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Webb, Captain Matthew - 25/08/1875
Description
Temp 65°f. Porpoises sighted at 3:08 and 4:30. Mainly Breast stroke some side stroke. Start 26 strokes per min, after 1 hr 22 for 2 ½ hrs then a steady 20.
Swimmer(s)

Webb, Captain Matthew
Date
25/08/1875
Successful swim number
1
Successful swimmer number
1
Successful swim number England - France
1
Duration of swim
21:45
Pilot
Capt George Toms, (Mate) John Dodd. Five crew - Bowles, Jell, Gates, Gates, Decent, and Stanley.
Pilot boat
Lugger Ann, two rowing boats.
Notes
START 12:56 pm. Tue, Aug 24; FINISH 10:41am. Aug 25; TIME 21h 45m E-F. Step at End of Admiralty Pier to Calais Sands. Recognized by C.S.A. 16-8-1928. Grease; Porpoise Grease. Neap tide, started on half ebb. Start; 3½ hrs before high water. Tide 15ft 10 inch. Food; Ale. Beef tea.Coffee.Brandy.Cod liver oil. Allotted Witnesses were; Mr. A. G. Payne and Mr. Harry F. Wilkinson, of the Ilex swimming club. Others on board; J. B. Jones, (Editor Dover Express) Mr Warman (Dover Chronicle) Mr Bell (Illustrated News) taking pictures. George Ward (cousin). At the start the sea was so calm that the sweeps had to be plied to keep the Lugger up with the swimmer. In the last two hrs large waves were breaking over the swimmer and Webb’s haggard face could occasionally be seen above the waves. The Porpoise grease was provided by the Athone Boot Company. His woolen costume weighed 10 lbs. A French Doctor thrust himself into the room uninvited, then sent a bill for 50 Francs. On Capt George Toms Tombstone is recorded the fact that he piloted Capt Webb when he swam the Channel. Webb presented him with a gold ring. Webb had already swam 21 miles, from Blackwall to Gravesend. And Dover to Ramsgate.
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Burgess, Thomas William - 06/09/1911
Description
THOMAS WILLIAM BURGESS (ENG) (Naturalized Frenchman. Living in Paris). 15 June 1872 – 5 July 1950. 1911 success. START South Foreland 11.15am. Tue, Sept 5.; FINISH. Le Chatelet (C.G.Nez) 9.50am Sept 6; TIME 22h 35m.
Swimmer(s)

Burgess, Thomas William
Date
06/09/1911
Successful swim number
2
Successful swimmer number
2
Successful swim number England - France
2
Duration of swim
22:30
Notes
South Foreland at 11.15 am on the 6th. Landed Le Chatelet
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Sullivan, Henry - 06/08/1923
Description
HENRY SULLIVAN (U.S.A.) 1 Jan 1893 - 22 Dec 1955, aged 63. 1923 success; START Shakespeare Cliff 5.15pm, Sun, 5 Aug.; FINISH Calais Beach 8.05pm, Mon. Aug 6th. TIME 26h 50m. E-F. Recognized by C.S.A. 16-8-1928. Folkestone Lugger Day Spring. Pilot Capt. Leslie (Joe) Smith, Capt. James Harris, Trainer John Conlon. Grease; 3 lbs. Lard. FOOD; One meal of egg and milk at 8.50pm. Age 34. Height 5ft 4ins. Weight 16 stone. Temp 62°f. High water 5.44pm. Started on the last hour of the ebb tide. He lost 20 lbs of weight during swim. Double Trudgeon and Breast stroke, 33 strokes per min. This was his 7th attempt. He received £1000 from the Daily Sketch and the Alexander challenge cup. Married with one daughter aged 4 years. Wife A. Locksberg. Married 18 July 1916. This was the longest Channel swim on record until July 2010 when Jackie Cobell took 28 hrs 44 min. On board, Seamen John Harris and Sidney Harris of Folkestone, John Conlon (Trainer), C. Manning Jack Weston junr of Dover Swimming Club, E G Amos, Mr Ben White and B. White junr, Eugene Amos (Dover Sailing Club.), Reginald Williams “Dover Standared”, Mr Tom Gatehouse, Joseph Reuben Gatehouse, Tiraboschi (Italian), Alfred Joseph Revell and Mr Cox.
Swimmer(s)

Sullivan, Henry
Date
06/08/1923
Successful swim number
3
Successful swimmer number
3
Successful swim number England - France
3
Duration of swim
26:50:00
Notes
Shakespeare Cliff st 5.15 pm on the 5th. Landed Calais Sands 8.05 p.m on 6th
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Tiraboschi, Enrico - 12/08/1923
Swimmer(s)

Tiraboschi, Enrico
Date
12/08/1923
Successful swim number
4
Successful swimmer number
4
Successful swim number France - England
1
Duration of swim
16:23
Notes
Landed Shakespeare Beach. 1st France-England
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Daily Sketch (1)
Toth, Charles - 09/09/1923
Swimmer(s)

Toth, Charles
Date
09/09/1923
Successful swim number
5
Successful swimmer number
5
Successful swim number France - England
2
Duration of swim
16:54
Notes
Landed at Old Stairs between St. Margarets & Kingsdown
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Ederle, Miss Gertrude - 06/08/1926
Description
Start 7 05am. Finish 9 44pm. Cap Gris-Nez - Kingsdown. Grease; Lanolin, Vaseline, Olive oil. Food; Roast chicken, Hot chocolate and Pineapple slices. Front crawl. Beef tea and Broth. Start 2hrs before high tide. Spring tide.
Swimmer(s)

Ederle, Miss Gertrude
Date
06/08/1926
Successful swim number
6
Successful swimmer number
6
Successful swim number France - England
3
Duration of swim
14:39
Pilot
Joe Costa (Louis Corthes) with Thomas Burgess
Pilot boat
Alsace, with press tug La Morinie
Trainer
Thomas Burgess
Notes
New Record Landed Kingsdown. Age 20. Height 5ft. Pace makers were Ishak Helmi and Louis Timson, Channel swimmers. Lillian Cannon also joined her half a mile off Dover. On board; Miss Lillian Cannon, Ishak Helmy, Louis Timson, her sister Mrs Margaret Deuschle, John Hayward (Daily Sketch), Madam Costa, Julie Harpman, Art Sorenson and her father. Recognized C.S.A. 16-8-1928
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Corson, Mrs Millicent C. - 28/08/1926
Description
START 11 32am Sat. Aug 27. FINISH 3 00am. Aug 28. TIME 15h 28m. Cap Gris-Nez - Shakespeare Beach. Grease; Lanolin. FOOD Sugar loaf, chocolate, cocoa, biscuits, small cakes. Stroke; Front crawl, 19 strokes per min, Trudgeon, some breast stroke. Temp. 62. Started 3h 28m before High tide. Neap tide.
Swimmer(s)

Corson, Mrs Millicent C.
Date
28/08/1926
Successful swim number
7
Successful swimmer number
7
Successful swim number France - England
4
Duration of swim
15:28
Pilot
Harry Pearson
Pilot boat
Viking motor boat
Trainer
Billy Kellingley
Notes
On board; Louis Timson, Mrs Ethel Kellingley, John Mitchell, Edmund V Goff (Northampton), Mr Forest, L Higgins, Miss Margaret Williams, Mr S. S. Waters (London), Mr Paul Waters, Mr Leslie R. Duncan (Dover Standard), Clemington Corson (Husband, rowed for entire swim), plus others. Mrs Corson was the mother of two children when she swam - Sonny and Marjorie. She was one of six children. Millie had two unsuccessful swims; 1923, time 14h 30m., 1927 9h 40m Recognized by C.S.A. 16-8-1928, but give wrong time of 15h 23m
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Vierkotter, Ernst - 30/08/1926
Description
Started Cap Gris Nez 1.32pm, finished Langdon Stairs 2.15pm
Swimmer(s)

Vierkotter, Ernst
Date
30/08/1926
Successful swim number
8
Successful swimmer number
8
Successful swim number France - England
5
Duration of swim
12:43
Pilot
Captain Salmon
Pilot boat
Europe tug
Notes
Organised and ratified by the French National Association of Swimming
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Michel, Georges - 10/09/1926
Description
Started Cap Gris Nez, finished St Margarets Bay 7.25am
Swimmer(s)

Michel, Georges
Date
10/09/1926
Successful swim number
9
Successful swimmer number
9
Successful swim number France - England
6
Duration of swim
11:06
Notes
LONDON, Sept. 10 1926 -- The world's English Channel swimming record, held within five weeks by an American for twenty-four days and by a German for eleven, flitted to France today when Georges Michel, doughty Paris baker, kneaded his way across "La Manche" (the Sleeve), as the French call the Channel, in 11 hours 5 minutes. Michel landed in St Margarets Bay, midway between Dover and Deal. When he took the water last evening sea conditions were favorable, and there was good swimming virtually all the way to England until the last two miles, when the wind began to stiffen. At the start there was a fast tide under, him, and when flood tide began it carried him along way across. Started on Ebb Tide Michel, in addition to breaking the record, also upset all precedents in starting. He left the rocks at Gris-Nez an hour before low tide, Instead of four hours before high tide. He believed that in starting thus he could accomplish the feat before him in 10 hours. The experts, however, doubted this... Perhaps his best previous swim was Aug 1 when he won the cross Paris Marathon on the River Seine. He made the 26 miles, aided by a strong current, in llh 20m. The first Frenchman to swim the Channel is of Herculean build and is outclassed in size among Channel aspirants only by the giant Egyptian, Ishak Helmy, who has failed in all his efforts to get from France to the chalk cliffs about Dover. Michel had been trying every year since 1922 to make the trip. His last attempt before today was on Sept 4, when he was balked by bad weather after being in the water a little more than an hour... Michel is no youngster, but is nearing middle age. He is remarkable for his size, being taller than most Frenchmen, and only a few can boast of being broader either around the shoulders or waist. He carries more than one chin above his broad, fleshy shoulders. Nine times before last night, Michel strode into the channel in attempt to conquer her. Two of his unsuccessful starts were made this year. He never set up training quarters at Gris-Nez and devoted weeks to accustoming himself to the Channel waters, as do most of those who make the attempt. It was always his practice, whenever the notion struck him with particular force, to turn his bakery shop in a Parisian suburb over to his wife, take a train to the coast and, after two or three days of practice, start for the English shore.
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Derham, Norman Leslie - 17/09/1926
Description
Started 9pm Cap Gris Nez 16/09/26, finished St. Margarets 10.57am 17/09/26
Swimmer(s)

Derham, Norman Leslie
Date
17/09/1926
Successful swim number
10
Successful swimmer number
10
Successful swim number France - England
7
Duration of swim
13:57
Pilot
Charles Joseph Taylor/Mr. Gale of Folkestone
Pilot boat
Alfred motor launch
Trainer
Frederick George White, trainer
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

News of The World (1)
Temme, Edward H. - 05/08/1927
Swimmer(s)

Temme, Edward H.
Date
05/08/1927
Successful swim number
11
Successful swimmer number
11
Successful swim number France - England
8
Duration of swim
14:29
Notes
Landed Abbots Cliff
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Dover Gold Cup (2)
Gleitze, Miss Mercedes - 07/10/1927
Description
START 2 55am. FINISH. 6 10pm. Cap Gris-Nez - near South Foreland. Grease; Lanolin. Food; Grapes, Honey, Hot Tea and Cocoa. Stroke; Old English Back, some Breast stroke. Temp 60’f. Started 4h 23m before high tide. Neap tides. Very Foggy.
Swimmer(s)

Gleitze, Miss Mercedes
Date
07/10/1927
Successful swim number
12
Successful swimmer number
12
Successful swim number France - England
9
Duration of swim
15:15
Pilot
Henry Sharp Jnr. with John Thomas Burwill
Pilot boat
Fishing Boat FE.11
Trainer
G. H. Allan
Notes
On Board; Mrs A. Sharp She was unconscious for two hours after the swim. She had no independent witnesses on board. Because of the doubts raised over Doctor Dorothy Logan’s Swim, she made a vindication swim on Oct 21st, although this first swim was later recognised by the CSA.
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Gill, Mrs Ivy - 14/10/1927
Description
START. 9 11am. Oct 13. FINISH. 12 20am. Oct 14. Cap Gris-Nez - Shakespeare Cliff. Grease; Lanolin. Food; Beef extract, malted milk, Coffee. Stroke; Breaststroke, Trudgeon, a little on back. Temp. below 60’f., 57.2 inshore. Started 4hrs before high tide. Spring Tides. Weight 13 ½ stone. She lost one stone during the swim
Swimmer(s)

Gill, Mrs Ivy
Date
14/10/1927
Successful swim number
13
Successful swimmer number
13
Successful swim number France - England
10
Duration of swim
15:09
Pilot
Bertie Brockman with John 'Jack' Burwill
Pilot boat
Brockman & Sons boat
Trainer
Clarence Flower
Notes
Affidavit signed by; John Fellows (channel aspirant Rotherham), Clarence Fowler (Sheffield), Henry Bertie Brockman (Pilot), John Thomas Burwell (Assistant Pilot), Albert George O'Cree (Engineer), Ernest Stone (Boatman). Clarence Fowler whose name is appended to the document is Mrs Gill’s Trainer. The document reads, We, the undersigned, saw all the swim from Cap Gris Nez to Shakespeare Cliff, starting from Cap Gris Nez at 9 11 am October 13th and landing at Shakespeare Cliff at 12 20 am October 14th 1927, and are satisfied the swim was accomplished without any aid whatever.
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Hawke, Miss Ivy - 19/08/1928
Description
START 9 59pm. FINISH 5 15pm. Cap Gris-Nez - Hope Point. Grease; Lanolin. Food; Tea, chocolate, three pears, one lemon. Stroke; Trudgeon. Started 1h 23m after high tide. It was the longest France-England swim. Spring tide.
Swimmer(s)

Hawke, Miss Ivy
Date
19/08/1928
Successful swim number
14
Successful swimmer number
14
Successful swim number France - England
11
Duration of swim
19:16
Pilot
Joe Costa (Louis Corthes) with Thomas Burgess
Pilot boat
Alsace
Trainer
Thomas Burgess
Notes
This was Miss Hawk’s third attempt. 27 Independent witnesses, including Dr T H Dawson, Dr Munrow, Dr Schiff, Mrs Console and family, Jabez Wolffe, Hilda Sharp.
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Sharp, Miss Hilda 'Laddie' - 24/08/1928
Description
START. 12 50am. FINISH. 3 48pm. Cap Gris-Nez - Lyddon Spout. Grease; Lambs fat. Food; Coffee with condensed milk, Hot Lemonade with sugar, Beef tea. Stroke; Trudgeon, 25-27 strokes per min. Temp. 61. 62’f. Started, 5hr 08m before high tide. Neap tides. Sea calm. Wind E. S. E.
Swimmer(s)

Sharp, Miss Hilda 'Laddie'
Date
24/08/1928
Successful swim number
15
Successful swimmer number
15
Successful swim number France - England
12
Duration of swim
14:58
Pilot
William Burgess/Joe Costa
Pilot boat
Alsace
Trainer
Jabez Wolffe
Notes
38 witnesses. On board; Time keeper Joe Costa (Manager) Weighs 11 stone. 5ft 6ins tall. Laddie is a Nurse Maid. And one of nine children. Wolffe was so confident of her success that he sold some of his swimming prizes to pay the training expenses. Donald Watts, Austin Johnson and Joyce Bouch swam with her several times.
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Helmi, Ishak - 01/09/1928
Description
Started 31st Cap Gris Nez 23:40 pm, landed Folkestone on 1st 1.46pm
Swimmer(s)

Helmi, Ishak
Date
01/09/1928
Successful swim number
16
Successful swimmer number
16
Successful swim number France - England
13
Duration of swim
23:40
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Duncan, Miss (Margaret) Peggy - 10/09/1930
Description
START 8 20pm Sept 9. FINISH 12 37am Sept 10. Cap Gris-Nez - South Foreland. Grease; Lambs fat. Food; Cocoa, coffee, beef tea. Trudgeon. Temp. 63.5. Weight 200lbs. Started. 4h 28 before high tide. Spring tides. Good conditions. Stung on face by Jelly fish.
Swimmer(s)

Duncan, Miss (Margaret) Peggy
Date
10/09/1930
Successful swim number
17
Successful swimmer number
17
Successful swim number France - England
14
Duration of swim
16:17
Pilot
Joe Costa
Pilot boat
Jenner tug
Trainer
Jabez Wolffe
Notes
Her father originally from Glasgow. She received 300 cables from South Africa, Including General Hertzog the Prime Minister, Mr N. C. Havenga, Minister of Finance, The High Commissioner for London, and Mr Bitizeus, Mayor of Capetown. She carried a message from the Mayor of Calais to the Mayor of Dover, translated for the Mayor by Joe Costa. Peggy came back to England in 1931 and waited all summer, but was unable to make an attempt due to poor weather.
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Lowry, Ethel 'Sunny' - 29/08/1933
Description
START. 6 36pm Aug 28. FINISH 10 17am Aug 29. Cap Gris-Nez - St Margaret’s Bay. Grease; Chilli paste & Lanolin. Food; Coffee, cocoa, beef tea from a medicine bottle(no solids). Weight 14 st 7 lbs. Height 5ft 4ins. Stroke; Front Crawl. Started 1h 45m after high tide. Neap tide. C.S.A Observer Mr Roger Bazin.
Swimmer(s)

Lowry, Ethel 'Sunny'
Date
29/08/1933
Successful swim number
18
Successful swimmer number
18
Successful swim number France - England
15
Duration of swim
15:41
Pilot
Louis Corthes with the Betts brothers as boatmen
Pilot boat
Isabelle
Trainer
Jabez Wolffe
Notes
Ratified by C.S.A. 30 March 1958. 24 witnesses, including her Mother. This was her third attempt. 2005 awarded M.B.E. for services to swimming. 2003 inducted into the swimming hall of fame. There were 18 attempts in 1933. Only Sunny was successful. Two sisters - Annie, who was Northern Counties back stroke champion, and Betty, represented Manchester school girls.
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Temme, Edward H. - 05/08/1934
Swimmer(s)

Temme, Edward H.
Date
05/08/1934
Successful swim number
19
Successful swimmer number
11
Successful swim number England - France
4
Duration of swim
15:54
Notes
South Foreland at 6.11 am. Landed Cap Blanc Nez 10.05 pm
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

England-France (657)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Dover Gold Cup (2)
Faber, Emma - 18/08/1934
Description
Started Cap Gris Nez 12.45 am, finished South Foreland 2.51 pm
Swimmer(s)

Faber, Emma
Date
18/08/1934
Successful swim number
20
Successful swimmer number
19
Successful swim number France - England
16
Duration of swim
14:06
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Taylor, Haydn - 22/08/1935
Description
Started Cap Grisnez 1.35am and arrived Lydden Spout, Dover at 4.23pm. Used Crawl Stroke
Swimmer(s)

Taylor, Haydn
Date
22/08/1935
Successful swim number
21
Successful swimmer number
20
Successful swim number France - England
17
Duration of swim
14:48
Pilot
E. Stone; crew G. Obree, V.M. Whorlow, T. Brockman. Observer J. Brockman
Pilot boat
Ocean King
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Blower, Tom - 04/08/1937
Swimmer(s)

Blower, Tom
Date
04/08/1937
Successful swim number
22
Successful swimmer number
21
Successful swim number France - England
18
Duration of swim
13:29
Notes
Cap Gris Nez to Abbots Cliff
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Plarre, Bruna Wendel - 25/08/1938
Description
Covered 70 kilometers in 14 degrees of cold water. The reason for this was the current and the two changes of ebb and flow.
Swimmer(s)

Plarre, Frau Bruna Wendel
Date
25/08/1938
Successful swim number
23
Successful swimmer number
22
Successful swim number France - England
19
Duration of swim
15:33
Pilot boat
“Notre Dame de Lourdes,’ of Calais
Notes
Ratified and Observed by F.F.N.S. (Federation Francaise de Natation et de Sauvetage, i.e. French Swimming and Life-saving Federation)
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)
Ratified

Independent (34)
Wheatcroft, Fernley - 28/08/1938
Swimmer(s)

Wheatcroft, Fernley
Date
28/08/1938
Successful swim number
24
Successful swimmer number
23
Successful swim number France - England
20
Duration of swim
13:45
Notes
Cap Gris Nez to Abbots Cliff
Success/failure

Successful (681)
Direction(s)

France-England (736)
Number of crossings

One Way Swim (644)

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