John Derbyshire (swimmer)

John Henry "Rob" Derbyshire (29 November 1878 – 25 November 1938) was an English freestyle swimmer and water polo player from Chorlton, Lancashire,[1] who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics (maybe), 1906 Intercalated Games, 1908 Summer Olympics and 1912 Summer Olympics.[2] He and Alice Derbyshire founded swimming clubs in Hammersmith.

"Rob Derbyshire" redirects here. For the music producer, see Full Flava.
John Derbyshire
Personal information
Full nameJohn Henry Derbyshire
Nickname(s)"Rob"
National teamGreat Britain
Born(1878-11-28)28 November 1878
Chorlton-cum-Hardy, England
Died25 November 1938(1938-11-25) (aged 59)
St Pancras, London, England
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle, water polo
ClubOsborne Swimming Club
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing Great Britain
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1908 London 4×200 m freestyle
Intercalated Games
Bronze medal – third place 1906 Athens 4×250 m freestyle relay

Life

At the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens Derbyshire won a bronze medal as a member of British 4×250 metre freestyle relay team and also competed in the 100 metre freestyle and 400 metre freestyle events. Two years later at London he won a gold medal as a member of British 4×200 metre freestyle relay team and was second in his heat of 100 metre freestyle and did not advance. Four years later at Stockholm he was third in his heat of 100 metre freestyle and did not advance. The International Olympic Committee credits him with a gold medal in water polo at the 1900 Summer Olympics, but this is incorrect as sources contemporary to the Games indicate that he was in England too soon after the tournament to have been in Paris.[3] The Daily Telegraph, dated Saturday, August 11, 1900 reported that Derbyshire did not make the trip and was replaced by Thomas Coe, who like Derbyshire, was a member of the Osborne Swimming Club. [4]

In 1921 Derbyshire was a founding member of the Penguin Swimming Club, later to become the Hammersmith Penguin Swimming Club through their merger with the Hammersmith Ladies Swimming Club (itself founded by his wife Alice five years before in 1916).

Legacy

In 1950 Alice Derbyshire gave a shield to the club she had co-founded in memory of her husband, It was later named the Rob Derbyshire Memorial Trophy and it is awarded each year to the person who has done best for the club.[5]

In 1976 the club which he and Alice Derbyshire had created was renamed the West London Penguin Swimming and Water Polo Club.

In 2005, he was posthumously inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.[6]

See also

References
  1. England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: John Henry Derbyshire; Jan-Feb-Mar quarter 1879; District: Chorlton; Volume: 8c; Page: 806.
  2. "Rob Derbyshire". Olympedia. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  3. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Water Polo at the 1900 Paris Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  4. The Daily Telegraph, Saturday, August 1, 1900.
  5. "Rob Derbyshire Memorial Trophy – West London Penguin". londonpenguin.com. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  6. ""Rob" Derbyshire". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 13 November 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
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