ONCE upon a time there was a man from Ramsbottom who could travel at 100mph!

The date was the 1850s – and his speed was not equalled by trains for another 50 years.

Now a book on the exploits of Steeple Jack, who reached his amazing speeds by sliding down ropes from tall mill chimneys, has been penned by historian Chris Aspin, of Helmshore.

Jack – real name James Duncan Wright – was a Scotsman who gave his nickname to the English language after becoming famous in the Victorian era for flying a kite to attach a rope to high structures and then, by a system of weights, running up the side like a spider.

He never used scaffolding, which saved the owners of tall chimneys lots of money when repairs were needed!

After being called to Ramsbottom in 1851, Jack was befriended by the Grant brothers, virtual founders of the town, and he persuaded them to let him live in Grant’s Tower, a monument on a hilltop above Shuttleworth.

As well as mending high structures, Jack gave amazing displays on the tops of chimneys and masts.

He would play a concertina and let off fireworks before sliding down a rope at more than 100mph.

Chris’s book, The Fastest Man: Steeple Jack’s Adventures in Lancashire, is published by Helmshore Local History Society.

It costs £4.95 and copies are available from Chris, of 4, East Street, Helmshore, Rossendale, BB4 4JT, or telephone 01706 227129.