Henry Bayard Rich

Capt. Henry Bayard Rich (14 June 1849 – 17 November 1884) was a British soldier, who played for the Royal Engineers in the 1872 FA Cup Final. As a soldier, he saw active service in three campaigns: the Perak Expedition of 1875–76, the Zulu War of 1879 and the Egyptian Expedition of 1882. He was killed in an accident while playing polo.

Family and early life Rich was born in Berbice, British Guiana, the first child of Col. Frederick Henry Rich (1824–1904) and his wife Elizabeth née Bayard (1826–1885). His father became a colonel in the Royal Engineers and was the Chief Inspecting Officer of the Railway Inspectorate between 1885 and 1889. His mother was the daughter of Richard Henry Bayard, US Senator and Chief Justice of Delaware.

Rich was educated at Marlborough College between April 1864 and Christmas 1866. He was then trained at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich between 1867 and 1870.

Football career The Royal Engineers team of 1872. Rich is seated on the right Rich played football for Marlborough College and RMA, Woolwich before joining the Royal Engineers. He generally played as a forward and was "ranked as one of the best football players of his day" who "strove hard to pass the backs".

In November 1871, the Royal Engineers were among fifteen teams who entered the inaugural FA Cup competition; after victories over Hitchin (5–0), Hampstead Heathens (3–0) and Crystal Palace (3–0 after a replay), 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.

As well as being a footballer, Rich was an athlete who was reputed to be "one of the fastest runners on the athletic track" during his cadetship and later became one of the best horse riders in the Royal Engineers.

Military career Rich graduated from RMA Woolwich and joined the Royal Engineers as a lieutenant on 8 January 1870. Fellow graduates on the same day were two of his fellow FA Cup finalists, Hugh Mitchell and Edmund Creswell. Rich was promoted to captain twelve years later.

He was based at Chatham until July 1872, before spending eight months at Aldershot. The couple had no children. Their son, Capt. Philip Simons Picot served with the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) and was killed at Gallipoli on 11 July 1915.

Death Rich was killed at Rawalpindi on 17 November 1884, aged 35, as the result of an accident while playing polo. He and another officer collided violently and Rich was flung to the ground, suffering a fractured skull.