William Giles East (1866–1932), was an English sculler.

Biography

Legend says that he was born in his father’s boathouse at Putney, but he was actually born close to Lambert Pier in London. He spent his whole life on or by the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

, and became a waterman's apprentice in 1882, which was the year he won the Putney Badge. In 1887, Bill 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 ...

Race, and in 1891, he won 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 ...

. However he never defended this title. He also stroked in the winning Champion Fours in the National Regattas of 1890 and 1891, and also won the Champion Pairs. Seven years later, in 1898, he was appointed a waterman to Queen Victoria. He retired from professional sculling about 1903/04. In June 1906, he became the Royal Bargemaster to King Edward VII. Bill seems to have been a very popular person on the Thames and was early on connected to Cambridge University Boat Club, to train and coach the crews. In 1904, he published the ‘how-to’ book Rowing and Sculling. Bill East coached Trinity Hall’s famous rower and sculler, the American

Benjamin Hunting Howell Benjamin Hunting Howell (born September 3, 1875) was an American rower who won the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta and the Wingfield Sculls in 1898 and 1899. Howell was born in New York City the son of Frederick Hunting Howell ...

to victories in 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 S ...

in 1898 and 1899; the same years Howell also 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 England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders w ...

at Henley-on-Thames. Like many other champion scullers he later in life became a publican. He ran the Prince’s Head hotel and then the Pigeon Hotel at Richmond. Bill East died in December 1932.

References

English male rowers 1866 births 1933 deaths {{England-rowing-bio-stub