Who Was the First Person to Swim the English Channel? Captain Matthew Webb's 22-Hour Swim

The first person to swim the English Channel without artificial aids was Matthew Webb, an English merchant navy captain, who swam from Dover to near Calais on 24–25 August 1875. The swim took nearly 22 hours, and because the tides pushed him back and forth, his zig-zag course covered about 39 miles, far more than the straight-line distance across the strait. His achievement made him a Victorian celebrity, but his later life is a cautionary tale about fame, money and the limits of the human body.

A boy from the River Severn

Webb was born in 1848 in Dawley, Shropshire, and learned to swim as a child in the River Severn. At twelve he began training for a life at sea on the training ship HMS Conway, then served an apprenticeship with a Liverpool shipping company and qualified as a second mate.

His years at sea built more than his strength. He became known for courage in the water: he received the first Stanhope Medal, an award for bravery in lifesaving, for diving into the Atlantic to try to rescue a man who had fallen overboard.

Why the Channel was a challenge

The English Channel between Dover and Calais is only about 33 kilometres wide at its narrowest, but it is a hard place to swim: the water is cold, the tides are strong and change direction several times a day, and it is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Many people believed a swim across was simply impossible.

The first attempt

Webb's first attempt, on 12 August 1875, failed when bad weather forced him to give up. He did not quit. Less than two weeks later he tried again.

Nearly 22 hours in the water

On 24 August 1875 Webb dived in from Admiralty Pier in Dover, covered in porpoise oil to help keep out the cold, and set off using breaststroke, accompanied by boats. Through the night he battled tides and fatigue, and at one point he was stung by a jellyfish. Strong currents off the French coast nearly stopped him within sight of land.

He finally reached the beach near Calais on 25 August, after nearly 22 hours. Because the tides had swept him back and forth, he had swum about 39 miles.

Instant fame

The news made Webb a national hero. Public donations raised £2,424 for him, a large sum at the time. He gave lectures, licensed his name and image for products, and became one of the first sporting celebrities of the modern age. His record also proved hard to match: the next successful Channel swimmer, Thomas Burgess, did not succeed until 1911, 36 years later.

Stunts and decline

Fame did not last on its own. To earn money, Webb turned to endurance stunts in Britain and America, including a 40-mile swim in the Thames in 1877 and floating in a tank in Boston for more than 128 hours in 1882. Some of his races ended in disputes or poor results, and his finances declined.

Niagara

In July 1883, already ill with tuberculosis, Webb attempted to swim the Whirlpool Rapids below Niagara Falls, a stretch of violent water many considered suicidal. He was pulled under and died. He was 35.

"Nothing great is easy"

Webb was never knighted, though the idea was proposed. A memorial to him, erected by his brother in his home town of Dawley, carries a simple inscription: "Nothing great is easy." In 1965 he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Today thousands of swimmers have crossed the Channel, but every one of them follows the route Captain Webb proved was possible.

Learn with Matthew Webb: English phrases about endurance

Phrase	Meaning	Example
to stay the course	to keep going until the end	It's hard, but I'm going to stay the course.
against the tide	against strong opposition	She learned Japanese against the tide of doubt.
in at the deep end	starting with something very difficult	My first job threw me in at the deep end.
to keep your head above water	to just manage to survive	I'm keeping my head above water this week.
nothing great is easy	important achievements take effort	Grammar is tough, but nothing great is easy.

Try this: Write three English sentences about a challenge you are facing, using "stay the course" and "keep your head above water". Finish with Webb's motto.