Peterhouse Boat Club is the

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 paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...

club for members of

Peterhouse, Cambridge Peterhouse is the oldest constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Today, Peterhouse has 254 undergraduates, 116 full-time graduate students and 54 fellows. It is quite ...

. It was founded on 29 April 1828 as St Peter's College Boat Club, but was renamed in 1873 to its present name. The Club's name was officially changed to Peterhouse Boat Club in Michaelmas Term 1872. Alumni of Peterhouse Boat Club are eligible to join the Cross Keys Boat Club.

History

Peterhouse Boat Club was founded on 29 April 1828 as St Peter's College Boat Club, and first raced in Cambridge University Bumps on 2 May 1828. The club went Head of the River the following year, before removing itself from the start order. The club's history became more formal in 1836, as the minute books from that year exist. At this point there were both rowing, and non-rowing members and the club had as much a social purpose as competitive. The club first purchased a boat in 1839, having previously hired craft. Peterhouse Boat Club returned to Head in 1842. While an undergraduate at the college, the later

Lord Kelvin William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, (26 June 182417 December 1907) was a British mathematician, Mathematical physics, mathematical physicist and engineer born in Belfast. Professor of Natural Philosophy (Glasgow), Professor of Natural Philoso ...

rowed for the club for one term at the end of his second year. The club was one of the first Cambridge colleges to hire a professional coach, paying James Parish of

Leander Club Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world, and the oldest non-academic club. It is based in Remenham in Berkshire, England and adjoins Henley-on-Thames. Only three other surviving clubs were founded prior to ...

£10 in 1846. In 1847, Andrew Fairbairn joined the club, and was later to contribute to its finances. The Club's name was officially changed to Peterhouse Boat Club in Michaelmas Term 1872. In 1925, the club had some coaching from

Steve Fairbairn Stephen Fairbairn (25 August 1862 – 16 May 1938) was a rower and an influential rowing coach at Jesus College Boat Club, Cambridge University, Thames Rowing Club and London Rowing Club in the early decades of the 20th century, and founded the ...

. The following year, the club sent a crew to

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 ...

for the first time, entering the

Thames Challenge Cup The Thames Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's eights at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from a single rowing club A rowing club is a club for people interest ...

. While Peterhouse is the smallest of all of the colleges of

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

which regularly admit both undergraduates and graduates, its crews have often performed well above its weight, including taking the headship of the

May Bumps The May Bumps (also May Races, Mays) are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge, England. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of M ...

on 28 February 1842 and that of the

Lent Bumps The Lent Bumps (also Lent Races, Lents) are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, which are bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had be ...

in 1956. In the early days of the Lent and May Bumps, the Peterhouse 1st men's VIII were in the lower half of the 2nd, or even in the 3rd division, but from about 1920 rose to lie in the bottom-half of the 1st division or top-half of the 2nd division. Peterhouse performed well in the Lent Bumps from 1950, not being

bump Bump or Bumps may refer to: * A collision or impact * A raised protrusion on the skin such as a pimple, goose bump, prayer bump, lie bumps, etc. Infrastructure and industry * Coal mine bump, a seismic jolt occurring within a mine * Bump (uni ...

ed until 1957, and taking the headship in 1956, a year in which they also won the

Ladies' Challenge Plate The Ladies' Challenge Plate is one of the events at Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. Crews of men's eight-oared boats below the standard of the Grand Challenge Cup can enter, although international standard ...

. For the next fifty years, the Peterhouse 1st men's VIII have spent most of their time in the top-half of the 2nd division or bottom-half of the 1st division in both events. Since 2000, however, there has been a steady rise in the 1st men's VIII upwards through the 1st division. In the May Bumps of 2019, the crew was placed 7th. In 1948, the Irish Olympian Danny Taylor was a coach while he lectured at Peterhouse. Distinguished coaches since then have included the double Olympic gold-medallist

James Cracknell James Edward Cracknell, (born 5 May 1972) is a British athlete, rowing champion and double Olympic gold medalist. Cracknell was appointed OBE for "services to sport" in the 2005 New Year Honours List. Biography Cracknell began rowing whilst ...

, who rowed in the Peterhouse May Bumps VIII of 2019. A women's crew did not appear until 1986 and has remained in the 2nd division for most of the time since then in both the Lent and May Bumps, although the 1st women's VIII did succeed in breaking into the 1st division in the May Bumps in 2002 for the first time. In 1986, the Peterhouse 1st women's VIII managed the first ever quadruple over-bump in the history of racing in the May Bumps when they caught

Clare Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...

III to rise 9 positions in a single day. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the college hosted members of the

London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 millio ...

, who rowed in the Boat Club's shells during that time.

Boathouse

Peterhouse owns its own boathouse. The current building being the second boathouse to be built on the land. The first dated to 1897 and cost £880, including £280 for the land. It was replaced in 1928 with the current structure at a cost of £4000. It was designed by Montague Wheeler, who was also responsible for the design of the boat house for

Trinity Hall Boat Club Trinity Hall Boat Club (THBC) is the rowing club of Trinity Hall, a college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1827 it is amongst the oldest college boat clubs in Cambridge, England. Historically, it is the most successful Cambridge c ...

. The boathouse was extended in 1992 with a new shed to accommodate fours and small boats. Space in the boat house is currently leased to

Murray Edwards College Murray Edwards College is a women-only constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1954 as New Hall. In 2008, following a donation of £30 million by alumna Ros Edwards and her husband Steve, it was renamed Murray Edwar ...

Club Colours and Kit

The first reference to the club's colour of blue comes in a minute from 21 March 1838, but the colour may have been settled upon earlier. Peterhouse rows with royal blue blades with two vertical white stripes. The club has different ties and blazers for its various crews. The tie for the first boat features a royal blue background, with a repeating pattern of three stripes, the middle one thinner than the outer ones. The blazer for first May colours is described as being a "blue blazer edged with 3/4-inch white silk ribbon and mitre and cross keys in silver on pocket". Blazer buttons have had two designs, the earlier one with a design of "St Peter's Boat Club" in a ribbon, around crossed keys, and a second one, used after the club was renamed in 1873 with a design of "Pet. Coll. Cam" below a shield with "BC" and crossed keys.

Famous Members

A short list of famous members: *

R H Cobbold R, or r, is the eighteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ar'' (pronounced ), plural ''ars'', or in Irela ...

member of the Cambridge Blue Boat in

the Boat Race 1841 The 5th Boat Race took place on the River Thames on 14 April 1841. It was the fourth of the University Boat Races, a side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, to be contested in London ...

and

the Boat Race 1842 The 6th Boat Race took place on the River Thames on 11 June 1842. The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. In a race substantially interrupted by river traffic, Oxford beat Cambr ...

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was the top box-office attraction in the UK in 1944 and 1945; his British films inc ...

* Tom Askwith *

Danny Taylor (rower) Daniel Brumhall Cochrane Taylor (13 May 1921 – 31 December 2003) was an Irish scientist, university vice-chancellor, and Olympic rower. Early life Taylor was born on 13 May 1921 in Portstewart, Northern Ireland. His parents were Daniel Brumh ...

, Irish Olympian in the 1948 Summer Olympics *

Matthew Baillie Begbie Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie (9 May 1819 – 11 June 1894) was a British lawyer, politician, and judge. In 1858, Begbie became the first Chief Justice of the Crown Colony of British Columbia in colonial times and in the first decades after Bri ...

* Michael Hart * Stefan Forster, German Olympian in the 1996 Summer Olympics *

Kevin Whyman Kevin Whyman (4 October 1975 – 1 August 2015) was an English rower and air pilot. Whyman died in an aviation accident at the 2015 CarFest. Whyman rowed for the King's School Rowing Club. In 1996 and 1997, he was the cox for The Boat Race-win ...

, aviator and cox of the Cambridge Blue Boat in

the Boat Race 1996 The 142nd Boat Race took place on 6 April 1996. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. Umpired by a former Blue, Mike Sweeney, Cambridge won ...

* Sebastian Thormann, German Olympian in the 2004 Summer Olympics, member of the Cambridge Blue Boat in

the Boat Race 2006 The 152nd Boat Race took place on 2 April 2006. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. Oxford, whose crew contained the first French rower ...

* Natan Węgrzycki-Szymczyk, Polish sculler in the 2016 Summer Olympics * *

Thomas George (rower) Thomas James Edric George (born 22 September 1994) is a British Rowing (sport), rower. He won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, as part of the eight with James Rudkin, Alan Sinclair (rower), Alan Sinclair ...

, bronze medallist for Great Britain in the 2020 Summer Olympics *

Oliver Wynne-Griffith Oliver Henry Wynne-Griffith (born 29 May 1994) is a British rower. Rowing career Wynne-Griffith won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, as part of the eight with James Rudkin, Alan Sinclair, Tom Ransley, ...

, bronze medallist for Great Britain in the 2020 Summer Olympics

Honours

Henley Royal Regatta

Notes

References

External links

Peterhouse Boat Club
{{Authority control Rowing clubs of the University of Cambridge

Boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

Sports clubs and teams established in the 1820s 1827 establishments in England Rowing clubs in Cambridgeshire Rowing clubs in England Rowing clubs of the River Cam