John Forster Alcock


John Forster Alcock was an influential English sportsman and football organiser. He was founder of Football Association and FA Committee-member in 1863 – 1866.

Biography

John Forster Alcock was born in Sunderland in 1841 to Charles Alcock – a ship-owner and ship-broker – and Elizabeth Forster. He was the eldest child of 9 and the family lived on Norfolk Street, Sunderland and on the same street lived an uncle who headed the Alcock family's upholstery business. The Alcock family relocated prior to the 1861 census to the London area and both John Forster Alcock and Charles William Alcock attended Harrow School.
Less is known of John Forster Alcock than his brother, but he was a ship-owner and ship-broker who represented the Forest Club at the meetings that led to the foundation of the FA in 1863. He served on the committee of the FA until 1866 when he was replaced by Charles William Alcock.
John Forster Alcock died aged 69 in 1910.

Family

John Forster Alcock married Catherine Ruth Rouse in 1867 and they divorced in 1874. He then married Augusta Lackland White in Hampstead in 1886 and they went on to have three children:
Frank Alcock,
Augusta Theodora Alcock,
John Forster Alcock.