AN AUSTRALIAN man has asked me to help track down local information regarding Adam Beattie Gunn, a little known Olympic athlete who died in Greenock.

Daley Thompson was believed to have been the first person born in Britain to win an Olympic decathlon medal, when he triumphed at Moscow in 1980.
But the honour actually belongs to Gunn, who won the decathlon silver medal at the 1904 Olympics in St Louis, America.

However, he had become a naturalised American by that time, so, strictly speaking, wasn’t British.

Jimmy Crockett, 72, of Melbourne is related distantly to Adam, and has spent the last three years researching his life.
Gunn was born and raised in Golspie, a village in Sutherland, where he is buried.

He is believed to have lived at 2 Belville Street, Greenock, for a while with his wife, Elizabeth Gauld, before dying at Larkfield Hospital on August 17 1935 at the age of 64 of a blood clot on his brain.

Another version of how his death came about, however, was published in the Northern Times shortly after his death.

The obituary said Adam had not been feeling in his usual good health in America, and decided to return to Scotland for a rest.

It said: “Unfortunately, he suddenly turned seriously ill on the liner. His condition was grave when Greenock was reached, and he was conveyed to Larkfield Hospital, where he passed peacefully away.”

Jimmy’s family emigrated to Australia from Britain in 1880.

He said: “Adam’s father was the brother of my grandmother.

“He is buried in Golspie new cemetery in the family grave with his father, John Forsyth Gunn and his mother, Isabella Beattie (Elliot) Gunn.

“He went to America in July 1892 and became a naturalised American seven years later.

“He was based most of the time in Buffalo, Erie, New York State, and won many medals, including competing at the Pan American Amateur Athletic Union Championships (later the decathlon) in Buffalo in 1901 and the AAU Championships Celtic Park, Laurel Hill, Long Island City in 1902, 1903, 1904 and 1905.

“He represented America at the 1904 Olympics, where he won a silver medal, and continued competing until the age of 44.”

Jimmy said some of Adam’s medals were emerald and diamond studded.

He said: “I wonder what happened to them? Maybe some descendants have them.

“They should be in a showcase in a Scottish Sports Hall of Fame along with his name for all to see.”

Jimmy, who worked in the printing trade, told me he has been corresponding about Adam with people in Britain and America.

He said: “I’d love to know where all of medals and trophies are, and if he left a will.”

The Northern Times reported that Adam won various honours in his athletic career, including being ‘champion all-round athlete of America and Canada on two occasions’. He held a senior position of superintendent with the Buffalo General Electric Company in America, where he was in charge of 500 employees.

Adam is said to have rescued a major exhibition from disaster after a power shortage, prompting a glowing letter of praise from Mr W.T. Buckley, secretary-manager of the local convention and tourist bureau and chamber of commerce.

He said: “Mr Gunn came through with the finest co-operation I have ever come in contact with, thereby saving a total collapse of one of the most wonderful exhibitions in North America.

“It would have undoubtedly caused serious damage to the prestige of Buffalo as a convention city, which would have cost us millions of dollars in our future operations and would have ruined the gigantic show.”

Jimmy would be happy to hear from anyone who has any information about Adam or pictures of him. Jimmy’s address is: 2 Balmoral Avenue, East Brunswick 3057, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.