William Webb Ellis

William Webb Ellis was born in Manchester on 24th November in 1806. When his father died, his mother  moved to Rugby so that she could get her two sons a good respectable education as local foundationers. He attended Rugby School from 1816 to 1825, and he was successful at both academic studies and sports. He won an exhibition to Brasenose, Oxford, where he gained a cricket Blue.

He died on 24th January 1872 and is buried in Menton France.

Because Football was played purely for fun, no records were kept. So this means that there is no real evidence to support that William Webb Ellis made history by running with a football to create the Game Rugby. We then  have to rely on the recollections of Matthew Bloxam a well respected pupil who was not actually an eye witness but had been told about William's actions during the game. The account of  Mathew Bloxam a local journalist may be false but Bloxam was convinced that William Webb Ellis ran with the ball to create the Game.

William Webb Ellis Fact File:
1806: Born in Salford
1816: Enrolls at Rugby School
1823: Invents rugby?
1826: Enrolls at Oxford University. Wins a cricket blue
After university, Ellis becomes chaplain of St George's, Albermale, London
1872: Dies in Menton, France.

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