Matthew Holbeche Bloxam (12 May 1805 – 24 April 1888), a native of Rugby, Warwickshire, England, was the original source of the legend of William Webb Ellis inventing the game of Rugby football. Bloxam's father was an assistant master at Rugby School. 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. Bloxam is the sole source of the story that William Webb Ellis 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: