Hartley was born on 16 March 1879 in Woodford, London to Charles Rowley Hartley.[2] He attended Dulwich College, matriculating to Jesus College, Cambridge in 1897. At Cambridge he won three sporting "Blues" as a student, one in rugby and two in athletics for the hammer.[2] He served in the British Army during World War I, as a lieutenant in the Hertfordshire Regiment.[3] Wounded in action, Hartley was employed by the War Office and rose to the rank of Major. In 1927 he was awarded the Civil Division of the Order of the British Empire[4] and in 1947 he was awarded the Military Division of the same award.[5]
Rugby union career
Bernard Hartley captaining the 1904 Barbarians, seated centre of middle row
Hartley first came to note as a rugby player when he represented Cambridge University. He played in one Varsity Match in 1900, winning a sporting "Blue". By the time Hartley made his international debut on 9 March 1901, he was representing Blackheath, despite still being at Cambridge. His first cap for England was at Blackheath in the 1901 Home Nations Championship encounter with Scotland. England lost the match 18–3, but Hartley finished his international career with a win when he played his second and final match for England on 15 March 1902 at Inverleith, a victory over Scotland.
Although his international career was behind him, Hartley has a long relationship with the game of rugby throughout his life. In 1900 he was offered a place in the invitational touring team, Barbarian F.C., scoring the only Barbarian try in their 3–9 loss to Newport in the 1901 Easter tour.[6] In the 1903-1904 Barbarian tours he was made team captain and would later become Honorary Secretary of the club.[7]
In 1907 he became Cambridge University RUFC's representative on the Rugby Football Union, and in 1923-24 he was on the committee of National Selectors for the England national team.[2] In 1938, Hartley was given the role of manager of the British Isles team on their 1938 tour of South Africa, the tourist lost the series 2–1.[8]
