Harold Morphy

Although he was not a member of the victorious Thames RC eight that won the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley in 1923, Harold Morphy was selected for the Thames eight that represented Great Britain at the Paris Olympics. Despite setting an Olympic best time in their first round heat, they missed out on a medal after finishing fourth, just half-a-length behind bronze medallists Italy.

Prior to his Olympic appearance, the best results of Morphy’s career came in 1921 when he won the Staines Coxless Fours Challenge Cup, and the eights at both the Metropolitan and Molesey Regattas. During World War II, Morphy obtained an emergency commission into the Regular Army and served as a lieutenant, and later as captain. Morphy’s uncle Donal was a co-founder in 1936 of the famous Morphy-Richards electrical appliance company.