The Childe of Hale statue by Diane Gorvin, a giant at nine feet, three inches tall, Hale village, Halton , Merseyside, England, UK, L24 4WB

Hale is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England with a population of 1, 800. The village is north of the River Mersey, and just to the east of the boundary with Merseyside. It is 2+1⁄2 miles east of Speke in Liverpool, and 4 miles south-west of Widnes. The nearby village of Halebank is to the north-east. Historically part of Lancashire, until 1 April 1974 the area formed part of the Whiston Rural District. The population of the parish is stable with a population of 1, 898 (2001 census), 1, 841 (2011 census) and 1, 800 (2021 census). John Middleton (1578–1623), the Childe of Hale, was reputed to be nine feet, three inches tall, or 2.8 m. His cottage and grave are located in the village. Just outside St Mary's Church was a wooden carving of the Childe Of Hale that is said to have been life-sized. It was replaced in 2013 by a 3-metre bronze statue by sculptor Diane Gorvin Middleton was born in the village of Hale, near Liverpool. According to contemporary accounts and his epitaph, he grew to the height of 9 feet 3 inches (2.82 m) and slept with his feet hanging out the window of his house. Because of his size the landlord and sheriff of Lancashire, Gilbert Ireland, hired him as a bodyguard. When King James I stopped by in 1617 to knight Ireland he heard about Middleton and invited both of them to the court, which they accepted in 1620. Middleton beat the King's champion in wrestling and in doing so broke the man's thumb. He received £20, a large amount of money in those times. Jealous of his wealth, Middleton's companions mugged him or swindled him out of his money while he was returning to Hale. Middleton died impoverished in 1623. He was buried in the cemetery of St Mary's Church in Hale. The epitaph reads, "Here lyeth the bodie of John Middleton the Childe of Hale. Nine feet three. Borne 1578 Dyede 1623." He is likely one of the tallest people in history. If these height markings are accurate, he would surpass Robert Wadlow's stature