Boating

by Walter Bradford Woodgate

OFF THE BROCAS.

The Thames at Eton has changed somewhat from what it was in the ‘old times.’ Boveney and Bray Locks were made in 1839, and before that the river was much more rapid, and there was no sandbank at Lower Hope. At the weir below Windsor Bridge the fall of water was not so great as it is now, and many a boy used to amuse himself in the dangerous adventure of shooting the weir in a skiff or funny.

Although boating was formally recognised by the masters in 1840, it is a fact that the first race honoured by the presence of a headmaster was the Sculling Sweepstakes in 1847, when Dr. Hawtrey was rowed in a boat to see the racing by two undermasters, the Rev. H. Dupuis and Mr. Evans.

From time immemorial there was a ten-oar and several eight and six-oared boats, with regular crews, captains and steerers. In the early state of things a waterman always rowed stroke and drilled or coached the crew, and this practice was continued with some of the eights till 1828, and after that the captain of each crew rowed the stroke oar. The crews had to subscribe for the waterman’s pay, his beer, and clothes. The best remembered watermen were Jack Hall, ‘Paddle’ Brads, Piper, Jack Haverley, Tom Cannon and Fish. There were upper boats manned by sixth and fifth form boys, and lower boats originally with six oars for lower boys. A lower boy could not get into the upper boats however well he might row. From more recent times no lower boy can get into the ‘boats’ at all, but must content himself with his own lock-up skiff, gig, or outrigger. We should explain here that a lock-up means a boat which a boy, for himself or jointly with a friend, hires for the summer half and keeps exclusively. The boat-builders also allow other boats (not lock-ups) to be used indiscriminately on payment of a less sum, which are called ‘chance boats.’ Boys in the ‘boats’ generally also have a lock-up or outrigger of their own, or jointly with others.

The ten-oar was always called the ‘Monarch,’ and is the head boat in all processions. The captain of the boats rows stroke of the ‘Monarch,’ and until 1830 the second captain rowed nine. After that date the second captain became captain of the second boat. The boats themselves bore certain names. In the early lists (none exist earlier than 1824) the ‘Britannia’ was the second boat, and in that year there were five upper boats, ‘Hibernia,’ ‘Etonian,’ and ‘Nelson’ being the other three. And the lower boats with six oars were the ‘Defiance,’ ‘Rivals,’ and ‘Victory.’ The following year there were only three upper boats, which has remained the custom till this day, except in 1832, when there was a fourth upper boat called the ‘Adelaide.’ The ‘Victory’ has always been the second boat since 1834. And the favourite names of other boats whose places have changed in different years are the ‘Rivals,’ ‘Prince of Wales,’ ‘Trafalgar,’ ‘Prince George,’ ‘Thetis,’ and ‘Dreadnought.’ There has never been any difficulty in getting crews for the one ten-oar and seven eight-oared boats, and in fact the names put down usually have exceeded the number of vacancies. In 1869 an additional boat was put on in consequence of the collegers being allowed to join, and in 1877 the ‘Alexandra’ was added to the list owing to the increased number of entries. Before 1869 the collegers had fours and sometimes an eight to themselves, but did not join the procession of the boats; and as they did not belong to the oppidan ‘boats’ they could not row in the eight of the school.[14] But they rowed some successful matches against University men on several occasions. There was never any racing between collegers and oppidans, and the collegers could only race between themselves. Before 1840 they kept their boats at a wharf by the playing fields and had a bathing place there. They used to row down to Datchet and Bells of Ouseley, but from that time were forbidden to go below bridge and were put on the same recognised footing as oppidans.

[14] In 1864, however, Marsden, a colleger, rowed in the eight, though collegers were still excluded from the boats.

As soon as the boys return to school after the Christmas holidays a large card is placed at Saunders’ shop, on which those fifth and sixth form who wish to join and are not then in the boats inscribe their names. There is some excitement for a time while the captain of the boats appoints the captain to each boat, which he does usually in the order of ‘choices’ (a term which is explained hereafter) of the previous year; but sometimes it is thought best to put a high ‘choice’ or two in the ‘Victory’ and appoint as captain of some of the lower boats some good fellow who is not likely to get into the eight of the school, in order that when the eight is practising these boats should have the advantage of their captains to take them out. The captain of the lower boats ranks higher than the captain of the third upper boat. The crew of the ‘Monarch’ (ten-oar) is then selected by the captain of the boats, and he places a high choice as ‘nine,’ that position being considered about the fifth highest place. His crew is chosen not of the best oars, for they are always placed in the ‘Victory’ or second boat, but usually of boys high up in the school, and sometimes a good cricketer or two gets a place in the Easter half and leaves it afterwards. The captain of the cricket eleven is almost always formally asked to take an oar in the ten. The second captain then makes up his crew, then the captain of the third upper, and so on. Each captain has to submit his list to the captain of the boats, who advises him on his selection. The steerers are chosen in the same order, and the best steerer (who is also to have the honour of steering the eight of the school) always steers the ten. The crews are always selected on what is known of their merits as good oars, and there is never any preference given to favouritism or rank. When the lists are all made out they are printed and published in the ‘Boating Calendar.’

Boating begins on March 1 ‘after twelve,’ unless the weather is excessively bad, or the river unusually high, when it has to be stopped for a few days. It ends practically at the summer holidays. The half from after the summer holidays till Christmas is devoted to football and fives. Before the Easter holidays the long boats only are allowed, but towards the end of that half some fours are allowed by special permission of the river master. We remember a four going out in this half without permission and an attempt being made to row up to Maidenhead when lock-up was at 6.30, but it was swamped in Bray Lock and the crew had to walk or run home; on their way they met the river master, and he gave them all 200 lines to write out, though the day being very cold he might have thought them sufficiently punished by the ducking they had got.

The first day opens with a procession of all the boats to Surly Hall; each crew dressed in flannel shirt and straw hats of different colours, and the name of the boat on the hatband. The last boat starts first, then the others in inverse order to their places, and after rowing a short way they ‘easy all’ and await the ten-oar, which pursues an uninterrupted course to Boveney Lock, followed by the others in their proper order. All go into the lock together, and then on to Surly Hall, where they land, play games, and perhaps drink a glass of beer. ‘Oars’ are called by the captain after about twenty minutes or half an hour, and all go back in the same processional order. Before locks were built there was always a sort of race from Rushes to Surly, each boat trying to catch and bump the one before it, and the fun was to try and get the rudders off and have a regular jostle. After 12 there is not time to get further than Surly, but on a half-holiday after 4 several of the boats get to Monkey Island, and occasionally when lock-up was at 6.30 there was time for an eight to row to Maidenhead. The distance from Windsor Bridge to Rushes is 1 mile 6 furlongs, to Boveney Lock 2 miles 1³⁄₄ furlong, to Surly (about) 3 miles, to Monkey 4 miles 3 furlongs, to Bray Lock 5 miles, to Maidenhead 6 miles.