Marcus Bibbero
Marcus (Mordechai) Bibbero (1837-1910) was born in Wreschen, Prussia in 1837, migrating to Kingston-upon-Hull, East Yorkshire, England, at age 3 months with his family.[1] His father peddled jewellery.[1] Brought up in the Jewish community of Hull, he was from 5 years old "always in the water".[1] He became a world-class swimmer and cross-channel coach, who promoted life-saving and municipal baths.[2][3]
A somewhat eccentric figure, he first appears in British newspapers for assaulting reporters who investigated his Pepper's Ghost exhibition in Hull, a charge of which he was acquitted.[4][5][6][7]
Having aged 19 married his cousin from Prussia, after all of his six children died in Hull, he took his swimming skills first to Manchester, often visiting Blackpool over 7 years to swim off the North pier.[1] During one swimming exhibition there, he seems to have saved a girl's life.[8][9]
In 1870 he went to London where, he later claimed, he had coached Captain Webb for his famous Channel swim, although it would seem Bibbero had no connection to Webb until after his 1875 swim.[3]
Styling himself as Professor or Marquis Bibbero, he became an international sensation, for feats such as swimming with his hands manacled from Brooklyn to Manhattan in 1880. He was a trainer to other Channel Swimmers, including Madam Isacescu in 1902, to whom he acted as both trainer and pilot. He was, at various times, swimming teacher at the People’s Palace in London, at the Gordon Boys Home in Dover and the Jewish Working Mens Club in the East End.[3]
Bibbero was the inventor of various swimming techniques and life-saving aids.[10][11][12][13]
In 1908, to celebrate his golden wedding and the 33rd anniversary of Captain Webb’s famous crossing, Bibbero gave a display of swimming off the coast of Dover.[3]
He died in 1910 in Dalston, London.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d "JCR-UK: Press Reports Blackpool Jewish Community, 1865 - 1927". www.jewishgen.org. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
- ^ FINESTEIN, ISRAEL (1996). "The Jews in Hull, between 1766 and 1880". Jewish Historical Studies. 35: 48. ISSN 0962-9696.
- ^ a b c d e "Bibbero, Marcus". Channel Swimming Dover. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
- ^ "At the Hull Police-court .. a Jew, named Marcus Bibbero .. assaulted Mr. M'Gonigle, reporter of the Eastern Counties Herald .. the ghost illusion was announced to be performed at the Literary and Philosophical Society .". Leeds Times. 10 October 1863.
- ^ "THE GHOST AT HULL . extraordinary case .. Ghost was investigated by the Hull Stipendiary Magistrate, in the Police Court, a Jew named Marcus Bibbero being brought up on warrant, charged with having assaulted and .". Glasgow Free Press. 10 October 1863.
- ^ "A Jew named Marcus Bibbero has been brought before the Hull magistrates for ferocious and cowardly assault on a reporter. The prisoner is the proprietor of a ghost exhibition, which was entire failure as an entertainment .". Gloucester Journal. 10 October 1863.
- ^ "Bibbero, the Jew, charged with having committed an assault upon one of the Hull reporters for an adverse criticism which he had written on Pepper's ghost, has been discharged, the evidence not being .". Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper. 18 October 1863.
- ^ "No weekend buses after 9pm". The Bolton News. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
- ^ "DREADFUL SCENE AT THE NORTH PIER,.BLACKPOOL .. Marquis Bibbero, the well known professor of swimming. There was a strong south-west wind and a very rough sea at the time .". Blackburn Standard. 12 August 1876.
- ^ "A NEW STROKE IN SWIMMING
... stroke. Particulars are hand still later and very important development the swimming movements. This the invention Professor Marquis Bibbero, who has spent the past 10 years bringing it to its present state perfection. The inventor claims for the new .". Dundee Evening Telegraph. 29 August 1895.
{{cite news}}: line feed character in|title=at position 25 (help) - ^ "Preservation of Life Sea - The Marquis Bibbero, late of Ashton and Stalybridge, has recently invented several contrivances for saying life sea in cases of shipwreck. One of these is an air pillow .". The Ashton Weekly Reporter, and Stalybridge and Dukinfield Chronicle. 25 March 1871.
- ^ "WEEKLY NOTES ON SPORTS AND PASTIMES. .. If this wax be torn when the box is recovered Bibbero will assume that his flesh would have been in a similar condition, and will desist from his attempt. Should the box emerge sound condition Bibbero will proceed to ascertain the depth of the water .". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette Daily Telegrams. 4 December 1883.
- ^ "PROFESSIONAL SWIMMER DROWNED. A man named Bibbero, Blackpool, has recently announced the performance of swimming feats for the purpose of showing the advantage to be gained by the use of bladders .". Edinburgh Evening News. 9 August 1876.