Collector’s Corner
Stephen Berg traces the fascinating story of ‘Jum’ Turtill’s 1905 All Blacks jersey.
stephen berg traces the remarkable tale of ‘Jum’ Turtill’s 1905 All Blacks jersey.
Investing in rugby memorabilia is no different to investing in art. Owners want their investment to last and be around for many years to come.
recently, the museum assisted members of the Turtill family who had purchased the All Blacks jersey and Canterbury and new Zealand caps of their ancestor, 1905 new Zealand fullback Hubert sydney ‘Jum’ Turtill.
The Turtill family tale has triumph but is also marred by personal tragedy. The first tragedy came before Jum was born. His father Arthur died, leaving behind a pregnant widow and two small boys. The Turtills were living in england and had plans to set up a new life in new Zealand. Jum’s mother, Alice, put off the trip until Jum had turned four.
Alice settled in Christchurch and raised her sons there. They all enjoyed cycling, swimming and shooting, before Jum eventually found rugby. Jum made the Canterbury team in 1902 as well as the south Island team in 1903. He missed selection in the famous ‘Originals’ 190506 tour to the uk and France. However, soon after those players had departed a new Zealand team was selected to play Australia, and Jum was chosen at fullback. This was the All Blacks’ third Test. Played in Dunedin, heavy rain forced the game to be shifted to Tahuna Park, where a crowd of only about 3000 saw new Zealand win 14-3.
when the ‘Originals’ returned to new Zealand, they brought word about the professional game being played in the uk that would later be known as rugby league. Jum accepted an invitation to tour the uk, as a professional, with the 1907 All golds team. They were all learning and playing the new league code as they went.
On January 25, 1908, Hs Turtill became the first New Zealander to score a try against great Britain in a rugby league Test. Turtill’s workload on the uk leg of the tour was heavy, with him appearing in 33 of the 35 matches. On the return trip, the new Zealand side stopped in Australia for 10 matches. On May 9, 1908, Hs Turtill was again part of league history when
‘It’s not just museums using conservators – private collectors are recognising the importance of conserving their rare pieces too.’
he played at fullback and was captain in the first rugby league Test between New Zealand and Australia in sydney, with new Zealand winning 11-10.
Jum married his sweetheart edith in Christchurch in 1909. He lost his job but he had received offers from English league clubs to play there. He accepted an offer from the St Helens club and moved to Lancashire later that year. Jum represented St Helens for five seasons
and won wide praise. He set up a small business as a tobacconist and later became a publican. Three sons were born to Jum and edith: Alan, roy and Ken. However, war came along in 1914 and Jum, possibly recalling his shooting days, enlisted in the royal engineers. He served in the 422nd Field Company, 55th (west Lancashire Division). From 1915, Jum served on the western Front. sadly on April 9, 1918, sergeant Turtill was killed by shrapnel from a shell burst during the battle of givenchy, his body buried in France.
edith had three small boys to raise without a father and returned to new Zealand. years later, this awful tragedy was repeated a third time. eldest son Alan Turtill enlisted for service in the second world war, and while serving for the 2nd nzef in the western Desert, he was killed in action. Aged only 32, he too left behind a widow and a child who would grow up never knowing its father.
Following the well-publicised auction of the jersey and caps in March 2019, they were packaged and dispatched to the rugby museum on loan from the Turtill family. we had a small group of observers in the museum library as we carefully unwrapped them. worryingly, a handful of leather remnants had come loose during the travel. It was concerning that the jersey also had a number of insect burrow holes. Once we were happy that the insect pests were no longer present, our recommendation to the family was to hire a conservator to stabilise the jersey. The family agreed that the investment in the jersey was for the long-term.
Our usual conservator is no longer available, so we searched around for a suitably qualified person. We used Mahshid ezbarami, based in Auckland, as she has other All Blacks jerseys on her CV. Her record is impressive. when the jersey and caps arrived back in April 2021, we were very impressed with the quality of the work. A very fine net has been attached to protect the yoke and leather work, virtually unnoticeable to the naked eye. The holes had been stabilised and the jersey and fern had been finely cleaned. All of her work is reversible, so if new techniques come to light in the future it can be undone and reworked.
It’s not just museums using conservators – private collectors are recognising the importance of conserving their rare pieces too. we all want our treasured items to be around for future generations.
The Turtill jersey, caps and photos are all now on display in the nz rugby Museum.