Hugo Pitman

Hugo Pitman came from a long line of members of the Pitman family who all went to Eton college and rowed in their eights. He was a nephew of Frederick “Freddie” Islay Pitman, a leading rower who won the 1886 Diamond Sculls at Henley and was co-founder of the stockbrokers Rowe and Pitman in 1895. Hugo joined the company and went on to eventually become the head of the firm.

Hugo was bow to the 1912 Oxford boat race crew that won the re-run race after Pitman’s uncle Freddie declared the race void after both boats sank. That same year Pitman was also bow to the New College eights that won the silver medal for Great Britain at the Stockholm Olympics. Having been an excellent middle-distance runner at Eton, he missed the 1913 Boat Race to concentrate on his running career, and he went on to win a rare rowing and running Blue when he ran in the 880 yards in the Varsity match. Pitman then won a second rowing Blue in 1914, but was this time on the losing eight.

Pitman served with the Royal Scots during World War I but injuries received during the hostilities left him with severe deafness. He returned to work with Rowe and Pitman after the War and one of his colleagues before the War was the future James Bond author Ian Fleming. Pitman kept Fleming’s job open for him while he was serving in the Royal Navy during the War, but the budding novellist decided to take up an offer to work in journalism instead.

A trustee of the Tate Gallery for many years, Pitman was a painter and art collector, and was a friend of the prolific Welsh painter Augustus John.