A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



increasing its membership and improving in the 

 art of rowing. Crews were entered at Lincoln 

 Regatta in 1875, and the Lindum Plate for fours 

 and the Ladies' Plate for pairs were won. New 

 boats were purchased, and in 1876 the first boat- 

 house was built. In addition to club races an 

 open regatta was held, and a crew who competed 

 in the fours at Gainsborough brought home the 

 cup. At Derby Regatta in 1877 two of the 

 members, Derry and Undy, won the Harrington 

 Plate. At this period the Newark Regatta was 

 annually attracting some of the best crews in 

 the Midlands, but in 1880 it was decided to 

 restrict the event to the club with the object of 

 encouraging members in rowing. By 1 88 1 the 

 membership had largely increased, and not only 

 was an addition made to the fleet of boats, but a 

 new and well-appointed boat-house was built. 

 The year 1882 witnessed a further accession of 

 members, and the usual races were supplemented 

 by a four-oared race between officers of the Sher- 

 wood Foresters stationed at Newark, and a crew 

 selected by the captain, Mr. H. A. Marsh, the 

 latter winning by three-quarters of a length after 

 a severe struggle. In 1 883 the annual regatta was 

 once more thrown open. In 1885 the fixture was 

 a conspicuous success, and the attractions included 

 A water tournament and open swimming race. 

 There was a record entry at the 1888 regatta, 

 crews from York, Burton Leander, Lincoln, 

 Mersey, Leicester, Nottingham Rowing Club, 

 Nottingham Britannia, and Derwent attending. 

 The Clinton Challenge Cup, presented by 

 Mr. A. Jollands for yearly competition, attracted 

 six entries at the 1890 regatta, and was won by 

 H. Pinkscrew. This coveted trophy and the 

 accompanying gold medal have furnished many 

 keen contests since then. The vexed question 

 of amateurism at this time assumed an acute 

 phase, and after a conference attended by the 

 captain, Mr. G. S. Wright, and the honorary 

 treasurer, Mr. J. Pawson, the club became 

 affiliated to the National Amateur Rowing Asso- 

 ciation. In 1892 Alderman Earp, the president, 

 gave prizes for pair-oared races, which brought 

 out the best men in the club. The regatta, 

 which had lapsed for three years, was revived in 

 1894. Mr. Marsh made a donation of twenty 



guineas to the club, and two years later the 

 committee purchased a silver challenge cup, 

 which is now annually rowed for. In 1897 

 Mr. J. Pawson resigned the honorary treasurer- 

 ship, which he had held for twenty-one years, 

 and was elected vice-president and presented 

 with a purse of gold and an address. The out- 

 standing event in 1903 was the success of a 

 crew composed of Staniland, Richmond, Powell, 

 and Derry, who won the Toddington Vase 

 at Tewkesbury Regatta, and also competed at 

 Evesham, Worcester, Stourport, and Nottingham, 

 capturing prizes to the value of 104. G. D. 

 Lidgett won the sculling race at Matlock in 

 1904, and another member, G. Clark, the swim- 

 ming race. In the following year Derry and 

 Powell were responsible for a fine achievement 

 in winning the Ladies' Plate at Evesham, where 

 they were opposed by the most accomplished 

 oarsmen in the Midlands, and at Derby they 

 secured the Town Plate for open pairs. 



The club continues to prosper. This year 

 another cup, styled the Trent Challenge Cup, 

 for pair-oared gig races, has been purchased from 

 the Marsh fund, and the club now possesses 

 property to the value of over 1,500. Mr. 

 J. R. Starkey, M.P., follows a long line of 

 notable men in the presidential chair, including 

 Alderman Earp, the late Mr. R. J. Beard, 

 Mr. B. T. Pratt, Mr. G. Tallents, Mr. F. B. 

 Footitt, Dr. Hallowes, Mr. H. A. Marsh, and 

 Councillor Stennett, while the names of other 

 prominent members, past and present, are H. and 

 F. Hutchinson, E. Hutchinson, R. E. Hindley, 

 J. Kelway, E. Wignell, J. E. Easterfield, 



F. Spellin, R. Ridge, J. D. Axanio, 

 D. Hooks, J. Roberts, G. Undy, J. Hooke, 



G. Wright, M. Wilkinson, T. Walker, F. A. 

 Smith, j. Whyte, J. Glover, H. Weaver, W. H. 

 Clarke, G. H. White, G. Walker, G. Gale, 

 F. Richmond, H. Cox, and E. E. Conolly (the 

 honorary secretary). 



Mention may be made, in conclusion, of the 

 Trent Sailing Club, which was brought into ex- 

 istence by Messrs. A. Flersateim, E. T. Morris, 

 F. W. Fox, A. Black, H. Brown, and G. Cowen, 

 who in the early eighties possessed the first 

 houseboat on the Trent. 



SWIMMING 



Each succeeding year witnesses increased de- 

 velopment and progress in regard to swimming 

 in Nottinghamshire. In the county town the cor- 

 poration have provided commodious and well- 

 appointed swimming and private baths, while the 

 education authority has for many years given 

 the greatest encouragement and support to the 

 work of instructing children in the art of swim- 

 ming and life-saving; since 1895 the subject has 



been compulsory in the curriculum of the schools. 

 In 1891 was founded the Nottingham School 

 Board Swimming Association, the title of which has 

 since been changed to the City of Nottingham 

 Education Committee School Swimming Associa- 

 tion. This organization is affiliated to the Mid- 

 land Counties Amateur Swimming Association 

 and the Royal Life-Saving Society. A number 

 of handsome trophies are offered for competition 



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