Between 1967 and 1993 Frederick
Kempster appeared in the Guinness Book of Records as
one of the tallest men in England. He was 7 ft 9.3 in (2.37 m) tall and weighed
170 kilograms (370 lb). Here I am at Blackburn’s main cemetery at his long
grave.
He was born 250 miles away from this grave in 1889,
the second of four sons and three daughters. When he was eight his dad died (on
Christmas Day) and his mum put Fred and one of his brothers into a Barnardo's orphanage. At this age he was of average height.
The charity put him on a ship to Canada and he didn’t return home until 1904
when he was 15 years old. He was suffering from a congenital knee problem
leading to ligament pains and growth at the upper end of the tibia. He seemed
to be growing a little every week. He moved in with a sister who lived in
Wiltshire.
By the age of 22 he was 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) and
could not escape notice and started making a living from his height. He joined
the Astley and Co.'s American Circus at Chigwell in
Essex as a professional giant. The tour moved to Europe and people had never
seen a human being so tall. After the First World War broke out Fred he
returned to Britain. He continued touring Britain but contracted influenza in
Blackburn. Pneumonia took hold of him and died aged 29 in Queen's Park
Hospital. Hospital records showed him to be 7 ft 9.3 in (2.37 m.)
I climbed the hill to view the ten foot long
grave. I wonder how long his willy was - 18"? Were
they making porn films in those days? The grave is on the brow of a hill
looking across to part of Blackburn. I wonder if any of his siblings ever
visited him. Poor kid didn't even reach 30. I did a salute and left.