Sir David John Charlton Meyrick, 4th Baronet (2 December 1926 – 6 February 2004) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English ...

agriculturalist and

rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is di ...

who competed for Great Britain in the 1948 Summer Olympics. Meyrick was born in

Towcester Towcester ( ) is an affluent market town in Northamptonshire, England. It currently lies in West Northamptonshire but was the former administrative headquarters of the South Northamptonshire district council. Towcester is one of the olde ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

, the eldest son of Colonel Sir Thomas Meyrick, 3rd Baronet, and his wife Ivy (née Pilkington). He was educated at Eton, where he was an excellent rower, and at

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is the fifth-oldest surviving college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by ...

.Telegraph Obituary 25 Mar 2004
/ref> He rowed for Trinity Hall in the Head of the River race. In 1947 and 1948, he was a member of the victorious

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge beca ...

crews in the

Boat Race Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wate ...

s. Most of the Cambridge crew of 1948 also rowed for

Leander Club Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world, and the oldest non-academic club. It is based in Remenham in Berkshire, England and adjoins Henley-on-Thames. Only three other surviving clubs were founded prior t ...

and Meyrick stroked the eight at

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 ...

. The Leander eight were selected to row for Great Britain in the 1948 Summer Olympics and won the silver medal. After university, Meyrick became resident land agent on the

Earl of Coventry Earl of Coventry is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. The first creation for the Villiers family was created in 1623 and took its name from the city of Coventry. It became extinct in 1687. A decade later, the second ...

's Croome Estate in Worcestershire. Seven years later he moved to Pembrokeshire and began farming. The family had lived in Pembrokeshire since the 16th century. He succeeded in the

baronetcy A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

on the death of his father in 1983 and inherited the family home at Gumfreston. He was on the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society, as the South Wales representative, a steward at the Royal Show at Stoneleigh, and a member of the National Farmers Union and the Country Landowners' and Rural Business Association in Pembrokeshire. Meyrick suffered a stroke at the age of 60 and died at Pembroke at the age of 77.

References

1926 births 2004 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge English male rowers Cambridge University Boat Club rowers Olympic rowers of Great Britain Rowers at the 1948 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain Meyrick, Sir John, 4th Baronet People from Towcester Olympic medalists in rowing Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics {{UK-Olympic-medalist-stub

See also

References