Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Hanlan, Edward
HANLAN (properly Hanlon), EDWARD (1855–1908), Canadian oarsman, born of Irish parents at Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on 12 July 1855, was son in the family of two sons and two daughters of John Hanlon, hotel proprietor, and his wife Mary Gibbs. His nephew Edward Durnan was sculling champion of Canada. Educated at George Street public school, Hanlan developed an early taste for rowing, and he gained his first important success at the ago of eighteen, when he became amateur champion of Toronto Bay, Turning professional, he beat all comers in 1876 at the centennial international exhibition at Philadelphia. In that year he took unsuccessful charge of an hotel in his native town. He became champion oarsman of Canada in 1877 and of America in 1878. Further successes in America led him in 1879 to test his powers in England; and on 16 June 1879 he defeated the English champion, W. Elliott of Blyth, rowing the course from Mansion House to Scotswood suspension bridge on the Tyne in the record time of 21 mins. 21 sees. On Hanlan's return to Toronto a public subscription of 4000l. was raised for his benefit. Hanlan revisited England in 1880, and on 16 Nov. beat Edward Trickett of Australia on the Thames for the world's championship. In four subsequent races (1881–4) Hanlan retained the title, but lost it on 16 Aug. 1884 to William Beach, a blacksmith of Illawana, in a race on the Paramatta river, and suffered further defeat from Beach on 28 March 1885 and 26 Nov. 1887. Two further efforts to regain the championship in 1888 were unsuccessful. With Wilham O'Connor he beat Gaudaur and McKay for the double-scull championship of America on 8 Aug. 1898.
During his career Hanlan, who was 5 ft. 8¾ ins. in height and weighed 11 stone, won over 160 races, and as an oarsman was unsurpassed for finish and style. Unlike his English rivals, he used the slide simultaneously with the swing, kept his body weU back, and held his arms straigiit long past the perpendicular before bending them to row the stroke, to which added strength was given by the skilful use of his great leg power.
Hanlan died on 4 Jan. 1908 at Toronto, where he was buried with civic honours. He married on 19 Dec. 1877 Margaret Gordon Sutherland of Picton, Nova Scotia, and had issue two sons and six daughters. A painted portrait of Hanlan, sitting in his boat, by H. H. Emmerson, which has been often engraved, belongs to his widow.
[Sportsman, and The Times, 6 Jan. 1908; Toronto Globe, 4, 6, and 7 Jan. 1908 (by H. J. P. Good); R. C. Lehmann, The Complete Oarsman, 1908, p. 49; Morgan, Canadian Men and Women of the Time; private information.]