Peter Wyatt Kininmonth

1924 - 2007  (83 years)

• Name	Peter Wyatt Kininmonth  [1, 2]
  Birth	23 Jun 1924	Bebington   [1, 2]
  Residence	1947	92 Walton St, Chelsea   [3]
  Residence	1976	Tappington Grange, Wadhurst   [4]
  Death	05 Oct 2007	Ashmore   [1]
  Notes	Peter Kininmonth. Rugby player whose inspirational drop goal helped to see off a formidable Welsh side. Peter Kininmonth was first capped as a hard-tackling loose forward for Scotland in 1949, but it was for a raw February day in 1951 at Murrayfield that he will best be remembered. Scotland seemed to have little chance against a formidable Welsh team that had won the Grand Slam the previous year and had just beaten England 23-5 at Twickenham; 13 of the team were Lions. The Scotland team was young and inexperienced, with Kininmonth, the captain, the only Lion. Nevertheless, Scotland led 3-0 at half time, despite struggling in the face of the determined Welsh attack. In the last quarter of the game Kininmonth fielded a clearance in front of the grandstand and in a moment of inspiration sent a drop kick soaring effortlessly through the posts. From that moment it was a rout and the Welsh were defeated 19-0. For a generation that kick became a defining example of leadership and a legendary moment in rugby football. He was born of Scottish parents in Bebington, Cheshire. At school at Sedbergh his preferred sport was cricket. He had not excelled at rugby and after his first tackle he was so taken aback that he did not attempt another while he was there; and he made only the 3rd XV. On leaving school he joined the Indian Army and within four weeks was on a troop ship to Bangalore, joining the 3rd Gurkha rifles in Dehra Dun. In 1944 he was posted to the 2nd Battalion in Italy, joining his regiment in the line against the Germans at Assisi. He spent the summer fighting in the Arno Valley and in the autumn was in action again near San Marino, while also serving as intelligence officer to Colonel Bill Somerville, sweeping through the peninsula as the Germans retreated. In spring 1947 he was on the northwest frontier in action against the tribesmen of Afghanistan. Meanwhile, his mother, one of the first female graduates of the University of Liverpool, was determined that his academic career should not suffer from the interruption of the war. She travelled to Oxford and refused to leave until her son's application had been accepted. He read history at Brasenose. It was at Oxford that by chance he shared a stair with some rugby players who persuaded him to join them at practice. By now brave enough to tackle, his ability, flair and leadership emerged quickly and he captained the university in 1947 and 1948. His obvious club was London Scottish but instead he joined Richmond, co-tenants at the Athletic Ground. He reasoned that he would be more likely to get a regular game in a weaker side and be more easily spotted by international selectors. He was capped for Scotland 21 times between 1949 and 1954 -- his old regiment in the Far East listening to the commentaries on crackling radios. He travelled to New Zealand with the British Isles in 1950 -- the last such tour by ship -- to find that the All Blacks had developed a new and aggressive game for which they were unprepared. He played in three internationals. More successful, on the ship home, was his courting of Priscilla Sturge, whom he married in 1951. His career in business began with the Lloyd's insurance brokers Thos Stephens, Poole, in 1951, where his charm, hard work and appetite for international travel combined to make an unstoppable salesman. In 1971 he established his own brokerage, later amalgamating with the larger Lowndes Lambert, of which he became deputy chairman, and retired in 1995. He was chairman of the Richmond Fellowship, one of the biggest providers of mental health care in the country, High Sheriff of Greater London in 1979-80 and a patron of Glyndebourne Festival Opera. He created stunning gardens at his homes in East Sussex and Dorset, and at the age of 79 founded a company that quickly established a range of award-winning cheeses. He is survived by his wife and four children. Peter Kininmonth, rugby player and businessman, was born on June 23, 1924. He died on October 5, 2007, aged 83. [The Times] [5]
  Person ID	I4646	Tatham | Crew branch | Descendant
  Last Modified	04 Nov 2013

  
  

  Father	Alec Marshall Kininmonth,   b. 20 Feb 1889, Willesden d. 13 Apr 1968, Marlow (Age 79 years)
  Mother	Helen Wyatt Webster,   b. 23 Aug 1889, West Derby, Lancs d. 18 Jul 1964, University College Hospital, Bloomsbury (Age 74 years)
  Marriage	09 Sep 1915	St James, West Derby, Lancs   [1, 6]
  	Married by Banns. Witnesses were Stuart G Kininmonth and Hilda Webster. Marriage Ceremony conducted by A W Robinson. [1]
  		Alec Marshall Kininmonth & Helen Wyatt Webster Marriage register
  Family ID	F0410	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Living
  Children	+ 1. Living   2. Living + 3. Living + 4. Living
  Family ID	F1424	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	20 Jul 2011

  
  

• Photos

  Peter Wyatt Kininmonth (1924-2007)

  
  

• Sources

  [S24] Roz Monaghan. [S02] BMD Index, 3Q1924, birth reg Wirral. [S25] Electoral Registers. [S05] The Times, 09 Sep 1976, forthcoming marriages. son James [S05] The Times, 13 Oct 2007, obituary. [S02] BMD Index, 3Q1915, marriage reg West Derby.