John Levett (athlete)

JOHN LEVETT, 1826, TWICE CHAMPION RUNNER OF ENGLAND.

John Levett, champion runner of England, ran 10 miles in 51:42 on October 11 1852 [Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, June 7, 1862.]

John Levett was born in 1826, the eldest son of John Levett, carpenter and wife Sarah nee Yates. The Levett family lived at York Street which became New Road, Battersea.

John junior had married Sarah Hannah Coulson, having 5 children with her between 1847-1856. I have always wondered why Hannah and her children lived at York Street with her in-laws and no sign of husband John. Where was John Levett?

Newspapers from the 19th century reveal the answer.

He was a champion runner. He trained at Garratt Lane, Wandsworth and in 1851 was running 10 miles in Sheffield Hyde Park earning £50. [The Era 1851]

In October 1852 at Islington he got the title, for the second time, Champion Runner of England. He had run ten miles in under 52 minutes. [The Era October 1852.]

August 1854 he ran at Birkenshaw, near Liverpool for £100. [The Era August 1854] Two gentlemen in Preston were looking for a man to run eleven miles in one hour on one day and 20 miles in 2 hours the following day for £100 a side each match. John was staying at the Liverpool Arms, Duke St. whilst he was training at Hoylake and Aintree racecourses. The Star Hotel, Birkenhead was the headquarters. John ran 11 miles in 2 minutes in under an hour at Rock Ferry on the Monday evening. On Tuesday he was clearly suffering from his previous efforts and he gave up after running an hour and 29 minutes, completing 15 and a half miles. He was much distressed. He then took £100 and £50 to run 21 miles in 2 hours and was tied to do 11 miles in the first hour, fixed for Monday in Liverpool. The financial rewards were plain but in those days the running was gruelling with men exerting themselves, frothing at the mouth.

Another match was near the Zoological gardens, Liverpool. John's opponent was Richard Manks of Warwickshire. They ran 15 miles starting at 28 minutes to five. Monks gave up after 11 miles. Levett completed his 12th mile in exactly an hour and the fifteen miles in one hour and 18 minutes.

Levett then undertook to run 21 miles in 2 hours on Monday next on the same ground.

Sunday April 15th 1855, there was another match planned between James Pudney of Mile End and John Levett of Battersea at Mr Sadler's enclosed ground at Garratt Lane, Wandsworth. [The Era April 16 1855 ] On the day there was bad weather and 2,000 spectators. Levett was the favourite. He appeared in excellent fettle while Pudney didn't look up to the mark.

Levett made the race his own, Pudney once or twice put on the steam. In the 5th mile Pudney gained more than 100 yards but gave signs of distress and continued to run on but became used up and retired. Levett ran on at a more leisurely pace, an easy winner. Pudney was careless and had the champion's belt at that time, thereby relinquishing it to John Levett.

On May 20th 1855 there was a re-run [The Era 22 May 1855 ] at Wandsworth of the two, running six miles, Pudney giving John 100 yards start. Levett cut a stiff pace, they were neck and neck, Levett resumed the lead. At the fourth mile he led Pudney by 3 yards covered in 21 minutes. It was intensely exciting. On the 5th mile Levett was leading, Pudney however shot by his opponent and left John more and more in the rear, winning by 40 yards. Both were exhausted and had to be led off by their friends, John was also was very crest fallen.

July 8th 1855 [The Era July 8 1855 ]

"Tomorrow the once renowned 10 mile runner and Richard Manks, the Warwickshire Antelope run at Hyde Park, Sheffield for £50."

There was a 10 mile handicap race at Garratt Lane, Wandsworth soon after with William Jackson (the American Deer), Charles Cook (of Marylebone), John Levett of Battersea and William Newman. Frost was fancied, Levett went from scratch. Levett won in 54 minutes 7 seconds.

John was accused with William Thompson of causing a nuisance in Grainger St. outside the Grainger hotel. [The Newcastle Courant 26 Oct 1855] William had been arguing with others, using bad language, calling them thieves and prize fighters. John jumped in to rescue just as the police arrived and was subsequently discharged. He said "I may be a public man but I am always honest".

Levett ran at Sheffield again against Manks, defeating him, it was the fastest race ever run at Hyde Park there.

Jan 6th 1856 Levett ran 10 miles against Rowan (of Gateshead) in front of 2000 people. Rowan gave up against Levett.

13 August 1856, John was beaten by the Scottish champion Thomas Kerr, in Edinburgh.

1857 he was back at Garratt Lane, Wandsworth but the report [The Era 1857] noted he was rather too fat and consequently lost this match. John became the proprieter of Victoria Running ground in Newcastle and he ran at Manchester.

Wed Oct 17 1860, Dublin, Another newspaper article informed us that he wished to walk 1,000 miles in 1,000 hours beginning at Mr Doyle's hotel, Sandymount.

By 1860 John seems to be based in Ireland, and is the manager of a running/athletics establishment called the Rotunda in Dublin, holding grand competitions, also opening a training and instruction class in athletics. It was in Dublin that he challenged the Red Indian, Deerfoot, [Dublin Courant 1861] which was an exciting race which Deerfoot won with an Indian whoop. Deerfoot ran 10 miles in 52 minutes with a crowd of 6,000. Levett had retired after completing five miles in 26 minutes and 45 secs.

Also see the book Running Through the Ages by Edward S. Sears which includes a section on John Levett and Deerfoot.

After 1865 news items for John Levett seem to trail off and there is no death notice for him in the newspapers which is a shame as he was once well known for his sporting achievements. It does explain why he was not in the English census returns in 1861 or any census thereafter with his wife and children in Battersea - because he settled in Ireland. I have no idea whether he remained married to his wife and kept in touch with his children. I can, though, find the death certificate for his wife Sarah Hannah Levett on the Isle of Thanet where she moved to be near her son, Edwin, who was proprieter of the Metropolitan Infirmary (a therapeutic establishment for sickly and scrofulous children in Margate)and her daughter Esther, who lived nearby and had married the previous proprietor of the infirmary, John Weekley.

On Sarah Hannah Levett's death certificate in 1880 she was described as widow of John Levett, a Modeller in Bronze - so perhaps when he became a businessman with his own athletics club, he also fashioned the trophies. A man of many talents.

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