- Marguerite Wilson
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Marguerite Wilson Personal information Full name Marguerite Wilson Born January 1, 1918
EnglandTeam information Discipline Road Role Rider Amateur team(s) ?–1937 Bournemouth Arrow CC
West Croydon Wheelers (1938)Professional team(s) 1939–1941? Hercules[1] Major wins 1939 — Land's End to John o' Groats Infobox last updated on
25 September 2008Marguerite Wilson was a record-breaking cyclist from Bournemouth. In 1939 she broke the Land's End to John o' Groats and 1,000-mile (1,600 km) records. When World War II stopped her efforts in 1941 she held every Women's Road Records Association (R.R.A.) bicycle record.[2] For her achievements she was celebrated in the Golden Book of Cycling [2] and received the Bidlake Memorial Prize[3]
Contents
Career
Wilson started racing in 1935, when she was 17.[4] She broke broke three records riding as an amateur in 1938.[2] Then in 1939 she turned professional[4] and broke 11 records (including two of her own from 1938). The pinnacle of her year was completing the End to End ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats in 2d 22h 52m, continuing to complete the 1,000 miles in a record 3d 11h 44m. When World War II stopped her efforts in 1941 she held all 16 Women's R.R.A. bicycle records.[2] In her career she won over 50 medals and trophies,[5] including the Frederick Thomas Bidlake Memorial Plaque for her End-to-End record.[4]
Palmarès
- 1935
- 21/07/1935, 10 Mile Solo Record — 29 minutes 14 secs[6]
- 1936
- 26/07/1936, 10 Mile Solo Record — 28 minutes 54 secs[6]
- 05/09/1936, 10 Mile Solo Record — 28 minutes 02 secs[6]
- 1937
- 06/06/1937, 10 Mile Solo Record — 27 minutes 57 secs[6]
- 1938
- 19/06/1938, 10 Mile Solo Record — 27 minutes 15 secs[6]
Honours
In 1939 she received the annual Bidlake Memorial Prize that has been awarded from 1934 until the present in honour of Frederick Thomas Bidlake. Her citation says:
Marguerite Wilson for her bicycle records, Land’s End to John O’Groats in 2 days 22 hrs. 52 mins. and 1,000 miles in 3 days 11 hrs. 44 mins. accomplished in one ride, 29th August – 2nd September 1939.[3]
On April 30, 1947 her achievements were celebrated in in the Golden Book of Cycling [2]
Personal life
Marguerite Wilson was a stewardess for British Overseas Airways Corporation (B.O.A.C) in 1948, working Short Flying boats from the Marine Airway terminal, Solent, Southampton, Hampshire.[7][8]
References
- ^ Spoke — Quarterly Magazine of the Meridian CC, September 2008
- ^ a b c d e f g Road Records Association — Marguerite Wilson page from The Golden Book
- ^ a b Bidlake Memorial Recipients — 1939 — Marguerite Wilson
- ^ a b c The Bicycle, UK, 5 March 1941, p11
- ^ Museum of American Heritage archive — Social history of the bicycle
- ^ a b c d e Cycle Time Trials — South DC — Records
- ^ Journal, Fellowship of Cycling Old-Timers vol 143 p9
- ^ British Pathe library 1249.07 | Airways Girl (1:08:21:00 - 1:09:29:00) 05/07/1948 - 14 images (and 68 second film clip) of Marguerite Wilson as B.O.A.C. stewardess and track cyclist.
External links
- British Pathe library 1249.07 | Airways Girl (1:08:21:00 - 1:09:29:00) 05/07/1948 - 14 images (and 68 second film clip) of Marguerite Wilson as B.O.A.C. stewardess and track cyclist.
- Picture of Marguerite Wilson in Spoke. The Magazine of Meridian CC (pdf)
- Image of Marguerite Wilson's page in The Golden Book
Categories:- 1918 births
- Living people
- English cyclists
- Female cyclists
- People from Bournemouth
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