Joseph Darby (jumper)

Joseph Darby (1861–1937) was a renowned jumper from the Black Country village of Netherton. He specialised in spring jumping (jumping starting from a stationary position) often using weights in his hands to help propel him. After taking part in competitive jumping at venues in the Midlands and North of England in the 1880s, he went on to perform at theatres in London and Paris and crossed the Atlantic to exhibit in North America. He entertained crowds by performing trick jumps and earned money in wagers with competitors. Highlights in his career included defeating the American World Champion spring-jumper in 1887 and appearing before the future King Edward VII in Covent Garden, London in 1898. After finishing his jumping career, he became a publican in the English town of Dudley.

Biography

Joseph Darby was born in Windmill End, Netherton on August 6, 1861. His parents were Abraham Darby, a maker of nails for shoeing horses, and Martha Darby (née Foley).^[1]

When interviewed in 1889 he said that he had only received ten months' schooling at the most "and only half-time at that." He also said that he started work at the age of seven, making nails.^[2] When asked when he started jumping he replied "I was always at it when a bit of a kiddy, jumping against the other lads, and I could always beat them fair and easy."^[2]

According to an interview he gave whilst on a tour in the U.S., he commenced his working life making nails for horseshoes, before working in a colliery and subsequently unloading boats.^[3] At the age of 19 he took up athletics, firstly as a runner. He took up competitive jumping when aged 20 or 21.^[2][3]

He became renowned for his jumping ability and developed a number of trick jumps to entertain the crowds. He specialised in spring-jumping where he launched himself from a standing position. He often used dumbbell-shaped weights in his hands to help propel himself for the spring jumps.

In a promotional pamphlet produced by Darby or his agent, the first competitive jump listed is a defeat of T. Hartshorn of Netherton for a £20 wager in 1882.^[4] The same pamphlet listed an eight further victories between 1882 and 1887 over various competitors, the jumping taking place at different venues in the Midlands and North of England.

Between December 1887 and March 1888, he defeated W.G Hamilton,^{[lower-roman 1]} then the World Champion spring-jumper in three competitive matches.^[5][6][7] The second of these meetings took place at the Leabrook Grounds, Wednesbury on 21 January 1888.^[6] At this match, the jumpers competed for £100 a side, each jumper alternately performing two stand spring forward jumps. Darby won this competition by a distance of 2 ft 6in. For the third meeting, which took place at the Moorfield Grounds, Manchester, the American was given a 6-inch start for the contest which involved two stand spring forward jumps but he failed three times to match Darby's distance.^[7] Darby's feats led to him being presented with championship belts including one proclaiming him to be champion of the world, which was awarded at the Dudley Fetes in 1889.^[8]

Two of his championship belts and other memorabilia are on display at Dudley Museum ^[9]

According to an interview he gave in a French newspaper, Darby's first appearance before a paying public took place in October 1888, when he jumped at the Canterbury Music Hall in London as part of a performance given for the benefit of the boxer, Jem Carney.^[10]

From November to December 1888, Joseph Darby topped the bill at the Royal Aquarium, a place of entertainment in London.^[11] On his debut, he took to the stage clad in a white singlet and scarlet trousers before starting with a jump over a chair from a brick placed on end without knocking over the brick.^[12] As part of his show at the Royal Aquarium, he challenged all-comers to compete with him for a bet of between £50 to £1000.^[13]

In 1890 it was reported that: "Darby goes through no exceptional training unless for a special contest. He keeps himself trim by a little boxing, careful diatary, and keeping clear of alcohol almost to the extent of teetotalism."^[14]

In June 1890 it was reported that he was performing in Dublin.^[15]

In October 1892 he performed as part of a variety show at the Empire Theatre, London alongside the celebrated musical-hall performer, Marie Lloyd.^[16] George Bernard Shaw attended one of the performances and wrote: "Now is it not odd that at a music-hall to which, perhaps, half the audience have come to hear Marie Lloyd sing Twiggy voo, boys, twiggy voo? or to see Mr Darby jump a ten-barred gate, you get real stage art".^[17]

In November 1892, a newspaper reported that he had won over £30,000 in jumping matches.^[18]

In January 1893, an Australian newspaper acclaimed Darby with the words: "no athlete can boast of such a brilliant record of achievements in his own particular department as Mr Darby, who for the last eleven years can show an unbroken series of triumphs gained with the utmost ease from those pseudo-champion jumpers of all countries who have considered themselves foemen worthy of his steel."^[19] The same source stated: "Mr Darby is a married man, thirty-one years of age, and is living at a small village about two miles from Dudley, in Worcestershire, in the same house in which he was born and brought up."^[19]

On 22 July 1893, Darby took on another remarkable jumper of the age, John (Jack) Higgins of Blackburn. The competition was held at the Moorfield Ground, Failsworth and involved both athletes performing a "hop, two strides and a jump" for a stake of £100. On the day, Higgins broke the world record for this event and Darby was defeated.^[20]

In October 1893, Darby performed at the Cirque d'Hiver in Paris.^[10]

Later in the same month, he was described as the 'greatest phenomenon in the jumping line in the world' by the Montreal Daily Witness as he set out on a tour of the USA.^[21] The same source described him as being 5 ft 8¼ in tall with a 40 in chest, weighing 175 lb. In addition, it was stated that 'the muscle of his arm measures 15½ in, and the thick of the leg 28 in but the calf is remarkable for its iron quality rather than anything else'.^[21] In November 1893, he issued a challenge to "jump any man either backward or forward with or without weights for from $5,000 to $10,000 a side".^[22]

In June and July 1894, Darby was performing in Paris again, this time at the Cirque d'Été.^[23]

Darby announced his retirement from competitive jumping (although not from exhibitions) on 23 July 1894 after winning a competition held at Dudley Castle Grounds.^[24]

In March 1895, he interrupted a tour of France to appear at the Empire Theatre, Coventry, the stage having been specially strengthened for his act.^[25]

In December 1887, Darby had a benefit performance at Walsall, taking on local jumper Arthur Boyce.^[26] For this match, it was decided that Boyce would jump in a forward direction without weights against Darby jumping backwards with weights. Before the match started, Darby entertained the crowds by leaping over a horse-drawn carriage. A newspaper reported on the event : "on Darby entering the arena he met with a magnificent reception. A covered brougham was brought from the nearest cab stand, and at the second attempt, amid deafening cheers, Darby was over like a bird."^[26] Darby went on to win the match.

In 1898, he featured in a short film made by Riley Brothers entitled 'Joe Darby in his Various Jumps'.^[27] The film showed Darby "leaping the horse - Jumping over a man and just touching his face - Jumping over water and just skimming the surface - Jumping over a large number of chairs placed near together - &c. &c."^[28]

On 12 November 1898, Darby briefly returned to competitive jumping when he took on Thomas Colquitt of St Helens at the Wellington Grounds, Bury, in front of 2000 spectators. The competition involved a sequence of 10 forward spring jumps without weights. Colquitt won the event and the £100 stake.^[29]

On the plinth of his statue in Netherton, it is recorded that on 19 November 1898 he was summoned for a 'Royal Command Performance' at Covent Garden where he performed in front of the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII.

In March 1899, Darby was again performing at the Cirque d'Hiver in Paris, where his performance included leaping over a horse-drawn carriage.^[30]

Despite Darby's fame, he never lived far from his birthplace in Netherton. In 1900 he was listed by a local trade directory with the profession of "Champion Jumper", living at 23 High Street, Netherton.^[31]

In later life he became the landlord of the Albion Inn, Stone Steet, Dudley. He was listed as being a "Licensed Victualler" at this pub from 1901 onwards.^[32]

He died in Dudley on the 22nd of December, 1937

Jumps

Joseph Darby performed his jumps at a number of venues including sports grounds, circuses and concert halls.^[33] He received money for performing, often from betting on the outcome of competitions with other jumpers.^[34] The jumps themselves involved forwards and backwards spring jumps (often multiple jumps) and high jumps. Some of the jumps were over obstacles such as chairs at regular spacings.^[34] Others required dexterity such as taking off or landing on a brick. He also developed the ability to briefly touch down his feet before his actual landing, which made possible 'trick jumps'. For one such trick jump, a volunteer would lie on the ground in the path of the jump and Joseph Darby would appear to land on and jump off the person's face.^[34]

To achieve jumps of greater distances or heights, Darby would sometimes employ dumb-bell shaped weights held in both hands. These would be thrown in the opposite direction to the jump in order to provide extra momentum. It was reported in 1893 that he was using weights of 9 lb each.^[3] It was also reported that he made his jumps wearing steel-tipped clogs,^[14] albeit "very thin and beautifully made" ones.^[3] However it was reported that when jumping in a backwards direction he wore pumps.^[3]

Darby's single forward spring-jump of 12 ft 2 ½ in, achieved without weights on October 24, 1889,^[35] stands comparison with the best achieved since then. The world (amateur) record for this event when it was still an Olympic sport in the early 20th century was 3.47m (about 11 ft 4 ½ in) achieved on 3 September 1904 by Ray Ewry.^[36]

Some of his most famous achievements include: jumping over a full sized billiard table, a six-foot high jump performed with ankles tied, and leaping over a horse 13 hands high.^[33][34]

Long and high jumps

Joseph Darby's jumping record can be found in a number of sporting annuals from his era.^[35][37][38] In the Police Gazette Sporting Annual for 1897, Joseph Darby is listed as holding the following professional jumping records:^[35]

Standing High Jump — 6 ft, with ankles firmly bound together, achieved on June 13, 1892.

Standing High Jump with weights — 6 ft 3 in, at the third stand jump, achieved on November 6, 1891.

Standing Back Jump — 12 ft 11 in, achieved on September 14, 1891.

Standing Wide Jump (with weights) — 14 ft 9 in, achieved on September 19, 1890;

Standing Wide Jump(without weights) 12 ft 2 ½ in, achieved on October 24, 1889.

Running High Jump — 6 ft 5 ½ in, achieved on February 5, 1892

Longest Flying Jump (third of three stands) — 16 ft 4 in, achieved on November 8, 1888.

Two Standing Jumps (with 19 lb weights) — 28 ft, achieved on November 6, 1891.

Three Standing Jumps with weights — 42 ft 6 in, achieved on March 4, 1892;

Three Standing Jumps (without weights), 35 ft 11 in, achieved on November 6, 1891.

Four Forward Spring Jumps (with weights) — 56 ft 2 in, achieved on August 19, 1889.

Five Forward Jumps (with weights) — 76 ft 3 in, achieved on August 19, 1889.

Five Forward Jumps (without weights) 61 ft 5 ½ in, achieved on May 28, 1890.

Seven Standing Jumps (with weights) — 96 ft 4 in, achieved on Julv 2, 1887.

Ten Standing Jumps (with weights) — 137 ft 7 in, achieved on August 10, 1889.

Six Back Spring Jumps (with weights) — 58 ft, achieved on June 13, 1892.

Stand, Two Hops and Jump (with weights)— 36 ft 7 in, achieved on March 14, 1891.

Stand, Five Hops and Jump — 71 ft 3 ½ in, achieved on June 11, 1892.

Three Backward Jumps — 30 ft 9 in, achieved on October 26, 1894.

Trick Jumps

The Pittsburgh Press in November 1893 listed the following jumps in Darby's repertoire:^[3]

Jumps over twenty chairs placed ten feet apart.

Jumps over six chairs in one jump.

Clears two chairs 18 ft apart.

Jumps off one brick, end up, over a chair, lands on another brick end up, and backwards without knocking the bricks down.

Jumps on to a man's face while lying down and off again without hurting the man.

Jumps 36 ft in three successive jumps and in the third jump lands on a man's back, whilst he is lying across the edge of two chairs, and off again without hurting him.

Jumps off one brick, end up, over a horse 15 hands high.

Darby's leap over a full sized billiard table lengthwise in Wolverhampton was mentioned in several editions of the Guinness Book of World Records.^[39] For this jump he took a running start and leapt from a 4 in wooden block, clearing the 12 ft long, 2 ft 10 in high table in one bound. This was achieved on 5 February 1892.

In 1893, a Canadian newspaper reported that: "he has thirty-nine feats in his performance or act, the most sensational of which is his great water jump, representing a jump from England to America. In accomplishing this feat he will alight on the water and off again without wetting the upper leather of his boots. This marvellous feat has never been accomplished by any artist in this world." ^[21] More detail of this jump was given in an Australian publication: "a tank is set in the middle of the stage, and is filled to the brim with water. Mr Darby takes a flying leap, and as he passes over the water be descends slightly. By this downward motion he, as it were, alights on the top of the water, and flies off again without wetting the upper leather of his boots." When asked how he managed this feat, he replied: "I really don't know, it comes naturally to me, though when I think of it myself it seems almost an impossibility."^[19]

The'Spring-heeled Jack' Legend

Joseph Darby has been linked to the Spring-heeled Jack legend. In Victorian times, the legendary character known as 'Spring-heeled Jack' was reportedly spotted at a number of locations in Britain, including the Black Country. The creature was often described as having blazing eyes and had the ability to leap great distances. Joseph Darby supposedly started a local 'Spring-heeled Jack' scare when he was spotted practising his jumping by leaping over a local canal at night time, using a miner's lighted helmet to see his way.^[40]

Commemoration

Joseph Darby is commemorated by a statue in the centre of his native town of Netherton. The statue shows Darby in a crouched position about to leap holding weights in either hand. It is mounted on a plinth which describes some of his exploits. The statue, designed by Steve Field and fabricated by D.R. Harvey, was installed on 29 November 1991.^[41]

Until its closure in 2016, there was also an exhibition of Joe Darby memorabilia in Dudley Museum and Art Gallery, including his championship belts.^[9] Joseph Darby is also commemorated in a bronze plaque set into the pavement of Dudley's marketplace as part of the "Dudley Time Trail" designed by Dudley borough artist, Steve Field.^[42]

A radio play, entitled, "The Astounding Joseph Darby" written by John Edgar and directed by Nigel Bryant was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 4 July 1991.^[43]

References