The Tyne Oarsmen

Harry Clasper, an apprentice carpenter in a boatyard and James Renforth, a publican, were famous Tyneside oarsmen, who became legends in their own lifetimes, as well as remaining current rowing myths in the North of England. Cite: *[...] Peter Dillon's work shows how — through rowing over the heavily industrialised waters of the "coaly Tyne" — its professional oarsmen and boatbuilders precociously took on the established might of the Thames watermen and then, in turn, the (colonial) world. These Tynesiders succeeded for a couple of glorious decades through a mix of sheer physical application, technical advances, infusions of capital (principally from "tradesmen") and the unrivalled support of an expanding urban community — Harry Clasper's funeral in 1870 brought Newcastle to a standstill with over 100,000 mourners! In fact, the parallels between Tyneside's success at river-racing and its industrial success are many: as, for example, expressed unself-consciously by a local balladeer extolling James Renforth, "Tyneside's long been fam'd for producin' greet men, Luck (Look) at Airmstrang (Lord Armstrong) an' Stivvinson (George Stephenson)..." In mitigation of such regional pride it should be said that James Renforth's crew had just won the 1870 world title from Canada's crack team. Tragically, Renforth died in pursuit of the double in 1871 — hence the eponymous Canadian town of Renforth. [...]* (Excerpt from book review by: Adrian Osier, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in: The Northern Mariner, Book Reviews, p. 79–80)