THE HISTORY OF
CHRIST'S COLLEGE
BOAT CI-
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
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Atchison, Geo roe T.
The history of the Christ's
Col 1 ege Boat CI ub
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2010 with funding from
Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofchristsOOatch
THE HISTORY
OF
CHRIST'S COLLEGE BOAT CLUB
(Frontispiece)
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The Late GEORGE TUENOUE ATCHISON
THE HISTORY
OF
THE CHRIST'S COLLEGE
BOAT CLUB
BY
GEORGE T. ATCHISON, M.A., LL.B., F.Z.S.
(Captain 1899-1900)
AND
GEOFFREY C. BROWN, B.A.
(Captain 1 920-1 921)
With a Preface by THE PRESIDENT OF QUEENS' COLLEGE
WITHDRAWN
From tr iiiy
History i bi
Cambridge
W. P. SPALDING
43, SIDNEY STREET
1922
6ENEALC MT
CHURCH O:
UTTER-DAY SAINTS
Attei Public Librae
bister Stl
PO Box 2270
Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
To
PAST
PRESENT
AND
FUTURE
Members of the C.C.B.C.
Preface.
When the proofs of this history of the Boat Club of
Christ's College were practically complete, the chief author,
Mr. G. T. Atchison, died from an attack of pleurisy and
pneumonia in the midst of a busy and useful life at the
age of 45.
I have consented to add a few words of preface, though
it might be thought with reason that this should have
been done by someone more officially connected with the
College than myself. My long friendship with Atchison which
began when he was a freshman and I was Dean of the College
and the fact that he has been on the staff of my old School
for fifteen years since he left Cambridge has led the request
to be made and accepted.
Not many words are necessary to commend this book to
Christ's men. No one has done more for the Boat Club than
Atchison, both when in residence and since, for not a few
Old Bedfordians have found their way to Christ's through
Atchison's influence and advice and there helped to maintain
the honour of the College on the river.
This book now becomes a memorial of the labour and
affection of one, whose enthusiasm for the College has never
failed, and who rarely missed being on the tow-path at least
once during each May Races.
T. C. Fitzpatrick.
September jth, IQ22.
Authors' Preface.
The College Magazines of the Lent and May Terms of
1899 contained two very brief articles on the history of the
Christ's College Boat Club, together with charts of the boats,
which further study has shown to be fairly complete and
accurate. These must be regarded as the seed from which
the present work has grown. But the authors are living
forty or fifty years too late. How much better could the task
have been undertaken by someone in the lifetime of those
who had assisted at the foundation of the Club in 1830, or
who had rowed in the crew of 1833, which finished at the
Head of the River. The first Captain of the Club, the late
Rev. William Blyth, who held office from 1830 to 1832, and
who stroked the crew of 1833, lived until 1886. But, un-
fortunately, nothing of the kind was done, and we can therefore
plead — " Better Late than Never."
We have aimed at compiling a record that is as nearly
complete as possible, and that at the same time contains
practically no inaccuracies. We have, we believe, obtained
a complete record of the doings of every Christ's boat that has
rowed in the Mays, or the Lents, or at Henley, and probably
a complete record of every Christ's entry for the University
Fours, Pairs, and Sculls. The lists of the Captains of the
Club since its foundation, and of the winners of the College
Trial Eights, are absolutely complete ; while the lists of the
winners of the C.C.B.C. Challenge Trophies are, with one
exception complete. The names of the crews that have rowed
in the Lent and May Races are of necessity incomplete ;
the earliest that we are able to record are fortunately those of
May, 1833. From 1849 ^ ne y are nearly, and from 1862
they are absolutely complete ; although in the case of some
viii AU THORS' PREFA CE
of the earlier second and third crews it is possible, indeed, it
is probable, that there are a few small inaccuracies. The
crews of the First Boat are complete from 1851. At the
bottom of the charts we have drawn a boundary line for each
night to show the number of boats on the river, which in the
old days varied almost every night. The accuracy of this
we cannot guarantee in every case, but from 1842 it may be
taken as nearly correct, and from 1861 as absolutely so.
Our sources of information have been many and various.
They include the C.C.B.C. books ; the C.U.B.C. books, for the
full use of which we have to thank the late President, Mr.
P. H. G. H. S. Hartley ; the charts at the Union prepared
by Mr. Royston, the originals of which he was good enough to
allow to be studied carefully at his house previously to the
publication of the articles in the College Magazine mentioned
above ; back numbers of Bell's Life, The Field, The Cambridge
Review and other papers ; The Rowing Almanack, The
Records of Henley Royal Regatta, Henley Races, The Cam-
bridge University Almanack, The Cam and Cambridge Rowing,
and Sketches of the Rise and Progress of Rowing at Cambridge,
published in 1852. Quotations given without a reference
are from the C.C.B.C. books. Any approach to accuracy
with the names and initials would have been quite impossible
but for the late Master's Biographical Register of Christ's
College, 1448 to 1905. All the names and initials have been
carefully checked by Mr. J. H. Tithecott, to whom we wish
to express our special gratitude ; Without his willing
assistance we must have made many mistakes in recording the
crews of the years since 1905. We are also greatly indebted
to Mr. D. R. Rosevear, Captain 1921-1922, for searching
out the names of many of the old crews from the volumes of
The Cambridge University Almanack in the College Library,
and for other assistance. We wish also to thank Mr.
AUTHORS' PREFACE ix
E. B. Lindsell, Dr. A. C. Pearson, Mr. C. W. Moore,
Mr. J. Gibbons, Mr. Alan Williams and others who
have answered questions that we have asked them on
certain details that were not otherwise clear. We are
especially grateful to Miss J. E. Blyth, a Daughter of the
first Captain of the Club, for an extract from her Father's
diary recording the names of the crew that rowed Head of
the River in 1833, and for the loan of his portrait from which
one of the most interesting of the illustrations is reproduced.
For the other illustrations we have to thank Messrs. Stearn
and Sons, Dr. A. C. Pearson, and others, for the use of photo-
graphs for reproduction.
We desire to take advantage of this, our only opportunity
of expressing our thanks to those members of the College
whose support has enabled us to publish our work at a time
when the cost of production is so great. More particularly
we wish to thank those who have come forward with
guarantees, and so have saved us from having to postpone
the publication, perhaps indefinitely. We refrain from
mentioning their names, as we are confident that they would
prefer that their generosity should remain anonymous.
Any corrections or additions will be most gratefully
received by the authors, and will be duly forwarded to the
Boat Captain of the time to be preserved among the Club
records for future reference. Finally, we should like to
appeal to future Secretaries of the Club to make their minutes
and reports complete, accurate, and legible, and by doing
this to show a marked contrast to the efforts of many of their
predecessors. Let them remember that they are writing
for the future even more than for the present.
G. T. A.
G. C. B.
CONTENTS
Preface by the President of Queens' College
Preface by the Authors ...•••
History of Christ's College Boat Club
Lists and Summaries. C.U.B.C. Events .
Henley Regatta
C.C.B.C. Captains .
Winners of Events
University Race .
University Trial Eights
page
v
vii
i
241
243
244
247
253
253
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
July, 1915.
Plate.
I. George Turnour Atchison
II. Canon W. Blyth .
III. The Philipps Oars .....
IV. The Brundrit Challenge Cup
V. The Rev. J. W. Cartmell ....
VI. The May Boat Crew, 1883 .
vii. c. c. boathouse in 1 887 before the building
Victoria Bridge .....
VIII. George Phillips ......
IX. The Haworth Challenge Oars
X. May Boat Bumping First Trinity I, 1905
XL Crew for the University Coxswainless Fours,
1919
XII. The May Boat Crew, 1920 ....
XIII. The Atchison Challenge Tankard
Frontispiece
Facing page 6
30
Charts from 1829 to 1922
49
76
121
130
132
145
182
224
,, 227
232
At end of Book
The History of
Christ's College Boat Club.
The Bumping Races at Cambridge began in 1827.
The course before 1835 was from Chesterton Sluice to
Fort St. George Sluice. The boats started immediately
above Chesterton Lock, which was opposite to the present
site of the Pike and Eel — an old stump about 20 yards below
the Grind still represents the probable position of the fall.
The starting posts were on the left bank between the Pike and
Eel and the Horse Grind. It is doubtful what was the
distance between the boats at the start. The Cam and
Cambridge Rowing (published 1887) says that the boats started
overlapping, but Sketches of the Rise and Progress of Rowing
at Cambridge (published 1852) says that the starting posts were
90 feet apart. A bump was not allowed until the crews had
passed the bumping post placed two hundred yards above the
Horse Grind. The finishing post was exactly where the
cutting for the First Trinity B.C. Grind is now. The locks
were removed in 1835.
1829.
It was not until 1829 that the Christ's boat first appeared
on the river. In that year Christ's and Magdalene put on a
combined boat for the last four nights of the May Races.
Fourth Night, May 19th. Christ's and Magdalene started
10th and bumped *St. John's II.
Fifth Night, May 22nd. Christ's and Magdalene started
7th (Peterhouse and Trinity Hall having taken
off) and were bumped by St. John's II.
Sixth Night, May 26th. Christ's and Magdalene bumped
St. John's II.
Seventh Night, May 29th. Christ's and Magdalene started
6th (one boat above having taken off) and rowed
over, finishing 6th.
There is no record of the crew.
* In 1832 or 1833 two clubs, Lady Margaret and Lady Somerset,
were established at St. John's College. In 1862 the latter was dissolved,
but ten years later a club called St. John's was formed in the college
and lasted till 1876. The division into First, Second, and Third Trinity
dates to 1831. Second Trinity was dissolved in 1876 but was revived
again for the May Races of 1894.
18S0.
Christ's was not represented on the river in the races of
1830.
1830—1831.
Michaelmas Term, 1830.
Unfortunately the earliest existing minute book is dated
November 2nd, 1835, so there is no official record of the
founding of the Club. But luckily the romantic story of its
origin has been preserved, and there is no reason to doubt
its authenticity. I owe the account to the late Rev. J. W.
Cartmell, Tutor of the College from 1873 to 191 1, and for
nearly forty years President of the Boat Club, who gave
it me in writing when I was preparing a short history of the
Club for the College Magazines of the Lent and Easter Terms
of 1899. " The story was told at the Christ's College dinner
held at the Albion Tavern, Aldersgate Street, on January 25th,
1876 — the Rev. A. H. Wratislaw in the chair — by the Rev.
James Hildyard, Rector of Ingoldsby, Lincolnshire, who
was Second Classic in 1833, and one of the Tutors of the
College from 1840 to 1846. As so many years have elapsed
since I heard the story my memory may probably be at
fault in some particulars, but in the main I think what he
told us about the boat was as follows : — ' When I came up
to the University, Christ's and Magdalene shared one boat
between them. Several of us thought this a very unsatis-
factory state of things, and were anxious to get a boat of
our own at the first opportunity. Well, one day I saw a notice
at the boathouse that a boat belonging to the St. John's
College was to be raffled for, tickets a sovereign each. Several
tickets had been taken, but there were about ten left, so I
made a bracket as they sometimes do in the Tripos (I wish
they didn't), and wrote opposite them, ' Hildyard, Christ's.'
When I got back to the College I told the men what I had
done, and they agreed to back me up : we chose a man to
draw for us who was supposed to be lucky in such things, —
his name was Blyth — he drew and won the boat, and we
rowed her to the *Head of the River.' The Blyth here
mentioned is the Rev. William Blyth, for many years Rector
* This latter statement is probably incorrect. The letter from
George Searle and Son to W. Blyth (see page 4) implies that the Club
had a new boat for the Mays of 1832. It is of course possible that the
crew of May 1833 rowed in the old boat.
of Fincham in Norfolk." One of his sons, and two of his
grandsons, have rowed in the First May Boat — E. H. Blyth
in 1864, E. W. Blyth in 1910, and A. C. Blyth in 1912.
It is impossible to determine exactly when this incident
took place, but it is probable that it was sometime in the
Michaelmas Term of 1830. There is a book presented by
the Hon. H. L. Pepys to the Club in the Michaelmas Term
of 1853 containing lists of Captains and Secretaries " of the
C.B.C. from its being established on the 29th November,
1830 to the present time." In it W. Blyth is recorded as
the first Captain, J. B. Travers as the first Secretary, and
L. S. Morris as the first Treasurer, the date of election being
given as November 29th, 1830.
Lent Term, 1831.
Second Night, March 2nd. Christ's started 8th and bumped
Caius.
Third Night, March 5th. Christ's bumped St. John's II.
Fourth Night, March 9th. Christ's bumped Peterhouse.
Fifth Night, March 12th. Christ's bumped Jesus and
finished 4th.
There is no record of the crew except that W. Blyth
was Captain.
May Term, 1831.
First Night, April 20th. Christ's started 4th and rowed over.
Second Night, April 23rd. Christ's rowed over.
Third Night, April 27th. Christ's rowed over.
Fourth Night, April 30th. Christ's rowed over.
Fifth Night, May 4th. Christ's was bumped by Emmanuel.
Sixth Night, May 7th. Christ's was bumped by Peterhouse.
Seventh Night, May nth. Christ's was bumped by Jesus.
Eighth Night, May 14th. Christ's was bumped by Caius.
Ninth Night, May 18th. Christ's was bumped by Clare
and finished 9th.
There is no record of the crew except that W. Blyth was
Captain.
4
1831—1832.
Lent Term, 1832.
First Night, March ioth. Christ's started gth and bumped
Clare.
Second Night, March 14th. Christ's was bumped by Clare.
Third Night, March 17th. Christ's bumped Clare.
Fourth Night, March 21st. Christ's rowed over.
Fifth Night, March 26th. Christ's was bumped by Clare.
Sixth Night, March 28th. Christ's was bumped by
St. Catharine's.
Seventh Night, March 31st. Christ's rowed over and finished
ioth.
There is no record of the crew except that W. Blyth was
Captain.
The following extracts from an old scrap-book belonging
to the late Canon Blyth are of great interest.
' ' We shall be happy to build you an 8-oared boat
with two setts of oars and everything complete (including
the conveying of it to Cambridge and to London when done
with) for Sixty Pounds.
Sir, Your most obt. servts.,
George Searle and Son.
Lambeth.
Feb. 29th, 1832.
W. Blyth, Esqre.,
Capt. Xt. Boat."
" Our boat was named the Lady Margaret, Countess of
Richmond, Foundress of the College, a.d. 1505."
May Term, 1832.
First Night, May 9th. Christ's started 9th (Emmanuel
having taken off) and bumped Caius.
Second Night, May 12th. Christ's rowed over.
Third Night, May 16th. Christ's rowed over.
Fourth Night, May 19th. Christ's bumped *" Second
St. John's (Corsair)." [C.U.B.C. Minute Book.]
*The exact date of the original division of St. John's into two
clubs is uncertain. In the old accounts, both in the C.U.B.C. Minute
Books and elsewhere, the names Second St. John's and Lady Somerset
are used to describe the same club. " Corsair" is the name of the boat.
Fifth Night, May 23rd. Christ's bumped St. Catharine's.
Christ's ' Cannibals,' as the non-representative boats
were then called (see page 18), started 12th and rowed
over.
Sixth Night, May 26th. Christ's I. rowed over and finished 6th.
Christ's II. bumped Second Trinity II., and finished nth.
There is no record of either of the crews, except that
W. Blyth was Captain of the First Boat. The Second Boat
does not appear again until 1840.
Possibly the first crew rowed in the boat mentioned
in the letter of February 29th, 1832, from George Searle and
Son to W. Blyth, and the second in the boat won in the
raffle in the Michaelmas Term of 1830.
1832—1833.
Lent Term, 1833.
First Night, March 2nd. Christ's started 6th and rowed over.
Second Night, March 7th. Christ's was bumped by Second
Trinity.
Third Night, March 9th. Christ's rowed over.
Fourth Night, March 13th. Christ's bumped Second Trinity.
Fifth Night, March 16th. Christ's bumped Jesus and
finished 5th.
There is no record of the crew except that W. Bates was
Captain.
May Term, 1833.
First Night, April 20th. Christ's started 5th and rowed
over.
Second Night, April 25th. Christ's rowed over.
Third Night, April 27th. Christ's bumped L.M.B.C.
Fourth Night, May 2nd. Christ's was bumped by L.M.B.C.
Fifth Night, May 4th. Christ's bumped L.M.B.C.
Sixth Night, May 8th. Christ's bumped Second Trinity.
Seventh Night, May nth. Christ's rowed over.
Eighth Night, May 15th. Christ's bumped First Trinity.
Ninth Night, May 18th. Christ's bumped Queens' and
finished Head of the River.
"Saturday, 18th May, 1833.
' Countess ' bumped Queens', thus leading off first on
the river, which will be my last pull.
Crew : —
1 E. C. Sharpe
2 W. Bates
3 G. H. Skelton
4 S. H. Sherard
5 S. Davis
6 A. T. Lynn
7 R. M. Taylor
8 W. Blyth
Steersman A. B. Haslewood."
(Extract from diary of the late Canon Blyth. The
initials are added from The Biographical Register of Christ's
College.) W. Bates was Captain.
A Memoir of the late Canon Blyth by the Right Rev.
F. H. Chase, the present Bishop of Ely, which was published
in the College Magazine of Michaelmas, 1886, says : "He
used to tell how in those days there were but eight men in
the college fit to row. On one night of the races one of the
eight knocked up, and the boat rowed safely over the course
with seven oars — a feat much talked of at the time. The
veteran used to criticise the modern style of rowing, saying
that the object now seemed to be to have the oars in the
water as short, and in the air as long, a time as possible,
the exact opposite of the old style." We have not been able
to discover when the incident of the seven oars took place.
The "old style" of spending as little time as possible in
coming forward was probably the most effective in the days
of very heavy in-rigged tub boats that would run but little
between the strokes. It is needless to suggest its effect on
a modern racing ship with long slides.
1833—1834.
Lent Term, 1834.
First Night, February 22nd. Christ's started Head of the
River and was bumped by Queens'.
Second Night, February 26th. Christ's rowed over.
Third Night, March 1st. Christ's rowed over.
(To face page 6)
CANON W. BLYTH
Fourth Night, March 5th. Christ's was bumped by First
Trinity.
Fifth Night, March 8th. Christ's was bumped by Second
Trinity and finished 4th.
There is no record of the crew except that S. H. Sherard
was Captain.
May Term, 1834.
First Night, April 19th. Christ's started 4th and was bumped
by Third Trinity.
Second Night, April 23rd. Christ's was bumped by Clare.
Third Night, April 26th. Christ's rowed over.
Fourth Night, April 30th. Christ's rowed over, and finished
6th.
There is no record of the crew except that S. H. Sherard
was Captain.
1834—1835.
Lent Term, 1835.
In 1835 the course was changed, and the finish was
approximately at the lower finish of the present Eights
course, i.e., at Morley's Holt. The first boat started well
on First Post Corner, if not actually in the Gut. The starting
posts were 130 feet apart.
First Night, March nth. Christ's started 6th and bumped
Clare, who made a false start.
Second Night, March 14th. Christ's was bumped by Clare.
Third Night, March 18th. Christ's, rowing with six oars,
was bumped by Magdalene.
Fourth Night, March 21st. Christ's was bumped by Caius.
Fifth Night, March 25th. Christ's was bumped by Trinity
Hall, finishing 9th.
There is no record of the crew except that S. H. Sherard
was Captain.
May Term, 1835.
The C.U.B.C. Minute Book says : " Seven races were
originally decided upon, but were afterwards reduced to six,
owing to the unsettled and stormy state of the weather."
First Night, May 6th. Christ's started 9th and was bumped
by Jesus.
8
Second Night, May 9th. Christ's was bumped by L.M.B.C.
Third Night, May 16th. Christ's was bumped by Corpus,
falling to 12th.
From the C.U.B.C. Minute Book: "The Christ's . . .
went off the river " before the fourth night, and so did not
race on the last three nights.
There is no record of the crew except that S. H. Sherard
was Captain.
1835—1836.
Michaelmas Term, 1835.
The Minute Books of the Club begin during this term,
and exist complete, except between November, 1849, an d
November, 1850 (see p. 33) down to the present day. The
earliest book is dated November 2nd, 1835, and opens with
the minutes of a meeting held on the following day. Unfor-
tunately the early books contain little beyond records of
the election of officers and members, the accounts of the debts
of the Club, votes of censure on its secretaries, and amend-
ments of rules and procedure. The officers usually consisted
of a Captain, a Lieutenant, a Steersman, and a Secretary
and Treasurer, the last two offices usually being combined.
At times there was a Chairman, but usually the Captain
took the Chair at meetings.
Lent Term, 1836.
R. N. Philipps was elected a member of the Club on
February 13th, 1836, and then elected Captain at the same
meeting.
First Night, February 27th. Christ's started 16th and
bumped First Trinity II.
Second Night, March 2nd. Christ's rowed over.
Third Night, March 5th. Christ's bumped L.M.B.C. II.
Fourth Night, March 9th. Christ's started 13th (one boat
above having taken off) and bumped Second Trinity II.,
and finished 12th.
There is no record of the crew except that R. N. Philipps
was Captain, and W. Bates Steersman.
May Term, 1836.
First Night, April 27th. Christ's started nth (Third Trinity
having taken off) and bumped Pembroke.
Second Night, April 30th. Christ's started 9th (Magdalene
having taken off) and rowed over.
Third Night, May 4th. Christ's rowed over.
Fourth Night, May 7th. Christ's rowed over.
Fifth Night, May nth. Christ's rowed over.
Sixth Night, May 14th. Christ's rowed over.
Seventh Night, May 18th. Christ's was bumped by
Emmanuel, finishing 10th.
There is no record of the crew except that R. N. Philipps
was Captain, R. Atkinson Lieutenant, and J. Francis Steers-
man.
The second University Boat Race was rowed this year.
It is said that Cambridge, who in the first race had rowed
in pink, found themselves embarking without any colours.
Two of their supporters, one of whom was R. N. Philipps,
ran off to the nearest draper's shop to buy some. R. N. Philipps
suggested " Eton blue for luck," and as Cambridge won they
have kept to light blue ever since. The story is told in
Boating, Badminton Library, p. 37.
1836—1837.
Lent Term, 1837.
First Night, February 22nd. Christ's started 10th and
rowed over.
Second Night, February 25th. Christ's was bumped by
First Trinity II.
Third Night, February 27th. Christ's was bumped by
L.M.B.C. II.
Fourth Night, March 3rd. Christ's was bumped by
Emmanuel, finishing 13th.
There is no record of the crew except that R. N. Philipps
was Captain.
10
In the early days of rowing the captain of a crew always
rowed stroke. At a meeting of the Club held on Saturday,
March 4th, 1837, it was proposed : " That the stroke of the
racing boat be open to election at the commencement of
each term, the captain retaining his former power and duties."
After some discussion it was decided that, owing to the small