Thomas Horspool

Last updated February 28, 2019

Thomas Horspool (born 22 May 1830) was a British runner who set several world records in the mile soon after relatively precise running tracks and accurate timing devices came into use in the mid-19th century.

Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of 209,331 km² (80,823 sq mi), it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island, and the ninth-largest island in the world. In 2011, Great Britain had a population of about 61 million people, making it the world's third-most populous island after Java in Indonesia and Honshu in Japan. The island of Ireland is situated to the west of Great Britain, and together these islands, along with over 1,000 smaller surrounding islands, form the British Isles archipelago.

Born in Liverpool, but living in Basford, Horspool was a glove-knitter by trade. He won the 1853 mile championship in Sheffield, won it again in 1854 with a time of 4:29, and defeated main rival John Saville twice in 1856.

Liverpool City and Metropolitan borough in England

Liverpool is a city in North West England, with an estimated population of 491,500 in 2017. Its metropolitan area is the fifth-largest in the UK, with a population of 2.24 million in 2011. The local authority is Liverpool City Council, the most populous local government district in the metropolitan county of Merseyside and the largest in the Liverpool City Region.

Basford is a suburb in northern Nottingham, England, absorbed into the city in 1877. It gave its name to the Basford Rural District which existed from 1894 to 1974. The population of the ward at the 2011 census was 16,207. There is both an Old Basford and a New Basford, the second mainly Victorian. Basford lies close to the River Leen, a tributary of the River Trent. It is connected to Nottingham City Centre to the south and Hucknall and Bulwell to the north by the Nottingham Express Transit tram service.

Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. With some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely industrial roots to encompass a wider economic base. The population of the City of Sheffield is 577,800 (mid-2017 est.) and it is one of the eight largest regional English cities that make up the Core Cities Group. Sheffield is the third-largest English district by population. The metropolitan population of Sheffield is 1,569,000.

Their most famous race took place on 28 September 1857 at the Copenhagen Grounds in Manchester. There, Horspool defeated Saville by four yards and equaled the mile world record of 4:28 set by Charles Westhall in 1852.

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 545,500 as of 2017. It lies within the United Kingdom's third-most populous metropolitan area, with a population of 3.2 million. It is fringed by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and an arc of towns with which it forms a continuous conurbation. The local authority is Manchester City Council.

Tommy Hayes, himself once a champion runner and now proprietor of the Copenhagen Grounds, declared Horspool "English champion," at a time when no governing body existed to establish titles or championships. Horspool returned to the track in 1858 where, on 12 July, he lived up to his title by defeating Manchester professional Job Smith by 10 yards in a new world record of 4:23. His time was called "an unsurpassed display of celerity."^[1]

Horspool retired as undefeated champion soon afterwards and became a publican.

In antiquity, publicans were public contractors, in which they often supplied the Roman legions and military, managed the collection of port duties, and oversaw public building projects. In addition, they served as tax collectors for the Republic, bidding on contracts for the collection of various types of taxes. Importantly, this role as tax collectors was not emphasized until late into the history of the Republic. The publicans were usually of the class of equites.

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References

↑ Running Through the Ages, Edward Seldon Sears, McFarland, 2001, ISBN 0-7864-0971-1, ISBN 978-0-7864-0971-6, p.111

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[1] Running Through the Ages, Edward Seldon Sears, McFarland, 2001, ISBN 0-7864-0971-1, ISBN 978-0-7864-0971-6, p.111