Oxford started college boat racing before Cambridge. It does not seem
quite clear as to when bumping races actually commenced. Two or three
colleges had boat clubs and manned eight oars, and at first it seems to
have been the practice for out-college men to join the club and crew of
colleges to which they did not belong.
The eight oars seem to have been in the habit of going down to Sandford
or Nuneham to dine, and of rowing home in company. From Iffley to Oxford
they were inclined to race to see who could be home first. They could
not race abreast, so they rowed in Indian file, and those behind
jealously tried to overtake the leaders. Hence began the idea of
starting in a fixed order out of Iffley Lock, of racing in procession,
and of an overtaken boat giving place to its victor on the next night of
procession.
In 1822, at all events, there were bumping races. Christ Church seems to
have been head. There was a disputed bump between B.N.C. and Jesus, and
some violence seems to have occurred, B.N.C. trying to haul down the
Jesus flag, and the Jesus men defending their colours. The dispute was
finally closed by Post of B.N.C. saying, 'These cries of "Jesus" and
"B.N.C." remind me of the old saying:--
Different people are of different opinions;
Some like leeks, some like onions.'
(The oars of Jesus were decorated with leeks.) The quarrel was made up,
and the crews went together to Nuneham in their racing boats.
Unfortunately Musgrave, one of the party, fell overboard and was drowned
during the festivities. In 1823 there were no eight-oared races, the sad
accident of the year before having cast a gloom over the pursuit. But
several boats were manned. Christ Church refused to put on a boat in
consequence of Stephen Davis, the boat-builder, rowing in the B.N.C.
eight, and Isaac King (who eventually took Davis's business) in the
Jesus boat. Some strong feeling was displayed on this point. When the
B.N.C. boat came up the river, the Christ Church men used to run
alongside of it for many nights shouting, 'No hired watermen.' After
this year no watermen rowed in the college crews. Exeter had a boat
afloat that year, built by Hall of Oxford. She was called the
'Buccleuch' in honour Of the Duke of that ilk.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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