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William (Bill) East | |
---|---|
Born | 1866 London |
Died | ? |
Title | Professional Sculling Champion of England |
Term | 1891–? |
Predecessor | Henry Ernest Searle |
Successor | G Bubear |
William Giles East (1866 in England – ?), is most known for his sculling career.
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to the west and Scotland to the north-northwest. The Irish Sea lies west of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.
Sculling is the use of oars to propel a boat by moving the oars through the water on both sides of the craft, or moving a single oar over the stern. By extension, the oars themselves are often referred to as sculls when used in this manner, and the boat itself may be referred to as a scull.
Legend says that he was born in his father’s boathouse at Putney, but he was actually born close to Lambert Pier in London. He spent his whole life on or by the Thames, and became a waterman's apprentice in 1882, which was the year he won the Putney Badge. In 1887, Bill won the Doggett's Coat and Badge Race, and in 1891, he won the English Sculling Championship. However he never defended this title. Seven years later, in 1898, he was appointed a waterman to the Queen. He retired from professional sculling about 1903/04. In June 1906, he became the King's Bargemaster. He also stroked in the winning Champion Fours in the National Regattas of 1890 and 1891, and also won the Champion Pairs.
Doggett's Coat and Badge is the prize and name for the oldest rowing race in the world. Up to six apprentice watermen of the River Thames in England compete for this prestigious honour, which has been held every year since 1715. The 4 miles 5 furlongs race is held on the Thames between London Bridge and Cadogan Pier, Chelsea, passing under a total of eleven bridges en route. Originally, it was raced every 1 August against the outgoing tide, in the boats used by watermen to ferry passengers across the Thames. Today it is raced at a date and time in late July that coincides with the incoming tide, in contemporary single sculling boats.
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.
Bill seems to have been a very popular person on the Thames and was early on connected to Cambridge University Boat Club, to train and coach the crews. In 1904, he published the ‘how-to’ book Rowing and Sculling.
Bill East coached Trinity Hall’s famous rower and sculler, the American Benjamin Hunting Howell to victories in the Wingfield Sculls in 1898 and 1899; the same years Howell also won the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley-on-Thames.
Benjamin Hunting Howell was an American rower who won the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta and the Wingfield Sculls in 1898 and 1899.
The Wingfield Sculls is a rowing race held annually on the River Thames in London, England, on the 4 1⁄4 miles (6.8 km) Championship Course from Putney to Mortlake.
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. First run in 1844, it is open to male scullers from all eligible rowing clubs.
Like many other champion scullers he later in life became a publican. He ran the Prince’s Head hotel and then the Pigeon Hotel at Richmond. [1]
Bill East died in January 1933.
Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world, and the oldest non-academic club. It is based in Remenham in Berkshire, England and adjoins Henley-on-Thames. Only three other surviving clubs were founded prior to Leander: Brasenose College Boat Club and Jesus College Boat Club and Westminster School Boat Club, founded in 1813.
Edward "Ned" Hanlan was a professional sculler, hotelier, and alderman from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Thames Rowing Club is the joint third-oldest non-academic rowing club on the Thames and is in Putney, London. It was founded in 1860, the same year as Twickenham Rowing Club.
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.
Harry Kelley (1832–1914) was a famous professional oarsman on the Thames. He became the Tyne, Thames, English and World Sculling Champion, a title he won four times.
Henry Thomas "Harry" Blackstaffe was a British rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.
Robert Chambers was a famous Tyneside professional oarsman. He became the Tyne, Thames, English and World Sculling Champion.
Tideway Scullers School is a rowing club on the Tideway of the River Thames next to Chiswick Bridge in Chiswick, London.
The World Sculling Championship (1863–1957), evolved from the Championship of the Thames for professional scullers.
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.
Robert Coombes, celebrated professional oarsman and Champion Sculler, was born at Vauxhall, Surrey.
For the Canadian Footballer and Commissioner, see Jake Gaudaur.
Kenneth Victor Dwan is a former British rower who competed in the Olympic Games in 1968 and 1972 and won the Wingfield Sculls six times.
Tom Cole was the Professional Single Sculls World Champion from 1852 to 1854. He resided in Chelsea. At the time, he became the Champion of the Thames which was effectively the Champion of England. After the English title gained the world status in 1876, earlier winners were retrospectively given the World Champion Title.
Thomas Sullivan was a New Zealand amateur rowing and sculling champion who later turned professional and challenged for the World Sculling Championship title. He later became a rowing coach.
Elias Connell Laycock was an Australian competitive rower who three times tried to become the World Sculling Champion.
Michael Rush was an Irish Australian sculler noted for his one-on-one competitions against champion opponents, which drew vast crowds of spectators. He attempted to win the World Sculling Championship.
Charles 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. Like many of the professional English scullers, he had won the Doggett's Coat and Badge, but at 5 ft 5 ½ in and 9 st 5 lb he was not regarded as one of the heavy men. He made a name for himself in 1883, when he, at 16 years old, won the Chelsea Coat and Badge, and a year later, the Putney Coat and Badge. He was reported in the mid-1890s that “he pulls a beautiful even stroke, gets well over his sculls, while his leg-work is greatly admired.”
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