possse nolle nobile Wynkefelde the Saxon held honour and fee, ere William the Norman came over the sea. Ancient Suffolk England Rhyme SPRING 2018 ISSUE VOL XXXIII NO 1 2017 Wingfield Sculls: British Amateur Sculling Championship and Champion- ship of the Thames BY IAN WINGFIELD, WFS INTERNATIONAL VP their number. The Women’s Wingfields is PHOTOS BY TIM KOCH a revival of the Women’s Amateur Rowing t was a glorious sunny day on 16 Novem- Championship, first raced in 1927 and re- ber 2017 and near perfect conditions for activated under the Wingfield’s banner in the 177th annual Wingfield Sculls and 2007. A Wingfield Sculls medal I11th Women’s Wingfield Sculls. This year on behalf of the Wing- The race is open to all scullers of the field Family Society (WFS) International Perry (Thames) with a time of 27 minutes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Vice-President, Ian Wingfield attended, as and 24 seconds. Northern Ireland, registered to race with did Edward Mervyn Wingfield from Lon- The men’s race started at 11:30am and British Rowing. The course runs from Put- don who many WFS members met while in proved equally eventful. There were 5 en- ney Bridge along the River Thames in a Ireland when having dinner at his parents’ trants in a strong field led by Jamie Kirk- westerly direction to Chiswick Bridge for 4 beautiful house Salterbridge, Co. Waterford, wood (Leander Club) last year’s winner. and one quarter miles in London, England. as part of the 2017 WFS Tour of England & Kirkwood pulled away strongly from Ireland. the start and by the Milepost was up 10 sec- onds from the previous year. The race ap- Shortly after the start, left to right; Rawlins, Hodgkins-Byrne, Perry The Women’s race commenced peared over, but by the Harrods Depository at 10:15am, but building Kirkwood began to falter. It trans- unfortunately pired that his boat had hit driftwood which the world’s silver dislodged half his fin and eventually stopped medal sculler his boat dead in the water. Vicky Thornley This left the race wide open and emerg- The single sculls race was first held in had to withdraw on the morning of the race ing from the competing pack Richard 1830 at the suggestion of Henry Colsell due to illness. This reduced the number of Clarke (University of London Boat Club) Wingfield (1805-1861) of Westminster, as rowers to 3, but indirectly made the event established a lead that took him all the way part of a wager with some friends. Henry more competitive. Continued on page 2 presented a pair of miniature silver sculls to Charlotte Hodgkins-By- the race winner on the basis that the race ‘to rne (University of London By Hammersmith Bridge, be held by the best’ as long as they agreed to Boat Club) got away first, Rawlins had taken the lead over race in single sculls on his birthday, 10th Au- but by Hammersmith Bridge Hodgkins-Byrne gust, ‘for ever’. Francesca Rawlins (Tideway Unfortunately, due to the timings of the Scullers) started to pull away competitive racing season this has not been and eventually won in a time possible and the race now takes place in No- of 22 minutes and 54 seconds. vember. Since then, the Wingfield Sculls has Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne been organized by a committee of former finished with a time of 23 min- winners who also appoint an umpire from utes and 9 seconds and Suzi page 2 wingfield family society wingfield.org Off the start, left to right; Nathan O’Reilly, Jamie Kirkwood, Laurence Joss, Sean Blake, Richard Clarke Continued from page 1 the Tideway community, the Port of London coming up in 2020. This will include a thor- to the finish with a time of 22 minutes and Authority and the WFS for their support. oughly researched published history book of 3 seconds. Nathan O’Reilly (Tideway Scull- The race Umpire Graeme Mulcahy, the Wingfield Sculls, with references to the ers) finished with a time of 22 minutes and presented the medals and trophies to both generous support and activities of the WFS; 13 seconds, Sean Blake (Tideway Scullers) Francesca Rawlins and Richard Clarke who a permanent memorial alongside of the Riv- with a time of 22 minutes and 15 seconds, also collect the titles of ‘British Amateur er Thames, possibly at Chiswick Steps to Laurence Joss (Tideway Scullers) with a Sculling Champion’ and ‘Champion of the commemorate the Wingfield Sculls, and the time of 23 minutes and 1 second and Jamie Thames’. On behalf of the WFS Ian and Ed- introduction of two Junior races for young Kirkwood. ward also congratulated the new Champi- men and women. The presentation ceremony was held ons. The Wingfield Sculls flag flew proudly Naturally, the Wingfield Sculls Com- at the Tideway Scullers Club at Chiswick from the flag post adjacent to the Tideway mittee is keen for WFS support for all these Bridge and the Secretary of the Wingfield Scullers Club. proposals, if not immediately but nearer the Sculls Committee, Wade Hall-Craggs In later discussions, Wade mentioned time, which the WFS Board of Directors will (Champion 1993) thanked the participants, plans for the forthcoming 180th anniversary be discussing with them in due course.™ ABOVE: Umpire Graeme Mulcahy (Champion, 1976) presents Clarke with his medal, tie and trophy. LEFT: Fran Rawlins shows her medal. wingfield.org page 3 Why the Welsh name ‘Rhys’ has been used as a Christian name by Wingfields of the Barrington branch of the family BY GEORGE ANTHONY RHYS WINGFIELD, WFS DIRECTOR Rhys is a popular first name for boys in It is evident that Frances Emily strong- Wales and can also be found as a surname. ly wished to preserve the Welsh heritage of As a surname it is more common to hear the her family, the Rice-Trevors, by giving her anglicised versions of the name such as Rees, son Edward the additional Christian name Reece or even Rice. of “Rhys” corresponding to the first part of Most Wingfields pronounce the name her surname. Her father, Lord Dynevor, as “rice”-as in “rice pudding”. Most of to- whose original family name was Rice (be- day’s Welshmen would probably pronounce fore the “Trevor” was added in 1824) lived the name “rees”-however spelt-to rhyme at Dynevor Castle, Llandeilo, Carmarthen- with “grease”. shire, Wales. It has been reported that the name Lord Dynevor also owned Barrington Rhys means “enthusiasm”. It is a name that Park, near Burford, the great house and es- has strong historical roots in Wales. Rhys tate in Gloucestershire later owned by the ap Grufydd was a man who ruled most of Wingfields. His daughter Frances Emily South Wales in the 12th Century. His grand- died at just 36 in 1863 and son-in-law, Ed- father, Rhys ap Tedwr, was also a powerful ward Ffolliott Wingfield, two years later. So man, the king of Deheubarth in the 11th when Dynevor himself died in 1869, with- Century. out any male heirs, he left Barrington to his Captain Edward Ffolliott Wingfield The way the name came to be used by young grandson Edward Rhys Wingfield, the Barrington branch of the Wingfield fam- my great grandfather. 2. Major William Jocelyn Rhys ily dates from the time of the marriage of Two years later my great grandfather Wingfield (1873–1942) my grandfather Captain Edward Ffolliott Wingfield (1823- Edward Rhys Wingfield married Edith Car- 3. Sir Charles John FitzRoy Rhys 1865). oline Wood (1850-1935) in 1871. Edward Wingfield (1877–1960) He married the Hon. Frances Emily and Edith had seven children. Their five 4. Muriel Frances Caroline Wingfield Rice-Trevor, daughter of George Rice-Trev- sons each bore the name Rhys like their fa- (1878–1933) or, the 4th Baron Dynevor, in 1848. Their ther. Their seven children born and raised at 5. Captain Maurice Ffolliott (“Tolly”) son and heir was Edward Rhys Wingfield Barrington were: Rhys Wingfield (1879–1941) 6. Captain Cecil John Talbot Rhys (1849–1901)-who was my great grandfa- 1. Lt-Col Mervyn Edward George Rhys Wingfield (1881–1915) ther (and, of course, my brother Jocelyn’s). Wingfield (1872–1952) Continued on page 4 Edward Rhys Wingfield Barrington Park, Gloucestershire, England page 4 wingfield family society wingfield.org CASTLE CONNECTIONS Corfe Castle, Dorset BY JOCELYN JAMES RHYS WINGFIELD WFS HisTORIAN Major William Jocelyn Rhys Wingfield Continued from page 3 7. Gwenllian Edith Emily Wingfield (1882–1963) The children of all those Barrington s a royalist or “Cavalier”, Attorney The Castle was one of the last re- Wingfield men who bore the name Rhys General and Lord Chief Justice Sir maining royalist strongholds in south- were also given the name Rhys among their A John Bankes (1589-1644) from 1635 ern England and fell on 27th February Christian names. was owner of Corfe Castle, Dorset. 1646 after the second siege of 48 days My father William Thomas (“Tim”) He married Mary Hawtry (1603- and the Parliamentarians took 140 pris- Rhys Wingfield, carried on the tradition by 1661), who in his absence with King oners and then spent several months naming each of his three sons Jocelyn, Rob- Charles I in London blowing up the ert and George, “Rhys” in addition to their in the English Civil castle. other Christian names. And my two sons, War (1642-1651), The Castle was Lady Bank- Rupert Bolingbroke Rhys Wingfield (b. with 80 soldiers es’ 8th child, Jo- 1972) and Michael Somerset Rhys Wing- defended Corfe one of the last anna (d.1687) field (b. 1975), each bear the name too.