Ernest Faber Fookes: – [Heath 1890–1892]
Ernest Faber Fookes was born on in Waverley, Taranaki, New Zealand, the fifth child of Albert Cracroft Fookes (1839–1916) and Harriet Hirst (1839–1918), who had been born in Luddenden and emigrated to New Zealand with her father, Thomas Hirst JP (1805–1883), in 1851.
Though his first name was Ernest, he was always known as Faber; he travelled to England in 1889, living in Midgley with his great aunt, Elizabeth Bracken, and attending Heath Grammar School from 1890 to 1892, paying his way as a clerk in a paper mills and playing in the Rugby First XV. In 1892 he entered Owens College in Manchester to study medicine, qualifying as a doctor in 1899.
Described as ‘one of the best three quarter backs in the English football world,’1 he played for Halifax until they joined the Northern Union, Sowerby Bridge RFC, Barbarian FC, Yorkshire whom he captained, occasionally for Heath Old Boys and ten times for England between 1896 and 1899 scoring five tries. His first international match was England v Wales at Blackheath on and his last England v Scotland at Blackheath on .
The Heathen 1929 VII(1) p. 4, in a piece about Harry Wilkinson [Heath 1919–1927] being the second Heath Old Boy to gain an England cap after Faber Fookes, mentions that the Heath Old Boys Club had a farewell dinner for Faber Fookes on to mark his return to New Zealand.
He returned to New Zealand, becoming a medical practitioner at 41 Courtney Street, New Plymouth.2 On , he married Evelyn McLeod Farrington, who had been born in 1872 in Fyrabad, Oude, India, in St Mary’s Church, New Plymouth but she died on , nine days after giving birth to twins, one of whom died at birth, the other being Evelyn Grace Farrington (1903–1977).
On , he married Winifred Laura Capel (?1876–1927), daughter of Captain Sydney Augustus Berkeley Capel, at St Mary’s Church, New Plymouth and they had four children, Sydney (1906–1983), Kenneth (1907–1984), Harold (1909–1972) and Ernestine Emily (1912–2006). All three sons became rugby players in New Zealand.
He became first president of New Plymouth Old Boys cricket club and continued to play rugby, representing Taranaki. He was nominated for the 1905 All Blacks trials but announced his unavailability possibly because of work commitments and his recent marriage. In 1933 he was President of Taranaki Rugby Union. He died in New Plymouth on and is buried at Te Henui Cemetery.
Thanks to Laraine Sole whose article on page 4 of the April 2026 edition of Patea & Waverley Press mentions his use of Faber rather than Ernest and throws light on his life in New Zealand.
1 Wanganui Chronicle XXIX(12287)
2 Calderdale Companion.
Updated .