Bernard Charles Hartley
Encyclopedia
Major Bernard Charles "Jock" Hartley OBE (16 March 1879 - 24 April 1960) was a rugby union
international player who represented England
from 1901 to 1902. At club level he represented Cambridge University
and Blackheath. In 1938 he was given the role of team manager of the British Isles
team on their tour of South Africa
.
, matriculating to Jesus College, Cambridge
in 1897. At Cambridge he won three sporting "Blues" as a student, one in rugby and two in athletics for the hammer. He served in the British Army during World War I, as a Lieutenant in the Hertfordshire Regiment
. Wounded in action, Hartley was employed by the War Office and rose to the rank of Major. In 1927 he was awarded the Civil Division of the Order of the British Empire
and in 1947 he was awarded the Military Division of the same award.
in 1900, winning a sporting "Blue". By the time Hartley made his international debut on 9 March 1901, he was representing Blackheath, despite still being at Cambridge. His first cap for England was at Blackheath
in the 1901 Home Nations Championship
encounter with Scotland
. England lost the match 18-3, but Hartley finished his international career with a win when he played his second and final match for England on 15 March 1902 at Inverleith
, a victory over Scotland.
Although his interantional career was behind him, Hartley has a long relationship with the game of rugby throughout his life. In 1900 he was offered a place in the invitational touring team, Barbarian F.C.
, scoring the only Barbarain try
in their 3-9 loss to Newport in the 1901 Easter tour. In the 1903-1904 Barbarian tours he was made team captin and would later become Honorary Secretary of the club.
In 1907 he became Cambridge University RUFC's representative on the Rugby Football Union
, and in 1923-24 he was on the committee of National Selectors for the England national team. In 1938, Hartley was given the role of manager of the British Isles team on their 1938 tour of South Africa, the tourist lost the series 2-1.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
international player who represented England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
from 1901 to 1902. At club level he represented Cambridge University
Cambridge University R.U.F.C.
The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest...
and Blackheath. In 1938 he was given the role of team manager of the British Isles
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
team on their tour of South Africa
1938 British Lions tour to South Africa
The 1938 British Isles tour to South Africa was the fourteenth tour by a British Isles team and the sixth to South Africa. The tour is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950....
.
Life history
Hartley was born on 16 March 1879 in Woodford, London to Charles Rowley Hartley. He attended Dulwich CollegeDulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
, matriculating to Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
in 1897. At Cambridge he won three sporting "Blues" as a student, one in rugby and two in athletics for the hammer. He served in the British Army during World War I, as a Lieutenant in the Hertfordshire Regiment
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army originally formed in 1688...
. Wounded in action, Hartley was employed by the War Office and rose to the rank of Major. In 1927 he was awarded the Civil Division of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
and in 1947 he was awarded the Military Division of the same award.
Rugby union career
Hartley first came to note as a rugby player when he represented Cambridge University. He played in one Varsity MatchThe Varsity Match
The Varsity Match is an annual rugby union fixture played between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. By tradition, the match is held on the second Tuesday of December. In 2005, however, this changed, and the match was on Tuesday 6 December. In 2007, it was held on a Thursday for...
in 1900, winning a sporting "Blue". By the time Hartley made his international debut on 9 March 1901, he was representing Blackheath, despite still being at Cambridge. His first cap for England was at Blackheath
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
in the 1901 Home Nations Championship
1901 Home Nations Championship
The 1901 Home Nations Championship was the nineteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 5 January and 16 March...
encounter with Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
. England lost the match 18-3, but Hartley finished his international career with a win when he played his second and final match for England on 15 March 1902 at Inverleith
Inverleith
Inverleith is an inner suburb in the northern part of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the fringes of the central region of the city. It is an affluent suburb. Its neighbours include Trinity to the north and the New Town to the south, with Canonmills at the south-east and Stockbridge at the south-west...
, a victory over Scotland.
Although his interantional career was behind him, Hartley has a long relationship with the game of rugby throughout his life. In 1900 he was offered a place in the invitational touring team, Barbarian F.C.
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
, scoring the only Barbarain try
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
in their 3-9 loss to Newport in the 1901 Easter tour. In the 1903-1904 Barbarian tours he was made team captin and would later become Honorary Secretary of the club.
In 1907 he became Cambridge University RUFC's representative on the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
, and in 1923-24 he was on the committee of National Selectors for the England national team. In 1938, Hartley was given the role of manager of the British Isles team on their 1938 tour of South Africa, the tourist lost the series 2-1.