Worcester Rowing Club

On 14 March 1874 at the Bell Hotel on Broad Street, 55 gentlemen committed to becoming members of Worcester Rowing Club. Sir Edmund Lechmere was the club’s first president and Frank William Grainger (son of porcelain manufacturer George Grainger) was Honorary Secretary and Captain. It was George Grainger’s porcelain works that manufactured the pink loving cup to celebrate the club’s inauguration, thus forging a connection between the club and the factory that would endure for centuries to follow.

The WRC is a historic part of the City of Worcester, and its roots go back much further than 1874. The River Severn had been an important site for boating ever since Henry VI declared it a ‘free river’ for his subjects in 1430. By the 1800s, numerous separate rowing clubs had emerged, sharing the river with the cargo ships that transported goods in and out of factories such as Royal Worcester. Each club was confined to members engaged in a particular occupation or from a particular walk of life, such as those within the haberdashery, brewery, and artisanal trades. Gradually however, this class conscious system was eradicated and most of the clubs disappeared. Those that remained combined to form the present WRC.

As the WRC entered its ‘Golden Age’ of rowing during the 1880s, winning numerous Challenge Cups (including the prestigious West of England Challenge Vase), Royal Worcester porcelain was regularly presented to mark the event. Cups usually depicted decorated WRC Coat of Arms, but ceramic painters also sometimes added regatta boats to existing views of the River Severn. Trophies and cups continued to be manufactured well into the 20th century as WRC excelled in regattas across the country. The final cups were made in 1991 for a Grand Sculling Challenge between the Presidents of OUBC and CUBC for the new Club Boathouse appeal. This event was organised by David Hallmark, a descendent of previous Club Captain Ernest Rayer (1914-1918).

The WRC continues to thrive in Worcester and has recently celebrated successes for both Men’s and Women’s crews at Henley Royal Regatta.

With special thanks to WRC Archivist Peter Richardson and Bill Needham for their help with the display and WRC members for loaning the objects.