William ‘Turkey’ Smart – Welney

Bedford Bank, Welney, Norfolk

History of Bedford Bank, Welney

Approximate location

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William Smart rose to fame as a skater in 1854. He beat Porter and Butcher in the heats, and in the final, Larman Register of Southery. It’s not known how he picked up the nick name ‘turkey.’ His style was low and crouching and his head would be bent almost on a level with his knees.

The Skaters of the Fens, Alan Bloom, 1957, says that “With the entry of the Smarts and with the aid of some frosty winters in the ‘fifties, Fen skating became even more popular, as The Cambridge Chronicle of 17th February, 1855, reported.

There was a big tournament at Mepal on 13th February when the temperature fell to  almost 14 degrees fahrenheit.

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1911

William ‘Turkey’ Smart, 81, old age pensioner and farm labourer,  Welney

Susan, 81, old age pensioner, b Welney

William Turkey Smart was champion skater of England 1854-1859.

Enid Porter writes about him and other Fen skaters in ‘Cambridgeshire Customs and Folklore’ p238f.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_Smart#/media/File:TurkeySmart.jpg