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The biography of the comic actor Thomas Doggett and the famous Coat and Badge Race which he founded for watermen on the River Thames.
Contents:
Part I. The Man
By Theodore Andrea Cook
Chapter I The Fame of Actors 3
Chapter II Bartholomew Fair 10
Chapter III Drury Lane 21
Chapter IV Pugnacious Thomas 31
Chapter V River Traffic and London Theatres 36
Chapter VI Off the Stage 48
Chapter VII Doggett's Bequest 60
Part II.¿The Race
By Guy Nickalls
Chapter VIII Thames Watermen 71
Chapter IX Some Famous Watermen, 1700-1800 81
Chapter X History of Doggett's Race 86
Chapter XI List of Winners 98
Chapter XII Some Famous Winners 109
Chapter XIII Accounts of the Best Races 116
Chapter XIV Other Thames Wagers 167
Appendices
Appendix I Epitome of The Country Wake 171
Appendix II Notice of the Race Published in 1901 174
Appendix III The Competitors for 1906 176
Appendix IV Gravesend Watermen 177
List of contents
Part I. The Man By Theodore Andrea Cook Chapter I The Fame of Actors 3 Chapter II Bartholomew Fair 10 Chapter III Drury Lane 21 Chapter IV Pugnacious Thomas 31 Chapter V River Traffic and London Theatres 36 Chapter VI Off the Stage 48 Chapter VII Doggett's Bequest 60 Part II. - The Race By Guy Nickalls Chapter VIII Thames Watermen 71 Chapter IX Some Famous Watermen, 1700-1800 81 Chapter X History of Doggett's Race 86 Chapter XI List of Winners 98 XII Some Famous Winners 109 XIII Accounts of the Best Races 116 Chapter XIV Other Thames Wagers 166 Appendices I Epitome of The Country Wake 170 II Notice of the Race Published in 1901 172 III. The Competitors for 1906 174 IV Gravesend Watermen 175
About the author
Sir Theodore Andrea Cook (1867-1928) studied Classics at Wadham College, Oxford, where he won a Rowing Blue. After graduating, he stayed on in Oxford as a private tutor, teaching, among others, Ralph Pulitzer, son of the founder of the Pulitzer Prize. As a member of the council of the British Olympic Association, he played a major role in bringing the Games to London in 1908. Cook later became a sporting journalist on the Daily Telegraph before being appointed Editor-in-Chief of The Field. In this unlikely setting, he wrote a series of articles attacking German militarism, published in book form as The Mark of the Beast. He was knighted in 1916. Guy Nickalls (1866-1935) went to Eton where he rowed with great success, winning the Ladies' Plate in 1885. He continued his rowing at Magdalen College, Oxford. Nickalls won a gold medal in the 1908 Olympic Games, rowing in a Leander eight at the age of nearly forty-two. He died from injuries sustained in a car crash in 1935.
