page_title: Doggett's Coat and Badge
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Doggett's Coat and Badge / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Frederick William Pearce's Doggett Badge won in 1916 pictured with his Father Frederick Pearce who also won the Doggetts race in 1894. Both are wearing the Doggetts winners coats.
context_page_description: Doggett's Coat and Badge is the prize and name for the oldest rowing race in the world. Up to six apprentice watermen of the River Thames in England compete for this prestigious honour, which has been held every year since 1715. The 4 miles 5 furlongs race is rowed on the River Thames upstream from London Bridge to Cadogan Pier, Chelsea, passing under a total of eleven bridges en route. Originally, it was raced every 1 August against the outgoing tide, in the boats used by watermen to ferry passengers across the Thames. Today it is raced at a date and time, often in September, that coincides with the incoming tide, in contemporary single sculling boats.
  The winner's prize is a traditional watermen's red coat with a silver badge added, displaying the horse of the House of Hanover and the word "Liberty", in honour of the accession of George I to the throne. In addition, each competitor who completes the course receives a miniature of a Doggett's Badge for their lapel in a ceremony at Watermen's Hall, in silver for the winner and in bronze for the others.
context_section_description: Thomas Doggett was an Irish actor and comedian who became joint manager of Drury Lane Theatre. He relied heavily upon the watermen of the Thames, who were then the equivalent of the modern taxi driver, to convey him between the various plying stairs near his workplaces in the City of London and his residence in Chelsea. There is a legend that in 1715 Doggett was rescued by a waterman after falling overboard whilst crossing the Thames near Embankment. Although this has always been dismissed, along with other myths, by the Fishmongers' Company, the story continues that in gratitude for his rescue he offered a rowing wager to the fastest of six young watermen in their first year of freedom, over the course between "The Swan" pub at London Bridge and "The Swan" pub at Chelsea. Rowing wagers were common in those days, but this one was unique: Doggett set the wager to be a traditional red watermens' coat, but, being a "great Whig in Politics", Doggett arranged the race for 1 August each year, and had the coat furnished with a silver badge "representing Liberty", to commemorate the accession to the throne on 1 August 1714 of George I of the House of Hanover. The current badge prominently features both the word "Liberty" and an image of the horse, an emblem of the House of Hanover.
  The race was organised and financed by Doggett each year from 1715 until his death in 1721. In his will, Doggett left specific instructions for the continuation of the race, which is now held by the Fishmongers' Company, a livery company of the City of London. However, over the ages, several particulars have changed:
  Originally, the race was run against the tide, but since 1873 it has been run with the incoming tide.
  It was intended to be held each "1st day of August forever", but now often occurs in September, with the precise date and time depending on the tides.
  The intention was that competitors should race in the boats of their passenger-ferrying trade. At first these boats were four-seater passenger wherries (which could take nearly two hours to row the distance), later "old fashion boats", then "best" boats, then clinker gigs, then modified best boats. Since 1769 the Fishmongers' Company has set regulations; these state that all vessels must be "common Scullers Boats" and examined by the Company. Contemporary single sculls are now used and take about 30 minutes to race the course.
  Lots were originally drawn at Watermen's Hall but are now drawn at Fishmongers' Hall due to unfair practices.
  As the population of watermen has declined, since 1988 the event has been open to unsuccessful competitors to row again in their second and third years of freedom.
caption: Frederick William Pearce's badge from winning the 1916 Doggett's race pictured alongside his father and previous winner from 1894, both wearing the Doggett's coats
exif: {"Image Tag 0x000B": "Windows Photo Editor 10.0.10011.16384", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image Software": "Windows Photo Editor 10.0.10011.16384", "Image DateTime": "2018:10:27 16:06:54", "Image ExifOffset": "2242", "Image Padding": "[]", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "96", "Thumbnail YResolution": "96", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "4516", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "7170", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2018:08:11 12:01:54", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2018:08:11 12:01:54", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "00", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "00", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF Padding": "[]"}