Thomas Middlemore

Thomas Middlemore (1842 – 16 May 1923) was an English mountaineer who made multiple first ascents during the silver age of alpinism. His audacity earned him a reputation as the enfant terrible within the Alpine Club. He was also the head of the Middlemores Saddles leather goods company in Birmingham, England, after the retirement of his father, William Middlemore, in 1881. Thomas Middlemore had taken over the management of the company in 1868 and established a bicycle saddle factory in Coventry.

Mountaineering

In August 1870 Middlemore climbed Monte Rosa, the Strahlhorn and the Wetterhorn with guide Jakob Anderegg of Meiringen while qualifying for membership of the Alpine Club. In 1872 he made a traverse of the Matterhorn together with Frederick Gardiner and the guides Jean-Joseph Maquignaz, Johann Jaun and Peter Knubel of St. Niklaus in the canton Valais.

According to Claire Engel, Middlemore was one of the first alpinists to climb routes in the Alps of an unprecedented degree of difficulty and danger:

Piz Bernina. Middlemore made the first ascent of the celebrated Biancograt (centre)

The ethics of employing a guide and then taking him into an area where there was significant objective danger created a considerable controversy at the time.

On 31 July 1876 Middlemore made the first ascent of the north-east face of the Aiguille Verte by what is now known as the Cordier Couloir with the London stockbroker John Oakley Maund, the Chamonix guide Henri Cordier, Grindelwald guides Johann Jaun, Andreas Maurer, and Jakob Anderegg. The route was not repeated until 1924, Engel notes that the party were all nearly obliterated by rockfall while they were crossing the bergschrund. the Monte Rosso di Tschierva (a first ascent) and Piz Roseg from the Tschierva Glacier. On the first ascent of Piz Roseg's north ridge on 18 August Middlemore's foot was injured by a loose stone, causing him to faint from pain; Jaun prevented him from falling.

Later life

Middlemore's father died in 1889, and Middlemore inherited the company outright. By this time Middlemore and his wife, Theodosia, were prominent figures in Birmingham. Middlemore sold the leather business in 1896. Middlemore commissioned architect William Lethaby, a prominent figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement, to rebuild Melsetter House. His wife, Theodosia Middlemore, died in 1944. 7 August 1876: Les Droites with John Oakley Maund, Henri Cordier, Johann Jaun and Andreas Maurer 12 August 1876: Biancograt on Piz Bernina (as far as Piz Alv) with Henri Cordier, Johann Jaun and Kaspar Maurer 18 August 1876: North ridge of Piz Roseg with Henri Cordier, Johann Jaun and Kaspar Maurer

Publications