CLASPER

Henry ( son of Robert Clasper of Dunston near Newcastle ). b. Dunston 1812; a putter at Hetton colliery; a coke burner at Der went haugh; sculled his first race, June 1841; beaten by R. Coombes at Newcastle 18 Dec. 1844; beat Carroll on the Mersey 29 Sep. 1845; beat W. Pocock at Newcastle 25 Nov. 1845; beaten by Candlish for the championship of the Tyne 9 Sep. 1851; beat Robert Campbell of Glasgow for championship of the Clyde and £200, 22 July 1858, beat him again on Loch Lomond 6 Oct.; beaten by T. White on the Thames 9 Nov. 1858; rowed with three of his brothers many four-oared races in England and Scotland; a boat builder on the Tyne; brought his first outrigger boat to London 1844, generally said to have invented the outrigger boat, but he only brought it to perfection; rowed on every river between the Thames and Clyde; presented by the public with a freehold house. d. Newcastle 12 July 1870. Illust. sporting news (1862) 77, 139, 141, 2 portraits ; Illust. news of the world ii , 267, 269 (1858), portrait ; Rowing almanac (1863) 95–104.