Pedestrianism; or, An Account of the Performances of Celebrated Pedestrians During the Last and Present Century. / With a full narrative of Captain Barclay's public and private matches; and an essay on training.

by Walter Thom

Wood’s next sporting performance was his match with Captain Barclay, in which he failed. But as a particular account of that match shall be given, when we treat of Captain Barclay’s performances, it is not requisite at present to notice it farther. On the 12th of May 1809, Wood gained a severe and well contested race with Shipley from Nottinghamshire. It was run over Knutsford Heath—the distance four hundred and forty yards, which was performed in fifty-six seconds; and so close were the competitors, that the judges were for some time doubtful to which of them they should assign the stake, (being two hundred guineas); but finally it was determined in favour of Wood. On the 9th September 1811, Wood ran a two-mile match with Joseph Beal, which he lost, as previously mentioned in page 76.

Of all the celebrated pedestrians of the present day, Captain Barclay is deservedly the most famous, both from the variety and difficult accomplishment of his performances;—and the next Chapter shall be devoted to his astonishing exploits, of which a particular and faithful account shall be presented to the reader.

N. B.—The Author is indebted chiefly to the Sporting Magazine, which is an entertaining and valuable publication, for the particulars relative to the pedestrians whose performances are recorded in this and the previous chapter.

TABLE containing the Names of the Pedestrians, the Distances they performed, and the Time they required, with the Year of performance, &c.

				Dist.
Year	Name			Miles	Yards	Days	Hrs.	Min.	Sec.	Pag.
1788		Mr. John Batty,		700		13	19			[48]
1773		— Foster Powell,		396		6				[45]
1778		— Foster Powell,		390		5	19	15		[46]
1790		— Foster Powell,		396		5	18			[47]
1792		— Foster Powell,		396		5	15			[47]
1808		— Downes,		400		10				[49]
1808		— Podgers,		400		8				[51]
1808		— Dowler,		500		7				[51]
1808		— Howe,		346		6				[51]
1809		— Canning,		300		5				[53]
1811		— Rimmington,		560		7				[53]
1811		— Mealing,		540		18				[54]
1789		— Thomas Savager,		429		5	19			[54]
1792		— Eustace,		200		4				[49]
1806		— Joseph Edge,		172		2	1	20		[48]
1806		— Glanville,		142		1	5	45		[56]
1812		— Waring,		136		1	10			[56]
1782		— Eustace,		90		1				[49]
		— Robert Bartley,		81			24			[44]
1787		— Reed,		100			24			[45]
1791		— Reed,		50			9			[45]
1762		— John Hague,		100			23	15		[45]
1787		— Foster Powell,		109			23	50		[47]
1788		— Foster Powell,		100			22			[47]
1809		— Downes,		90			22			[50]
1809		— Downes,		72			19			[50]
1808		— Howe,		80			24			[52]
1812		— Howe,		60			12			[52]
1808		Lieutenant Halifax,		2			100 successive			[53]
1811		Mr. Oliver,		100			23	50		[55]
1810		— Edward Millen,		100			23	25		[55]
1807		— Wall,		69			12			[58]
1809		Captain Walsham,		60			12			[59]
1809		Mr. Hopper,		63			11	39		[59]
1811		— Clough,		50			9			[60]
1811		— Shoreham,		80			13	10		[60]
1810		— William Staniland,		54			7	45		[62]
1804		A Butcher of London,		60			11	15		[62]
1804		John Bell, Esq.		58			13		45	[58]
1804		Lieutenant Fairman,		60			13	33		[83]
1812		Captain Agar,		59			8	27		[86]
1807		Mr. Jaques,		50			8			[88]
1812		Lieutenant Groats,		72			12			[61]
1774		Mr. Reed,		10			1			[45]
1762		— Child,		44			7	57		[45]
1809		— Downes,		20			2	40		[50]
1802		— Howe,		20			2	20		[52]
1807		— Pearson,		37			5	27		[61]
1810		— Yeardley,		42			6	10		[62]
1795		— Thomas Miller,		36			5	50		[63]
1809	{	John Jones,	}	30			3	45		[63]
		William Williams,
1812		Mr. Froward,		30			3	53		[67]
1806		— Enson Clerk,		26			3	43		[63]
1805		— King,		26			3	43		[64]
1809		— Cortey,		17½			2			[64]
1807		— Stevens,		21			2	15		[65]
1809		— Greig,		20			2	20		[66]
1812		— James Watson,		23			2	56		[66]
1808		Captain Thomson,		21			2	55		[66]
		Mr. Spence,		42			7	20		[63]
1808		— Blewet,		24			2	34		[69]
1811		— Harwood,		18			2			[70]
		— Rickets,		17			1	49		[70]
1807		— Keeley,		17			1	37		[70]
1807		— Whitclock,		17			1	50		[71]
1810		— Bentley,		18			1	53		[71]
1808		— Williams,		20			1	53		[71]
1808		Lieutenant Fairman,		20			2	56		[85]
1806		Abraham Wood,		20			2	5		[91]
1807		Abraham Wood,		40			4	56		[92]
1776		Mr. Foster Powell,		2				10	30	[47]
1700		— Levi Whitehead,		4				19		[72]
1771		— Chr. Orten,		10				57		[73]
1793		— John Barrett,		10				57		[73]
1793		— John Barrett,		5				27	9	[73]
1809		— Haselden,		10				53		[73]
1809		— O’Callagan,		10				58	47	[74]
1805		— Bindall,		7				35		[74]
1805		— James Farrer,		4				20	57	[74]
1808		Mr. George Frost,		5				30		[74]
1808		Captain Parfet,		4				23	55	[75]
1777		Mr. Joseph Headley,		2				9	45	[75]
——		— Joseph Headley,		4				21		[75]
1812		— Webber,		4				24		[67]
1811	{	Joseph Beal,	}	2				9	43	[75]
		Isaac Hemsworth,
1811	{	Joseph Beal,	}	2				21	18	[76]
		Abraham Wood,
1808		Mr. Wallis,		1				9		[77]
1808		— E. Haslern,		1				4	50	[77]
1809		Captain Anning,		1				4	50	[77]
1809		Captain Hewetson,		2				9	57	[77]
1803		Mr. John Todd,		1				4	10	[77]
1809	{	Captain Dacre,	}	1				4	56	[78]
		Mr. Dawes,
1804	{	The Hon. Ed. Harbord,	}	1				5		[78]
		Lord Freder. Bentinck,
1804	{	Mr. Mellish[A],	}					38	10	[79]
		Lord F. Bentinck,
1807		Mr. Curley, (at 4 starts)		1				4		[80]
1809		Captain Aiken[B],		1				4	58	[82]
	{	Captain Aiken[B],	}	1				5	25	[82]
		Mr. Sullivan,
		Hon. Colonel Douglass,		1				5		[80]
1809		Captain Aiken,		4				23	50	[83]
1810	{	Captain Aiken,	}	1				5	12	[83]
		Mr. Athol,
1810		Captain Aiken,		5				29	54	[83]
1812		Captain Aiken,		1	870			8		[83]
1809		Captain Agar,		5				30		[86]
1802		Mr. Abraham Wood,		4				20	21	[88]
1806	{	Mr. Abraham Wood,	}	9	735			51	24	[89]
		— Jonathan Powlitt,
1797	{	Mr. John Brown,	}	4				21	35	[89]
		— Abraham Wood,
1809		Mr Francis Martin,			870			2	8	[78]
1805	{	Mr. Grinley,	}		120				12½	[80]
		— Curley,
1806	{	— Grinley,	}		120				12	[81]
		— Curley,
1808	{	— Cooke,	}		200				20	[81]
		— Williams,
1808	{	Lieutenant Hawkey,	}							[81]
		Mr. Snowden,
1808		Mr. Andrew Skewball,			140				12	[82]
1809		Captain Aiken,			100				13	[82]
		Captain Aiken,			200				28	[82]
		Captain Aiken,			435			1	18	[82]
		Captain Aiken,			435			1	15	[83]
1806		Abraham Wood,			435				59	[91]
1809		Abraham Wood,			440				56	[92]

[A] Over the Beacon Course.

[B] Run with one minute interval between the two starts.

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