Born in 1886 in Georgetown, British Guyana, James Clarke arrived in Liverpool in 1900, as a fourteen-year-old stowaway aboard a cargo vessel. The priests of St.Augustine's, Great Howard Street, found him cold and hungry wandering around the streets, and took him into the presbytery where they provided food and shelter. Later they arranged lodgings for the youngster with a local Irish family who adopted him, and soon the well-mannered likeable young-man became a popular member of the community. In 1914 married Elizabeth Murphy, in the church of Our Lady of Reconciliation, Eldon Street, and they set up home in Elizabeth Terrace, Silvester Street. In later years as the family grew-up, they moved to Ashfield Cottages, in St Sylvester's parish.
Throughout his lifetime he was a tremendously gifted swimmer and from an early age his capability was far superior to that of youngsters of his own age. An outstanding Liverpool athlete, for many years he carried the banner of the Scotland/Vauxhall district to all parts of the country through his prowess as a champion swimmer and life-saver. As well as that he also became a top boxer besides winning numerous swimming medals between 1908-1910. On the 14th of February 1911 he was awarded a medal and certificate for rescuing a man from drowning in West Waterloo Dock. During his adult life he worked on the docks and was a member of Wavertree Swimming Club and also swam for the Bootle, Waterloo, and Everton Swimming Clubs. Jim, as he was known as, used his swimming skills to save the lives of many people who were in danger of drowning in the River Mersey and in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal which ran between Burlington Street and Athol Street and between 1911-1916, he had bravely rescued several seamen and dock-workers from the River Mersey. Convinced that positive efforts should be made to ensure that all local school-children were able to swim, he expressed his concerns to the authorities and, largely due to his initiative and enthusiasm, the children from local schools were brought along to Burroughs Gardens Baths, where Jim was responsible for teaching countless numbers of youngsters to swim.
He was very involved in charity work, frequently donating some of his more elaborate trophies to various organisations to raise money for their appeals. He was admired and respected, not only in his own community, but also in many other districts of Liverpool where his enviable reputation had spread.
In 1986, a fitting tribute was made, when a local street was named after him.It is said he was the first black man to be honoured in this way. James Clarke Street, which runs between Tatlock Street and Hornby Walk, is not far from where he once lived, and where many of the older generation still recall his name with affection.
In 2008, pupils at St Hugh’s Catholic primary school in Wavertree campaigned for Liverpool’s £15m Olympic-sized Picton Pool to be named after Mr Clarke when it opened. Although it was decided the pool would be called Liverpool Aquatics Centre, city officials agreed to erect a plaque there celebrating Mr Clarke’s pioneering work. The plaque honouring his work was unveiled by Winnie and Vinny Clarke and Radio Merseyside presenter Linda McDermott on the 18th of November, 2008 at Liverpool Aquatics Centre in Wavertree.
James died in 1946, at the age of sixty.
see also:- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2020/07/a-liverpool-exemplar-dame-rose-heilbron.html
An amazing man who really was a giver in the Community. Who saved people in the waterways and the canal from drowning and who had to overcome so many obstacles. I celebrated his life in a play i wrote on the Canals.
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