J SH 1945 - 1951
We have been notified of the sad death of Peter Michell who passed away on 24th October 2023, aged 90. Our thoughts and best wishes go to those who knew him well.
An obituary is available online here: https://cornishstuff.com/2024/01/09/the-recent-passing-of-peter-michell-cornish-pirates-legend/
At Wycliffe:
Prefect
Rugby 1st XV Colts (Captain) and Sevens
Cricket 1st XI Colts (Captain)
Tennis VI Colts
Member: Literary Society, Choral, Orchestral, Operatic Society, A.T.C., Scouts, Camera Club.
If you would like to have your memories of Peter posted on this webpage, please feel free to email them to TWS@wycliffe.co.uk
The following comment was sent to us by OW Garth Gregory (S 1964-1968):
I hardly knew Peter, since I was at Wycliffe a couple of decades after him. However I was fortunate enough to meet him at an OW day about seven years ago. We just happened to start a conversation as I was admiring the grass tennis courts on which I had happily spent many of my Wycliffe days. Our conversation drifted to our mutual interest in rugby. I mentioned the first ever representative rugby match I had watched, other than a few Gloucester matches, was the 1963 South West Counties v All Blacks at the old Exeter ground. I trotted out the names of some of the legendary All Blacks who played that day: Don Clarke, Chris Laidlaw, Kel Tremain, then Peter completely floored me by telling me he actually played in that very match! Peter explained that he had played for Penzance & Newlyn, now known as Cornish Pirates. He was too modest to mention that he made 60 appearances for Cornwall, some as Captain.
I’ve attached the following obituary copy pasted from the Cornish Pirates website:
There will many people about Penzance and beyond who will be sorry to hear that Peter Michell, a retired jeweller and former captain of the Pirates and Cornwall and a Past President of the Cornwall RFU, sadly passed away on Tuesday. He was aged 90.
Peter James Bennett Michell – was born in Penzance. He first played rugby when a pupil at St. Erbyn’s School in Clarence Street, under the guidance of Rex Carr, and would later be educated at Wycliffe College in Gloucestershire.
As a scrum half, besides initially playing for Cornwall Schools, Peter would make 60 appearances for the senior county team (1953-65), after being the first ‘Pirate’ to win the heraldic shield for county selection in 50 games. He was also captain in both the 1959-60 and 1960-61 seasons. For the Pirates he played in 522 games, including skippering the club in 1956-67, 1959-60, and 1963-64, when he also captained the team’s Cornwall RFU sevens winning side. As for certain other honours achieved in rugby, Peter was captain of the Cornwall & Devon team that played the South Africa ‘Springboks’ in 1960-61, plus he played for the SW Counties against the touring All Blacks in 1963-64. Having been a Major in the Territorial Army, he also played for the Army.
Condolences at this time are expressed to Peter’s family, and it is confirmed that his funeral service will take place at Madron Church on Friday the 10th November, commencing 12.30pm.
Burial will be at the Penzance Cemetery and the wake is to be held at the Queens Hotel, Penzance.
He was a life-long friend of mine since our time together at Wycliffe (1945-52 ). We had a close connection in that our respective fathers were also at Wycliffe together.
Peter was a great sportsman and made a great contribution to life in Cornwall and to his home town, Penzance.
Geoffrey Hayes (J SH 1945 – 1952)
