A Silvester Family Affair

The photograph is showing (from left to right) Henry Thomas Silvester, Doggett’s winner in 1932, in the middle is Henry Thomas’s younger brother William Fredrick Silvester, Doggett winner in 1937 (photograph taken in August 1937 owing to his victory), and their father, Henry Silvester, Doggett winner in 1905.

It seems I was wrong in my entry yesterday, when I thought, or that is, the source I had, proved to be wrong regarding the Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race winner of 1932. True is that all three gentlemen are Silvesters.

The always alert Tim Koch writes,

“A copy of the picture that you recently posted [HTBS 11 October] of the Silvester family Doggett’s winners hangs in the Auriol Kensington Rowing Club bar (because of the Hammersmith connection). I think that you may be wrong when you say that the gentleman in the middle is HT Silvester, winner in 1932. I think it is WF Silvester, winner in 1937. HT is on the left and Henry (winner 1905) is, as you say, on the right. The Times report of the 1937 race also claims that WF’s grandfather won. If this is true, he was not a Silvester, but perhaps was a relative from the female line.”

Above I have reposted the photograph with, what I hope, is the correct information about the two Silvester brothers and their father. On another note Tim continues on my thoughts about the Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race connections with brothers, fathers, uncles, etc. He writes,

“My HTBS report of 10th july 2010 pictures two of the Dwan brothers, Nicholas and Robert. The Dwans have the most living Doggett’s winners in one family. The boys’ father, Ken, won in 1971 and their uncle, John, won in 1979. A cousin will race in 2011. Ken Dwan was Britain’s best single sculler in the late 1960s and early 1970s.”

Thank you Tim for correcting my errors!