Samuel Plimsoll was very instrumental in making a safe way to ship goods in England. In the late 1800’s shipping was very dangerous. Ships were often loaded poorly and with too many goods. Accidents on the water and on the docks while loading and unloading were all too common. So dangerous were the times that the people called some of these ships “coffin ships”. These ships were so overloaded and unseaworthy that the lives of the crew were constantly in jeopardy. Samuel had an experience that shook his life. In 1853 he attempted to become a coal merchant in London. He was not successful and he lost literally everything. He had to live for several months in a common lodging. When things began to look up for him, he vowed to serve those of lower means and do all he could to improve their lives. His achievements include being the driving force behind England’s Merchant Shipping Act of 1876. He was the one who championed the Unseaworthy Ships Bill. Both brought about what are now known as Plimsoll lines on commercial ships. The lines indicate the safe levels for loading cargo in the ship’s hold at various states of condition.
I, naturally assumed this would be about those black "pumps" we used to wear for PE, although there is a Plimsoll Line connection for why they are called Plimsolls
Because the plimsoll shoe is a nickname apparently called that because of the band running around the shoe to join the sole to the upper, above that your feet get wet
