n
n
nn
n
n Born in about 1710, Thomas Tophamnwas known as ‘The Strong Man’ and ‘The British Samson’. In his youth he wasnapprenticed as a carpenter, his father’s trade, but he abandoned the businessnand became a publican, first at the Red Lion Inn, in which he failed, and laternat the Duke’s Head, Islington. He began to perform feats of strength in hisnpubs as a way of attracting customers; his first public performance was to holdnback a horse whilst lying on his back and bracing his legs against a shortnwall. Having heard that a German had held back two horses, Topham attempted toncopy this but the stirrups were not properly connected, causing Topham to slipnand fracture his kneecap, leaving him with a permanent limp.
n
n
n
 |
| Topham’s Great Feat |
n
n
n
nOn May 28thn1741, Topham lifted three barrels of water weighing 1831 lbs on a harnessnaround his neck and shoulders, in celebration of Admiral Vernon’s victory atnPortobello (the Admiral, and a crowd of several thousand, was present tonwitness this act). Other feats he performed was to break a broom handle intontwo by striking it against his bare arm, to crack open a coconut by hitting itnagainst his ear, he lifted a horse over a turn-pike gate, lifted two hundrednpound weights above his head with his little fingers and carried a roof beamnover his shoulder as a soldier might carry a musket. One day, a belligerentncarter was disrupting the progress of a race on the Islington road, so Tophamntook hold of the rear end of the cart and pulled it, together with the horsenand driver, out of the way.
n
n
n
 |
| Another version of the same feat. |
n
n
n
nHe toured in Ireland and Scotland, as well asnacross England, giving demonstrations of his prodigious strength. At Derby henrolled up a pewter plate of seven pounds weight as easily as a man would rollnup a paper, held a two-quart pewter can at arms length and squeezed it as younwould an eggshell, bent an iron poker of three inches circumference around hisnneck and then bent back to straight again, he took a similar poker and strucknit against his bare left forearm until it was bent to a right angle. He brokenthe bowl of a tobacco pipe held between his first and third fingers, and brokenanother by placing it behind his knee and flexing his tendons. He broke a ropentied to the floor that was two inches thick and capable of holding a weight ofnover a ton. One feat was to lift a six-foot long oak table with his teeth, bynmeans of a leather strap fastened to one end and by bracing the legs againstnhis knees – and the other end of the table had a hundredweight weight fastenednto it. Topham lifted up Mr Chambers, vicar of All Saints, with one hand – thisnvicar weighed in at twenty-seven stones. The Strong Man would lie with his headnon one chair and his feet on another, then four men weighing fourteen stonesneach would sit upon his body, and he would raise them up as he breathed. Whennstaying at the Virgins Inn in Derby an ostler insulted him, so he took an ironnroasting spit and tied it about the man’s neck as easily as you might tie ancravat, and much to the amusement of the crowd, would not untie it until he hadnreceived an apology.
n
n
n
 |
| An ostler with a spit tied around his neck. |
n
n
n
nOne night he carried a sleeping night watchman and hisnsentry box from Chiswell St to Bunhill Fields cemetery and left the man, stillnasleep in his box, on top of the cemetery wall. In 1745, he moved to the Bellnand Dragon Inn, Hog Lane, Shoreditch where he continued to perform for anshilling entry. Topham was five feet ten inches tall and of a mild dispositionnbut could be pushed to action – two drunks in his bar tried to provoke him to anfight until he picked them up, one in each hand, and banged their headsntogether.
n
n
n
 |
| Thomas Topham |
n
n
n
nBut our Samson had his own Delilah – a wife who was unfaithful tonhim. When Topham discovered her infidelities, in a jealous frenzy he took anknife and stabbed her, and then turned the knife on himself, inflictingnterrible wounds from which he died several days later, on August 10th,n1749, at the Bell and Dragon. He was thirty-nine years old. His wife recoverednfrom her injuries.
n
n
n