we didn't get that meaningful vote passed and so today. I've been in cabinet committee meetings in order to better prepare us for a no deal exit and you can hear John's full interview with Michael Gove in a few minutes here on 5 Live judges are expected to decide whether the unsigned letter sent by Boris Johnson and asking for a Briggs extension from the e.u. Complied with the ban act or of the prime minister is in contempt of court hearing at the Court of Session in Edinburgh is expected to resume tomorrow. 217 year old boys have been stabbed to death at a house party in Milton Keynes police and paramedics were called to a house in the Emerson Valley area just before midnight last night the chief superintendent in Hunter is from 10 Valley Police 117 year old boy died of his injuries at the scene and the 2nd boy also 17 was taken to hospital where sadly he also died 2 other males one aged 17 and one aged 23 also injured as a result of this incident which occurred at a private house party to address the victims have been named locally as Dom and Ben Gillen Rice all us troops withdrawing from northern Syria are expected to be redeployed to western Iraq the defense secretary Mark espers says around a 1000 soldiers will be relocated to help stop the resurgence of the Islamic state group President Donald Trump has previously promised to bring them home green parties have made strong gains Impala entry elections in Switzerland the anti immigration Swiss People's Party is expected to win despite losing at least 3 percent of its support projections show a combined vote for the 2 green parties of around 20 percent and Qantas is considering whether to introduce commercial flights direct from New York to Sydney one of its planes is made the journey of more than 10000 miles which took 19 hours and 16 minutes as the news Katie Shanahan has the support of Paul's late equaliser from Adam Lallana snatched a point from munch united as it finished won all Trafford so Liverpool maintained their unbeaten start in the Premier League but dropped 6 points at the top it wasn't without v.a.r. Drama though as Marcus rush for the opening goal was allowed to stand to spot there being a foul on difficult in the build up and you haven't caught thinks that if there was no v.a.r. It wouldn't be a goal hearts have decided to open investigation after reports that the Rangers striker Alfredo Morel us was racially abused in their Scottish Premiership one draw Monday night as women shocked managed a city to a 2 nil victory in their group stage match in the f.a. Women's League Cup today the draw for the 100 is still. Going on you can by the way follow it on the b.b.c. Sport website among the big moves so far Afghanistan spinet rushy Khan has signed for the Trent rockets while far it will have Australian style Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc as part of that squat and Andy Murray broke down in tears after winning his 1st singles title 9 months after having hip surgery to save his career he beat Stanford Franka in the deciding set to take the European I've been title this is b.b.c. Radio 5 Live on digital b.b.c. South small speak of. The weather tonight much of the u.k. Staying dry with clear intervals but a few shells continuing to affect northeastern live in over Scotland rain edging into the southeast having them later on as well but they will see much of the u.k. Being try and bright with sunny intervals at 1st but it will be Cloudy with rain for the Southeast patchy rain will also push into that all that Isles along with freshening winds. Nothing really play nearly. Anyone else Keesha. To Sleep. With an 8 pm kick off stage Sheffield United this is Arsenal least.