Emma Sharp

The intrepid feats of the redoubtable women walkers of the 19th century captured the imagination of the public and the press alike. They were the trailblazers of women’s athletics, doughty characters who created a sensation for daring to appear before the public. From 1816 on, a number of women from various parts of the world, aged between 7 and 85 years undertook walks covering many hundreds of miles.

One of these women was Emma Sharp, a Yorkshire woman who having read an article about a gallant failed attempt by an Australian woman announced to her husband, John, ‘Wah, could do that mysen. Yes, I can do it and what’s more I will’.

Brushing aside her husband’s protests, she set off in September 1864, in the sports ground attached to the Quarry Gap Hotel, Laisterdyke, near Bradford, walking back and forth along a 120-yard stretch.

Daringly dressed in men’s clothes, down to a white waistcoat and laced boots. She was soon attracting interest. As the weeks went by public curiosity grew phenomenally and upwards of 100,000 paid to watch her and bet on whether she would make it.

She took to carrying a pistol in each hand to deter anyone jostling her, or administering chloroform. Before dawn on October 29, 1864, a crowd of 25,000 converged on the village to witness the 5.15am finish. A man with a loaded musket walked ahead of Emma, for it was feared that even at this late stage someone who had bet on her failing would attempt to stop her.

Serenaded by the local brass band, she completed her task in style, showing no distress, though for some days after, she slept almost continuously.

Emma achieved a walk of 1000 miles in 1000 hours.

Emma is also a relative of Val Moran who will be reconstructing this walk commencing Sunday 7 October and finishing on 17 November 2007 in Canberra Australia.