Strange tale of the ‘Scottish giant’ who died in Newcastle 140 years ago
ONE of Newcastle’s most unusual episodes drew to its conclusion on this day 140 years ago.
It concerned the so-called ‘Scottish giant’, William Campbell.
The unmistakable figure of Campbell ran the Duke of Wellington pub on Newcastle’s High Bridge.
The popular city-centre boozer still does a roaring trade today, nearly a century and a half on.
Born in a Glasgow slum in 1856, William Campbell weighed upward of 40st by his teens.
By his early 20s, he struggled to walk and claimed to be the heaviest man in the world – weighing a massive 52st.
William was also 6ft 8ins tall and measured 96ins around the shoulders, 85ins around the waist, and 35ins around the calf.
He caught the attention of a freak show and he was put on exhibition wearing full Highland dress at the Egyptian Hall in London.
In November 1877, William and wife Polly took up the lease of the Duke of Wellington in Newcastle.
Polly took on much of the work as William’s health was very poor.
Months later, he fell seriously ill and passed away on May 26, 1878.
There were obituaries in several newspapers and, on the day of his funeral, the High Bridge area was packed by those keen to catch a glimpse of his huge coffin.
An upstairs window and part of the wall had to be removed as the coffin was hoisted up to his bedroom where a number of strong men lifted his corpse into it.
Using a trolley, the coffin, now weighing nearly a ton, was carefully put on the hearse. The hearse was followed by five mourning coaches and a throng of mourners on foot.
The windows and roofs of the houses along the route were crowded by spectators, some of whom had even climbed Grey’s Monument to see the bizarre funeral cortege, which was led by a marching band.
The streets leading to Jesmond Cemetery were packed and several people were injured in the crush.
At the graveyard more than 2,000 people assembled for the funeral, with thousands more outside.
It was reported there were so many people crowded into the cemetery, some were pushed into the awaiting grave!
Because he’d never been officially weighed, William’s claim to being the world’s heaviest man soon disappeared after his death.