Background
Aston was born in 1869 in South Kensington, London, to John Astbury Aston, a clerk.
Aston was born in 1869 in South Kensington, London, to John Astbury Aston, a clerk.
Aston was educated at a succession of notable schools including Cheltenham, Westminster and Berkhamstead, but finally and mainly at Tonbridge, before being admitted to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge in 1888. He graduated in 1891 and from 1891-1892 was an Assistant Master at Blair Lodge School in Polmont, Scotland, and at Tonbridge School from 1892–1923.
Aston"s rugby career began in earnest while he was at Cambridge. In 1890 he was selected to represent the England national rugby union team, and was awarded two caps both in the 1890 Home Nations Championship. In 1890, and now playing for Blackheath F.C. outside university months, was selected to join Percy Carpmael"s newly formed invitational team, the Barbarians.
Although Aston"s international career with England was now behind him, he would play his part in a representative British Isles team, when he was selected to become part of Bill Maclagan"s British Isles team on their 1891 tour of South Africa.
On the hard grounds of South Africa, Aston was a revelation, possessing not only a massive frame, recorded as 15 stone, but also impressive speed. Aston played in all twenty games of the tour including the three Tests, amassing an incredible 30 tries in total.
He scored a try in two of the Test matches, the first in Portuguese Elizabeth and the final Test in Cape Town. If it wasn"t for the peculiar scoring system of the time, he would have ended the tour as the top Test points scorer, but his two tries were surpassed by two conversions by Arthur Rotherham.
Aston became an original member of the team, and toured the South of England in 1891.