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Ted Heaton
Edmund Caunce Nowell 'Ted' Heaton (late 1872 – 19 September 1937) was a British diver and swimming instructor born in Liverpool, England. He is notable for his small tank diving displays during the late 19th century and for his several unsuccessful attempts to swim the English Channel during the early 20th century. Having begun training to swim the channel in 1893, he made a total of seven attempts. He often came within several miles of the French coast, with the closest being in August 1909 when he came within 2 miles (3.2 km). His swimming efforts earned him a role as a superintendent of his local swimming baths and a salary of £120 a year which also included accommodation and energy provision.
Heaton undertook army service during World War I, by joining the Sportsmen's Battalions in 1916 given he was several years too old to enlist ordinarily. He served with the Royal Fusiliers at Dover as a sergeant-instructor to prepare them for trench warfare and even did duty at a prisoner camp in India, before being discharged in 1919 on grounds of disability due to gallstones. He was employed as a swimming pool attendant on transatlantic passenger ships, notably the RMS Carinthia during 1928 to 1929. In the early 1930s as superintendent and swimming instructor at his swimming baths, he devised a swimming tuition system to allow school students to enter the water simultaneously, which utilised wood floats and canvas webs and upon catching the attention of Poland's Director of Education, was reviewed favourably.
He was married twice, firstly to Elizabeth who died just two years later, while his second wife Julia committed suicide in 1927. He had three children to his second wife, two sons and a daughter. During his later life, he advertised himself as a swimming instructor at his Cornwallis Street baths. He died in September 1937 while on a visit to the seaside town of Southport.
Heaton was born in the fourth quarter of 1872. His father, Edward Heaton, was a book-keeper for Liverpool Docks. He trained as a printer's compositor, and worked in the profession irregularly before becoming a professional swimmer around the 1890s.
Heaton's early career was focused on circus acts and tank diving. One early feat reportedly took place at a Birkenhead circus, where in early 1896 he was reported to have dived 50 feet (15 m) into a 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) tank at Ohmy's Grand New Circus. He wrote to The Era in May 1896, after they erroneously stated that Professor Bracken held the unique position as a small tank champion high diver. Heaton disputed the statement, stating that he was the originator of small tank diving, having performed it at all the circuses and noting he was "the only small tank diver". Following the death of fellow high diver Tommy Burns in July 1897, Heaton organised a charity dive from Rhyl Pier to help raise money for the family to pay for the funeral costs, and he sent them the sum of £3 and 10 shillings from the proceeds. His charity performance in the evening was observed by over 2,000 people on the pier and 10,000 on the beach, where he dived, according to Heaton himself, with his body in flames.
In January 1898, he dived into Belfast harbour from a specially constructed 50 feet (15 m) high platform at Queens Bridge, witnessed by around 15,000 spectators. Diving into a water tank that was "only 42 inches (1.1 m) deep", it was described as being a "great sensational dive". The following month, having been growing in popularity, he was engaged to perform a dive at the Cirque Raney, in Lyon, France, from a 50 ft height while enveloped in flames, into a tank measuring just 16 feet (4.9 m) by 10 feet (3.0 m). At the Scottish Zoo in September 1898, he was "a capital hit" when secured to perform a 50 feet (15 m) dive into a small water tank just 42 inches (1.1 m) deep, while "enveloped in flames from a large number of fireworks". His performance drew a big audience to the zoo.
Heaton would sometimes combine swimming and diving into a single event, such as in June 1905 when he swam 10 miles (16 km) from Eastham to New Brighton, where the climax was diving off New Brighton Pier.
During the 1900s, he made several unsuccessful attempts to swim the English Channel. Despite reportedly first training for the feat back in 1893, his first attempt was in July 1905 and reportedly started well. He entered the water at 7:41am and swam the breaststroke at pace, experiencing fine and sunny weather conditions. His attempt was alongside Annette Kellerman, who also attempted to swim the channel at the same time, but she left the water 5–6 miles (8.0–9.7 km) out due to sea-sickness. Despite swimming through strong currents, Heaton stopped at 2:30pm in a state of sickness, six miles from the shore, having to abandon his efforts due to swallowing a mouthful of oil.
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Ted Heaton
Edmund Caunce Nowell 'Ted' Heaton (late 1872 – 19 September 1937) was a British diver and swimming instructor born in Liverpool, England. He is notable for his small tank diving displays during the late 19th century and for his several unsuccessful attempts to swim the English Channel during the early 20th century. Having begun training to swim the channel in 1893, he made a total of seven attempts. He often came within several miles of the French coast, with the closest being in August 1909 when he came within 2 miles (3.2 km). His swimming efforts earned him a role as a superintendent of his local swimming baths and a salary of £120 a year which also included accommodation and energy provision.
Heaton undertook army service during World War I, by joining the Sportsmen's Battalions in 1916 given he was several years too old to enlist ordinarily. He served with the Royal Fusiliers at Dover as a sergeant-instructor to prepare them for trench warfare and even did duty at a prisoner camp in India, before being discharged in 1919 on grounds of disability due to gallstones. He was employed as a swimming pool attendant on transatlantic passenger ships, notably the RMS Carinthia during 1928 to 1929. In the early 1930s as superintendent and swimming instructor at his swimming baths, he devised a swimming tuition system to allow school students to enter the water simultaneously, which utilised wood floats and canvas webs and upon catching the attention of Poland's Director of Education, was reviewed favourably.
He was married twice, firstly to Elizabeth who died just two years later, while his second wife Julia committed suicide in 1927. He had three children to his second wife, two sons and a daughter. During his later life, he advertised himself as a swimming instructor at his Cornwallis Street baths. He died in September 1937 while on a visit to the seaside town of Southport.
Heaton was born in the fourth quarter of 1872. His father, Edward Heaton, was a book-keeper for Liverpool Docks. He trained as a printer's compositor, and worked in the profession irregularly before becoming a professional swimmer around the 1890s.
Heaton's early career was focused on circus acts and tank diving. One early feat reportedly took place at a Birkenhead circus, where in early 1896 he was reported to have dived 50 feet (15 m) into a 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) tank at Ohmy's Grand New Circus. He wrote to The Era in May 1896, after they erroneously stated that Professor Bracken held the unique position as a small tank champion high diver. Heaton disputed the statement, stating that he was the originator of small tank diving, having performed it at all the circuses and noting he was "the only small tank diver". Following the death of fellow high diver Tommy Burns in July 1897, Heaton organised a charity dive from Rhyl Pier to help raise money for the family to pay for the funeral costs, and he sent them the sum of £3 and 10 shillings from the proceeds. His charity performance in the evening was observed by over 2,000 people on the pier and 10,000 on the beach, where he dived, according to Heaton himself, with his body in flames.
In January 1898, he dived into Belfast harbour from a specially constructed 50 feet (15 m) high platform at Queens Bridge, witnessed by around 15,000 spectators. Diving into a water tank that was "only 42 inches (1.1 m) deep", it was described as being a "great sensational dive". The following month, having been growing in popularity, he was engaged to perform a dive at the Cirque Raney, in Lyon, France, from a 50 ft height while enveloped in flames, into a tank measuring just 16 feet (4.9 m) by 10 feet (3.0 m). At the Scottish Zoo in September 1898, he was "a capital hit" when secured to perform a 50 feet (15 m) dive into a small water tank just 42 inches (1.1 m) deep, while "enveloped in flames from a large number of fireworks". His performance drew a big audience to the zoo.
Heaton would sometimes combine swimming and diving into a single event, such as in June 1905 when he swam 10 miles (16 km) from Eastham to New Brighton, where the climax was diving off New Brighton Pier.
During the 1900s, he made several unsuccessful attempts to swim the English Channel. Despite reportedly first training for the feat back in 1893, his first attempt was in July 1905 and reportedly started well. He entered the water at 7:41am and swam the breaststroke at pace, experiencing fine and sunny weather conditions. His attempt was alongside Annette Kellerman, who also attempted to swim the channel at the same time, but she left the water 5–6 miles (8.0–9.7 km) out due to sea-sickness. Despite swimming through strong currents, Heaton stopped at 2:30pm in a state of sickness, six miles from the shore, having to abandon his efforts due to swallowing a mouthful of oil.