JOHN MIDDLETON,( THE CHILDE OF HALE) HALE, MERSEYSIDE, ENGLAND.
THIS THREE METRE TALL LIFESIZED STATUE OF JOHN MIDDLETON STANDS NEAR THE CENTRE OF HALE VILLAGE.
JOHN MIDDLETON WAS BORN IN HALE IN 1578. MIDDLETON GREW TO A HEIGHT OF NINE FEET AND THREE INCHES (2.8M), SO TALL, IT IS SAID, THAT HE HAD TO SLEEP WITH HIS FEET STICKING OUT OF THE WINDOW OF HIS TINY COTTAGE. BECAUSE OF HIS ‘FORMIDABLE APPEARANCE’ MIDDLETON WAS EMPLOYED AS A BODYGUARD BY A LOCAL LANDLORD CALLED GILBERT IRELAND.

 IN 1617 ON HIS WAY BACK FROM SCOTLAND, KING JAMES I (JAMES VI OF SCOTLAND) STOPPED TO KNIGHT IRELAND, AND IN DOING SO HEARD OF HIS GIGANTIC PROTECTOR. BOTH MASTER AND SERVANT WERE INVITED TO VISIT THE KING’S COURT, AND A FINE OUTFIT OF PURPLE, RED AND GOLD WAS SPECIALLY MADE FOR MIDDLETON. IN LONDON, JOHN BEAT THE KING’S CHAMPION WRESTLER, AND IN DOING SO BROKE THE MAN’S THUMB. EMBARRASSED BY THE DEFEAT AND DISPLEASED WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY MANY OF HIS SUBJECTS HAD LOST IN BETTING ON THE MATCH, JAMES SENT THE CHILDE HOME WITH THE SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF £20 FOR HIS TROUBLES. UNFORTUNATELY, JEALOUS OF HIS WEALTH, AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF HIS APPARENTLY SLOW WITS, MIDDLETON’S COMPANIONS MUGGED HIM ON THE JOURNEY BACK TO HALE. JOHN MIDDLETON RETURNED TO THE VILLAGE PENNILESS AND REMAINED THERE UNTIL HE DIED IN 1623.

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