The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-12-20
BRITISH AMAzONS
Women Who Could Pull an Oar
With the Best OF Men.
WON FAME ALL OVER EUROPE.
Ann Glanvile and Her Champions Not
Only Beat Their Own Coz ntrynnen'
but Went to HaVre and Outrowed
Halt a Dozen Crack French Crews.

Only Beat Their Own Coz ntrynnen'
but Went to Havre and Outrowed
Halt a Dozen Crack French Crews.
In the boat races that have from
time immemorial been rowed on the
Hamoaze, the estuary OF the lamar
and the Tavy that forms part OF the
harbor Of Plymouth. the women or
Saltash have often distinguished them
selves. In Around and About Saltash''
p. f.. B. Porter writes OF Ann Clan
vile, whose amazonian feats Of oars
manship made her famous all over Eu-
rope:
"Some sixty or seventy years ago the
crew OF Saltash women was often seen
not only on the Hamoaze, but wherever
aquatic sports were held 1t was not
often that Ann and the crew that she
stroked were beaten In a matCh-never
by other women.
"Tbey competed for prizes mt Hull.
LIVERPOOL, Portsmouth and Dartmouth,
and It must not be supposed that a
crew OF men ever yielded the palm out
of masculine courtesy, for, a5 a mat
ter of fact, the men did not at all relish
being beaten by parcel Of females
'In some OF these contests Mrs. Har'
riet Screech. q daughter Of Ann Clan
Vile, who had fourteen children, row
ed with her mother. AS she was the
youngest member Of the crew she
pulled bow oar, the least arduous post
In the boat.
once this crew, rowing match at
Fleetwood in the presence Of Queen
Victoria, gave the men so sound beat
ing that her majesty asked to have
Ann presented to her.
"uowever, the most famo1s event
OF AIMS life took place In 1880, when
Captain Russell OF III. NJ. S. Brunswick
suggested to her that she and her crew
should go to Havre to the regatta there
and challenge the Frenchmen, pro
posal to which she readily assented.
"When the Frenchmen heard OF the
challenge from les Anglalses de Salt
ashe they shrugged their shoulders,
for they scarcely regarded t as Sc
rious. And when the women appear
ed In their white friled caps prinked
out with blue ribbons, in their short
petticoats and white dresses, with blue
neckerchiefs tied over the shoulders
and crossed behind the back, they look
ed puzzled.
'The challenge Of the Englishwomen
created q stir not only In IlGvre, but
for miles along the French coast and
for many leagues inland too. And In
England the greatest interest was
aroused.
when the day Of the regatta came
there was a vast conCourse or people
to witness the contest Every quay,
hilltop and housetop from which view
Of the course could be had was crowd
ed. Every one was on tiptoe or eX'
pectation. Before the start the Salt
ash crew had pull round to show
themselves Their steady stroke, the
way In which they bent their backs to
their work and the perfect ease and
grace with which they pulled made
the French open their eyes
"Ann and her crew had not the best
start possible nor at first did they
have the advantage. Five minutes aft
er the start six boats were ahead OF
them. But they soon tested their op-
ponents' nerve. Ann, who had the
stroke oar, gave the word:
"'Bend your backs to II, maldens
and hurrah for old Englandr
zone by one. with cheer from old
| Ann. they passed the six boats. At
last they drove their boat. with the
British color flying gayly at The fore,
! into the lead. 1t was long course
and hard pull. but they soundly
| tbrashed the Frenchmcn. Ann and her
'maidens' beat them by 100 yards. The
members of this famous crew were
Ann Glanville Harriet uosking. Jane
House and Amelia Lee. A man acted
as coxswain
Mrs. House was so elated at the
victory that on reaching the commit.
tee boat she plunged into the water.
dlved under the vessel and 'ame up
with dripping and dropping cap on
the opposite side.
"Ann Ganville died in 1880. at The
age OF eighty-fve. dignifed, vigorous
and handsome to the last Her char.
acter was summed up by a neighbor
IN these words:
"'Her was honest to a farthng, clean
as smelt and kind hearted ms a
|