John Laurence Tann (born 1890) was an English

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 ...

who won 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 ...

, the amateur

single scull A single scull (or a scull) is a rowing boat designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand. Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly semi-circular in cross-section in order to minimi ...

ing championship of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

, in 1914. Tann was born at Holborn, the son of Edward Tann. The Tann family were the first in the business of manufacturing iron safes. Tann studied engineering at

London University The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree- ...

and entered the family safe business. He joined

Thames Rowing Club The Thames Rowing Club (TRC) is a rowing club based on the tidal Thames as it flows through the western suburbs of London. The TRC clubhouse stands on Putney Embankment. The club was founded in 1860. As at July 2022, Thames had won events at He ...

and in 1914 won the Wingfield Sculls and the London Cup at the

Metropolitan Regatta The Metropolitan Regatta is an international rowing (sport), rowing regatta. It takes place on Dorney Lake, Buckinghamshire near Eton, Berkshire, Eton next to the River Thames in southern England. It attracts crews from schools, clubs, and unive ...

. Tann was an Associate Member of the

Institution of Civil Engineers The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association for civil engineers and a charitable body in the United Kingdom. Based in London, ICE has over 92,000 members, of whom three-quarters are located in the UK, whi ...

and the

Institute of Mechanical Engineers The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 120,000 member ...

and obtained patents relating to safes. Tann was the last member of the family to run the safe making company, and having no male heir, sold the business in 1965. Tann married Christine X Bevan at Wandsworth in 1916. His grandson

Tim Crooks Timothy John Crooks (born 12 May 1949) is a former British rower who competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the 1976 Summer Olympics. He was seven times winner at Henley Royal Regatta and won the Wingfield Sculls three times. Rowing career Cr ...

was an Olympic rower who also won the Wingfield Sculls.Kingston Regatta – History
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References

1890 births British male rowers Year of death missing {{England-rowing-bio-stub