English Sculling Championship
Encyclopedia
The English Sculling Championship developed out of informal competitions between working watermen on rivers such as the Thames and the Tyne. Various matches were made on a casual basis but in time these were more formalised. The first recognised Champion was Charles Campbell (rower) who beat John Williams in September 1831 on the Thames. Various persons then held the Championship which was gained under the challenge system. In June 1876 Edward Trickett
of Australia won the Championship and then the Title became the World Sculling Championship See this entry for a list of Champions and races, and other details, from 1831 to 1876.
Trickett returned to Australia and apparently took the English title with him. There arose innumerable disputes as to who was the resident champion in England. To bring order out of chaos the proprietors of the “Daily Chronicle” offered a silver cup as an emblem for the English Championship and stated that it was first to be rowed for in an open regatta. The winner would then be subject to challenges under the usual challenge system. However any sculler who won it three times in succession could claim it as their personal property. This arrangement was fairly common in professional sport in those days. The regatta was held on the Tyne in March 1877 and the cup was won by Robert W Boyd when he beat W Nicholson of Stockton.
The following races were held subsequently.
Higgins thus became the permanent holder and owner of the cup. To encourage the sport the proprietors of the London “Sportsman” gave another cup to be raced for on similar conditions. The regatta was held on the Thames in September 1878 and in the final Elliott won on a foul against Boyd.
The following races were held subsequently.
At this point Hanlan was the owner of the Cup. He went on to race many World Title races and United States Championship races but it seems that he never defended his English Championship Title. Another “Sportsman Cup” was provided for by the company and this became the trophy which was raced for.
From this point English sculling was at a low ebb with the centre of activity having gone to Australia and Sydney in particular.
Ross must have failed to defend his title as on
George Towns (rower)
of Australia went to England in April 1897 with financial assistance from his supporters. He dominated the English scullers and in May 1899 won the Championship of England from W.A. Barry, a brother of Ernest Barry. The following year in September he defended his English title against a challenger from Australia, James Wray. Towns went on to win the World Championship but it was not until October 1908 that he defended his English Title. Towns travelled to England where he unsuccessfully defended his English Title on the Thames. He did not lose without a fight as his conqueror (Ernest Barry
) had to row a record time over the course to win. The stakes were £400.
Edward Trickett
Edward "Ned" Trickett was an Australian rower. He was the first Australian to be recognised as a world champion in any sport, after winning the World Sculling Championship in 1876, a title he held until 1880, when he was beaten by Canadian Ned Hanlan.Trickett was born at Greenwich, on the Lane...
of Australia won the Championship and then the Title became the World Sculling Championship See this entry for a list of Champions and races, and other details, from 1831 to 1876.
Trickett returned to Australia and apparently took the English title with him. There arose innumerable disputes as to who was the resident champion in England. To bring order out of chaos the proprietors of the “Daily Chronicle” offered a silver cup as an emblem for the English Championship and stated that it was first to be rowed for in an open regatta. The winner would then be subject to challenges under the usual challenge system. However any sculler who won it three times in succession could claim it as their personal property. This arrangement was fairly common in professional sport in those days. The regatta was held on the Tyne in March 1877 and the cup was won by Robert W Boyd when he beat W Nicholson of Stockton.
The following races were held subsequently.
- 28 May 1877 Boyd beat John Higgins on the Thames.
- 8 Oct 1877 Higgins beat Boyd, Thames.
- 14 Jan 1878 Higgins beat Boyd on a foul, on the Tyne.
- 3 June 1878 Higgins beat William Elliott (rower)William Elliott (rower)William Elliott was born at Hay Farm, Northumberland, 28 November 1849. He stood five feet seven and one half inches in height and untrained he weighed 176 pounds; trained, 167 pounds. He began his rowing career in 1875, when he defeated William, Martin, of Blyth, and afterwards J. Hogarth, the...
, Thames.
Higgins thus became the permanent holder and owner of the cup. To encourage the sport the proprietors of the London “Sportsman” gave another cup to be raced for on similar conditions. The regatta was held on the Thames in September 1878 and in the final Elliott won on a foul against Boyd.
The following races were held subsequently.
- 16 Feb 1879 Elliott beat Higgins, Tyne.
- 16 June 1879 Ned HanlanNed HanlanEdward "Ned" Hanlan was a World Champion professional sculler, hotelier, and alderman from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-Early life:...
beat Elliott, Tyne.
- 15 Nov 1880 Hanlan beat Trickett, Thames. (This was also a World Championship Race.)
- 14 Feb 1881 Hanlan beat Elias C. LaycockElias C. LaycockElias Connell Laycock was an Australian competitive rower who three times tried to become the World Sculling Champion..-Early life:...
. Thames. (This also was a World Championship Race.)
- 3 April 1882 Hanlan beat Boyd. Tyne. (Also a World Championship Race.)
At this point Hanlan was the owner of the Cup. He went on to race many World Title races and United States Championship races but it seems that he never defended his English Championship Title. Another “Sportsman Cup” was provided for by the company and this became the trophy which was raced for.
- As Hanlan was Canadian the question arose again of who was, or should be, the English Champion. The next race was 20 June 1885 when J Largan of Wandsworth beat H Pearce of Sydney on the Thames.
- 26 May 1886, G J Perkins beat Australian Neil Matterson on the Thames. Matterson was also an unsucessful contender for the World Title.
- 7 Feb 1887 George Bubear of Hammersmith beat Perkins on the Tyne.
- Bubear himself was beaten in the next race on the 13 Feb 1888 by Canadian William RossWilliam Ross-Politicians:*William Ross, Baron Ross of Marnock , Secretary of State for Scotland in the 1960s*William Ross , merchant, ship builder and politician in Nova Scotia, Canada...
on the Thames.
From this point English sculling was at a low ebb with the centre of activity having gone to Australia and Sydney in particular.
Ross must have failed to defend his title as on
- 9 September 1888 Henry Ernest SearleHenry Ernest SearleHenry Ernest Searle , was a professional Australian sculler, who was World Champion from 1888 until his premature death from typhoid in 1889....
beat another Canadian William O’Conner on the Thames. Searle died in 1889 and the next race was
- 30 Nov 1891 when W G East of Isleworth beat Perkins on the Tyne. Again he seems not to have defended it.
- 30 Jan 1893 G Bubear beat G H Hosmer of Boston USA, on the Thames.
- 25 Sept 1893 Tom Sullivan (rower)Tom Sullivan (rower)Thomas "Tom" Sullivan was a New Zealand amateur rowing and sculling champion who later turned professional and challenged for the World Championship title. He later became a rowing coach.-Rowing:...
of New Zealand beat Bubear on the Thames.
- 16 Feb 1895 Englishman Charles R HardingCharles R HardingCharles R. Harding was an English professional single sculler who became the Champion of England and was a contender for the World Sculling Championship. He was born in London circa 1866 and his occupation was that of a waterman...
(Sullivan’s trainer) beat Sullivan on the Tyne.
- On 9 September 1895 they had a re-match on the Championship Course on the Thames and again Harding won. His time was 22 minutes 59 seconds.
- In July 1896, Harding challenged the Australian Jim Stanbury for the World Sculling Championship Title. The race took place on the Thames but Stanbury defended his world title and won the wager of £500 pounds a side. At stake was the English Title as well and this was won by Stanbury.
- 7 Sept 1896 Jacob Gaudaur, a Canadian beat Stanbury on the Thames
George Towns (rower)
George Towns (rower)
George Towns was the Australian Single Sculls World Champion from 1901 to 1905 and 1906 to 1907. He was the last of the seven Australian Champions who between them held the title almost uninterrupted from 1876 to 1907.-Early Sculling:...
of Australia went to England in April 1897 with financial assistance from his supporters. He dominated the English scullers and in May 1899 won the Championship of England from W.A. Barry, a brother of Ernest Barry. The following year in September he defended his English title against a challenger from Australia, James Wray. Towns went on to win the World Championship but it was not until October 1908 that he defended his English Title. Towns travelled to England where he unsuccessfully defended his English Title on the Thames. He did not lose without a fight as his conqueror (Ernest Barry
Ernest Barry
Ernest James Barry was a British rower and Thames Waterman, five times Sculling World Champion during the early part of the 20th century and winner of the Doggett's Coat and Badge Race in 1903.-Sculling career:...
) had to row a record time over the course to win. The stakes were £400.