Harry Jones of Blackwell, Nottingham Forest and England
Harry was born in Blackwell in 1891, and at 10 years of age was living at 143 Primrose Hill with parents William and Sarah, and siblings William, Annie, Herbert, Emily, Lizzie and James. Still at 143 in 1911, another son Fred had joined the family and Harry was by then a Professional Footballer.
According to www.englandfootballonline.com, Harry played as an eleven year-old with Blackwell Boys Brigade FC, going on to play with Blackwell Wesley Guild FC and Blackwell Colliery CC, before signing with Nottingham Forest FC on 28 October 1910, where he remained until he retired through injury at the end of the 1923-24 season; he had made 225 league appearances and scored seven goals. He did, however, join Sutton Town FC in December 1924.
Harry was one of the few players of the early days to suffer a broken leg and to return to the game unimpaired. Just 2 weeks before his 32nd birthday, Harry earned his English Cap, on the 10th May 1923, when his team won 4-1 beating France on their home ground at the Bois de Vincennes Paris .
A website www.vintagefootballers.com had a slightly varied story including that Harry played for Mansfield Wesleyans, the forerunner of Mansfield Town FC, prior to signing for Forest, where he had 239 appearances and scored 10 goals including 4 penalties.
Harry married Elsie Page in South Normanton in 1915 and they had 3 children, Freda, Elsie, and Harry.
By 1939 the family had moved to Bolsover, and Harry was working as a Stone Worker at the Colliery.
In years up to his death in 1947, he was cricketer and groundsman for Blackwell Colliery, Ollerton and Whitwell cricket clubs.