with those for which modern champion, and some less im- portant matches, are rowed!
‘Lyons House’ seems to have been a sort of resort for amateurs, Cole, who steered the waterman’s four (supra) v. the randan, is described as the waterman of those rooms.
On July 8, same year, a Mr. Kemp, of the 3rd Dragoon Guards, matches himself for a large stake to ‘ row his own boat’ from Hampton Court to Westminster and back in nine hours. Time is favourite, but Mr. Kemp wins by 27 minutes, having met the tide for several miles of his voyage. Such are a few samples of the current style of aquatic sports between 1830 and 1840.
The ’Wingfield Sculls’ were founded in 1830, given by the donor, whose name they bear, to he held as a challenge prize by the best sculler of the day from Westminster to Putney, against all comers, on the ‘4th of August for ever ’—so a silver plate in the lid of the old box which holds the silver sculls bears testimony. Since its foundation the prize has been more than once placed on a different footing. Parliaments of old champions and competitors for the prize have been summoned, and the original donor gave assent to the changes of course and régime. Lists of winners and competitors from year to year, with notes as to the course rowed, will be found in ‘Tables’ later on. The race has from its earliest years been described by amateurs as equivalent of ‘amateur championship.’ A panoply of silver plates has grown up in and around the box which holds the trophy, and on these plates is recorded the name of each winner from year to year. About a quarter of a century ago a ‘champion badge’ was instituted. It consists of a small edition of the Diamond Sculls (Henley) challenge prize; as to shape, it is a pair of silver sculls crossed with an enamel wreath and mounted on a ribbon like a ‘decoration’ or ‘order.’ There is a ‘clasp’ for the year of winning, A second win only adds afresh clasp with date, but no second badge. The secretary of the ‘order’ is Mr. E. D, Brickwood, himself winner of the title in 1861.
