Robert Coombes
| Robert Coombes | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1808 England |
| Died | 1860 |
| Nationality | British |
| Title | World champion sculler |
| Term | 1846-1851 |
| Predecessor | Charles Campbell (Oarsman) |
| Successor | Tom Cole (Oarsman) |
Robert Coombes (1808 – 25 February 1860), celebrated professional oarsman and Champion Sculler, was born at Vauxhall, Surrey.
A waterman from an early age, Coombes spent his life on the river Thames. Although small even for his time (he was about 5-foot-7-inch (1.70 m) tall and his rowing weight was generally less than 9 stone), Coombes consistently beat men who were his superiors in strength and size through his superior skill and attentive training.
His first public race was for the Duke of Northumberland’s purse of sovereigns on 4 July 1836. In 1841, Coombes in a sculling boat beat a two pairs boat at the Greennock Regatta. His principal sculling matches were against Kipping, John Kelley, Jack Phelps, Charles Campbell, Tom Cole, Tom MacKinning, Robert Newell, and Henry Clasper, and his most important pair oared raced was rowed with his brother, Tom Coombes, as a partner against the two Claspers.
In sculling Coombes beat the majority of the best professional scullers on the circuit. On 3 October 1888, he beat John Kelley from Westminster to Putney but as Kelley had had a small accident during the race they agreed to meet again the following day, when Kelley was beaten easily. This was the first professional match without fouling of which there is any record.
Coombes rowed as well as sculled and as an oarsman his achievements were also numerous, both in fours and pairs. Some of these races are as follows; Won with J Phelps an oars match, Westminster to Putney, 30 Sept 1839, beating another pair. Won a four oar match, rowing stroke, the Champion Purse, against Liverpool July 1840. The four were known as "The Sons of the Thames." Nearly the same four won the first prize of 1000 franks at the Havre Regatta in July 1840. Coombes rowing stroke in the London crew of four beat a Newcastle crew for £150 a side, over five miles, at Newcastle. Time 29m.31s. 16 July 1842. Again rowing stroke he and three others took the purse at the Henley Regatta in June 1845. At the Thames Regatta the same month Coombes and Wilson beat a number of pairs for the grand prize of a new wherry and a purse of sixty guineas. In 1847 Coombes and his brother Thomas beat R & H Clasper in a pair-oared match with coxswains and for £100 a side on the Thames. The Coombes and Clasper brothers were not always rivals as the four teamed up, with another Clasper as cox, to win the four-oared Champion prize in 1849.
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