This is Stuart MacRae, who despite his fine Scottish name played football for England, winning five caps in 1883-84. He was a son of Duncan MacRae of Kames Castle on the Isle of Bute, and it was thought that Stuart had been born there. However, although he had indisputable Scottish ancestry, I have now found that he was in fact born on 7 December 1855 in Bengal, where his father was serving in the Indian Army. Stuart was sent back to Scotland for his education at The Edinburgh Academy, where he was captain of the school rugby team in 1872-73, and later moved south to Newark where he married into a brewing family. There, having switched to association rules, he played for Notts County and was duly capped by England. He also introduced golf to the town (this photo comes from the Newark GC) and was a decent cricketer for Gentlemen of Nottinghamshire.
This discovery of his birthplace means that the only man to have been born in Scotland and played for England was John Bain, born to English parents in Bothwell, Lanarkshire in 1854. He moved south soon afterwards, won his one cap in March 1877 against Scotland while a student at Oxford University, and three weeks later he played for the University in the FA Cup Final.
This discovery of his birthplace means that the only man to have been born in Scotland and played for England was John Bain, born to English parents in Bothwell, Lanarkshire in 1854. He moved south soon afterwards, won his one cap in March 1877 against Scotland while a student at Oxford University, and three weeks later he played for the University in the FA Cup Final.
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