The Twickenham Museum
For children

Ernest Barry
Champion sculler and Bargemaster
c1886 - 1968

Ernest Barry in 1950.

A local champion
Ernest Barry was a local man and an extremely good rower. He won the Dogget Coat and Badge in 1903.

Sculling Champion
He also competed in the World Professional sculling championship which took place on the Zambesi river in Africa but unfortunately he didn't win (sculling is another name for rowing). He did however win the same championship when it was held on the River Thames in 1912. In fact he won the title every year for five years. Then he lost and then finally won again in Australia in 1920.

First World War
Barry was made royal waterman in 1913. It was the waterman’s job to ferry people across the river in the days when there were fewer bridges. Then he went away to fight in World War 1 before returning to live in Twickenham to live with his wife Lotte. Lotte was one of the Hammerton family. It was this family that lived at 25 The Embankment, the house where the Twickenham Museum now is. One of her cousins was Walter Hammerton.

Barry with colleagues on his appointment as Royal Barge Master in 1950.

Royal Bargemaster
In 1950 Ernest Barry became Royal Bargemaster first to King George VI and then to Queen Elizabeth II.


Lifelong resident
Ernest and Lotte Barry had five children. They lived in Bonser Road Twickenham. Ernest died in 1968 aged about 86.

back to top