Marjory Phillpotts, Ireland and England Hockey International
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Plaque at Holly Park School
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Gosset Family of Hollyville, Blackrock
William Sealy Gosset married 16.01.1906 Marjory Surtees Phillpotts
born 13.06.1876 at St James’ born 27.05.1879
Canterbury, Kent Tunbridge Wells Bedford
died 16.10.1937 (61) died 12.12.1965 (86)
Beaconsfield Oxford
Buckinghamshire
William Sealy Gosset eldest son of Colonel Frederic Gosset, Royal Engineers and Agnes
Sealy Vidal of Watlington. William was elected to a Winchester Scholarship to New College,
Oxford in 1894 where he studied mathematics and chemistry. He also represented the
college in golf. He married Marjory Surtees Phillpotts youngest daughter of James Surtees
Phillpotts and Marian Hadfield Cordery of the Ousels, Tunbridge Wells in 1906.
William was employed by Arthur Guinness & Son the Brewery in Dublin from 1899 as an
industrial statistician. He was fifth in a series of science graduates who arrived at the
brewery from 1893. He became head of the scientific staff of Messrs Arthur Guinness and
Co and was given a years sabbatical to study biometrics with Karl Pearson. William published
most of his 21 academic papers, including the probable error of a mean, in the journal
Biometrika under the pseudonym ‘Student’. He chose this pseudonym because Guinness’
did not allow its scientists to publish confidential data. Biometrika was established in 1901
by Francis Galton, Karl Pearson, and Raphael Weldon to promote the study of biometrics. It
was a journal issued by the Cambridge University Press for the use of those concerned with
the statistical aspects of biological and social problems. He invented the ‘Student t-test’ to
handle small samples for quality control in brewing. The t test is a statistical test that is used
to compare the means of two groups. It is often used in hypothesis testing to determine
whether a process or treatment actually has an effect on the population of interest, or
whether two groups are different from one another. There is a need to determine ‘the error
of the mean of a small sample, so William was able to do this by a mixture of mathematical
ability, intuition, and experiment. It is said that he started with a brilliant guess, proved
mathematically that this was the right answer and then tested the answer. The identity of
‘Student’ only became known after his death. He was later a director and shareholder in
Guinness’. In 1917 he received a bequest from his uncle Isaac Gosset. It was a painting of the
frame maker and modeller Isaac Gosset (1713–1799) painted by Thomas Gainsborough. They
lived at Woodpark in Glenageary and William's mother Agnes was staying with them in 1911.
They moved to Hollyville House, off Newtownpark Avenue in 1913 and were parishioners of
Kill O' the Grange Church. At the General Synod of 1920 a motion was passed allowing
women to register as vestrymen. Marjory registered and was elected onto the Select Vestry.
In 1935 William was offered the job of head brewer in the new Guinness brewery in London
and they returned to England.
Marjory played Hockey for the Midlands from 1899 to 1903 and for England from 1900 to 1903.
In 1903 she captained the England team against Ireland. Moving to live in Ireland she played for
Leinster and was captain of the Irish team in 1912 and 1914. It would be 1939 before another
Leinster player would captain the Irish team. She carried on playing for Leinster into the 1920’s
and was president of the Irish Ladies Hockey Union in 1933. At the General Synod of the Church
of Ireland in 1920 a motion was passed allowing women to register as vestrymen. Marjory was
a selector for the Leinster Hockey Association and Ireland Hockey and was honorary secretary
for the Umpires Association. She also played for the Dublin club The Optimists and was still
playing with them in 1935 well into her late 50’s. She received a presentation from the Leinster
Ladies Hockey Union before she returned to England, she replied that she has enjoyed every
single day spent in Ireland and would so miss the many, many friends she had made.
William died 16.10.1937 at a nursing home in Beaconsfield. His funeral was held in Reading and
later his ashes were interred at Stoke Poges Gardens. Marjory died on 12.12.1965 in Oxford.
1 Isaac Henry Gosset born 18.02.1907 Oxford was a consultant paediatrician working in
England. Isaac married Margery Eve Clarke circa July- September 1942. Isaac invented
a diagnostic device called the Gosset Icterometer and established a unit for premature
babies at Northampton General. Isaac of Vigo House, Bedford Road, Northampton died
on 04.03.1965 at the General Hospital, Kettering.
2 Marion Bertha Gosset born 07.12.1908 at Woodlands, Monkstown. Marion was a
geographer.
3 Ruth Helen Gosset born 24.02.1911 at Woodlands, Monkstown. She became engaged to
Douglas Roaf in January 1934 whom she met at Oxford. He was involved in research at
Oxford and the son of Professor Roaf of Grassendale Park, Liverpool. The engagement
was broken off in 1935. On 04.04.1936 the couple finally married, one of the reasons given
for the breakup was that Ruth had only just started to study at the London School of
economics to become qualified as a social worker. She continued her studies after her
marriage.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - April 2023
William Sealy Gosset married 16.01.1906 Marjory Surtees Phillpotts
born 13.06.1876 at St James’ born 27.05.1879
Canterbury, Kent Tunbridge Wells Bedford
died 16.10.1937 (61) died 12.12.1965 (86)
Beaconsfield Oxford
Buckinghamshire
William Sealy Gosset eldest son of Colonel Frederic Gosset, Royal Engineers and Agnes
Sealy Vidal of Watlington. William was elected to a Winchester Scholarship to New College,
Oxford in 1894 where he studied mathematics and chemistry. He also represented the
college in golf. He married Marjory Surtees Phillpotts youngest daughter of James Surtees
Phillpotts and Marian Hadfield Cordery of the Ousels, Tunbridge Wells in 1906.
William was employed by Arthur Guinness & Son the Brewery in Dublin from 1899 as an
industrial statistician. He was fifth in a series of science graduates who arrived at the
brewery from 1893. He became head of the scientific staff of Messrs Arthur Guinness and
Co and was given a years sabbatical to study biometrics with Karl Pearson. William published
most of his 21 academic papers, including the probable error of a mean, in the journal
Biometrika under the pseudonym ‘Student’. He chose this pseudonym because Guinness’
did not allow its scientists to publish confidential data. Biometrika was established in 1901
by Francis Galton, Karl Pearson, and Raphael Weldon to promote the study of biometrics. It
was a journal issued by the Cambridge University Press for the use of those concerned with
the statistical aspects of biological and social problems. He invented the ‘Student t-test’ to
handle small samples for quality control in brewing. The t test is a statistical test that is used
to compare the means of two groups. It is often used in hypothesis testing to determine
whether a process or treatment actually has an effect on the population of interest, or
whether two groups are different from one another. There is a need to determine ‘the error
of the mean of a small sample, so William was able to do this by a mixture of mathematical
ability, intuition, and experiment. It is said that he started with a brilliant guess, proved
mathematically that this was the right answer and then tested the answer. The identity of
‘Student’ only became known after his death. He was later a director and shareholder in
Guinness’. In 1917 he received a bequest from his uncle Isaac Gosset. It was a painting of the
frame maker and modeller Isaac Gosset (1713–1799) painted by Thomas Gainsborough. They
lived at Woodpark in Glenageary and William's mother Agnes was staying with them in 1911.
They moved to Hollyville House, off Newtownpark Avenue in 1913 and were parishioners of
Kill O' the Grange Church. At the General Synod of 1920 a motion was passed allowing
women to register as vestrymen. Marjory registered and was elected onto the Select Vestry.
In 1935 William was offered the job of head brewer in the new Guinness brewery in London
and they returned to England.
Marjory played Hockey for the Midlands from 1899 to 1903 and for England from 1900 to 1903.
In 1903 she captained the England team against Ireland. Moving to live in Ireland she played for
Leinster and was captain of the Irish team in 1912 and 1914. It would be 1939 before another
Leinster player would captain the Irish team. She carried on playing for Leinster into the 1920’s
and was president of the Irish Ladies Hockey Union in 1933. At the General Synod of the Church
of Ireland in 1920 a motion was passed allowing women to register as vestrymen. Marjory was
a selector for the Leinster Hockey Association and Ireland Hockey and was honorary secretary
for the Umpires Association. She also played for the Dublin club The Optimists and was still
playing with them in 1935 well into her late 50’s. She received a presentation from the Leinster
Ladies Hockey Union before she returned to England, she replied that she has enjoyed every
single day spent in Ireland and would so miss the many, many friends she had made.
William died 16.10.1937 at a nursing home in Beaconsfield. His funeral was held in Reading and
later his ashes were interred at Stoke Poges Gardens. Marjory died on 12.12.1965 in Oxford.
1 Isaac Henry Gosset born 18.02.1907 Oxford was a consultant paediatrician working in
England. Isaac married Margery Eve Clarke circa July- September 1942. Isaac invented
a diagnostic device called the Gosset Icterometer and established a unit for premature
babies at Northampton General. Isaac of Vigo House, Bedford Road, Northampton died
on 04.03.1965 at the General Hospital, Kettering.
2 Marion Bertha Gosset born 07.12.1908 at Woodlands, Monkstown. Marion was a
geographer.
3 Ruth Helen Gosset born 24.02.1911 at Woodlands, Monkstown. She became engaged to
Douglas Roaf in January 1934 whom she met at Oxford. He was involved in research at
Oxford and the son of Professor Roaf of Grassendale Park, Liverpool. The engagement
was broken off in 1935. On 04.04.1936 the couple finally married, one of the reasons given
for the breakup was that Ruth had only just started to study at the London School of
economics to become qualified as a social worker. She continued her studies after her
marriage.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - April 2023