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Matthew Webb

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This article is about the Channel-swimmer. For the footballer, see Matthew Webb (footballer).

Captain
Matthew Webb
Portrait of Matthew Webb
Webb in The Illustrated London News, 1883
Born(1848-01-19)19 January 1848
Dawley, Shropshire, England
Died24 July 1883(1883-07-24) (aged 35)
Niagara River, Niagara Falls
Cause of deathParalysis from water pressure swimming in the Niagara Rapids
Resting placeOakwood Cemetery, Niagara Falls, New York
MonumentsMonument to Captain Webb, Webb Crescent, Captain Webb Primary School
Occupation(s)Seaman, swimmer, stuntsman
Years active1875–1883
Known forSwimming the English Channel
SpouseMadeline Kate Chaddock (married 1880–1883)
Children2
Parent(s)Dr. Matthew Webb, Sarah Cartwright Webb
AwardsStanhope Medal

Captain Matthew Webb (1848–1883) was an English seaman, swimmer and stuntman who became the first person to swim the English Channel without the use of artificial aids. Webb increased the popularity of swimming in England.

Born in Dawley, Shropshire, Webb developed strong swimming skills as a child while playing in the River Severn. At twelve, he began his career in the Merchant Navy after training on the HMS Conway. After graduating, he began a three-year apprenticeship with the Rathbone Brothers of Liverpool, during which he sailed internationally across various trade routes to countries including China, India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Yemen.

After completing his second mate training in 1865, he worked for ten years aboard different ships and for multiple companies. Webb was recognized for two acts of bravery: in the Suez Canal, Webb freed the ship's propeller from an entangled rope by diving underwater and cutting it with a knife, and in the Atlantic Ocean, Webb jumped in to attempt to save a man who had fallen overboard while the ship was travelling at a speed of 14.5 knots. This latter feat earned him the first Stanhope medal.

In 1875, on his second attempt, Webb gained fame by successfully swimming the English Channel from Dover, England to Cap Gris-Nez, France. Public donations raised him £2,424 (£290,000 today), and he started a career as a professional swimmer. Webb competed in several races, and performed stunts in England and America, including completing a 40-mile swim from Gravesend to Woolwich along the Thames in 1877, swimming 74 miles over six days to win a long-distance swimming race in 1879, and floating for 128.5 hours at the Boston Horticultural Hall in 1882. Webb's financial situation worsened, and in 1883 he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, leaving him bedridden for two months. Webb died later that year after being paralysed by the water pressure while attempting to swim down the rapids at Niagara Gorge, below Niagara Falls.

Early life

[edit]

Webb was born on 19 January 1848[a] in Dawley, Shropshire. He was one of 13 children of the surgeon Dr. Matthew Webb.[4][1][4] In 1849, when Matthew Webb was 14 months old, his Anglican family moved to Madeley, and then in 1856 to Coalbrookdale, where they lived near the River Severn.[4][5][6]

Webb's first memory involved the water.[7] After school he would go with friends to play in the Severn, so by the age of seven he could swim.[8][9] This was uncommon for the time, as swimming was not generally considered a pleasurable activity, but rather as a medical treatment.[10] At eight, Webb and his older brother Thomas saved his younger brother Charles from drowning.[11] Webb enjoyed showing off in front of his friends[9] and reading sea stories,[12] with the book Old Jack by W. H. G. Kingston inspiring him to become a seaman.[13][1]

Career as a seaman

[edit]

In 1860, at twelve years old,[3] Webb began training for the Merchant Navy[14] aboard the HMS Conway training ship.[4][2]

Training on the Conway

[edit]
HMS Conway training ship at Rock Ferry

Initially homesick and disliking the harsh conditions,[15] Webb soon became popular on the Conway and earned the nickname "Chummy Webb".[16] The routine was regulated, but allowed time for play,[17] and students studied both traditional subjects and nautical skills.[17] Webb excelled at swimming, rescuing a student from overboard[1][3][18] and impressing his peers by swimming for extended periods.[19][20]

Apprenticeship with the Rathbone Brothers

[edit]

In 1862, Webb began a three-year apprenticeship on eastern cargo ships operated by the Rathbone Brothers of Liverpool. He trained to become a second mate, earning £30 (£3,500 today) for his three years work.[4][1][20] His first voyage was from Liverpool to Calcutta. The crew faced bad weather that terrified Webb.[21] Despite this, he excelled in the harsh conditions and was not prone to seasickness unlike the other new recruits.[22] The ship then sailed to Hong Kong, Singapore, back to Calcutta and then back home.[23] In Hong Kong, Webb fought off a mugging attempt until a policeman caused the assailants to flee.[22]

In the summer of 1863, while at home, Webb rescued his 12-year-old brother Thomas from drowning in the Severn.[6]

His next trip was to Aden and then Bombay, where he spent three months and first swam in the sea. He swam between the boats in the harbour, dining at his destination and swimming back again. He enjoyed the extra buoyancy that the saltwater provided, and the roughness of the waves.[24] Webb gained a reputation for fearlessness and was admired by his comrades.[19] After his third voyage to Singapore and Hong Kong again, he passed his second mate qualification.[24]

Work as a second mate and seaman

[edit]

Webb's contract expired in 1865, after which he became a second mate for Saunders & Co., another Liverpool-based shipping company. He worked on ships to Japan, Brazil and Egypt.[24]

Webb was confident in his physical abilities, especially in swimming. He would leap off the yardarm into the sea, and earned an extra £1 per day for anchoring near a wreck, and then swimming back to shore—a job which the other sailors were too afraid to do.[25] In one anecdote, he competed with a Newfoundland dog to see who could swim the longest in the rough sea. After an hour, Webb was still swimming but the dog had to be rescued from the water.[19][26] In the Suez Canal, his ship's propeller intertwined with a rope, causing it to get stuck. Webb dived down repeatedly for hours, cutting the rope until the propeller was freed. Saunders & Co. never acknowledged his efforts so he left for the United States.[27][18]

Stanhope Medal

Disliking the US, Webb took a job as an ordinary seaman on the Cunard Line ship Russia to return to the UK.[28] During the voyage, he attempted to rescue a man overboard by jumping into the cold mid-Atlantic ocean while the ship was travelling at 14.5 knots.[1][4][18][1] During the 37 minutes before he was rescued, Webb nearly drowned.[29][1] The man was never found, but the passengers of the Russia collaborated to give Webb a purse of 100 sovereigns,[30] and upon returning home, he learned that his daring attempted rescue had won him the first Stanhope Medal and made him a hero in the British press.[4][1]

From 1865 to 1875, Webb worked on seven ships, the last being the Emerald, where he served as captain for six months.[1][4]

English Channel swimming record

[edit]

In the summer of 1872, Webb read an account of the failed attempt by J. B. Johnson to swim the English Channel, and became inspired to try.[31][32]

Channel training

[edit]

In 1874, Webb sought financial backers for his Channel attempt and other long swims. He approached Robert Watson, owner of the Swimming, Rowing and Athletic Record and Swimming Notes and Record, for support.[33] Though Watson doubted Webb would swim the channel, he advised him to wait until next summer for better weather.[34] Webb agreed and moved to Dover to practice. Locals there nicknamed him the "Red Indian" as he would often come back from long swims with a red face.[35] Before returning to Watson's office on Fleet Street, he tested himself by swimming to the Varne Lightvessel and back again, a distance of 13 miles.[36]

Watson was surprised by Webb's return and introduced him to Fred Beckwith, a coach at Lambeth Baths in south London.[33][37] Watson and Beckwith arranged a secret trial of Webb, watching him swim breaststroke down the Thames from Westminster Bridge to Regent's Canal Dock. After an hour and 20 minutes, they "grew tired of watching his slow, methodical but perfect breaststroke" and concluded his trial.[38] For the rest of the 1874 swimming season, Webb trained daily at Lambeth Baths.[39] He became close friends with Beckwith and Watson.[40]

Portrait of Paul Boyton in his survival suit, on the front of a cigarette packet

In June 1875, Webb left his job as captain of the Emerald to focus on swimming.[1][31] That same month, future American rival Paul Boyton paddled across the Channel in a survival suit.[41][42] Although Boyton used a suit, the public viewed them as rivals, forcing Webb to match the standards of endurance that Boyton set.[43] Webb called Boyton as "an obvious fraud".[44]

On 3 July, Beckwith organised a spectacle with Webb attempting a 20-mile swim from Blackwall to Gravesend along the River Thames, which he finished in four hours and 52 minutes.[1][4][45] Although Webb gained media attention for the feat,[46] low public interest on the rainy day meant Beckwith lost money. As a result, Webb hired a new manager, Arthur Payne, sporting editor of The Standard.[38]

On 17 July, Webb announced his attempt to swim the English Channel with a statement from Payne in Bell's Life and Land and Water:[47][48]

I am authorized by Captain Webb to announce his full determination to attempt the feat of swimming across the Channel... Beyond a paltry bet of £20 to £1 he has nothing to gain by success. Surely, under the circumstances, there are some lovers of sport who would gladly, in sporting language, "put him on so much to nothing". Should he by chance succeed, which is extremely improbable, it would be cruel that one who would undoubtedly have performed the greatest athletic feat on record should be a loser by the event.[38]

Webb's next swim was a 20-mile journey Dover to Ramsgate. He hired a local boatman and invited a reporter from the Dover Chronicle.[49] Despite heavy rain, he set off just before ten am with the tide in his favor. Webb alternated between breaststroke and sidestroke,[50] finishing in eight hours and 40 minutes at Ramsgate Pier.[51][52] The only newspaper to report was the Dover Chronicle.[52]

After his long swims, Webb underwent a medical check in London, which was reported in the Land and Water.[53] An employee there gave Webb a jar of porpoise oil for insulation, which he later used for his Channel swim.[54]

In August, Webb moved from London to the Flying Horse Inn in Dover to begin final preparations. He swam an hour daily, except every tenth day when he swam up to five hours.[55]

Channel swim

[edit]

Webb consulted locals about conditions in the Strait of Dover, and chose to use Boyton's strategy. He planned to start on the east flood tide and catch the current as it turned west,[56] and chose the lugger boat Ann for support—which was captained by George Toms.[4][57] Webb did not want a doctor, since he believed he knew his health best.[58]

Preparations and first attempt

[edit]
Map showing the routes of Webb's two channel attempts

Webb waited for moderately good weather, and began his first attempt on 12 August.[59][4] During the swim, he tried an early form of goggles without a seal, which he called "barnacles", but they did not work.[60] The weather worsened, and after seven hours he was over nine miles off course.[31][61][62] He boarded the boat 15 minutes before the weather conditions would have prevented him doing so.[63] Despite his disappointment, he remained positive and was assured by Toms that with better weather, he likely would have succeeded.[63]

Successful attempt

[edit]

Good weather arrived on the 24 August with a good barometer reading, light wind and slightly overcast sky.[64] The sea was 18°C (65°F).[64] Webb ate an English breakfast with claret,[65] then set off in the Ann from the Harbour to Admiralty Pier.[65] Toms predicted the swim would take around 14 hours, while captain Pittock of the Castalia—who was an expert on the Channel waters—estimated it would take around 20.[64] At the time of his swim, Webb weighed 14 stone 8 pounds (204 pounds), his chest size was 40.5 inches and he was 5 feet 8 inches tall.[42]

Admiralty Pier, Dover

At 12:56 pm,[4] Webb dived from the pier in his red silk swim costume.[4] He set off into the ebb tide which carried him for the first three-quarters of a mile.[42][31][61] Webb was backed by the Ann and two smaller rowing boats operated by Charles Baker—who joined Webb in the water for parts of the swim—and John Graham Chambers.[65][66] Aboard the Ann were: Toms and his crew, Webb's brother-in-law George Ward, Payne (acting as a referee and reporter for the Land and Water and The Standard) and reporters from The Field, the Daily News, the Dover Express, The Daily Telegraph, the Dover Chronicle, The Times, the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News and The Illustrated London News.[65][4][61]

Boat crew feeding Webb hot coffee

Webb started swimming breaststroke at a rate of 25 strokes per minute but soon slowed to 20.[67][68] He consumed cod liver oil, beef tea, brandy, coffee and ale, but did not stop long for each feed to preserve body heat.[67][69]

By 17:30, Dover could not be seen.[67] At 20:35, Webb was stung by a jellyfish, which was painful but did not deter him after he had a shot of brandy, and by 23:00, the Toms believed they were over halfway.[67][70] A mail boat named The Maid of Kent passed Webb, with passengers cheering.[71]

For five hours, the currents off Cap Gris-Nez prevented him from reaching the shore,[31] and he was visibly struggling.[72] By 21:30, Webb had slowed to twelve strokes per minute, and the crew grew anxious.[73][74] The Maid of Kent returned with a rowing boat containing eight people to shield Webb from the wind and rain,[75] and the crew sang the tune "Rule, Britannia!".[76]

View from Cap Griz Nez, facing England

After nearly 22 hours, at 10:41 am on August 25, he landed near Calais.[42] His zig-zag course across the Channel covered about 39 miles (66 km).[42][77][4] After finishing, he fell into his friends' arms,[78] and later slept in the Hotel de Paris.[79]

Reception

[edit]

Webb gained widespread recognition after completing his crossing. He became very popular, and celebrations of his swim were common.[80][75]

Webb had a temperature of 38 °C (101 °F) and two long swellings on his neck. He slept almost continuously for 24 hours.[81] After meeting the crowds at the hotel and touring a lace factory,[82] Webb and George Ward boarded the flag-decorated Castalia for their return to England. Webb briefly went to the salon but soon moved to the deck, where he was greeted by a cheering crowd.[83]

Caricature of Webb by Ape, published in the London magazine Vanity Fair in 1875

At Dover Harbor, a crowd eagerly awaited him. Webb, Toms and the crew boarded a carriage to the Flying Horse Inn.[84] Webb soon grew tired of the crowd and tried to leave for his home in Wellington via train. The crowd accompanied him to the train station, while the song "See the Conquering Hero Comes" was played.[85]

People in Wellington expected his arrival,[86] so a large crowd and band welcomed him.[4][86] The crowd brought his carriage to Ironbridge, where the Mayor of Wenlock greeted him.[4] The journey was lit by candles, torches and lanterns held by the residents.[87] On Monday, he was met by a group from Dawley.[4] They escorted him and his family down High Street, where people welcomed him.[4][88] Flowers lined his route, and the day ended with a bonfire and fireworks.[89] When Webb visited the Baltic Exchange in London, workers stopped to cheer him.[90][75] He accepted invitations to visit the Lord Mayor of London, receive an ovation at the Royal Cambridge Music Hall and have his portrait drawn, then returned to Dover where he and Toms reunited with the crew for dinner.[91]

Webb received gifts, including gold cuff links and collar studs, a gold watch, a North London Swimming Club gold cross, a solitaire, a silver cup and a jewelled tie pin.[92] The London Stock Exchange established him a testimonial fund, which raised him £2,424 (£290,000 today).[4][79][42] Webb gave £500 to his father and invested £1782 before moving to Kensington, London.[42] For the rest of 1875, Webb spoke at boys' schools, including the Conway, where he was used as an example of English virtues.[93]

Several newspapers reported on Webb.[94] The Standard published Payne's account of the crossing,[95] and The Daily Telegraph interviewed Webb.[96] Surgeon Sir William Fergusson called Webb's feat "almost unrivalled as an instance of human prowess and endurance", and noted his body's likely ability for vasoconstriction to prevent heat loss.[42][97] Webb was also interviewed by The Lancet.[98] It was suggested in parliament that Webb be knighted, with Richard Henry Horne being Webb's strongest advocate, but it never happened.[99][98]

Swimming career

[edit]

After his record swim, Webb basked in national and international adulation, and followed a career as a professional swimmer.[70] He began lecturing, where he would talk about his career and other swimming related topics.[100][4][101] In these lectures, Webb spoke against the common Victorian practice of forcefully dunking children in the water, saying "fear of water on his part can never be removed by force or so-called heroic treatment", and proposed the alternative methodology of letting the child experiment themselves in shallow water.[102] Webb also licensed his name for merchandising, such as for commemorative pottery and matches.[101][70]

In August 1876, Webb accompanied Frederick Cavill on his first channel attempt, but it ended after Cavill consumed a large amount of whisky and was stung by many jellyfish.[103] In the Land and Water, Webb criticized Cavill for using sidestroke instead of breaststroke, and for wearing a jersey. He also mentioned that Cavill only got halfway, which angered Cavill and made him determined to try a second time the following year.[104] Webb did not accompany Cavill for his second attempt, and Cavill claimed to have completed the crossing almost ten hours faster than Webb. However, this claim was quickly discredited when one of the signed witnesses "Mr. Gammon" was discovered to never have existed. Cavill continued to taunt Webb, and challenged him to a race across the channel which Webb declined.[105]

Early exhibition swims

[edit]

Despite his income streams, Webb did not make much money, but lived a high cost lifestyle and was exceedingly generous.[106][101] In 1877, he bet £100 (£12,000 today) at 20 to one odds that he could swim Gravesend to Woolwich along the Thames. He completed the 40 mile swim which broke the record for the longest freshwater swim, and earned him some publicity from The Times.[107] This record stood until 25 July 1899 when it was beaten by Montague Holbein.[1]

By 1879, Webb had fallen into financial trouble.[108] To raise funds, he competed in a long distance swimming race organized by Beckwith. He and several other notable swimmers were tasked with swimming as far as possible over a six day period. The race was a moderate success for Beckwith, and Webb finished in first place winning the £70 prize.[109] To win, he swam 74 miles over six days, swimming for roughly 14 hours per day.[4][98]

Travel to America

[edit]

Webb was drawing less attention as time went on, and so in 1880 went to America for the first time.[42][110] Webb found a new manager called Captain Henry Hartley, who located The Manhattan Beach Company which was willing to wager $1,000 ($30,000 today) for Webb to swim from Sandy Hook to Manhattan Beach. Webb was required to enter the Manhattan Beach Harbour between 17:00 and 18:00 so that the greatest number of spectators would see him.[111] Despite Webb's crew being very inexperienced, and arriving three hours early at Manhattan Beach, Webb finished the swim and fulfilled his contract.[112] Webb was not in the mood to meet Paul Boyton, who was present at the beach. Instead, he simply ate his steak dinner and retired to bed.[113] The New York Times criticised the feat as impressive but useless.[114]

On August 22, Boyton and Webb raced at Newport beach. They both wagered $1,000, and James Bennett (Newport casino owner) added another $1,000 to the prize pool, bringing the total to $3,000. Two white buoys were placed half a mile apart; Webb was tasked with swimming around them 20 times in regular trunks, while Boyton had to swim around them 25 times in his suit. There was a large crowd gathered on the beach, and Boyton got off to a very fast start. Unfortunately for Webb, he got a severe cramp which ended his race, while Boyton simply cruised to the finish.[115]

Webb quickly challenged Boyton to a rematch, which he accepted. Their second race took place at Nantasket Beach, and was advertised as the "Championship of the world".[42][116] Since fanfare was even greater on their second meeting, the prize pool was higher at $4,000 ($130,000 today). In this race, Boyton had to travel between three buoys, while Webb only had to travel between two. After the race was postponed several times, it eventually went ahead on September 6. The details of the race are unclear, but the referee refused to declare a winner and later accused Webb of cheating by swimming to shore and running across the beach.[4][117] Webb defended himself, and it was later found out that the referee was Boyton's fiancée's dad, indicating that he was probably biased.[117] Boyton challenged Webb again, via a letter to the New York Herald that offered him even greater odds, but Webb did not reply.[118]

Webb's next race was against Ernest Von Schoening, who undoubtedly beat him in the "Endurance Championship of the World" held on September 14. Webb left the water after swimming six miles, and Hartley later said he had felt like he was going to get cramps as he did in Newport against Boyton.[119]

Overall, Webb was still unsuccessful in America and lost money on the trip.[120] Back in England on 27 April 1880, Webb and Madeline Kate Chaddock were married at St Andrew's Church, West Kensington. They went on to have two children, Matthew and Helen.[4]

Deteriorating health

[edit]

Webb's next exploit was to float for 60 hours in the Royal Aquarium in Westminster.[121] The affair was so dull that members of the public would get distracted by the other attractions of the museum, and barely anyone paid any attention to Webb.[122] He followed this up by floating for 74 hours in the waters of Scarborough Aquarium,[120] but this also received little public attention.[123] In 1881, Webb's friend Frank Buckland from the Land and Water died, and Webb was also beginning to fall ill. However, he continued swimming as it was the only way for him to provide for his new family. He did another six-day long race at Lambeth Baths and a 16 mile race against Willie Beckwith.[123]

Hollingworth Lake

Webb made his health even worse when he swam against Dr. G. A. Jennings in the cold water of Hollingworth Lake. Although Webb had trained in the cold water, and was almost twice as fast as Jennings, the 54°F (12°C) water caused him to hallucinate and become disorientated. With twelve minutes to go, Webb lost his direction and then with 30 seconds remaining, climbed out the water, which technically lost him the race. Upon retiring from the water, Webb vomited and was nursed by Baker and Watson back to proper body temperature.[124]

He returned again to America in 1882, where he won a five-mile race against the railroad engineer George Wade at Brighton Beach, and another five-mile race against a field of 22 swimmers at Nantasket Beach. Both events were badly organized, and poorly recognized as sporting events.[125] Webb then beat his own record by floating for 128.5 hours (minus a 94 minute break) in Boston Horticultural Hall, which attracted more attention than his previous floating exhibits in England.[70][120] However, his financial situation still did not improve.[120] Webb did not engage in any more races against notable swimmers in America, but instead busied himself inventing new things.[126]

Webb's last competitive swim was in March 1883, when he raced 20 miles at Lambeth Baths once again against Willie Beckwith.[127] Webb was forced to quit the race when he was spitting blood as a result of tuberculosis.[128][120] By this point, Webb had lost so much weight that he was 42 pounds lighter than when he swam the channel. Consequently, his doctor ordered that he should he should completely quit swimming.[120]

For the next two months, Webb was bedridden from the tuberculosis. His brother, now Dr. Thomas Webb wrote to him begging that he give up long distance swimming for his health. Webb appeared one more time publicly to ceremonially start a race at the Battersea Baths.[129]

Death in Niagara Rapids

[edit]
Looking downriver at the Niagara rapids and gorge, from the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge

In 1882, Webb had announced his intent to swim through the Whirlpool Rapids below Niagara Falls.[4][130] In June 1883, Webb and his family returned again to America.[131] Webb was not unaware of the danger and wrote a will which left all his property to his wife shortly before the swim.[132][133] Fred Beckwith and Watson tried to dissuade him, and Watson later said:

As we stood face to face I compared the fine, handsome sailor, who first spoke to me about swimming at Falcon Court, with the broken-spirited and terribly altered appearance of the man who courted death in the whirlpool rapids of Niagara... let it be taken for granted that his object was not suicide, but money and imperishable fame.[120][6][134]

Webb hired a cottage and trained for around a month at Nantasket Beach.[135] He hired a new manager called Frederick Kyle, and travelled with him to Niagara on 23 July.[136] Once at Niagara, the Niagara Falls Gazette announced that Webb would start his swim at 16:00 that day.[136] Money was promised to him by the railway companies which charged visitors to come and watch the attempt, which Webb estimated would be around $10,000.[137] The boat operator tried to dissuade Webb one final time, but Webb only said "goodbye boy", before exiting the boat.[4]

Whirlpool rapids, Niagara Gorge

Everything went smoothly for the first part of the swim, but upon being lifted by a large wave, Webb shouted and lifted his arm, before being pulled underwater by the currents for a distance of about 40 meters.[4][138] He reappeared several times briefly, but was sucked into the whirlpool and was never seen alive again.[4][138][139]

Many speculations were made after Webb went missing. Kyle argued that he had just ended up somewhere downstream, while others said his intention was suicide.[140] The following day at 12:00, Kyle sent Webb's wife a telegram with the news, and then at 22:00 he stopped the search offering a $100 reward for whoever could find Webb's body.[141][142] Rumours were spread that Webb's wife inherited a large sum of money from Webb, but Kyle told everyone that Webb had left it to his children.[141]

Four days later, Webb's body was found. The body had a cut on the forehead, which caused people to assume he was knocked out on a submerged rock, and then died from drowning.[4] However, the autopsy revealed that the cut was made after his death, and that he died from being paralysed from the water pressure, which caused respiratory failure.[4][143]

Webb's grave at Oakwood Cemetery

Webb was interred in Oakwood Cemetery.[144][4][145] His widow and family were distraught upon hearing the news, and his widow said that she hadn't considered that he might not complete it.[146] Many of Webb's lifetime friends organized an ornamental swimming event at Lambeth Baths, in Webb's honour. The Land and Water put shame on the risks Webb had taken in his later life, and also blamed the railway companies for encouraging the swim.[147]

Webb's widow later returned to the burial site to rebury the body with a proper funeral.[148] Above the grave was a dark granite Gothic monument was built, inscribed "Captain Matthew Webb. Born Jan. 19, 1848. Died July 24, 1883".[4][148]

Legacy

[edit]

Family

[edit]

After Webb's death, his wife remarried and moved to South Africa.[4] His son Matthew went fought for the South African Forces in World War I and was killed at the Ypres Salient,[4] while Helen became a swimming and dance instructor.[149] Webb does not have any living descendants, as his great-great-granddaughter died childless.[6]

Impact on swimming

[edit]
Portrait of Webb in his red swimming trunks on a cigarette box

Webb said he wanted to inspire more people to learn to swim,[150] and wrote a book titled The Art of Swimming,[151] though this was mostly written by Payne.[152]

The New York Times noted how much good Webb had done by inspiring the country to swim, and many new swim teaching books were published over the next 25 years.[153] Swimming clubs grew in quantity, and many new swimming pools were opened with the Baths and Washhouses Act allowing local authorities to build them.[154] Shortly after Webb's death, several periodical swimming championships were started, and the Sporting Life allocated more space to swimming.[120]

It took 36 years for anyone else to swim the channel, accomplished by Thomas Burgess in 1911.[155] After Burgess completed the crossing, Webb's widow was interviewed. She was pleased that Burgess had succeeded, as it demonstrated the crossing was possible and would silence those who doubted Webb's achievement.[156]

Since then, the channel has been crossed by over 2500 swimmers, including a four-way crossing by Sarah Thomas in 2019.[157]

The pig on the wall postcard

[edit]

In 1909 a postcard produced by a photography firm in Dawley depicted a pig on a wall watching Webb's post-channel procession go by.[4][158][159]

Memorials and places

[edit]
Captain Webb pub, Wellington Road, Wellington

In 1909, funded by public subscriptions, Webb's elder brother Thomas unveiled a memorial at the east end of Dawley High Street.[4] It bears the inscription: "Nothing great is easy."[160][70] Webb has another memorial in Dover and one at Coalbrookdale.[4][161][162]

Webb Crescent and Captain Webb Primary School in Dawley are named after the swimmer,[163][155] as is Webb House of the Haberdashers' Adams Grammar School in Newport, Shropshire.[164]

Captain Mathew Webb memorial, Dover, Kent

International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame

[edit]

In 1965, Webb was added to the International Swimming Hall of Fame[151] for being the first person to cross the English Channel.[165]

Cultural references

[edit]

His death inspired a poem by William McGonagall in 1883,[166] and John Betjeman's 1940 NME single of the week "A Shropshire Lad".[167]

Peter Sellers said Webb's picture on Bryant and May matchboxes inspired the appearance of Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther films.[168]

A film adaptation of Webb's Channel attempt, directed by Justin Hardy, written by Jemma Kennedy, and starring Warren Brown[169] was released in 2015 under the title Captain Webb.[170]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The Dictionary of National Biography lists his birth as the 18 January.[1] However books around the time list his birth as the 19 January.[2][3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Seccombe 1899, p. 104.
  2. ^ a b Williams 1884, p. 1.
  3. ^ a b c Dolphin 1875, p. 7.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak Peel, Malcolm. "Matthew Webb biography". Dawley Heritage Group. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  5. ^ Watson 2001, pp. 12–18.
  6. ^ a b c d "Captain Matthew Webb". Meadow Pit Memorial Gardens. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  7. ^ Watson 2001, p. 11.
  8. ^ Watson 2001, p. 19.
  9. ^ a b Watson 2001, p. 29.
  10. ^ Watson 2001, pp. 21–22.
  11. ^ Watson 2001, p. 28.
  12. ^ Watson 2001, p. 30.
  13. ^ Watson 2001, pp. 30–31.
  14. ^ Watson 2001, p. 37.
  15. ^ Watson 2001, p. 41.
  16. ^ Watson 2001, p. 46.
  17. ^ a b Watson 2001, pp. 43–44.
  18. ^ a b c Williams 1884, p. 2.
  19. ^ a b c Sprawson 1993, p. 36.
  20. ^ a b Watson 2001, p. 47.
  21. ^ Watson 2001, pp. 47–48.
  22. ^ a b Watson 2001, p. 51.
  23. ^ Watson 2001, pp. 51–52.
  24. ^ a b c Watson 2001, p. 52.
  25. ^ Watson 2001, p. 53.
  26. ^ Watson 2001, p. 58.
  27. ^ Watson 2001, pp. 58–59.
  28. ^ Watson 2001, p. 59.
  29. ^ Watson 2001, p. 61.
  30. ^ Dolphin 1875, pp. 8–9.
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Sources

[edit]
  • Lambie, James (2010). The Story of Your Life: A History of the Sporting Life Newspaper (1859–1998). Troubador. pp. 172–178. ISBN 9781848762916.
  • Dolphin (1875). The Channel Feats of Captain Webb and Captain Boyton. London: Dean & Son.
  • Williams, Henry Llewellyn (1884). The Adventurous Life and Daring Exploits in England and America of Capt. Matthew Webb. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Elderwick, David (1987). Captain Webb – Channel Swimmer. Brewin. ISBN 0-947731-23-7.
  • Webb, Matthew (1999). The Art of Swimming. Pryor Publications. ISBN 0-946014-78-7.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Matthew Webb.
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