Death of Famous High Diver.





The following is a transcription of an obituary for 'Professor' Albert Edward Powsey posted in The World's Fair, Saturday, March 31, 1956. Above is a scan of a xerox copy of the paper's full sheet, and also a close up of the obituary photo. The original newspaper is in the possession of Albert Edward's grandson Mathew Powsey.

Death of Famous High Diver

The man who thrilled thousands at seaside resorts and fair grounds all over the world with his spectacular high diving into tanks, Professor Bert Powsey, died in a Liverpool hospital last week. He was 89.

For 18 years, Professor Powsey drew the crowd to Southport Pier to see him do his high dives and before that he had completed a world tour in which his spectacular dive of flames had been seen in many countries.

Albert Edward Powsey was born at Sheerness in 1866 and at the age of 13 and a half he embarked on a six month's cruise on a cargo boat to the West Indies. On his return he was first an assistant in a grocer's shop and then an apprentice steam pipe fitter.

Awarded Medal

But the water was his first love and at the age of 14 and one half he was awarded the Humane Society Medal for rescuing a woman form the sea at Sheerness. Although he completed his apprenticeship and became foreman at the works, Bert retained his interest in the sea and when he married at the age of 24 his bride was Rose Emma Ellis, a 20 year old beauty who was touring the world as the first woman deep sea diver.

In 1951 the couple celebrated their diamond wedding, but Mrs. Powsey is now in failing health and for the past month she has been in Fleetwood Road Hospital at Southport. Mr. and Mrs. Powsey have eight children, 20 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren...(crease in paper makes a few words ineligible).

Shortly before their marriage Professor Powsey joined the staff of Marlborough College, Wiltshire, as swimming instructor and he remained there for the next ten years. It was here that he evolved his high diving act and he finally took it to the pier at Herne Bay.

Rescue Work

During his stay at Herne Bay he rescued several people from drowning when one of the pier trains ran off the end of the pier. He often told how one of them--a woman--rewarded him with a shilling. After a few seasons Herne Bay, Professor Powsey was offered facilities for doing his act from Brighton Pier and he accepted. During his stay in Herne Bay he had also been training his son and daughter in high diving and swimming and when he left, his son Herbert took over at Herne Bay while his daughter Gladys joined Eugene's Bathing Belles. After a few seasons at Brighton he moved to Clacton and in 1903 he started his long run at Southport.

His first act was his three times a day dive into the sea from the pier and he rapidly became as popular in the north as he had been in the South. With only a two year break in which he made his world tour, Professor Powsey was on Southport Pier for 18 years and it was there that he first evolved his dive of flames.

Dived in Flames

For this act he was covered in sacking and pieces of cotton wool soaked in petrol were fastened on. A second or so before he dived, one of his sons lit the cotton wool with a torch and it blazed fiercely as he dived into the sea eighty feet below. Shortly before he left the pier he offered to dive 150 ft. for an aeroplane into the sea but the Corporation refused him permission to do the act.

His Greatest Act

From the Pier he went to the old Southport fair ground (now Pleasureland) and there he started his greatest act of diving--from an 80ft. tower into a tank containing 4ft. of water. His only break from the fair ground before his retirement was when he was booked to perform six dives, at 50 Pounds a dive, in Glasgow's Kelvin Hall. In order to make the dive from the required height part of the roof had to be removed and the Corporation again vetoed the act. Professor Powsey then sued and, after a long legal wrangle, he was awarded 150 pound damages.

At the age of 75 he made his last dive at a gala in Southport for the Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Charity funds. He then spent his retirement in Virginia Street, Southport. --T.D.S.

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