Samuel Gilbert Scott

Who was Samuel Gilbert Scott?

Samuel Gilbert "Sam" Scott was an American daredevil who was killed performing a stunt at Waterloo Bridge in London, England.

Scott was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and served in the United States Navy, where he became well known for jumping off the masts of Navy vessels. Upon leaving the Navy he became a professional stuntman, passing the hat for contributions after his performances. Scott performed stunts in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and on the St. Lawrence River. He dived from a precipice near Niagara Falls, reported in newspapers as a 593-foot jump, although historians consider this figure to be impossible. Scott also worked as a bartender in Rochester, New York, where Sam Patch had jumped to his death from the High Falls in 1829.

In 1837, Scott traveled to England to continue his diving career. He dove 100 feet in Manchester, 167 feet in Liverpool, and jumped from a 140-foot scaffold at Brighton Pier. On the battleship St. Joseph, moored in Devonport, he jumped from a 200-foot topmast. In Cornwall, Scott allegedly jumped from a 240-foot cliff into eight feet of water; this achievement exceeds the current world record high dive, and is also considered unlikely.