24 Facts About James Renforth

James Renforth was an English Tyneside professional oarsman.

James Renforth became the World Sculling Champion in 1868 and was one of three great Tyneside oarsmen, the other two being Harry Clasper and Robert Chambers.

James Renforth was born to James and Jane Renforth in New Pandon Street in the Manors district of Newcastle upon Tyne.

James Renforth's father was an anchorsmith and the young James became employed as a smith's striker at the age of about 11.

In 1866, Renforth was employed on the demolition of the old Tyne Bridge, ferrying men and materials back and forth.

James Renforth made his debut in 1866, in a sculling race and won easily.

James Renforth won a succession of other sculling races and began to have difficulty in finding opponents who would take him on.

James Renforth therefore entered several local regattas, which paid smaller prize money.

James Renforth's career took a marked upward turn when he entered for a sculling race at the Thames Regatta in 1868.

Kelley was the current World Sculling Champion and James Renforth was the obvious contender, so a match was arranged between the two men.

James Renforth trained hard for the race and, in the event, won it easily, by four lengths.

James Renforth became the new World Champion, a title he held until his death in 1871.

In 1869, James Renforth became the landlord of the Belted Will Inn on Scotswood Road, Newcastle, a career move that both Clasper and Chambers had made before him.

In July 1870, Clasper died and James Renforth was a pall-bearer at his funeral.

James Renforth had begun to race in pairs and fours, perhaps because of the difficulty of finding opponents as a sculler.

James Renforth became stroke of the Tyne Champion Four and, with this crew, defeated a London crew on both the Thames and the Tyne in November 1869.

The challenge was accepted and James Renforth's crew travelled to Canada in August 1870.

Two boats had been taken and whilst Renforth favoured one, the bowman and coach, James Taylor, favoured the other.

James Renforth had prevailed, but this led to bitterness and so the crew split up, leaving James Renforth crewless.

James Renforth promptly formed a new crew, which included his old sculling rival Kelley.

James Renforth was swaying from side to side and not producing any effort.

James Renforth finally collapsed into the lap of the rower behind him.

James Renforth had been known to collapse with a seizure after a race in the past.

James Renforth's body was brought home to Tyneside and he was buried in St Edmund's Cemetery, Gateshead.