Miss Annie Luker professional diveréswimmer

[JaneyCanuck]

To Janey Canuck; Did you mean to say marriage of kate Waters was in T.Wells 1899 instead of 1889 as given by you? It must be!

You're quite welcome!

[Mabel Bagshawe]

May in 1911


https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XWLB-58P

[Doug Mussell]

Kate Elizabeth Waters died 27th Feb 1942 and is buried at Islington Cemetery. I have no record of her remarrying.

[Georgeous]

I'm a RootsChat first timer, and this is such an interesting thread (albeit a few months ago now) as, like you Doug, Annie Luker was my G-G-G Aunt, as her sister Kate Elizabeth was my G-G Grandmother too.

My grandfather always told me the story of how Annie was a champion diver, and that her father had trained Captain Webb, the first man to swim the Channel (though I've never found any solid evidence of this). So it's great to see that other people are interested in Annie too, and this thread has given me lots of info, so thank you all!

I'm just starting out on my research so I'm afraid I don't have a lot of useful things to add, except that Kate didn't marry again.

[Doug Mussell]

Hi Georgeous. You must be a blood relative if Annie Luker was your GGG Aunt; Kate Elizabeth also who was my G grandmother. I have searched for Annie Luker's death without success, perhaps you or your relatives may have info? If you would like to identify who you are and how you are related to the Lukers perhaps you could e-mail me at (*) I have info which confirms the Captain Webb story.
Doug

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[grubheam]

Hi Doug and other rootchatters

I am also a relative of Annie Luker the diver - Annie's half-sister May Luker (not Baby May Waters) was my great grandmother. I also heard about Captain Webb, my grandfather told me about it. But I don't see any evidence. I saw Annie's diving medal though. Annie left her things to her niece Joan.

Like Doug, I can't find her death. I have asked Joan's relatives but they don't know, too young to remember at that time. Doug have found an article on Annie  - newspaper dated 1932.

I couldn't find any more after that, which is mystery. She appeared on so many papers in 1900s then quietly then popped up in 1932.

Grub

[Doug Mussell]

Hi Grub I was pleased to read your info about Annie. I would like to hear more about Annies half sister. I am away for a couple of weeks hopefully I can link up with you then. Doug

[Smokey807]

Annie Lukers half sister was May Hilda Luker born 1885 Tunbridge Wells, one of four children born to John Pearson Luker (1838-1915) and Annie Elizabeth Vidler (1849-1929), who was John's second wife.In 1911 May was living with her parents and siblings in Tunbridge Wells at 40 Quarry Road and she was working as a telephone operator.

One source of evidence that Luker trained Capt Webb is in The Strand Magazine of 1896 where it is stated in part " the well known and expert Miss Annie Luker, who's father trained Captain Webb"...

[JaneyCanuck]

I was curious, so just in case anyone else wants the source for that quote:

http://archive.org/stream/StrandMagazine64/Strand64_djvu.txt

Now, was ever such an opportunity given an experienced angler as that suggested by my next picture? And he is an experienced angler — perhaps I ought to say a professional angler — who has played bigger salmon in the Fraser River than ever Scotland produced. And surely this is a novel angling contest — Rod v. Woman. I witnessed the interesting event in a specially-arranged swimming-bath, the "fish" being the well-known expert, Miss Annie Luker, whose father trained Captain Webb, and who is herself engaged at this day in imparting the natatory art to a couple of thousand London Board School children. Miss Luker's biggest feat was a swim from Kew to Rotherhithe.

And it goes on to describe the particular exhibition they were putting on.