John ‘Jack’ Henry Tyers
‘The Amateur Champion of the World’

In the 1890’s and up until around 1903 the most successful swimming and water polo team in the country was Osborne Swimming Club. The Club was based at Osborne Street Baths on Osborne Street, Collyhurst, Manchester. The baths were opened on June 14^th 1883 by the mayor of Manchester and consisted of three swimming or plunge pools, a private wash house and laundry, a committee room and a suite of rooms for the superintendent.

It was one of a number of baths opened in Manchester around this time and the availability of such facilities to the Manchester public is I believe, one of the reasons why this area was to produce some of the countries, best swimmers and water polo players. Many of these were to be members of Osborne Swimming Club.

Osborne Swimming Club was founded in 1887 and it was in the early 1890’s that the club began a dominance of swimming and water polo in England. It is doubtful that many people have heard of the swimmers and players who were to make the club so successful: John Henry Derbyshire, Thomas Harris, Thomas Coe, J. H. Hicks, the Lister brothers William and Philip, George Wilkinson, Eric Robinson and perhaps the finest swimmer and water polo of them all, John Henry Tyers.

Despite their success and their many achievements, little has been written about the Osborne Club and their players. This article will focus on Tyers, but I hope to write other articles to highlight the achievements of some of the other Osborne swimmers and players in the near future.

The British Newspaper Archive site has been invaluable in discovering more about the club and its players and highlighting how much in the public eye they were. Tyers in particular features in many newspaper articles from all over Great Britain. Before I began this article, I was aware that Tyers was a prominent figure in the swimming and water polo world but my search on the site revealed hundreds of newspaper articles featuring him. So, who was John Henry Tyers and what did he do?

Tyers was born in Manchester in 1876, the second child of John and Elizbeth. He had two sisters, Emilia, born in 1869 and Lily born in 1879. The Tyers family originally lived in the Nottingham area but they moved to Manchester after Emilia birth and before Johns. The exact reason is not known but it may have been as a result of a larceny charge against John, who received a three-month jail sentence in 1872.

The 1881 census shows the family living at 23 North Kent Street, Manchester and John is listed as a ‘provision dealer’. The address is close to Osborne Street Baths and it would not have been far for young John to walk to the baths

In a newspaper article about Tyers’ death in 1932 it was noted,

‘Born of humble parentage, he used to gain admission to the Osborne-street Baths, Manchester, by ‘hook’ or by ‘crook.’ The late Joe Derbyshire, the superintendent – another well-known swimmer – recognised latent talent sufficient to justify an invitation to ‘come twice a day for nothing’ 1

Joseph Derbyshire, the Superintendent at Osborne Baths was the father of one of Tyer’s fiercest rivals, John ‘Rob’ Derbyshire, and Tyers and Derbyshire were to swim against each other in many championship and open races up and down the country. They swam together in the all-conquering Osborne Squadron swimming team and played alongside each other in many water polo games for Osborne, Lancashire, the North and England. Joseph went on to be the General Superintendent of Manchester Baths and Wash-houses and was based at Victoria Baths. 2 It is believed he was the driving force behind the success of the Osborne Club, although this is yet to be confirmed. However, it is known that after he left the clubs success dropped off very quickly and the club eventually folded.

Tyers began to come to public notice in the late 1880’s. One of the first articles I have found mentioning him is in 1889 where he swims at a gala at Osborne Street. The event was shown as the Championship Challenge for boys under the age of 14 years of age who were residents in the St Michael’s and Harpurhey wards. The race was over two lengths and Tyers finished first with Derbyshire finishing second. A result that was to repeat itself a number of times over the next few years. 3

In February 1890 in a report in the Stalybridge Reporter his name appears as an attendee at the first general meeting of the Northern Counties Professional Swimming Association which was held in the Carlton Arms, Hamilton Street, Collyhurst. There were a number of famous swimmers in attendance including Joey Nuttall, J. J. Collier and Professor T. Barker. Tyers is listed as the ‘Boy Champion’. Tyers’ father was also at the meeting and was elected to the committee as the secretary. 4 I am not sure how this organisation was viewed by the swimming governing body, the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), who firmly believed that swimmers should be amateurs. However, Tyers did compete as an amateur for a number of years although his relationship with the ASA was not always the best. He eventually became a professional.

In April 1890 he races against Willie Nuttall, brother of the professional swimmer Joey Nuttall, over 156 yards, in what is reported as a championship, although it is not clear what championship. The report on the race describes it as ‘uninteresting’ due to the fact Tyers,

‘….took the lead and swimming in grand style, soon left Nuttall behind and eventually the latter (Nuttall) gave up. Tyers finished the distance in the remarkable time of 2 min 5 secs., distance 156 yards: a truly great performance’ 5

Although, Tyers was only 13 in 1890 he was already travelling away from Manchester to compete in galas. The Manchester Courier from September 1890 reports on a gala at Clough Hall in Staffordshire where also entered were,

‘…. Joey Nuttall, world’s wonder and record breaker, who has just defeated J. Finney for the One Mile Championship and £100; W. Evans, 150 yards, 500 yards and half mile Amateur Champion; J. H. Tyers, Boy Champion (aged 13), winner of the Westminster Aquarium Tournament; The Wonderful Little Rob (aged 10), winner of upward of 30 prizes; T.Jones, 220 Yards Amateur Champion of England; A. Dickinson, winner of 300 yards North of England Campionship; Professor Dutton, late of Prince of Wales’ baths, Blackpool; W. H. Britton (of Salford), ex-Amateur Long Distance Champion of the Mersey and Champion of Wales; and a host of the fastest swimmers in England.’  6

Quite a line up and Tyers was not alone as his Osborne teammate, Derbyshire (Little Rob, aged 10), was also swimming. It is interesting to note that professional swimmers were swimming at the same gala as amateur swimmers.

In 1891 the papers were reporting Tyers was,

 ‘One of the most remarkable swimmers of the present day…………He is, without doubt, the fastest swimmer ever known for his age and has won 31 prizes viz 27 firsts, one second and three thirds; while he won the Youths’ Championship Gold Medal at the Westminster Aquarium, London, last year, and the Schwann Challenge Cup this year’ 7

On October 21^st he swam in the 150 yards North of England Championship at Leaf Street Baths, Manchester. The race was won by William Evans, the winner for the previous two years, and who during the race, broke Joey Nuttall’s amateur 100 yards record by a quarter of a second. Evans won in a time of 1 minute 47 1/5 secs with Tyers in second in a time of 1 minute 51 seconds. 8

William Evans, holder of a number of ASA national titles and a regular opponent for Tyers in a number of his early races

Later that month he swam in the Isle of Man winning a gold medal in the ‘six lengths open’ and winning a pair of ornaments in the four lengths handicap, open. The presentation of prizes took place a couple of days after the gala and in his speech the club chair commented,

‘….I am told that Tyers, the boy champion, caused quite a sensation by his exhibition of swimming. He certainly is a marvel,….’ 

Another speaker, Mr. Duff, said he spoke to a man connected to Isle of Man swimming for a long time who said,

‘…there never was such swimming in Douglas before, as what Tyers did in the six lengths’ 9

Tyers was making a name for himself and in 1892 he won four national titles. His first was the 300 yards title at the Upper Lake, Roundhay Park, Leeds on the 1^st August, winning in a time of 4 minutes 16 2/5 seconds. 10 In September 1892 he won the 220 yards, the 100 yards and the 150 yards titles. At the Oriental Baths, Leeds on September 5^th, he swam in the 220 yards and defeated the existing champion Evans. Tyers’ time of 2 minutes, 46 2/5 seconds was a new record. 11 On 19th September swimming at the Vestry Baths, Leicester, he won the 100 yards championship, again, setting a new record and defeating Evans, the holder, in 1 min. 5 4/5 secs. 12. Finally on September 26^th at The Baths, Glossop, he swam 1 minute 50 seconds to win the 150 yards championship. 13 He was only 15.

The following year, 1893, Tyers managed to do something no swimmer had done before or since. He won all seven ASA swimmer titles – 100 yards, 220 yards, 440 yards, 500 yards, half mile, one mile and the long distance event which was over 5 miles.

Tyers was not only making waves in the swimming world but he was also excelling in water polo and the Osborne water polo team had been very successful during the 1893 season. In the National water polo championship semi-final on September 17^th 1893, they met Tunbridge Wells Cygnus. The match was played at Tunbridge Wells, in the open-air baths, a problem for the Osborne players who were not used to playing in open water. The water was cold and only Tyers was able to perform to a reasonable level with a report on the game saying,

‘The water was rather cold for the visitors, and five men left the bath, two alone finishing. Tyers played a splendid game all through and he received great assistance from Silversides, Hicks and Mills.’’ 14

Osborne lost 5 – 1 and Tunbridge Wells went on to lift the title. However, the Osborne team would go on to dominate this competition for the next number of years.

Tyers had a great advantage when playing water polo, his swimming speed and his ability to shoot. He was to build up quite a reputation in water polo circles. He formed a great partnership with his Osborne teammate, Rob Derbyshire and one of the moves the team used was Derbyshire would swim for the ball, which he would normally get, pass to Tyers who would shoot and more often than not score. Tyers, as well as playing for Osborne, played for Lancashire, the North and in October 1893 played for England against Scotland in the Corporation Baths, Glasgow. This team contained six players who hailed from Manchester, not bad in a team of seven. 15 Water polo was a tough game although in a report about the match it noted that,

‘…under the new and stringent laws as to ducking, tackling, holding, etc., play has become much freer, and altogether more skilful and scientific.’ 16

Remarkably, the following year, 1894, Tyers repeated his title winning run and again claimed all seven ASA swimming titles. In fact, he went one better with Osborne claiming their first national water polo title when they beat Leicester 8 – 2 at Farnworth, with captain of the team Tyers, scoring 5 of the goals and receiving plenty of praise in the press and not only for his water polo talents,

The Sporting Life, September 19, 1894 6 (BNA) 17

In 1895 he continued collecting national titles winning the 100 yards, 220 yards, 440 yards and 500 yards. In the long distance event, which was over five and three quarter miles from the river mouth at Sunderland to Barmston Ford, three competitors had entered, Tyers, the holder, W. Green from Liverpool and C. Coulthard from Sunderland. Coulthard left the water in the first half mile and Tyers built up a big lead. However, around half way Tyers seemed to be in trouble and Green cut the lead but then he gave up and was quickly followed by Tyers who was actually unconscious when he was taken out of the water. 18 After the event Tyers did submit a protest about the conditions, ‘on account of the state of the water and the crowded nature of the river.’ His protest was upheld by the Emergency Committee of the Amateur Swimming Association, the race was declared as void and a re-swim was ordered. However, it is not clear if the event was rescheduled before the end of the year. 19  

In September he travelled down to Yarmouth to defend the Ulph Challenge Cup. The event was described by the Eastern Evening News as ‘one of the most important amateur swimming fixtures in the country.’ 20 The event may have also been for the 1000 yards salt water Amateur Swimming Championship as reported in The Daily News. 21 The Eastern Evening News reported that Tyers

‘…exhibited magnificent form again’ and ‘won with comparative ease swimming a perfectly straight course from Pier to mark boat.’ 22

He played in both England’s 1895 water polo matches. In the match against Ireland at Westminster Baths, London, he played alongside his Osborne teammates T. Harris, J. Hicks and R. Derbyshire in a 12 – 1 defeat of the Irish and at the same gala swam in what was called the ‘Grand International Fast Swimming Match’ against swimmers from Scotland and Ireland. Tyers won the 100 yards race and Derbyshire won the 440 yards race. 23 In the match against Scotland on October 15th at the Edinburgh Corporation Baths in front of 1000 spectators Tyers, who was captain, scored two goals in a 3 – 0 victory for the English. He was again joined by his three Osborne teammates, Harris, Hicks and Derbyshire. 24

Osborne Swimming Club again made the final of the English national water polo competition and for the second time beat Leicester, this time 8 – 1 with Tyers scoring five goals however, after the game, Tyers was taken ill and was confined to his bed for a few days. He missed the semi-final of the Northern Counties Water Polo Championship and he was to be the star attraction at Bradford’s swimming gala. His absence though, meant that the committee of the Bradford Club felt it necessary to cancel the gala. 25

In November 1895 at his home pool at Osborne Baths he broke the English 500 yards in a scratch race against W. H. Lister, also of the Osborne swimming club, lowering the record by a second, winning the race in 6 minutes 44 seconds. 26

1896 saw Tyers still performing at a high level and drawing in the crowds. In March he visited Belfast and The Scottish Referee reported that, ‘His presence brought a large crowd to Ormeau baths.’  He swam in the 100 yards invitation race which he won in a record time however, as the pool was only 18 yards and 2 feet in length, shorter than the ASA standard of 25 yards, the record could not be recognized. He also played in a water polo match scoring six goals and the report concluded with the line, ‘His visit will serve to raise swimming in Belfast.’  27

He continued his pursuit to win national titles. In June he won his 5^th 100 yards championship in a race that highlighted Osborne Swimming Club’s dominance of the English swimming scene as 2^nd was Derbyshire and 3^rd was W. H. Lister, both of course, from the Osborne Club. 28 At the end of the month he again beat Derbyshire this time to win the half mile championship in West India Dock, London at a meeting organized by the Life Saving Society in front of a crowd of nearly ten thousand. 29 This was his fourth victory in a row in this event. He also won the 220 yards at Tunbridge Wells, the quarter mile salt water championship at Southport, the 550 yards at Walsall, Derbyshire finishing second in both races, the 1000 yards at Morecambe and the one mile championship at Walsall. However, in the long distance championship which was held in the channel at Southport, although he was entered and arrived at the venue, he did not swim, perhaps recalling his experience of 1895 when he was taken out of the water unconscious, W. Green from Liverpool went on to win the race. 30

The year though did not end well for Tyers as in a trial polo match at Nottingham he became aware of the National Committee’s decision to change his place in the England team to play Scotland. He did not react well and was charged with ‘uttering indecent language.’ The Northern Counties Swimming Association met in Manchester and suspended him for the rest of the season meaning that he would miss a number of important swimming races and water polo matches. 31 He also left Osborne Swimming Club. It appears that Osborne were not impressed with Tyers behavior and they also suspended him which led to him leaving. 32 It must have been a blow for Osborne and for Tyers who had learnt many of his skills with the club.

In 1897 he suffered his first championship defeat when he lost the ASA one mile championship. The race was held at the Export Docks in front of the Duke and Duchess of York. Tyers, swimming now for Farnworth, took an early lead but was joined by Derbyshire and a tremendous struggle ensued until Derbyshire suffered a cramp attack and had to retire. Jarvis, the Leicester swimmer, then caught Tyers, who by this time had strayed off course a number of times and had hit a projecting landing stage. Jarvis went on to win by around 10 yards with Tyers coming in second. 33 He did win the 100 yards at Hornsey Road Baths, where there were heats and then in the final Tyers again beat Derbyshire. 34 In the 220 yards championship at the Victoria Baths in Nottingham in what The Wiltshire Chronicle described as,

‘..the most interesting swimming race ever seen in Nottingham…’

The paper said,

‘Not only was the space around the bath and balcony filled to its utmost, but every dressing box was packed with anxious spectators.’ 35

Like so many championship races at the time, it turned into a race between Tyers and Derbyshire with the usual result, Tyers first and Derbyshire second.

In this year an arrangement was made for Tyers to swim against Cavill, the Australian swimmer, in a series of three races. The first was to be held at Blackpool between the Central Pier and the Victoria Pier in what was described as,

‘The great international match for the one mile amateur swimming championship of the world.’ 36

Tyers started as a firm favorite and was accompanied by the swimmer James Finney who acted as his coach, while Cavill was accompanied by his brother Ernest. Tyers however, suffered a now familiar problem with his swimming in open water and took a course which led him to swim into the breakers and lose the race. Despite, an objection from Tyers and Finney, Cavill was declared the winner, Tyers announced he would not contest the two other races and Cavill claimed the series. 37

Tyers time as an amateur though, was coming to an end and in 1898 he turned professional at the age of 21. He now was able to earn money for his swimming ability. He made appearances in open races for money and appeared in variety shows in theatres and in seaside resorts across the country. 38

In 1904 Tyers was employed by Manchester Baths Committee at Pryme Street Baths in Hulme and was to work at the baths until his death in 1932. 39 The Baths did not have a swimming pool, just men’s and women’s washing baths and a wash-house.

This is just a brief history of this great swimmer’s career, there were many more races he swam in, titles he won, records he broke and many more water polo matches he played in. There has been very little written about him and he is very much a forgotten figure. I have just given a part of his story looking mainly at his time as an amateur and his ASA titles, there is so much more to look at, his time as a professional swimmer and his role as an entertainer in the variety shows he appeared in are examples where further research could be conducted. He was also not always a popular figure and as we have briefly seen in his suspension, he could be a fiery character. This may be why not much has been written about him.

On a recent trip to Manchester General Cemetery on Rochdale Road, Harpurhey, not too far from Osborne Baths, I found his final resting place. He is buried with his mother and father in a grave which is a little overgrown. There is nothing to say he is there or who he was, there is nothing further down the road where Osborne Baths once stood to highlight the achievements of the club or its swimmers. I think it is a shame that there is nothing to mark the achievements of one of England finest swimmers and water polo players, the amateur champion of the world!!!

 

References

1. ‘Brilliant Jack Tyers’, Evening Dispatch, May 25 1932 p12.
2. Victoria Baths: Manchester’s Water Palace, Prue Williams, Spire Books 2004.
3. ‘Swimming Gala at Osborne Street Baths,’ The Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, July 5, 1889 7.
4. ‘Swimming Notes’, The (Stalybridge) Reporter, February 15, 1890.
5. Swimming Notes, The (Stalybridge) Reporter, April 19, 1890 5.
6. ‘Second Grand Swimming Gala and Aquatic Fete’, The Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, September 13, 1890 front page.
7. The Birmingham Daily Mail, July 9 1891, The Sheffield Daily Telegraph, July 10,1891 8 and Yorkshire Gazette, July 11, 1891 8.
8. ‘Swimming’, The Yorkshire Herald, October 23, 1891 8.
9. The Mona Swimming Gala Prize Distribution, The Isle of Man Times and General Advertiser,
   October 31, 1891 4.
10. 10. ‘List for the Season’, The Yorkshire Evening Post, November 19, 1892 3
11. Swimming Notes, The Evening Post, September 8, 1892 1.
12. ‘Sports and Pastimes’, The Midland Daily Telegraph, September 20, 1892 3
13. ‘List for the Season’, The Yorkshire Evening Post, November 19, 1892 3
14. ‘Water Polo’, The Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, September 18, 1893.
15. ‘Football, Athletics &c’, The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, October 28, 1893 258.
16. Ibid.
17. ‘Men and Matters in the World of Sport’, The Sporting Life, September 19, 1894 6.
18. ‘Swimming Notes’, The Barnsley Chronicle, August 31, 1895 3.
19. ‘Swimming Notes’, The Walsall Advertiser, September 28, 1895 6.
20. ‘Ulph Swimming Match at Yarmouth’, Easter Evening News, September 3, 1895 2
21. ‘This Morning’s News’, The Daily News, September 2, 1895 5
22. ‘Ulph Swimming Match at Yarmouth’, Easter Evening News, September 3, 1895 2
23. ‘Swimming’, The (Dundee) Evening Telegraph, September 24, 1895 no page number.
24. ‘Water Polo’, The Sheffield Daily Telegraph, October 16, 1895 no page number.
25. ‘Illness of the Amateur Champion’, The Barnsley Chronicle, September 14, 1895 3.
26. ‘Swimming’, The Sporting Life, November 14, 1895 4.
27. The Scottish Referee, March 20, 1896 4.
28. ‘Swimming’, The Morning Post, June 12, 1896 3.
29. ‘Swimming’, The (London Evening) Standard, Monday, June 29,1896 7.
30. ‘Swimming’, The Leeds Mercury, August 17, 1896 7.
31. ‘Swimming’, The Yorkshire Herald, September 14, 1896 8.
32. ‘Commercial Swimming in Nineteenth Century Lancashire’, Keith Myerscough, 156
33. ‘The Life Saving Society’s Sports’, July 5, 1897 7.
34. ‘Sports and Pastimes’, Bexhill-on-Sea Observer, October 9, 1897.
35. ‘The 220 Yards Amateur Swimming Championship’, The Wiltshire Chronicle, October 2, 1897 2.
36. ‘Swimming and Water Polo’, The Liverpool Mercury, September 20, 1897 9
37. Ibid.
38. ‘Commercial Swimming in Nineteenth Century Lancashire’, Keith Myerscough, 158.
39. ‘Commercial Swimming in Nineteenth Century Lancashire’, Keith Myerscough, 155.