Wrestling and Wrestlers: Biographical Sketches of Celebrated Athletes of the Northern Ring; to Which is Added Notes on Bull and Badger BaitingRobinson, Jacob
History
Wrestling and Wrestlers: Biographical Sketches of Celebrated Athletes of the Northern Ring; to Which is Added Notes on Bull and Badger Baiting
Robinson, Jacob
Wrestlers; Wrestling
In 1814, Dennison made his last and most successful appearance in the
Carlisle ring. He had worked himself through the three first rounds, for
the head prize, without meeting with anything like a dangerous rival. In
the fourth, he came against his fellow-townsman, Samuel Jameson, a
cartwright, considered to be one of the best of his trade in the county. He
was a strong, bony, five feet ten man, an extremely dangerous customer to
deal with. His fame as a wrestler has, however, been totally eclipsed by
that of his son, William Jameson, the champion of a later period. Having
successfully disposed of Jameson, Dennison next came in contact with
another equally good man, in the person of William Slee of Dacre, and
proved again victorious. The next and final struggle occurred with William
Dickinson of Alston. A reference to a description of the fall, a few pages
back, in Dickinson's memoir, will show how the head prize was lost to
Dennison, by the merest accidental slip on his part.
Having missed first honours, he resolved to fight hard and perseveringly
for the second prize. This was won bravely. Only eighteen wrestlers entered
the ring, and the men who competed in the last two rounds, with the victor,
were Joseph Peart and Francis Wilson, the latter named being second.
After the year 1814, Dennison--then about thirty years old--determined to
bid farewell to the wrestling ring, excepting sometimes trying an odd bout
when officiating in the capacity of umpire. An increasing profession
engrossed his attention, and he began to stick more assiduously to it. It
is not often that talent is hereditary, but in the Dennison family it
proved to be eminently so. His sons, George, John, and Joseph, have all
distinguished themselves in the same honourable vocation.
The cures that Dennison wrought in bone-setting were numerous and
effective, and it is almost needless to remark, conferred more honour and
distinction on him than any success gained in the wrestling arena. One
remarkable cure may be mentioned; and as it was wrought on one of our most
renowned wrestlers, it will fit in appropriately. Richard Chapman, when
between ten and eleven years old, had a thigh bone badly broken. As a
matter of course, Dennison was sent for, and the cure effected was simply
perfection. Any one seeing the fine elastic form and marvellous activity of
Chapman, would hardly imagine or give credence to the fact, that a few
years before he had had a broken thigh bone. George Dennison, sitting or
standing, as the case might be, among the multitude round a wrestling ring,
and delightedly witnessing the Patterdale champion, tossing about his
opponents like shuttlecocks, with a science and activity rarely
paralleled, used to exclaim, in the well understood vernacular of the
north: "Leùk, lads, leùk! Theer' yan o' my cures of a brokken thie'!"
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