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- 1862 Oxford University Boat Race Silk Pennant
1862 Oxford University Boat Race Silk Pennant
1862 Oxford University Boat Race Silk Pennant
27616
Oxford University Rowing Pennant, 1862.
A very nice early Oxford University Boat Race winning silk pennant . The pennant with fringe edging, painted with the Oxford college arms and inscribed in gilt "Oxford and Cambridge Grand Match, 1862, G. Morrison, Captain". The flag is contained within a glazed display case which once formed a larger folding case. George Morrison was a student of Balliol College, Oxford University, he coached the 1864 Oxford boat crew and had rowed in the 1859, 1860 and 1861 races and was a non-rowing president for the 1862 race.
Taken from the 1913 books 'Fifty years of Sport, Oxford and Cambridge'.
1860 besides George Oxford had Old Blues in Mr. H.F. Baxter and Mr. R.W. Risley, who was now rowing for the third time.
For the next three years, which were the first of the long succession of nine victories by Oxford, the latter were lucky in having so good a stroke as Mr. W.M. Hoare, and it is to his stroking, and, in the first year, to the splendid work of Mr. Morrison, who was again President, in building an entirely new crew round himself, and, in subsequent years, to his coaching, that the long series of good crews and consequent victories were due.
In the 1861 race Morrison had no Old Blues beside himself in residence, and the rowing in the summer eights was so bad that every one advised him not to challenge Cambridge in view of last years defeat, which was discouraging enough to a man who had already held the Presidency. He himself, of course, had settled to row 5, but he did not get into the boat for some time so that he might superintend the work of the crew. To the intrinsic difficulties of selection were added the fact that there was no one who could find time to come and take the crew in hand for more than a day or so at a time. And yet the Oxford crew of 1861 has been handed down to posterity as one of the great crews of all time.
During the practice of this crew George modified the old and somewhat barbarous rules of training that were usual, and brought them more into accordance with what is considered correct nowadays, though they were still somewhat exacting. The mile run before breakfast was reduced to a sharp walk of half a mile. Breakfast consisted of chops and steak, bread and butter, and tea. (Nowadays this has in the last few years been modified to fresh fish, a cutlet or chicken, and eggs, toast, butter and marmalade, with tea). Lunch, half-pint of beer and bread and butter or sandwich, or glass of sherry and biscuits, as compared with the cold beef or chicken with tomatoes, biscuits and butter of to-day. Work on the river at 2.30, and afterwards a run of half a mile or a mile. The run after practice is still in force during the early stages of training for those who take a long time to get fit and have much weight to get down, but lighter men are generally excused. A note is added by Mr. Morrison that a clean jersey was insisted on for each day's work. For dinner the crew had beef and mutton four days in the week, on the others fowls, with fish on Sundays, and occasionally a light pudding, a pint of beer apiece and a couple of glasses of port. Nowadays there is a little more variety in the diet, but to compensate this only one glass of port is allowed as a rule. A cup of chocolate or a basin of gruel, which has now turned into a glass of milk or barley water, took them to bed at 10.30 sharp, none too early for tired men in training.
In 1862 neither of the crews that turned out at Putney was quite up to the standard of the previous year, and both had considerable difficulties in training. Mr. Morrison was again President at Oxford, though he did not row in the boat himself, contenting himself with coaching and training the crew.
Dimensions:
1850-1899
1862
England
good but frayed on the edges
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