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
No person to be permitted to contend for any of the
above prizes, unless he enrols his name with the Clerk,
on the Swifts, before ten o'clock in the morning of the
said 4th of October next, as the wrestling will
commence precisely at that hour. Any person making the
least disturbance, or attempting to force the ring,
will be taken into custody, as constables will be
specially appointed for that purpose. All disputes to
be determined by Joseph Richardson, Esq., umpire.
The weather during the races proved exceedingly favourable, and the ground
was in excellent condition. A greater concourse of people assembled than
had been seen for years. The leading families of the two counties were
represented. There were the Lowthers, the Vanes, the Grahams of Netherby
and Edmund Castle, the Broughams, the Salkelds, the Crackenthorpes, the
Senhouses, the Briscoes, the Hasells, the Wyberghs, and others.
Sixty-eight men entered the wrestling ring to contend for the principal
prize. Included in the list were a fair sprinkling of old veterans, and a
whole bevy of young aspirants of considerable promise; namely, Robinson of
Hackthorpe, (his first appearance, we believe,) William Slee of Dacre, Tom
Todd of Knarsdale, Tom Richardson--"the Dyer," Joe Abbot of
Thornthwaite-hall, Andrew Armstrong of Sowerby-hall, Thomas Peat of
Blencow, Thomas Armstrong, the "yak tree," and the three Forsters of
Penton, being among the number.
Robinson entered the ring in excellent spirits, and threw his men generally
very cleanly and cleverly. In the first round, he gained an easy victory
over John Copley. The next time over, in coming against Armstrong, the "yak
tree," all his activity and skill had to be brought into play, before the
compressed mass of eighteen stones could be brought to grass. In the third
round, he toppled over Edward Forster of Penton, in capital style; and, in
the fourth round, James Richardson of Hesket-New-Market, brother to "the
Dyer." The fifth time over, George Forster, another of the Penton brothers,
(who had thrown Tom Todd in the previous round,) came quickly to grief,
under the gamekeeper's brisk fire. Up to this point the Hackthorpe man had
shown some really good play; but, says the _Carlisle Patriot_, before the
final struggle commenced, Robinson and William Slee of Dacre had agreed to
divide the first prize between them, so that they only played for honour.
The "honour" of carrying off the head prize then fell to Robinson's share.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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