Angus Virtue Makant, an Harrovian Rambler
After joining Liverpool Ramblers in the years proceeding World War One, Angus Makant, would soon lose his life in this conflict. He was born on the 9th of March 1889 at Gilnow Lodge near Bolton and was the second child of John and Florence. His father owned a local Bleaching Mill and held the office of High Sheriff for the Duchy of Lancaster in 1913. He was also a JP and the President of Bolton Wanderers Football Club.
Angus attended Harrow school where, on successive occasions, he took part in the annual cricket match played against Eton at Lords. He continued his sporting activities when he “went up” to Cambridge University in 1908 where he attended Clare College. He spent 8 terms there leaving with BA in 1911. On the 1St of October that year he was Gazetted to the Lieutenancy having taken up a position in the family cloth bleaching business.
During the months of summer, Angus occupied the crease for Bolton Cricket Club while deciding in the winter to play under “association rules” for Liverpool Ramblers where he took up position at left full back. He also made one appearance for the second X1 of Bolton Wanderers. The Old Harrovian proved an excellent club asset for Ramblers, and this led to him being appointed club captain for 1912-13 season. However, a knee injury forced him out of action for the season that followed but he had again been appointed to the captaincy when the 1914-15 season was interrupted by the advent of World War One. Angus Makant immediately accepted a commission with the rank of Captain in the British Army.
He was placed with the 5th Territorial Battalion of the Loyal Regiment of North Lancashire who assembled at their barracks at Fletcher Street in Bolton. From there they trained at both Chipping Sodbury and Sevenoaks before landing in Le Havre on the 15th of February 1915. On the afternoon of the 15th of March 1915, Captain Makant he was shot in the head while supervising the digging of trenches near the village of St Eloi in Flanders. He was as rushed to a field hospital where his younger brother Robert was rushed to his side. However, he never recovered and died of from his wounds at 9:30 that evening. Angus Virtue Makant, a former captain of Liverpool Ramblers FC, was buried in Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery at Armentieres.
