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Writer's pictureDavid Brougham

Major Henry Brougham, Bronze medalist, 1908 Olympics

Updated: Aug 17


Headshot of Henry Brougham
Major Henry Brougham (1888-1923)

Henry Brougham achieved a bronze medal in the 1908 London Olympics, making him the sole Brougham to earn a medal in any Olympic Games.


Henry, born on 8 July 1888 at Wellington College in Berkshire, where his father, Henry William (1853-1908), a housemaster born in Dublin, and mother Alwine Rosa Laura (1859-1927) resided. He was educated there before continuing his studies at Oxford. Brougham excelled in various sports, including Cricket, Rugby, and Racquets, taking after his father who was himself an accomplished cricketer. In 1907, he led the Wellington first XI cricket team and later won a cricket Blue against Cambridge at Lord's in the 1911 Varsity Match, scoring 84, not out. While still a student, he represented Berkshire in the Minor Counties and faced South Africa during their 1912 tour.


Henry played rugby for Wellington and Oxford, and subsequently joined Harlequins during the 1911-12 season. His international debut took place in January 1912 against Wales at Twickenham, during which he scored the decisive try that contributed to an 8-0 victory. He featured in all four Tests of the 5 Nations that year, scoring against Ireland and France.


In 1908, he achieved Olympic success in racquets by winning the bronze medal in the semi-finals. The year before, in 1907, he and E. C. Harrison emerged victorious in the Public Schools Racquets Championships, after having reached the final in both 1905 and 1906 without clinching the title.


In October 1914, in Kensington, London, Henry tied the knot with Helen Beryl Francis Waters. Their union resulted in the birth of one child, Henry Gordon Brougham (1916-1958), who was tragically murdered in Kenya.


Henry, similar to many young men, joined the military at the onset of World War 1 and advanced to the position of Major in the Royal Field Artillery. In 1917, he endured serious gas poisoning in France, resulting in his discharge from active service. He contracted tuberculosis in 1918 and after his wartime injuries, he struggled with his health. He died on February 18, 1923, in La Croix, France.


Major Henry Brougham is thought to be a descendent of the Broughams of Westmorland and Cumbria. The family moved to Ireland and then some came back to England. Further details can be found in A Gathering of Broughams but not a clean sweep by PB Wyly.


Major Henry Brougham's Family Line


Thomas Brougham

(1619 - 1648)

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Henry Brougham

(1638 - 1698)

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Samuel Brougham

(1681 - 1722)

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Henry Brougham

(1719 - 1782)

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John Brougham

(1748 - 1811)

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Rev Henry William Brougham

(1797 - 1833)

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Rev Henry William Brougham

(1827 - 1913)

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Henry William Brougham

(1853 - 1908)

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Henry Brougham Olympian

(1888 - 1923)





Brougham Olympian from New Zealand


When talking about Brougham Olympians, with only 2 ever competing, we can't miss out on the second - Julie Claire Brougham (nee D'Ath) (1954-2021) who was a New Zealand equestrian. She was 62 when she competed in the 2016 Rio de Janerio games in the dressage competition. She finished 44th. In 2018 she won New Zealand's National Dressage Championship. Julie married David Brougham, an orthapedic surgeon; they had 2 children. Sadly Julie Brougham passed away on 9th December 2021 at the age of 67 following her battle with cancer.


Portrait picture of Henry Brougham licenced for use under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International By Vivechampagnat - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87547397


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