Overview

Who was the mystery man in the Iron Mask? How was he chosen for this incredible feat? Who had wagered such enormous sums? To this day nobody knows for certain the identity of the person who set off from Trafalgar Square in London on New Year's Day in 1908 to walk round the world wearing an Iron Mask. Over twenty years later Harry Bensley could be found at the seaside with his perambulator and knight's helmet, parading along the promenade, selling postcards and telling his incredible story of endurance of fortitude. The story he could not tell was even more remarkable.

Full Product Details

9781916217409

Table of Contents

Reviews

With his face concealed behind a black iron mask and pushing a perambulator before him, a mysterious figure left Trafalgar Square the other morning for a walk round the world. He is starting penniless and will subsist solely by selling photographs and pamphlets with a stock of which he has filled his perambulator. He expects to be back in ten years. Aberdeen People's Journal, Saturday, January 11, 1908 The Iron Mask was the subject of a wager between JP Morgan, the famous American Steelmaker and Banker and the 5th Earl of Lonsdale, he of the Lonsdale belt. JP Morgan wagered GBP21,000 (equivalent to GBP7,000,000 today) that no one could walk around the world and remain anonymous, starting with only a pound in their pocket and Harry Bensley became the person who accepted the challenge. He began on New Year's day 1908, marching off from Trafalgar square to a huge fanfare. He was quite literally mobbed but the next day he's arrested in Bexleyheath. This was because he sold postcards and pamphlets to make a living on the road. His assistant was supposed to take the money and an eagle-eyed policeman spotted him pocketing a child's sixpence, so they took him to court for peddling without a license. He was allowed to keep his helmet on and remain anonymous, a first in an English court and he was sent on his way after being fined a half a crown. That would be like a GBP50 fine today. This one event turned him into an instant celebrity the length and breadth of the Commonwealth and everywhere he went there was huge interest in him. The public took him to their hearts. As he tells it, six years later he lands in Genoa to start the European leg of the walk only to find that the Great War has broken out, which brings the wager to a premature end. But that is not even the beginning of the story. The Iron Mask is an amazing tale on its own and there is an extra twist to it but when I started to look into Harry Bensley's life, there were so many other extraordinary events. I think that all of us have daydreamed about leading a different life, leaving our past behind and becoming somebody else but Harry Bensley did this, not once but twice. He became famous as the Iron Mask, but four years earlier he achieved notoriety in a series of scandalous events that made national news. Harry was a remarkable individual and he must have been irrepressibly charming to men and women alike because if you met him in his heyday, which would have been the first decade of the last century and the worst that happened was that he claimed a silver sixpence from you for one of his postcards, you had got away very cheaply. There are many others who lost their life savings to this man and woe betide you, if you had the misfortune to fall in love with him. I can't be entirely sure how things happened and this book is a fictionalised account of his life. The facts are there, woven into the story but there are enough gaps for more than one interpretation of his life. What you choose to believe, is up to you. WHEREABOUTS IS THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK? Readers may remember that two years ago he started from Trafalgar Square, having undertaken to walk round the world... Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser (New Zealand) February 24, 1911

With his face concealed behind a black iron mask and pushing a perambulator before him, a mysterious figure left Trafalgar Square the other morning for a walk round the world. He is starting penniless and will subsist solely by selling photographs and pamphlets with a stock of which he has filled his perambulator. He expects to be back in ten years. Aberdeen People's Journal, Saturday, January 11, 1908 The Iron Mask was the subject of a wager between JP Morgan, the famous American Steelmaker and Banker and the 5th Earl of Lonsdale. JP Morgan wagered £21,000 (equivalent to £7,000,000 today) that no one could walk around the world and remain anonymous starting with only a pound in their pocket and Harry Bensley became the person who accepted the challenge. He began on New Year's day 1908, marching off from Trafalgar Square to a huge fanfare. He was quite literally mobbed but the next day he's arrested in Bexleyheath. He sold postcards and pamphlets to make a living on the road. His assistant was supposed to take the money and an eagle-eyed policeman spotted him pocketing a child's sixpence, so he was taken to court for peddling without a license. He was allowed to keep his helmet on and remain anonymous, a first in an English court and was sent on his way after being fined a half a crown, equivalent to a £50 fine today. This one event turned him into an instant celebrity the length and breadth of the Commonwealth and everywhere he went there was huge interest in him. The public took him to their hearts. As he tells it, six years later he lands in Genoa to start the European leg of the walk only to find that the Great War has broken out, which brings the wager to a premature end. But that is not even the beginning of the story. The Iron Mask is an amazing tale on its own and there is an extra twist to it but when I started to look into Harry Bensley's life, there were so many other extraordinary events. I think that all of us have daydreamed about leading a different life, leaving our past behind and becoming somebody else. So meet Harry Bensley, he did this, not once but twice. He became famous once as the Iron Mask and four years earlier he achieved notoriety in a series of scandalous events that made national news. Harry was a remarkable individual and he must have been irrepressibly charming to men and women alike. Because if you met him in his heyday, which would have been the first decade of the last century and the worst that happened was that he claimed a silver sixpence from you for one of his postcards, you had got away very cheaply. There are many others who lost their life savings to this man and woe betide you, if you had the misfortune to fall in love with him. This book is a fictionalised account of his life. The facts are there, woven into the story but there are enough gaps for more than one interpretation of his life. What you choose to believe, is up to you. WHEREABOUTS IS THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK? Readers may remember that two years ago he started from Trafalgar Square, having undertaken to walk round the world... Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser (New Zealand) February 24, 1911

With his face concealed behind a black iron mask and pushing a perambulator before him, a mysterious figure left Trafalgar Square the other morning for a walk round the world. He is starting penniless and will subsist solely by selling photographs and pamphlets with a stock of which he has filled his perambulator. He expects to be back in ten years. Aberdeen People's Journal, Saturday, January 11, 1908 The Iron Mask was the subject of a wager between JP Morgan, the famous American Steelmaker and Banker and the 5th Earl of Lonsdale. JP Morgan wagered GBP21,000 (equivalent to GBP7,000,000 today) that no one could walk around the world and remain anonymous starting with only a pound in their pocket and Harry Bensley became the person who accepted the challenge. He began on New Year's day 1908, marching off from Trafalgar Square to a huge fanfare. He was quite literally mobbed but the next day he's arrested in Bexleyheath. He sold postcards and pamphlets to make a living on the road. His assistant was supposed to take the money and an eagle-eyed policeman spotted him pocketing a child's sixpence, so he was taken to court for peddling without a license. He was allowed to keep his helmet on and remain anonymous, a first in an English court and was sent on his way after being fined a half a crown, equivalent to a GBP50 fine today. This one event turned him into an instant celebrity the length and breadth of the Commonwealth and everywhere he went there was huge interest in him. The public took him to their hearts. As he tells it, six years later he lands in Genoa to start the European leg of the walk only to find that the Great War has broken out, which brings the wager to a premature end. But that is not even the beginning of the story. The Iron Mask is an amazing tale on its own and there is an extra twist to it but when I started to look into Harry Bensley's life, there were so many other extraordinary events. I think that all of us have daydreamed about leading a different life, leaving our past behind and becoming somebody else. So meet Harry Bensley, he did this, not once but twice. He became famous once as the Iron Mask and four years earlier he achieved notoriety in a series of scandalous events that made national news. Harry was a remarkable individual and he must have been irrepressibly charming to men and women alike. Because if you met him in his heyday, which would have been the first decade of the last century and the worst that happened was that he claimed a silver sixpence from you for one of his postcards, you had got away very cheaply. There are many others who lost their life savings to this man and woe betide you, if you had the misfortune to fall in love with him. This book is a fictionalised account of his life. The facts are there, woven into the story but there are enough gaps for more than one interpretation of his life. What you choose to believe, is up to you. WHEREABOUTS IS THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK? Readers may remember that two years ago he started from Trafalgar Square, having undertaken to walk round the world... Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser (New Zealand) February 24, 1911

Author Information

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available