Guy Nickalls
Encyclopedia
Guy Nickalls was a British
rower
who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics
as a member of the British eight that won gold, won 22 events at Henley Royal Regatta
and won the Wingfield Sculls three times.
, then in Surrey
, the son of Tom Nickalls
(1827-1899) who was a stockjobber
on the stock exchange
and one of the founding members of London Rowing Club
. His mother, Emily, was the first woman to climb Mont Blanc
and Monta Rosa
in the same week. Guy was one of twelve children, of whom his brother Vivian
was also a successful oarsman.
Nickalls was educated at Eton college
where he was known as "Luni" due to his reckless behaviour. He played football with success, and when not engaged in athletically breaking his bones or risking his neck, he would row. At Eton he won the Junior Sculling in 1884, the School Pulling in 1885/86, and School Sculling in 1885. His ability was soon noticed and he secured the four seat in the Eton Eight, carrying off the Ladies' Challenge Plate
at Henley Royal Regatta
in 1885.
Nickalls went up to Magdalen College, Oxford
in 1886. At Oxford he won the University Sculls in 1887, the University Pairs in 1888, 1889 and 1890 - with W.F.D. Smith once and twice with Lord Ampthill - and the University Fours in 1886, 1887, 1888 and 1889. He went head of the river in 1888 with Magdalen, and rowed for Oxford
in the Boat Race
for five years from 1887 to 1891 losing three races and winning two. He was O.U.B.C. President in 1890. During his time at Oxford he showed his prowess as a sculler
winning the Wingfield Sculls in 1887 when his defeated opponents were "Jumps" Gardner
and Steve Fairbairn
, 1888 when he beat Gardner again and 1889 when no one would race against him. He lost the Diamond Challenge Sculls
in 1887 to Gardner, but won in 1888, 1889 and 1890, beating Gilbert Kennedy
in the last year. In 1890 he also won Silver Goblets partnering Lord Ampthill.
of which he was Captain in 1892 and 1897 and took the main prizes at Henley Royal Regatta over the next seven years. His Leander crew won the Grand Challenge Cup
in 1891 and 1892 and in 1891 he and Ampthill won Silver Goblets again. In 1893 he was in the Magdalen crew that won the Stewards' Challenge Cup
and he also won the Diamonds again against Kennedy. In 1894 he won Silver Goblets partnering his brother Vivian, whom he defeated in the same year in the Diamonds. Vivian Nickalls became a member of London Rowing Club
and Guy joined them to win the Stewards in 1895 and the brothers also won Silver Goblets again that year. However Guy lost Diamonds that year to Rupert Guinness. In 1896 Nickalls had three wins - the Grand with Leander, Stewards with London Rowing Club and Silver Goblets with his brother. In 1897 he won Stewards with Leander and Silver Goblets with E. R. Balfour.
After a break of several years, Nickalls was a member of the Leander crew that won the Grand in 1905, but over the next few years the dominant eight in the event was the Belgian crew from Royal Club Nautique de Gand
. Nickalls was a member of the winning crews in the Stewards in 1905, 1906 and 1907. In 1908 he was a member of the Leander eight
, which was assembled to challenge the Belgians rowing at the 1908 Summer Olympics
, and beat them to win the gold medal for Great Britain.
, enticed to New Haven by Averell Harriman and a sufficient salary to help see his two sons through Eton. Though his Yale crews won two of the three years he was there, Nickalls found the environment stressful and foreign. He was partly to blame, by spouting opinions better left unsaid or if said, certainly not within earshot of the attentive rowing press. Yet such remarks -- “Their paddling is bad, their rowing, worse” (about the Yale 1916 crew){-- were wholly in line with his personality: as O.U.B.C. President, he nearly scotched the 1890 Boat Race by calling the Cambridge crew “probably a poorer lot than usual” in an official letter to his counterpart, S.D. Muttlebury
.
Nickalls tried to join the army in 1914 on the outbreak of war, but was turned down on account of age. By late 1917 the army had a change of heart, sending him to France, then age fifty, as a Captain in the 23rd Lancashire Fusiliers in charge of physical and bayonet training. After the war, he resumed his career as a stockbroker.
When Zürich Rowing Club won the Stewards on 6 July 1935, Nickalls told Gully "Thank God I have been spared to see what I believe to be the finest four of all time". The next morning, he was in car crash near Leeds
en route to Scotland for a fishing holiday, and died in hospital the following evening. On the same day his school friend and rowing partner, Lord Ampthill, died.
from 1948 to 1952. Their son Guy Oliver Nickalls
was also a rower who competed in two Olympic games.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
rower
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
as a member of the British eight that won gold, won 22 events at Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
and won the Wingfield Sculls three times.
Early life and education
Nickalls was born at SuttonSutton, London
Sutton is a large suburban town in southwest London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Sutton. It is located south-southwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. The town was connected to central London by...
, then in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, the son of Tom Nickalls
Tom Nickalls
Tom Nickalls who was a stockjobber on the stock exchange and one of the founding members of London Rowing Club. He was known as the "king of the American railroad market".-References:...
(1827-1899) who was a stockjobber
Stockjobber
Stockjobbers were institutions that acted as market makers in the London Stock Exchange. Prior to "Big Bang" in 1986, every stock traded on the Exchange passed through a jobber's book, where they acted as intermediaries between stockbrokers, who were in turn not permitted to be market makers...
on the stock exchange
Stock exchange
A stock exchange is an entity that provides services for stock brokers and traders to trade stocks, bonds, and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments, and capital events including the payment of income and...
and one of the founding members of London Rowing Club
London Rowing Club
London Rowing Club is one of the oldest rowing clubs on the River Thames in London, United Kingdom.It is regarded as one of the most exclusive and successful rowing clubs in Britain. and its Patron is HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh....
. His mother, Emily, was the first woman to climb Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
and Monta Rosa
Monte Rosa
The Monte Rosa Massif is a mountain massif located in the eastern part of the Pennine Alps. It is located between Switzerland and Italy...
in the same week. Guy was one of twelve children, of whom his brother Vivian
Vivian Nickalls
Vivian Nickalls was a British rower who won the Wingfield Sculls three times and the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta in 1891.-Biography:...
was also a successful oarsman.
Nickalls was educated at Eton college
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
where he was known as "Luni" due to his reckless behaviour. He played football with success, and when not engaged in athletically breaking his bones or risking his neck, he would row. At Eton he won the Junior Sculling in 1884, the School Pulling in 1885/86, and School Sculling in 1885. His ability was soon noticed and he secured the four seat in the Eton Eight, carrying off the Ladies' Challenge Plate
Ladies' Challenge Plate
The Ladies' Challenge Plate is one of the events at Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. Crews of men's eight-oared boats below the standard of the Grand Challenge Cup can enter, although international standard heavyweight crews are not permitted to row in the...
at Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
in 1885.
Nickalls went up to Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
in 1886. At Oxford he won the University Sculls in 1887, the University Pairs in 1888, 1889 and 1890 - with W.F.D. Smith once and twice with Lord Ampthill - and the University Fours in 1886, 1887, 1888 and 1889. He went head of the river in 1888 with Magdalen, and rowed for Oxford
Oxford University Boat Club
The Oxford University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century....
in the Boat Race
The Boat Race
The event generally known as "The Boat Race" is a rowing race in England between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club, rowed between competing eights each spring on the River Thames in London. It takes place generally on the last Saturday of March or the first...
for five years from 1887 to 1891 losing three races and winning two. He was O.U.B.C. President in 1890. During his time at Oxford he showed his prowess as a sculler
Sculling
Sculling generally refers to a method of using oars to propel watercraft in which the oar or oars touch the water on both the port and starboard sides of the craft, or over the stern...
winning the Wingfield Sculls in 1887 when his defeated opponents were "Jumps" Gardner
James Cardwell Gardner
James Cardwell Gardner , also known by his nickname Jumps Gardner, was an English doctor and amateur rower who won the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta and the Wingfield Sculls and rowed for Cambridge in the Boat Race in 1888, 1889 and 1890.Gardner was born at Bunbury, Cheshire, the...
and Steve Fairbairn
Steve Fairbairn
Steve Fairbairn was a rower and an influential rowing coach, notably at Jesus College Boat Club, Cambridge University, Thames Rowing Club and London Rowing Club in the early decades of the 20th century.-Early life:...
, 1888 when he beat Gardner again and 1889 when no one would race against him. He lost the Diamond Challenge Sculls
Diamond Challenge Sculls
The Diamond Challenge Sculls is a rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England...
in 1887 to Gardner, but won in 1888, 1889 and 1890, beating Gilbert Kennedy
Gilbert Kennedy
Gilbert Edward B Kennedy was an English rower who won the Wingfield Sculls, the amateur single sculling championship of the River Thames, in 1893....
in the last year. In 1890 he also won Silver Goblets partnering Lord Ampthill.
Main rowing career
After Oxford, Nickalls joined LeanderLeander Club
Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world. It is based in Remenham in the English county of Berkshire, adjoining Henley-on-Thames...
of which he was Captain in 1892 and 1897 and took the main prizes at Henley Royal Regatta over the next seven years. His Leander crew won the Grand Challenge Cup
Grand Challenge Cup
The Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and most prestigious event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs...
in 1891 and 1892 and in 1891 he and Ampthill won Silver Goblets again. In 1893 he was in the Magdalen crew that won the Stewards' Challenge Cup
Stewards' Challenge Cup
The Stewards' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine to make an entry....
and he also won the Diamonds again against Kennedy. In 1894 he won Silver Goblets partnering his brother Vivian, whom he defeated in the same year in the Diamonds. Vivian Nickalls became a member of London Rowing Club
London Rowing Club
London Rowing Club is one of the oldest rowing clubs on the River Thames in London, United Kingdom.It is regarded as one of the most exclusive and successful rowing clubs in Britain. and its Patron is HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh....
and Guy joined them to win the Stewards in 1895 and the brothers also won Silver Goblets again that year. However Guy lost Diamonds that year to Rupert Guinness. In 1896 Nickalls had three wins - the Grand with Leander, Stewards with London Rowing Club and Silver Goblets with his brother. In 1897 he won Stewards with Leander and Silver Goblets with E. R. Balfour.
After a break of several years, Nickalls was a member of the Leander crew that won the Grand in 1905, but over the next few years the dominant eight in the event was the Belgian crew from Royal Club Nautique de Gand
Royal Club Nautique de Gand
Royal Club Nautique de Gand...
. Nickalls was a member of the winning crews in the Stewards in 1905, 1906 and 1907. In 1908 he was a member of the Leander eight
Eight (rowing)
An Eight is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for eight rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars, and is steered by a coxswain, or cox....
, which was assembled to challenge the Belgians rowing at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Rowing at the 1908 Summer Olympics
At the 1908 Summer Olympics, four rowing events were contested, all for men only. Races were held at Henley-on-Thames. The competitions were held from July 28, 1908 to July 31, 1908. There was one fewer event in 1908 than 1904, after the double sculls was dropped from the programme...
, and beat them to win the gold medal for Great Britain.
Later career
From 1913 through 1916 Nickalls coached YaleYALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
, enticed to New Haven by Averell Harriman and a sufficient salary to help see his two sons through Eton. Though his Yale crews won two of the three years he was there, Nickalls found the environment stressful and foreign. He was partly to blame, by spouting opinions better left unsaid or if said, certainly not within earshot of the attentive rowing press. Yet such remarks -- “Their paddling is bad, their rowing, worse” (about the Yale 1916 crew){-- were wholly in line with his personality: as O.U.B.C. President, he nearly scotched the 1890 Boat Race by calling the Cambridge crew “probably a poorer lot than usual” in an official letter to his counterpart, S.D. Muttlebury
Stanley Muttlebury
Stanley Duff Muttlebury was an English rower notable in the annals of rowing and the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.-Parentage and family background:...
.
Nickalls tried to join the army in 1914 on the outbreak of war, but was turned down on account of age. By late 1917 the army had a change of heart, sending him to France, then age fifty, as a Captain in the 23rd Lancashire Fusiliers in charge of physical and bayonet training. After the war, he resumed his career as a stockbroker.
When Zürich Rowing Club won the Stewards on 6 July 1935, Nickalls told Gully "Thank God I have been spared to see what I believe to be the finest four of all time". The next morning, he was in car crash near Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
en route to Scotland for a fishing holiday, and died in hospital the following evening. On the same day his school friend and rowing partner, Lord Ampthill, died.
Personal
Nickalls married Ellen Gilbey Gold in London in 1898. She was the sister of Sir Harcourt Gold, who was chairman of Henley Royal Regatta from 1945 to 1952 and Chairman of the ARAAmateur Rowing Association
British Rowing, formerly the Amateur Rowing Association , is the governing body in England for the sport of rowing. It is also responsible for the development and organisation of international rowing teams representing Great Britain...
from 1948 to 1952. Their son Guy Oliver Nickalls
Guy Oliver Nickalls
Guy Oliver Nickalls , also known as Gully Nickalls, was a British rower who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics and in the 1928 Summer Olympics.-Life:...
was also a rower who competed in two Olympic games.
Henley Wins
- 1885 - Ladies Plate (racing as Eton college)
- 1888 - Diamond Challenge ScullsDiamond Challenge ScullsThe Diamond Challenge Sculls is a rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England...
(racing as Magd. Coll., Oxon) - 1889 - Diamond Challenge ScullsDiamond Challenge ScullsThe Diamond Challenge Sculls is a rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England...
(racing as Magd. Coll., Oxon) - 1890 - Silver Goblets (with Lord Ampthill, racing as OUBC)
- 1890 - Diamond Challenge ScullsDiamond Challenge ScullsThe Diamond Challenge Sculls is a rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England...
(racing as Magd. Coll., Oxon) - 1891 - Grand Challenge CupGrand Challenge CupThe Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and most prestigious event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs...
(racing as Leander Club) - 1891 - Silver Goblets (with Lord Ampthill, racing as Leander Club)
- 1892 - Grand Challenge CupGrand Challenge CupThe Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and most prestigious event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs...
(racing as Leander Club) - 1893 - Stewards' Challenge CupStewards' Challenge CupThe Stewards' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine to make an entry....
(racing as Magd. Coll., Oxon) - 1893 - Diamond Challenge ScullsDiamond Challenge ScullsThe Diamond Challenge Sculls is a rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England...
(racing as Magd. Coll., Oxon) - 1894 - Silver Goblets (with V. Nickalls racing as Formosa BC)
- 1894 - Diamond Challenge ScullsDiamond Challenge ScullsThe Diamond Challenge Sculls is a rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England...
(racing as Formosa BC) - 1895 - Stewards' Challenge CupStewards' Challenge CupThe Stewards' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine to make an entry....
(racing as London RC) - 1895 - Silver Goblets (with V. Nickalls racing as London RC)
- 1896 - Grand Challenge CupGrand Challenge CupThe Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and most prestigious event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs...
(racing as Leander Club) - 1896 - Stewards' Challenge CupStewards' Challenge CupThe Stewards' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine to make an entry....
(racing as London RC) - 1896 - Silver Goblets (with V. Nickalls racing as London RC)
- 1897 - Stewards' Challenge CupStewards' Challenge CupThe Stewards' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine to make an entry....
(racing as Leander Club) - 1897 - Silver Goblets (with E.R Balfour racing as Leander Club)
- 1905 - Grand Challenge CupGrand Challenge CupThe Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and most prestigious event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs...
(racing as Leander Club) - 1905 - Stewards' Challenge CupStewards' Challenge CupThe Stewards' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine to make an entry....
(racing as Leander Club) - 1906 - Stewards' Challenge CupStewards' Challenge CupThe Stewards' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine to make an entry....
(racing as Leander Club) - 1907 - Stewards' Challenge CupStewards' Challenge CupThe Stewards' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine to make an entry....
(racing as Magd. Coll., Oxon)