Herbert Harlee Playford (1831 – 1 January 1883) was a British rower who won the Wingfield Sculls and the

Diamond Challenge Sculls The Diamond Challenge Sculls is a Rowing (sport), rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. First run in 1844, it is open to male scullers from all eligible rowin ...

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a Rowing (sport), rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It diffe ...

. He was instrumental in founding London Rowing Club and the

Metropolitan Regatta The Metropolitan Regatta is an international rowing regatta. It takes place on Dorney Lake, Buckinghamshire near Eton next to the River Thames in southern England. It attracts crews from schools, clubs, and universities from around the United ...

Playford was born in

Chingford Chingford is a suburban town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The centre of Chingford is north-east of Charing Cross, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walt ...

, Essex, and was part of a rowing family which included his brother Francis Playford. He was in business in the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

as a timber merchant. He won the

in 1854 and later that year won the Wingfield Sculls with a row-over. In 1855 he lost both the Diamond Challenge Sculls and the Wingfield Sculls to A. A. Casamajor who was to be the major force in rowing for the next six years. In 1856 Playford was instrumental, with Casamajor and Josias Nottidge, in founding the London Rowing Club. and stroked the club's winning crew in the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley in 1857. In 1859 he fainted when competing in the Diamond Challenge Sculls but won them again in 1860, beating E D Brickwood after Casamajor stood aside. Playford was captain of London Rowing Club and was also responsible for helping to establish the

, in 1866. Playford died at the age of 52. Playford married Louisa Mary Blake in 1856 and had sons Herbert and Louis. Louisa died in 1866 and Playford married again to Selina Boydell in 1873.Office for National Statistics BMD records They lived at Radnor House Malden, Surrey.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Playford, Henry 1831 births 1883 deaths British male rowers