Torpids 1891

BUMPS CHART

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 Christ Church 34 34 Christ Church 2 Brasenose 32 32 Brasenose 3 Balliol 27 30 New College 4 New College 26 25 Balliol 5 Corpus Christi 17 17 Corpus Christi 6 Queen's 13 13 Queen's 7 Keble 13 13 Keble 8 Exeter 12 12 Exeter 9 Magdalen 12 10 Magdalen 10 Trinity 8 9 Merton 11 Merton 7 7 Trinity 12 St John's 6 6 St John's 13 Hertford 6 5 Hertford 14 Oriel 5 4 Pembroke 15 Pembroke 3 3 Wadham 16 Wadham 3 3 Lincoln 17 Lincoln 3 2 Oriel 18 University 2 2 Worcester 19 Worcester 2 2 St Catherine's 20 St Catherine's 1 1 University 21 Jesus 1 1 Jesus

STATISTICS College All Crews [ ]=rank Crews Bps Avg New College 2[ 1] 3[ 1] 1.50[ 5] Balliol 2[ 1] 2[ 2] 1.00[ 6] Pembroke 1[ 8] 2[ 2] 2.00[ 1] Merton 1[ 8] 2[ 2] 2.00[ 1] Worcester 1[ 8] 2[ 2] 2.00[ 1] St Catherine's 1[ 8] 2[ 2] 2.00[ 1] Wadham 1[ 8] 1[ 7] 1.00[ 6] Lincoln 1[ 8] 1[ 7] 1.00[ 6] Jesus 1[ 8] 1[ 7] 1.00[ 6] Exeter 2[ 1] 0[10] 0.00[10] St John's 1[ 8] 0[10] 0.00[10] Christ Church 2[ 1] 0[10] 0.00[10] Queen's 1[ 8] 0[10] 0.00[10] Corpus Christi 1[ 8] 0[10] 0.00[10] Brasenose 2[ 1] 0[10] 0.00[10] Keble 2[ 1] -1[16] -0.50[16] Trinity 1[ 8] -1[16] -1.00[17] Hertford 1[ 8] -1[16] -1.00[17] University 1[ 8] -3[19] -3.00[20] Magdalen 2[ 1] -4[20] -2.00[19] Oriel 1[ 8] -6[21] -6.00[21]

• 6 days: Wed 18 – Tue 24 Feb 1891
• On the last day the top 19 boats all rowed over (in fact there was only one bump among all 28 boats).
• Coverage of Torpids starts in The Times, Mon 23 Feb 1891.
• The Times Wed 25 Feb mentions that Div II started at 3pm.

• Notes from Sherwood

  A great frost. Torpids postponed.

• From the main text of Sherwood (p.48)

  A great frost; the ice ten to fourteen inches thick. The Torpids skated down the river to Sandford and rowed on a short piece of open water below the lock. As the outlook seemed hopeless, the ice being strong enough to bear a coach and four, the races were postponed for a fortnight. This arrangement brought a hornets' nest about the ears of the committee, as the races would in this case clash with Moderations; and the ice breaking up very suddenly, another meeting was called, and the races postponed only for a week. As this clashed with the O.U.A.C. [OU Athletics Club?] fixtures, they were finally settled to begin on Wednesday and end the following Tuesday.

• The Times Mon 23 Feb

  Oxford University Torpid Races

  The weather on Saturday was dull, cold, and cheerless. In the second division three bumps were made. Brasenose Second were hard pressed by Pembroke from the start, and the latter eventually secured them near the Corpus barge. Oriel again went down, Wadham catching them at the boathouse. Magdalen Second were bumped by Worcester before reaching the entrance to the Cherwell. The best race, however, was between University and Exeter Second, and although the latter overlapped several times in the last 300 yards they failed to touch them.

  In the first division an exciting race was anticipated for the headship, but Brasenose showed better form than on Friday and led at the finish by a length. There was again no bump in this division, but Trinity only escaped St. John's by a couple of yards

• The Times Tue 24 Feb

  Oxford University Torpid Races

  The racing yesterday attracted an immense number of spectators. In the second division Oriel for the fifth successive time lost a place, Lincoln effecting their downfall just before reaching the New Cutting. Magdalen Second succumbed to the Unattached [St Catherine's] at Saunders-bridge; and after a desperate race with Exeter Second, who were within two or three yards from them for the whole of the last half-mile, University passed the post two yards in advance.

  In the first division New gained considerably on Brasenose up Iffley Reach, and no more than a length separated them at the Gut. This was reduced to half-a-length by the time Saunders-bridge was reached, but from that point Brasenose held their own, and, finishing with a capital spurt, they retained the leadership by half-a-length, for the third time in succession. There was no bump in this division.

• The Times Wed 25 Feb

  The Oxford University Torpid Races

  The Oxford Torpid races were brought to a successful termination yesterday. The second division started at 3 o'clock in the following order :— Hertford, Pembroke, Brasenose II, Wadham, St. Catherine's, Magdalen II, University, Exeter II, Jesus, Keble II. Wadham had to row hard to escape Lincoln, who put in a splendid spurt at the finish. Oriel lost their sixth place by falling to Balliol II., who secured them at the Willows.

  In the first division the order of starting was — Brasenose, New College, Balliol, Christ Church, Corpus, Christ Church II, Queen's, Keble, Exeter, Merton, Magdalen, Trinity, St. John's, New College II, Hertford. All interest centred in the race for the headship between Brasenose and New College, and another magnificent struggle was witnessed. Brasenose kept well away up to the to boathouse, but after passing their barge New steadily drew up, and, putting in a splendid spurt from the Cherwell, they rapidly overhauled the leaders, who at the finish had but three yards to spare. The success of Brasenose was enthusiastically received, this being the sixth successive year they have left off head of the river. There was no bump in this division.

• In other news ... [1891]

  Monarch: Queen Victoria

  Prime Minister: Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Conservative)

  14 Feb

  In the FA Cup quarter final in English Association football, a goal is deliberately stopped by handball on the goal line. An indirect free kick is awarded, since the penalty kick, proposed the previous year by William McCrum, has not yet been implemented. This event probably changes public opinion on the penalty kick, seen previously as an Irishman's motion.

  15 Feb

  Allmänna Idrottsklubben (AIK) sports club is founded in Stockholm, Sweden.

  21 Feb

  Springhill, Nova Scotia suffers a serious mining disaster.

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