John Sidney Offer (1908–1985) was an English rower who won

Silver Goblets The Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless pairs at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two clubs may ...

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

and a silver medal at the

1938 British Empire Games The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the event that evolved to become the Commonwealth Games. Held in Sydney, Australia from 5–12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary (150 yea ...

. Offer was born at

Hampton Wick Hampton Wick, formerly a village, is a Thames-side area of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, and is contiguous with Teddington and Kingston upon Thames. It is buffered by Bushy Park, one of the Royal Parks of London from Hampton a ...

, the son of Henry John Offer and his wife Vera Jennie Burgoine. His maternal grandfather, Alfred Burgoine, was a boat designer who built one of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

’s Royal Barges and a motor launch that held the world water speed record. He was educated at

Tiffin School Tiffin School is a boys' grammar school in Kingston upon Thames, England. It has specialist status in both the performing arts and languages. The school moved from voluntary aided status to become an Academy School on 1 July 2011. Founded in ...

where he began rowing. He joined Kingston Rowing Club where his brothers Tom and Dick Offer were also members.Old Tiffins Newsletter 232 June 2007
Offer excelled at

sculling Sculling is the use of oars to propel a boat by moving them through the water on both sides of the craft, or moving one oar over the stern. A long, narrow boat with sliding seats, rigged with two oars per rower may be referred to as a scull, ...

, in particular partnering his brother Dick in the

double scull A double scull is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat by sculling with two oars each, one in each hand. Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly ...

s. They also took part in

skiffing Skiffing refers to the sporting and leisure activity of rowing (or more correctly sculling) a Thames skiff. The skiff is a traditional hand built clinker-built wooden craft of a design which has been seen on the River Thames and other waterways in ...

, being members of The Skiff Club. They won the Gentlemen's Double Sculls at the Skiff Championships Regatta in 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933 and 1935. Offer also won the Singles Skiff Championship in 1932 and 1935 and the Mixed Doubles Skiff Championship in 1933. In 1936 the Offer brothers won

. Two years later they were selected to compete in the

. In spite of the difficulties in maintaining training during the six-week sea voyage to Australia they won the silver medal in the double sculls event.Commonwealth Games

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Offer, John 1908 births 1985 deaths People educated at Tiffin School English male rowers Rowers at the 1938 British Empire Games Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England Commonwealth Games silver medallists for England Commonwealth Games medallists in rowing