Robert Dighton - D10727
Robert Barclay Allardice
by and published by Robert Dighton
published June 1809
Portraits in Profile: the Dighton Family
'Capt Barclay, in the Act of Walking One Mile an Hour, a Thousand Miles, in a Thousand Successive Hours, for a Bet of 1-000 Guineas', Robert Barclay Allardice (1799-1854), published 1809
Pedestrian, known as Captain Barclay. He was celebrated for his strength, stamina and numerous walking feats.
This etching, drawn from life, depicts Barclay during his most infamous performance. On another occasion in 1808 he had started out one day at 5.00am, walked 30 miles grouse-shooting, had dinner, walked 60 miles to his house at Ury in 11 hours, walked a further 16 miles to Laurence Kirk, danced at a ball there, returned to Ury, arriving at 7.00 am and then spent that day partridge-shooting. In short he had walked almost 130 miles and had been without sleep for two nights and three days.