Charles R. Harding (aka ‘Wag’ Harding) (1/7/1867 - 1944) was an English professional single sculler who became the Champion of England and was a contender for the World Sculling Championship. He was born in London in 1867 and his occupation was that of a waterman. Like many of the professional English scullers, he had won the

Doggett's Coat and Badge Doggett's Coat and Badge is the prize and name for the oldest rowing race in the world. Up to six apprentice watermen of the River Thames in England compete for this prestigious honour, which has been held every year since 1715. The 4 mile 5 ...

(in 1888), but at and he was not regarded as one of the heavy men. He made a name for himself in 1883, when he, at 16 years old, won the Chelsea Coat and Badge, and a year later, the Putney Coat and Badge. He was reported in the mid-1890s that “he pulls a beautiful even stroke, gets well over his sculls, while his leg-work is greatly admired.” Harding trained the New Zealander Tom Sullivan when Sullivan had challenged George Bubear for the

English Sculling Championship The English Sculling Championship developed out of informal competitions between working watermen on rivers such as the Thames and the Tyne. Various matches were made on a casual basis but in time these were more formalised. The first recognised Ch ...

, which Sullivan won in September 1893. Thereafter, Harding himself challenged Sullivan for the English championship title. They sculled for the title on the

Tyne River The River Tyne is a river in North East England. Its length (excluding tributaries) is . It is formed by the North Tyne and the South Tyne, which converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Wat ...

in February 1895, and Sullivan lost to his trainer. In September 1895 they had a re-match on the

Championship Course The Championship Course is a stretch of the River Thames between Mortlake and Putney in London, England. It is a well-established course for rowing races, particularly the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. The course is on the tidal reaches of th ...

on the Thames and again Harding won. His time was 22 minutes 59 seconds. In July 1896, Harding challenged the Australian

Jim Stanbury James Stanbury (25 February 1868 – 11 December 1945) was a world champion sculler. Stanbury was born on Mullet Island on the Hawkesbury River, New South Wales and was the successor of John McLean in the rowing championship of the world. In ...

for the World Sculling Championship Title. The race again took place on the Thames but Stanbury defended his title and won the wager of £500 a side. At stake was the English Title as well. He also competed for the Searle Memorial Cup (created in memory of Australian champion Henry Ernest Searle, who died of typhoid contracted on his journey home after competing in England. "Wag" Harding won it 3 times running, which meant he got to keep it. It is now on display at The River & Rowing Museum, Henley, as part of the extensive Harding collection, currently on loan from his descendants.

References

The Evening Post Newspaper. 11 September 1895, 14 July 1896. English male rowers 1860s births Rowers from Greater London Year of death missing {{England-rowing-bio-stub