Walter Bradford Woodgate

"Walter Bradford Woodgate (1841-1920), British oarsman and barrister, was born at Belbroughton, Worc., Sept. 20 1841. He was the eldest son of Canon Henry Arthur Woodgate, who was a fellow of St. John's College, Oxford, and Bampton lecturer in 1838. He was educated at Radley College, and Brasenose College, Oxford, and during his undergraduate course he founded Vincents' Club. In 1872 he was called to the bar; but it is as a first-class oarsman and journalistic critic of rowing that he is remembered. He rowed for his own college, and in 1862 and 1863 in the winning eight for Oxford. In 1864 he won the Diamond sculls after a dead heat two years previously (see 23.784), and in 1865 he was in the winning eight for the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley. He contributed the volume on Boating to the Badminton Library, and also wrote Oars and Sculls, and how to use them (1889) and the Reminiscences of an Old Sportsman (1909). He was also the author of A Modern Layman's Faith (1893) and of one or two novels. He died at Southampton Nov. I 1920.