Edmond Cotter

Col. Edmond William Cotter (12 February 1852 – 23 August 1934) was an Irish Republican, who played for the Royal Engineers in the 1872 FA Cup Final. As a soldier, he was engaged in four military campaigns: the Ashanti campaign of 1873–74, the Zhob Valley Expedition of 1884, the Nile Expedition of 1884–85 and the Burma Expedition of 1887–88. At the end of his career, he was briefly involved with the United Irish movement.

Family Cotter was born in Valletta, Malta, the second of three children born to John Cotter (1823–1882) and his first wife Jane Maria née Hickey (1830–1857).

John Cotter was a career soldier who had enlisted in the 3rd Foot 'The Buffs' aged 17 in 1840. At the time of Edmond's birth, John Cotter was a sergeant. During the Crimean War (1853–1856), he was promoted to Colour Sergeant and Acting Adjt. Major, before further promotion in the field to Lieutenant in February 1856. This promotion was made permanent on 3 March 1858. He was promoted to Captain on 5 January 1870 and retired on 1 July 1881. While serving with the 2nd Battalion, The Buffs in Malta in 1858, Adjutant Cotter, not wanting to be shown up in front of the 21st Royal (North British) Fusiliers, spurred his men on with the words: "Steady, the Buffs! The Fusiliers are watching you", thus originating the expression, "Steady, the Buffs!".

Education Cotter was educated at St Munchin's College in Limerick, Ireland the Engineers met Wanderers, the top amateur club of the day, in the first FA Cup Final, played at Kennington Oval on 16 March 1872, which the Engineers lost 1–0, to a goal from Morton Betts.

Cotter was also a good cricketer who played for the Royal Engineers in 1873 and made one appearance for Warwickshire in 1877.

Military career Cotter graduated from RMA Woolwich and joined the Royal Engineers as a lieutenant on 2 August 1871. Fellow graduates on the same day were two of his fellow FA Cup finalists, Alfred Goodwyn and Herbert Muirhead, as well as Richard Ruck, who played in the 1875 FA Cup Final. Cotter was promoted to captain twelve years later.

Cotter received further promotions, to major on 18 January 1890 and to lieutenant-colonel on 1 October 1897, becoming a full colonel on 1 October 1901.

Cotter was based at Chatham between August 1871 and November 1873, when he was posted to the Gold Coast under General Garnet Wolseley, where he served in the Ashanti campaign, including the Defence of Quarman during the Battle of Amoaful where he was part of a rearguard force to the main action. Cotter was awarded the Ashantee Medal with the Coomassie clasp. and retired on £450 per year on 12 October 1904.

The family report that in the army, Cotter acquired the nickname 'Terror Cotter' for his terrible temper and that his servants would hide if they heard him approaching. Described by Bulmer Hobson as "an Irishman whose people had been in the British Army for several generations" and "a delightful old man [then aged 63], a man of first-rate ability", Cotter attempted to organise the Irish Volunteers on military lines.

Cotter was appointed Chief of Staff under Moore, with Hobson and John Fitzgibbon as fellow members of the military staff. Cotter's time with the Irish Volunteers was short-lived, however, and he returned to England after three months when he ran out of funds to support himself, refusing offers of help, not wishing to be "a charge on the movement in any way". The couple had five children: Isabella Maud Cotter (1877-1902) married 1898, at Cork, Frank Beauchamp Macaulay Chatterton Edmond Brian Cotter (1879–1934), married 1902, at Bombay, Edith Violet Mayne John Luis Cotter MC (1880–1937) married Hilda May Jukes Phoebe Kathleen Cotter (1882–1963) married 1907, at Yeovil, George Henry Wedd Jessie Mary Elsie Cotter (1884–1962) married 1906, at Yeovil, Matthew George Hodgson Gribble ( Jack Durham Matthews)

Death Cotter died at Cranleigh Road, Bournemouth on 23 August 1934.