The second in our three-part blog series celebrating figures from YSJ’s history, researched and written by our archive graduate intern Deacon.
John Harrison, known to his friends as ‘Jack’, is perhaps one of St John’s College’s most beloved students. His passion for sports and his many triumphs during his tenure as captain of the College rugby team made him a local celebrity across Yorkshire. His life was tragically cut short during his service in the Great War, yet the bravery shown during his final minutes earned him a legacy of deep respect and affection.
John William Harrison was born in Kingston-Upon-Hull on 2nd November 1890, to parents named John and Charlotte. He was nicknamed ‘Jack’ to avoid confusion with his father. He was the fourth of seven children, with siblings named Beatrice, Lilian, Charlotte, Elsie, Elma and Stanley.
Jack attended Craven Street Higher Grade School from 1901 to 1910, where he excelled in football, cricket and athletics. Afterwards, he attended St John’s College from 1910-1912. In his second year he served as a Senior monitor, overseeing junior students. It was during his time here that he discovered a passion for rugby which would be a defining element of his life, likely being encouraged to play the sport by friend William Butter. He joined the College Rugby Club, where he played as a left centre, and was made captain for the 1911-12 season. In addition to rugby, Jack also played cricket and was a part of the College cricket team.
One of the most notable moments of Jack’s tenure in the rugby team was their February 1912 victory over Bede College, Durham, 12-0. This was one of the only times in which the College sports team won an away game, and Jack won all the points. To celebrate the victory, a large number of students left the college premises and went to the station, to cheer the team on their arrival home. This enraged Principal “Taggy” Walker, a notorious authoritarian, who suspended three of the students – Jack was not one of the unlucky few.
In June 1912, Jack gained an assistant master position at Lime Street Council School in Hull. The following month, he transferred from York Rugby Club to Hull FC. York tried to block this move due to his skill as a player but, as they had promised to him when he first signed with them that he could leave whenever he wanted, they had no choice but to let him go.
Jack married Lilian Ellis in the Summer of 1914 – coinciding with Britain’s entry into the Great War, the conflict that would eventually cost him his life. They would have a son named John the following year.
Jack joined the British Army during the conflict, and eventually ascended to the rank of Second Lieutenant. On the 3rd of May 1917, during combat in Oppy, France, he twice led his company against an enemy trench in a co-ordinated attack, but they were repulsed by enemy fire. An anonymous soldier, in an article published in the Hull Daily Mail, stated ‘He felt very keenly the losses his company had sustained and he declared that he would not let them suffer more. It was for that reason that he decided to sacrifice his own life to save his men’. Jack then bravely rushed on a machine-gun post by himself. Unfortunately, he was never seen again, and is presumed to have been killed during the manoeuvre.
For his bravery, Jack was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross by King George V. It was collected by his widow Lilian. Additionally, he was named on the Arras Memorial in France, and received commemorative plaques at St John’s College and Hull Rugby Club. In a tragic twist of fate, his son John would also die in combat while in France – in the defence of Dunkirk during World War II. Lilian died in 1977, at 89 years old.
The Last Try, a book written by Tom Palmer to educate children about the First World War, was based around the life of Jack. It was published in 2014.
Bibliography:
Ancestry.co.uk
Figure 1 accessed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Harrison_%28VC%29 [Accessed: 24 August 2026].
McGregor, G. (2009) Life More Abundant: York St John University: 1841 – 2008. York: York St John University Press.
Neal, P.J.A. (2017) The Heroic Johnsman: The Story of Jack Harrison VC MC.
Palmer, T. (2014) The Last Try. London: Kingston Press.
