Frederick I Pitman

Frederick (Freddie) I Pitman was one of eight brothers who all went to Eton and all rowed. He was the first of three of the brothers to race in the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race, the others being R.O. Pitman (aka “Rosie”) who rowed for Oxford in 1898 and 1899 Charles Murray Pitman (aka “Cherry”), who went on to be OUBC president and won four boat races for Oxford.

After Eton, Freddie went up to Trinity College, Cambridge. As well as racing for Third Trinity, he stroked the Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) in the Boat Race in 1884, 1885, and 1886, winning two of the three races. He was CUBC president in 1886.

In 1903 Pitman umpired his first University Boat Race, the previous umpire, Colonel F Willan having retired in 1902. Pitman was to start the race with an ancient pistol, which had worked perfectly for Colonel Willan. He pronounced the “Are you ready?” at which stage both crews squared their blades, then raised the pistol, but it stuck at half-cock and refused to fire.

The boatman holding Cambridge could not hold them with squared blades in the fast tide and they slipped out of his hands while Oxford were being firmly held awaiting the pistol shot. Pitman was too concerned trying to get the pistol to fire to notice that Cambridge had already drifted off and by the time that the pistol fired and both crews now actually rowed, Cambridge were already about one third of a length away and set off from there. The Cambridge crew were upset by the mistake and certainly did not row at their normal standard, but the effect of the error was disastrous for Oxford who never recovered

It appears he was quickly forgiven by Oxford, for he went on to umpire every Race between 1903 and 1926: a total of 19 altogether.

In 1896 Pitman was elected to the HRR management committee, filling the vacancy caused by the death of J.H.D Goldie. Pitman umpired at the regatta from 1896 onwards. In 1919, following the untimely death from influenza of the recently elected W.A.L Fletcher, Freddie Pitman became Chairman of the HRR management committee in his place, a role he retained until 1944. Unlike his predecessors, Pitman had no desire to get involved directly in the running of the regatta, describing his position as “Chairman of the board with the particular function of finding the finance if Tom Steward over-reached himself”

Henley Wins

* 1882 – Ladies Plate (racing as Eton)
* 1884 – Visitors Challenge Cup (racing at Third Trinity, Cambridge)
* 1886 – Diamond Challenge Sculls (racing as Third Trinity, Cambridge)

Wingfield Sculls

* 1886

References

* Sandow's Magazine of Physical Culture, January to June 1900
* Gordon Ross, The Boat Race, 1956
* Richard Burnell, Henley Royal Regatta a celebration of 150 years, 1989