Sir Clement Courtenay Knollys (1849 – 16 December 1905) was a British

rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is di ...

and colonial administrator and governor. Knollys was the son of Rev. Erskine Knollys and his wife Caroline Augusta North. His father was rector at Quedgeley, Gloucestershire, among other parishes. He was educated at

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...

, where he distinguished himself as a rower. In 1872 he was substituted into the

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

crew four days before that year's

Boat Race Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wate ...

which was won by Cambridge by two lengths. However later that year he won the

Diamond Challenge Sculls The Diamond Challenge Sculls is a rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. First run in 1844, it is open to male scullers from all eligible rowing clubs.

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thre ...

and beat the holder

William Fawcus William Fawcus (born 10 October 1850) was a British rower and member of Tynemouth Rowing Club. He won the Wingfield Sculls and the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta in 1871, being the first provincial competitor to do so. Fawc ...

to win the

Wingfield Sculls The Wingfield Sculls is a rowing race held annually on the River Thames in London, England, on the Championship Course from Putney to Mortlake. The race is between single scullers and is usually on the Saturday three to four weeks before the Sc ...

. He joined

Kingston Rowing Club Kingston Rowing Club (KRC) is a rowing club in England founded in 1858 and a member club of British Rowing. The club is located on the River Thames at Kingston upon Thames, downstream and north-east of Kingston Bridge and Kingston Railway Brid ...

and in 1873 won the

Silver Goblets The Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless pairs at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing club A rowing club ...

with

Alfred Trower Alfred Trower (3 May 1849 – 1880) was an English rower who won events at Henley Royal Regatta. Trower was born at 2 Southwick Place, Hyde Park, London, the son of Henry Trower, a wine merchant, and his wife Helen Seymour. He joined Kingston Ro ...

, but lost the Wingfield Sculls to A. C. Dicker. He also rowed in 1873 Boat Race. Knollys became a colonial administrator. In 1885 he was a colonial secretary in

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

and up to 1894 was a member of the assembly.National Archives
/ref> In 1904 Knollys was appointed Governor of the

British Leeward Islands The British Leeward Islands was a British colony from 1671 to 1958, consisting of the English (later British) overseas possessions in the Leeward Islands. It ceased to exist from 1816 to 1833, during which time it was split into two separate c ...

but died at

Southsea Southsea is a seaside resort and a geographic area of Portsmouth, Portsea Island in England. Southsea is located 1.8 miles (2.8 km) to the south of Portsmouth's inner city-centre. Southsea is not a separate town as all of Portsea Island's s ...

in the following year at the age of 56.

References

1849 births 1905 deaths British male rowers Oxford University Boat Club rowers Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Colonial Administrative Service officers Governors of the Leeward Islands Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Colonial Secretaries of Barbados {{England-rowing-bio-stub

See also

References