William Kenyon-Slaney
William Slaney Kenyon-Slaney (24 August 1847 – 24 April 1908) was an English sportsman, soldier and Conservative politician.
He was born in Rajkot, Gujarat, British India, the son of Captain William Kenyon and Frances Slaney. When Robert Slaney died in 1862, the Kenyon family inherited the Slaney estate Hatton Grange and changed their name to Kenyon-Slaney.
Kenyon-Slaney studied at Eton College and briefly at Christ Church, Oxford. He left Oxford in 1867 to join the Grenadier Guards. He was a noted sportsman, playing first-class cricket for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) from 1869 to 1880 and also representing Shropshire.
In football, he played for Wanderers and Old Etonians. He represented England in 1873, scoring two goals against Scotland and becoming the first player to score in an international match. He also played in the early FA Cup Finals, winning with Wanderers in 1873 and later appearing for Old Etonians in the 1875 and 1876 finals.
In 1882, during the Urabi Revolt, he fought at the Battle of Tel el-Kebir under Sir Garnet Wolseley and was decorated for his service. He was promoted to colonel in 1887, later placed on half pay, and fully retired from the army in 1892.
Politically, after an unsuccessful attempt to win the Wellington division in 1885, Kenyon-Slaney was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament for Newport, Shropshire, in 1886 and held the seat until his death in 1908.
On 22 February 1887 he married Lady Mabel Selina Bridgeman, daughter of Orlando Bridgeman, 3rd Earl of Bradford. They had two children, Sybil and Robert.
Kenyon-Slaney died from an attack of gout on 24 April 1908 in Shifnal, Shropshire, aged 60, and was buried at St Andrew's Parish Churchyard in Ryton.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:54 (CET).