St Edmund Hall Boat Club
St Edmund Hall Boat Club
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St Edmund Hall Boat Club

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St Edmund Hall Boat Club

St Edmund Hall Boat Club (commonly abbreviated to SEHBC) is a rowing club for members of St Edmund Hall, Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is based in its own boathouse on the Isis.

The Summer Eights of 1934 was perhaps the most successful in SEHBC's history until that point and were the first Summer Eights in which SEHBC entered two crews. The 1st VIII first won promotion to the 1st Division, with seven bumps over the six days of racing, and the 2nd VIII started at the bottom of the bottom 5th Division and won promotion to the 4th Division also with seven bumps.

The Times of Thursday 24 May 1934 reported that - "The racing in the Summer Eights was concluded at Oxford yesterday when Oriel retained the Headship of the River. ... St. Edmund Hall continued their victorious career with a bump over St. John's in Iffley Reach and this completed a record in gaining seven bumps in the six days' racing. St. Edmund Hall has been steadily gaining a reputation in other branches of sport although they only number 120, this is the first occasion on which they have ever made their way into the First Division. Not satisfied with this their second crew, which started bottom but one in the Fifth Division, also made seven bumps, which put them well into the Fourth Division. ... This remarkable achievement was equalled also by Queen's II, who, starting fourth in the Fourth Division, finished ninth in the Third."

Torpids were suspended during World War I, resuming in 1920. SEH remained in the 3rd Division for the 1920s, gradually working its way up, finishing head of the 3rd Division in Torpids 1930. Moving into the 2nd Division for the first time in 1931, the SEH VIII got six bumps in the then six day Torpids format. The rowing correspondent of The Times commented on the success of SEH "who are now taking a prominent place in every branch of sport at Oxford."

Torpids 1933 saw the best SEH performance in Torpids to date, with the VIII getting six bumps and winning promotion for the first time to the 1st Division. The Times noted that "St. Edmund Hall eclipsed all their previous performances on the river by making no fewer than four bumps in the First Division, with a record of six altogether."

SEHBC put out a 2nd VIII for the first time in Torpids 1935, being entered in the new 4th Division, and making six bumps and winning promotion to the 3rd Division. The 1st VIII got four bumps in the 1st Division, and finished third on the river, its highest ever place. The 2nd VIII made four bumps in 1936, with the 1st VIII dropping to fifth on the river. British Pathe footage exists of the 1936 Torpids (crews unknown) from 'News in a Nutshell' (from about 30–60 sec in).

The 1st VIII regained its third position in Torpids 1937, and after being bumped on the first day, the 2nd VIII made four bumps. After an intense series of races in Torpids 1938, with the Times correspondent expecting SEH to secure the headship for the first time in their career, the 1st VIII finished second on the river after New College. The tables were turned in the 1939 Torpids. The Times records a series of close races in the 1st Division, with New College winning by only a few feet, until the 1st VIII got its bump, finishing Head of the River for the first time. The Times commented that "it was a red letter day for St. Edmund Hall, one of the smallest of Oxford colleges, who realized their ambition by wresting the Headship of the River from New College. St. Edmund Hall have always maintained their rowing traditions, notwithstanding the difficulties they have experienced in manning an eight, which on one occasion forced them to transfer their coxswain to the bow thwart." The 2nd VIII bumped its way to the head of the 3rd Division, making Torpids 1939 SEHBC's most successful rowing campaign to date.

Notably, the 3rd VIII achieved six bumps on the then six days in 1952, and repeated that achievement in both 1953 and in 1954 (although 1954 saw the introduction of the four race Summer Eights format, with the SEH 3rd VIII bumping on all four days).

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