Chapter 3 How the story arose

The first article by Bloxam in the Meteor simply gave his reminiscences on the game of rugby football as played in his day. To quote Jennifer Macrory's excellent book, Running with the ball, "Bloxam had originally responded that running with the ball had been introduced sometime after Dr Arnold became Headmaster in 1828. However he had made further enquiries and then he
'... ascertained that this change originated with a Town boy or foundationer of the name of Ellis, William Webb Ellis. [...] It must, I think, have been in the second half-year of 1823 that this change from the former system, in which the football was not allowed to be taken up and run with, commenced.' " This was written in October 1876.

A more detailed version of this, again by Bloxam, appeared in the 12 December 1880 edition of the Meteor:
"In the latter half of 1823, some fifty-seven years ago, originated though without premeditation, that change in one of the rules, which more than any other has since distinguished the Rugby School game from the Association Rules.
"A boy of the name Ellis - William Webb Ellis - a town boy and a foundationer, .... whilst playing Bigside at football in that half-year, 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."

It is perhaps unsurprising that after 57 years the actual details were a little hazy. Bloxam himself writes: "After the games of the day were concluded, however vigorously they may have been contended, all further remembrance of the game was consigned to the limbo of oblivion, our tasks to be learned that night were sufficiently onerous to allow little leisure for discussion, and there was no Meteor in which the incidents of each game could be recorded."

It is sheer chance that this snippet of memory has survived, shorn of all context. It is disappointing that Bloxam did not say whose memory he was relying on - clearly it was not his own. One strong possibility is that he had been talking to his brother John, who had been an exact contemporary of WWE at school. If so, it is noteworthy that the subject had apparently never arisen before.

These articles, written 53 and 57 years after the event and based on someone else's memories, are the sole source for the WWE story.

Page updated 15 August 2002 by Peter Shortell