Why did a London publican walk nearly 60 miles in one day in 1767?

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

That was incredible, Tweedy! What an amazing tribute you have paid to Mr. Stiff by making this video and helping to preserve his story for posterity. Not only was the research really impressive, but that mathematical analysis to determine the reason for his targeting of the 26th milestone earns you full kudos. The only disappointing aspect to this investigation, was the discovery that 59 was considered a “great age”. At 56, it has induced a feeling of melancholy. Possibly a little despair, too! Phenomenal work here and I will give it a power boost by sharing it with my 152 followers on Facebook.

[@TweedyMisc]

Thank you Mr. WC21! There were so many appealing aspects to the newspaper article that I felt it deserved a fuller treatment than the usual 30 seconds or so these things get in Tweedy Pub videos. Mr. Stiff really struck a chord for me somehow, I suppose partly in the way this story spanned two of the things I like most (old pubs and long walks!), but also I imagine him as a man of quiet determination and perhaps a bit of an eccentric. The revelation about the magic number 59 was very satisfying as I only reached that point as a result of all of the other research - those burial records and Mr. Stiff's will to establish his age, and it took a while of poring over John Rocque's maps before I figured out his most likely route, and therefore the overall distance he would have walked. Of course it could just be a coincidence but if so why make it the 26 mile stone? I originally had an extended segment about infant mortality in the 18th century, given that quite shockingly 22 of the 40 burials on that page of the parish register had the age entered as "inf"... but I thought that was a bit too depressing! Anyway I think the "great age" comment reflects this rather harsh reality of the time - of those 40 people only 5 made it into their 50s! Although a few were vaguely entered as just "pensioner". Those unfortunate others would likely have succumbed to things which would be easily treated today. The 1760s was the big peak of smallpox in London, for example. Tuberculosis had hit its peak just before that. So not to worry, you have hit on a very good strategy for a long and healthy life - being born in this period of history! Thank you very much for posting this on your Facebook page. I'm quite pleased with this funny little tangent of a video - once again it's nice to have this "misc" channel to indulge these whims!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

@@TweedyMisc I am wondering if another of the Tweedies (Outdoors, presumably?) might try to walk this route before they get to a "Great Age"? It would be interesting to see how many of the milestones are still in situ. And one might possibly be able to visit inns along the route that Samuel may have sought refreshment at. The infant mortality rates are astonishing. One had to be tough to try parenting at that time. I'm sure the WC21 Facebook community will be here soon!

[@philcollinson328]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd He also needs to consider that thanks to Mr WC21 I discovered Mr Stiff ....Tweedy is going to get heckled.

[@nickwusz]

Do the walk, Tweedy!!!! :)❤

[@JC-gm3zs]

Yeah, to Maida Vale and back in a day.

[@TweedyMisc]

I might just about be able to manage it in one direction but the round trip would definitely be beyond me!

[@TweedyMisc]

@@JC-gm3zs That would be a lot more manageable than Maidenhead!

[@tomrainboro]

Excellent research. Love those old maps.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Hi Tweedy. At the location of the 26 mile stone in Maidenhead is situated Sainsbury’s. Perhaps he was tasked with buying a pint of milk! 🤔😳 I enjoyed this tale on your pub channel and this was an unexpected extra delight. Your research is exemplary. 👏👏👍😀

[@TweedyMisc]

Thanks Andrew! I wonder if Sainsbury's had any idea what a historically significant landmark they were building on?

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

@ Worthy of a blue plaque?! 🤔

[@kevinhouse7143]

Very cool Tweedy! Wow what a long way, and I can imagine back in 1767 the roads would have been less than desirable for long distance walking. Great bit of history. Thanks.

[@TweedyMisc]

Thanks Kevin! Yes surely at least some of this route would have been fairly rough underfoot. Although at least not so many hills.

[@mancroft]

Excellent research as usual.

[@TweedyMisc]

Thank you!

[@davidberlanny3308]

Hi John, this was excellent, what a great story amplified through the maps. An excellent piece of investigation I'm really well impressed, brilliant, well done. And narrated from your favourite tree (or at least one of them anyway). Totally agree with your reasoning as to why it was the 26 milestone. I couldnt tell but could there be a leyline there?!!!!! You can tell Mr WC not to be melancholic about 59, I can confirm that it is truly a great age and I only dispair that I only have 154 days left to enjoy of it!! I can hear rumblings already that people do not believe it to be possible and that a re-run should take place, or at least a trip to see how many milestones are still in place. Great video well done. I can see why you were so upbeat in the Alain Maurice Gavignet review All the best!!

[@TweedyMisc]

Thanks David! I love poring over those old maps, and it was particularly satisfying on this occasion as they had all the mile stones marked along the route. Yes I am a little sceptical that Mr. Stiff really managed this feat - as I've commented elsewhere the greatest distance I've ever walked in a 24 hour period is about half of that and I was completely broken by the end! If we assume an average walking speed of 3 miles per hour, then that's practically 20 hours of walking non stop. If, as the article says, he made it with two hours to spare then he only spent two hours resting in total during the walk. That said, if "Great Betts were depending on this Performance" as it says in the article there would surely have been some referees or some way of checking he didn't just sit it out at the first pub along the route then saunter back 20 hours or so later.

[@davidberlanny3308]

@@TweedyMisc I always enjoy reading other peoples comments just spotted the reference to Pedestrianism and Robert Barclay Allardice. I can see you delving into this again. Its a tall order 59 miles in 24 hours, but if wiki is to be believed Barclay walked 64 miles in 10 hours in 1802 so maybe it can be done. I think the most I have done would have been Ten Tors when I was about 15 in 1980. We did 35 miles over two days maybe about 18 hours walking time over difficult terrain, the older age groups go up to 55 miles. We were worn out!! All the best!!

[@DinoDiRosa]

He would have been stiff and sore upon his return to Maidenhead. I am of Great Age and the greatest distance I have walked in one go is 12km so kudos to Mr Stiff.

[@MrChatternatter]

When the article reports that he was 'obliged' to stop at several other houses on the way, I can't help feeling that maybe it was an actual obligation - a part of the bet.a way of verifying via the other publicans that he did indeed walk the entire way.

[@Self1313]

A sterling effort from Mr Stiff. Of which, at last year's Isle of Man Parish Walk - an event in which competitors attempt to walk 85 miles around the island inside 24 hours - the record for the oldest finisher was broken by a guy called Geoff Hain. He did the 85 miles in 23:41 at the ripe old age of 77 and 10 months.

[@janerkenbrack3373]

Good story, and thanks for the follow up. Coincidentally, recently a 59 year old American woman set the woman's record for push-ups, after previously set the record for planking.

[@TweedyMisc]

Thanks Jane! Perhaps Mr. Stiff was actually a fitness fanatic, in addition to being a pub landlord, and made a habit of these long distance hikes?

[@janerkenbrack3373]

@@TweedyMisc You're welcome. But it's Jan. The male version.

[@TweedyMisc]

@@janerkenbrack3373 Ah sorry Jan!

[@Maitreya0208]

All well and good, but does the 26th mile stone at Maidenhead have a larvikite pilastered frontage?

[@TweedyMisc]

Amazingly I think the stone is still there! ...and it's listed, although, alas, the listing doesn't say what kind of stone it is made from: historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1319372

[@Mark.Andrew.Pardoe]

Whato Tweedy, If you were in the City, to which place would you have to walk (and back again) to equal your age and are you going to do that?

[@TweedyMisc]

I'm 47, so if I were starting at the Ship in Talbot Court, I'd "only" need to walk to the 20 mile stone, around Upton, which I think nowadays has been consumed by Slough. I can't say it's a very appealing prospect!

[@Mark.Andrew.Pardoe]

Whato and thanks Tweedy, I'm 71 so I suppose if I started in the City I would have to go to Stotfold in Bedfordshire and back. Sounds a lot better than Slough. Moral: walk north.

[@AndrewStack-lr9fv]

These challenges were by a group of britishers called the fancy ,one of the most celebrated was captain Barclay allardice

[@TweedyMisc]

Thanks for the pointer Andrew - I've looked up Barclay Allardice, quite a character! What a rich seam "pedestrianism" is, I can see more videos on this topic ahead...

[@donaldcarr8766]

The route was probably more direct by foot years ago through lack of development 😳

[@oldandintheway1955]

I reckon the Mr. Stiff required a beer or a stiff drink once he made Maidenhead. I wonder what pub he imbibed at, prior to his return.

[@TweedyMisc]

Yes I did consider plotting along the route some of the pubs that were know to have existed at that time. Perhaps a follow up video at some point?

[@oldandintheway1955]

Yes indeed, that could be an interesting video, especially if the pubs are worth venturing into.

[@jonathanjudd3168]

I think that people would have generally walked a lot more often back in the 1700s. Given that, 59 miles in one day is phenomenal. I think the longest I ever walked in one day was 12 miles from Lewes to Alfriston on the South Downs Way, and my feet were very sore at the end.

[@TweedyMisc]

I've done a very similar walk the other way round - Easbourne to Southease - on the South Downs Way and I could barely stand up at the end!

[@jonathanjudd3168]

@@TweedyMisc my initial plan was to walk the SDW from Southease Station to Alfriston, but instead of taking the train from Lewes to Southease I walked. That added about 5 miles and almost two hours to the start of the walk! Not very good planning on my part in the pre-Google Maps days!

[@JustcallmeKathi]

Mr Stiff must have been quite a tough guy. And it's amazing what you found out about him, Tweedy. My initial thought about the distance was that it might have something to do with the marathon distance of 26-odd miles, but it seems unlikely that the legend of the messenger of Marathon was common knowledge at that time. The relation with the publican's age is more logical. Wikipedia mentions challenges of walking X miles in X hours becoming popular in the late 18th century, a sport named "pedestrianism". So Mr Stiff might have been a trendsetter with his quirky endeavour.

[@TweedyMisc]

Thanks Kathi! Yes I also considered the marathon distance, but as you say I don't think that (re)entered people's collective imagination until the revival of the Olympics in 1896. Thanks for the pointer to the article on Pedestrianism - I had no idea this was actually quite a common thing, albeit as you say it sounds like Mr. Stiff is a relatively early example of the phenomenon.

[@philcollinson328]

I'd have literally needed to 'flop at houses' too aged 59 doing that walk ...I realised later it was 'Stop' ...No surprise he was stiff, either the distance involved and muscle aches.. or possibly if he'd travelled the red light zones on the way...the name is apt ...(Blame Mr WC21, Tweedy) ...He pointed me here. Brilliant vid.

[@TweedyMisc]

Thanks Phil - yes it certainly is a name to conjure with!

[@philcollinson328]

@@TweedyMisc Loving this new channel Mr Tweedy ...erm misc?

[@Fintoman]

Once again, excellent sleuthing.

[@TweedyMisc]

Thank you!

[@barryconway]

Why did he walk…. Oh, alright. I’ll watch it. Ssssh.

[@matthamilton33]

Wait, what? Heath Row? Way to bury the lede.

[@deeebeee1758]

Fantastic. I love that you mapped his route and even have a theory as to why he chose that destination. Great stuff. I'm 58 and I am pretty sure I could run from The Ship to Maidenhead and back then stand on my head while drinking a pint. Anyone want to take that bet? 🐵

[@TweedyMisc]

Thank you! The maps were really satisfying on this occasion - it made it very clear to me which route he'd likely have taken. I'm impressed by that spirit - after all it's "only" two marathons and then another 7 miles in one day, right?

[@micksparkes1048]

Did he need a stiff drink uopn his return!

[@TweedyMisc]

I suspect he had a few along the way!

[@aalexjohna]

And a stiff one in his back passage!

[@hardyardsbrewers1225]

I wonder... do you think you could do the same walk in this day and age Tweedy 🧐 an interesting story from the past for sure, cheers Mike in NZ

[@TweedyMisc]

Thanks Mike! I really don't think I could manage a 59 mile walk in a 24 hour period. The most I've ever done in that space of time is probably about half that distance, and I was barely able to stand by the end of it! I think in terms of the practicalities of the route, it probably would be more difficult today. Once you get out of central London there would be lots of busy main roads, and I'm not sure all of them would have pavements.

[@hardyardsbrewers1225]

@TweedyMisc I also don't think I would manage it either! I'd love to come to London one day to see some of these great pubs and places you share, Cheers!

[@johnpritchard5410]

only in Britain...

[@infoscholar5221]

I've heard this story, and I thought it was one of those made-up stories of those times - after all, an aged character being called "Mr. Stiff" seems sort of obvious.

[@TweedyMisc]

Interesting! Do you remember where else you heard it? I tried searching for other newspaper accounts of it but this one featured is the only one I could find. Whether or not he genuinely managed the walk I'm not sure, but based on those other records I'm fairly sure Samuel Stiff was the landlord of the Ship at that time.

[@johnhiscott-walsh5198]

Give it a go John ?

[@TweedyMisc]

I might consider it in one direction, but even that would be pushing the limits of the longest walk I've ever done in a 24 hour period. I took a look just now and I think the 26 mile stone at Maidenhead still exists, so at a minimum I'd like to go and visit that.