Henry Leeke (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Henry Leeke was a notable British
amateur athlete, and one-time Amateur Champion of England in the hammer throw
.
, Derbyshire
, Leeke was the son of the Reverend William Leeke
, noted Waterloo
historian, and famous for carrying the Colour of the 52nd Light Infantry
during the battle.
in the hammer throw and shot put
, winning the hammer event against Oxford in 1868. He was recognised as "one of the pioneers of British hammer throwing", and was the AAC Champion in 1868,1870 and 1872.
, with whom he had five daughters and one son, Henry Alan Leeke, who represented Great Britain
at the 1908 Summer Olympics
, and who died in 1915.
Leeke died at Cliff House, Leamington on 21 February 1922, aged 76.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
amateur athlete, and one-time Amateur Champion of England in the hammer throw
Hammer throw
The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
.
Early years
Born in HolbrookHolbrook, Derbyshire
Holbrook is a village in Derbyshire at the southern end of the Pennines around five miles north of Derby, England.-History:Holbrook lies about two miles to the north-east of Duffield, the parish of which it was a part, being within Duffield Frith. When the latter was seized by King Henry III...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, Leeke was the son of the Reverend William Leeke
William Leeke
William Leeke was a British Army officer and clergyman, known for his published reminiscences of the Waterloo Campaign, which form a primary source for many modern histories of the campaign.-Early life:...
, noted Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
historian, and famous for carrying the Colour of the 52nd Light Infantry
52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot
The 52nd Regiment of Foot was a light infantry regiment of the British Army throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries. The regiment first saw active service during the American War of Independence, and were posted to India during the Anglo-Mysore Wars...
during the battle.
Athletic career
He represented the University of CambridgeUniversity of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in the hammer throw and shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
, winning the hammer event against Oxford in 1868. He was recognised as "one of the pioneers of British hammer throwing", and was the AAC Champion in 1868,1870 and 1872.
Personal life
He married the daughter of Matthew Wise of Shrubland Hall, LeamingtonLeamington Hastings
Leamington Hastings is a small village and larger civil parish in Warwickshire, England.-The village:The village is about 7 miles south-west of Rugby and west of the A426 road between Rugby and Southam. To the north of the village is the Draycote Water reservoir...
, with whom he had five daughters and one son, Henry Alan Leeke, who represented Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
at the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
, and who died in 1915.
Leeke died at Cliff House, Leamington on 21 February 1922, aged 76.