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TOPHAM, THE STRONG MAN, AND HIS TAVERNS.
In Upper-street, Islington, was formerly a house with the sign of the Duke's
Head, at the south-east corner of GadcPs Row, (now St. Alban's Place), which was
remarkable, towards the middle of the last century, on account of its landlord,
Thomas Topham, " the strong man of Islington." He was brought up to the trade of
a carpenter, but abandoned it soon after his apprenticeship had expired ; and
about the age of twenty -four became the host of the Red Lion, near the old
Hospital of St. Luke, in which house he failed. When he had attained his full
growth, his stature was about five feet ten inches, and he soon began to give
proof of his superior strength and muscular power. The first public exhibition
of his extraordinary strength was that of pulling against a horse, lying upon
his back, and placing his feet against the dwarf wall that divided Upper and
Lower Moorfields.
By the strength of his fingers, he rolled up a very strong and large pewter
dish, which was placed among the curiosities of the British Museum, marked near
the edge, " April, 3, 1737, Thomas Topham, of London, carpenter, rolled up this
dish (made of the hardest pewter) by the strength of his hands, in the presence
of Dr. John Desaguliers," etc. He broke seven or eight pieces of a tobacco-pipe,
by the force of his middle finger, having laid them on his first and third
fingers. Having thrust the bowl of a strong tobacco-pipe under his garter, his
legs being bent, he broke it to pieces by the tendons of his hams, without
altering the position of his legs. Another bowl of this kind he broke between
his first and second finger, by pressing them together side-ways. He took an
iron kitchen poker, about a yard long, and three inches round, and bent it
nearly to a right angle, by striking upon his bare left arm between the elbow
and the wrist. Holding the ends of a poker of like size in his hands, and the
middle of it against the back of his neck, he brought both extremities of it
together before him ; and, what was yet more difficult, pulled it almost
straight again. He broke a rope of two inches in circumference ; though, from
his awkward manner, he was obliged to exert four times more strength than was
necessary. He lifted a rolling stone of eight hundred pounds^ weight with his
hands only, standing in a frame above it, and taking hold of a chain fastened
thereto.
But his grand feat was performed in Coldbath Fields, May 28, 1741, in
commemoration of the taking of Porto Bello, by Admiral Vernon. At this time
Topham was landlord of the Apple-tree, nearly facing the entrance to the House
of Correction; here he exhibited the exploit of lifting three hogsheads of
water, weighing one thousand eight hundred and thirty-one pounds : he also
pulled against one horse, and would have succeeded against two, or even four,
had he taken a proper position ; but in pulling against two, he was jerked from
his seat, and had one of his knees much hurt. Admiral Vernon was present at the
above exhibition, in the presence of thousands of spectators ; and there is a
large print of the strange scene.
Topham subsequently removed to Hog-lane, Shoreditch. His wife proved unfaithful
to him, which so distressed him that he stabbed her, and so mutilated himself
that he died, in the flower of his age.
Many years since, there were several signs in the metropolis, illustrative of
Topham's strength : the last was one in East Smith field, where he was
represented as " the Strong Man pulling against two Horses."
References :
Lots of references are made to two sources on the
internet archive
:
Edward Callows, Old London Taverns &
John Timbs, Club life of London Volume 2
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