Henry Melville Napier

Henry Melvill Napier

Birth name	Henry Melvill Napier
Date of birth	(1854-05-02)2 May 1854
Place of birth	Glasgow, Scotland
Date of death	18 December 1940(1940-12-18) (aged 86)
Place of death	Bowling, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland
Notable relative(s)	Ian Napier, son
Rugby union career
Position(s) Forward Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Glasgow University RFC () – West of Scotland () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) Glasgow District () - West of Scotland District () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1877-79 Scotland 5 (0)

Henry Melvill Napier (2 May 1854 – 18 December 1940) was a Scottish rugby union international who represented Scotland in the 1876–77 Home Nations rugby union matches, 1877–78 Home Nations rugby union matches, 1878–79 Home Nations rugby union matches and 1879–80 Home Nations rugby union matches. Napier was also a noted engineer and shipbuilder.

Rugby Union career

Amateur career

Napier played as a forward for Glasgow University RFC and West of Scotland.

Provincial career

He represented Glasgow District against Edinburgh District in the 5 December 1874 match.

He also represented the West of Scotland District.

International career

Although he gained Glasgow district cap while with the university, he gained his Scotland caps while with West of Scotland.

Shipbuilding

Napier was an engineer and shipbuilder.

As a founder of Napier and Miller, a shipbuilding firm based first at Yoker, Glasgow - though then part of West Dunbartonshire - in 1898; then moving to Old Kilpatrick, West Dunbartonshire in 1906.

The company built over 120 ships including warships for the British Navy and passenger ships for the US and Canada. It also assembled RAF BE2 biplanes. The company went bust in 1931 during the Great Depression.

Family

Henry Napier's son Ian Napier was a Scottish World War 1 flying ace.