Edward Gordon Williams (20 July 1888 – 12 August 1915) 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 ...

who competed in the

1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were ori ...

. He was killed in action during the First World War. Williams was born at

Honiton Honiton ( or ) is a market town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. Honiton has a population estimated at 11,822 (based on mid-year estimates for the two Honiton Ward ...

, Devon, and educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

, where he was a member of the

Pitt Club The University Pitt Club, popularly referred to as the Pitt Club, the UPC, or merely as Club, is a private members' club of the University of Cambridge, with a previously male-only membership but now open to both men and women. History The ...

. He rowed for

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

in the

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 ...

in 1908. The Cambridge crew made up a boat in the eights which won the bronze medal for Great Britain

rowing at the 1908 Summer Olympics At the 1908 Summer Olympics, four rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddli ...

. He rowed for Cambridge in the Boat Race in 1909 and also in 1909 partnered

Banner Johnstone Banner Carruthers Johnstone (11 November 1882 – 20 June 1964) was a British oarsman who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics. Johnstone was born in Bebington, then lived in Cheshire and was educated at Eton, where he was captain of the boa ...

to win 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 ...

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 ...

against

Julius Beresford Julius Beresford (Wiszniewski) (18 July 1868 – 29 September 1959), also known as Berry or The Old Berry, was a British rower and coach. Beresford competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. Life Beresford was the son of Juliu ...

and

Karl Vernon Karl Vernon MM (19 June 1880 – 11 July 1973), sometimes known by his nickname The Bean, was a British rower and coach who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics. Life Vernon was born in Neuenahr, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. He joined Thames ...

. He raced in the 1910 Boat Race. Williams was appointed as a colonial administrator in

North-Western Rhodesia North-Western Rhodesia, in south central Africa, was a territory administered from 1891 until 1899 under charter by the British South Africa Company. In 1890 the British South Africa Company signed a treaty with King Lewanika of the Barotse, one ...

.The Commonwealth & Empire Review
/ref> He then served in the First World War as a lieutenant with the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

. He was killed in action aged 27 near

Béthune Béthune ( ; archaic and ''Bethwyn'' historically in English) is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department. Geography Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated south-east of Calais, ...

and was buried at St. Venant Communal Cemetery nearby.Williams, Edward Gordon
''Commonwealth War Graves Commission'', retrieved 19 August 2008

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Edward 1888 births 1915 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge British military personnel killed in World War I British male rowers Grenadier Guards officers People educated at Eton College Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain Olympic rowers of Great Britain Rowers at the 1908 Summer Olympics Olympic medalists in rowing Medalists at the 1908 Summer Olympics British Army personnel of World War I

See also

References