Henry Alan Leeke (15 November 1879 – 29 May 1915) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

track and field athlete Track and field is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of ...

who competed in the

1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were ori ...

Biography

Leeke was the only son of Henry Leeke, also an athlete, and grandson of

William Leeke William Leeke (27 November 1797''England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538–1975'' – 6 June 1879) was a British Army officer and clergyman, known for his published reminiscences of the Waterloo Campaign, which form a primary source for man ...

, a Waterloo veteran."A Notable Athlete", ''The Times'' Thursday, 23 February 1922, p. 15, col. 4 He was born in

Weston, Staffordshire Weston is a village and civil parish. within the English county of Staffordshire.OS Explorer Map 244: Cannock Chase & Chasewater: (1:25 000) :

. As his father did before him, Leeke represented

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

in the

hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as w ...

and

shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...

, and was English Amateur Champion for both events."Biographies and Services", ''The Times'', Wednesday 2 June 1915, p. 8 col. 4 He was associated with the

London Athletic Club London Athletic Club (LAC) is a track and field club based in London, England. It is the oldest independent track and field club in the world and celebrated its first 150 years in 2013.Barker, Philip (2013)"London Athletic club still going strong at ...

. One of the first British athletes to throw the discus, he set a British record in 1908. During the 1908 Olympic Trials, Leeke threw the javelin 135-8 (41.37m) in the freestyle event. In 1898 he married Catherine Herbert, younger daughter of Charles G. Fullerton. They had one son and one daughter, and resided in Hill, Warwickshire. Shortly after the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Leeke joined the

Royal Warwickshire Regiment The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, previously titled the 6th Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. The regiment saw service in many conflicts and wars, including the Second Boer War ...

, he was granted a commission as a temporary

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

on 22 September 1914, and placed in charge of machine guns for D Company, 9th Battalion. He died of fever at the Thornhill Isolation Hospital, Aldershot on 29 May 1915 aged 35. He is buried in

Aldershot Military Cemetery Aldershot Military Cemetery is a burial ground for military personnel, or ex-military personnel and their families, located in Aldershot#Aldershot Military Town, Aldershot Military Town, Hampshire. The cemetery was created in 1850s by the Royal ...

1908 Olympics

In 1908 Leeke participated in the shot put event, in the discus throw competition, in the Greek discus throw event, in the freestyle javelin throw competition, in the javelin throw event, and in the hammer throw competition but in all these competitions his final ranking is unknown.

References

External links

profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Leeke, Henry 1879 births 1915 deaths British male javelin throwers British male discus throwers British male hammer throwers British male shot putters Olympic athletes for Great Britain Athletes (track and field) at the 1908 Summer Olympics Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers officers British Army personnel of World War I British military personnel killed in World War I Burials at Aldershot Military Cemetery

Biography

1908 Olympics

See also

References

External links