Scrapbook of Samuel and Elizabeth Logan and family

Samuel Logan grew up in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. He established a boat building business and he and Elizabeth had six children including my great grandfather, John Maxwell Logan.

Early Cambridge and Oxford Races

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Early Cambridge and Oxford Races

Cambridge Chronicle and Journal - Saturday 13 April 1878

Between the hours of ten and eleven this morning the sixteen representative oarsmen of Oxford and Cambridge, about whose daily practice so much concern has been manifested during the past ten or eleven weeks, will meet in the presence of large multitudes of people to decide the thirty-fifth Inter-University Race on the Thames, and the result will be awaited with the keenest interest in all parts of the country

What a different state of things now prevail as compared with the first race nearly fifty years ago! On Wednesday, the 10th of June, 1829, Oxford easily beat their rivals over a two-and-half miles course at Henley. But there was no universal interest centred in the match, and, even had there been, there was no telegraph to flash the result to all part of the globe, as will be the case this morning. And if the surroundings of the race at the two periods furnish a contrast, much more so do the boats and appliances.

Dr. Selwyn

In the place of the light and handsome cedar-built craft of to-day, fitted with outriggers and sliding seats, and made to suit a crew of a given weight, they had ponderous inrigged cutters to propel, by means of square oars with small blades. Yet they did some doughty deeds in those days and the records of them are not lost.

We may note in passing that among those in the first Cambridge crew were the Bishop of Lichfield (Dr. G. A. Selwyn), who died on Thursday last, and the Dean of Ely (Dr. Merivale).

The second race was rowed in June, 1836, from Westminster to Putney, called six miles, and Cambridge this time turned the tables on their opponents. Upon referring to our file of the Chronicle for that period we find that the interest in the "cutter match" (as it was called) had begun to grow, for, notwithstanding unpropitious weather, "the river at Westminster presented a phalanx of splendid cutters; nearly the whole of the elite of the river amateurs assembled on the occasion; and the various bridges were crowded with spectators."

The Cantabs rowed in a boat built by Logan of Cambridge, and they beat their rivals by one minute, the duration of the race being 36 (?) minutes.

In the year 1845, the scene of action was changed to the present course—from Putney to Mortlake. The race was rowed on March 15, and our records again speak of the "lively interest" which the "great aquatic event" created.

The Cambridge crew went to Putney three days before the race, and rowed in a Second Trinity eight, by Logan, not caring to jeopardise their chance by taking to "a very fine cutter, of very peculiar construction, built by Messrs. Searle," launched two days before the contest. They won the race by 30 secs., the time being 23½ minutes. It is noteworthy that the coxswains weighed 9st. 2lb. and 10st. 10lb.

In the following year outrigged boats where first used; ten years later (1857) the present style of keel-less boats came into service; and five years ago sliding seats were adopted. While these variations in appliances have been going on, and advances have been made towards perfection alike in apparatus and oarsmanship, it need hardly be said that in one respect there has been no change, and that is as to the extreme fairness of the race.

As in 1829 so in 1878, the best crew (ceteris paribus) will win. At present Cambridge want one to secure a balance of victory, they having won sixteen times to Oxford's seventeen. The cognoscenti seem to think that the event this year will go against the Light Blues, but their friends are not entirely without hope, and we know that the most promising speculations sometimes get upset.

We shall see.

Results

The 35th Boat Race took place on 13 April 1878.

The winner was Oxford with a margin of victory of 10 lengths and a winning time of 22 minutes and 15 seconds. The overall record was Cambridge (16 wins) and Oxford (18 wins) - the previous years race had been declared a "dead heat".

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The combined photos in the heading are believed to be Samuel and Elizabeth Logan nee Charles. This was the second marriage for Samuel having married Hester Rutt who had been widowed with young children under tragic circumstances.
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