author
Matthew Holbeche Bloxam
1805–1888
Best known for making Gothic architecture easier to understand, this Victorian antiquary wrote a guide that stayed useful for generations. He also became part of rugby folklore through the story he helped popularize about the game's origins.
1 Audiobook
The Principles of Gothic Ecclesiastical Architecture, Elucidated by Question and Answer, 4th ed.
by Matthew Holbeche Bloxam
About the author
Born in Rugby, Warwickshire, in 1805, Matthew Holbeche Bloxam built his working life as a solicitor while earning a lasting reputation as an antiquary and amateur archaeologist. He was educated at Rugby School and remained closely connected with the town throughout his life.
His most influential book was The Principles of Gothic Ecclesiastical Architecture, first published when he was still a young man. Written as a clear guide to medieval church design, it became widely known and went through many editions, helping general readers as well as students of architecture.
Bloxam also wrote on local history and antiquities, and his name is often linked with the early written account that fed the famous William Webb Ellis story about the origins of rugby football. He died in 1888, remembered as one of Warwickshire's notable nineteenth-century antiquaries.