Matthew Bloxam
Encyclopedia
Matthew Holbeche Bloxam a native of Rugby
, Warwickshire
, England
, was an amateur archeologist and Warwickshire antiquary. He was the original source of the legend of William Webb Ellis
inventing the game of Rugby football
.
. He was educated at Elborow School before attending Rugby himself between 1813 and 1820. In 1821 he was articled to a solicitor
but he did not find success in the profession when he went into practice on his own account. In 1831 he became clerk of the court and held the post for 40 years.
He is remembered as an antiquarian on Rugby
and the local area, in 1836 he successfully located the Roman town of Tripontium
near Rugby. His work was published in two books (including Principles of Gothic Architecture) and many journal articles though many of his conclusions are now thought doubtful, his collection of archaeological finds still exists.
He lived in what is now the Percival Guildhouse, while his brother ran a boarding school next door in what became the public library. A new library replaced the old one in 2000 and a life-size statue of Bloxham engaged in his archaeological work greets visitors to the Rugby museum
located in the new library complex.
picked up the ball during a game of football
at Rugby School thus originating the game of Rugby football
. In October 1876, in an effort to refute the assertion that carrying the ball had been an ancient tradition, he wrote to The Meteor, the Rugby School magazine, that he had learnt from an unnamed source that the change from a kicking game to a handling game had "..originated with a town boy or foundationer of the name of Ellis, William Webb Ellis".
In December 1880, in another letter to the Meteor, Bloxam elaborates on the story:
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was an amateur archeologist and Warwickshire antiquary. He was the original source of the legend of William Webb Ellis
William Webb Ellis
Rev. William Webb Ellis was an Anglican clergyman who is famous for allegedly being the inventor of Rugby football whilst a pupil at Rugby School....
inventing the game of Rugby football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
.
Biography
Bloxam's father was an assistant master at Rugby SchoolRugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
. He was educated at Elborow School before attending Rugby himself between 1813 and 1820. In 1821 he was articled to a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
but he did not find success in the profession when he went into practice on his own account. In 1831 he became clerk of the court and held the post for 40 years.
He is remembered as an antiquarian on Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
and the local area, in 1836 he successfully located the Roman town of Tripontium
Tripontium
Tripontium was a town in Roman Britain. It lay on the Roman road later called Watling Street at a site now chiefly within the civil parish of Newton and Biggin in the English county of Warwickshire and partly in Leicestershire, some 3.4 miles north-east of Rugby and 3.1 miles south of...
near Rugby. His work was published in two books (including Principles of Gothic Architecture) and many journal articles though many of his conclusions are now thought doubtful, his collection of archaeological finds still exists.
He lived in what is now the Percival Guildhouse, while his brother ran a boarding school next door in what became the public library. A new library replaced the old one in 2000 and a life-size statue of Bloxham engaged in his archaeological work greets visitors to the Rugby museum
Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
The Rugby Art Gallery and Museum is a combined art gallery and museum located in central Rugby, Warwickshire, in England.The purpose built building housing it which was opened in 2000 also contains the town's library....
located in the new library complex.
William Webb Ellis story
Bloxam is the sole source of the story that William Webb EllisWilliam Webb Ellis
Rev. William Webb Ellis was an Anglican clergyman who is famous for allegedly being the inventor of Rugby football whilst a pupil at Rugby School....
picked up the ball during a game of football
Football
Football may refer to one of a number of team sports which all involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
at Rugby School thus originating the game of Rugby football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
. In October 1876, in an effort to refute the assertion that carrying the ball had been an ancient tradition, he wrote to The Meteor, the Rugby School magazine, that he had learnt from an unnamed source that the change from a kicking game to a handling game had "..originated with a town boy or foundationer of the name of Ellis, William Webb Ellis".
In December 1880, in another letter to the Meteor, Bloxam elaborates on the story:
- "A boy of the name Ellis - William Webb Ellis - a town boy and a foundationer, .... whilst playing Bigside at football in that half-year [1823], caught the ball in his arms. This being so, according to the then rules, he ought to have retired back as far as he pleased, without parting with the ball, for the combatants on the opposite side could only advance to the spot where he had caught the ball, and were unable to rush forward till he had either punted it or had placed it for some one else to kick, for it was by means of these placed kicks that most of the goals were in those days kicked, but the moment the ball touched the ground the opposite side might rush on. Ellis, for the first time, disregarded this rule, and on catching the ball, instead of retiring backwards, rushed forwards with the ball in his hands towards the opposite goal, with what result as to the game I know not, neither do I know how this infringement of a well-known rule was followed up, or when it became, as it is now, a standing rule."