Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 2 (of 3): Containing Lives of the Most Celebrated Pugilists; Full Reports of Their Battles from Contemporary Newspapers, With Authentic Portraits, Personal Anecdotes, and Sketches of the Principal Patrons of the Prize Ring, Forming a Complete History of the Ring from Fig and Broughton, 1719-1740, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863Miles, Henry Downes
History
Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 2 (of 3): Containing Lives of the Most Celebrated Pugilists; Full Reports of Their Battles from Contemporary Newspapers, With Authentic Portraits, Personal Anecdotes, and Sketches of the Principal Patrons of the Prize Ring, Forming a Complete History of the Ring from Fig and Broughton, 1719-1740, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863
Miles, Henry Downes
Boxing
Mr. Jackson collected for the losing man, on the ground, £47 19_s._ The
night previous to the battle, Spring, in company with his backer, walked
from Andover to take a view of the ground on which the battle was to
take place, when Spring observed, “It was so beautiful a spot that no
man could grumble to be well licked upon it.”
The newspaper report respecting Mr. Sant, the backer of Spring, having
won £7,000 on the event is erroneous; also that Mr. Gully had realised
£10,000. Mr. G. did not win more than £100. It is true that Mr. James
Bland picked up a tidy stake; but it was false that Belcher lost a large
sum of money upon the battle: Tom was too good a judge to risk too much
of his blunt. So much for correct newspaper information.
Painter left his house at Norwich on purpose to perform the office of
second to Spring, it being a particular request of the latter boxer. The
wags of the fancy, at the conclusion of the battle, proposed that the
town of Andover in future should have the letter H _neat_-ly added to
it—to stand thus, Hand-over, in allusion to the great transfer of specie
on this occasion.
It was stated in the newspapers that a fine old lady of the Society of
Friends, with a couple of her daughters, came in their carriage to the
Angel at Marlborough, during the time Neat was training. The two
daughters remained in the carriage at the door, while the old lady made
her way into the Angel. She ascended the stairs, and found Belcher in a
room, sitting by himself, Neat having retired to change his clothes. Tom
thought the lady had mistaken the apartment, till she addressed him.
“Thy name is Belcher, is it not, friend?” “Yes, madam,” was the reply.
Tom was in hopes to get rid of the lady before Neat returned; but she
waited till the Bristol hero made his appearance. “I understand, friend
Neat, thou art about fighting a prize battle. Dost thou not know it is
very sinful? Be advised, friend, and give it up.” Neat urged that he was
bound in honour, and that if he gave it up he should not only be a heavy
loser of money, but stand disgraced for betraying his friends. “If it be
the lucre of gain, friend Neat, I will recompense thee,” thereon, the
report went on to say, that the lady offered money to the pugilist.
Other journals coupled the name of the worthy and excellent Mrs. Fry
with the affair, which called forth the following epistle from her
husband:—
“_To the Editor of the_ MORNING CHRONICLE.
“My wife and myself will be much obliged by thy insertion in thy
valuable paper of a few words, contradicting the absurd story,
copied from a Bath and Cheltenham paper, of her having interfered to
prevent the late battle between Spring and Neat, the whole of which
is without the slightest foundation in truth or probability.
“I am respectfully, etc.
“JOSEPH FRY.
“_St. Mildred’s Court, 22nd 5th Month, 1823._”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account