Sebastian Earl was educated at Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford and rowed in the Boat Race three consecutive times (1920-22), losing each time to Cambridge. For Magdalen he secured wins in the University Fours in 1919 and 1920, the University Sculls in 1920-22 , and rowed the Head of the River Race in 1919 and 1920. In 1920 and 1921 Earl triumphed with the Magdalen college crew at Henley in the Grand Challenge Cup for eights and the Stewards’ Challenge Cup for coxless fours. With the Leander crew he won the silver medal in the eights at the 1920 Antwerpen Olympics.
Between the wars, Earl was rowing correspondent for The Times. He married artist Edith Honor Maugham, daughter of the 1st Viscount Maugham and niece of the playwright and novelist Somerset Maugham. During the 1930s, Earl held a number of business posts including the employee-owned company John Lewis Partnership, where he was appointed director in 1941, but had to resign for health reasons only six years later. Earl later resumed work at Selfridges until retiring in 1965.
Great Britain