George Wilson (racewalker)
George Wilson, known as the Blackheath Pedestrian, (24 June 1766 – after 1822) was a Newcastle born character, and competitive walker/athlete, and a tax collector by trade,
In the song "On Russell The Pedestrian" which appeared in 1840 in The Tyne Songster, George Wilson is mentioned by name as a well-known competitive walker.[1] The notes to the song mention that he had walked 90 miles in 24 successive hours on the Newcastle Racecourse in 1822 on Easter Monday and Tuesday. The song itself is not written in a Geordie dialect, but has a strong Northern England connection.
George Wilson wrote his autobiography entitled “A Sketch of the Life of George Wilson, the Blackheath Pedestrian: Who Undertook to Walk One Thousand Miles in Twenty Days!” which was illustrated by Thomas Charles Wageman in 1815.[2] In this book he tells of his many exploits and failures, including him being arrested for causing a breach of the peace, charged and tried for "walking for money" and ending up in debtor’s prison.[3]
Wilson got his nickname from a very famous walk he did in Blackheath, London, in 1815, and for which The Times issued daily bulletins on his progress.
Notes
- ^ The Tyne Songster - A Choice Selection of Songs in the Newcastle Dialect. 1840.
- ^ Wilson, George (1815). A Sketch of the Life of George Wilson, the Blackheath Pedestrian: Who Undertook to Walk One Thousand Miles in Twenty Days! - Illustrated by Thomas Charles Wageman. Hay & Turner. OCLC 22681853.
- ^ Whetstone, David (23 September 2004). "George walks his way into history". The Journal. Newcastle, UK: ncjMedia Limited.
External links
- "George Wilson, the pedestrian, Aged 50. As he appeared on the morning of Septr. 19th 1815, being the ninth day of performing the arduous task of walking fifty miles per day for twenty successive days". Grosvenor Prints.
- Harvey, Adrian N. (2004). "Wilson, George (b. 1764, d. in or after 1822), pedestrian". Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/64835.
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