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Holmes, Frank - 24/07/1900
Description
START: 4:15am. July 24th 1900. FINISH: 9:05am. TIME: 4h 50m.E-F. 60°f . Admiralty Pier, swam to 14 miles of France. Breast stroke
Swimmer(s)

Holmes, Frank (Francis)
Date
24/07/1900
Duration of swim
04:50
Pilot
W. Bingham with boatmen Cole, Saunders & Burvill.
Pilot boat
Princess, lugger
Notes
14 miles from France. He dove off the Lugger Princess at the end of Admiralty Pier. He wore no clothing of any kind. Food; Rice and Beef Tea. On board; Mr C. P. Barnett and Mr Evans (friends)
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Isacescu, Countess Walpurga von - 05/09/1900
Description
Start 7.30am, finish 6.00pm. Started from Calais Casino. Had 2 eggs and glass of port before starting - fed on lump sugar and tea a la Russe with lemon via a feeding bottle. Heavy mist and strong waves caused her to stop. Grease - rubbed all over with pork fat
Swimmer(s)

Isacescu, Walpurga von
Date
05/09/1900
Duration of swim
10:30
Pilot
M. Levavasseur
Pilot boat
Jeanette, steam tug
Notes
An Austrian Countess the first woman to swim the Channel. From the San Francisco Examiner. She made her start from Calais with a tug as support boat. Rubbed down with pork fat. Started 6 am. Fed on cold beef tea and anchovy toast and later small pieces of rare beef. Didn't land but was taken on board the tug in the surf off Shakespeare Cliff. The Gastonia Gazette, North Carolina 29 Nov 1900
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Holbein, Montague 'Monty' - 25/08/1901
Description
START 3 49pm Aug 24. FINISH 4 35am Aug 25. C.G.Nez. - 5 miles from Dover. Back stroke some breast stroke. Food; Raw eggs. Sandwiches. Brown bread and sugar sandwiches, hot milk and Bergen’s food. In a feeding bottle on a string. Fed every 20mins. He wore a white hat and goggles. Grease; Porpoise oil. Showing early signs of collapse. Ropes tied to a huge towel to lift him out of the water. Eyes swollen shut from exposure to salt water. Heavy seas breaking over him. Unable to see for 4 days.
Swimmer(s)

Holbein, Montague 'Monty'
Date
25/08/1901
Duration of swim
12:46
Pilot
Fred May & Captain C. Lambert
Pilot boat
Granville tug and Banshee lugger crewed by Fred Ladd, Charles Cole, James Driscoll
Trainer
Tom Gray
Notes
The three crew were each given a silver commemorative medal, with the inscription. "Presented to (name) August 24, 1901. For the very able manner in which he assisted my dear friend Tom Gray In manning the lugger Banshee through a very anxious night, during the whole 13hrs 07mins of my first attempt to swim the Channel." (Fred Ladd’s medal can be seen at the Dover Museum) On board; Mrs Holbein, Mrs Tom Gray, A Sinclair (RLSS), S C Chapman, Frank Shoreland, F May, Arthur Brown, Mr Clapham, W Broad, E Hughes, (Dover standard), R P Watson (Sporting life), Tug Crew; A Treadwell (Mate), seamen A Cadbert and P Stanley, Chief Engineer J Tagg, second engineer C Tugwell, Stoker E Stanley. Folkestone Express gives time as 13 ½ hrs
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Holbein, Montague 'Monty' - 01/08/1902
Description
START 5 38 pm July 31. FINISH. Aug 1 6 00am. C.G.Nez - 8 miles from Dover. Grease; Oil and Iodine. High tide 7 33am. He consumed three quarts of milk food-milk and virol, a quart of cocoa, a drink of tea, a quantity of Bovril, and six raw eggs. Breast stroke 25 pm then back stroke 20 pm. A linen mask with mica goggles fixed with Collodion.
Swimmer(s)

Holbein, Montague 'Monty'
Date
01/08/1902
Duration of swim
12:22
Pilot
Fred May & Captain C. Lambert, crew Charles Cole, W. Cole and Driscoll.
Pilot boat
Granville tug & Sarah Ann galley
Trainer
Tom Gray
Notes
Holbein's wife and her sister Miss Farley, organized the feeds. He was followed by the steam launch Brunette with a large party of friends including two medical men, Dr Murphy and Dr Baird, F. May, Arthur Brown, and Messrs Clarke, J. M. Dick, Holt, White, Holt. And Ashton, A Perman, Frank Shoreland, G. Gray and T. Gray of the Cygnus Broad, Dover swimming club, Hughes, H. Watson, and H Sinclair. Animated Photographic Apparatus. Acetylene lamps used during the night
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Holbein, Montague 'Monty' - 28/08/1902
Description
START 3 20 pm Aug 27. FINISH. Aug 28 1 41pm. C.G.Nez - 1 mile from England, ½ mile Admiralty pier. Mask fastened on with Collodian. FOOD; Bovril, Virol, Milk, Cocoa, Bovril sandwiches and Chocolate. Back stroke/ Breast stroke. Temp 61’f to 64’f. He could no longer battle with the currents. Severe cramps. When Holbein was lifted into the Tug he collapsed exhausted. He was wrapped in thick blankets, which were drenched with buckets of hot water from the tugs boilers.
Swimmer(s)

Holbein, Montague 'Monty'
Date
28/08/1902
Duration of swim
22:21
Pilot
Captain W. Sharp & Fred May. Boatmen W Cole, H Pascall, W Ladd, Jimmy Driscoll and Charlie Cole.
Pilot boat
Lady Vita tug and Man of War cutter
Notes
On board; Mrs Holbein, and her sister Miss Farley, Mr B Bailey and Mr Tom Gray (Cygnus swimming club), George Gray S.C.A.S.A., Fred May, Frank Shortland, Hamilton Clarke, Percy Nix-Cohen (Otter swimming club), Dr Murphy, W.H.Broad, F Simmons, and R Barton (Dover swimming club), Mr R Watson (Sporting Life), Mr A Sinclair (RLSS), Mr J H Gibson (Dover Observer), Mr E Hughes (Dover Standard). And representatives of the Daily News, Daily Mail, Daily Express, and Evening News. And an operator of the biograph to depict pictorially the main events of the swim. His crew used two powerful acetylene lamps during the night.
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Holmes, Frank - 28/08/1902
Description
START: 5:29am. Aug 28th 1902. FINISH: 10:59am.. TIME: 4h 30m. E-F. Temp 61°f. From end of Prince of Wales Pier, swam 6 miles. Breast stroke.
Swimmer(s)

Holmes, Frank (Francis)
Date
28/08/1902
Duration of swim
04:30
Pilot
W. Bingham with Boatmen Burwill and Hook
Pilot boat
Unknown Lugger
Notes
Food; Boiled milk with whipped eggs, Cold rice. Swam naked. Sickness and cramp, sun stroke. On board; his Brother Howard Holmes and Professor Bibbero.
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Holmes, Frank - 11/09/1902
Description
START: 6:30am. Sept 11th 1902. FINISH: 8:45am. TIME: 2h 15m E-F. Temp 62°f to 64°f. From boat at end of Admiralty Pier, swam 4 miles. Breast stroke. Strong winds.
Swimmer(s)

Holmes, Frank (Francis)
Date
11/09/1902
Duration of swim
02:15
Pilot
W. Bingham with Boatmen Saunders, Hook, Burwill and A. H. Beard.
Pilot boat
Unknown Lugger
Notes
Food; Milk, Bovril, pears, bananas. Wore dark goggles. Swam naked. His brother Howard Holmes and two Journalists on board.
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Holbein, Montague 'Monty' - 02/09/1903
Description
START 6 43pm Sept 1. FINISH Sept 2 12 10pm. Langdon Bay - 8 miles from France (4 miles at 8 00pm). Temp 63’f . Side stroke, 22 Strokes per min and back stroke. Grease; Porpoise Oil and Beeswax. Food; Chicken sandwiches, Virol, Raw eggs, Bovril, brown sugar sandwiches, Chicken Sandwiches. Supplied by his wife and her sister Miss Farley. Hot milk given in a feeding bottle or small teapot. Skull cap of canvas, a canvas mask, glass goggles fixed on with Colloidal.
Swimmer(s)

Holbein, Montague 'Monty'
Date
02/09/1903
Duration of swim
17:27
Pilot
Capt. Sharp, Capt Lambert, Pilot Fred May
Pilot boat
Granville tug with Lady Vita plus two feeding rowboats Shamrock, and Earl of Zetland
Trainer
Charles Newman
Notes
On board; Mr Charles Newman (trainer and advisor on the swim), Dr Charles Murphy (Dover swimming club), Mr Walpole Hillier, Mr Fred May, Mr H D Faith (Otter swimming club), Mr Moeb (president of the Paris swimming club), Mr Frank Shortland, Mr Harry Hetherington, Mr George Nix, Mr George Gray (London Swimming Club), W. Broad (Dover S.C.) and others well known in the sporting world.
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Kellerman, Miss Annette - 07/08/1904
Swimmer(s)

Kellerman, Miss Annette
Date
07/08/1904
Duration of swim
02:00
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Haggerty, Jack - 20/08/1904
Description
START 6 17pm. FINISH. 7 22pm. End of Admiralty Pier. Sponsored by Weekly Dispatch. Cramp. Turned blue and had a lucky escape from drowning. Temp 62-60. Food; Hot milk. Grease; Beeswax, Porpoise oil, Resin. Wore no mask. Stroke; Side stroke. Jack refused to leave the water, so the crew leaned out of the boat with a long pole with a hook on the end put it around his neck and pulled him to the boat.
Swimmer(s)

Haggerty, John (Jack)
Date
20/08/1904
Duration of swim
01:05
Pilot
W. Cole
Pilot boat
Britannia
Trainer
Weekly Dispatch - Mr Cryer
Notes
On board; trainer Mr Cryer, Dr Ross and many friends
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Burgess, Thomas William - 20/08/1904
Description
THOMAS W. BURGESS (ENG/FRANCE) 15 June 1872 – 2 July 1950. 1905 failure; START Lydden Spout 6.11am, Aug 26; FINISH 3.11pm. TIME 9h 00m. E-F. Swam 9½ miles, drift 24½ miles. Tug Scotia. Capt. Anning, Pilot, McKeen. Side stroke, breast stroke. Very rough conditions. Becoming dangerous. Age 34. Weight 14 stone 10 lb. Height 5 ft 11 ins. Temp. 64°f. Grease; Lard.
Swimmer(s)

Burgess, Thomas William
Date
20/08/1904
Duration of swim
04:23
Pilot boat
Calaisin, tug
Notes
Lydden Spout
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Holbein, Montague 'Monty' - 21/08/1904
Description
START 4 32pm. Aug 20. FINISH. 2 35am Aug 21. Danger rock, Lydden Spout - 10.03 miles out. Side stroke 25 to 30 per min. Food; Cocoa. Bovril. Peppermint. Beef sandwich. Veal sandwich. Sugar sandwich. Chocolate. Temp 62’f. to 60’f. Grease; Beeswax, Porpoise oil, and Resin. Mask with celluloid eye pieces. Colloid linen skull cap. Seized by sickness and diarrhoea after 10 hours.
Swimmer(s)

Holbein, Montague 'Monty'
Date
21/08/1904
Duration of swim
10:03
Pilot
Pilot B. Foster. With Capt F. C. Groves Trinity Pilot, Capt Anning' Fred May.
Pilot boat
Scotia tug
Trainer
Charles Newman
Notes
Sponsored by Daily Mirror. On board; his wife and her sister Miss Fairley who organized the Feeding, Mr C Newman his trainer, Mr Fred May, Mr Shorland, Mr P Nix, J Warburton, Professor Bates, Mr Moebs (President of the Paris swimming club), Mr Black, Mr Walpole Hiller, Dr Rose, Dr Murphy, also a number of press men and seven or eight swimmers who were to take a spell with Holbein; G Grey, W Booth (London Cygnus S.C.), S Faith and S. L. Peters (London Otter S.C.), W Broad (ex captain Dover S.C.), F Record and E Duffy (Medway S.C.), W Holmes (Champion London Polytecnic S.C.), C Grinstead (Champion of Worthing and Zephyr S.C.), F H Naylor (Hornsey S.C), as well as several French sportsmen.
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Greasley, S. W. - 21/08/1904
Description
START 7 25am. FINISH. 8 55am TIME. End of Admiralty pier. Too cold and cramps. Temp 62. Grease; Beeswax, Porpoise oil, Resin.Wore no mask. Stroke; Overhand side stroke, 35 per min.
Swimmer(s)

Greasley, Samuel Wilson
Date
21/08/1904
Duration of swim
01:30
Pilot boat
Iona
Trainer
Walter Brickett
Notes
Sponsored by Evening News. On board; Dr Rose
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Weidman, Jack (John Albert) - 07/09/1904
Description
START 6 05pm. FINISH. 11 15pm. Lydden Spout - South Goodwins. Grease; Porpoise Oil, Tallow, Resin. Food; Hot Milk, Bovril, Chocolate and Raw eggs. Temp 62’f 58’f. Pulled out with severe cramp. Breast stroke, 37 strokes per min. 1 hour 40 mins before high tide. Sun hat. No goggles.
Swimmer(s)

Weidman, Jack (John Albert)
Date
06/09/1904
Duration of swim
05:10
Pilot
Capt Arthur Pearce and Capt. Pascall
Pilot boat
Gnat tug and two rowboats
Trainer
Professor Bibbero & Wauchope Watson
Notes
On board; Professor Bibbero and Mr Wauchope Watson, McKeen, Dr Murphy (Medical officer Dover swimming club), Mr Victor Mansell (Ex Secretary A. S. A.), Press representatives and friends.
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Burgess, Thomas William - 07/09/1904
Description
THOMAS W. BURGESS. (ENG/FRANCE). 15 June 1872 -2 July 1950. 1904 failure; START Lydden Spout 6.05pm., Sept 7th; FINISH 8.15pm., Sept 7th. TIME 2h 10m. E-F. Swam 6 miles. Tug Gnat and two row boats. Pilot Capt. Arthur Pearce, McKeen. Grease; Lard. Close fitting glass goggles. Side stroke, Breast stroke, 35 spm. FOOD; Bovril, Coffee, Roast chicken, Custard tart, grapes. Age 33. Height 5ft, 11 ins. Weight 14 stone 10 lbs. Temp 62°f - 58°f. Professor Bibbero was on board. Fresh south westerly breeze and a nasty choppy sea. Burgess was unable to charter a Tug to accompany him, so on arriving in Dover from Paris he asked those responsible for Weidman’s arrangements if he could swim with Weidman using the same Tug. This was agreed and both swimmers set off together. Burgess said that Weidman was too slow. So, after swimming several times around the Tug to keep warm he got out. A report in Folkestone Express. Start 1hr 40m before high tide.
Swimmer(s)

Burgess, Thomas William
Date
07/09/1904
Duration of swim
02:10
Pilot
McKeen
Pilot boat
Gnat tug
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Burgess, Thomas William - 08/09/1904
Swimmer(s)

Burgess, Thomas William
Date
08/09/1904
Duration of swim
08:18
Pilot
McKeen
Pilot boat
Gnat tug
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Heaton, Edward 'Ted' - 26/07/1905
Description
START 7 40am. FINISH. 1 37pm Admiralty Pier - swam 6 miles. Side stroke, 28 spm. Dense fog. Very sick. Temp 62 - 63'f
Swimmer(s)

Heaton, Edmund Caunce Nowell 'Ted'
Date
26/07/1905
Duration of swim
05:57
Pilot
Capt Foster, Capt Simmons.
Pilot boat
Champion tug and two rowboats
Trainer
J. Harrison
Notes
Time given as 6h 30m in Across the Straits. He wore a mask and goggles and the racing colours of Colonel W. H. Walker M.P, vice president of the swimming committee. At 11am Burgess swam with him for 1hr. At about 1 45pm a French mail package Steamer hove in sight, the paddle wheel narrowly missed Heaton’s head by two feet. The tremendous wash of the Steamer caused Heaton to ship a great deal of sea water. 10 mins later he said to Mr W. H. Carter M.A., who was steersman on the feeding boat, “I feel very ill”. With this Mr Carter clutched his wrist so ending the swim. The crew used pigeon post to report progress. His father, Dr Long, Frank Sugg (Lancashire cricketer), Mr J Harrison (trainer), Mr Wauchope Watson, T. William Burgess, on board.
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Kellerman, Miss Annette - 26/07/1905
Swimmer(s)

Kellerman, Miss Annette
Date
26/07/1905
Duration of swim
03:00
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Burgess, Thomas William - 28/07/1905
Swimmer(s)

Burgess, Thomas William
Date
28/07/1905
Duration of swim
12:38
Pilot boat
Guiana tug
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
LaFargue, Gabriel - 30/07/1905
Description
START 8 30am. Admiraty Pier Head. FINISH. 12 35 - swam 20 miles to 4½ miles off Ramsgate. Temp. 65’f. Food; small sandwiches wrapped in paper and thrown to him. Breast Stroke. Swim classed as farcical, half a gale blowing and nearing spring tides.
Swimmer(s)

LaFargue, Gabriel
Date
30/07/1905
Duration of swim
04:05
Pilot boat
Actif trawler of Calais
Notes
He was on one weeks leave from Military training. He had two friends in the tug.
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Burgess, Thomas William - 09/08/1905
Swimmer(s)

Burgess, Thomas William
Date
09/08/1905
Duration of swim
14:30
Pilot
Captain Anning
Pilot boat
Scotia tug
Notes
Lydden Spout
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Holbein, Montague 'Monty' - 24/08/1905
Description
START 3 54am. FINISH 11 15am. Lydden Spout - swam 16 miles. Grease; Beeswax, Porpoise oil. Food; Bovril, Chocolate, Beef lozenges. Backstroke 20 s p m. Temp. 64 air 62. Wore a shield fitted with goggles, which nearly covered his head. He was carried on to the Varne and had to retire. He had 6 French and English fishermen who new the force of the currents to advise him.
Swimmer(s)

Holbein, Montague 'Monty'
Date
24/08/1905
Duration of swim
07:21
Pilot
Fred May with Captain abbott
Pilot boat
Florida tug
Notes
On board; Mrs Holbein, her sister Miss Fairley, Mr Walpole Hiller (Sheffield swimming club), Mr Percy Nix and Mr Fred May (cyclist), W G Randall (Otter swimming club), Mr H D Faith, Mr Duffy (Medway swimming club) and others.
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Burgess, Thomas William - 24/08/1905
Swimmer(s)

Burgess, Thomas William
Date
24/08/1905
Duration of swim
07:55
Notes
St. Margarets Bay
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Kellerman, Miss Annette - 24/08/1905
Swimmer(s)

Kellerman, Miss Annette
Date
24/08/1905
Duration of swim
06:05
Pilot
Jack Weidman
Pilot boat
Champion tug
Notes
Prince of Wales Pier
Success/failure

Failed (725)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)

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