WATERMEN's HALL TWO
Cold Harbour: the old site of Watermen's Hall. The Company was founded in 1514.An item signed Alan Hamilton, in The Times, 1st August 1982, contains some interesting details about the Doggett's Race. He points out that the watermen were "the taxi drivers of their times". The History of the Origins and Progress of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames with Numerous Historical Notes, by Henry Humpherus, 1859, is a mine of information. I hadn't studied it properly at the time of the 1983 Chichester exhibition, but have finally managed to get hold of a copy. Closer reading tends more and more to the uneasy conviction that Monamy's painting is not of the first winner of the race, but actually portrays Jack Broughton, 1703-1789, the father of British bruisers, who won the race in 1730. Back to the drawing-board --- where, as the chess maestro said, the blunders are all waiting to be made. |
Watermen's Hall 1670? From Crace collection, BM.The above rather puzzling sketch appears, I believe, in the 1859 edition of The History, but seems to have been removed from the facsimile edition. Could there be a reason? Faith has been retained in another depiction, below, dated 1749, which appears on page 209, Vol II, of the reprinted volumes, published in 1981 by E.P.Microform. |
This engraving must have been based on the drawing below, inscribed with date.
Watermen's Hall 1740 --- or 1749? It's 1749. | | The sketch from 1749 depicts a number of extra bits and pieces, clearly added to the hall and its surroundings some time after Monamy's picture was painted. So what. It's obviously the same place.But the annals of Henry Humpherus record that on 29 August 1717 the Watermen's committee resolved to renew its lease in Coldharbour. In June 1719 the old hall was ordered to be pulled down. "The company seems to have taken immediate steps for the re-erection of the building." By 1721 "the building must have progressed, as it was ordered that a dial and new flag be provided for the new building". Vol II, p 112. |
Monamy obviously didn't paint his picture before the hall was rebuilt, and it therefore cannot portray the first winner of the race, except anachronistically, and the earliest sensible date to put on the painting is 1721 or even 1722. Another "tradition" bites the dust. So could the oarsman be a likeness of famous Jack Broughton, the winner in 1730? Next page |
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