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Champion Oarsman
Robert Bagnall (1849-1910), known as Bob Bagnall, was a Tyne oarsman who came to prominence during a period of the 19th century in which a sequence of Tyne-based scullers dominated the sport in the UK and became champions of England and the world. Robert Bagnall competed alongside and against the eminent scullers of the day such as James Renforth, Joseph H.Saddler and Harry Kelley in single-sculls, pairs and fours. During the period 1870 to 1878 he was among the rowers who vied for supremacy following the earlier dominance in the 1850s by Harry Clasper, Robert Chambers and others, making one well-documented challenge to become World Champion in 1874. He was an active supporter of the sport after ceasing competitive involvement in 1878, and was considered to be the last of the 'old school' of scullers.

In one of his races his team were the first to row competitively using an innovative sliding seat which later became standard in racing boats.

Member of the Taylor-Winship Crew
Robert Bagnall enjoyed his greatest success as a member of a four comprising: Taylor, Saddler, Bagnall, Winship. The team travelled together from Liverpool, arriving in Halifax on August 21st 1871.

Race at Halifax

The race at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 31st August 1871 was Robert Bagnall's most noted overseas victory in fours sculling and received widespread press coverage. The victory was somewhat tainted by the absence of James Renforth from the competing Tyne Crew following his sudden death in the race at the St. John's Regatta a week previously.

Race at Saratoga

Race on the Tyne - 'Championship of the World'

Individual Sculler
Robert Bagnall enjoyed great success as a single sculler. His 1875 race with John Lumsden is described as his greatest triumph and press reports at the time of his death claim that he won 14 consecutive races and that he had won 'more sculling matches than anyone else in the world'. In 1874 he was chosen as the prime challenger to Joseph Sadler for the Championship of the World in which he was defeated on the Thames Championship Course from Putney to Mortlake.

Descriptive Quotes
The four oars tour of Canada and America raised much public interest and press coverage and several press reporters filed in-depth descriptions of the Taylor-Winship crew:

Quote 1 - source

Personal Life
Robert was born 8th Feburuary 1849 at Ballast Hills, Ouseburn, Byker, Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Robert was the eldest child of Robert Bagnall, a waterman, and Elizabeth Bagnall (nee Charlton). He was baptised at All Saints Church on 3rd August 1851. On 1st January 1872 he married Sarah Ann Craig (nee Dowson), and together they had two stepchildren and five children.

During and after his rowing exploits between 1868 and 1878, he continued his occupation as a river waterman and publican. Robert died suddenly on 2nd January 1910 at the age of 60. He is buried in Byker and Heaton Cemetery alongside other members of the Bagnall family.

During his early life with his parents and family he lived in the Ouseburn Valley. In later life he lived in the nearby neighbourhoods of Byker and Heaton.

Rowing Career
Robert Bagnall began his rowing career as a 19 year old in 1868 with the Northern Club based on the Tyne. His first press reported race in 1871 marked the beginning of a year in which he was to be the youngest member of a team which competed and found notable success overseas -yr The Taylor-Winship Crew. In 1874 he had a tilt at the single scull World Championship as a challenger to the disputed champion Joseph H Saddler on the Thames Championship Course.

Chronology of Races
1st May 1871 Bagnall v Hepplewhite for which at 5.30am Redheugh Bridge opened to pedestrians for the first time. Bagnall victorious. Robert Bagnall bt. Ralph Hepplewhite, Tyne, £50. May 1. 1871.

Halifax Regatta (Nova Scotia) – The Four-Mile Race won by the Taylor-Winship Crew

Halifax Fours race for £600. 1st: J.Taylor, R.Bagnall, J.H.Sadler, T.Winship. 2nd: Pryor's of Halifax. 3rd: J.Percy, J.Bright, H.Kelley, R.Chambers. 4th Biglin-Coulter of USA. Account of race in New York Times

August 1871 - Renforth's funeral attended by 150,000 reported in Newcastle Chronicle 24/08/1871 and further 11/09/1871.

22nd Nov 1871 High Level Bridge to Lemington Point £200 Winship Crew (Taylor-Sadler-Bagnall-Winship) beat Renforth Chambers Crew (Percy-Bright-Kelly-Chambers) by 3 lengths in 26 min 48 sec over 41/2 mile course on the Tyne. Bagnall; 22 years; 5’8”; 10st7lb.

1872 Robert Bagnall beat Mark Addy (Manchester) on the Thames by 2 lengths in 29min 55secs. Robert Bagnall bt. Mark Addy, 29:55, £100, May 1872. And on the Tyne? R. Bagnall bt. M. Addey, 2 miles, £100, Nov. 4, 1872.

1873

The Congress of the Cooperative Society 1873 was held in the Mechanics' Institution of Newcastle-on-Tyne;  The Congress also made acquaintance with the oarsmen of the Tyne. A race over four miles of water between Robert Bagnall and John Bright was postponed until the Wednesday, as Mr. Cowen thought it might entertain us to see it, and it was worth seeing, for a pluckier pull never took place on the old Norse war-path of the turbulent Tyne.

August 11th 1873 – match between Harry Kelley and Robert Bagnall on the Tyne for £200 a side. Report 19th July 1873 Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 - 1907). Sydney NSW

Robert Bagnall beat Harry Kelley by 4 lengths in 27 min 18 sec. High Level Bridge-Scotswood Bridge. Sporting Life; Report 1st Nov 1873 Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 - 1907). Sydney NSW Bobert Bagnall bt. H. Kelley, Tyne, 3 miles 713 yds., 27:18, £400, Aug. 11, 1873.

16th April 1874 World Professional Sculling Championship - J.H.Sadler beat R.Bagnall (Newcastle) Putney to Mortlake 24 mins 15 secs. Full Report of Race in Daily News April 17th; Report 20th June 1874 Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 - 1907). Sydney NSW

1874 Lumsden & Boyd beat Winship & Bagnall in a pairs match

1875

Robert Bagnall bt. W. Lumsden, Tyne, 3 miles., £200, March 9, 1875.

11 June 1876 William Lumsden beat Robert Bagnall. Report 24th June 1876 Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 - 1907). Sydney NSW

March 1877 William Elliott beat Robert Bagnall

In March 1877, William Elliott had displayed such form and made such fast rowing on the Tyne that he was entered to compete for the championship cup and £250, open to all comers. The race was rowed on the Tyne, distance 3 miles 713 yards. Robert Watson Boyd won and Elliott, with Nicholson and Lumsden were defeated.

Elliott's first match of importance was against George Tarryer, of Bermondsey, which he won easily. Having beaten so good a man as the Thames sculler, who is credited with having rowed from Putney aqueduct to the Ship at Mortlake in the fastest time on record, his friends became jubilant, consequently they soon cast about for a fresh opponent, and on the Tyne, Robert Bagnall, of the Ouseburn, and William Nicholson went down before him.

15th January 1878; William Elliott beat Robert Bagnall on the Tyne course by four lengths W. Elliott bt. R. Bagnall, Tyne, 30:05, £100, Jan. 15, 1878.

Later Involvement
Following a successful rowing career Robert Bagnall was involved in training and supporting local scullers and promotion of the sport. In honour of his contribution to the sport later rowing events on the Tyne, namely the Bagnall's Handicap Final, took his name.

A report of his sudden death in January 1910 states that 'While engaged in tending his boats at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne he was seized with dizziness fell in a fit and died before a doctor could be called.' - his death was elsewhere attributed to a brain haemorrhage.