1850: NO BOAT RACE
1850: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Wadham

1851: NO BOAT RACE
1851: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Balliol
Oxford defeated Cambridge in the Grand at Henley Royal Regatta

1852: BOATRACE - Oxford by 6 lengths. See Boatrace 1852-1859
1852: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Brasenose

1853: NO BOAT RACE
1853: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Brasenose
Oxford defeated Cambridge in the grand at Henley Royal Regatta by 18 inches

1854: BOATRACE - Oxford by 27 seconds. See Boatrace 1852-1859
1854: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Brasenose

1855: NO BOAT RACE. The weather was so cold the river froze
1855: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Balliol
Cambridge beat Oxford in the Grand at Henley Royal Regatta

1856: BOATRACE - Cambridge by half a length. See Boatrace 1852-1859
1856: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Wadham

1857: BOATRACE - Oxford by 32 seconds. See Boatrace 1852-1859
1857: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Exeter
Mr & Mrs Hall described the Exeter College and new University Boat Club barges in 1857:

COLLEGE BARGES
Exeter College barge and Oxford University Boat Club barge

The engraving exhibits two large boats, one of which (the nearest) was originally the barge of the Stationers' Company of London; *
This barge used regularly to proceed as far as Lambeth Palace on the 9th of November, when the Lord Mayor took the oaths at Westminster, and it was the custom for the Archbishop to send out wine and refreshments to the members of the Company within it. The custom originated at the beginning of the last century, when a relation of Archbishop Tenison's, being the master of the Stationers' Company, thought it would be an acceptable compliment to call at the palace in full state. The archbishop sent out a pint of wine to each of the thirty-two gentlemen who came; and so originated the annual custom of calling there, and receiving sixteen bottles of wine from the palace, the Company returning the civility by the presentation of the various Almanacks they publish.
it was sold some years ago to Exeter College Club.
The other belongs to the Oxford University Boat Club, and was built expressly for them, from the design of Mr. E. G. Bruton, a distinguished architect of the city. Both are of costly workmanship, the latter being somewhat sombre in style when we saw it, but now, as we learn, richly decorated with colour, and displaying the armorial bearings of all the colleges: the former still flaunting in scarlet and gold, although age and use have somewhat tarnished its brilliancy. These "vessels" serve as floating club-houses, and are well supplied with newspapers, periodicals, and writing materials, and have dressing-rooms for members. They are not calculated for making voyages, and are rarely released from their moorings.

1858: BOATRACE - Cambridge by 22 seconds. See Boatrace 1852-1859
[ The Cam is intrinsically more sheltered than the river at Oxford. A storm on the Cam rarely does more than inconvenience and soak a good eight. So though neither place can specialise in Tideway conditions it might be that Oxford starts with slightly more experience of rough water (and appreciation of the sort of boat that might cope with it). Of course this may be entirely changed by where they choose to train. ]
1858: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Exeter

1859: BOATRACE - Oxford; Cambridge sank. See Boatrace 1852-1859
1859: HEAD OF THE RIVER - Balliol
1859: The Procession of Boats -

1859: Procession of Boats
1859: The Procession of Boats