William Elliott

William Elliott was born at Hay Farm, Northumberland, 28 November 1849 and was the Professional Sculling Champion of England. He stood five feet seven and one half inches in height and untrained he weighed 176 pounds; trained, 167 pounds. Rowing career Elliott began his rowing career in 1875, when he defeated William, Martin, of Blyth, and afterwards J. Hogarth, the champion of the Wear. His third race was with J. Finnegan, who defeated him after a desperate race. In August 1875, he entered the Manchester and Sanford regatta. He rowed in the handicap single-scull race and won the first heat, defeating Cobbett, to whom he conceded five and a half lengths; but in the second series J. Anderson, of Hammersmith, beat him easily. In the final Nicholson and Smith came together, and the former was the winner. In March 1877, Elliott had displayed such form and made such fast rowing on the Tyne that he was entered to compete for the championship cup and £250, open to all comers. The race was rowed on the Tyne, distance 3 miles 713 yards. Robert Watson Boyd won and Elliott, with Nicholson and Lumsden were defeated. Elliott's first match of importance was against George Tarryer, of Bermondsey, which he won easily. Having beaten so good a man as the Thames sculler, who is credited with having rowed from Putney aqueduct to the Ship at Mortlake in the fastest time on record, his friends became jubilant, consequently they soon cast about for a fresh opponent, and on the Tyne, Robert Bagnall, of the Ouseburn, and William Nicholson went down before him. On 4 March 1878, Elliott again competed for the champion cup and £200 on the Tyne course, 3 miles 713 yards straightaway, his opponent being William Nicholson. Elliott rowed a grand race, rowing in high wind and rough water, and winning easily. These successes led the Newcastle people to think that they had another champion at hand ready to do battle for the championship, which had vanished from their sight by the last defeat of Boyd by Higgins, and there is little doubt at that time they really had got the best man in the north.