Bartholomew was born at Brentford, Middlesex, in 1770, and early convinced several of the amateurs in that neighbourhood of his gift of hitting, activity, and courage. Jack Firby, who had earned the unenviable cognomen of “the Young Ruffian,” from his conquest of Symonds, “the Old Ruffian,” on the 2nd August, 1791, was picked out as a trial-horse for young Jack, in the regular P.R. A stake of ten guineas seems to have tempted Firby to tackle the youngster. The fight came off on Hounslow Heath, near Bartholomew’s native spot. Firby, who weighed fifteen stone, and stood six feet, considered the stakes “a gift.” Jack, at this time was nearly twelve stone, and stood five feet nine inches and a half, a height and weight which the best authorities have considered “big enough for anything on two legs.” Firby seems to have considered his fame involved, for he fought with unusual desperation, but the youth was not to be “ruffianised” out of his skill and coolness; and after a desperate fight of fifty minutes, in which his firmness and manly intrepidity were finely contrasted with the opponent’s impetuous assaults, Firby was beaten blind, and his “gluttony perfectly satisfied.” Bill Wood, the coachman, then in the height of his fame, was next matched with Bartholomew. They met on a stage between Ealing and Harrow, January 30, 1797. Bartholomew had the battle declared against him for a foul blow. (See WOOD, _ante_, Appendix to Period II.) Tom Owen’s renown in conquering Hooper, the tinman, induced him to issue a challenge to Jack; it was accepted, and they met for a stake of fifty guineas, on Sunbury Common, August 22, 1797. Five and six to four were the current odds in favour of Owen, who was the bigger and stronger man, forced the fighting desperately, but he could not break Jack’s guard, and was so heavily punished that in about half an hour he was all abroad, and at the end of the twenty-sixth round, fought in thirty minutes, he was compelled to give in, after a fight of unusual rapidity and punishment. Bartholomew now met a master of the art in the person of Jem Belcher, with whom he had the honour of fighting a drawn battle, on the 15th August, 1799. His final defeat by the champion, May 15th, 1800, was also without disgrace. (See memoir of JEM BELCHER.)