Fitzherbert, Maria Anne, 1756-1837; George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830
In compliment to his manners and language, his lordship was generally
known as _Hell-gate_; his next brother, the Hon. and Rev. Augustus
Barry, was called _Newgate_, because he had been 'in prisons oft';
and their younger brother, the Hon. Henry Barry,[58] _Cripple-gate_,
because of some physical deformity. To complete this delightful
family, there was a sister, who from her habit of swearing was called
_Billings-gate_.
We read in the _St. James's Chronicle_, July 29-31, 1790: 'A
pugilistick _rencontre_ took place, a few days since, at Brighton,
between Lord Barrymore and young Fox, son to the manager of the
Theatre, in which the conduct of some of the parties is represented
as very little to their credit.' The _Sussex Weekly Advertiser_,
August 2, says: 'The Rencounter which took place on the Steine at
Brighton, on Monday evening last, and the cause of it have been grossly
misrepresented in the London papers; they were set out with the wrong
day: but, as Lord Barrymore has, through the goodness of the Prince,
forgiven the insult he received, we shall not revive it by a relation
of its attendant circumstances.'
The caricaturist soon caught hold of it, and we have 'SCRUB and
BONIFACE, or, Three Brave Lads, against one poor Roscius--London,
pub. Aug. 9 by Steine Briton, Newgate Inv^t, Cripple-gate Direxit,
Hell-gate Fecit.' Mr. Fox, son to the manager of the Brighton theatre
is on the ground, calling out, 'Foul, foul.' The Earl of Barrymore
is still raining blows upon him, and kicking him, encouraged by his
two brothers, one of whom says, 'B----t me, I'll lay 3 to 1 we lick
him.' The other calls out, 'Bloody Newgate to me, if I don't take his
father's licence.' Sheridan deprecates with, 'Dam it, Newgate, fight
like a man, no kicking.' The Duke of York, looking on, thus alludes to
his duel with Colonel Lenox, 'Fie donc--If he had hit my head, instead
of my curl, I would have fought fair.'
_The World_ of August 2, 1790, says: 'A report was circulated in town,
that it was CHARLES FOX, and not the Manager's Son, who fought Lord
Barrymore at Brighton. The report gained credit from the addition that
the parties, immediately after the battle, _coalesced_.'
But fisticuffs were fashionable, _vide_ the _Sussex Weekly Advertiser_
of August 9, 1790: 'Between the heats, on Saturday, a Boxing Match took
place between a young man of this town, and one of the _black legged
society_; which, after a contest of about half an hour, terminated in
favour of the latter. The number of spectators, we should think, were
not less than 2,000.
'In making the ring, several scuffles ensued, that had like to have
produced more battles. Captain Aston, who, lately, fought a duel, was
with difficulty prevented in engaging in a conflict of the knuckle.
'One gentleman, who had struck a youth, as was supposed by some others
that saw it, without provocation, was set upon, and had his shirt
almost torn from his back.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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