John Hawdon

John Hawdon was a professional oarsman from Seaton Delaval, Northumberland.

28th July 1877
Bells' Life reported:
John Hawdon of New Delaval entered the Wear Handicap held at Chester-le-Street but failed to show for his race.

March 1878
Bell's Life reported:
Dissatisfied with his recent defeat, John Robert Hymes of Stockton has thrown down the gauntlet to John Hawdon of Delaval for another race, and the latter has accepted the challenge. The men have signed articles to row in best-and-best boats from the low end of the Dunston Gangway to the rails at the end of John Hepplewhite's house, a distance of about a mile, on the 30th March for £25 a side. It is intended that the race shall be rowed on reasonably smooth water and power is vested in the Referee to order the race to be rowed either upriver between the above points of the flood tide or downriver on the ebb tide, according to the state of the water. The first deposit of £10 a side is now in the hands of William Blakey of the Adelaide Hotel, Newcastle, who is the appointed stakeholder, and the final deposit of £15 a side falls due at that gentleman's house on Friday March 29th. Mr. John Blenkinsop of the Northern Rowing Club is appointed Umpire and he is also empowered to name a distance judge.

6th February 1880
Bell's Life reported:
A match was made on Friday evening in which an "unknown" sculler was to give John Hawdon of Delaval four lengths start in a race between Scotswood Suspension Bridge and the Redheugh Bridge, about half a mile short of the usual Tyne course, on the following Saturday morning. The sculler to give the start turned out to be Robert Watson Boyd of Middlesbrough, then matched to row Elliott on the following Monday , the result of which is well-known. In addition to the stake money there was a level bet of £100 and the affair has caused considerable excitement in betting circles on Tyneside during the week. The race took place last Saturday morning and it seemed certainly an odd sort of thing to make a journey to witness a race at a time when the gaslights were in full blaze in the different workshops, and at Scotswood it was found that no arrangements had been made for the start. Mr. Oldham, the referee and starter, set to work to remedy this omission, but it took fully three-quarters of an hour to get the boats moored and things in order for the despatch. Neither of the competitors appeared to be in much of a hurry to get afloat, and it was a few minutes to eighth when Boyd launched the Beehive from Greensitt's. Hawdon followed in the James Percy, the boat he used when defeated by Hanlan. The Delaval sculler won the toss for choice of sides and selected the southern station. At the time a strong breeze blew form the west and the river was in a very lumpy state. As might have been expected from the brilliant form shown by Boyd on Monday, betting was completely paralyzed and the backers of the Middlesbrough man had to lay 4 to 1 on him. There was little anxiety to support Hawdon and the investments were very trifling in amount. Mr. Oldham took the men in charge at eight o'clock and ordered them to their stakeboats. Boyd then went over to the cutter in attendance upon him and when he stripped he showed in even finer condition than he did on Monday. He rowed at 11st 1lb or 3lb less than he did when he raced Elliott. While waiting about, Hawdon had shipped a lot of water and he had to return to shore to have his boat emptied; he then peeled and looked very hard and muscular; his weight being a shade over 11 st. He had no cutter in attendance but James Percy took up a position to pilot him from the Referee's boat. Just as the men got fairly settled at the stakeboats, there was a sudden squall of wind which affected Hawdon the most, and where he was the water was decidedly rough to start upon. Boyd's position was much more sheltered and he had the better rowing for the first 20 yards, which enabled him to get his boat fairly on to her legs at the commencement.

The competitors were despatched by pistol signal to an exceedingly good start. Boyd broke away with a magnificent swing of thirty to the minute, and Hawdon commenced with a light clip of 36. Boyd however, was going much the faster, and showing decidedly superior form, he closed up the gap between the boats with marvellous rapidity. Hawdon never rowed better in his life and although he worked as hard as it was possible for any man to do, yet he could not prevent Boyd from catching him, and it will scarcely be believed but the Middlesbrough man was level within 200 yards. Boyd still continuing his powerful 33 to the minute, instantly began to creep ahead and at the post at the foot of Scotswood haughs, he had drawn clear. He still further increased his lead to three lengths at Delaval jetty. Hawdon was clearly outmatched and the further they went, the further he dropped astern and at the mile point six lengths separated them. Although the Middlesbrough man then dropped down to an exercise paddle, his lead at the head of the Meadows was ten lengths. The race admits of no further description as Boyd was content with his ten lengths lead and won by that distance with the most ridiculous ease.

To those who have [persistently maintained that Hawdon was a first-class man, this race was a complete staggerer. Indeed, Boyd had his man completely safe almost the moment they started, and he certainly beat the Delaval man much more easily than did Hanlan when Hawdon was by no means up to the mark. The rowing of the week went far to show even should Boyd be pitted against the mighty Canadian, the old country will turn out a formidable candidate. Some difficulty, however, will be experienced to induce Boyd to leave his business for the time necessary for another preparation and for some months at least, there seems but little prospect of a meeting between the two best scullers in the world.

6th February 1880
Bell's Life reported:
Although two important events have recently been disposed of on the Tyne, two others of interest are to be brought off on the river next week. The first is set for Monday from the Mansion House to Scotswood Bridge, for £100 a side, between John Hawdon of Delaval and Joseph Kempster of Sunderland. The easy defeat which the former sustained last week at the hands of Robert Watson Boyd appear to have increased rather than depreciated the interest in Monday's race. When the match was made, and for some weeks afterwards, it was voted a good thing for Hawdon but now good judges have come to view it in a different light, and at the present time more [people are impressed with Kempster's chance of success than they are with that of the Delaval sculler. The last named has been judiciously eased through the week, but he is looked after by such good men as James Percy and Robert Patrick, that there is no fear of him being turned out cherry ripe on the day.

Harry Kempster has all along been in attendance upon his brother, from Mrs. Gibson's The Ord Arms Inn, Scotswood, and the Sunderland sculler is in tip top condition. On Monday, a gale from the South East swept over Tyneside throughout the day and the Tyne was like a miniature sea. Both men attempted some practice in the morning and put off about the same time, but they got no further than Delaval Jetty before the boats were filled with water and the competitors made a hasty retreat for Scotswood. Matters got even worse in the afternoon and neither man was afloat. On Tuesday, however, the morning was bright and clear but in the afternoon there was a south westerly breeze which made it all one-handed labour. Kempster got afloat in the Two Sisters about half past ten in the morning and at a good swinging pace went down upon the ebb to the foot of the Meadows where he turned and rowed leisurely back to Scotswood. Hawdon's morning journey was not quite so long, but he threw some energy into his work and made the turn at the head of the Meadows.

The Delaval sculler was first off in the afternoon and attended by Patrick went down to the Meadows where he whipped round and had a sharp burst at 34 to the minute to Scotswood. About 4 o'clock, Kempster embarked in Boyd's boat, the Beehive, and attended by his brother went as far as Dunston Gangway against the flood. On the return he kept up a uniform stroke of 33 to the minute and got good pace onto the boat. The weather continued fine on Wednesday and both men were off twice. In the morning Kempster embarked at the boathouse of Mr. Robert Jewitt, Dunston, in the John Batey, the craft he will use on Monday and after proceeding to the Redheugh Bridge, he had a sharp row to Scotswood against the ebb. Hawdon got afloat about 11 o'clock in the James Percy and had a row westwards as far as Lemington Point, where he turned and had a sharp burst of speed to Scotswood. Kempster was again first afloat in the afternoon but his spin from Greensitt's boathouse to about half way down the Meadows and back again was merely an exercise paddle. Hawdon's afternoon work was more important as, after taking matters leisurely to the Redheugh Bridge, he went back to Scotswood at top pressure and put in some good execution. On Thursday Newcastle was visited by another gale and the Tyne was very rough. Very little sculling practice was taken and the men engaged in strong land work instead. Mr. John Stephens, the energetic secretary of the River Police, had issued his regulations for the prevention of accidents on Monday next and and they are similar in effect to those for the recent Boyd and Elliott race.

13th August 1881
Bell's Life reported: The Chinnery Prizes - although he has not had so many opportunities to get fit as those he will probably meet in the Senior Chinnery Prize on the Thames, John Hawdon of Delaval is well forward in condition. and is rowing in such good form that unless he gets chopped by a flyer in his first heat, he will take some doing. Hawdon has succeeded in obtaining a week's holiday from his employers to row in this competition, but we understand he will be and absentee from the Sportsman's Cup contest, as he cannot be spared from his work. R.W. Boyd of Middlesbrough has undergone one of the real old-fashioned preparations for both engagements and E. McGregor, as of old, has brought him into grand trim. In order to finish his work on the Thames, Boyd and his trainer intended to leave Middlesbrough on Thursday morning for the White Hart, Barnes, where quarters have been secured for them.