Middlesbrough Amateur Boating Club

1866
Middlesbrough Amateur Rowing Club appear on the River Tees, their boathouse being some 3 miles downstream in the Newport area of that town. At this time the lowest river crossing is at Stockton Bridge - now the site of the present Victoria Bridge at Stockton. Middlesbrough ARC and Tees ARC regularly race each other on the Tees. The Stockton course being from Thornaby Wood to the Tees Boathouse, a distance of about one mile whilst the Middlesbrough course is over a similar distance on Billingham Reach. Old programmes in the Tees archives indicate that these were well attended events.

28th June 1930
The Yorkshire Post reported:
REGATTA MISHAP ON THE TEES - Two Brampton Rowers Drowned. The annual Tees Regatta at Middlesbrough, which dates back for 50 years was marred on Saturday by the death two competitors through the capsizing their craft. The victims of the accident which caused the abandonment of the regatta were two young men from Brampton, Cumberland, members of the Talkin Tarn Rowing Club. Their names are:— Ernest Black (23), bricklayer, Mark Terrace; and George Stanley Robinson (19), painter, of Main Street. Black's body was recovered late yesterday afternoon. The three survivors of the crew are J Mounsey (bow), J. Pearson (No. 3), H. Ritson (cox), who clung to the upturned boat. Black was the only son of Mr. T. Black an ex-member of the Leeds City Police Force, who retired on pension five years ago, and is now landlord of the String of Horses Hotel, Brampton. Robinson's mother is a widow, and is now left with one son, Harold, aged 15, and one daughter, Marjorie, aged 9. Robinson was the principal support to the home; his father, who was also a police constable having died at Brampton, when only 38 a few years ago.

STORY OF THE MISHAP. At the time of the accident on Saturday one of the best regatta programmes for many years was being carried out, near the Middlesbrough Amateur Boating Club's boathouse at Newport. The two victims were members of a Ialkin Tarn crew, who were taking part in a deciding race against the Bede College crew, with whom they had previously reached a dead-heat in a contest for four-oared craft. When just in sight of the finishing post, the Talkin Tarn boat capsized, and two of the crew, G.S. Robinson, who rowed stroke, and Ernest Black, who rowed No.2, were drowned. The water at the time was very choppy, largely owing to a strong breeze blowing down the river. The Teesmouth lifeboat was passing at the time of the accident, and immediately made for the sinking craft. A pleasure boat and a lighter, and a coble rowed by two river policemen, and other craft on the river also went to it. Members of competing crews who were on the river bank shouted to the rescuers, “Turn the boat over." but those for whom the advice was intended were too far away to hear, and some of those who had made the advice was intended were too far away to hear, and some of those who had made the suggestion, realising this, plunged into the water to render assistance. When, however, the boat was righted the two men already named were missing. One member of the crew had disappeared almost immediately the craft was seen to be in trouble. For a moment or two the other four were seen struggling in the water, and then it was observed that only three were making any attempt to swim. Two members of the crew and the coxswain were rescued by boats which went to their assistance. A tear in the canvas of the Talkin Tarn boat had been repaired, and it is thought just possible that the rough water may have penetrated the weak spot and caused the mishap. The regatta was, of course abandoned.

1935
By 1935 the club had lost their boathouse due to the building of a new bridge across the Tees and the club had become fairly inactive. Three trophies owned by the club were 'loaned' to Tees ABC for open competition at their regatta. These trophies were the Ironmasters Cup, Middlesbrough Cup and Masons Cup.

1939
By 1939 a few MABC members were boating from the Tees ABC boathouse and it was felt that the end was near for the Middlesbrough ABC. Talks were underway about a merger but some members of the Middlesbrough Club were keen to keen to keep a separate identity.

1946 - 1950
Middlesbrough add their cash assets to the assets of Tees ABC to form Tees Amateur Rowing Club. By then the Tees assets were only a site as their timber boathouse had collapsed during the war. Pre-war stalwarts such as Frank Hall and his business partner Alf Tomlinson lead the club's reformation.... An old army hut is acquired, equipment begged and borrowed and members recruited.