King's College Boat Club is the rowing club for members of King's College, Cambridge. The first record of King’s rowing is in 1838.
In 1973, women row at King’s for the first time, forming a women's boat club under the name Queen Margaret of Anjou Boat Club (QMABC). The name QMABC was dropped in 1996, and all King's crews since have rowed under King's College Boat Club.
By 1840 King’s reached 7th position in the Lent Bumps, before losing places and being taken off in 1842. King's make a brief return in the ‘Sloggers’ races (qualifying bumps races) in 1845-6 before disappearing.
In 1853, King’s returns, quickly becomes head of the ‘Sloggers’ and rises 6 places in 6 days in the First Division. When CUBC creates two smaller divisions in 1854, King’s climbs back into the first division for the second successive year. However, they are taken off in 1855, possibly due to new CUBC rules regarding the eligibility of certain rowers.
In 1867, F.E. Cunningham becomes the first Blue from King’s, whilst the uniform is agreed in 1868 including a white coat bounded by King’s colours, caps for the Lents and straw hats in the Mays.
In 1875, King’s produce a second boat for the first time, but they fail to get on.
In 1973, women row at King’s for the first time, forming a women's boat club under the name Queen Margaret of Anjou Boat Club (QMABC). Queen Margaret of Anjou was the Queen Consort to King Henry VI, who founded King's College. Sally Millership coxes the Men’s 2nd VIII, having been prevented from coxing M1 as the Amateur Rowing Association (ARA) decide mixed crews are not allowed (the M1 wanted to row in ARA events). The following year she becomes the first female member of a King’s M1 boat.
The King's 1st men's VIII have spent most of their history in the second division of the Lent and May Bumps. In 1897, King's reached 4th in the Lent Bumps, but subsided back into the 2nd division just four years later. A few brief periods in the first division have followed, but in the mid-1980s, the 1st VIII found themselves in the 3rd division for the first time ever. In 2005, King's managed to reach the first division for the first time since 1976. This position was consolidated in 2006 and 2007 with a further three bumps in both years, and another two in 2008, finishing 9th. The following year saw a drop of three places, two of which were recovered in 2010, but two successive years of spoons saw King's fall back to the second division. 2013 saw the previous year's result reversed with blades being awarded ensuring that the stay in the 2nd division only lasted one day.
