LMBC was founded in 1825 by twelve members of the College as the first college boat club in Cambridge. In its original rules, the Club was to "consist of eighteen contributing members, besides honorary ones", and all members had to be able to row. An early member was
Patrick Colquhoun who in 1837 instigated the Colquhoun Sculls, in the year in which he won the
Wingfield Sculls. The greatest influence in the 1860s and 1870s was
J. H. D. Goldie, who raised LMBC to the "Headship of the River", won the "Colquhoun Sculls", and stroked
Cambridge four times. The
Goldie Boathouse, used by the university crews, commemorates his services to Cambridge rowing as does the name of the university second VIII, officially known as the Goldie Crew (or Boat) and competes annually against Isis just before the University Boat Race. Another important name in LMBC history is LHK Bushe-Fox who had a long career with LMBC, becoming President of the Club in 1897. One of the greatest influences of the 20th century was Roy Meldrum who established the "Lady Margaret" style, which he detailed in his rowing books. The Boathouse was opened in the May term of 1901. It was extended in the 1970s, and was the first boathouse to have a workshop for the boatman. In the early 1980s, when the college began to admit women, further modifications were made upstairs to create the women's changing rooms. The boathouse was extended further in 2000 to create more indoor training space. A shed is now being built to house the club's fours, which are currently racked outside. The Club's heyday was in the late 1940s and 1950s. LMBC won the "Ladies Plate" in 1949 with a new course record. In 1950, they made 4 bumps to go "Head of the Mays", and stayed "Head" for five years. In 1951, Lady Margaret won the
Grand at
Henley Royal Regatta and had five members of the successful Cambridge crew, which also defeated
Harvard and
Yale in the United States. Between 1975 and 1981, Lady Margaret were Head of the
Lent Bumps for 26 consecutive days of racing, the longest continuous defence of the Lent Headship. LMBC took the men's May Headship on day 4 of the 2016 races (bumping Caius), the first time they had held the Headship since 1989. LMBC retained the Mays headship in 2017 and 2018. In Lent Bumps 2017, LMBC took the men's Lents Headship on day 3 (bumping Downing), the first time they had held the Headship since 1990. LMBC retained the Lents headship in 2018, lost it in 2019, but regained it in 2020 and held it in 2022. In March 2017, Lady Margaret's men's first boat represented the Cambridge colleges in the
Men's Intercollegiate fixture at the
Henley Boat Races against
Oriel College, Oxford. Lady Margaret won with a verdict of 4 lengths. == Traditions ==