SAINT JOHN TIMES-GLOBE, FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1996

DUBIOUS VICTORY

The Great Rowing Race of 1871 is a tale worthy of re-enactment - except for the fate of poor Mr. Renforth

By: ALISON HUGHES

An artist's rendition depicts English rower James Renforth stricken by heart failure during the Great Rowing Race on the Kennebecasis between his crew and the Saint John Paris crew on August 23, 1871.

The Paris Crew appears in a formal portrait.

The tiny village of Renforth, nestled along the edge of the lower Kennebecasis River, hardly seems big enough to warrant its own name.

However, in 1871 it gained both international fame and the name Renforth by hosting a world-class rowing competition - the World Championship between England’s Newcastle-on-Tyne Crew and Saint John’s own Paris Crew.

The Paris Crew was made up of Robert Fulton (stroke, 6’1", 168 pounds), Elijah Ross (after-mid, 5’11" 158 lbs.), Samuel Hutton, (forward-mid, 5'10" 158 lbs.) and George Price, (bow, 5'10", 154 lbs.). They had startled the world by winning the World Championship in Paris in 1867, and then the Championship of America the following year.

In 1870, they were defeated by James Renforth, the Champion Sculler of England, and his crew. Determined to regain their title, the Paris Crew immediately challenged Mr. Renforth to a rematch. He agreed and the Kennebecasis River was settled on for the contest.

The Articles of Agreement between the two teams, dated Feb. 27, 1871, specify a "four-oared race in the best boats each team can get." They set the distance at six miles; three upriver, them three back. The winners would receive 500 pounds sterling and the championship title.

The date was set for August 23, between 7 and 10 a.m. If the water wasn’t "perfectly smooth," the race would be postponed daily until conditions were right.

The Articles go on to specify the course, deposit holder and rules for referees, umpires and distance judges. The Saint John crew also promised to pay 200 pounds sterling to the British for travel expenses, and both agreed not to compete from the time Mr. Renforth and his crew left England until the big day.

The Aug. 24, 1871, Daily Telegraph said 15,000 people swarmed to the shores of the Kennebecasis for the race.

"Many had been up all night, making music on the streets," and others had "arisen from bed to be among the first to reach the scene of action," it reports.

People crowded into overflowing trains and then walked the mile and a half from the train depot to the race site. They came by water, in yachts, woodboats, tugboats and steamers. Every kind of horse drawn transportation, from slovens to barouches, filled the roadways. The fields, hills, beach, grand-stand, river and even the trees were filled with spectators.

The following lines from Saint John's August 24, 1871, Daily Telegraph refer to the newly invented camera to record a vivid image of the moments before the race. "At 7 o'clock, the breeze died away, the sun shone out from the mist and blended the expectant mass of human beings, the dresses and banners, with the tints of the woods and fields and photographed a picture on the brain of every beholder that will long remain undimmed."

Newspapermen from Newcastle, England, New York, Boston, Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, and Montreal were there to cover, the six-mile long race, as well as many local correspondents. They got a story beyond anything they’d dreamed of.

At 7:34 a.m., the race began. After the first-half mile, the Paris Crew was almost a boat length ahead of the British. Then disaster struck. The ensuing story is best told by Tyne Crew member Harry Kelly, as reported in the Daily Telegraph:

"Kelly relates that he said to Renforth, 'Now Jim for a dozen,’ meaning an extra spurt such as had served in good turn at and near the beginning of the race. Kelly, observing no visible response, spoke to him a second time, in the same terms, only to hear his comrade say in a half smothered voice, 'Harry, Harry.' Meantime, Renforth's body suddenly inclined forward, and immediately after he fell back into Kelly's arms, asking to be rowed to shore, and sinking into a swoon."

An hour later, James Renforth was dead.

Presumably unaware of the situation, the Paris Crew continued on to complete the course in a time of 39 minutes, 20 and three fifths seconds. They were proclaimed the victors and World Champions.

Despite speculation that Renforth had been poisoned, the post mortem confirmed pulmonary apoplexy. Ironically, the contemporary newspaper report concludes with the information that 15,000 spectators "were taken to and from course without the slightest accident.

There is no doubt that it was a historic moment. What is in doubt is whether it was a victory. After all, there was no competition.

A century and a quarter later the Great Boat Race is about to be run again. In honour of this year's anniversary, the Village of Renforth is hosting Regatta 125: An Anniversary of Victory. It is both a historical re-enactment of the 1871 event and a competitive modern race.

With another Tyne crew about to compete on the Kennebecasis, there is finally a chance to win a decisive victory - for one side or the other. Organizers again hope 15,000 people will again show up to cheer on the racers. May the best team win.

However, this race is about more than winning. It is also about history, heritage and old connections forged anew.

On this, the 125th anniversary of The Great Race, people should celebrate not only the truly amazing accomplishments of the Paris Crew, but also the immense spirit of the Tyne Crew and the man who gave Renforth its name.