Mercedes Gleitze (1900-1981) was the first British woman to swim the English Channel, and the first person to swim the Straits of Gibraltar. In an amazing career that spanned the 1920s and 1930s, Mercedes captured the imagination of the British public and became a household name. Born to German parents in Brighton, Mercedes was one of three sisters. Skilled in languages, she moved to London where she worked as a secretary and stenographer. Whilst living in London she began swimming …
English Channel
This week at The Archive we have been busier than ever, as we have added 294,076 brand new pages to our collection. This includes eleven brand new titles, with our new publications covering the counties of Kent, Hampshire, Lincolnshire, Cambridge, and Suffolk, as well as London. Meanwhile, we have updated 36 of our existing titles – so read on to discover about all of our updates and new additions of the week, and also to find out more about Captain Matthew Webb, who on 25 August 1875 …