Background
Hartley was born on 16 March 1879 in Woodford, London to Charles Rowley Hartley.
Hartley was born on 16 March 1879 in Woodford, London to Charles Rowley Hartley.
He attended Dulwich College, matriculating to Jesus College, Cambridge in 1897.
At club level he represented Cambridge University and Blackheath. In 1938 he was given the role of team manager of the British Isles team on their tour of South Africa. He served in the British Army during World War I, as a Lieutenant in the Hertfordshire Regiment.
Wounded in action, Hartley was employed by the War Office and rose to the rank of Major.
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.
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 Barbarain try in their 3-9 loss to Newport in the 1901 Easter tour. In the 1903-1904 Barbarian tours he was made team captin and would later become Honorary Secretary of the club In 1907 he became Cambridge University RUFC"s representative on the Rugby Football Union, and in 1923-1924 he was on the committee of National Selectors for the England national team
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.