His parents were both from Leicestershire – Shearsby and Kilby respectively – and, after marrying in 1865, left for the United States of America, arriving in New York on 6 November 1865.
[4] His mother, having returned from the United States, remarried to William Jayes and moved to Halifax in Yorkshire where John later joined her.
Jack Clowes began playing rugby football at the age of 16, joining the Halifax Free Wanderers, at the time a very good junior team.
[1] The 1888 tour was organised by two cricket professionals, Arthur Shrewsbury and Alfred Shaw, who had little appreciation of the seriousness with which the RFU took the amateur ideal.
Dewsbury lost the match and Newsome subsequently appealed the result on the grounds that Halifax had fielded a professional in the person of Clowes.
However, the RFU simply lifted the ban on Clowes and called on the other tourists to sign declarations that they had only received no money other than expenses whilst on tour.