William Webb Ellis - Cimitiere du Vieux Chateau - Menton, France - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Since 1823 when William Webb Ellis's actions helped to create the sport it has become a popular worldwide international sport.

A number of plaques have been added to his original graveand fans from different countries often leave rugby shirts on his grave together with rugby footballs.

THIS STONE
COMMEMORATES THE EXPLOIT OF
WILLIAM WEB ELLIS
WHO WITH A FINE DISREGARD FOR THE RULES OF FOOTBALL
AS PLAYED IN HIS TIME
FIRST TOOK THE BALL IN HIS ARMS AND RAN WITH IT
THUS ORIGINATING THE DISTINCTIVE FEATURE OF
THE RUGBY GAME
A.D. 1823
PRESENTED BY RUGBY SCHOOL
FEBRUARY 1982

Presented on behalf of the New Zealand
Rugby Union and the All Blacks team
attending the Sixth Rugby World Cup in France
in honour of William Webb Ellis,
who was laid to rest here in Menton in 1872

Andy Leslie - NZRU President
11 September 2007

A
WEBB ELLIS
FFR RECONNAIASANCE

20 - 2- 1960

THE FIRST RUGBY PLAYER
In appreciation
THE RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION

20 - 09 - 1999

WILLIAM WEBB-ELLIS

Coupe du Monde de Rugby

THE 1991 WORLD CUP
MESSAGE RELAY
WILLIAM WEBB ELLIS
WHO GAVE RUGBY
TO HIS SCHOOL IN 1823
THEN TO THE WORLD

Description: "Reverend William Webb Ellis (24 November 1806 – 24 January 1872) was an English Anglican clergyman and the alleged inventor of rugby football whilst a pupil at Rugby School. According to legend, Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it during a school football match in 1823, thus creating the rugby-style of play. Although the story has become firmly entrenched in the sport's folklore, it is not supported by substantive evidence, and is discounted by most rugby historians as an origin myth. Webb Ellis was born in Salford, Lancashire, the younger of two surviving sons (the eldest, James, died aged three; the second son, Thomas, of Dunchurch, Warwickshire, was a surgeon) of James Ellis, a cornet in the 7th Dragoon Guards, in 1809 made a Lieutenant of the 3rd Dragoon Guards, joining them in Portugal, and Ann, daughter of William Webb, a surgeon, of Alton, Hampshire, whom James married in Exeter in 1804. His paternal grandfather was from Pontyclun in South Wales, a descendant of the Ellis family of Kiddal Hall, just off the A64 near Potterton, West Riding of Yorkshire. After his father was killed during the Peninsular War in a cavalry action near Albuera on 1 July 1812, Mrs Ellis, in receipt of an allowance of £30 from His Majesty's Royal Bounty in recognition of her husband's service, decided to move to Rugby, Warwickshire, so that William and his older brother Thomas could receive an education at Rugby School with no cost as a local foundationer (i.e. a pupil living within a radius of 10 miles of the Rugby Clock Tower). He attended the school from 1816 to 1825 and was recorded as being a good scholar and cricketer, although it was noted that he was "rather inclined to take unfair advantage at cricket". The incident in which Webb Ellis supposedly caught the ball in his arms during a football match (which was allowed) and ran with it (which was not) is supposed to have happened in the latter half of 1823." link Date of birth: 11/24/1806 Date of death: 01/24/1872 Area of notoriety: Sports Marker Type: Horizontal Marker Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: April - October 07:00 - 20:00 Nov - March 08:00 - 17:00 Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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