In April 1890, BERTRAM FLETCHER ROBINSON (hereafter BFR) entered Jesus College at Cambridge University.  His letter of recommendation was written by a Fellow of Jesus College called George Townsend Warner.  He was the son of BFR's former Headmaster at 'Newton College' and had also attended that same school before winning a scholarship to Harrow School.  During 1893, Warner acted as the History Examiner when BFR sat his final examinations in that subject.

Jesus was founded in 1496 by the Bishop of Ely (John Alcock) upon the site of a Benedictine convent.   Reputedly, the nunnery was turned into a college because the order had acquired a reputation for licentiousness.  The full name for Jesus College is The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge.  The common name is derived from the name of its chapel (Jesus Chapel).  This building was constructed in the 11th century and it is the oldest building still in use at Cambridge University.

Between 1885 and 1912, the Master at Jesus College was The Rev. Dr. Henry Arthur Morgan (nicknamed 'Black Morgan').  He was a staunch supporter of both competitive sports and small Cambridge colleges.  Perhaps for these reasons, by the early 1890's, Jesus had evolved an excellent reputation for sport despite having just 150 undergraduates.  During the year of BFR's entry, 18 Jesuans were selected to play sport for Cambridge against Oxford University.  Those that competed then received a coveted honour known as a sporting 'Blue'.  

BFR settled quickly at Jesus and was soon elected a member of the debating society ('Cranmer').  Evidently, his transition from schoolboy to student was eased by the presence of no fewer than 7 other Old Newtonians (Oswald Valdemar Muller, Charles William Chamberlain Ingles, Francis Deshon Browne, William Reginald Rendell, William Joseph Harding King, Thomas Graham Gilling-Lax and Charles Standish Ensell).  Interestingly, Ingells had recently played rugby with BFR for a 'Newton College' team against Devon.  Furthermore, Browne and BFR had played together for 'Newton College 1st XV' (1888/89).  

In October 1890, BFR made his debut as a forward for the Jesus College Rugby Union Football Club (hereafter J.C.R.U.F.C.).  During the course of the 1890/91 season, the J.C.R.U.F.C. played 10 matches.  Each of these matches was contested against another Cambridge college (at that time, there was 21 colleges including one that was all-female).  The results are recorded in a Jesus College journal entitled The Chanticleer as follows (Issue No. 17, pp.30-31):

First XV. v. Emmanuel.  Won by fourteen goals and two tries to nil [44-0].

First XV. v. Caius.  Won by one goal and two tries to a try [5-1].

First XV. v. Selwyn.  Won by two goals to one [6-3].  Hill dropped both goals.

First XV. v. Trinity Hall.  Won by three goals and two tries [11-0].

Second XV. v. Queens'.  Won by four goals and two tries to nil [14-0].  Lias dropped a goal.

First XV. v. Clare.  Won by three goals and two tries [11-0].

First XV. v. King's.  Won by seven goals and one try to nil [22-0].

First XV. v. Pembroke.  Won by seven goals and two tries to nil [23-0].

Second XV. v. Trinity Second.  Won by three goals and three tries [12-0]. 

It should be noted that the 1st and 2nd XV teams were essentially the same squad of players.  However, some colleges would lose key individuals when an intercollegiate game coincided with a match involving the full Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club.  Under such circumstances, the understrength college team would be declared a second XV.  This same article continues as follows:

The team [J.C.R.F.U.C.] as at length settled consisted of Snell (back); Monypenny, MacGregor, and H.B. Williams (three-quarters); Scott, Illingworth, and Lias (halves); Woods (captain), Jansen, E. Palmer, Younger, A. B. Williams, B. Wild, B. Robinson, Neill, and Henderson.

The 'B. Robinson' referred to above was BFR because he was the only Jesuan at that time with a matching surname and initial.  He is recorded as having weighed 13 stone and 6 pounds (85.28 kilograms).  Four members of that same team achieved the following notable sporting distinctions:

Charlton James Blackwell Monypenny (1867-1947).  Jesus College (1889-1892).  Athletics Blue; 1890, 1891 & 1892.  President of Cambridge University Athletics Club (1893).  Set a World Record for 150 yards (14.8s.).  Held the Cambridge Record for 440 yards until 1931 (49.5s.).  

Gregor MacGregor (1869-1919).  Jesus College (1887-1892).  Cricket Blue; 1888, 1889, 1890 & 1891.   Captain of Cambridge University Cricket Club (1891).  Rugby Blue; 1889 & 1890.  Played cricket for both Middlesex and England (1890-1893).  Wisden Cricketer of the Year (1891).  Played rugby for Scotland (1890-1896).

Percy Holden Illingworth (1869-1915).  Jesus College (1887-1892).  Rugby Blue 1889 & 1890.  Captain of Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club (1889/90).  Played for various other rugby clubs including Blackheath, London Scottish, Middlesex and Southern England. 

Samuel Moses James Wood (1867-1931).  Jesus College (1888-1891).  Cricket Blue; 1888, 1889, 1890 & 1891.  Captain of Cambridge University Cricket Club (1890).  Wisden Cricketer of the Year (1889).  Rugby Blue; 1888, 1889 & 1890.  Played cricket for both Somerset and Australia (1888).  Played rugby for both Somerset and England (1890-1895).  Captain of the England rugby team (1892/93).  Played soccer for Sussex.

Such individuals clearly inspired BFR because over the course of the next three rugby seasons, he became a triple Blue and twice represented a combined Oxford and Cambridge team (see subsequent 'Blogs'). Later, BFR and Illingworth became flatmates (1895-1901) and MacGregor contributed a chapter to a book that was authored by BFR and entitled Rugby Football (London: A. D. Innes & Company, 1896).  

For further information about Jesus College, Percy Holden Illingworth and Gregor MacGregor, please follow the following links:

http://www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/college/history/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Illingworth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregor_MacGregor_%28cricketer%29

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