George Smart (skater)

Last updated
George Smart
George Smart (Skater).jpg
George Smart, Drawn in Boys Own Annual, 1882
Born
Welney, Norfolk, England
Died1909
Hull Docks
Other names"Fish"
Years active1878-1897
Known for Fen Skating
Children5
Relatives Turkey Smart (Uncle)

George "Fish" Smart (died 1909) was a fen skating champion [1] for a decade from 1878. He gained his name from his swimming prowess. [2] His father, Charles Smart, [3] cousin of Fen Skater Turkey Smart, [4] had been a fast skater but had never mastered the art of slowing down for the barrel turn so had never featured in racing. Fish Smart's younger brothers Jarman Smart and James Smart [5] were also top skaters. [6] Over a ten-year period, Fish Smart was virtually unbeatable. He was a popular sportsman; a poem was composed in his honour and a racehorse was named after him. [7] He was primarily active in the era now known as the "Golden Age of Fen Skating". [8]

Contents

18781881

The winter of 1878–79 was a cold winter; the third coldest on record; [9] during December and January, 21-year-old George "Fish" Smart, a nephew of "Gutta Percha" See and "Turkey" Smart's wife, [10] [11] [12] [13] notched up victories at Welney, Mepal, Ely, Bluntisham, Upwell, Wormegay, Huntingdon, Peterborough, Swavesey and Thorney. At Spalding there was a dead heat in the final between Fish Smart and Tom Watkinson. The second championship meeting of the present season was held at Ely on 25 January and was won by Fish Smart, the ninth that year. On eleven starts: he won nine, one dead heat and one loss.

The next two winters, 1879–1880 and 1880–1881, were good skating winters, due to the cold conditions. National Skating Association was established in 1879 [14] [15] [16] [17] by James Drake Digby, a journalist from Cambridge, who, impressed by the Fish Smart, the Champion of the Day at Mepal during the severe frost of 1878, decided to address issues of cheating arising from extensive betting. Digby organised a gathering at Cambridge Guildhall, resulting in the creation of the NSA, with the Mayor as chairman and Digby serving as secretary. [18] The newly formed National Skating Association held their first one-and-a-half-mile British professional championship at Thorney in December 1879. There was a field of 32, including former champions Turkey Smart and Tom Watkinson. Fish Smart won, beating Knocker Carter of Welney in the final. His reward was a badge, a sash and a cash prize, given as an annual salary in instalments to encourage the champion to "keep himself temperate". [19]

At 23 years old, he was 5 ft. 9in. high and weighed 12 stone. Dr. I. H. H. Moxon stated, "He is a model of muscular development, combined with lightness and activity; and to use an old phrase, 'looks capable of going anywhere and doing anything.' " [20]

Fish Smart remained unbeatable in the Fens during the winters of 1879–80 and 1880–81. He suffered one defeat in Lancashire when he skated on CarMill Dam against Our Nel's Jack (John Hill) of Billinge, but he had his revenge in a return match at Welney. Fish Smart's nearest rivals during those two winters were his younger brother Jarman Smart, and Albert Dewsberry. In 1880–1881, he successfully defended his title at Crowland, beating Dewsberry in the final.

18871889

Fish Smart won his third and final championship in January 1887 at Swavesey, in doing so, beating his cousin Isaac See, the younger son of Gutta Percha See, in the final. In the intervening years there had been some short frosts, but the National Skating Association had not managed to arrange a meeting. They had taken Fish Smart to Holland for an international race in January 1885, but he was beaten in the first round by Benedict Kingma.

During the Championship Skating Match in January 1887, about 2,000 persons attended the championship skating match at Grantchester, near Cambridge, when eighteen competed in a three-mile race, with six turns. [21] The track was hard, but some large cracks made the course dangerous, and there were several falls. James Smart, ten miles champion, did the fastest course—namely, 9 min. 52 2-5 sec. He was beaten in the fourth round by Fish Smart, the champion, by half a yard; but in the final heat Fish Smart broke a skate, and Carter, of Welney, won first honours. [22]

James Smart took the British professional title from his older brother George Smart at Lingay Fen in January 1889 [23] and dominated fen skating for the next few years. In January 1891 the NSA arranged a flying start mile for him, which he completed in 3 mins. [24]

1897

In the final week of January, 1897, there were daily matches in the Fens, excluding Sunday. Albert Dewesbury emerged victorious against Smart in the Peterborough final but experienced subsequent defeats to Fish in Huntingdon, Ely, Thorney, Swavesey, and at a second match in Peterborough. [25]

Later life and death

He eventually left Welney to work on construction sites around England and had a spell in Egypt working on the unfinished Sudanese railway, but returned to skate in the Fens when it froze. In January 1889, he relinquished his title to his younger brother James. He was killed in an accident while working on the Hull dockyard railway in 1909. [26] [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cambridgeshire</span> County of England

Cambridgeshire is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Peterborough, and the city of Cambridge is the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fens</span> Natural region on the east coast of England

The Fens or Fenlands in eastern England are a naturally marshy region supporting a rich ecology and numerous species. Most of the fens were drained centuries ago, resulting in a flat, dry, low-lying agricultural region supported by a system of drainage channels and man-made rivers and automated pumping stations. There have been unintended consequences to this reclamation, as the land level has continued to sink and the dykes have been built higher to protect it from flooding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welney</span> Human settlement in England

Welney is a village and civil parish in the Fens of England and the county of Norfolk. The village is about 10 miles (16 km) south-west of the town of Downham Market, 20 miles (30 km) south of the town of King's Lynn and 45 miles (70 km) west of the city of Norwich. The county boundary with Cambridgeshire is adjacent, with the city of Cambridge 25 miles (40 km) to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wisbech</span> Town and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England

Wisbech is a market town, inland port and civil parish in the Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bordering Norfolk and only 5 miles (8 km) south of Lincolnshire. The tidal River Nene running through the town is spanned by two road bridges. Wisbech is in the Isle of Ely and has been described as "the Capital of The Fens".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isle of Ely</span> Historic region around the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England

The Isle of Ely is a historic region around the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. Between 1889 and 1965, it formed an administrative county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fenland District</span> Non-metropolitan district in Cambridgeshire, England

Fenland is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. It was historically part of the Isle of Ely. The district covers around 500 square kilometres (190 sq mi) of mostly agricultural land in the extremely flat Fens. The council is based in March. Other towns include Chatteris, Whittlesey and Wisbech.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chatteris</span> Human settlement in England

Chatteris is a market town and civil parish in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire, England, situated in the Fens between Huntingdon, March and Ely. The town is in the North East Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wisbech and March line</span> Disused railway in East Anglia, England

The Wisbech and March line is a railway line between March and Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, England. A number of proposals are currently being investigated relating to the possible restoration of passenger services along the route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorney, Cambridgeshire</span> Human settlement in England

Thorney is a village in the Peterborough unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. Located around eight miles (13 km) east of Peterborough city centre, on the A47.

The Cambridgeshire County Football League, currently styled as the Cambridge Stove Installations Cambridgeshire County League for sponsorship purposes, is a football competition covering Cambridgeshire and western parts of Suffolk, Norfolk and northwestern parts of Essex in England. It has a total of 16 divisions, headed by the Premier Division. The Premier Division sits at step 7 of the National League System. Below the Premier Division lies the Senior A Division and Senior B Division. Below those two leagues, the structure splits into two parallel ladders of five divisions each. The Premier Division champions may apply for promotion to the Eastern Counties League Division One, the United Counties League or the Spartan South Midlands League but few take up the offer. For instance, at the end of the 2021–22 season, Great Shelford, traditionally one of the stronger sides in the league, were the Premier Division champions, but did not apply for promotion. However, Eaton Socon FC, who finished fourth in the same season, were successful in their application to join the SSMFL Division One as they were the only club with the correct ground grading required for step 6 football.

Chesterton is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was created upon the splitting up of the three member Cambridgeshire constituency into three single member divisions in 1885. The seat was abolished in 1918 when Cambridgeshire was recreated as a single-member constituency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fen Drayton</span> Human settlement in England

Fen Drayton is a small village between Cambridge and St. Ives in Cambridgeshire, England, and between the villages of Fenstanton and Swavesey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guyhirn</span> Human settlement in England

Guyhirn is a village near the town of Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, England. It is on the northern bank, the North Brink, of the River Nene, at the junction of the A141 with the A47. The population is included in the civil parish of Wisbech St Mary. It is notable chiefly for the Chapel of Ease, a rare example of church architecture of the Interregnum (1649–1660), and as a key crossing point of the River Nene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkey Smart</span> Fen Skater

William "Turkey" Smart was a champion speed skater and the first of a dynasty of skaters from the small village of Welney, on the Norfolk/Cambridgeshire border in the centre of the Fens, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fen skating</span> Traditional form of ice skating in England

Fen skating is a traditional form of ice skating in the Fenland of England. The Fens of East Anglia, with their easily flooded meadows, form an ideal skating terrain. Bone skates have been found in the area dating back to the medieval period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wisbech & Fenland Museum</span> Museum in England

The Wisbech & Fenland Museum, located in the town of Wisbech in the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, is one of the oldest purpose-built museums in the United Kingdom. The museum logo is W&F.

Swavesey Village College is a village college and academy school in the village of Swavesey in south Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011, Swavesey Village College became an Academy and established the Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Gordon (author)</span>

John (Jack) William Gordon was an English writer of young-adult supernatural fiction. He wrote sixteen chlldren's fantasy novels, including The Giant Under the Snow, four short story collections, over fifty short stories, and a teenage memoir.

References

  1. Silcock, C., 1893. FENLAND SKATING. The English illustrated magazine, pp.303310.
  2. "Skating in welney". welney.org.uk.
  3. "Smart and Closely-related Families". usuaris.tinet.cat. Retrieved 1 Nov 2023.
  4. Jacobs, Sarah Elizabeth (2021), Chasing Giants: An Ethnography of Developments in Speed Skating , retrieved 1 Dec 2023
  5. {{Cite adamsheritagecentre.co.uk. (2022). Fenland Speed Skaters 1900s. [online] Available at: https://www.adamsheritagecentre.co.uk/fenland-speed-skaters-1900s [Accessed 1 Nov. 2023].}}
  6. "Littleport Life Issue 60 Spring" (PDF). Retrieved 1 Dec 2023.
  7. Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, 31 December 1881
  8. "Revisiting the golden age of Fen skating". KL Magazine. Retrieved 6 Dec 2023.
  9. "The remarkable year of 1879". Netweather Community Weather Forum. April 24, 2022.
  10. FEN SKATERS. (1896). Woodend Star. [online] 8 Feb. Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/271358169 [Accessed 1 Dec. 2023].
  11. Wisbech and Fenland Museum. (2019). Turkey Smart - Champion Skater of the Fens. [online] Available at: https://www.wisbechmuseum.org.uk/turkey-smart-champion-skater-of-the-fens [Accessed 1 Nov. 2023].
  12. Enid Porter (1969) Fen Skating, Folk Life, 7:1, 43-59, DOI: 10.1179/043087769798241771
  13. Guyhirn-Gorefield-Murrow-Parson Drove-Rings End-Tholomas Drove-Thorney Toll-Wisbech St Mary IT'S SNOW JOKE! (n.d.). Available at: https://www.gorefield.com/perch/resources/downloads/village-voices-feburary-2010.pdf [Accessed 6 Nov. 2023].
  14. "The Sport of Ice Skating", British Ice Skating
  15. "Skaters flock to frozen Fenlands". BBC News. 10 Jan 2009. Retrieved 1 Dec 2023.
  16. Atta, F. (2022), "The Cambs skating tradition that sparked an international movement", Cambridgeshire Live, retrieved 10 Dec 2023
  17. Capturing Cambridge: The History of Fen Skating, The Museum of Cambridge, 2021, retrieved 10 Dec 2023
  18. Mike Petty (2016). Fen Skating Scrapbook 1897-1990 by Mike Petty. [online] Internet Archive. Available at: https://archive.org/stream/FenSkatingScrapbook/Fen%20Skating%20Scrapbook_djvu.txt.
  19. DL Bird 1979 Our Skating Heritage. London
  20. N & A Goodman 1881 Handbook of Fen skating. London. P.50-51
  21. "Capturing Cambridge: The History of Fen Skating". September 8, 2021.
  22. "St.James Gazette". Retrieved 28 September 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  23. http://www.welney.org.uk. (n.d.). Skating in welney. [online] Available at: http://www.welney.org.uk/sport/skating/skating-history.htm [Accessed 1 Nov. 2023].
  24. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000893/18910119/039/0003 via British Newspaper Archive.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. pottoingaround. (2014). The old Fen flyer with a cork leg. [online] Available at: https://pottoingaround.wordpress.com/2014/03/21/the-old-fen-flyer-with-a-cork-leg/ [Accessed 1 Dec. 2023].
  26. "Wisbech". Stamford Mercury. 29 October 1909. p. 3.
  27. Anon, (1909). The Field, [online] 30 Oct., p.48. Available at: https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002446/19091030/304/0048 [Accessed 6 Nov. 2023].