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A Brief History of
Medway Rowing Club was established in 1865 and the Tuffill family are generally acknowledged as the motivating force behind its formation. Undoubtedly there were others but the Tuffill's are attributed as being the mainstays guiding the club through its first twenty years. In Victorian times, the Annual Regatta at Rochester was a major event on the City calendar. The Rev. Pemberton Lloyd, who received his early education at Kings School, Rochester, alluded to the Medway Regatta and to Joshua Tuffill as follows: I can say with perfect truth that the first time that I had a keen pleasure in rowing was when I was a boy at Rochester School, and was able to go out in a boat and row on the Medway at Rochester. The whole pleasure I might also say amidst the many races was to see the sculling where one “Josh Tuffill” pulled through Rochester Bridge far ahead of all those contesting. We all knew “Josh” would win and we gazed from the Esplanade beneath the Castle grounds, and amidst breathless excitement, called out “Go it Josh.!” for Josh Tuffill to call him by his familiar name was a townsman of the place, a splendidly built man of six feet two inches. It mattered not who of the Engineers‘ officers rowed against him, our champion “Josh” was sure to leave them struggling far behind. Edwin Harris included the above extract in his book “The Riverside,” published in 1930, and he referred to the Medway Regatta as “one of the glories of the past.” For a few years during the 1880’s, the club experienced a lean period but with new and keen members it was soon able to re-establish its position. During the 1890’s it’s colour's were seen at Henley Royal Regatta and it’s crews became familiar visitors to many upriver regattas with Kingston being a particular favourite. Five members died as result of taking up the countries cause in the Great War, following which, more difficulty was experienced when starting up again. The resilience and enthusiasm of its members was enough to see it through and the Club continued with its original premise which was and still is the encouragement of rowing on the River Medway. In 1936 the Club established the Medway Head. It was raced over a course from the Marine Steps near Upnor to the raft moored off Rochester Pier. During the Second World War, more members were lost but the Club was able to reform and take its place on the starting line. In 1957 owing to the unpredictable nature of the springtime conditions of the River at Chatham and Rochester, the Club decided to move the Medway Head to a course at Maidstone where, under the umbrella of the Maidstone Rowing Committee, it is still held today. Locally, the late fifties saw a lull in interest in rowing which effected Medway Rowing Club and Chatham Rowing Club who by this time had moved to Gillingham. They both saw amalgamation as a solution and the merger resulted in the formation of Medway Towns Rowing Club. |
