5. Sir Brook Watson loses a leg to a shark.
Sir Brook Watson served as Lord Mayor of London from 1784 until 1793. His time in office was largely unremarkable. However, what did make him stand out from the usual political figures in the British capital was the fact that he only had one leg. The other had been taken by a shark. Since most Londoners had never even heard of such animals, let alone seen one with their own eyes, Sir Brook helped introduce sharks – and their fearsome reputation – into the popular imagination in England.
Watson, who was born in 1735, was sent to live with his uncle in America as a young boy. As a teenager he expressed an interest in going to sea, perhaps as an officer in the Navy. However, his maritime ambitions were almost derailed in 1749, when he was aged just 14. While out swimming alone in Havana harbor, Cuba, Watson was attacked by a shark, not once but twice. In its first attack, the shark took most of the flesh off his lower right leg. When it came back to attack for a second time, it bit off the young man’s right foot.
Fortunately, Watson’s ship was close by. His crew mates saw the attack and managed to pull him to safety. The ship’s surgeon had to amputate his right leg below the knee. Watson was then forced to stay in a Cuban hospital for three months. Remarkably, however, he made a full recovery. Indeed, he went on to enjoy a career in the British Merchant Navy, sailing the world and then establishing himself as a successful trader. When Watson finally had enough of the sea, he returned to his native England and went into politics – with his amputated leg and the shark that caused it continuing to be the subject of much discussion right up until his death in 1807.