The Wingfield Sculls is a rowing race held annually on the River Thames in London, England, on the 4+14 miles (6.8 km) Championship Course from Putney to Mortlake.

Wingfield Sculls
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)Championship Course, River Thames in London, England
Years active1830–present
Inaugurated10 August 1830
Previous event25 October 2018
Next eventtbd 2019
Websitehttp://www.wingfieldsculls.com/

The race is between single scullers and is usually on the Saturday three to four weeks before the Scullers Head of the River Race which is the same race in reverse, attracts more international entries and is held in November every year. Due to tide changes on the Tideway, the race may therefore be in October or in November.

History

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The race was founded on 10 August 1830, at the instigation of barrister Henry Colsell Wingfield. The idea for the race was suggested at a dinner after a sculling race and following this a subscription dinner was held at the Swan in Battersea, where money was raised to fund the event, the rules were decided and a date was set.[1]

The initial conditions were that the race should be run on the half tide from Westminster to Putney against all challengers, annually on 10 August forever (10 August being Wingfield's birthday), though the first race actually went from the Red House, Battersea to Hammersmith.[1]

The Wingfield Sculls, the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta and the London Cup in the Metropolitan Regatta made up the "Triple Crown" of the three premier men's amateur single sculling events in the United Kingdom.[1]

Following the first Wingfield Sculls race, a separate Championship of the Thames for professional scullers was held for the first time in October 1831, which ceased in 1957 due to a decline in prize purses from betting in the sport and on the merger of the 'amateur' and 'professional'/'manual trade' former class-based categories of rowers.

Henry Wingfield

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Henry Colsell Wingfield, born 1805, an Old Westminster, married Jane Nicholls in Margate, Kent in 1828. Henry Wingfield ("the First" of 3 Henrys) was the grandson of a rich hatter (felt hats), the son of an attorney and was raised at St James's Parish, Westminster.

He and Jane lived at 37 Great Marlborough Street near Oxford Circus — now rebuilt as a Coffee Republic and O'Neill's Irish Bar. They had two children. In 1842 Jane divorced Henry for adultery. Henry stayed long enough to bury his beloved daughter Emma 10 months later, in a new grand family grave at Kensal Green, Kensington and then emigrated to Prince Edward County — now part of Canada — which juts into Lake Ontario.

He farmed near Picton near South Marysburgh for 20 years, sometimes visiting England. In 1861, Henry Wingfield sold his farm and — wishing to spend his last days in England, embarked for Liverpool. At noon on 4 June 1861, 4 miles off the north point of Newfoundland in fog, his ship, the SS Canadian, struck an iceberg and the Wingfield Sculls founder and about 30 others of the passengers and crew of 300 succumbed to the cold and waves of the Atlantic Ocean.[2]

Results

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Date Winner Club Time Course
1830 J. H. Bayford Trinity Hall, Cambridge NTT Battersea to Hammersmith
1831 C. Lewis London NTT Westminster to Putney
1832 A. A. Julius Leander Club NTT Westminster to Putney
1833 C. Lewis London NTT Westminster to Putney
1834 A. A. Julius Leander Club NTT Westminster to Putney
1835 A. A. Julius Leander Club NTT Westminster to Putney
1836 H.Wood London NTT Westminster to Putney
1837 P. Colquhoun St John's College, Cambridge 38.30 Westminster to Putney
1838 H.Wood Leander Club NTT Westminster to Putney
1839 H. Chapman Crescent Club, London NTT Westminster to Putney
1840 T.L.Jenkins Leander Club Row Over Westminster to Putney
1841 T.L.Jenkins Leander Club NTT Westminster to Putney
1842 H. Chapman Crescent Club, London NTT Westminster to Putney
1843 H. Chapman Crescent Club, London NTT Westminster to Putney
1844 T.B.Bumpsted Scullers' Club, London NTT Westminster to Putney
1845 H. Chapman Crescent Club, London NTT Westminster to Putney
1846 W.Russell NTT Westminster to Putney
1847 J. R. L. Walmisley Thames Club NTT Westminster to Putney
1848 J. R. L. Walmisley Thames Club Row Over Westminster to Putney
1849 F. Playford Thames Club NTT Putney to Kew
1850 T. R. Bone Meteor Club Row Over Putney to Kew
1851 T. R. Bone Thames Club Row Over Putney to Kew
1852 E G Peacock Thames Club Row Over Putney to Kew
1853 J. Paine Argonaut Club NTT Putney to Kew
1854 H. H. Playford Wandle Club, London Row Over Putney to Kew
1855 A. A. Casamajor Wandle Club, London NTT Putney to Kew
1856 A. A. Casamajor Argonaut Club Row Over Putney to Kew
1857 A. A. Casamajor London Rowing Club Row Over Putney to Kew
1858 A. A. Casamajor London Rowing Club Row Over Putney to Kew
1859 A. A. Casamajor London Rowing Club Row Over Putney to Kew
1860 A. A. Casamajor London Rowing Club Row Over Putney to Kew
1861 E. D. Brickwood London Rowing Club 29.52 Putney to Mortlake
1862 W. B. Woodgate Brasenose College, Oxford 27.00 Putney to Mortlake
1863 J. E. Parker University College, Oxford Row Over Putney to Mortlake
1864 W. B. Woodgate Brasenose College, Oxford 25.22 Putney to Mortlake
1865 C. B. Lawes Third Trinity, Cambridge 27.04 Putney to Mortlake
1866 E. B. Michell Magdalen College, Oxford 27.36 Putney to Mortlake
1867 W. B. Woodgate Oxford Radleian Club Row Over Putney to Mortlake
1868 W. Stout London Rowing Club 26.40 Putney to Mortlake
1869 A. de L. Long London Rowing Club Row Over Putney to Mortlake
1870 A. de L. Long London Rowing Club 27.16 Putney to Mortlake
1871 W. Fawcus Tynemouth Rowing Club 26.13 Putney to Mortlake
1872 C. C. Knollys Magdalen College, Oxford 27.15 Putney to Mortlake
1873 A. C. Dicker Lady Margaret BC, Cambridge 24.40 Putney to Mortlake
1874 A. C. Dicker Lady Margaret BC, Cambridge 25.45 Putney to Mortlake
1875 F. L. Playford London Rowing Club 27.08 Putney to Mortlake
1876 F. L. Playford London Rowing Club 24.46 Putney to Mortlake
1877 F. L. Playford London Rowing Club 26.03 Putney to Mortlake
1878 F. L. Playford London Rowing Club 24.41 Putney to Mortlake
1879 F. L. Playford London Rowing Club 24.13 Putney to Mortlake
1880 A. Payne Molesey Boat Club 25.50 Putney to Mortlake
1881 J. Lowndes Derby School 25.13 Putney to Mortlake
1882 A. Payne Molesey Boat Club 27.40 Putney to Mortlake
1883 J. Lowndes Twickenham Rowing Club Row Over Putney to Mortlake
1884 W. S. Unwin Magdalen College, Oxford 24.12 Putney to Mortlake
1885 W. S. Unwin Magdalen College, Oxford ? Putney to Mortlake
1886 F.I.Pitman Third Trinity, Cambridge 24.12 Putney to Mortlake
1887 G. Nickalls Magdalen College, Oxford 25.23 Putney to Mortlake
1888 G. Nickalls Magdalen College, Oxford 23.36 Putney to Mortlake
1889 G. Nickalls Magdalen College, Oxford Row Over Putney to Mortlake
1890 J. C. Gardner Cambridge University BC 26.20 Putney to Mortlake
1891 G. Nickalls Leander Club Row Over Putney to Mortlake
1892 V. Nickalls Magdalen College, Oxford 23.40 Putney to Mortlake
1893 G. E. B. Kennedy Kingston Rowing Club 24.56 Putney to Mortlake
1894 V. Nickalls Magdalen College, Oxford 27.30 Putney to Mortlake
1895 V. Nickalls London Rowing Club 25.06 Putney to Mortlake
1896 R. Guinness Leander Club 24.10 Putney to Mortlake
1897 H. T. Blackstaffe Vesta RC 23.58 Putney to Mortlake
1898 B. H. Howell Trinity Hall, Cambridge 22.56 Putney to Mortlake
1899 B. H. Howell Thames Rowing Club 23.07 Putney to Mortlake
1900 C. V. Fox Guards Brigade RC 22.54 Putney to Mortlake
1901 H. T. Blackstaffe Vesta RC 24.16 Putney to Mortlake
1902 A. H. Cloutte London Rowing Club 24.32 Putney to Mortlake
1903 F. S. Kelly Leander Club 23.32 Putney to Mortlake
1904 St.G.Ashe London Rowing Club 23.25 Putney to Mortlake
1905 H. T. Blackstaffe Vesta RC 25.17 Putney to Mortlake
1906 H. T. Blackstaffe Vesta RC 23.10 Putney to Mortlake
1907 J. de G.Edye Auriol RC 23.51 Putney to Mortlake
1908 H. T. Blackstaffe Vesta RC 24.48 Putney to Mortlake
1909 A. A. Stuart Kingston Rowing Club 26.06 Putney to Mortlake
1910 W.D. Kinnear Kensington RC 23.12 Putney to Mortlake
1911 W.D. Kinnear Kensington RC Row Over Putney to Mortlake
1912 W.D. Kinnear Kensington RC 23.51 Putney to Mortlake
1913 C. W. Wise London Rowing Club 24.12 Putney to Mortlake
1914 J.L.Tann Thames Rowing Club 23.39 Putney to Mortlake
1915–19 no races
1920 Jack Beresford Thames Rowing Club 23.14 Putney to Mortlake
1921 Jack Beresford Thames Rowing Club 24.44 Putney to Mortlake
1922 Jack Beresford Thames Rowing Club 22.13 Putney to Mortlake
1923 Jack Beresford Thames Rowing Club 24.27 Putney to Mortlake
1924 Jack Beresford Thames Rowing Club 24.36 Putney to Mortlake
1925 Jack Beresford Thames Rowing Club 23.27 Putney to Mortlake
1926 Jack Beresford Thames Rowing Club 22.25 Putney to Mortlake
1927 David Collet Leander Club 23.10 Putney to Mortlake
1928 David Collet Leander Club 23.00 Putney to Mortlake
1929 David Collet Leander Club 21.47 Putney to Mortlake
1930 Denis Guye London Rowing Club 23.50 Putney to Mortlake
1931 Denis Guye London Rowing Club NTT Putney to Mortlake
1932 Denis Guye London Rowing Club 21.01 LRC to Mortlake (Putney Bridge being repaired)
1933 Dick Southwood Thames Rowing Club 21.11 LRC to Mortlake (Putney Bridge being repaired)
1934 Cuthbert Buckle London Rowing Club 22.21 Putney to Mortlake
1935 Peter H. Jackson London Rowing Club 22.06 Putney to Mortlake
1936 Peter H. Jackson London Rowing Club 22.31 Putney to Mortlake
1937 Ralph Hope Thames Rowing Club 21.44 Putney to Mortlake
1938 Peter H. Jackson London Rowing Club 22.40 Putney to Mortlake
1939–45 no races
1946 Dickie Burnell Leander Club 22.36 Putney to Mortlake
1947 Bert Bushnell Maidenhead Rowing Club 22.14 Putney to Mortlake
1948 Farn Carpmael London Rowing Club 25.45 Putney to Mortlake
1949 Farn Carpmael London Rowing Club 22.55 Putney to Mortlake
1950 E.M.Sturges London Rowing Club 22.07 Putney to Mortlake
1951 Tony Fox Pembroke College, Cambridge 22.14 Putney to Mortlake
1952 Tony Fox London Rowing Club 24.33 Putney to Mortlake
1953 Tony Fox London Rowing Club 22.30 Putney to Mortlake
1954 Sidney Rand Royal Air Force 24.43 Putney to Mortlake
1955 Doug Melvin John o'Gaunt Rowing Club 22.05 Putney to Mortlake
1956 John Marsden London Rowing Club 25.33 Putney to Mortlake
1957 Graham Beech London Rowing Club 22.57 Putney to Mortlake
1958 Doug Melvin London Rowing Club 22.12 Putney to Mortlake
1959 John Russell London Rowing Club 22.37 Putney to Mortlake
1960 George Justicz Birmingham Rowing Club 24.41 Putney to Mortlake
1961 Robert Carpmael London Rowing Club 23.50 Putney to Mortlake
1962 Charlie Dearsley Poplar and Blackwall RC 23.57 Putney to Mortlake
1963 William L. Barry Quintin Boat Club 23.30 Putney to Mortlake
1964 William L. Barry Quintin Boat Club 25.50 Putney to Mortlake
1965 William L. Barry Quintin Boat Club 23.06 Putney to Mortlake
1966 William L. Barry Quintin Boat Club 25.22 Putney to Mortlake
1967 Nick Cooper London Rowing Club 24.00 Putney to Mortlake
1968 Kenny Dwan Poplar and Blackwall RC 23.39 Putney to Mortlake
1969 Kenny Dwan Poplar and Blackwall RC 23.21 Putney to Mortlake
1970 Kenny Dwan Poplar and Blackwall RC 23.51 Putney to Mortlake
1971 Kenny Dwan Poplar and Blackwall RC 23.45 Putney to Mortlake
1972 Kenny Dwan Poplar and Blackwall RC 21.59 Putney to Mortlake
1973 David Sturge London Rowing Club 21.50 Putney to Mortlake
1974 David Sturge Lady Margaret 21.24 Putney to Mortlake
1975 Kenny Dwan Poplar and Blackwall RC 24.16 Putney to Mortlake
1976 Graeme Mulcahy Quintin Boat Club 22.20 Putney to Mortlake
1977 Tim Crooks Leander Club 24.13 Putney to Mortlake
1978 Tim Crooks Leander Club 22.37 Putney to Mortlake
1979 Malcolm Carmichael Leander Club 24.55 Putney to Mortlake
1980 Tim Crooks Leander Club 23.27 Putney to Mortlake
1981 Chris Baillieu Leander Club 22.05 Putney to Mortlake
1982 Chris Baillieu Leander Club 22.01 Putney to Mortlake
1983 Chris Baillieu Leander Club 23.08 Putney to Mortlake
1984 Chris Baillieu Leander Club 22.14 Putney to Mortlake
1985 Steve Redgrave Marlow Rowing Club 21.40 Putney to Mortlake
1986 Steve Redgrave Marlow Rowing Club 23.04 Putney to Mortlake
1987 Steve Redgrave Marlow Rowing Club 21.41 Putney to Mortlake
1988 Steve Redgrave Marlow Rowing Club 21.01 Putney to Mortlake
1989 Steve Redgrave Marlow Rowing Club 20.16 Putney to Mortlake
1990 Rorie Henderson Leander Club 20.23 Putney to Mortlake
1991 Guy Pooley Leander Club 20.3 Putney to Mortlake
1992 Guy Pooley Leander Club 22.04 Putney to Mortlake
1993 Wade Hall-Craggs Tideway Scullers School 21.13 Putney to Mortlake
1994 Peter Haining Auriol Kensington 19.58 Putney to Mortlake
1995 Peter Haining Auriol Kensington 21.01 Putney to Mortlake
1996 Peter Haining Auriol Kensington 22.03 Putney to Mortlake
1997 Martin Kettle Queen's Tower 20.29 Putney to Mortlake
1998 Greg Searle Molesey Boat Club 20.44 Putney to Mortlake
1999 Greg Searle Molesey Boat Club 21.56 Putney to Mortlake
2000 Peter Haining Auriol Kensington 22.27 Putney to Mortlake
2000 Greg Searle Molesey Boat Club 22.21 Putney to Mortlake
2001 Ian Lawson Leander Club 21.41 Putney to Mortlake
2002 Ian Lawson Leander Club 26.13 Putney to Mortlake
2003 Ian Lawson Leander Club 20.13 Putney to Mortlake
2004 Matthew Wells Leander Club 21.52 Putney to Mortlake
2005 Matthew Wells Leander Club 23.14 Putney to Mortlake
2006 Alan Campbell Tideway Scullers School 22.48 Putney to Mortlake
2007 Mahé Drysdale Tideway Scullers School Row Over Putney to Mortlake
2008 Mahé Drysdale Tideway Scullers School 21.14 Putney to Mortlake
2009 Alan Campbell Tideway Scullers School 20.27 Putney to Mortlake
2010 Alan Campbell Tideway Scullers School 22.34 Putney to Mortlake
2011 Adam Freeman-Pask Imperial College 19.41 (record) Putney to Mortlake
2012 Alan Campbell Tideway Scullers School 24.00 Putney to Mortlake
2013 Alan Campbell Tideway Scullers School 21.15 Putney to Mortlake
2014 Tim Richards Imperial College 21.06 Putney to Mortlake
2015 Tim Richards Imperial College 21.40 Putney to Mortlake
2016 Jamie Kirkwood Leander Club 20:56 Putney to Mortlake
2017 Rich Clarke University of London Boat Club 22:03 Putney to Mortlake
2018 Charles Cousins Griffen Boat Club 21:57 Putney to Mortlake
2019 Sam Meijer Tideway Scullers School 20.35 Putney to Mortlake
2020 Matt Haywood[3] Nottingham Rowing Club 17.04 Hammersmith to Kew
2021 Graeme Thomas Agecroft Rowing Club 28.04 Putney to Mortlake
2022 Seb Devereux Leander Club
2023
2024 Callum Dixon Twickenham Rowing Club Chiswick to Putney

Women's race

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The 2007 event on 25 October saw the revival of the women's championship which, except for the years between 1939 and 1948, had been an annual event from 1929 until the early 1970s, when the Women's Amateur Rowing Association amalgamated with the ARA.

The Wingfield Family Society have been involved with the Wingfield Sculls for the last 10 years (and a few years ago presented the Wingfield Sculls Committee with a new giant flag). It has also funded and presented a silver Trophy – based on Henry Wingfield's original 1830 Trophy – for the revived Women's Wingfields.

The closest living relative to Henry Wingfield, Clare Morton (the g-g-great-granddaughter of Henry's Uncle John Wingfield) presented both the trophy to the winner of the 2007 race, Elise Laverick (Thames RC), and a framed montage of extracts about the "Life of the Wingfield Sculls Founder" to Wade Hall-Craggs, the Honorary Secretary of the Wingfield Sculls Committee.

Results
Date Winner Club Time Course
2007 Elise Laverick Thames Rowing Club 21.53 Putney to Mortlake
2008 Sophie Hosking London Rowing Club 22.05 Putney to Mortlake
2009 Sophie Hosking London Rowing Club 23.05 Putney to Mortlake
2010 Anna Bebington Leander Club 23.07 Putney to Mortlake
2011 Anna Watkins Leander Club 20.55 (record) Putney to Mortlake
2012 Beth Rodford Gloucester Rowing Club 23.32 Putney to Mortlake
2013 Imogen Walsh London Rowing Club 21.44 Putney to Mortlake
2014 Melanie Wilson Imperial College 21.31 Putney to Mortlake
2015 Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne Reading Rowing Club 21.54 Putney to Mortlake
2016 Jessica Leyden Leander Club 22:32 Putney to Mortlake
2017 Fran Rawlins Tideway Scullers School 22:54 Putney to Mortlake
2018 Ruth Siddorn Leander Club 22:29 Putney to Mortlake
2019 Jessica Leyden Leander Club 22:30 Putney to Mortlake
2020 Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne[4] Reading Rowing Club 17.11 Hammersmith to Kew
2021 Lola Anderson Leander Club
2022 Imogen Grant Cambridge University Boat Club
2023 Imogen Grant Cambridge University Boat Club
2024 Imogen Grant Cambridge University Boat Club Chiswick to Putney

The last champion to win a hat trick on the Tideway was Imogen Grant, who holds the current title.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Wingfield Sculls Record of Races
  2. ^ Based on research by Jocelyn Wingfield, International Historian, Wingfield Family Society.
  3. ^ "Men's Wingfield results". Wingfield Sculls. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Women's Wingfield results". Wingfield Sculls. Retrieved 29 October 2020.

Bibliography