Stockholm 1912 – London 2012: An Olympic Centenary, Part 1

1912 Olympic champions in the eights. L to R. Ewart Horsfall, Edgar Burgess, Angus Gillan, Alister Kirby, Stanley Garton, Leslie Wormald, Philip Fleming and Sidney ‘Cygnet’ Swann. Sitting Henry ‘Ben’ Wells.

It is with great pleasure that HTBS is posting a two-piece article by Victoria Fishburn (on the right), who is living in Berkshire, England. She has an MA in Biography and is writing the life of Daisy, the Countess of Warwick (who was mistress to Edward VII and became a reforming socialist). Fishburn’s grandfather was Leslie Wormald, Olympic gold medallist in the eights at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. As it is one hundred years since Wormald and the other oarsmen of Leander Club became Olympic champions in the eights, Fishburn and her friend, Georgie Woods, whose grandfather was Stanley Garton and rowed in the same boat as Wormald, decided to celebrate their grandfathers’ triumph. This is the story about the Leander eight, and how two ladies worked together to assemble one hundred and twenty-four descendants of the oarsmen in that eight. The celebration of their rowing ancestors was held yesterday, Sunday, 29 July.

When London won the competition to host the 2012 Olympics, two Berkshire women realised that it would be a fitting time to celebrate a family Olympic centenary. They had long known that their grandfathers had rowed together in 1912. It was now one hundred years ago Leslie Wormald and Stanley Garton won a gold medal for Great Britain rowing in an eight in the Stockholm Olympics. And the Olympic excitement of 2012 made some kind of centenary celebration a must. Their grandfathers, like the rest of the rowers who made up the eight, were amateurs: gilded young men of the Edwardian era who had gone to the best public schools: Eton, Winchester, Rugby and Edinburgh Academy. Similar types of British sportsmen were to run for their country in the 1924 Olympics, as famously portrayed in the re-released film Chariots of Fire.

The 1912 rowers had spent the preceding years gaining reputations as talented oarsmen rowing first for their schools and then their universities. One of them had rowed in the 1908 Olympics which were held in London, with the rowing taking place at Henley. Most of the 1912 eight had won both the University Boat Race and the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley in 1911. Apart from the Metropolitan rowing clubs, the university eights were the best around, so it was to Oxford and Cambridge that the Olympic committee went to choose the British eight for the Stockholm Olympics.

Harcourt ‘Tarka’ Gold (on the right) was the rowing coach for Magdalen College, Oxford, and had himself been a respected oarsman in his day, stroking the Oxford boat at four Boat Races in 1896-1899. He chose most of his eight from his own college, though he included one Cambridge man, Sydney Swann from Trinity Hall. Leather photograph albums are still in the collections of all the rowers’ families today. From these album pages good-looking young men look steadily back at you. Their public schools had taught them team spirit and the importance of doing your best whether you won or lost. In the eight of 1912 rowed Edgar Burgess in the bow and next to him Sydney Swann. Rowing at positions in the middle of the boat were Leslie Wormald, Ewart Horsfall, Angus Gillan, Stanley Garton and Alister Kirby. Philip Fleming, rowed stroke and another Magdalen man, Henry ‘Ben’ Wells, was the cox. They rowed under the name of the Leander Club. Its iconic status in the rowing world was reconfirmed in July 2012 as the five-time Olympic gold medallist Steve Redgrave rowed the 2012 Olympic torch up the Thames to land at Leander’s dock.

The British Leander eight was joined in Stockholm by a second eight from New College, Oxford, led by one of Oxford’s best strokes, R.C. Bourne (on the left). The other countries that sent eights were Australia, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Germany and Hungary. Germany and Sweden, like Britain, each fielded two eights but, even though the Australian eight had beaten Magdalen in the Grand final at Henley two weeks earlier, it was the British crews that proved to be the strongest. After exciting heats rowed over three days it was an all-British final on Friday 19 July between two old rivals: Magdalen/ Leander and New College. Henley’s traditions travelled with them: the banks of the bay Djurgårdsbrunnsviken in the central parts of Stockholm were named ‘Berks’ and ‘Bucks’. Magdalen chose the Berks bank and, in a fine race, won by about a length. The eight itself remains at the Riksidrottsmuseet, the national sport museum in Stockholm. The Leander Club of 1912 could not afford to bring it back to England.

The Olympic final in the eights: Leander has a comfortable lead over New College BC when there is only a couple of hundred metres to go to the finish.

New College felt aggrieved by what they saw as bad sportsmanship by Magdalen/Leander. Sportsmen have always tried to behave like gentlemen and, in 1912, New College argued that Magdalen did not. The saga is chronicled in the New College archives. The New College captain in Stockholm had won the toss to choose banks but, in a gentlemanly fashion, had offered the choice to Magdalen/Leander. Then, according to the archives, the decidedly ungentlemanly Magdalen/Leander crew went against convention and chose to row on the best bank. The bank they rejected had the disadvantage of a protruding bathhouse which had to be rowed around. New College were not able to pick up speed after this ‘blockage’. Archives at Magdalen that might have given another side to the story were destroyed in the 1940s and the controversy has lasted to this day. On 11 June, 2012, New College held a 100th Anniversary Match Race with two races against Magdalen. They each won one and lost one. Although, in a spirit of friendship, they invited Magdalen to celebrate afterwards. ‘God Damn Bloody Magdalen’ is still the toast at meetings of the New College Boat Club.

Victoria Fishburn’s article continues tomorrow!

'Row, My Son...'

Here is a photograph of one of the successful Leander eights Harcourt ‘Tarka’ Gold coached, the 1912 Olympic champions. From the stern: coxswain Henry Wells, stroke Philip Fleming, 7 Alister Graham Kirby, 6 Arthur Stanley Garton, 5 James Angus Gillan, 4 Ewart Douglas Horsfall, 3 Leslie Graham Wormald, 2 Sidney Ernest Swann, bow Edgar R. Burgess. In the final, Leander beat New College, Oxford, for the Olympic gold medal.

No. 6, Stanley Garton, is the famous ‘letter writer’ whom I have written about before. No. 2, Sidney Swann, is the only Cambridge man in the crew. Swann came from a rowing family. His father, Rev. Sydney Swann, rowed for Cambridge in the Boat Race in 1883-1885. According to Susan Saint Sing, in her The Wonder Crew (2008), when Sydney Swann Jr., entered Trinity Hall, he sent a letter to his father asking what he should do on his spare time, Swann Sr., sent him a telegram back with the short reply: “AT THE HALL, THEY ROW.” And so he did, becoming one of the greatest English oarsmen before the First World War.

'Gladder'? Maybe Charles Gladstone?

Malcolm Cook has sent me a new e-mail where he has done some more digging about the mysterious letter recipient ‘Gladder’. Malcolm’s deeper research has made him “wonder whether ‘Gladder’ is actually Charles Gladstone rather than Albert.”

Malcolm continues, “Stanley Garton mentions four oarsmen in his letter: Donald Crum, Lewis Clive and [Lord] Forrester of Christ Church and Maurice Waterhouse of Balliol. It could be just a coincidence, but all four of them went to Eton. Hence all four would have been coached by Charles Gladstone. If Stanley Garton was writing to Charles Gladstone, what would be more natural than to talk about oarsmen who Charles had been coaching at school only a year or two earlier? But I don't suppose we shall ever know for sure whether ‘Gladder’ was Albert or Charles.”

It is such a pity that I do not have the entire letter - a signature of the letter writer would really have solve this mystery!

Who Is 'Gladder'? Albert Gladstone!

Earlier today an e-mail arrived from Malcolm Cook of Quintin Boat Club, U.K. Malcolm has a very good guess whom “Gladder” might have been, the fellow who Stanley Garton wrote to on 4 November 1930 (see entries on 23, 24, and 25 February). Malcolm writes:

“Who is ‘Gladder’, to whom the letter is addressed? At Oxford University in the late 19th and early 20th centuries it was not uncommon for students to create nicknames by changing the last syllable of the surname to ‘er’. Various slang terms were created in the same way. This is the origin of words such as soccer (for Association football) and rugger (for Rugby football). So someone with the nickname ‘Gladder’ is likely to have had a surname starting ‘Glad’. The Christ Church eight that won the Grand at Henley in 1908 contained two brothers named Gladstone – Charles at stroke and Albert at 4. Both of them had been at Eton – like Stanley Garton – and so are plausible candidates for ‘Gladder’. Of the two Gladstones, Albert had the more distinguished rowing record, getting a blue for four years from 1906-1909 and winning a gold medal in eights at the 1908 Olympics. In later life he became Sir Albert Gladstone, fifth baronet. He died in 1967. His brother Charles (died 1968) became a housemaster at Eton and coached the Eton eight for some years.”

In this photograph of the famous ‘old crocks’, the 1908 Leander eight that took a gold medal for Great Britain at the Olympics in Henley, Albert Gladstone is in the bow seat.

Malcolm has also found another connection. He continues: “I have also discovered that Donald Crum was Albert Gladstone’s brother-in-law. In 1925 Albert had married Isla Crum, daughter of Sir Walter Crum (Oxford blue 1894-1897). Isla was Donald's sister.”

“In fact”, Malcolm goes on writing, “there may be another family relationship. Another of Sir Walter Crum’s daughters was Elizabeth, who in 1939 married John Garton (Oxford blue 1938 and 1939 and ultimately Chairman of Henley Royal Regatta). I presume John Garton was related to Stanley Garton, although I’m not sure about the nature of the relationship.”

I found this information thrilling, Malcolm. Many, many thanks!

Stanley Garton's Letter

I thought it might interest the readers of this blog to see both the front and the back of Stanley Garton's letter of 4 November 1930, which I wrote about the other day, and which Tim Koch in London so elegantly solved the mystery of. There might have been other sheets of this letter, especially as it is not signed, but I am only in the possession of this sheet. Either way - enjoy!

Stanley Garton: The Letter Writer

Of course, the brilliant Tim Koch (how else can I describe him?), rowing historian and rower at Auriol Kensington RC in London, has solved the mystery with the letter writer, whom I wrote about yesterday.

Tim writes in a message from this morning, that “The letter is from rower and coach, A. Stanley Garton, who has a nice Stockholm connection for you. Arthur Stanley Garton (31 March 1889 – 20 October 1948) was a British rower who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics [see photo]. He was born in Worcester Park and educated at Eton College where he was an outstanding member of the Eton crew and, later, the crew at Magdalen College, Oxford. He rowed in the winning Oxford boats in the Boat Race in 1909, 1910, and 1911. He was also in the Magdalen boat that won the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 1910 and 1911. He joined Leander Club and in 1912 he was a member of the Leander eight which won the gold medal for Great Britain rowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics.”

Tim continues to write that “Garton won the Grand for the third time in 1913, in the colours of Leander. He coached the Oxford eight in 1925 and 1930. Garton's daughter, Jean, married Sir Edward Imbert-Terry, 3rd Baronet and after his death, Lionel Sackville-West, 6th Baron Sackville. Garton's youngest daughter, Helen, married Thomas Gervers, grandson of the infamous Lord Kitchener, while Garton's older daughter, Rosalind, married the famous Dickie Burnell, in 1940. Burnell took a gold medal in the doubles in the 1948 Olympic rowing in Henley. Rosalind’s and Dickie’s son, Peter Burnell, rowed for Oxford in 1962.”

In an old extract from The Times it shows that Garton lived at Wood Lodge, Burgh Heath from (at least) 1920 until 1939, Tim says in his message. Tim has even found an old race report of the coxless fours on 30 October 1930 in The Times, which should be the race Garton mentions in his letter, “I saw him [Donald Crum] race against Balliol last Thursday”.

“I think that the word you cannot read is ‘Fours’ – ‘I have been watching him rather carefully in ‘Fours’”, Tim writes. He goes on saying, “Who was the letter to? I can only speculate. The Oxford President, until January 1931, was D.E. Tinne, perhaps it was him? His successor was P.C. Mallam, another possible contender.”

Many, many thanks to Tim for cracking this case. And doing so, I feel that Tim and I have added a foot note to the rich history of rowing!

Oxford Rowing In The 1930s

In an old rowing pamphlet I bought a couple of years ago, I found an old letter (or the first page of a letter; as it is not signed there might have been more pages) from 4 November 1930. Although, I can make out most of what it says, the handwriting makes it hard to read some names and words. Maybe there is someone out there that might be able to help me to identify the writer of the letter and the recipient?

The writer of the letter is using a sheet with a printed letter-head: “Wood Lodge, Burgh Heath, Tadworth, Surrey.” The writer, who seems to be a coach, maybe for Christ Church College, or the Oxford coach, is addressing the letter to: “My dear Gladder[?]” It goes on by saying: “What do you think about young [Donald Erskine-] Crum? I have been watching him rather carefully in [unreadable] and saw him race against Balliol last Thursday, when they got beaten.”

Donald Erskine-Crum, Eton & Christ Church College, rowed in three losing Oxford boats in the Boat Race in 1931, 1932, and 1933. Lewis Clive, Eton & Christ Church College, is also mentioned, sitting in this boat. Clive rowed in the losing Oxford boat at the Boat Race in 1930 and 1931, but won the Silver Goblets at Henley in 1931 and 1932, both years with ‘Jumbo’ Edwards. Later in 1932, they became Olympic champions in the coxless pair at the Los Angles’ Games (rowing being held at Long Beach).

About Clive, the writer states: “Lewis Clive was heaving himself about like a landslide (which didn’t give Crum a chance), & Forester [?] at ‘2’ was following Lewis in his antics!”

Now, is there anyone who can enlighten me or give me a qualified guess, whom the letter writer and the recipient, Gladder [?] might have been? Thank you in advance!

Below, you will find a newsreel from 1931 from British Pathé showing Oxford training on the Thames at Henley. According to official results from the Boat Race that year, Lewis Clive rowed at No. 6 and Donald Crum in seat No. 7. A blurred photograph in a book is showing Lewis Clive at the Olympic rowing in 1932, that might match the oarsman in 6-seat in the newsreel…

"IT'S NO WALK OVER FOR THE LIGHT BLUES THIS YEAR!"