Tom Edwards-Moss

{{Short description|British amateur oarsman & politician (1855–1893)}}

{{about-distinguish-text|the 19th century Oxford University oarsman|the 2001 Cambridge University oarsman of the same name}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

Tom Cottingham Edwards-Moss, (7 April 1855 – 16 December 1893), was a British amateur oarsman who rowed in the Boat Race four times and twice won the Diamond Challenge Sculls, and a Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1892.

Edwards-Moss was the second son of Sir Thomas Edwards-Moss, Baronet of Otterspool, Aigburth, near Liverpool and Amy Charlotte Edwards.{{cite news|title=Biographies of Candidates|work=The Times|date=1885-11-26}} His grandfather was John Moss, founder of what later became the North-Western Bank,{{citation needed|date=February 2018}} and his father had assumed the surname Edwards-Moss on marriage.{{cite news|title=Obituary: Sir Thomas Edwards-Moss|work=The Times|date=1890-04-28}} He was educated at Eton College and Brasenose College, Oxford, graduating in 1878.{{cite news|title=Obituary: Tom Cottingham Edwards-Moss|work=The Times|date=1893-12-19}}{{alox2|title=Moss, Tom Cottingham Edwards-}}

An outstanding oarsman, Edwards-Moss rowed for the Oxford crew in the University Boat Races for four years. He was in the winning crew of 1875{{cite web |url=http://www.theboatrace.org/article/introduction/pastresults/1856-1883/1875racereport |title=Oxford end Cambridge run with 10-length win |access-date=12 September 2008 |year=1875 |publisher=Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race |archive-date=25 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091025221142/http://www.theboatrace.org/article/introduction/pastresults/1856-1883/1875racereport |url-status=dead }} and the losing crew of 1876. The 1877 race was the only dead-heat in the Boat Race's history. He won the Diamond Challenge Sculls at the Henley Royal Regatta beating A. V Frere in 1877, but came second in the Wingfield Sculls later in the year to Frank Lumley Playford.[http://www.rowingservice.com/wingfieldsrecords.xls Wingfield Sculls Record of Races] He was president of OUBC and in the winning crew again in 1878. In the last two years he shared the Oxford boat with Lord Desborough. Also in 1878 at Henley, he beat Jefferson Lowndes in the Diamond Challenge cup and also won Silver Goblets partnering W Ellison.{{cite web |url=http://www.rowinghistory.net/HRR%20US/hrr_1839-1939.htm |title=Henley Royal Regatta: Results of Final Races 1839-1939 |access-date=12 September 2008 |publisher=Friends of Rowing History |archive-date=9 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309113109/http://www.rowinghistory.net/HRR%20US/hrr_1839-1939.htm |url-status=dead }} He was President of Vincent's Club in 1877.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

Edwards-Moss was a lieutenant in the Lancashire Hussars Yeoman Cavalry. In July 1885, he was appointed assistant private secretary to the Home Secretary, R A Cross.The New Administration, The Times, 1 July 1885, p. 6 He was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament for Widnes at the general election in November of the same year, and retained his seat until 1892, when he retired due to ill health.{{cite news|title=Election Intelligence|work=The Times|date=1892-06-04}}

Tom Edwards-Moss died at age 38 from influenza and typhoid fever.

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