UC-NRLF

OF THE
UNIVERSITY
CF
 WRESTLIANA ;

OR, AN

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT

OF

ANCIENT AND MODERN WRESTLING.

BY WJLITT.

WHITEHAVEN:
Printed by R. Gibson, 26, King-street ;

AND SOLD 1Y ALL THE BOOKSELLERS IN THE

NOKTHEUN COUNTIES,

1823.

A
 \_55
PROSPECTUS,

IN all Diversions, of whatever character, some

acknowledged law for proceeding and acting- up-
on is absolutely necessary, not only to enable
Umpires to give a speedy and determinate judg-
ment, but to convince a majority of unbiased
spectators of its propriety. Accordingly, in
England where such a variety of amusements
prevail, we find 8om directly sanctioned by
the lef/islalttre itself and others, though govern-
;

ed by regulations principally devised by the ori-

ginal institutors of them, so sufficiently recogni-
zed by their duration, and unircrsal adoption, as
to render them effective. The high estimation
in which SCIENTIFIC WRESTLING is at present
held in some of the northern Counties, is fully
evinced by the sums subscribed, and the immense
assemblage of all ranks who attend at Carlisle,
Keswick, and numerous other places to witness
it. The want of some standard regulations for
conducting this amusement has often been felt by
those concerned in its immediate direction to ;

remedy this, the popularity of the exercise,

and full authority which the Author has for
assuring the public, that the DIRECTIONS here
laid down are precisely those which will bo act-
ed upon at Carlisle Races, and probably through-
out the North of England, have induced the pub-
lication of this Treatise. The extensive Patron-
age pr>rn ise d to the Work, and the great cu-
riosity aiid interest which will naturally be ex-

M29l4l8
 v PROSPECTUS.

cited by a Treatise (not only an original, but

the very first) on so popular a subject, leave the
Author in no doubt respecting his ultimate in-
demnification.
To render it as entertaining as possible to the
generality of readers, besides containing the Ba-
sis, and Comments upon it, indispensably ne-

cessary, not only for Wrestlers themselves, but

to all Spectators who wish to understand what
so highly intereststhem this Work will contain
;

progressive Anecdotes of Wrestling from the re-

motest era to which it can be traced, to the time
of its publication : a Philosophical Dissertation
on Wrestling as compared with many other a-
musements of the present day and a complete ;

Review of the various competitions which have

taken place at Carlisle, Keswick, Ambleside, and
many other celebrated places of meeting
occa- ;

sionally interspersed with Memoirs of, and Cri-

tiques upon, the Wrestling of most of the cele-

brated Men in Cumberland and Westmorland
within the last Forty Years. Of the Author's
particular capability for the undertaking few ob-
servations are necessary. Practically, his name
alone is sufficient ! In a literary view, the work
must, as in all other cases, speak for itself: in its
pages we hope the Novice will acquire instruc-
tion! the experienced Wrestler , find some
thing worthy his attention ! the Reader whose
object is curiosity, some amusement! and those
who have hitherto censured Wrestling as degra-
ding, and brutal, discover, that when they ven-
ture to condemn what they do not understand,
they only betray the infirmities of human nature.
PREFACES, aud DEDICATIONS, are such com-
mon appendages to a publication, that original
in many things, we had it in contemplation to be
so in this likewise ; more particularly, as we had
determined to prefix what served us for a PROS-
PECTUS, to the Work itself; conceiving* it might
suffice for both purposes. But our old acquaint-
ance, Tim Twistwell, a knowing kind of chap,
and something of a Wrestler, looking in upon
us and observing we were busy writing over the
first sheet for the press, de.-ired to look at the
" Preface
Preface. truly I mean to write
!

none." "What! write no Preface the? fellow's !

"
daft!" Why so, Tim? of what advantage
will either Preface or Dedication be to me ? the
first could be of no use; and the odds are, I
would lose by the other. Mine, as the Prospec-
tus declares, is an original work, and I promise
thee it is all my own; good or bad., to no man
am Iindebted for a single sentence." " Worse
and worse," quoth Tim, " for I myself can tell
thee of many things which require explanation,
if not apology. First of all, hast thou strictly
adhered to the plan specified in the Prospectus ?"
"
Why, not exactly; I mean to give some ac-
count of Wrestling from the era of the Patriarch
Jacob, and the Dissertation upon it before the
Basis, which precedes them in the Prospectus,
but I think neither thee, or the public, will stic-
kle at that. What next ?" " There is not a
single picture in the whole book !" " Neither is
there in many volumes of sermons; or even Bi--
 VI

bles themselves. Plates are expensive and I

;

hope my explanations will elucidate the only

point where they could be at all useful, better
than a thousand. Go on ?" " Thou hast not
taken sufficient pains to acquire information."
" Too much
pudding will choak a dog,' Tim.
'

I know enough without it to illustrate

my own
opinion of the subject and except in the histo-
;

rical department, where quotations are both a-

musin and instructive, my own knowledge will
be sufficient. Proceed." " The Wrestlers
whose names are introduced will be angry !"
" That let those who are
frightens not .pie :

dead, find fault if they'can and as for the living,

!

they have no reason. I will be the chronicler

of their fame, and they shall thank me for none
;

but distinguished heroes answer my purpose ;

even the name of Tim Twistwell will not orna-
ment my pages, because thou art not a first rater!
" Yes. At least
any thing else ?" apologize for
thy bad language, and bad grammar. For
though thou art, or wert, a goodish Wrestler ;

and I believe knows a good deal about it where

;

the d 1 couldst thou learn to write even

" Not from thee, or the
decently !" Personage
thou hast appealed to, certainly. But answer
me two questions in thy turn. Does not the sub-
" Yes."
ject require a PRACTICAL man ?"
" Thinkest thou there is one man in the king-
dom who has won as many prizes as I have and
can write better ?" No !" " Then be con-
tent good Tim, and in lieu of a Preface, I will
publish our Conversation."
 CKrottttana*

Historical Anecdotes of Wrestling^ from the

remotest era to which it can be traced* to the
year 1823.

JlN commencing with this part of our subject,

we feel ourselves standing upon high ground.
1

The first account we have of Wrestling, places it

in point of antiquity and respectability, not only
the first, but infinitely superior to any other a-
musement at present prevalent in the whole
world. For the truth of this assertion, we quote
no anonymous author, whose authenticity might
well be disputed no heathen writer, whose ido-
!

latrous fancy might give birth to imaginary chi-

meras ! No the precedent we will quote was
!

even anterior to such writers as we have descri-

bed. It is one which no Christian can, or will,
dispute: it is to be found in that BOOK which
treats of the creation of man, and the beginning
of the world ; authenticated by divine command,
and written by that sacred and inspired historian,
even Moses himself!
We find in the 32d chapter of Genesis, that
Jacob having passed his family over the brook
Jabbok was left alone. In its history of events
;

at this early period of the world, with a brevity

commensurate with its high importance, the Bi-
ble minutely relates only those particular occur-
8 WRESTLIANA.

rences which refer to some covenant, or promise,

then made, renewed, or fulfilled. It narrates
facts, without commenting- upon them. There-
fore, although Jacob's wrestling with the Angel
was too remarkable an incident to be omitted,
yet we are not told in what manner he came, nor
of any preliminary conversation, or agreement
between them. It however appears very evi-
dent, that until the Angel manifested his miracu-
lous power, Jacob believed his opponent was a
mere mortal like himself; and on whichever side
the proposal originated, it was acceded to by the
other, either as a circumstance not unusual, or as
an amicable amusement, which might be practi-
sed without the least infringement on cordiality.
If it was not unusual, we are warranted in sup-
posing it a common diversion antecedent to that
period, and that Jacob was himself a scientific
practiser of the art when he was the father of a
large family. Nay, we might even /*w/, his ce-
lestialopponent was himself no stranger to that
athletic amusement. If it 1hen had its origin, no
admirer of this athletic science can wish for one
more ancient, or more honourable. That the
Patriarch's antagonist was a being of a superior
order, and sent by Divine authority, no Christian
has ever yet disputed. That it was a corporeal
struggle, or buna Jide, a wrestling match be-
tween them, is universally admitted. It cannot
therefore be denied, that it is either of divine ori-
gin, or that a Being more than mortal has par-
ticipated in it. It is true,
many of the commen-
tators dwell upon it as a spiritual, as well as a
corporeal struggle this we are very ready to
;

admit but we will at the same time contend,

;

that instead of diminishing, it adds considerably

"to its splendour. An amusement from which so
 WRESTLIANA- 9

many inferences and conclusions have been

drawn to promote the welfare of Christianity
cannot be either degrading-, or confined in its na-
ture ;
but on the contrary, noble and scientific.
It is a common and received proverb, that " A
Man is known by his works, and a Tree by its
fruits.'* Here then is an amusement peculiarly
chosen not only by one of the best of Men, but
by one better, and greater than any man and :

if to give strength and firmness, combined with

quick&ets and elasticity to the Limbs discri-

;

mination and vigour to the Body coolness to

;

the Head, and perception to the Mind the :

whole forming: aii energetic combination of the

whole power given to Man no exercise could
!

have been selected, tending more to exalt his

character, and from which such typical illustra-
tions could have been deduced for his spiritual
advantage. Here then we take our stand. Ad-
vocates for any other diversion, be it whatever it
may can you produce an origin, either so
!

ancient, or so honorable ? Men of common

sense what can you object to it? Poets and
Lovers, ye who deal in heroics, and invoke ideal
heathen Divinities or ascribe to a mere Mortal
!

like yourselves, the epithet, angelic or even

!

Angel itself! while any proof you could bring

forward in support of your imaginary Divinities
(or even the propriety of using such expressions)
would be disputed nay condemned by thou-
;
!

sands of well-disposed Christians in all that

:

we have advanced respecting Wrestling none ;

but Heathens or Atheists will attempt to

confute.
Having proved the existence of this amuse-
ment at so remote an era it would be neither
;

necessary nor important to trace the practise of

10 WRESTLIANA.

this art through that period of time which inter-

venes from the time of Jacob, to -the formation
of the Grecian Republics. The blindness and
wilful transgressions of the Jews, and the bar-
barous ignorance of those Nations whom God
permitted to chastise them render their exer-
;

cises a matter of neither curiosity or utility.

But when Greece emerging from obscurity and
ignorance, began to take the lead in civilization,
in military knowledge, and in the cultivation of
learning and sciences; the utility of Public
Games, not only to infuse a generous and mar-
tial spirit into the minds of the young Men but ;

to improve their bodily strength ; was too ap-

parent to be neglected. Accordingly we find
these athletic exercises, not only practised and
encouraged in each particular State but the ;

highest honours and rewards bestowed on the

victors at the Olympic, Nemean, and other
Games, where prizes were awarded, and con-
tended for before the whole Nation. It would
be foreign to our purpose to quote the wrestling
match of Hercules and Anteus, or any thing bor-
dering either on the fabulous or miraculous
stories incidental to the times in which it is

placed ; but we may be allowed to observe that

these prizes were contended for, and often won,
by Men distinguished as much by their Birth,
Patriotism, and Valour ; as by their skill in those
exercises in which it was their pride to excel.
The influence of these sports in advancing
Greece from a few petty states not equal in ex-
tent of territory to one half of England alone ;

into the most powerful Kingdom at that time in

the World ; is universally acknowledged by all
historians and commentators who have ever
treated of the subject. And it is singular tQ re-
 WRESTLIANA. I I

mark, that while the fact is admitted by all

modern legislators few, or none, have recom-
;

mended an imitation of them.

It is strange' that Homer who was perhaps the
greatest Poet that ever lived and who himself ;

had often witnessed the celebration of these

Games, has given us so confused, and even in-
comprehensible an account of the Wrestling at
the funeral of Patroclus, (though many years
antecedent to his time ;) between Telamon Ajax
the strongest, and Ulysses, the wisest man, in the
Grecian army. Its translation by Pope is as
follows :

" The third bold Achilles next demands,

game
And calls the wrestlers to the level sands :

A massy tripod for the victor lies,

Of twice six oxen its reputed price ;

And next, the loser's spirits to restore,

A female captive, valued but at four.
Scarce did the chief the vigourous strife propose,
"When tower-like Ajax and Ulysses rose.
Amid the ring each nervous rival stands,
Embracing rigid with implicit hands ;
Close lock 'd above, their heads and arms are mixt;
Below, their planted feet, at distance fixt ;
Like two strong rafters which the builder forms
Proof to the wintry winds and howling storms,
Their tops connected, but at wider space
Fixt on the centre stands their solid base.
Now to the grasp each manly body bends ;
The humid sweat from every pore descends ;
Their bones resound with blows ; sides, shoulders,
thighs,
Swell to each gripe, and bloody tumours rise.
Nor could Ulysses, for his art renown'd,
O'erturn the strength of Ajax on the ground ;
Nor could the strength of Ajax overthrow
The watchful caution of his artful foe.
"While the long strife e'en tir'd the lookers-on,
Thus to Ulysses spoke great Telamon :
Or let me lift thee, chief, or lift thou me :
Prove we our force, and Jove the rest decree.
12 WRESTLIANA.

11
He said; and, straining, heav'd him oft' the ground
With matchless strength ;
that time Ulysses found
The strength t* evade, and where the nerves combine
His ankle struck : the giant fell supine ;
Ulysses following, on his bosom lies ;
Shouts of applause run rattling through the skies.
Ajax to lift, Ulysses next essays ;
He barely stirr'd him, but he could not raise :
His knee lock'd fast, the foe's attempt deny'd ;
And grappling close, they tumble side by side."

This account seems as ridiculous as it is incom- !

prehensible to a modern Wrestler ridiculous ; !

in regard to the duration of the contest, and the

strange proposition of Ajax and incompre-
:

hensible, as it appears, Ulysses was the winner of

the first fall; and the second was a disputed, or
what is vulgarly termed, a Dog-fall. One thing
however seems clear enough to us that it was a
bad Wrestle and though we imagine neither
;

gained much honour by the struggle both were ;

rewarded for it.

sufficiently
Although we could select from History a mul-
titude of extracts to prove the estimation in
which this, and other athletic exercises were
held from the time of Homer to the birth of
Christ; and many hundred years posterior to
that event but as the bare establishment of the
;

fact, is not worth the recital we shall therefore

;

advert at once to instances of a more modern,

yet still far distant period in the history of our
own Country, and the literature connected
with it.
It appears that in the celebrated interview be-
tween Henry the Eighth of England, and the
French King Francis, which exceeded in mag-
nificence and splendour any spectacle of mo-
dern times; Wrestling was deemed the most
manly and entertaining amusement then ex-
 WRESTLIANA. 13

hibited the presence of these two mighty

in
Monarchy and their Courts. A grand national
and scientific display of this athletic art took
place between a number of Champions selected
from both Nations, in which our Countrymen
were victorious. However one mortified French
historian pretends their King left better Wrest-
lers at home than those who accompanied him !

and by way of redeeming the defeat of his

Countrymen, asserts that Francis himself was a
most excellent wrestler, and in a contest between
the two rival Monarchs, threw Henry with great
violence. We will agree with the author in
amusement w as a princely one!
question, that the
r

but would either gladly believe there is some

French gasconade as to the event of the contest;
or wish our King had had practice and science
enough to have introduced Francis to the same
acquaintance with his mother earth, as his
subjects.
Antecedently to this period wrestling was a
favorite amusement, as well among the Nobility,
as the Yeomanry and inferior classes ; the prize
varying according to the rank of the Combat-
ants. At some particular times and places there
appears to have been some acknowledged, and
customary prize. This was usually a Ram, and
a Ring. Thus in Coke's tale of Gamelyn, as-
cribed to Chaucer:

There happed to be there beside

Tryed a wrestling ;
And therefore there was y-setten
A ram and als a ring.

And likewise at a still earlier period we see in

Ritson's Robin Hood :
 WRESTLI A NA .

>
By a bridge was a wrastling,
>

And there taryed was he.

And there was all the best yeraen
Of all the west countrey.
A fullfayregame there was set up,
A white bull up y-pight,
A great courser with saddle and brydle,
With gold burnished full bryght ;
A payre of gloves, a red golde ringe,
A pipe of wyne good fay ;
What man bereth him best I wis,
The prize shall bear away.

In which the prize was still greater; being a

white Courser, well accoutred ; a pair of Gloves,
a Gold Ring-, and a Pipe of Wine.
It is rather a remarkable coincidence that our
modern Homer should have given nearly as lame
an account of wrestling matches as his mighty
predecessor. Thus we see in the fifth canto of
the Lady of the Lake, the following account of
one :

"Now, clear the Ring for, hand to hand,

!

The manly wrestlers take their stand.

Tu-o o'er the rest superior rose,
And proud demanded mightier foes,
Nor called in vain ; for Douglas came.
For life is Hugh of Larbcrt lame,
Scarce better John of Alloa's fare,
Whom senseless home his comrades bear,
Prize of the wrestling match, the King
To Douglas gave a golden ring."
" hand to
In the first couplet, the method, viz.
hand," seems introduced solely for the purpos-e
of getting on and certainly is not calculated to
;

that ensue.
produce the dreadful consequences
In the second, all order is violated by the two last
standers, instead of contesting the last fall, call
out for fresh men nor are the remaining coup-
!

lets less faulty, in regard to Douglas's treatment

 WHESTLTANA. 15

of his opponents, in the immense superiority of

strength ascribed to him. The match between
Bothwell and Burley, in the Scottish Novels, is
likewise one of the worst thing's in the whole
series. It would have much gratified us, if a wri-
ter whom we so highly value, had given us some
better account of such contests, however cursori-
ly introduced. But alas! the Baronet is probably
no Wrestler ; and truly we are sorry for it.
We are likewise equally mortified to remark
that the immortal Bard of Avon, in his comedy
of " As You Like It," although he has com-
bined in Orlando rank, character, and wrestling,
tells us a truly pitiful, but dreadful and improb-
able story, concerning it. The justly celebrated
James Hogg, the Etterick Shepherd, has, in his
Tales, occasionally introduced Wrestling. And
although we confess we do not exacf ly compre-
hend the fatality of Geordie Cociirane's heel-
chip, yet we certainly think the wrestling be-
tween Polmood and Carmichael, by far the best
illustration of the art, either of ancient or mo-
dern date we have met with we will offer no
:

apology for extracting it for the gratification of

such of our readers as are not in the habit of
perusing books of that description.
" Sixteen then
stripped themselves to try their
skill in wrestling, arid it
having been enacted as
a law, that he who won his any one contest, was
obliged to begin the next, Polmood was of course
one of the number. They all engaged at once,
by two and two, and eight of them having been
consequently overthrown, the other eight next
engaged by two and two, and four of these being
cast, two couples only remained.
" Some of the nobles
engaged were so expert
at the exercise, and opposed to others so
equal in
B 2
16 WKESTLIANA-

strength and agility, that the contests were ex-

ceedingly equal and amusing. Some of them
could not be cast until completely out of breath.
It had always been observed, however, that Pol-
mood and Carmichaei threw their opponents
with so much ease, that it appeared doubtful
whether these opponents were serious in their
exertions, or only making? a sham wrestle ;
but
when it turned out that they two stood the last,
all were convinced that they were superior to the
rest either in strength or skill. This was the
last prize on the field, and on the last throw for
that prize the victory of the day depended, which
each of the two champions was alike vehemently
bent to reave from the grasp of the other. They
eyed each other with looks askance, and with
visible tokens of jealousy rested for a minute or
;

two, wiped their brows, and then closed. Car-

michaei was extremely hard to please of his hold,
and caused his antagonist to lose his grip three
or four times, and change his position. Pol-
rnood was however highly complaisant, although
it appeared to every one beside, that Carmichaei
meant to take him at a disadvantage. At length
they fell quiet; set their joints steadily, and be-
gan to move in a circular direction, watching
each other's motions with great care. Car-
michaei ventured the first trip, and struck Pol-
mood on the left heel with considerable dexteri-
ty. It never moved him ; but in returning it, he
forced in CarmichaeFs back with such a squeeze,
that the by-standers affirmed they heard his ribs
crash ; whipped him lightly up in his arms, and
threw him upon the ground with great violence,
but seemingly with as much ease as if he had
been a boy. The ladies screamed, and even the
rest of the nobles doubted if the knight would
 WRESTLIANA. 17

rise again. lightly up, and

He however jumped
smile bat the words he uttered
pretended to ;

were scarcely articulate his feelings at that mo-

;

ment may be better conceived than expressed.

A squire who waited the king's
commands then
proclaimed Norman Hunter of Polmood the
victor of the day, and consequently entitled, in
his place next to
all sporting parties, to take
the king, until by other competitors deprived of
that prerogative."
Although this account may not have much fact
to recommend it; yet it is nevertheless apparent
Mr. Hogg was conscious the practice was not un-
common among the Scottish nobility at that pe-
riod ; and that this was the case, might easily be
proved by indisputable authority. At this pe-
riod it is worthy of remark few discoveries of
distant countries had taken place and conse- ;

quently the great landed proprietors spent

much more of their time in their own countries;
and on their own estates. But no sooner had
that ceased to be the case, than degeneracy and
effeminacy crept in apace and those exercises
;

in which it had been the pride of their ancestors

to excel, ceased and from that time, few above
;

the rank of yeoman chose to exhibit in a ring,

either for their own pleasure, or that of others.
But we are now arrived at that period when
the attention of most of the European nations,
and particularly England, began to be as much
directed to new discoveries, and consequent set-
tlements abroad as to the internal prosperity of
;

the Mother Countries. This no doubt had its

due effect upon the manners, customs, and
amusements of the people. Our immense ac-
quisitions in America, and in Eastern and West-
ern India ; added to the great improvements in
B3
 WRESTLIANA.

the art of
gunnery, which rendered nugatory all
previous modes of warfare ; alike contributed to
hasten the downfall of all athletic exercises
among the higher ranks. The art of war be-
came a more complicated science gunnery,
engineering, fortification, and all the minutia
of tactics attendant on these studies, became of
proportionally more importance to men of rank,
either in the civil, or
military departments, than
those exercises calculated to promote the
display
of personal strength, valour, or as a
activity,
well-aimed bullet made no distinction between
Shaw, perhaps the bravest, and most formidable
warrior that fought at Waterloo and the most
!

effeminate dandy in any of the contending ar-

mies, " those vile
Nay, guns" which the fop in
Shakspeare alleges prevented him from " be-
coming a soldier !" materially change the signi-
fication of the word brave itself ; which formerly
denoted the performance of great personal ex-
ploits, for which strength and activity were
nearly as necessary as a cool head, and intrepid
heart: but now? a regiment which preserves
its station amidst a shower of bullets, till half of
its number becomes " food for
powder" is con-
sidered equally brave if composed of half grown
lads, as if every man in it was a perfect Hercu-
les. Indeed the word still seems provincially to
retain something of its former signification, when
misapplied to what is generally termed the most
ignorant of living things, or even to inanimate*
objects as when we hear many a good old
;

liousewife say this is a brave goose or a brave

!

pudding! meaning something excellent of its

particular kind. In the proudest days of chival-
ry no exercise was so well adapted to enable
Kang, Lx>rd, or Knight, to excel in tilt or tour~
 WRESTLIANA. 19

nament r as Wrestling : As in it were combined,

dexterity in personally coping with an antago-
nist, and the power of acquiring bodily vigour
and stamina, so requisite for enabling the com-
batant to endure a protracted contest without
detriment. Indeed a quick and steady eye, for
judging directions and distances in managing
the lance, might be better acquired by practising
fencing, or boxing ; but we presume no high-
born cavalier, even in these heroic days, deemed
" a dislocation of " a measure for a
ivory," or
suit of mourning/' any recommendation to
" "
courtly dame" or lady fair ;" and as the smile
of approving beauty has ever been deemed one
of the proudest rewards for great achievements ;
we think the juvenile Knights who endangered
themselves for such recompense, would take es~
pecial care no transformation of that kind,
should diminish the genuine brilliancy of that
smile on which they were to subsist for a week !
and dream for a whole year But the days of
!

are tilt or tournament is no more

chivalry gone
the listed ring no longer boasts of patriciai*
exhibitions but still within it we view all the
!

remains of that chivalric spirit, which has dis-

tinguished the most celebrated conquerors in all
ages ; foraccording to one of our justly esteem-
ed writers, had' he been placed by Providence ia
a different station ;

" Hethat the vrorld subdued, had been

But the best Wrestler on the green."

J\nd we will venture to mention, that it is tc*

that generous spirit of emulation which animates
the Wrestler to acquire celebrity in the ring ;
that we are indebted for the glorious victories
20 WRESTLIANA.

of Agincourt, Trafalgar, Waterloo, &c. There

are many who will argue that athletic sports have
no direct tendency to inspire additional confi-
dence and courage in the breast of the soldier,
on the day of battle ;
but we confidently aver,
that all who assert this, speak without due con-
sideration for that such exercises will have their
due effect even in the present mode of warfare,
let us suppose the following case : Let one indi-
vidual, or any certain number of the most cou-
rageous men, be selected from the bravest regi-
ment in Great Britain let them all possess hearts
;

that never knew fear, and bring them to the

charge against the same number of men, equally
disciplined, and all expert Wrestlers, and what
would be the unavoidable result ? Might not
one party say I have only to parry the first on-
set of my antagonist, and close with him, and
then victory is certain I can in a moment dash
!

him to the ground, and either kill or take him

prisoner at my pleasure. Would not the other
naturally observe This is not a fair contest,
there are fearful odds against me ! I meet a man
whose sinews have gained additional strength by
practising athletic exercises. If I charge him
freely, a parry will enable him to close with me,
and then I am inevitably gone. When men
fight under these impressions the result cannot be
doubtful. Again, are not the English superior
to any other nation in the junction of active and
passive courage ? and is it not a fact that the
French during the late war frequently charged
the troops of all the continental nations with
whom they were engaged, with the bayonet ;

while they scarcely ever ventured to cross one

with ours ? will any man imagine this had not
some influence in regulating the tactics of the
 WRESTLIANA. 1

contending armies In even a distant engage-

!

ment under a heavy fire the British soldier might

exclaim " Notwithstanding they gall us now,
they dare not stand our bayonets !" Supposing
the case had been exactly vice versa, and they
had had to observe " We must endure this or
run away, for we dare not come in close con-
tact with them." Whether of these consi-
derations let me ask, are better calculated to im-
fuse courage, and inspire with hopes of victory,
the boldest men on earth ? The answer is too
obvious to any man of common sense to require
insertion. In the battle of Waterloo, the success
of our cavalry when opposed to the French cu-
rassiers, a body of men confident in themselves,
and of invincible courage, was principally oc-
casioned by their superiority in the science of
the sword, arising from the universal adoption
of learning th proper use, or science of the
stick. This practise owed its introduction to the
circumstance of an Irish peasant thrashing with
that weapon some of the best men in a celebrated
regiment of horse, then quartered in the north
of Ireland; and it would be absurd to suppose
that superiority will not have its due effect in
all future
cavalry engagements.
Proceeding to a mo re modern date, let us now
consider what effect Religion has had upon ath-
letic amusements, in Ireland, England, and
Scotland. Of Ireland, we cannot from person-
al knowledge state
any thing positive. In Eng-
land, particularly in the north, a great change
has taken place within the last thirty years. An-
nual, and weekly exhibitions of Wrestling, and
foot-ball, usually took place on the Sunday after-
noon, in the vicinity of every village in many parts
of Cumberland. These practices are now very
22 WRESTLIANA.

properly discontinued partly by the inclosure

;

of the commons and waste lands on which they

were held, and partly by the interference of the
clergy and magistrates. By the suppression of
these meeting's, and by the more strict atten-
dance required of servants at this time, than was
previously, opportunities for practising Wrest-
ling are become too confined to permit any num-
ber of that hardy class of men to excel in it. In
Scotland the change has been great indeed.
Before the Reformation, almost every town and
village had great annual meeting for Wrest-
its

ling, pitching the bar, &c. but that great event,

;

and the consequent troubles it occasioned, near-

ly obliterated every thing in the shape of amuse-
ment and nothing has yet revived except some
;

little horseracing and archery the latter of

:

which seems calculated to promote nothing be-

neficial in the present times, either to themselves,
their country, or posterity. The Roman Catho-
lic is
religion always accounted the most super-
stitious of any professed by Christians in the
whole world. It is therefore natural to suppose
that where that religion is most prevalent, less
toleration will be allowed for amusements, par-
ticularly on the Sabbath. Yet strange to ob-
serve the very reverse is the case. Thus in Ire-
!

land, Sunday afternoon is, in many places, gen-

erally devoted to cards, dancing, and visiting,
and many other diversions. And in England,
where we retain more of the rites and ceremo-
nies of the Church of Rome, than they do in
Scotland, amusements of all descriptions are
much more prevalent and greater relaxation in.
;

the rigid observance of the Sabbath, if not toler-

ated, is at least more customary than in that
kingdom, where scarcely any are allowed
 VFRESTLIANA. 23

Asa proof that the practice of athletic exer-

cises arenot confined to this kingdom, or even to
Europe, we quote the following account of an
entertainment given in the Island of Tongata-
boo, to Captain Cook in his third voyage to the
Pacific Ocean :

" While the natives were in

expectation of this
evening exhibition, they engaged, for the greatest
part of the afternoon, in wrestling- and boxing.
When a person is desirous of wrestling, he gives a
challenge by crossing the ground in a kind of
measured pace, and clapping smartly on the el-
bow joint of one arm, which is bent and sends
forth a hollow sound. If no opponent steps
forth he returns and sits down but if an antago-
;

nist appears, they meet with marks of the greatest

goodnature, generally smiling, and deliberately
adjusting the piece of cloth that is fastened round
the waist. They then lay hold of each other by
this cloth, and he who succeeds in drawing his
opponent to him, instantly endeavours to lift him
on liis breast, and throw him on his back ; and if
he can turn round with him in that position two or
three times before he throws him, he meets with
great applause for his dexterity. If they are more
equally matched, they quickly close, and attempt
to throw each other by entwining their legs, or
raising each other from the ground in which ;

struggles they display an extraordinary exertion

of strength. When one of them is thrown he
immediately retires while the conqueror sits
;

down for a minute, then rises, and goes to the

side from which he came, where the victory is
proclaimed aloud. After sitting for a short time,
he rises again and challenges and if several an-
;

tagonists appear he has the privilege of choosing

which of them he pleases to engage with he :
24 WRESTLIANA.

may also, if he should throw his competitor,

challenge again, till he himself is vanquished ;
and then the people on the opposite side chant
the song of victory in favour of their champion.
It frequently happens, that five or six rise from
each side, and give challenges together so that it
;

is not unusual to see several sets

engaged on the
field at the same time. They
preserve great tem-
per in this exercise, and leave the spot without
the least displeasure in their countenances. When
they find that they are too equally matched, they
desist by mutual consent and if it does not
;

clearly appear which of them has had the advan-

tage, both sides proclaim the victory, and then
they engage again. But no one, who has been
vanquished, is permitted to engage a second time
with the conqueror.
" Those who intend to box advance
side-ways,
changing the side at every pace, having one arm
stretched out before, the other behind and hold-
;

ing in one hand a piece of cord, which they

wrap closely about it, when they meet with an
opponent. This is probably intended to prevent
a- dislocation of the hand or
fingers. Their blow s
r

are dealt out with great quickness and activity,

and are aimed principally at the head. They
box equally well with either hand. One of their
most dexterous blows is, to turn round on the
heel, just after they have struck their adversary,
and to give him another pretty violent blow
with the other hand backwards. In boxing
matches, unless a person strikes his antagonist
to the ground, they never sing the song of vic-
tory which shows that this diversion is less ap-
;

proved among them than wrestling. Not only

boys engage in both these amusements; but it
not unfrequently happens, that little girls box
 \VRESTLIANA. 25

with great obstinacy. On all these occasions,

to be o-
they do not consider it as any disgrace
vercome and the vanquished person sits down
;

with as much indifference as if he had never been

engaged. Some of our people contended with
them in both exercises, but were generally wors-
ted."
It does not seem reasonable that Capt. Cook's
men should have proved equal to these Islanders
in exercises which require practice to become
expert in ; and probably not one of his crew was
either a scientific wrestler or boxer. Had that
been the case, notwithstanding their different
mode of procuring hold, we have no doubt the
result would have been in this instance, what it
always has been, when British prowess has fairly
and equally been brought into action: nor
would the superiority of a Belcher or a Cribb
have been more conspicuous over these good
natured Islanders, in the use of their fists, than
the science of a Nicholson or a Richardson in
vanquishing, even in their own manner of wrest-
ling, thewhole of their heroes in rotation. From
the preference given to Wrestling, it is evident
the natives of Tongataboo considered it as the
less hurtful and dangerous to the combatants ;
and affording equal, if not superior scope for the
display of personal address, activity, and quick-
ness.
We now come to a date so modern, that we
will only observe, that previous to the year
1807, the best display of Wrestling in this
part of the kingdom was at Melmerby and
Longwathby two villages in Cumberland,
;

but contiguous to Westmorland where a sil-

;

ver cup was sometimes the reward of the vic-

tor. In that year a more considerable prize was
c
26 WRESTLIANA.

given at Ambleside than had been previously

known for a length of time. Throughout Cum-
berland and Westmorland the usual prize had
dwindled to a leather strap, commonly called a
Belt scarcely ever exceeding two or three
;

shillings in value. But in that year an advertise-

ment containing the offer of five guineas and
a silver-mounted belt, to the victor, could not
fail to excite an additional interest in the neigh-
bourhood. This Wrestling at Ambleside was
chiefly patronized by J. Wilson, Esquire, of El-
leray, a gentleman well known in the literary
world, and we believe connected with a certain
celebrated monthly publication. This gentleman
was himself a proficient in athletic exercises,
particularly leaping ; but never sported his fi-
gure in the ring, we suppose for the same reason
Alexander the Great assigned which was, be-
;

cause his antagonists were not of equal rank.

Be that as it will, the Ambleside Wrestling, at
least the Five Pounds Five, rose and declined
with him, After four years residence at Elleray
Mr. Wilson went to reside in Edinburgh and ;

however liberal the gentlemen in the vicinity

might be when influenced by his example, not
one of them chose to succeed him in the super-
intendence of the business; and it consequently
dropped. However as Mr. Wilson has again re-
turned to Elleray, our good friends about Am-
bleside anticipate the pleasure of witnessing the
revival of this favorite amusement.
But whatever interest the Ambleside Wrest-
ling might create, it was nothing in comparison
to what was excited by an advertisement announ-
cing that twenty guineas would be given to wres-
tle for at Carlisle Races the same year. This was
effected solely by the interest and exertion of
 WRESTLIANA.

Henry Pearson, Esq. of Carlisle, a steady and

invariable friend to that amusement ; who by
every possible means endeavoured to render it
as gratifying" and beneficial to the competitors,
as attractive to the spectators: and who has
proved himself on all occasions, as warm and
disinterested a friend to the Carlisle Wrestling,
as Mr. Jackson is to Pugilism in the Metropolis.
Under his patronage the Wrestling became so at-
tractive, that even the horses were deemed a se-
condary object. The higher classes who attend-
ed the Races, including the Earl of Lonsdale,
and many other distinguished characters, cheer-
fully, and liberally subscribed towards it. Eight
guineas were given to the victor, and one guinea
to the last loser. The victor was then debarred,
and one chosen in his place to the fifteen last
standers, and eleven guineas divided amongst
them, the winner receiving five. In this manner
the Wrestling continued with great eclat till the
year 1815, when the last Wrestle was not fairly
contested. The dissatisfaction occasioned by
this conduct, was further increased on wrestling
over for the second prize, when the last men
could not agree about the hold. In the year
1816, such universal disapprobation was expres-
sed at the conduct of two or three of the last
men, owing to some previous agreement amongst
them, that Mr. Pearson did not think it right to
give them the money. Owing to this, no contest
took place for the second prize ; but a silver cup
was wrestled for in the Circus, every spectator
paying sixpence for admittance but this was
:

merely a speculation by the proprietor of the

Circus, and few gentlemen attended it. In the
year 1817 no Wrestling took place on the Swifts ;

but the proprietor of the Circus gave prizes for

c 2
 8 WRESTLIANA.

two successive days. The Wrestling- now lay

dormant for three years, and the Races were in
consequence so thinly attended, that it was
deemed necessary to revive it. The estimation
hi which it was held was soon manifested by
more than a double attendance compared with
those years in which it was discontinued. Mr.
Pearson was again the principal means of its re-
newal, and the patronage it has received in 1821
and 1822, is equal, or rather superior to what it
ever experienced before. Its attraction now is
universal. Ladies of distinguished rank, whose
characters in every respect, are such as the
breath of calumny has never dared to taint have ;

not only become spectators, but expressed their

approbation of it and the Carlisle Wrestling is
;

at this time in possession of higher patronage,

and more general estimation, than any provin-
cial amusement within the last two hundred
years.
The only drawback upon the gratification the
Carlisle Wrestling has so generally afforded is,
the confusion attending it, owing to the want of
some regular and acknowledged mode of pro-
ceeding, which should be promptly and invaria-
bly acted upon. By this Publication it is hoped
these difficulties will in future be obviated. The
Author may without egotism observe, he ought
to know as much about the subject as any man
whatever and the method recommended in a
;

subsequent part of this Work is, in his opinion,

the best calculated to give general satisfaction.
He is well aware, that in a Basis of this kind, it
is impossible to please all but he fully expects,
;

the reasons he has given for adopting every par-

ticular rule, will induce all judicious and impar-
tial men to prefer it to all others.
 WRESTLIANA. 2$

The circumstance of giving money at Amble-

side and had a considerable, and what
Carlisle
seems rather strange, an injurious effect upon
Wrestling in general. Before that time a Belt
alone was the envied prize, and there wanted
no stimulus but the honour of bearing it away to
attract all the Wrestlers in the vicinity but
:

then, money was the cry! and it became so much

the custom to subscribe for the wrestling, that a
Belt lost all its consequence and attraction, and
of course, fewer meetings was the unavoidable
result ; for unless five or six, and in some places
twenty or thirty times the value of a Belt was
subscribed, it was hooted at by the Wrestlers !

Nor was tiiis the only evil. Money, in this, as in

many other things, had the effect of causing dis-
sention between those who gave and those who
received it. The Wrestlers began to fee each o-
ther, and a man's price was according- to the
estimation in which he was held as a Wrestler ;
and it has frequently happened that several
of the best Wrestlers have divided the amount
amongst them previous to the commencement
of the sports, and refused to contend with each
other.
A considerable prize to wrestle for was given
at Penrith Races the same year the Carlisle
Meeting commenced. This was principally ow-
ing to Dr. Pearson, who in his youth had him-
self excelled in that exercise. After the first
year it began to decrease, and finally died away.
The Inglewood Hunt and some other causes
which might be assigned, prevented its flourish-
ing as at Carlisle and Keswick however last
:

year some good wrestling was displayed there,

and it may probably in a short time revive, and
even exceed its original splendour.
30 WRRSTLIANA.

In the Metropolis, Wrestling- has become a

source of much attraction. A very elegant Belt
was formerly annually given to be contended for
by natives of Cumberland and Westmorland. The
prize is now increased by the addition of valua-
ble trinkets of different descriptions. In the vi-
cinity of Whitehaven, the best Wrestling was at
Arlocdon Moor but the inclosure of that com-
;

mon has now put a stop to it and latterly, it

;

has been more encouraged at Distington than

any other place.
In the year 1818 the Stewards of Keswick Ra-
ces gave three guineas to Wrestle for its at-;

traction was beyond all estimation ; and the

sum is now increased to fifteen ; and report says
itwill at no distant period amount to twenty.
That truly celebrated Wrestler, Thomas Nichol-
son, has acted as umpire ; and owing to his ac-
knowledged judgment and impartiality, the Kes-
wick Wrestling has become second only in num-
bers and celebrity to that of Carlisle and even
;

superior to it, in the gratification it has afforded ;

as no disputes have hitherto arisen, of conse-
quence enough to cast any shade upon its popu-
larity.
Having- brought down this concise History of
Wrestling to the present time, 1823, a few ob-
servations on the different modes of practising it
will be expected by the generality of our read-
ers. Without entering into any lengthy details,
we must observe that ever since its institution
the modes of Wrestling have been as various as
they are at this time in England and Ireland,
In Greece, the back hold, as is the general prac-
tice inCumberland and Westmorland in Lan-
:

cashire,and in the north of Ireland, collar and

elbow, or waistband and elbow : in Devonshire*
 WRESTLIANA. 31

both collars : in Cornwall, where the combat-

ants put on canvass jackets, enter the ring, and
catch where they can and in many places, hold
;

of gloves, or the naked hand ; were all in estima-

tion. In some places we must observe, that the
fall was not considered fair, unless one combat-
ant threw the other fairly on his back without
falling- himself. Of all these modes, we must
contend the arms round the body or shoulders,
as practiced in Cumberland and Westmorland, is
the best calculated, not only for preserving the
combatants from accidents, but for affording
greater, and more equal scope for that display
of dexterity and science which constitute the
highest gratification of the spectators.
We know there are many, very many, who do
not understand this noble art, differ widely from
u.s, particularly as far as regards our second as-
sertion, and characterize our mode as a mere
trial of brutal strength but as we will advance
;

nothing but what we are fully prepared to de-

fend, \ve will, with that candour and impartiality
which ought to distinguish all writers on any
science, state the reasons on which we ground
our opinion, and leave our readers to judge for
themselves.
It cannot we think be denied that it is the most
noble and manly, and we will venture to say,
the most Englishman-like manner of coping
with an antagonist, to meet him breast to breast,
and brave at once his united powers and science.
It is comparatively like the courageous bull-dog
which goes at once to the head of the bull ; and
the cowardly cur which nibbles at his heels.
Besides, the closer you stand to your opponent,
the sinews will be firmer braced, the whole frame
more compact, and the limbs less liable to sus-
32 WRESTLIANA.

tain any injury, when in the act of falling ; and

indeed that this is the case, is sufficiently proved
from the paucity of accidents in this county,
compared with what frequently happens in the
south, where the looser holds are generally prac-
ticed.
Wecome now to the point where the strongest
prejudices militate against us ; but we trust a due
consideration will materially reduce the strength
of the objections so warmly urged against our
Cumberland mode of Wrestling. It never can be
supposed by any rational man, that strength and
weight, are not great advantages in any mode
of Wrestling or Boxing ; and consequently,
that these united with equal science and action,
will generally produce victory. Now the ways
of throwing at loose holds, are very limited com-
pared with the other and of course the chances
;

of the weaker man are fewer. A good striker,

chipper, or hooker with the legs or feet, stands
on no more than equal grounds with a more
powerful antagonist, when contending with a
loose, than a close hold. And in hipeing, cross-
buttocking, striking with the knee, slipping from
the breast, and even in throwing an opponent
quite over the head, modes regularly practised
in close wrestling, the loose wrestler has no
chance whatever. The reason
of this is evident
to any reflecting man in one, the power and
use of the breast, which is the very centre of
strength and stamina in man, cannot be brought
into action; and in the other, is in universal use.
When a very powerful man grasps a light one,
if he holds him at a distance, and does not make

play, he may render him powerless, and never

give him the shadow of a chance. But with his
arms round his body or shoulders, the lighter
 WRESTLIANA. 33

man, by feeling, or sustaining his weight upon

1

his breast, may, with nearly an equal chance of

success assail him in some direction, for this
great and decisive reason the weight of a man
:

is no comparative counterpoise to his strength,

and consequently if the stronger man does not

choose to exert his powers, his mere weight is
no material drawback upon an antagonist who is
at liberty to exert his own. Again, a man of
tremendous power may by mere strength of arm
dash a little man to the ground, as we will sup-
pose Douglas did his antagonists but it is a ;

well-known fact, that a powerful unscientific

man taking his opponent from the ground in
close holds, is the readiest way to lose the fall.
For his opponent will, by hampering his knees
or thighs, prevent his throwing him ; meanwhile
the close junction of their breasts, not only pre-
vents the effectual use of superior strength, but
even informs the defendant of every meditated
arrangement, which his science will enable him
to render futile thus while the stronger is lo-
:

sing his wind (and wind is strength), his grasp

will decline this the other will proportionally
;

gain ; at length obliged to set his adversary

till

down, he is generally thrown in a moment. The

fact of Cass, the victor at the last Carlisle Races,
a man weighing sixteen stone, having been
thrown by Rogerson, a little taylor, scarcely
nine ; Richard Abbott, about eleven-, winning
the Purse at Keswick Races in 1821 and Wat- ;

son, of Torpenhow, having twice thrown the

powerful and celebrated Weightman, sufficient-
ly establish the truth of the above remark.
It is true we sometimes witness a more pow-
erful man force in the back of a weaker, but
is as much effected and
this by art as strength ;
34 WRESTLIANA.

rarely occurs even when strength is assisted by

considerable science. The situation in which
the parties are placed when they take an equal
hold of each other, is a sufficient bar to strength
effecting any such purpose when opposed to su-
perior science thus Weightman, assisted by se-
:

ven inches in height, three stone of weight, and

considerable science, could not force in the back
of Watson ; and such is the effect of science over
strength, Rogerson has often been known to
force men of thirteen stone weight on their
knees !

We will likewise illustrate the advantages of

close wrestling by the following fact In the :

height of our celebrity we were acquainted with

an Irishman, who in his own country had carri-
ed every thing before him at collar and elbow.
He was five feet eleven inches high, more than
fourteen stone weight, and one of the best made
men in the kingdom. We must acknowledge he
was so much our master at collar and elbow, as
generally to gain two falls out of three, and
sometimes four out of six but with the superi-
;

ority of strength and weight, with close holds,

which he was as much accustomed to as we were
to the other, he was a mere play-thing nor ;

could he ever rise superior to defeat in contend-

ing with a second-rate Wrestler of ten stone :

yet this man laughed at the idea of any twelve

stone man in existence vanquishing him in his
own mode of Wrestling ; and to corroborate
this, we will venture a beef-steak and a bottle of
porter, that if a dozen of the best loose-hold
Wrestlers in the kingdom be brought to the next
Carlisle Races, they will be thrown too easily to
excite any interest; and if the trial be made, many
of the Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestlers
will find them sufficient work in their own way.
 WRESTLIANA. 35

In Sparta, three thousand years ago, we read

thatyoung women wrestled naked before assem-
blies of the people, and it was the general prac-
tice long after that time to besmear the bodies of
the competitors with oil. In the early history of
our own country we likewise find it was custom-
ary to engage in athletic exercises with a very
slight and sometimes without any covering ;
Wrestling therefore seems to be one of the few
amusements in which we trace the gradual pro-
gress of science and civilization, without any
diminution of gallant bearing or heroism in its
performance. In preparing themselves for the
contest, our modern Wrestlers never encroach
upon decorum so much, but that any lady may
witness it without feeling her delicacy in the
least danger of being wounded by it and not-
;

withstanding the Munchausen stories of its bru-

tality and terrific consequences to those engaged,
it is
fifty to one against any accident of conse-
quence occurring and in fact this amusement will
;

be found by all who are willing to receive proofs

for prejudices,much less injurious, and more free
from danger of bodily harm, than any other ex-
ercise whatever but as this point will receive
:

due consideration in its proper place, we will

close this part of our subject, and proceed to
compare Wrestling with other amusements of
the present day.
36 WRESTLIANA.

A Philosophical Dissertation on Wrestling,

compared with other Amusements of the pre-
sent day.

As we will always contend that those exercises

in which Man alone is implicated, must be the
most truly noble and scientific in their nature,
we will commence of our subject with
this part
comparing Wrestling- and Pugilism
;
a sport
which has for some time acquired the name
of a science, and which all those who have
read Boxiana, will not doubt has acquired most
distinguished patronage amongst even Nobility
itself. But truly, in what manner it can be
deemed to rival Wrestling as an amusement, we
are totally at a loss to imagine. It is true, its at-
traction is evinced by the immense crouds which
collect to witness it, but its interest to many is
the sum they are to gain or lose by the event: the
fear of an interruption, the distance to, and dif-
ficulty of ascertaining the spot where the con-
test will actually take place, and the illegality of
the thing itself, must all operate as drawbacks on
the gratification derived from witnessing it. But
these difficulties overcome, what follows ? One
single contest, or if you please, trial of skill ; a
short, or probably a protracted one, is gene-
rally the whole inducement. If the former, an
overpowering superiority, want of game in ogie
of the combatants, or a blow, if not fatal, so
dreadful in its effects as to deprive the receiver
of his recollection, and prevent his coming to
time ; all things in themselves incapable of exci-
ting any sensation of pleasure in the spectators^
 WRESTLIANA. 37

are all that can be witnessed; if the latter, a

succession of knock-down blows, and the bloody
and disfigured appearance of the performers,
must considerably alloy the gratification arising
from their science and skill, and excite in every
generous and humane breast, the strongest emo-
tions of commiseration and pity for the Pugilists.
That this both is, and will be the case, we may
confidently appeal to Boxiana itself, in all re-
ports of what are termed sporting fights. To
this source only can be traced what is called the
humanity and consideration of Mr. Jackson, in
collecting money to compensate the efforts, and
reward the bravery, or to speak more correctly,
the sufferings of the combatants. Again while
;

we admire the courageous spirit of the Pugilist

which leads him to acts of what may even in
one sense be called heroism, we must admit
that he is at the same time the hireling of gamb-
ling opinion ; the being who by undergoing a
course of training to enable him to exhibit him-
self more to the advantage of his we had al-
most said owners but backers is the term usual-
ly, appropriated by the sporting world to his
employers, degrades himself to the condition of
the game-cock, the race-horse, or many other
animals of the brute creation.
In fact, whatever attraction Boxing may pos-
sess;
the immense sums depending on any ca-
pital match between celebrated men, will fully
warrant us in asserting gambling to be one of
the principal. And however friendly we may
be to an exhibition with the gloves, acquiring
the means of defence when attacked, or addi-
tional power of repelling an unprovoked insult,
we cannot, although a strenuous admirer of the
eloquence of Mr. Egan, coalesce with him in
D
 WRESTLIANA.

his conclusions that professed Pugilism has

any
tendency to prevent assassination, or to be in its
nature a more equal, or manly manner, than
sword or pistol of settling those disputes in
1

which neither party can, without making the

cure worse than the disease, appeal to the law.
Assassination can never obtain any advocates
for its support in a country renowned for the
bravery of its inhabitants; and when we consi-
der the great difference that may probably be in
the age, make, and size of the parties who quar-
rol, we cannot hesitate to pronounce Boxing
inferior. A scientific man, or one so much su-
perior to another in age, strength, or other ad-
vantages, as to put science out of the question,
might insult him, and ridicule the idea of giving
him satisfaction, if there were no alternative but
Boxing for it. But if the rank of the parties,
and the spirit of the weaker, rendered such a
result probable a man however strong, or gift-
;

ed with boxing requisites, might pause as much,

or more so, before he insulted any fellow-crea-
ture however diminutive in person, as if he were
his equal in every particular as a bullet would
,

make no distinction between them. We are no

advocate for duelling, we even think the prac-
tice cannot be vindicated in a Christian country
by any provocation but if a man's feelings be
;

so woundedthat he will have satisfaction, we

would advise him to prefer it either to assassina-
tion, or boxing a man who is morally certain to
#;ive him
a severe thrashing.
Weacknowledge we do not object to boxing
when the parties consider themselves on a level,
and which is the better man in that respect, is
the cause of quarrel and if a little science be
;

displayed in bringing the matter to a conclusion,

 WRESTLIANA. 39

we own we like it the better, and fully coincide

with Mr. Egan, that it is a much better way of
recourse to
settling such disputes, than having
knives, sticks, or any other weapon whatever.
But professed Pugilism is gambling. The men
are brought to the ring, comparatively like oxen
to the slaughter but with this material differ-
;

ence :one are brought to gratify the curiosity,

or gambling propensities of the public; the other
for a more substantial and necessary motive -to
fill their bellies !

It is asserted there are many praise-worthy

characters, not only among the admirers of Pu-
gilism, but among
the Pugilists themselves. Ad-
mitting it to be the case, is it not a strange in-
consistency in human nature, that men entitled
to that character can find any amusement in
witnessing w hat is supposed to be a good fight ?
r

We saw the battle between Carter and Oliver at

Gretna Green, and we will extract from Boxiana
a few particulars of it. As early as the fourth
round we are informed, " the head of Oliver
was terrifically hideous, the blood pouring down
in torrents his body and back completely sco-
red with the ropes, occasioned by his struggles
to resist the iron grasp of Carter, and to get
away from that desperate fibbing punishment
which had been so liberally administered to him
by the superior strength of his opponent."
After fighting twenty more rounds in this situ-
ation, we are told
" Oliver's head was so hide-
ously disfigured that all former traces of it were
gone ; and Carter's nob a little altered from its
originality." After these sublime specimens of
attractive eloquence, eight more rounds are
fought, and then comes the climax which is
word for word as follows " Nature had been
:
40 WllESTLIANA.

pushed to the farthest extremity the human,

frame could bear, the vital powers were nearly
extinct defeat seemed to operate-so much upon
his mind that he fought till his
pulse was hardly
found to vibrate and in the last six rounds, du-
ring; which he had not the least shadow of a
chance, he persevered till all recollection of the
scene in which he had been so actively engaged
had totally left him. In the thirty-second round
he was taken out of the ring in a state of stupor,
and completely deprived of vision -his body and
back were shockingly lacerated all over, from his
struggling so much upon the ropes; and, in point
of fact, much as righting men may have suffered
in former battles, the situation to which Oliver
was reduced, it appears, exceeded them all. The
battle lasted forty-six minutes. He was taken
and put to bed at Longtown, four miles from the
ring, and in consequence of the vast quantity of
blood he had lost in the contest, added to his ex-
hausted state, the surgeons who were called in to
attend upon him, deemed it highly dangerous he
should be bled."
After these extracts the generality of our read-
ers will be at a loss to imagine what constitutes
the amusement at a prize fight. If Carter and
Oliver relished it, the latter surely could not fail
to be delighted in this instance, as he got per-
fectly satisfied. Carter likewise could not find
any fault, yet he was supposed to have no great
taste for " altered nobs" and such little par-
ticularities.
As for the spectators, those who won called it
a (jood fight, and those who lost a bad one. The
former therefore were well amused, and the lat-
ter found no amusement in it. The account of
liie fight is with the exception of one particular,
 WRESTLIANA. 41

very correct: it was as early as the eleventh',

and not in the twentieth round, that Oliver put
in the tremendous body-blow which occasioned
for two or three minutes the only delightful sen-
sation his friends experienced during the whole
contest. Previous to the act of closing, in many
rounds there certainly was much science dis-
played by the combatants ;
and we do not hesi-
tate to say, that Carter's quickness gave him a
manifest superiority in that respect over his op-
ponent ; who, while he endeavoured to give
greater effect to his blows, was too slow in de-
livering them : but when closed, it was the
strength only of Carter which gave him the ad-
vantage. In point of throwing, nothing which
could be called a cross-buttock occurred between
them. Carter, indeed, did sometimes succeed in
getting his left leg across both Oliver's, and drag-
ging him over it but to apply the term science
;

to that part of the contest would be ridiculous.

But putting loss and gain out of the question,
what great satisfaction could the impartial spec-
tators derive from witnessing such spectacles as
these quotations allude to ? The fight we quote
from, greatly resembles in its prominent features
all those which are termed
good fights. One of
the men, and sometimes both, are obliged to be
carried, or at least supported out of the ring,
and the next question that naturally occurs is,
what cause induced them to come there ? The
fact is, there was no previous
quarrel between
the individuals in question but Carter
; thought
he could get two hundred Guineas, and con-
siderably advance his future prospects by beat-
ing Oliver and Oliver entertained' the same sen-
;

timents respecting Carter. The monied men

differed in opinion what would be the result of
D3
42 "WRESTLIANA

such a meeting and ach party supposed they

1

could afford that price out of the money they felt

inclined to risk on the issue. Accordingly we
are informed by Boxiana, that the backers of
Carter presented him with fifty guineas in ad-
dition to the battle-money, which was two hun-
dred more. These sums, and the expense of
training would probably amount to three hun-
dred Pounds !

As for Oliver, Boxiana remarks " That Mr.

Jackson was not at Carlisle, and it was observed,
that the losing man was not the better for his ab-
sence ;" which is tantamount to saying, Mr.
Jackson was not present to have begged more
money for him than his disappointed backers
could probably afford. The attraction of modern
Pugilism therefore is, either gambling, or the
pleasure of witnessing two men beat ?ach other
till one of them can no longer meet him at the
scratch. This is the true philosophical view of
the subject, when fairly examined, and divested
of the superficial adornments in which it is en-
veloped by its admirers.
Let us now revert to Wrestling and carefully
;

scrutinizing it same manner we have done

in the
Boxing, compare the two exercises together ;

and freely stating our own opinion, leave our

readers at full liberty to form their own judg-
ment. In witnessing a prize Wrestled for, in-
stead of one contest only, there are generally
from thirty to forty, or sixty to eighty. Those,
who by better fortune, or superior dexterity,
throw their opponent the first time over, meet in
the second, a partial victor like themselves and
;

then " Greek meets Greek" in succession, till at

either by
length, all his competitors vanquished,
himself or in rotation by those he has thrown,
 WRESTLIANA. 43

the conqueror (like Alexander the Great) has

no more to vanquish.
Our literary readers will immediately recog-
nize in this amusement what is always allowed
by critics and connoiseurs to constitute the high-
est gratification a spectator can experience.
That piece only is considered perfect which pro-
gressively advances in interest till it arrives at
the denouement ; which evincing the same mas-
terly genius, the satisfaction of the audience is
complete. In this point of view, Wrestling as
an amusement stands unrivalled and alone. The
spectator who knows no more of his own lan-
guage when written or printed, than he does of
Hebrew, fully demonstrates the truth of this as-
sertion by the increased interest he feels in every
succeeding round ; till arrived at the last, that
one fall interests him much more than any of the
preceding. In this respect Pugilism is so far
from admitting of any comparison with Wrest-
ling, that even the single contest it dwindles to
is very defective. The greatest interest it ex-
cites is at the commencement, when the men are
in full vigour, and exerting all their science and
action to obtain the first advantage. As the
combat advances these become less obvious,
blows and blood are more conspicious ; and as
they are fully expected as a matter of course,
commiseration (a very singular kind of pleasure
to court as an amusement) begins to supersede
gratification ; and when the fight terminates, that
feeling is absorbed by pity for the loser in the
breast of every spectator but those whose loss or
gain make them callous to every feeling of hu-
manity. Wrestling has never yet (at least in
this country) become a subject of gambling spe-
culation. The trifles sported by the spectators
44 WRESTLIANA.

are never an object of much consideration and ;

neither commiseration nor pity, are at all likely

to be excited by witnessing- it. The Wrestlers
walk out of the ring as free from injury as when
they entered it and let us now make the same
:

inquiry we did respecting- the Pugilists ; what

brings them there ? We
answer a desire to ri-
val the renown of former heroes That gene-
!

rous and irresistible spirit of emulation which

led Knights to the princely tournament, and
from thence to signalize themselves in the ser-
vice of their country The Wrestlers come like
!

Orlando, " to prove the strength of their youth,"

and to convince the spectators that their science,
spirit, and correspond with it.
activity
If the Wrestler
meets an equal opponent,
" chance
may place the laurel on his head, or
tear it from his brow ;" if the/ormer, his fame is
advanced the desire of further conquests in-
spires him with additional courage, and when
he falls, he falls like some of Ossian's heroes,
" with his fame around him :" -if the latter, un-
injured in person, pocket, or character ; what
has a brave mind to regret ? He has done his
best ; " fortune," said the Prussian hero, " is a
slippery jade, another time I shall do better."
He came there the hireling of no one ; he came
like a free-born Englishman, to what character-
izes a real English amusement for his own gra-
tification, and to contribute to that of others :

as he probably never flattered himself with the

hope of being ultimately victorious where so ma-
ny contended he may indeed have been foiled
;

sooner than he expected, but defeat is certainly

a strong expression for one so circumstanced.
If he meet with an antagonist superior in strength
or science, he is generally thrown if that be ;
 WRESTLIANA. 45

the case, it is no more than he expected, and no

stigma whatever is attached to the circumstance;
on the contrary, he will often observe with much
"
complacency, I plagued him more than he ex-
" it is an honour to be thrown by
pected," or,
him." Should he chance to win the fall, so
much the better. If thrown by an inferior an-
tagonist, he is laughed at by his friends, and
vows " he will take better care another time,"
and that is the worst. In short, his observations
may be as various as the situations which occa-
sion them,- and these equally so as the con-
tests that must take place before a prize is won.
To entertain a company, variety is always an aux-
iliary, often requisite, and sometimes indispensa-
ble. To constitute an amusement, uncertainty
and expectation are two essential requisites and
;

these, unalloyed by any painful feeling, can

alone produce gratification. In all these quali-
fications,Wrestling is eminently superior to any
other amusement. The contests are many, and
varied in their mode of termination. In single
trials by men in full vigour, the result is suffi-

ciently uncertain. Men distinguished by supe-

rior strength, or science, are certainly expected
to win ; as the victor will invariably be possessed
of one or both of these qualifications and any
;

accidents likely to interrupt the satisfaction of the

spectators will very rarely occur. In all these
parallels, we presume few will be found to dis-
pute the superiority of Wrestling over Boxing.
If Wrestling be called the mere act of one man
throwing another down ; the science displayed,
and the manner of doing it, may reasonably be
supposed to excite the interest, and gratify the
curiosity of the spectators ; and this we have al-
ways supposed constituted an amusement. But
46 WRESTLIANA.

if on the same ground we call Boxing the mere

act of one man beating another till he is disfigu-
red with blood, and unable to stand, although
science may be displayed in the performance,
yet we are compelled to acknowledge it is a bar-
barous act, and we envy not the feelings of those
who find any amusement in it.

There are some wiseacres, who, as if they had

studied the means of furnishing other men with
reasons for denominating them Pshaw the
!

word is an ugly one, and we will leave our read-

ers to suppose what it is will gravely inform
you, that Wrestling injures a man more than
fighting ! Should we ask these geniuses for
reasons, we would probably receive such an
answer as Falstaff gave when pressed for them ;
" What,
upon compulsion! no; if reasons were
as plentiful as blackberries, I would give no man
a reason on compulsion !" In many prizes, the
victor generally vanquishes five or six oppo-
nents and probably wrestles some hundred falls
;

within the year. In fighting, one opponent is

generally sufficient for two or three months ; and
we would suppose one hundred a tolerable sup-
ply for life for any ordinary man. In Wrestling,
the man who is thrown is ready for another trial
the next minute ; in fighting, the beaten man
has often more occasion for a chaise to convey
him home, a Doctor to prescribe for him, and a
nurse for a week.
In science only, will Boxing and Wrestling
admit of any comparison : and were we to
substitute five or seven throws, for one, which is
all that is allowed in contending for a prize, we
believe it would be difficult to assign the superior-
ity to either. But the limited duration of a sin-
gle fall renders a momentary advantage often
 WRESTLIANA. 47

decisive, which in a number, or in boxing, is in

future guarded against ; and strength and size
regain a certain preponderance, according as
they are united with, or opposed to, science and
action. Thus Richard Abbot, weighing little
more than eleven stone, who won the prize at
Keswick in 1821, undoubtedly threw two or
three men upwards of thirteen, with whom he
would stand no manner of chance three falls out
of five but who ever dreamt that Dutch Sam,
:

or Tom Belcher, though phenomena, could have

beaten Jem Belcher, or the Game Chicken or !

that the Nonpareil Randall, could beat Neat !

It maybe urged that Dutch Sam beat several

Pugilists two stone above his own weight ;and
that Jem Belcher, under thirteen, beat Gamble,
and was for some time the unrivalled Champion
of England. These instances, though convin-
cing proofs of science and good manhood in
Boxing, do not entitle that exercise to claim any
superiority over Wrestling, in which such instan-
ces are by no means uncommon. If asked to
produce them, we need only refer to Thomas Ni-
cholson (about the weight of Jem Belcher) win-
ning at Carlisle for three successive years James
;

Fawcett, about eleven, winning at Melmerby for

seven years or to the circumstance of Thomas
;

Todd, about twelve stone, throwing last year at

Carlisle John Fearon, of Gilcrux, weighing se- 1

venteen, who possessed science enough to throw

the celebrated Weightman ; and likewise John
Liddle, fourteen stone, an acknowledged first-
rate Wrestler. Nor is there any doubt, but any
of these men, and numerous others we could
mention, would vanquish in any number of trials,
men as far above their weight, and rating as
high in point of science, as those beat by Sam,
Belcher, or any other Pugilist whatever.
48 WRESTLIANA.

The means of acquiring perfection in boxing

and wrestling- are equal. We often find light
weights comparatively the best in either exer-
cise ; and men about thirteen, or between that
and fourteen stone, the acknowledged cham-
pions ! because these latter acquire science
enough to throw, or beat lighter men and are
;

so much superior in that respect to very heavy

men, as to render a few stones of no great im-
portance. It is true there may be some few ex-
ceptions ; but James Belcher, Henry Pearce,
John Gully, and many others are undeniable
;

evidences of the truth of the remark on one side;

and Thomas Nicholson, William Richardson, and
with these celebrated names we might without
egotism quote our own, on the other : all of
whom no twelve stone man in the world was
able to vanquish, except by mere accident. We
could with propriety quote many other names,
both boxers and wrestlers to strengthen the re-
mark, but the above are sufficient. The princi-
ple upon which this fact is grounded, is sufficient-
ly clear and natural to those, who not content
with a superficial knowledge, wish to examine
the source it springs from. To arrive at the top
of the tree in either wrestling or boxing, a com-
plete knowledge of the science, and varied and
effective action are indispensably necessary; and
neither of these requisites can possibly be acqui-
red without practice of every description. What
we mean by practice of every description is,
practice with superiors, equals, and inferiors,
both in respect of science and weight and to ;

form a complete master, such practice is abso-

lutely necessary. It
easy for light weights,
is

and not difficult for men

of from thirteen to four-
teen stone, to find opponents of all these des-
 WRESTLIANA. 49

criptions but very rare for those

;
above that
weight to find equals or superiors willing- to en-
gage with them and hence their deficiency in
;

science and action for in those critical moments

;

either of attack or defence, when nice distinc-

tions are not only necessary, but often decisive
of a contest that less than momentary recollec-
;

tion and scientific rapidity of action which has

frequently been the means of winning and
losing, and consequently with which one party
is perfectly at home is totally wanting in the
;

other. Thus it is almost impossible a very heavy

man can acquire the science and action of one a-
bove the middle size; but the insuperable bar is
removed between the latter and the light
weights.
Having thus at considerable length defined
the difference between Wrestling and Boxing ,
1

it will not be necessary to dwell much upon the

former, in future comparisons. But before we

entirely take leave of this part of the subject,
we cannot help observing the great difficulty we
unavoidably labour under, in adapting our lan-
guage to the comprehension of one class of our
readers, and the satisfaction of others: and,
possibly, like the old man and his ass, by endea-
vouring to please every body, we may please
nobody, and give our labour into the bargain.
There is likewise another difficulty which we
have been compelled to submit to that is, in
:

speaking of W
7restlers and
Wrestling^ we have
often, to avoid repetition, been obliged to adopt
the boxing phrases such as combatants, van-
;

quished, antagonists, &c. which, although ge-

nerally used, are strictly applicable to those con-
tests only, in which two men oppose each other
to extremity and therefore seem harsh when
;

E
50 WRESTLIANA.

Applied to an exercise like Wrestling, in which

men oppose each other for amusement.
Leaping and Running are both exercises
which admit of few comparisons. do not We
wish to depreciate either but to compare them
;

as interesting amusements to Wrestling, would

be ridiculous. It is certainly a desirable thing
to outstrip our competitors in any exercise and ;

therefore to excel in leaping has been an object

of ambition to many but the interest it excites
;

is comparatively small, as it is
entirely destitute
of any appendage to recommend it to the patron-
age of the public. It is also generally allowed
to be more injurious to the frame than Wrestling,
owing to the great stress the act of springing ne-
cessarily imposes on the belly and intestines.
As it is never classed among those which are
deemed manly exercises, to dwell much upon it
would be superfluous.
Running is an exercise, which, like Leaping,
has been for some years gradually declining in
Cumberland and Westmorland a convincing;

proof of the little interest they are calculated to

excite. In these counties they were formerly
in considerable repute and till within these few
;

years, (and sometimes yet) a pair of gloves to

leap for, and a hat to run for, were usually gi-
ven at all petty races, cellar-openings, public
wakes (commonly called hakes),
bridals, fiddler
annual sports, <fec. where a belt to wrestle for
was the principal attraction. Those who wish-
ed to attain any celebrity in Running devoted
much more time to prepare themselves for that
is required to leap or wres-
performance, than
tle as it was usual to undergo a course of train-
;

ing to prepare themselves for it. Running is,

in itself, a thing perhaps more essentially useful
 WRESTLIANA. 51

to those who excel in it than Leaping, or even

Wrestling- itself; but as an amusement, either to
those who practise it, or to spectators, vastly in-
ferior to Wrestling. It has, however, in all ages,
and in many countries, been held in great re-
pute yet, notwithstanding, speed has latterly,
;

in some places, been made a subject of gambling

speculation ;
it is perhaps less practised at this

present time, than at any other period. In all

exercises there is an object of competition. In
Running, that object is superior speed. View-
ing Leaping or Running philosophically, tlu
true state of the matter is simply this the man
who wins, and those who lose, perform exactly
the same thing but the victors leap a few inch-
;

es farther, or run a certain distance, one, or per-

haps a few moments sooner than those who lose.
Neither exercise admits of much variety ; a jump
(the common substitute for leap in Cumberland)
is a jump, and a race a race this the specta-
is ;

tors know they must witness and the sameness

;

that pervades the whole is only varied by the un-

certainty of winning. As we remarked before,
those who do w in perform nothing but the same
r

thing the losers do, excepting what we before

observed. In Wrestling the case is quite re-
versed; the action is varied; and the winner
stands the loser falls. To sum up the diifer-
ence of the three exercises at once, and to scru-
tinize Leaping and Running, as we have before
done in regard to Wrestling and Boxing, we
shall only observe, that horses ande?o</s can leap
or run ; but men only can wrestle.
Football is an exercise which has dwindled
down to nothing, compared to the estimation in
which it was formerly held. The Sabbath,
though confessedly an improper one, w as the
r

E2
 WRESTLIANA.

day on which it was generally practised. Villa-

ges, parishes,and frequently three or four united,
opposed others annually on some particular Sun-
day afternoon to carry away the ball from the
;

scene of action to their own side of the

county
was the avowed object of their ambition. The
contest was often extremely violent, and seldom
decided till some individual, and frequently seve-
ral, had received severe bodily harm. These
meetings which were common all over this coun-
ty thirty years ago, are now very rare. For ma-
ny miles round Whitehaven, all traces of them
are obliterated but in some parts of the north
;

of Ireland, they still flourish in their pristine vi-

gour. When a select number of good players
are chosen from either side, no contest whatever
requires more dexterity, action, and vigour. It
then may be termed a combination of loose
wrestling, kicking, and running. It is usual in
some parts of Ireland in a contest between tw o r

counties, to make choice of the twelve best men

in each, to decide (like the Horatii and Curiatii)
the fate of the whole district. The champions
are drawn up opposite to each other, and every
man grasps the hand of his particular opponent.
The ball is then thrown up so as to preserve the
equality of the parties, and an instantaneous
struggle to throw each other and reach the ball
first, immediately takes place as that party
:

which gains the most falls will outnumber the

other at the first onset, the greater prospect of
ultimate success is thus determined by the previ-
ous wrestling. Contested in this manner, foot-
ball would prove an attractive amusement in any
part of the kingdom. One of the most extraor-
dinary exhibitions of football which can possibly
be witnessed, annually takes place on Easter
 WRESTLIANA. 53

^Tuesday at Workington. The contest is between

j
he high and the low part of the town and so ;

jnuch interest does it excite, that there are few

'nhabitants of the town who do not express some
inxiety for the event. The great concourse of
spectators, amongst whom are many strangers
and residents of the adjacent neighbourhood,
who come purposely to witness the sport and the ;

number who take an active part in the play, ren-

der any attempt to kick the ball out of the ques-
tion. Throwing it therefore is the only method
that can be practised ; and it is a work both of
danger and difficulty to get possession of the
ball, and regain a position from which it can be
thrown, as the person attempting it is generally
grasped and assailed by three or four antago-
nists, who are by no means dilatory or sparing
in saluting him with a few friendly kicks or cuffs'
before he can achieve it. The eager and inces-
sant cries of " up with her," and " down with
her," as well from the players, as spectators of
both sexes, during a struggle to get possession of
the ball the huzzas which the sight of it always
;

occasions; and the multitudes of all descriptions

of people who crowd the immediate eminences
which command a view of the place of action,
form altogether, a scene highly amusing and pic-
turesque. It not unfrequently happens that the
ball is thrown into the river Derwent (a favorite
object with the down players); at such times, nei-
ther the depth nor rapidity of the water appear
any obstacle to those who are thorough-bred ;
and many a complete ducking is the inevitable
consequence before the up party can transfer the
object of contention to terra firma. It has some-
times happened that the content has been so
equal and obstinate, that the ball has been divi-
E3
64 WRESTLIANA.

ded on the ground and consequently neither

;

party acknowledged defeat. When the contest

terminates, the scene of action is deserted for
some time ; after which numbers readjourn to the
ground, when wrestling closes the sports of the
day. The superiority of wrestling over football-
playing as an amusement, is evident in the fol-
lowing particulars: fewer accidents occur in it;
and victory, which in wrestling is the enviable
distinction due to one individual only ; in foot-
ball is equally claimed by one half of the w hole
r

competitors. The great difference this occasions

may be illustrated by supposing two individuals,
one a celebrated wrestler, and the other a distin-
guished football-player, present at any place of
amusement where there is a large collection of
people the wrestler will be noticed and gazed at
;

by almost every person present ; while the other

will be regarded with comparative indifference.
We do not say the wrestler regards this as an en-
viable distinction;
but such is the preponderance
over human nature, of the maxim aut Caesar,
aut nihil. The wrestler copes singly with one
opponent; the football-player may be assailed
by three or four antagonists at one time. Wrest-
ling, as a rotative amusement, is calculated for
exhibition in assemblies however large. Football,
where all the players are engaged at once, re-
quires a more large and open space of ground
than can possibly be kept clear of interruption
when a large crowd is assembled.
Most ofthe observations we have applied to
football-playing, will equally affect the athletic
diversion of cricket, and all other games where a
great number of players are engaged at once.
Whatever dexterity they require, the numbers
engaged prevent in a great measure their public
 WRESTLIANA. 55

exhibition, and involve the fortune of the best and

most scientific player engaged, with the blunders
and incapability of the most ignorant. It is true,
men are opposed to men but certainly not ex-
;

actly in the same manly manner as when opposed

to each other in wrestling. The very names
which distinguish these diversions, likewise in-
form us that the dexterity displayed in the kick-
ing, striking, or hurling a ball, is the criterion of
excellence in them. In the northern counties of
England they are seldom practised. Those per-
sons who would relish such amusements, cannot
possibly find time, place, or opportunity to prac-
tise them ; and those who possess all these have
no inclination to avail themselves of them.
The gallant and scientific game of Single Stick,
so much practised in many parts of Ireland, and
some of the southern counties in England, is to-
tally unknown in Cumberland and Westmorland.
This game may certainly be termed as scientific,
and calculated for placing the combatants on
terms of equality, as much, or perhaps more so,
than any other. In it, as in wrestling, every in-
dividual stands for himself only and if he prove
;

victorious, the merit is exclusively his own. The

performers when a prize is played for, will seldom
be numerous, as very few, excepting those who
flatter themselves with the hope of ultimate vic-
tory, will enter the lists. A broken head, and a
few remembrancers elsewhere, are things not
generally relished. But the principal things we
can with propriety urge in favor of wrestling
over this gallant and hardy exercise, are, first,
that one may be termed the science, or know-
ledge of one particular artificial weapon and ;

the other, the science of manhood only, without

the aid of any artificial instrument whatever ;
56 \VRESTLIANA.

and secondly, the national propensity of Eng-

lishmen to grapple with their antagonists. Thus
however much we may admire the manoeuvres of
a Wellington in choosing his ground, stationing
his men, and evincing during an action his
thorough knowledge of the whole art of war ;

and however we may exult in the steadiness of

the men themselves, the precision of their fire,
and their expertness in those tactics which are
often a means of insuring victory ;
we always
dwell with enthusiasm on those particular parts
where our countrymen have been engaged with
the bayonet : it is then
only that we feel that
proud and extatic feeling which makes us firmly
believe the national and characteristic proverb
" that one
Englishman can beat three French-
men."
We come now to the consideration of amuse-
ments of quite another description to those we
have hereto fore commented upon. We mean those
sports in which animals, and not men, are the
principal performers; consequently, although
they may prove as entertaining to many, as those
before treated of; yet they must certainly be
accounted by all, less noble and manly, both in
their nature and tendency. As we cannot how-
ever class them under one head, we shall there-
fore offer a few observations on some of the most
distinguished separately.
Horse-racing, in which this nation still conti-
nues to excel the whole world, and which was
for a long time considered almost exclusively
our own, is a favourite amusement with all who
can spare time and money to witness it in any
degree of perfection. The beauty and speed of
that noble animal, and the alternate advantages
which sometimes occur in a well-contested race,
 WRESTLIANA. 57

are no doubt very powerful motives of attraction

to all ranks of people. It is difficult to imagine
how any number of men calling themselves the
representatives of a free and powerful nation,
could arrogate to themselves, and to those of
equal rank, an exclusive right to enjoy any di-
version from which the majority of their consti-
tuents were debarred. Yet, however partial to
the amusement, without a man can afford to run
a horse or fight a main of cocks, for fifty pounds,
he must do it either in contempt, or open defi-
ance of a law, so arbitrary as to give to the rich
only, a legal right to partake of these two amuse-
ments. However, those of the poorer class who
are addicted to these sports, contrive to amuse
themselves in a way more adapted to their circum-
stances. They advertise their meetings for
matches of fifty pounds, and a purse, which it is
sufficiently understood constitutes the real sum ;
and by way of striking even with their superiors,
debar any horse which has started for fifty
pounds, matches and sweepstakes excepted.
Horse-racing however is, independent of any
drawback upon it, a very precarious and un-
certain diversion. In races of any celebrity,
even the knowing ones are seldom certain what
horses will actually start ; and more uncertain
whether they will all equally try to win. This
depends altogether on the betting speculations,
or caprice of the owners of every horse entitled
to run. Thus the favorite horse is often kept
back, and his rider ordered to lose the first heat.
It therefore manifestly the interest of his own-
is

er, and thoseinitiated into the secret, to con-

ceal the circumstance from the great majority,
and make the most of their superior means of
information. When this is the case we cannot
58 WRESTLIANA.

call it better than pocket picking and that ig-

;

norance which prevails amongst the majority

of the spectators as to the expected issue, and
even the supposed expectation of the more know-
ing, must greatly detract from the gratification
the diversion would otherwise afford.
At petty races where the contending horses
are termed leather-platers, an honest and well-
contested race is seldom witnessed. The great ma-
jority of the spectators when conversing about
them, will frequently observe, " they expected
nothing better, but came to see the Wrestling/'
When what are termed very considerable sub-
scriptions are run for in this county, the attend-
ance is not proportioned by the expected races:
thus at Keswick, the Wrestling is the acknow-
ledged grand source of attraction and even at
:

Carlisle, where the King's Hundred is given, in-

dependent of large subscriptions there was not
;

last year, except in one solitary instance, any

amusement expected, as many of the knowing
ones were certain of every other result. With
such a drawback upon the ostensible cause of
the meeting, a very circumscribed attendance
might have been anticipated. But on the morn-
ing of the Wrestling, the many thousands flock-
ing to the scene of action, sufficiently testified
the interest that amusement excited, without any
other inducement whatever and so far will
;

those, who will without making any invidious

distinction, fairly compare these amusements,
and the feelings they may naturally excite be ;

from wondering at this decided preference,

that they will rejoice at it. After what we have
already advanced respecting Wrestling in dif-
ferent parts of this treatise, there is no occasion
at present to enlarge upon its tendency to pro-
 WRESTLIANA 50

mote a generous of emulation, which must

spirit
in all consequences, prove highly advanta-
its

geous in a national point of view.

It is far, very far from our purpose, to depre-
ciate any amusement ; on the contrary, it is our
wish to give every one of them, every iota of
merit to which they can possibly be entitled.
But at the same time, we have pledged ourselves
to view them philosophically that is, to strip ;

them of every superficial ornament, and consider

them as they really are in themselves. Consis-
tent with this principle, we hesitate not to pro-
nounce the horse a very useful and what many
have called him a noble animal we readily ;

acknowledge it is important to preserve, and if

possible, improve our, own distinguished breed,
which is universally allowed to be the best in the
world willingly subscribe to the doctrine that
;

Horse-racing is one of the most efficient means

of doing so; and even from our own experi-
ence, testify the delight a well-contested race is
capable of producing. But allowing all this, we
are obliged to ask, what hath delighted us ? That
which is the characteristic meed of the winning
horse One irrational animal, goaded by w hip
!
r

and spurs, has run three or four miles in perhaps

less than a moment's space of time, sooner than
another Possibly a substantial gratification to
!

his owner, and perhaps a few other interested in-

dividuals,who may have won some hundreds of
pounds by the circumstance but consequently;

a source of mortification, disappointment, and

regret, to those who have lost it.

But again ;
what great achievement hath been
performed, to inspire in the breasts of the specta-
tors any laudable desire of emulation ?
Truly,
 60 WRESTLIANA.

gine himself in the situation of a horse his own-

!

er is another matter. Many of equal rank, or

fortune, may wish to possess such an animal, and
strive to acquire others which may at some fu-
ture opportunity excel it ; but amongst the ma-
jority such a wish is vain ; it is no other than
that of possessing equal means of procuring
one.
Weproceed now to the consideration of an
amusement essentially different from Horse-ra-
cing and perhaps the most popular in all ages
;

of any upon record we need scarcely say we

mean Hunting. In different countries, there are
different objects of pursuit ; and various motives
for pursuing them. In some countries they
hunt for subsistence, in some for safety, and
in others for pleasure only. In the United
Kingdom, the last is the only motive ; and gene-
rally speaking, the objects are three the stag,
the fox, and the hare. Of these, the hare is
the most general ; and therefore we will make
that animal the more immediate object of our
consideration in the observations we will make
respecting hunting. Hunting is equally esteemed
as an exercise as well as an amusement, combi-
ning two of the greatest earthly blessings,
health and pleasure and we will not detract
;

from the pleasure it affords, by stingily urging

the consequences which may result from the pur-
suit of it;
such as overheating, catching cold,
breaking a limb, or possibly a neck, &c. What
spectacle can be more animated and alluring
than a well-attended chase ? The sight and mu-
sic of the dogs, eagerly followed, directed, and
encouraged by horse and footmen, form such an
overpowering combination of incidents as super-
sedes by its irresistible impulse almost every other
 WRESTLIANA. <> 1

consideration ! The traveller and the labourer,

the gentleman and the beggar, will all equally
gaze on the enchanting scene, and often tempt-
ed by its magic influence, deviate from their im-
mediate avocation for the pleasure of witnessing
it a few moments longer. But does the sight
instil into the breast of any generous and reflect-

ing man one praise-worthy sentiment, or furnish

him with any example of noble or manly emu-
lation ? Alas! no. We fear when duly con-
sidered, it is a striking proof of the frailty of
man, and his deplorable proneness to be led
away by sensual propensities. The fear of one
animal, and the ferocity of others, are the sole
cause of the pleasure he experiences. The
hare, the most timid of quadrupeds, aided by
speed and very circumscribed natural sagacity,
endeavours to elude its pursuers, and preserve
itself from a death the most terrific and horrible
even a reasonable mind can possibly suggest.
The dogs, guided by instinct and natural feroci-
ty, and capable
of enduring much greater fa-
tigue, preserve the same tract, and mutually
and encourage each other in the work of
fuide
estruction The little animal, instructed by
self-preservation, retraces, or traces ever again,
nearly the same ground^ and would often baffle
its ferocious pursuers; and what hinders it?
Man, endowed with reason and reflection Man! !

the boasted lord of the earth interposes For

!

what motive ? To preserve the weak from the

strong? No! Quite the contrary! To guide
and impel the latter to the work of blood and
murder ! Thus not only encouraging, but join-
ing on terms of equality with dogs and homes
in the deed. But surely it is some powerful mo-
tive which thus induces him to derogate from his
F
62 WRESTLIANA.

natural dignity ? Some means of acquiring ho-

nour, profit, or benefiting the community at
large ? No ! We
are again reluctantly obliged
to answer in the negative. No honour can be
acquired either in the pursuit or the death of so
weak and timid an animal, except that false no-
tion of the term which arises from the circum-
stance of tempting Providence more than his
companions, by some dangerous leap, or other
similar cause which even then he must share
;

with his horse and between profit, the desire

:

of benefiting others, and hunting, we need

scarcely observe there is an insuperable bar.
Aided by man, the final result is generally as
follows : The poor helpless animal, quite ex-
hausted with terror and fatigue, is no longer ca-
pable of active effort. It lays itself down in the
vague expectation of concealment, and there
awaits its fate or rises only to meet a death re-
;

plete with terrors. A

few terrific squeals nearly
drowned by the exulting cries of its pursuers,
announce the termination of its cruel fate. The
note of triumph is sounded by its generous and
pitying enemies, who congratulate each other on
the sports of the day, and point out the respective
merits of their meek and gentle assistants, which
are often distinguished by the names of Charmer,
Lovely, Comely, &c. ; and sometimes enlighten
and edify each other, by seriously asserting that
the hare hearkens with pleasure to the pursuit !

and that the moment she is caught her terrors

greatly subside ! We
will subscribe that they
are not long in doing so, as they will vanish with
life ;
but we cannot say we ever heard any of
those instructive, and very knowing gentlemen
contend, that the dying shrieks of the wretched
 WRESTLIANA. 63

animal, were notes of satisfaction and plea-

sure !

Many lovers of the chase, we doubt not, will

be ready to assert, that we colour the picture
too strongly, and that no other person will view
the subject in the manner we have represented it.
We answer, we believe our arguments too true to
be easily disproved and that the subject has
;

been regarded in nearly a similar manner by

one, whose capability of judging will not be dis-
puted, when we name the yet unrivalled Poet of
the Seasons, who in his Autumn, thus speaks of
the subject:

'Tisnotjoy to her,
This falsely chearful barbarous game of death ;
This rage of pleasure, which the restless youth
Awakes, impatient, with the gleaming morn ;
When beasts of prey retire, that all night long,
Urg'd by necessity, had rang'd the dark,
As if their conscious ravage shun'd the light,
Asham'd. Not
so the steady tyrant Man,
Who with the thoughtless insolence of power
Inflam'd, beyond the most infuriate wrath
Of the worst monster that e'er roam'd the waste,
For sport alone pursues the cruel chase,
Amid the beamings of the gentle days.
Upbraid, ye rarening tribes, our wanton rage,
For hunger kindles you, and lawless want;
But lavish fed, in Nature's bounty roll'd,
To joy at anguish, and delight in blood,
Is what your horrid bosoms never knew.
* Poor is the
triumph o'er the timid hare !

With every breeze she hears the coming storm.

But nearer, and more frequent, as it loads
The sighing gale, she springs amaz'd, and all
The savage soul of game is up at once ;

The pack full-opening, various; the shrill horn

Hesounded from the hills the neighing steed,
;

Wild for the chase; and the lould hunter 's shout ;
O'er a weak, harmless, flying creature, all
Hix'd in mad tumult, and discordant joy."
F 2
6'i WRESTLIANA.

To dwell upon any comparison between

Wrestling, an amusement, exercise, and content
of men only and those wherein men are leagued
;

with different animals, would be ridiculous; for

whatever attractions they possess, eventually re-
cede when philosophically considered, as those
peculiar to this country furnish no model from
which any noble, manly, or laudable motive can
be derived. The same observations which we have
applied to hare hunting: will preserve nearly their
full force with regard to coursing, or shooting.

Fishing, of which some are remarkably fond, is a

thing too solitary of itself to afford matter of com-
parison with Wrestling, which preserves its im-
portance through every parallel of consideration.
We shall therefore, after offering a few words
en cockfighting, proceed to the next part of
cur subject.
Cockfighting, as a diversion, is under the same
restrictions as horseracing : requiring a large
stake to render it legal. Notwithstanding this
kind of monopoly, and the fate of abill brought
House of Commons to abolish it entirely,
into the
which was rejected by a large majority, it is in
the licences of all publicans, &c. strictly pro-
hibited, and stigmatized as a barbarous diver-
sion. In defiance of this arbitrary distinction be-
tween rich and poor, it is practised by the latter
class all over the kingdom. It is perhaps the

only diversion in which men are not the princi-

pal actors, which has regular and professed ene-
mies to encounter those who have no predilec-
;

tion for hunting, shooting, &e. content them-

selves with abstaining from them, and never
think of censuring others for acting differently,
nay, many professedly attached to these sports,
would feel indignant to be termed a cockfighter !
 WRESTLIANA. 65

Yet however much a few of the superior and

middle class may condemn the lower orders of
people for practising it in this immediate neigh-
bourhood, we cannot find that the characters of
Lord Derby, and numerous noblemen and gen-
tlemen who openly profess, and practise this
diversion in a legal manner, were ever called in
question for doing so. For our own part we
have never been able to find any reason why
they should! and if none exist, it is surely a very
invidious distinction that what is legal and harm-
less in one man, should be so very heinous in
another. The enemies of this diversion character-
a cruel, barbarous, and wicked mode of
ise it as

gambling ; while those who profess it are at no

loss to produce arguments in its support. The
Rev. George Crabbe, in his justly admired poem,
" The Parish Register," thus treats of it:
" See the
poor bird th' inhuman cocker brings,
Arms his hard heel, and clips his golden
wings j
With spicy food th' impatient spirit feeds,
And shouts and curses as the battle bleeds.
Struck thro' the brain, depriv'd of both his eyes,
The vanquished bird must combat till he dies ;
Must faintly peck at his victorious foe,
And reel and stagger at each feeble blow :

When fall'n, the savage grasps his dabbled plumes,.

His blood-stain'd arms for other deaths assumes ;
And damns the Craven -fowl that lost his stake,
And only bled and perish'd for his sake !"

For ourselves
" Who own we prize the joy such battle brings,
And love the whistling of the shorten'd wings,"

And therefore cannot be supposed exactly to

coincide with the Reverend Gentleman in such
sweeping conclusions yet we will admit that
;

cases may possibly occur in which such a descrip-

F 3
66 \VRESTLIA\A.

iion may not be far from the truth. As we be-

fore professed, we have no wish, or intention, to
add to, or detract from, the merits of any diver-
sion, further than what we conceive to be a rea-
sonable view of the question ; we will therefore
concisely offer a few remarks on the different
opinions respecting f/iis. As to the cruelty, or
barbarity of the practice; we are at a loss to
conceive how such a charge can be urged con-
sistentlyby those who do not equally censure
hunting, shooting, &c. Surely no man in his
senses, unless totally blinded by prejudice, can
pretend to argue, that an equal combat between
two birds which need no incitement but their
mutual and natural animosity, can possibly be
either cruel or barbarous, compared with league-
ing, and combining with twenty, thirty, or forty
ferocious animals, to worry a defenceless one !

Or to a man who uses artificial means to destroy,

or deceive a bird or a fish, which would never
willingly come, either in his way, or his sight !

And pursue the subject through every head it em-

braces, either in respect to right, property, or
any other parallel, and the comparison will in-
variably be found in favor of cockfighting.
As to the wickedness of the diversion, by which
is meant the wicked conduct, or language, of

those who witness the sport, we greatly wonder

at the ignorance and credulity of those who
make the remark! In all public places of meeting,
be they markets, fairs, theatres, churches, meet-
ings, or any other place of resort whatever, there
are generally found some of the most profligate
and abandoned characters in the neighbour-
hood. In all gentleman pits, or where any con-
siderable sum is fought for, the utmost order and
regularity is preserved ; and any person using
 WRESTLIANA 67

profane, or blackguard language would be turn-

ed out without ceremony. Even in this vicinity,
where entrance money is required, we have
often witnessed very quiet meetings; and we
hesitate not to say, have observed amongst the
spectators, men, if not entirely Corinthians; yet
if independent circumstances, knowledge, man-

ners, and general good character, entitle those

who possess them to the appellation of Gentle-
men, as much deserving of that estimable term
as any in the neighbourhood where they reside.
It is true there are cockfights of a very, very
different description but surely it is unfair to
;

stigmatize all those who are present, for the bad

conduct of a few, who are generally themselves
no cockfighters and if some of those who are,
;

be not so decorous in the phrases elicited from

them during a battle as might be wished without ,

terming it"unsophisticated nature," (which is

done by Boxiana) there are certainly more ex-
cuses for so doing, than those who censure them
are willing to allow. Let it be recollected, it is
all the diversion in their power to enjoy. A
plebeian may keep a cock, but can he keep a
horse? Is he allowed to shoot? He may, when
it is the pleasure of a qualified man to sanction
the sport by his presence, witness a hunt ; but
can he be said to share in it ? And in every
thing else that can be called an amusement, there
are equal obstacles. To share in any diversion,
a man must feel himself as fully independent as
the rest of the company. Cockfighting is a di-
version, in which the money sported, is sported
as a matter of judgment ; consequently, widely
different from cards, dice, or any wager of blind
chance ; and never in such sums as are depend-
ing upon a pugilistic contest or horserace, and
68 WRESTLIANA.

therefore is not equally deserving of the term

gambling. Surely men have as much right so to

use a bird exclusively their own, as others have
to pursue and destroy those to which they can
have no possible claim ? What substitutes the
mighty difference between a soldier and a cock?
The man, though his feelings may revolt at the
service he is ordered upon, has no alternative ;

he must go without grumbling where he is com-

manded hazard his own life, and do his best to
;

shed the blood of his fellow-man when required :

On the other hand, the nature, and the feelings

of the bird, impel it to the combat and its chance
;

of life and remuneration are fully equal to the

soldier's. In a cock- battle, the spectators are
convinced that true courage, and alacrity in
seizing every advantage that presents itself, are
the surest means of preserving life, and acquiring
honour and it may be an incentive to conduct
;

themselves in the same manner if called upon by

their country; as we are not without examples
in history, of celebrated generals making such a
combat, the subject of an oration to their soldiers,
and pointed out as a pattern of persevering cou-
rage highly worthy of imitation.
It may likewise be observed that the bitterest
enemies of this diversion are, in a great degree,
ignorant of what they condemn in so unqualified
a manner ; nay, would deem it an afl'ront to
have it supposed that they had such a knowledge,
or actual experience of the subject, as every
candid man ought to possess before he gives so
decided an opinion respecting its merits. Thus
were we to ask the Reverend author we have
quoted, if he had ever fought a cock, or attended
a regular meeting, we have little doubt, an in-
dignant negative would be the reply it should
;
 \VRESTLIANA. 69

likewise be remarked his description is a very

unfair one it is not the description of a battle,
;

but of a losing bird only and even amongst

!

losers, it is very seldom indeed the owner will

attach any blame to his cock on the contrary,
;

he is always anxious to prevent its being- over-

matched ;
and its fame is so dear to him, that it
must prove itself unworthy as a game cock of the
regard he has manifested for it, before he is wil-
ling to hear of its faults. Possibly a solitary in-
stance to the contrary might occur and we hope ;

the Reverend Gentleman alludes to such a one,

as the first line we have quoted runs thus,

41
See the poor bird the inhuman cocker brings ;"

We sincerely hope few cockers, or even men,

worthy the epithet inhuman ; and we dare as-
sert few cocks meriting the appellation of" poor
birds" are brought to try their courage and
prowess in a pit, as the game cock is generally
stiled the noblest of the feathered tribe and it is ;

universally known, he is kept, trained, and at-

tended upon, so as to bring him to the combat in
the supposed most advantageous situation to in-
sure victory, but no wonder even so admired
and celebrated an author, should have adopted
so lame an expression, when it would be deemed
an affront to suppose he understood what he was
writing about.
But still in despite of all that can be urged in
favour of cockfighting, (and many will think we
have said quite enough) it has no claim what-
ever to what are the characteristics of an amuse-
ment. Those even and placid feelings which
have a kind of oblivious effect upon the senses,
and infuse a kind of tranquil pleasure into the
70 WRESTLIANA.

mind ;can have no assimilation to the active, vi-

olent, and bloody struggles witnessed in a cock-
pit. It cannot properly be (although it usually is)
termed a diversion. To be diverted, or in a cer-
tain degree, delighted, is a feeling very different
from that eager expectation and anxiety of mind
depicted in the countenances of the spectators.
It is then a sport; or more properly, a way of
sporting, or risking money according to an opin-
ion ; and when it is considered that the issue
implies the death of one of the birds which occa-
sions the sport, and often severe injury to the
other, it is certainly a cruel one. It is idle to
suppose such crowds would assemble to witness
the mere act of one bird killing another, if there
were no other inducement. It is certainly the
good opinion every man entertains of his own
judgment, which makes him eagerly embrace
such occasions of exercising it for his own sup-
posed advantage and we need not say how fal-
;

lacious such opinions frequently prove. The

spectators in pay-pits are, in many places, gene-
rally betters, and consist of all descriptions of
such men as are often witnessed in a large as-
semblage ; the rich and poor; the old and young;
the strong and feeble ; and the active and crip-
ple ; may all witness, and according to their
means, be all equally interested in it. The cou-
rage of a cock may serve well enough as a sub-
ject of comparison for an harangue but is it not
;

degrading to man to suppose a bird can be a pro-

per object for his imitation ? He may be con-
vinced that courage is a great means of acqui-
ring victory ; but can the sight of it in a bird
infuse it into his own breast? In Wrestling,
when young and active men oppose each other,
the sight is worthy of men to look at, and may
 WRESTLIANA. 71

well be supposed to inspire that emulation which

despises danger ; and while it instructs men to
cope with men, gives them both power and
confidence to do so effectually but how can
:

it be supposed the mere sight of any bird, or

animal whatever, can produce the same conse-
quences.
 72 WRESTLIANA.

BASIS.

WE are now arrived at a part of our subject,

which though the most important, and more im-
mediate object of this Treatise, is nevertheless one
fraught with difficulties as we are well aware,
not possible to lay down rules equally satis-
it is

factory to all. In such a case the course we will

pursue is simply this ;
our reasons for every par-
ticular rule shall immediately follow it ; thus the
reader will have ample means to form his own
opinion, and do not coincide with our own,
if it
we trust his candour will acquit us of intentional
error.
Rule 1st. The umpire, writer, and crier, ap-
pointed by a majority of those who give the
prize, or by the person to whom it is entrusted,
having taken their stations within the ring, every
wrestler shall come forward to the writer, enter
his own name, and immediately retire to some
allotted station, where he will be expected to be
found when called upon. The writer prepared
with paper ready lined and ruled, shall set the
names down as they are given in ; while his assis-
tants shall take care he is not confused by the
wrestlers pressing upon him faster than he can
write down their names.
Observations on Rule 1st. Respecting this
rule few observations are necessary, as we think
very few can object to any part of it. We
will
however, in those parts where it is possible there
maybe some difference of opinion, methodically
consider the reasons on which it is grounded.
It will appear clear and evident to all, that
those who give the prize, if they do not themselves
preside on the occasion, have certainly a right to
 WRESTLIANA. 73

A
name those who shall. writer and crier may easi-
ly be found, as the most important part of their du-
ty is care and attention; but very few are qualified
to act as umpires. That station requires a com-
petent knowledge of wrestling equanimity of
1

temper decided judgment

;
arid strict im-
;

partiality. We have always observed that one

umpire is preferable to two or tlwee: it may be
said, that spectators on one side of the ring, do
not see a fall in exactly the same manner as those
on some other. To this we answer, if one um-
pire think a fall disputable, and even three, or
four more think otherwise, the fall must either be
wrestled over again, or it will occasion far more
dissension than if one single decisive determi-
nation had been given and if the fall be such,
:

that one competent umpire cannot determine it

immediately, it cannot be a very fair one.
It is certainly much better for every man to
enter his own name, and if required, his place of
abode, lest there should be more of the same
name. Every experienced person will often
have observed, that much confusion has been oc-
casioned by the same name having been entered
twice over. And when a Wrestler's name is en-
tered against his real, or pretended inclination,
if he do not fancy his man, no contest takes

place as he will observe, he knew nothing a-

;

bout it, he did not think of wrestling, &c. ; by

every man entering his own name, all such
whiffling will be avoided. If his name is then
called, it is by his own desire, and such excuses
are done away at once.
It has always been found desirable, that the
Wrestlers should be in some place where they
can come forward immediately when their names
are called. On this account, they are generally
G
74 WRESTLIANA.

permitted to lie down inside the ring which ;

many of them are anxious to do, that they may

witness the sport, and notice the methods of
those with whom they may have to contend :

therefore if one side of the ring- be allotted for

this purpose, those who do not choose to avail
themselves of it, will have no excuse for not
coming forward in time to answer to their
names.
Rule 2d. All the names being entered, the
writer shall mention the first and the last on the
listto the crier, carefully placing at the same
time the figure 1 before the names, to denote
that they are the last called; and to instruct him
to find, without danger of a mistake, the tw o r

next in turn. The crier shall go to that part of

the ring allotted to the Wrestlers, and repeat the
said names loudly, and distinctly. The men
immediately answ er, and come forward
r
shall ;

which, if they shall neglect to do in such a time

as the umpire shall deem reasonable, the default-
er shall lose the fall. On their meeting, leaving
them to the umpire, the crier, furnished with the
names next in turn, shall call upon the owners
of them to get ready, while those preceding
them get hold and wrestle. On the termination
of every fall, the umpire shall give in to the wri-
ter the names of the winner and loser, which he
shall write down opposite to each other, placing
the figure 2 before the winner's name, which
willalways be the first written. The writer ta-
king the names next to those marked, marking
them in a similar manner, and writing the names
given in by the umpire, shall proceed till the
whole are called. If there prove an odd name
in the middle of the list, it shall be called to the
first winner but if the odd man prove the con-
;
 WRESTLTANA. 75

queror, his name, though of course wrote oppo-

site to the man's he has thrown, shall retain
the figure 1 to it, which will then become indi-
cative of the falls he has won. The writer thus
marking and calling the first and last winning
names together in every round, which he must
take care to distinguish and in like manner,
;

still writing the names of those who contend

opposite to each other it will appear the odd

;

man has wrestled one fall fewer than those in

the same list, as every other name will be mark-
ed with the figure 2 and if he win the next fall,
;

his name advancing one every fall, will have tho 2

perfixed to it, while the others on that list have 3,
Thus his name being at the head of the list, he
will meet the odd man in the previous round ;
if
he win, he will still remain one behind upon the
next list ; and if he lose, his conqueror exchan-
ges situations with him. By this method, when
few are left, the umpire will have it in his power
to place them on an equal footing. Thus when
three are left, if the first has only thrown three
men, and the other two four each, they may toss,
draw cuts, or ticket, which is to wrestle him first;
but if all three have wrestled equal, they may in
like manner decide which two shall wrestle first.
Observations on Rule 2d. Respecting the
subject of this Rule, as there have been various
methods practised, there have, and probably
will continue to be, various opinions. After re-
marking the defects of all others, we will make
a few observations on the one we have substitu-
ted in their place. For a long time it was the
practice to call the first and second, third and
fourth, fifth and sixth, and so on, together. The
deficiency of this mode is obvious. Those wish-
ing to wrestle did not like to follow each other
76 WRESTLIA\ A.
7

into the ring, as it had the appearance of preme-

ditated opposition. Consequently, the first time
over, there was scarcely a fall wrestled ; and as
every noted Wrestler had generally friends who
contrived to go in so as to secure him the second,
and sometimes the third round, the greatest part
of the wrestling was a mere farce, and a stran-
ger had by no means an equal chance. It then
became the custom to call the first and last
names together but ; as the names were not writ-
ten over again, but the losing name merely
scratched out, the writer frequently got wrong,
particularly when an odd name occurred and ;

if an even number were preserved, as it was ge-

nerally pretty well ascertained what it would be,
many went in to save their friends, without
any intention of wrestling. It was, however,
considered much less objectionable than the
other.
When the Carlisle Wrestling commenced, the
men matched themselves the first time over ; and
then thefirst and last were called together. This
method did not long prevail, as it was evidently
a bad one. It was obvious there were many
sham wrestles the first time over and both the
;

names were not only to procure, but to compare

with the list, to see if they had regularly entered;
which could not be done without looking the
whole carefully over, and consequently losing
time. The present mode of ticketing them then
became general. It is, without doubt, evidently
superior to any other now practised, but we con-
ceive it liable to the following objections In :

the iirst place, it is far too complicated a mode

to be accurate. The tickets if scattered about,
or the wrong one torn, are nothing but a means
of confusion arid when four men are called into
:
 WRERSLIANA. 77

the ring, there are no unexceptionable means of

convincing them that all is as it should be. The
Carlisle meeting last year was a strong proof of
this nothing like an accurate list was to be had.
;

Some names were found both in the winning, and

losing column, the same round ; and on wrest-
ling over again, there were instances of those
entitled being objected, and those not entitled
winning two falls. Secondly, it may happen, par-
ticularly where there are few competitors, that
men coming from the same place, or who will
not wrestle \vith each other, may be ticketed to-
gether the first round. This of course prevents
sport, and should if possible be avoided. Thirdly,
in ticketing, those who have the direction of
drawing, may keep back a ticket, or call any
two together they think proper and when in-
;

stances where all the men are not satisfied there

are no means left of convincing them all is per-
fectly fair. We do not think this right. All
should be fair and open and even those who
;

give the prize should not be allowed to use any

sinister means of bringing men together. It may
be said, " a powerful man is a coward if he be
afraid of an equal opponent." This is nothing
to the purpose. The prize is declared, and sup-
posed to be, equally free for all ; therefore, al-
though the men may not be afraid of each other,
they have certainly a right to find fault if their
names be purposely drawn together. It is by
the attendance of well-known men that the
greatest interest is excited, and their chance of
gaining a prize should by no means be lessened,
which it evidently is in such cases for there ;

may be others equally as good, who are running

the chance of falling in with an inferior, while
they are purposely called in against an equal.
6*3
 WRESTLIANA.

The superiority of the method we have recom-

mended over all these cannot fail to be evident to
an impartial observer. While men who do not
wish to come together may prevent it by enter-
ing- their names immediately following each other
at any time but in the exact centre
they can
;

have no possible guess who will be their oppo-

nent. For as the /ow and high numbers, are
called together in the first round till they meet
in the centre the centre names are
;
consequently
after that round thrown to the last, and will in
the second round, meet a high, or a low num-
ber indiscriminately, which will cause them to be
scattered in the head of the list in the third round.
Thus supposing forty enter at first the numbers
;

1, and 40, are called together, and so on, till 20

and 21 meet in the centre then it is quite un-
:

certain whether the centre victor 19 or 22, will

meet the conquering number of 2 and 39, one
of which must be the second victor in that
round and so on progressively. By this means
;

the principal objections to the three first methods

are at once obviated, as is likewise one of the ob-
jections we have made to ticketing :and if the
umpire and writer are at all careful, no mistake
can arise, as the writer will perceive at a
single glance what names are next the marked
ones which have been called and if any dispute
;

arise, the list is still there to rectify it. There-

fore, while this method preserves all the uncer-
tainty of ticketing, the list will be ready for
publication the moment the wrestling is over ;

and on perusing it, every man may convince

himself he has been fairly treated. As it is a very
great chance a number dividing equal to the last,
such as 32, C4,-or 128, will be the exact number
entered it is desirable it should be one doing so
;
 WRESTLIANA. 79

tillvery few competitors remain. Thus, 96 will

leave three, and 80, five, <fec. In such- cases,
the umpire having the power of equalizing the
chance, should then ticket them, as the small
number, and the men having become conspicu-
ous, would then prevent any confusion ; and
we would recommend the umpire to call them
forward to witness their own names drawn.
Whenever an odd number occurs, the prizes
should not be definitively settled till the last fall,
as the Wrestlers cannot be on equal terms. For
example last year at Carlisle, Eight Guineas
;

were the first prize, and One Guinea only, the se-
cond making Seven Guineas the distinction for
;

winning the last round. Now, Cass who won the

first prize was wrestling his sixth fall, and Todd
his seventh. It does not seem reasonable there-
fore, that Cass should have been entitled to the
same sum for throwing six men, as Todd who had
already thrown six men, and was hazarding a
seventh contest. Such cases will we hope in
future receive proper consideration.
Finally, it may be necessary to remark, that
after the first round, the numbers, except the
marks 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, indicative of the rounds,
and falls the names before them have won, may
be laid aside ;
their principal use being to ascer-
tain the number entered, which as it occupies lit-
tle time, and may be done before-hand, is well
worth the trouble.
Rule 3d. When two men cannot soon agree
in taking hold, the umpire shall place them at
such a distance as the size of the men, may
render proper for ulterior proceeding. He
shall then cause them to square their shoulders,
and the higher part of their breasts against
each other, in such manner that the right and
80 WRESTLIANA-

left shoulder blades of both are perfectly level,

and the arms stretched out so that the hands
are in a line with the pap of the breast. He
shall then direct one of them to take hold
without shrinking his right breast and shoul-
der underneath his opponent's and so as to pre-
;

serve a perfect equality in the use of the right

arm: when this is the case, making proper al-
lowance for contracting the arms by grasp-
ing the back of his opponent, the hold will be
something below the level of the paps. If the
umpire is satisfied the hold is fair, he shall cause
the other to take hold likewise, without shrinking,
or swerving to either side which being done, he
;

shall immediately give the word. If the umpire

perceives that either party is striving for an ad-
vantage, or will not take hold, he shall decide
the fall against him and if neither party will im-
;

plicitly obey his directions, he shall cross them

both out without further loss of time;
Observations on RuleSd. This Rule embraces
the disagreeable, and grand cause of contention
in wrestling- ; and it is impossible to word, or
limit it so, as to please every Wrestler. It is by
far the most desirable for men to agree them-
selves ; as it is a very difficult matter for any but
an experienced Wrestler, and not easy for him,
to decide between them ; but if they will not a-
gree, and infringe upon, or tire out the patience
of the spectators, or those who give the prize for
general amusement, some method of decision be-
comes absolutely necessary. The method we
have laid down seems well adapted for placing
the tight, and slack-hold Wrestlers, on an equal
footing. It is such a one as the tight-hold
Wrestler may gather with, or strike from and;
 WRESTLIANA. 81

at the same time one which does not debar the

slack-hold Wrestler from using his own peculiar
mode.
There is nothing more galling to a Wrestler,
than an ignorant umpire putting the hands to-
gether, and asserting a man may get hold, when
perhaps the other has his right shoulder against
his breast, and
his right arm pinned to his side
close to the elbow. It is well known to every
Wrestler, that a single inch, either in the arm,
or breast, when the men are nearly equal, will
almost invariably decide the contest. We
have
not mentioned any particular time to allow
men to take hold in, as circumstances might a-
rise to render a limited time injudicious, and the

umpire intrusted with full power, ought to be a

competent judge of the matter. Many very fair
Wrestlers may wish to feel each others ma-
noeuvres and regulate their actions accordingly,
before they take hold. We think such a pro-
ceeding, when the parties are not long over it,
perfectly fair, and by no means detracting from
the satisfaction of the judicious spectator.
Rule 4th. If the man who takes the latter
hold, makes play at the same time, and either
throws his opponent immediately, or obtains
such an advantage by it as in the judgment of
the umpire occasions the ultimate termination of
the fall ; or if the first taker hold, strike before it
can be clearly ascertained the other has hold, and
obtains a similar advantage by doing so, the fall
shall be wrestled over again ; and if the same
conduct be repeated, the offender shall lose the
fall. It shall likewise be allowed fair for either
party to quit their hold, if their opponent strikes,
or makes play, in the above improper manner.
82 WRESTLIANA.

Rule 5th. If either party when endeavouring

to take hold, shall throw, or attempt to throw
hisopponent down, when he is conscious they
have not both hold, the fall shall instantly be de-
cided in favour of the injured party.
Observations on Rules 4th and 5th. Neither
of these Rules require many observations. The
fourth is to prevent snapping, or one party gain-
ing- a decided advantage by improper means.
The punishment, while it seems adequate to the
offence, is not over much so. The justice and
necessity of the fifth is obvious for the preserva-
tion of peace and good order. If such an act be
done in a passion, the offence richly merits the
punishment. If not, any attempt to excite the
laughter of a few partial, and unthinking spec-
tators, at the expense of any Wrestler, must be
considered not only an insult to him, but to every
impartial observer. It must be evident to all,
that any person entering the ring, although it is
his own inclination that prompts him to it, is
one of the contributors to that amusement they
are assembled to witness for their own gratifi-
cation, and cannot possibly be a proper object of
ridicule therefore any other person attempting
;

to make him one, should justly be debarred from

doing so a second time.
Rule 6'th. If, when wrestling, the men get
disengaged by their hands slipping over each
others head, and they remain opposite each
other on terms of perfect equality, it shall be in
the option of either party to leave go, and take
hold again, as at their first meeting but if one of
;

the parties only lose his grasp, it shall be deemed

perfectly fair for the other to continue the
wrestle till he does so likewise, or the fall termi-
nates. If both the parties during a struggle be-
 WRESTLIANA. 83

come disengaged, if one throw the other before

they remain stationary or fronting each other, it

shail be deemed a fair fall.
Observations on Rule 6th. We do not antici-
pate any objections to this Rule, as the determi-
nations it contains are precisely the same as have
uniformly governed the cases they allude to :

a convincing proof of their equity. The rule

embraces the only three situations which can pos-
sibly occur from the particular circumstance it
treats of. In the first case, it has been usual for
the men to consult each other, and both leave go
at the same time, lest he that first quitted, should
forfeit the fall by doing so should the Wrestlers
:

themselves agree to continue the contest, provi-

ded they do not stand long, the spectators have
no reason to complain but we never witnessed
;

a case wherein either party objected to a fresh

hold. The reason of the second is too obvious
to dwell upon. It would occasion endless dis-
putes if a man were entitled to another hold by
slipping his own arms over his adversary's head
whenever he was likely to get the worst of it ;

and if such a circumstance be occasioned by ex-

ertion in making play, it is perfectly right he
should abide the consequences of his own act.
As for the third case, it can be but momentary;
(
for if the action which immediately follows the
act of disengagement be not decisive, the men
will instantly be in a state of perfect equality.
Rule After the men have both taken
7th.
hold, either of them quits it, either in endea-
if

vouring to save himself, by accident, or by at-

tempting to throw his adversary, he shall lose the
fall, provided his adversary retains his own
hold, and does not go down by that effort, or
manoeuvre, which is the immediate occasion, or
84 WRESTLIANA.

object of quitting the hold ; but if his adversary,

though retaining his hold, goes to the ground
without recovering himself, if it be not immedi-
ately, yet in such a manner as is obviously the
consequence resulting from such manoeuvre, he
shall win the fall. If the effort occasions both
parties to lose their hold, and both or neither go
down, it shall be deemed a wrestle over again.
Observations on Rule 7th. Such of our read-
ers as are at all acquainted with the subject
cannot fail to perceive how tenacious we are in
adhering to those determinations which have
hitherto been considered decisive. Yet although
this is the case, we must remind them, that
having never appeared before in any tangible
shape, they could only be regarded as matters of
opinion only but by the publication of this Trea-
;

tise, they now, when noticed as standard regula-

tions, become proper authority to decide by. The
present Rule treats of a subject which has often
occasioned a difference of opinion among noted
Wrestlers, and therefore it is our duty briefly to
state the reasons which have always influenced
our decision respecting it. As for the first part
of it, i. e. any man's quitting his hold to prevent
his going down, no shadow of doubt respecting
its justice can possibly arise. The second, name-
ly, quitting by accident, admits of
no alternative.
It is true there may be frequent instances of the
hands slipping asunder without any obvious rea-
son, and the party closing them again without
any manifest advantage yet if such an act was
;

not uniformly regarded as decisive of the fall,

there would be no end to the disputes it might
occasion this is so universally acknowledged,
:

that whenever it has been ascertained the hands

were clear of each other, it has always been re-
 WREST LIANA. 85

garded a fall. A
spirited attack, if
it does not

succeed, generally places the assailant in a dis-

he lose
advantageous situation ; and therefore, if
his hold at the same time, it is certainly just he
should lose the fall but if the hold be quitted as
:

an auxiliary to the attack, which, if scientifically

done, is often effective there appears to be no
;

well grounded reason why such united efforts,

(which require additional dexterity) if they suc-
ceed in forcing the defendant to go down with-
out any future display of action, should not be
decisive. As to the act of retaining the hold, if
a man goes down, it is evident it cottd not avail

him inany situation, and therefore should not ;

but he does not, he has committed ILO act ojt

if

forfeiture, and cannot be liable to any penalty

:

his adversary has done so by quitting his hold,

and therefore justly forfeits the fall and final-
:

if both have quitted, they can be considered

ly,
no otherwise than on equal terms, and therefore
must wrestle over again.
Rule 8th. If both the men go down in nich a
manner that it cannot be clearly and distinctly
Ascertained which of them was first on the
ground, it shall be deemed a wrestle over, or as
is provincially termed a dog/all, and the decision

shall be given without any regard to the circum-

stance of making play. A man's knees or hands,
or either of them, touching the ground, shall be
considered conclusive of his being down in all
cases, except he is fairly covering his man, and
it is occasioned by the desire of making the fall

easier to himself or his antagonist when such is

;

the manifest intention, it shall not interfere with

his claim to the fall.
Observations on Rule 8th. Justice, and fnir-
play between man and man, should be the inva-
H
86 WRESTLIANA.

riable motlo of every Englishman ; and we can

with truth say, that in regard to these Rules at
least, it has uniformly been ours. In many pla-
ces where loose holds are practised, no fall is
considered fair, but when one party only goes
to the ground, and not even then, except he is
thrown upon his back. In close Wrestling, such
a regulation would be endless and it has al- ;

ways been the custom, merely to decide who had

the best of it. In this view of the question, the
man who first touches the ground (unless it is in
.such a case as we have excepted), may be said to
be first foiled. As we look upon Wrestling to be
the most chivalric, and manly exercise since the
abolition of tournaments, we think a trifling ad-
vantage, if it clearly be one,
quite sufficient.
is

So extremely tenacious were our ancestors in

this respect, that in tournaments, if a Knight lost
one of his stirrups in the encounter, it was con-
sidered he did not part from his adversary on
equal terms, and therefore he w as deemed as
v

much worsted, as if he had been unhorsed alto-

gether; and were it not so when a visible ad-
vantage is obtained, it would be impossible to
define where the distinction should be drawn ;
but, if the matter be dubious, it is clearly a wres-
tle over. A man may, sometimes, certainly go
down upon one hand, or knee, and in thatsitua-
tion,bring his opponent down under him but ;

such a circumstance ought not to influence a

decision ; nor, unless it happen by accident,
should it be allowed, as manyfalls would then
become a mere scuffle, and quite unworthy Eng-
lishmen either to look at or practice.
Rule 9th. When the men are called into the
ring, no agreement shall be allowed to take
place between them relative to one of them
 WRESTLIANA. 87

yielding-the fall, without the sanction of the um-

pire but if they wrestle fairly, they shall have
;

liberty to divide what the conqueror shall win,

as they think proper.
Rule 10th. If it is apparent that there is a
private agreement between two Wrestlers,
and
that the contest is not a fair one, the umpire, if
it appears to him that the stander has promised

any remuneration to the other for lying down,

may call him against the odd man but if there
;

be no odd man, or if there be two standers only,

the umpire may regulate the distribution of the
prize as he deems proper, or, in other words, so
as to prevent any set of men making a mere pro-
perty of the sum given to contend for.
Observations on Rules 9th and 10th. We
have
chosen to class the observations on those two
final Rules together, as any remarks upon one,
will naturally have some allusion to the other.
We are well aware, though we have no doubt of
convincing any impartial man of their propriety,
that many Wrestlers will consider them as un-
just; and even observe that we ourselves have
frequently violated them. We acknowledge the
latter charge to be correct. Yet that circum-
stance does not by any means prevent us from
judging of their propriety ;
on the contrary, it
enables us to be certain that such proceedings
prevent contests, and occasion much dissatis-
faction amongst the spectators but we defy any
;

person to prove, that during the many years we

wrestled for renown, we were ever either con-
cerned in a sham Wrestle, or laid down to any
acknowledged Wrestler whatever. No victory !

was our motto !and if it had been equally so

with our opponent, a contest would have been
inevitable. As to the justice of every part of
H2
 WRRSTLIANA.

those Rules, we dareconfidently appeal to any

distinguished Wrestler who has retired from the
ring-with honour " bravelyand hardly won ;"
although perhaps there is no such person but
what has frequently violated them. Every prize
however small, is given with the same intention
as the sums subscribed at Keswick and Carlisle ;

that is, to assemble numbers together, and enter-

tain them when assembled therefore what is
;

considered perfectly fair at those places, cannot

be considered unfair when coroparitively small
sums are contended for. Let us therefore ask
the gentlemen who subscribe, or the impartial
spectators for whose amusement such sums are
subscribed, if they think it right that those who
have come to contend for the prize should fee
one another off, or by a sham Wrestle enable
their friends to swindle the spectators ? When
the Carlisle Wrestling was discontinued, it was
owing to a private agreement between the two
last standers refusing to wrestle. Mr. Pearson
consequently refused to give them the money.
So far we think he was perfectly right, but we
do not think he was altogether so in withholding
the second prizes from those who had contended
fairly for the first, and were willing to do so for
the second. We know there were some who had
travelled fifty miles to wrestle, and might rea-
sonably have expected to have shared in the
second prize. We will in another and more
proper place, prove that the system of bribery
had been before practised there; and though it
might be disapproved of, was yet partly allowed,
as no money was withheld ;
and if we may judge
from the second prize last year, the system with-
out some effectual check, is becoming more no-
torious than ever. What was the fact ? Weight-
 WRESTLIANA. 89

man who won, Wrestled two falls and Graham

!

who came last, one only and the spectators

!

were, as the warm-hearted natives of the land of

potatoes would term it, humbugged for som^ mi-
nutes with a sham Wrestle between them. B'll
let us return to a methodical review of the Rules
in question.
As for the first part of the ninth Rule, those
spectators that are well acquainted with wrest-
ling, need not be told, that when the men called
upon, get together, and whisper each other be-
fore they prepare themselves for a contest, there
is no anxiety respecting the result of it; for if

they should then happen to be in earnest, the

spectators are never satisfied that they are so.
But if the umpire be privy to their conversation,
it is a
very different matter, as it then becomes
his duty to debar them from imposing upon the
spectators by a sham Wrestle ; and if no contest
takes place, he is then fully aware what is the
reason of it, and whether any blame can be im-
puted to the stander for if one party will not
:

wrestle, he certainly cannot be forced to it ; and

in that case, as the stander has committed no
fault, he is fully entitled to the fall. For if a
distinguished hero against an inferior op-
fall in

ponent, who is fully aware that he has no chance

of success, and therefore will not try, it is by no
means reasonable the stander should hazard a
second chance in that round. The umpire ought
not on any account to suffer those who eventual-
ly stand, to make a direct proposition to the
other to lay down ; but instances may occur in
which he may in some degree be implicated, and
the transaction receive the sanction of the
may
umpire : for man may get a sprain, or
example, a
some other injury in the preceding round, which
H 3
90 WRESTLIANA.

may incapacitate him from immediate active ex-

ertion ; and a proposal coming- from him,
may
be agreed to by the other, in case he should win
a prize, without any reasonable exception being-
made to it. Or it may sometimes happen, a man
may win two or three good falls, and then be so
much over-matched in size and strength, that
even a majority of the spectators would rather
wish him to receive an acknowledgment, how-
ever small, than see him risk a fall with so un-
equal an opponent. For instance, last year at
Carlisle, if we mistake not, Waters a young-
man not more than eighteen or nineteen years of
age, and about eleven stone in weight, after
wrestling uncommonly well, fell in against
Weightman ! Weare so far from thinking the
spectators could have derived any gratification
from witnessing so unequal a contest, that we
believe a great majority of those acquainted
with the circumstance, were much better pleased
Waters did not attempt to wrestle him; and if
Weightman had agreed to give him any thing
for not wrestling him, so far from being offended,
the spectators would have deemed it an honour-
able and manly act. Respecting the latter part of
the ninth Rule, no agreement about the division
of a prize between two Wrestlers, provided they
both do their best, can possibly affect the specta-
tors and therefore they undoubtedly ought to
;

have full liberty to modulate it as they think

most desirable and advantageous to themselves.
As the ninth Rule specifies that no agreement
ifhall be permitted without the sanction of the

umpire, the tenth proceeds to state that if such

an agreement be made, the offender shall be sub-
jected to such an award, as the umpire (who
'ought to be perfectly acquainted with the of-
.<
 WRESTLIANA. 91

fence, and therefore a competent judge of the

matter) shall deem most eligible, or equitable.
This is a most important desideratum in these
Rules as the circumstance of two Wrestlers en-
;

tering into an agreement between themselves

without any visible cause, though it has often
been deprecated, both by those who gave the
prize, and the spectators in general, yet except
in a very few instances, no punishment has been
awarded for it, (notwithstanding it has always
been considered very unfair) for which reason
the Wrestlers conceive they have a right to act
just as they think proper. One bad precedent
establishes another, and therefore no palpable
deviation from what is just and reasonable ought
to be allowed. A notice of any intended meet-
ing, always particularizes what is the object of
it. Thus in Wrestling, it is
always mentioned
that such a prize will be given to wrestle for.
Provided the sum be given, no matter whether it
be by one particular person or by a number, the
object is always the same, namely to bring a
number of people together, from whose attend-
ance some advantage, emolument, or conse-
quence is expected to be ultimately derived.
Such an assemblage have an undoubted right to
witness what was the object of their attendance ;

therefore any proceeding tending to deprive

them of that right, is an infringement upon the
original notice of that meeting. Now can any
person be stupid enough to argue, that when
the greatest expectation is excited by the meet-
ing of two good Wrestlers, it should be balked by
an agreement to divide the prize without a con-
test ! Such an agreement, while it thwarts the
very object of the meeting, adds nothing, but
rather detracts from the reputation of the men
9 WRESTLIANA.

who do it. If renown were the inducement

which occasioned either of them to become a
Wrestler, it is not to be acquired by compromi-
sing every fall in which there is danger of coming
off second best. Where there is no danger, there
can be no honour. On the other hand, there
can be no honour lost when a man does his best ;

and an agreement without some sufficient motive,

certainly implies something cowardly. If money
be the object of a man's entering the ring, if he
offer a part, to obtain a greater part, or the
whole, it is but reasonable he should earn it: and
when there is no odd man to defeat his mercena-
ry motive, a power ought to exist somewhere 'to
frustrate the intentions of a man whose interest
leads him to disappoint those who gave the prize,
and the many for whose amusement it was given;
and such power can no where be vested so judi-
ciously as with the umpire.

Having now methodically laid down Rules

which embrace every incident that can arise from
the men's first entering the rin', till the prize
is won, we shall not tire our readers with many
further comments upon them at this time. At a
future period of this Work, some allusions will
be made to nearly all of them. At present we
shall only observe, that any deviation we have
made from old-established custom bears some-
what harder upon the Wrestlers, and therefore
may be supposed more conducive to the gratifi-
cation of the spectators, and, consequently, to
promote the object for which prizes are given.
It is manifest to those who wish well to the exer-
cise, that if the dividing system prevail to any
great extent, it will eventually occasion the sus-
pension of giving money to wrestle for al-
 WRESTLIANA. 93

together therefore we conceive it to be much

;

belter to check the evil in its infancy, lest it de-

stroy the celebrity of the amusement it was meant
to promote.
We shall now for the better information of
those spectators, not conversant either in the
practice, or theory, of wrestling-, as well as
of those who wish to become so, devote a few
pages to the explanation of those terms usually
applied to the methods which are used in the
art, or to speak more intelligibly to eur less
knowing readers, the different methods of stri-
king-, or assailing an opponent, so as to effect the
desired object of bringing him down, generally
termed throwing him by the spectators, but by
some hardy and unrefined practisers of the exer-
cise, broadly, and we must own, rather brutally
called felling him. These methods are much
more various and complicated in close-hold
wrestling than in, any other mode ; which diver-
sity we conceive to be a strong proof of the
superiority of this exercise to any other, which
indeed is evinced by the great interest it never
has failed to excite;
a diversity which must be
regarded as characteristic of something noble
and manly, as it can be occasioned only by a con-
test ofmen. The most general and usual me-
thods are those which follow :

Throwing men by lifting them from off the

ground, and rapidly placing one of the knees
between their thighs, is now become very com-
mon all over Cumberland and Westmorland. It
was however very little known between the
rivers Derwent and Duddon till within these last
twenty years. It is generally called hipeing, we
conceive from the supposed great use of the hip
ia the execution of it. There is however too es-
94 WRESTLIANA.

sential a difference in the modes of practising it, 1

for any general agreement in the propriety of

the term. An explanation of one or two of these
modes may serve to elucidate the point, give
the reader some idea as to the propriety of the
term, and enable him to ascertain the accuracy
of our definition of it.
When immediately on lifting, the knee and
thigh are thrown in, and forced upwards so, that
quickly wheeling the whole frame to the con-
trary side, the assailant is enabled when turning
his man with his arms, and delivering- him from
his breast, to pitch him with his hip, (which will
then be close against the lower part of his op-
ponent's belly) in such a manner, that not being
able to catch the ground with either foot, he is
thrown upon his back ; an operation which re-
quires a close hold, and great rapidity in the
execution of it; we conceive it may with proprie-
ty, be provincially called hipeing. Thomas
Richardson, of Hesket, commonly called the
dyer, is allowed to be one, if not the very best
hiper among the present list of Cumbrian Wrest-
lers.
But when on lifting, the superior length of the
assailant enables him to throw his leg so high
that his opponent is turned by the action of the
knee, against the inside of his thigh, and the
simultaneous effort of the arms and breast, as was
generally practised by the celebrated William
Wilson, of Ambleside, we conceive the proper
appellation to be, inside striking. That this is
quite a different mode from what we have term-
ed hipeing, is still more evident by some Wrest-
lers lifting their man, and waiting some time for
an opportunity ; when this is the case, the fall is
usually occasioned by the knee, aided by the dex-
 WRESTLIANA. 9

terous management of the arms only, and does

not require the men being so close to each other
as hipeing. This method is now become very
common, and if the term striking can be as pro-
perly, as it is commonly applied to Wrestling')
we think it can admit of no definition but an in-
side stroke.
It is an invariable maxim, that when a man is
determined to make play, the sooner he does it,
and the quicker he is in doing it, the greater will
be his chance of succeeding. To guard against
an inside stroke, or hipe, the defendant should if
possible keep himself on the ground. To do this,
he must either lift against his opponent, or slack-
ening his own hold, endeavour by wrenching his
body from his opponent's grasp to plant himself,
as it were, to the ground , striving at the same
time to keep his opponent off with his breast,
and if possible to shrink it underneath his assail-
ant's. If he succeed in this latter mode, he should
be on the alert to secure such a hold, when his
opponent attacks him, (which he cannot do
without in some measure giving his body within
the compass of his grasp) as will ensure him of
victory. It is true a skilful Wrestler will be very
careful when he hazards an attack to keep his
right arm well up, to prevent his opponent get-
ting a low hold of him; but still if he does not
succeed, one equally skilful will inevitably gain
some advantage by it, such as catching his heel,
mending his hold, or attacking him in turn
before he can recover his balance. If the de-
fondant cannot prevent his opponent from lifting
him, he must endeavour, by shrinking his body,
to give him the greatest weight upon his breast
he possibly can, and instantaneously try to fix
his knees and feet so as to prevent the assailant
96 WRESTIJANA.

from getting his knee between his thighs, and at

the same time, so as fully to inform himself of
every meditated movement the moment it is at-
tempted. If he thus succeeds in checking the
first assault, and be equal, or nearly so to the
assailant, he ought to win the fall. As these ob-
servations will, with some trifling deviations, ap-
ply to lifting in general, we shall not have oc-
casion to dwell much in future upon that particu-
lar subject.
The methods of assailing a man on either side
are various. They may however be reduced to
the four principal ones, namely: striking with
the knee, the leg, the foot, and the leg and
foot alternately. The first is done by striking
with great pith and force with either of the
knees, though generally the left, against the out-
side of an opponent's knee or thigh and by the
;

force of the stroke, and the correspondent move-

ment of the arms, first force him from, arid then
turn him upon the ground. Slee, of Dacre, who
won the prize at Penrith Races in the year 1813,
was, in our judgment, the best at this stroke of
any man we ever saw practise it. Sometimes it
is made use of after lifting, by throwing the knee
outside an opponent's thigh ; a method we have
in propria persons often practised with great
success. The second is
generally termed in and
out, owing to striking out with the leg, so that
the knee of the assailant is outside his opponent's,
and the foot inside his ancle, or small of the
leg, thus placing a kind of lock upon the knee
and leg. This is a very common mode with ma-
ny first-rate, as well as inferior Wrestlers. The
third mode is usually called a chip, and is effect-
ed by trying to swing an opponent round, and
strike the wrist of the foot against the outside of
 WRESTLIANA. 97

his leg or ancle, or as in the preceding mode, by

of
doing so, and turning him with the assistance
the arms method which Thomas Golightly
;
a
(now no more) excelled in, and in which
we have seen Nicholson himself evince much
dexterity. It in general requires more dexterity
than any of the preceding modes. The fourth is
effected by striking an antagonist from the
ground with the leg, either outside, or in and
out, with the assistance of the arms and instant-
;

strike
ly planting that foot upon the ground,
with the other across his farther shin before he
reaches the ground. This stroke requires great
quickness and activity, and is, when well exe-
cuted, one of the surest and neatest methods of
Wrestling practised. The best and cleanest
practiser of this mode we ever knew, or heard
of, was William Ponsonby, of Endside, near
Egremont, who retired from the ring nearly
twenty years ago. He displayed such uncom-
mon dexterity in this stroke, that his feet might
frequently have been heard at a considerable
distance succeeding each other against his op-
ponent's legs like two distinct claps of the
hand : it is at the present time by no means
unusual.
Although we have classed outside striking un-
der four principal heads, yet it is to be observed
that the occasions on which they are resorted
to are extremely various being often used as
;

sufficient of themselves, sometimes as precursors

to other meditated attacks, and not unfrequent-
ly, subsequent to other movements. As a clear
explanation of their nature, and the different
modes of using them, are a sufficient means of
information to enable any practiser of Wrestling
to judge what are the su,rest methods of guard-
I
98 WRESTLIANA.

ing-against them, it is unnecessary to detain our

readers any longer on this particular subject.
When one party gets a leg behind an oppo-
nent's called haming, or catching his heel,
it is

according to the manner in which it is done. If

1he legs are intertwined with each other, or if the
keel of the assailant is above the small of the de-
fendant's leg, it is usually termed haming for no
;

other reason that we can divine, except from

the strength required in the ham, either for ac-
celerating, or defending the attack. Sometimes
a ham is practised at the moment of taking hold,
or when taken off the ground, by rapidly striking
the heel behind the knee as the sinews of the
;

person lifting are then at full stretch, if the par-

ty lifted do it forcibly, and can throw the full
weight of his body along with it, it is often effec-
tive. Haming, as well as catching the heel, is in-
discriminately practised, either as attacks of
themselves, or as auxiliaries to other attacks.
To guard against a ham, the defendant should
feel his feet firm upon the ground, slack his
hold, and bear forward with his breast against
the assailant's. If he succeed in this, he should
endeavour, if the ham be persevered in, to turn
or twist his opponent over by wheeling him ofi
?

his breast to the opposite side, as he will have

only one leg on the ground but should he quit
;

the ham, no time should be lost in closing the

hands lower down upon his back, and becoming
the assailant in turn.
Catching the heel often quite a different
is

operation ; object generally is to force the

its
foot forward by rapidly striking the heel, against
the heel, or ancle of the defendant. Should it
not prove immediately effective, yet if the de-
fendant staggers, and ultimately falls by not be-
 WRESTLIANA. 99

ing able to extricate himself from it, it is usually

called hankering the heel. Catching the heel
may be practised either on the outside, or inside ;
and if done with force and quickness, it is a very
difficult manoeuvre to guard against, and a
Wrestler known to be expert in catching, or
hankering, is generally as little fancied for an
opponent, as one skilled in any other mode what-
ever. Thomas Nicholson, ofThrelkeld, who won
at Carlisle for three successive years, was a for-
cible illustrator of this mode. He was certainly
uncommonly good at it, and though by no means
wantingin many other modes, yet he was more
indebted to this method for victory than all the
rest put together. There is another mode some-
what similar to these last mentioned, by which
falls, particularly among new beginners, or no-
vices, are often decided. This may be term-
ed twining over the knee, as it is effected by
getting the knee outside and twining an opponent
over it.

It is not our intention to dwell much upon

what often indiscriminately termed handling,
is

henching, hipping buttock ing, or crossbuttocking,

,

as they are ail effected in nearly the same man-

ner and in fact, whatever they may be fancically
;

called, the breast and side are oftentimes, though

not always, as much used as the hip, or what is
the most general appellation, the buttock. man A
skilled in this method of wrestling generally
strives for a loose hold, and it is the left side
which is mostly used for effecting the desired
object. By stepping partly in, and crossways
with the left foot, twining the body in, and
throwing the buttock underneath the belly; the
defendant is by the assailant's arms being kept
tight round his neck, or shoulders, hoisted on,
12
 100 WRESTLIANA.

and thrown off, or over fhe side, or buttock

as the latter is by the act of stepping- thrown far
thest in, it has acquired the name of buttocking
and when the leg- or foot gets quite across the de-
fendant's body, of crossbuttocking ; though even
then, it is evident unless the effort was secondec
by the arms and higher part of the body, the ac
of throwing the leg across would be fatal to the
aggressor. Sometimes when the assailant per
ceives, or feels his man staggered, or balanced
upon his side, or buttock, he is so circumstanced
as to be able to strike with one of his feet across
the shins ; when this is done the fall is often
clean and effective. At other times the situation
admits of getting the leg, or foot, behind both of
the defendant's when this happens it is in some
;

places called grands/stepping. It sometimes

happens that the assailant, by turning in quickly
with very loose holds, gets into a position exact-
ly before, or with his back to his opponent; in
that case, if he do not, by keeping his hands fast
and stooping forward throw him over his head
and shoulders, his situation is a dangerous one
for losing the fall. In short the modes of as-
sault and defence in this most manly of all exer-
cises, are so diversified, that a volume might be
filled by illustrating- that part of our subject only.
The act of buttocking, slipping from the side, or
breast, and in fact, of every thing that constitutes
the science of wrestling, depends much upon the
different situations which may occur in a contest;
and the judgment formed by feeling with the
chest, and breast, what kind of assault is most
likely toprove effective; and generally speaking-,
quickness in assault, and promptitude in judici-

ously availing- himself of any circumstance that

may arise during the struggle, may be called the
 WRESTLIANA. 101

distinguishing characteristics of a good and

scientific wrestler.
Opinions respecting the best mode of standing
when taking hold are no doubt various, and the
particular method of wrestling usually adopted
by the antagonist to be encountered, in order to
counteract his intention as well as keeping in
view the method he himself excels in, will always
have some influence on every judicious Wrestler.
In the Rule solely devoted to the purpose of o-
bliging those to take hold who cannot themselves
agree about it, we found it absolutely necessary
to fix some standard for regulating the hold.
Any Wrestler need not be told that the subject is
the most difficult one that could arise ; and that
one certain standard only was indispensable.
Making proper allowance for any man's mode of
wrestling, except it be in an extreme of tight (the
usual epithet for a close or fast hold) or slack,
we are fully prepared to maintain that the stan-
dard we have fixed on, is the best and most judici-
ous that can be adopted. It is usual for men
wishing to take more than a fair hold, to- shrink
their own breast underneath their opponents',
and pin his arm to his side, close to the elbow ;

the merest novice in the art will not permit this,

and yet the shorter man will sometimes" argue
they ought to stand straight up Knee to knee is
!

sometimes with equal absurdity proposed ;

for
unless the menare of exactly the same dimensi-
ons upwards, it does not in the least alter the sub-
ject of dispute. Ahat, or a stick, is often laid
down, and the men are required to bring their toes
up to the mark. The monstrous absurdity of the
ridiculous position this will place men of different
sizes in, with their feet close together, and what
is sometimes jocosely termed the seat of honouc
13
102 WRESTLIANA.

of the taller man hung back, needs no comment.

No certain distance between the toes can be
equally applicable to all and therefore the dis-
;

tance which will admit of both feeling themselves

at ease, and firmly on the ground,
may soon be
settled between them with the assistance of the
umpire, as breast to breast, is the only mode of
placing them on an equal footing. Many Wrest-
lers are fond of leaning to the left side, a habit
acquired while in their novitiate by the desire of
seeing their opponent's feet, or at least his right
foot. This latter circumstance is of no material
advantage of itself as it is the feel and not the
sight, which generally regulates the movements
of a good Wrestler, especially at the commence-
ment of a contest, as is sufficiently evident from
the fact, that one man decidedly the master of a-
nother, will throw him blindfolded. This lean to
the left, as with many it is a supposed advantage,
and therefore often a considerable obstacle to
their getting hold, is worthy of some consider-
ation in regard to its utility, both in assaulting,
and defending; and therefore, though a dry and
complex subject to some of our readers, yet as
many Wrestlers will deem it both important, and
interesting, it is our duty to attempt some eluci-
dation of the subject.
It must be sufficiently evident to all, that lean-
ing to either side is a deviation from the natural
and true centre of balance and of course will
;

lay some stress upon, or partly brace the muscles

of the opposite side. Thus if the lean be to the
left side, the muscles of the right, from the neck
to the foot downwards will be proportionably
braced, as those on the left are contracted in
with the body ; and part of the weight of the
body, by being thrown upon the right arm of the
 WRESTLIANA. 103

opponent, will detract in a corresponding de-

gree from the weight upon, or firmness of, the
feet upon the ground. Now it is certain that the
easier and firmer any Wrestler feels himself upon
the ground, the less stress there will be upon the
arms aud breast and that when all the powers
;

of the frame can at once be brought effectively

into action, the more vigorous will be the attack.
It is to be remarked, that these obstacles apply
even to an attack with the left leg while the
;

lean being from the right, must of course greatly

detract from the force of any intended effort to
throw an opponent to that side and the posi-
;

tion itself totally precludes the idea of an effec-

tive buttock ; because, instead of facilitating the
act of getting the foot partly across, or the breast
underneath, it acts in the very reverse, by con-
tributing to place the body on the outside, an
unavoidable consequence of the lean. As for
buttocking with the right side, there are very few
who ever attempt it, except it is after an outside
stroke with the left leg because, in taking hold,
;

the left arm is always above the right and con-

;

sequently, when the hold is loose, there is no

material obstacle to prevent that side from being
thrown in ; whereas, the right arm being under-
neath the oxter, prevents that side from being
brought into action with equal freedom and fa-
cility; notwithstanding this, there are some few
who contrive to throw in the right side with con-
siderable effect; yet against a good Wrestler, it
must always be considered a losing chance.
It is observable that these remarks apply to the
act of taking hold before the contest is begun.
The lean to the left acquired after, or during a
struggle, is quite a different thing. It is then a
certain sign, either that the opponent has lost all
104 WRESTLIANA.

command of the hold, or that both parties have

their arms round each others neck. If the for-
mer be the case, it necessarily implies that the par-
ty who has the Jean, has broke his opponent's hold,
has himself got a commanding one, is stand-
ing perfectly at ease, and is nearly sure of the
fall ; while his adversary, scarcely able to pre-
serve an upright position and without hold, is in-
capable of making any offensive effort which is
likely to succeed. The only thing he can do, is
to attempt to get his side in, and try to buttock ;
but the other, perfectly aware of his movements,
will probably catch him under the ribs, and often
dispose of him with ease and safety. If both par-
ties have lost hold of the back, he who has the
lean is much more advantageously situated than
his opponent ;
he stands freer with his neck, and
easier with his body ; and is consequently more
at liberty to assault or defend with a much great-
er prospect of success. As the two most impor-
tant objects in wrestling namely, hold, and
feeling with the breast, are in that situation, of
comparatively little consequence, a view of the
right leg becomes an object of some considera-
tion, as implies the fact of the right arm being
it
more up, and the left more down, than his an-
tagonist's (if the men have any hold) can possibly
be ;
as the left buttock is then the only attack
that his opponent can make, and which he can-
not make without moving the right leg. On the
other hand, the person possessing the lean is by
no means in so confined a situation. By stand-
ing perfectly at ease, he can choose his time of as-
sault, or is fully prepared to avail himself of any
effort his antagonist can make ; and if he be a
good striker with the left leg across the shin, he
has every chance of doing so with success ; which
 WRESTLIANA. 105

he ought not to defer doing, lest his antagonist

should wrench his head loose, and thus oblige him
to forfeit his advantage by taking a fresh hold.
Having thus proved that leaning to one side
when the men are supposed to be on equal terms,
and acquiring a commanding lean after the con-
test is begun, are two very different things, it re-
mains for us to consider the advantage, or dis-
advantage, of the lean to the left side, as it re-
gards the efficacy of repelling, or guarding an
attack. As this lean, which implies laying an
additional weight upon an opponent's right arm
at the commencement of a contest, when the holds
are, or ought to be, equally low round the arm
and body, cannot be done without detracting
from the firmness of the feet upon the ground,
must apparently impede the act of guarding,
either a judicious stroke, or buttock :for al-
though it may be a preventative to his being turn -
ed to the right side by an outside stroke with the
left leg ;yet it must proportionably facilitate his
being turned to the left side, by the left leg inside,
or by the right outside and hanging his weight to
;

the left side, so far from the centre of balance, is

certainly the very thing a good buttocker, or slip-
per from the breast, would desire. It likewise is
not as some imagine, any obstacle to his being lift-
ed from the ground; because by hanging his weight
downwards, he has not an immediate command
of his strength to counteract the lift of his oppo-
nent and instead of bearing him forward with
;

his breast and arms, he has one hanging upon

him, and the other closely locked round him. His
antagonist so far from having an additional
weight to lift, has only the same weight in a more
favour able position for lifting it because, hav-
;

ing the greater part already, he has only that

106 WRESTLIANA.

part to raise higher, and the other comes by de-

grees upon him, and the weight he has to sustain
is close to him ; whereas, were his antagonist
lifting, or bearing against him, the weight would
come upon him at once, and would be farther
from him, Again, the weight of a man is so far
from being equal to his strength, that if no impe-
diment were thrown in the way by lifting a-
gainst, or bearing forward with the arms and
breast a man ten stone weight, would easily lift
;

one of twenty. When lifted, the lean is an evi-

dent disadvantage, as it tends to throw him from
the exact front of his opponent, it must of
course be a considerable impediment to clapping
the knees, or legs, close upon him to prevent
his striking out, and feeling in what manner, and
with what leg he intends to do it.
Having discussed this point fully, and we hope
satisfactorily to the experienced Wrestler, we
will offer a few short remarks upon the hold re-
commended in the third Rule. It is
surely a
most important and desirable thing, that the
same method of taking hold should prevail
throughout this and the adjacent counties be- ;

cause by practising in some places with loose,

and in others with tight holds, w heii they meet
r

for some considerable prize, no hold satisfactory

to all parties can be obtained. This evidently
compelled the author of any treatise on the sub-
ject to lay down some one particular manner
to be resorted to as a standard, when any
dispute occurred. The one which seemed to us
best adapted to this difficult point, is as we have
before remarked in our observations upon it,
such a one as the tight-hold Wrestler may ga-
ther with, or strike from ; and at the same time,
one which does not prevent the loose-hold Wres-
 WRESTLIANA. 107

tierfrom making use of his own peculiar mode.

Such a medium between the two extremes, is
the thing- evidently calculated to compromise
the subject of dispute. As the parties are equal-
ly standing without inclining to either side, ex-
actly fronting each other, at liberty to breathe
freely, and feeling each other by the junction
of their breasts, all characteristics of a fair, and
which cannot exist in an unfair hold ; they are
at full, and equal liberty to attack with vigour,
and every part of the frame may at once be
promptly combined to repel, and on the alert to
take any advantge which may present itself in
consequence of, the attack.
But still after all that can be said respecting
the superiority of any particular method of taking
hold, considerable practice, and attachment to
almost any, will render a man very dexterous
in it. Accordingly we see many acknowledged
first-rateWrestlers, differ as much in their
notions of taking hold, as in their methods of as-
sault and defence. Thus, Thomas Nicholson
and Thomas Todd, two of the best Wrestlers of
theirweight in Cumberland, and saying this, we
conceive \ve might safely add the united king-
dom, or the world; are, or were, both upright
standers; while William Richardson, of Cald-
beck, (commonly called Ritson) the winner of
more prizes than any other man in the kingdom,
w as
r

partial to the lean and John Louden, from

;

the vicinity of Keswick, a first-rate, and a most

dangerous customer, was never satisfied without
it. As these men, and many others will, in our
Review of Wrestling, again come under con-
sideration, the further mention of them in this
place would be superfluous.
108 WRESTLIANA.

Finally, the circumstance of taking hold,

while the most frequent cause of dissention
it is

among Wrestlers, it is at the same time, the most

difficult for an impartial spectator, or umpire, to
form a correct and decisive judgment upon. The
biassed and interested spectator, and the well-
wishers of either party, are often determined not
to be convinced that the fault originates with
their favourite. This being the case, those who
give the prize, ought always promptly to en-
force the judgment of the umpire whom they
have chosen. The rule for deciding the hold,
notwithstanding the difficulty of the subject,
is, we hope, sufficiently intelligible to any man
who is competent to fulfil the arduous situa-
tion of acting as umpire. Being fully con-
scious, that as harmony and unanimity ought
to be the distinguished characteristics of an
amusement, we could not be too explicit, or
minute, on the point which tends most to inter-
rupt them such a consideration could alone
;

have induced us to treat every thing relative to

the subject of taking hold, in so lengthy a man-
ner but feeling as we do, that the frequency, and
;

splendour of the prizes given to wrestle for, will

be considerably influenced by the cordiality dis-
played by the Wrestlers towards each other, it
appeared to us an indispensable duty to give
this particular subject a full consideration as ;

shrinking from it would have implied an inability

to treat of it, a stigma, we possess egotism
enough to believe we by no means merit.
 WRESTLIANA. 109

Review of Northern Wrestling within the last

forty-five years-, comprising some Memoirs of
the most distinguished Wrestlers during that

period.

IN commencing a Review of modern Wrestling,

and corresponding Memoirs of the most celebra-
ted Wrestlers, it is highly necessary to fix some
particular date from which we can gradually
descend to the present time. In doing so it wilt
not be expected, that in so limited a Work as
this, we should either fix upon a very remote
era, or have been at the trouble and expense of
collecting every minutiae of the subject we treat
of. In fixing an era, it would be neither instruc-
tive nor amusing to go farther back than those
transactions which are well remembered by ma-
ny persons now living, who were themselves
Wrestlers, and often actors in the scenes we
have heard them describe. To go farther back
would be mere hearsay, and from such partial
authority no certain information could be ob-
tained further than that there was Wrestling, and
consequently our grandfathers'
Wrestlers, in
time : this we as we have in the
already know,
first part of this Treatise proved there were both

nearly from the creation of the world. We

could indeed give names much antecedent to
the date we shall fix upon, but as we could add
no further information than that they were very
strongmen, and as far as we can collect, strength,
and not science was in those days the great es-
sential towards victory, our doing so would be
merely nominal. As to the trouble and expense
of collecting information, we frankly own we
K
110 . WRESTLIANA.

have been at none. We speak from our own

knowledge, and from such corresponding infor-
mation as insure the correctness of every thing
we shall state as matter of fact. During the
many years we were attached to this hardy and
athletic exercise,

'
The men who threw us, and the men we threw"

Could not fail to perfect us in the practice of the

ring and the number of veteran Wrestlers, and
;

veteran amateurs we conversed with, who

" Our memory stor'd with feats of valour done,

" And youth recalling, told how belts were won,"

Gave us an equal claim to understand the theo-

ry of the business and consequently we scru-
;

ple not to say, we believe ourselves as well ac-

quainted with the various interesting particulars
comprised in such a Review* as any one person
whatever.
About forty-five years ago, or about the year
1778, back-hold Wrestling was more practised,
and in higher estimation in that extent of coun-
try which comprises the borders of Cumberland,
Westmorland, Yorkshire, and Northumberland,
than in any other place in England or Scotland.
Since those days of our fathers, great indeed is
the change effected in the habits, customs, and
manners, of all classes of people throughout
England ; and in no part of it more than in the
north. The festivities of Christmas, the hilari-
ties of sheep-shearing, and other seasons of mirth
and jollity, are now but the mere shadow of
what they were, even at the short distance of
time we treat of. Though some dainties, neither
much known nor wanted in those days, are now
 WRESTLIANA. Ill

in common use, yet home-brewed, that soul and

cementer of good fellowship, so often spoken of
in raptures by the aged, has nearly disappeared.
At that time, if money was more scarce, ale was
better and cheaper ; and pastimes were not only
more frequent, but enjoyed with much less care
for to-morrow. Accordingly, on the borders of
these counties, prizes of different descriptions
were frequently given to wrestle for. Although
a belt was the most usual prize, yet silver cups,
leather breeches, and other things of considera-
ble value, accompanied by a belt, were by no
means uncommon. Of all the excellent Wrest-
lers at that period, ADAM DODD was the most
distinguished. He was by trade a miller, and
was brought up, or at least resided for a number
of years at Longwathby Mill. As this village on
Christmas or New Year's Day, and Melmerby on
Midsummer's Day, were the scenes of the two
most distinguished annual contests, this hero li-
ved in the centre of those places where the great-
est number of prizes were given. It is consider-
ed by many who were acquainted with Adam,
that he won more prizes than any other man, ei-
ther remembered at that period, or who has since
appeared in the ring. From the best, and most
authentic accounts we have been able to collect
concerning him, we think he yielded in that re-
spect to William Richardson, of Caldbeck. Our
reasons for this opinion are founded on the fol-
lowing facts : Richardson was a Wrestler, and
a most distinguished one, for twice the number
of years it was possible for Adam to enjoy much
celebrity ; Richardson wrestled throughout a
more extensive range of country, and was more
in the habit of frequenting sports, than we be-
lieve Adam was. And again, Richardson car-
K2
 1 12 WRESTLIANA.

ried away many prizes from places where there

were few opponents (and sometimes none) to en-
counter a Wrestler of his prowess; whereas, in
Adam's time, almost every prize was keenly con-
tested. But giving Richardson the preference
in this respect, we give it as our candid
opinion,
that Dodd must have been the better Wrestler.
Indeed from the concurrent testimony of all
who knew him, it was universally admitted by
the old men at that period, that no Wrestler in
their remembrance had ever equalled him in
what is now termed science and action nor are
;

the men who were contemporaries with him,

willing to admit that any of our modern Wres-
tlers would have stood on equal terms with him :

but this latter assertion ought to be received with

caution. It is both usual and natural for age to
be garrulous and eloquent concerning the " days
of lang syne." For our part we have known
(and yet know) some whom we thought able to
wrestle any thing of their height and weight but
;

we confess, that so high was the renown of this

we scarcely know
distinguished champion, that
how to make up our mind concerning the truth
of this doctrine. Adam, though not termed a
big one, was yet far above the middle-size of
Wrestlers. He was between five feet ten and
five feet eleven inches high, and weighed near
fourteen stones :
belonging to that class in
which we have elsewhere stated the most distin-
guished Wrestlers and Pugilists were to be found.
He has been described to us as a clean, and well-
built man ;
but withal rather flattish bodied,
and slender backed for such a distinguished
Wrestler ;
this is said by some to have been the
only thing that prevented him from being invin-
cible. He was a straight stander, and easy to
 WRESTLIANA. 113

satisfy with a hold, but the moment it was

taken, eager to be at work, and seldom de-
sisted from the attack till the fall was over.
He seldom had recourse to the buttock ;
striking was his forte; and his dexterity
and method of parting, or what is often
provinciaily called livering (a contraction of
delivering) his man, was such, that he seldom
either missed his object, or went to the ground.
His favourite method was the outside, and he
was partial to feinting with one foot, and strik-
ing with the other ; however on striking out, he
often seconded the attack with the foot he feint-
ed with ;
and we have heard it asserted he
struck uncommonly high. In this his trade as a
miller might be advantageous to him. From
frequent practice in lifting and removing loads
with his arms, in which the knee and foot are
sometimes used as auxiliaries, he might have ac-
quired more strength in the leg when striking
out, and felt less incommoded when balancing
and turning his man, than if he had been brought
up to almost any other trade. It would be im-
possible for us, or any other person at this period
to enumerate the tithe of his victories suffice
:

it to observe, he was the hero of his

day, and at
the great annual meetings at Longwatliby, and
Melme.rby, as well as at Alston, often threw, not
only the most noted Wrestlers of the neighbour-
hood, and the borders of Cumberland and West-
morland, but all the dons from Yorkshire and
Northumberland who came to try their prowess
with him. It would be foolish to assert, or lead
any person to suppose he was not occasionally
thrown for that is a thing, which like " time
;

and tide happeueth to all men ;" but we believe

we shall not be contradicted, when we say he
K3
Ill WRESTLIANA.

ranked the very first on the list. He was a re-

markably civil, and peaceable man and his con
;

duct and character through life, accorded with

these two essential recommendations to respect
and esteem, having never been called in question
on any occasion. His death was occasioned by
incautiously lying down to sleep upon the kiln
when drying some oats, which brought on an
illness that proved fatal a short time after-
wards, whilst in the very prime of life. He died
about the year 1782, leaving a widow then with
child, having entered into the connubial state
not long before his decease.
The next hero to Adam Dodd in point of re-
nown at that period, and in that vicinity, was
THOMAS JOHNSTON, who has for a great number
of years been in the employ of J. C. Curwen,
Esq. of Workington Hall, as a labourer and
husbandman. It is a very dubious point whether
Tom has not, from wrestling in a more extensive
sphere, and labouring longer in the vocation,
won as great a number of prizes as Adam did.
When these two heroes met, there was nothing
like certainty as to the event of the contest ;

Tom having both thrown, and been thrown by

Adam although we surmise the odds were in
;

favour of the latter circumstance. However with

that one exception, we are warranted from a
multiplicity of accounts, in ranking Tom John-
ston superior to any other man in a wide range
of country, in which he long reigned the most
distinguished champion. Amongst those whom
he has vanquished, Tom, with considerable pride
sometimes mentions the celebrated Abraham
Brown, who was for many years curate of Egre-
mont. Johnston was a fourteen stone man, and
stood near six feet high, was extremely well
 WRESTLIANA. 115

made, and consequently an equal opponent for

any man whatever. He was we believe no but-
tocker ; and was most partial to the ham, and
hankering the heel, in which modes he excelled
all the heroes of his day. Johnston, like a true
sportsman, still relishes the crack of the whip,
and actually carried the belt from off the Cloffick,
at Workington, at one of the great meetings
on Easter Tuesday, when nearly sixty years of
age. Tom Johnston is in himself a contradiction
to the foolish, but commonly received opinion,
that wrestling is so injurious to the frame, that
it destroys the constitution in a very few
years,
and brings on so many aches, and rheumatic
pains, that many believe a Wrestler when ad-
vanced in years, must necessarily be a crip-
ple. So far are we from coinciding in this
opinion, that as far as we are able to judge, we
have reason to believe it to be a healthful, and
strengthening exercise. We may be laughed at
for such an opinion, but facts are stubborn things,
and we challenge any man who differs from us
in that opinion, to produce a younger and
healthier-looking man of his age, than William
Richardson, who has won more prizes we be-
lieve than any man in existence. In fact many
of the idle stories respecting the terrific conse-
quences, are mere chimeras !
originating with
those who know nothing about it, and credited
only by those who have had no opportunities of
judging for themselves.
Another celebrated hero at the same period,
was THOMAS LEE, who we are informed is at
this present time a publican in Alston. Lee, we
have been told, was from the borders of Nor-
thumberland, and was the unrivalled cock of the
walk for many miles round him, both as a Wrest-
116 WRESTLIANA.

ler and Pugilist. The fame of Adam Dodd con-

tinually ringing in his ears, inflamed him with an
ardent desire to try conclusions with him. Ac-
cordingly, regarding minor conquests as beneath
him, and believing himself nearly invincible, he
set off in quest of Adam to a meeting of such cele-
brity as to insure the attendance of that hero. We
have heard some assert that it was at Longwath-
by, but we have undoubted authority for saying
it was
at Great Salkeld that these heroes first
met. However this may be it is certain that they
both fought and wrestled. The issue of the for-
mer contest was not unfavourable to Adam, al-
though there are many who maintain that it
was the only pugilistic contest in which he
was ever engaged ;
and that it was only to pre-
vent the imputation of being a coward that
induced him to fight. In wrestling, Adam pro-
ved the master; and this we are told Lee is
still willing to acknowledge, but entertains
an opinion that he was the better man in the
other respect. Be that as it may, there is no
doubt that Lee was a very noted man, and supe-
rior to his opponent in strength and weight.
JOHN HORSLEY, or OTLEY, yet living in Alston,
was likewise a very powerful man and though
;

not considered an equal match for Adam Dodd,

threw him for a pair of new leather breeches
given by J. Riccardson, Esq. on his coming to
age.
Bamptonschool, on the borders of Westmor-
land, was perhaps the most celebrated seminary
in England for turning out good Wrestlers. It
was usual at that period for those designed for
the church, or any learned profession, to fre-
quent school when grown up to manhood and ;

if a young man was known to be a Bampton

 WRESTLIANA. .117

scholar, it was considered conclusive of his being

a good Wrestler. Among those educated at this
instructive seminary whose genius led them to
acquire a competent knowledge of the bodily
powers of man, before they were honoured with
the charge of his more important requisites, was
the Reverend and celebrated ABRAHAM BROWN,
whom we have before alluded to. This gentle-
man was the first of whom we have any authentic
records of excelling as a buttocker. Having lost
no time in perfecting himself in this manly exer-
cise when a scholar, he fully maintained the cha-
racter of a very first rate, when acting in the
more exalted situations of usher and school"
master in different places and occasionally after
;

he became a curate. When a very young man

he acquired great renown in carrying away a
silver cup of considerable value from Eamont
Bridge, which divides the counties of Cumber-
land and Westmorland, and which was conse-
quently in the very centre of the most noted
wrestling country in England. After his esta-
blishment at Egremont, Mr. Brown had no ob-
jection, in the spirit of good fellowship, to oblige
any man who felt extremely anxious for a trial
of skill with him, and in these casual turn ups it
is said he was never vanquished. Abraham be-
ing a man of considerable humour, and good na-
ture, palmed himself more than once, as a friend
of Parson Brown's, on men, who hearing of his
celebrity, expressed a strong desire to try a fall
with him. On such occasions he pretended to
be well acquainted with the Parson, and assu-
red them that if they could throw him easily,
they would prove a match for Brown, when they
met with him. This of course caused a contest
and Master Abraham, after giving them full
118 WRESTLIANA.

satisfaction, would advise them to go home, as

he could assure them they were not able to van-
quish the Parson. We have heard him assert
that when nineteen years of age, he did not
weigh more than twelve stones, but a stranger to
him in his younger days would have judged of
him very differently. He could not be less than
six feet high, and when at a proper age for en-
tering the church, must have weighed fifteen
stones at least. This well known character died
within the last twelve months, and it is but jus-
tice to his
memory to observe, that though oc-
casionally addicted to the bottle, he preserved
through life, both in his public and private cha-
racter, the regard and esteem, not only of his
parishioners m general, but of nearly all who
were acquainted with him.
Quitting the borders of the county at present,
we will revert to the borders of Holm Cultram.
In that part of Cumberland, flourished at that
time, the greatest hero in a diversity of athletic
exercises, England ever produced. This was
the well known JOHN TINIAN, who as a wrest-
ler, boxer, runner, leaper,' cudgel, and football
player, never met with an equal. It was no un-
common circumstance for Tinian to bear away
all the three prizes, viz, belt, hat, and gloves,
from the neighbouring races which feat he once
;

performed at Penrith where he was totally un-

known, defeating in these different exercises, the
very best of the border heroes. He was about
six feet high, and fourteen stone weight an un-
;

commonly powerful and muscular man, regard-

ed as a desperado, and looked upon as the cock
of the walk wherever he went. John Tinian
is yet
living, and some of his sons turned out
promising chicks, though by no means equal to
 WRESTLIANA. 119

the old cock. His brother JOB was equally well

known. Job was no apology for a man, stand-
ing about six feet six inches high, and weighing
accordingly !was remarkably in-kneed, and
had little of an Adonis about him at any time, but
more especially when, as was frequently the case,
he stripped off all his clothes, and exposed him-
self to his opponent in a state of nudity. Not-
withstanding his size, and terrific appearance, he
was not considered equal to his brother John in
any respect and William Richardson, of Cald-
;

beck, when a mere stripling, ventured to wrestle

him the best of three falls. Richardson threw
him cleanly the first fall, but was worsted in the
second and third. Had Richardson been a few
years older, there is little doubt but he would
have gained an easy conquest and probably in
;

wrestling have been more than a match for John

himself, supposing they had both been in their
prime. Job died some years ago.
Taking leave for the present of the eastern
side of Derwent, we must go westward as far as
Gosforth before we find another Wrestler of
such celebrity as to entitle him to notice in these
Memoirs. In that place we find one of the most
distinguished characters at that period between
Derwent and Duddon, in the person of JOHN
WOODALL, who was brought up as a husband-
man, and succeeded his father as proprietor of a
small estate in Gosforth. Woodall though not
the tallest, was we believe the strongest man we
have yet noticed. His person was symmetry it-
self; he stood about five feet eleven inches high,
weighed upwards of sixteen stones, and all who
knew him agree in considering that he was the
strongest man in the west of Cumberland. As a
Wrestler, Woodall was more indebted to
120 WRESTLIANA.

strength, than science ; but he possessed the for-

mer requisite to such an uncommon degree, that
he was considered no unequal opponent for the
powerful and scientific curate of Egremont. At
the King's Arms, in that place, Woodall exhibit-
ed a remarkable, and rather extraordinary speci-
men of his prodigious strength. Having been
thrown for a prize by a shoemaker of the name
of Carr, a well-known Wrestler, the latter, flush-
ed with his victory, began to ridicule Woodall
on the circumstance ; Woodall, though a very
peaceable man, yet willing to turn the laugh a-
gainst Carr, caught him up in his arms as if he
had been an infant, and hung him by his breeches
waistband upon one of the hooks in the ceiling !

This circumstance, while it illustrates the strvnylh

of Woodall, displays in even a more prominent
degree the advantages of science, which enabled
Carr to throw an antagonist so very superior to
him in strength. His finances being exhaust-
ed, Woodall went to sea, and was drowned in
the river Liffey, near Dublin, about the year
1796.
Although wrestling still continued to be uni-
versally practised in these counties, yet the im-
mediate successors of those heroes we have men-
tioned, do not appear to have attained equal
celebrity, as fame is comparatively silent respect-
ing their achievements. About the year 1790, a
contest often spoken of took place at Cocker-
mouth, between William Gunson, a cooper from
Calderbridge, and Richard Wright, many years a
gamekeeper at Brayton Hall. They were both
very powerful men, and might be considered the
champions of their respective neighbourhoods.
If their science was not, what would now be
considered of the first order, yet the vigorous
 WRESTLIANA. 121

exertions of two active fifteen stone men, either

of them six feet high, could not fail to render
the contest very attractive. The wager, which
was only trifling-, was to be decided by the best
of three falls. After a very manly and spirited
contest, the hero from Calderbridge proved the
conqueror. At a somewhat preceding period,
a Cockermouth man of the name of Studdart,
commonly called Leny (probably a contraction
of Leonard) Studdart, was much noted for
Wrestling but his notoriety was more occasion-
;

ed by his prodigious strength, than by any pro-

ficiency in the science of the exercise.
Advancing forward to a more modern date,
we will proceed to notice some of the most cele-
brated heroes at the close of the seventeenth
century, or preceding the year 1800. In doing
so, we must travel back to Alston and its vici-
nity, and introduce to the notice of our readers
the very best Wrestler of his weight Cumber-
land, or even the United Kingdom, ever produ-
ced, in the person of JAMES, alias JEMMY FAW-
CETT. Anxious to do ample justice to the pro-
fessional character of every Wrestler whose
name is to be found in our pages, without de-
tracting from the merited renown of others, we
are compelled to acknowledge Jemmy must have
been the most wonderful Wrestler, either of his
own, or any other time of which we have any
succinct, or authentic account. Jemmy, though
is perfectly unknown to us,
yet living, there-
forewe cannot speak positively as to his weight,
which we have heard some call fen, and others
fen stone seven pounds ; but admitting he weigh-
ed eleven stones, the eleven-stone man who
could bear away the prize for seven successive
years from the most noted place of meeting, and
L
122 WRESTLIANA.

from the acknowledged best Wrestlers in Cum-

berland and Westmorland, must have been a
Nonpareil indeed ! Yet that Jemmy Fawcett
was the victor at Longwathby, the most noted
annual resort, not only for the most celebrated
border Wrestlers, but from Alston and twenty
miles round, on every Midsummer-day, does not
admit of the least dispute. If Jack Randall, the
pugilist, is entitled to the appellation of Non-
pareil, by beating men of his own weight, and
one or two a single stone heavier, what would
he have been called if he could have added to
the list of heroes he has vanquished the names
of Cribb, Neate, and Spring ? Yet, granting he
had done so, he would then scarcely have had
as well-merited a claim to the appellation as
Fawcett, w ho has thrown scores of heavier men
than any of the three ! ! This single fact more
establishes the superiority, as a science, of Wres-
tling, over Pugilism, than volumes filled with ar-
guments on the subject could possibly do. It
likewise equally exposes the folly of those who
call back-hold* a mere trial of strength. Faw-
cett, as we have before said, weighed under, or
about eleven stones, and was about five feet seven
inches high, and continued wrestling occasion-
ally till he was nearly fifty years of age;
a suf-
ficient proof that he, though a slender man, and
open to all comers, did not consider Wrestling
as a dangerous amusement. Among the list of
the many powerful men he threw, several en-
titled to be classed as first raters might be pro-
duced. Nor was his superiority over such men
to be attributed either to accident, or confined
to the circumstance of one trial only. We con-
tend that Fawcett must have been, and was able
to throw many fourteen stone men entitled to
 WRESTLIANA. 123

rank as first raters ;

come to the mark at
or to
once, men ranking as high, professionally, as
any of the three Pugilists alluded to yet could
:

Randall, although supposed to be the very best

Pugilist ever remembered, beat any of them ?
The circumstance of Fawcett being able to
throw fourteen-stone men may be said to form
one exception to our remark that the most su-
perior Wrestlers and Pugilists
will be found be-
tween thirteen and fourteen stone weight we ;

answer, not exactly so. We do not think Faw-

cett could have thrown Adam Dodd, Thomas
Nicholson, William Richardson, or some others
we could select, in a number of trials on the ;

contrary, we are sure the odds would have been

against him for a single fall but we contend
;

these selected Wrestlers ranked higher in that

exercise, than Cribb, Neate, or Spring ever did
as Pugilists we would compare them to James
;

Belcher, or the Game Chicken, when in their

prime and we presume no pugilistic amateur

;

will say the latter Pugilists were not considered

superior to any of the present time, though some
of them undoubtedly rank as first raters. We
must therefore conclude, that there is either
more science in back-hold Wrestling, than in
Pugilism, or that Fawcett is much more entitled
to the appellation of Nonpareil than Randall.
Jemmy was partial to getting his left side into
action and striking from that position. It is not
consistent with the limited nature of this work
to dwell longer on the merits of this truly ce-
lebrated Wrestler, any further than to re-
mark, that Swaledale, in Yorkshire, was the
scene of his latest exploits, and in which place
we believe he is still living.
The most renowned Wrestler in Westmorland
L2
 124 WRKSTLIANA.

at this period was JOHN BARROW, a carpenter,

who we have been told was a Cumberland man.
Barrow was often employed in the vicinity of
Windermere Lake, and being- a very powerful
man, and fully entitled to rank among the very
first raters, was considered by many a match for

any man in the kingdom ;

and to him it is said
Richardson of Caldbeck was indebted for his
favourite method of striking inside. This cham-
pion at a considerably subsequent period to his
celebrity as a Wrestler was unfortunately drown-
ed by the upsetting of a boat on Windermere
Lake. It was rather remarkable that Barrow,
the only person lost by the accident, was an ex-
cellent swimmer, and the only person in the boat
who could swim. The accident happening at a
place of no considerable depth, his foot either
stuck fast in the mud, or getting entangled in
some excresence attached to the bottom, he
never rose to the surface of the water, and con-
sequently perished before he could be relieved.
Among those who immediately succeeded Faw-
cett in the vicinity of Alston, the GOLIGHTLYS
(Frank and Tom), were reckoned the best men
of their weight. Frank was about the size, or
rather less than Jemmy, and if not equally dis-
tinguished, was nevertheless considered a very
extraordinary Wrestler, and gained a great
number of prizes in different parts of Cumber-
land. Frank's usual method was a stroke or
feint with the right foot, the object of which was
to facilitate the means of getting his left side and
buttock better in, and by so doing instantly to
bring his antagonist over his head ;
and without
his opponent, however powerful, possessed a
good knowledge of the art, and was well ac-
quainted, and consequently aware of Frank's
 WRESTLIANA. 125

manner, he was generally gone before he had

time to recollect what he was about. We must
take our leave of Frank by observing he had a
strong penchant for the amusement, was a very
good one, and never met with an accident in
his pursuit of it. Thomas Golightly was not
quite five feet eight inches high, but was con-
siderably heavier than his brother, or Jemmy
Fawcett, being very near a twelve stone man.
Tom was an excellent Wrestler when seventeen
years of age, and was considered very near the
head of the list in the neighbourhood of Alston.
When in his prime, Tom defeated in a match the
celebrated Robert Rowantree, who won the
prize at Carlisle in the year 1813. He likewise
distinguished himself at Melmerby, at which
place he was victor one year, and came second
the next Tom some years after he was married
emigrated westward, and settling at Working-
ton, wrought for a long time at that place as a
coal miner in the employ of J. C. Curwen, Esq.
during which time, though greatly declined from
what he had been, he won many prizes, and
maintained the character of an excellent Wrest-
ler. Procuring employment under the Earl of
Lonsdale, Tom left Workington, and settled at
Whitehaven, where notwithstanding his advan-
ced age, his predilection for wrestling still con-
tinuing, he even then augmented the great num-
ber of prizes he had before won. After working
some time at Whitehaven, Tom was instantane-
ously killed in one of the Howgill pits by a tre-
mendous fall of the roof while employed in as-
sisting to remove a previous fall To those more
conversant with Pugilism than Wrestling', we
will observe that Tom might be compared as a
Wrestler to Power, the first conqueror of Carter ;

L3
126 WRESTLIANA.

being; like that pugilist, a complete master of the

science, and more diversified in his method of
wrestling than any other man we ever knew.
Tom .was a very fresh and good looking man of
his age ; and his occupation considered, by no
means addicted to idleness. In the ring, his
conduct deserved, and obtained universal ap-
probation he always met his man with a smile,
;

was a fair stander, and perfectly ready to ac-

commodate his opponent, with either a tight, or
a slack hold. Such was Thomas Golightly,
whose untimely death was much regretted by all
who were acquainted with him.
In the vicinity of Holm Cultram wrestling at
this period still preserved its consequence as an
amusement. Although John Tinian was nearly
told out, his sons, John and Joseph, (particu-
larly the latter) were regarded as heroes of no
ordinary stamp but two Alston men of the name
;

of Hall, were considered the dons of Ellenbo-

rough, Gilcrux, and the adjacent country. They
were both tall active men, weighing upwards of
thirteen stone, and like the majority of their
countrymen, partial to buttocking. Joseph,
commonly young Job Tinian, to distin-
called
guish him from his uncle, was a more powerful
man than his father, weighing when in his
prime upwards of fifteen stone, and possessing
uncommon strength for a man even of that
weight. Job was a good buttocker, and an ex-
cellent striker and if his capabilities as a guard-
;

er, and quick Wrestler, had corresponded with

these great essentials, he would ha*e been a
match for any man in the county. In the vicin-
ity of Cockermouth, two brothers of the name
of Allison, long ruled the roast and many per- ;

sons in that neighbourhood are of opinion, that

 WRESTLIANA. 127

though lightermen than the generality of those

we have noticed, very few in either county were
able to throw them. Joseph Allison (or Allan-
son) the more noted of them, is not above five
feet eight inches high, and might be something
above twelve stones in weight. Joseph was par-
tial to a tight hold, was a good striker, and we
believe brought up to husbandry his brother was
;

by trade a blacksmith. Wewill close this short

biographical paragraph with observing that the
Rev. Osborn Littleton, of Buttermere, was pre-
vious to his entry into orders the best Wrestler
within many miles of Whitehaven.
We shall now proceed to notice a transaction
which occasioned considerable interest among
the admirers of this athletic exercise in this im-
mediate vicinity : Wemean the arrival of the
Westmorland militia, which was stationed at
Whitehaven towards the close of the seventeenth
century. In this regiment were several cele-
brated Wrestlers, among whom we will particu-
larize the two whose names became most " fami-
liar in men's mouths" during the time the re-

giment remained at Whitehaven. These were

PHILIP STEPHENSON and THOMAS MADGE. Phil-
ip was a strong-built muscular man, about five
feet nine inches high, and must have weighed up=-
wards of fourteen stones. His fame as a Wrest-
ler ran before him, his officers were ready to
back him to any amount against any man in the
kingdom, and in fact, during his residence here
as a soldier, he certainly was the most prominent
hero on the list. Philip was a straight stander,
and extremely difficult to move from his posi-
tion ;
and this more than any othex qualification
constituted his excellence as a Wrestler. His
great practice had rendered him nearly perfect
128 WRESTLIANA,

in that point, and made him very quick in avail-

ing himself of any advantage that presented it-
self in consequence of the unsuccessful efforts
made by his opponents. Madge on the contrary
might be called a light weight, but was a most
excellent outside striker. Among the neigh-
bouring Wrestlers who endeavoured to dispute
the palm of superiority with these military cham-
pions, the Egremothians were the most conspicu-
ous. The most noted of these were William
Eilbeck, a stone mason, William Ponsonby, a
butcher, and the two Roberts, Joe and Peter.
Few likelier men than Eilbeck for a Wrestler are
to be found ; he possessed length, strength, and
weight was confident of his own powers, and a
;

good outside striker. Ponsonby was the best

and cleanest outside striker ever known in the
west of Cumberland, and was by no means a lit-
tle one, being not far from five feet ten inches

high, and weighing near fourteen stones. Pon-

sonby much resembled Adam Dodd as a Wrestler,
and was unquestionably a very first rate, but at
that time was considered something on the de-
cline. The Roberts were something less than
Ponsonby, but Joe was considered nearly as
dangerous a customer to get rid of; being ex-
tremely ready, and as well up to every manoeu-
vre how to get the best of it, as any man in the
kingdom. However after various trials, the red
coats proved the masters. Intemperance had pro-
duced its usual effects upon Ponsonby, Eilbeck
could not force Philip from his position, and the
manoeeuvreing of Roberts failed when opposed
to the superior weight and tactics of the soldier.
The only reverse the military experienced, was
at Saint Bees Moor during the annual races.
Stephenson's officers were somewhat noisy re-
 WRESTLIANA. 129

specting his great capabilities, when a friendly

wager was offered them to produce a man on the
ground to wrestle him a single fall. The offer
was immediately accepted, and Philip eager to
be at work soon appeared in the ring fully pre-
pared for action, and anxiously expecting his
opponent. After waiting some time, Ponsonby,
the man selected for the trial, entered to him,
rather the worse, or probably the better, for the
" water of life'' which had been
plentifully ad-
ministered to him; but no solicitations could
prevail upon him to strip. Fully satisfied that if
he won the fall it must be without loss of time, he
chose to decide the business with his clothes on.
The quickness and impetuosity of Ponsonby's at-
tack carried all before it. Notwithstanding the
boasted guard of the soldier, his neck and shoul-
ders instantly exchanged situations with his feet.
Philip was up in a moment and anxious for a-
nother trial, but Ponsonby was not to be had, his
friends had carried him off in triumph, and Philip
was obliged to wait for another opportunity of
balancing accounts with him. The last meeting
between the Westmorland militia and the Egre-
mothians was at Bigrig Moor, a place nearly
equidistant from Whitehaven and Egremont;
and this we well remember, was the first prize we
ever saw wrestled for. Philip had his revenge
on Ponsonby, and finally threw Eilbeck, who in
the course of the wrestling threw Madge. After
the disbanding of the militia, Philip and Madge
both returned to Whitehaven, where Madge still
remains, being employed as a top-man about the
collieries. Stephenson likewise remained in the
neighbourhood many years, and wrought at his
trade, which was a mason or waller. Philip often
exhibited in the ring after his return, but the sol-
130 WRESTLIANA.

dier Philip and the mason Philip seemed two very

different persons. His most formidable traits were
undoubtedly gone, and he was frequently
thrown by men very far inferior to those he
had before vanquished. He continued wrestling
occasionally, till we who had regarded him with
admiration when a mere lad, once or twice met
him in the ring, when ranking higher on the list
than any man he had previously encountered :--
the result need not be told, for such are the
changes of a few years !

After the departure of the militia the heroes

of Egremont were not long in finding others
eager to contest the palm of superiority with
them even upon their own ground. It is pro-
bable they were becoming rather stale, but how-
ever that might be it was soon evident that they
were no match for their new rivals from the
neighbourhood of Cleator. These were John
Blackstock and J. Wilkinson, both millers, from
the border of the Holm, and the celebrated John
Stainton, just then rising into notice. Wilkin-
son was a more powerful man than Blackstock,
but the latter was considered the better Wrest-
ler. Blackstock was a well made active man, a-
bout five feet nine inches high, and about thirteen
stones in weight, and was one of the very few
who use the right buttock effectively. Stain-
ton however soon became the star of the neigh-
bourhood, and before he was twenty years of
age had gained above that number of prizes !

and though in his novitiate had been very seldom

thrown. His fame and conquests increasing, he
soon became the unrivalled champion of this
vicinity, and was matched to wrestle five falls
with any man in Cumberland. The hero chosen
to oppose him was Jacob Fletcher, from the
 WRESTLIANA. 131

neighbourhood of Mockerkin, and the place

fixed upon was Arlec-
for this display of science
don Moor, about four miles east of Whitehaven.
The first trial proved long, and was severely
contested. Each lifting against the other,
neither of them could make any thing like a
stroke, and Fletcher frequently tried to ham
without effect. After a desperate struggle, the
holds getting looser, Fletcher succeeded in
throwing his opponent over his buttock. Stain-
ton won the second fall in good style, but
Fletcher gained the remaining three falls succes-
sively, by buttocking him. This contest excited
great interest at the time, and notwithstanding
the result, much difference of opinion existed
whether was the better man. It was urged by
the friends of the loser, that owing to overwork-
ing himself while mowing, he had in a few days
declined from upwards of fifteen stones to four-
teen ; and that he had the misfortune to break
one of his great toes the first contest. On the
other hand the friends of Fletcher asserted he
was the heavier and stronger man, except in the
arms, and that he was able to throw Stainton at
any time. Both of the men were about six feet
hig^h, and the truth of the matter was, that
strcnytti was the most distinguished character-
istic of the contest, and that very little science?

good wrestling was displayed by either of the

combatants. Stainton was a good lifter, and
intent upon doing so, but never attempted
an inside stroke, and knew nothing of but-
tocking :
accordingly, when he was unable
to take Fletcher from the ground, it could
not tail to turn the scale against him. Fletch-
er was the more powerful man, but by no
means so fair a stander and we think, candidly
;
132 WRESTLIANA.

it was to that circumstance as much as

speaking,
any other, the victory was to be attributed. His
only stroke was inside with the right knee, which
is certainly a very bad one to attempt when op-

posed to a man of equal power, but he was no

contemptible hamer, and for so powerful a man,
a good buttocker. After the wager was decided,
there was some excellent Wrestling for a belt,
which was won by Henry Dixon, from the im-
mediate neighbourhood, throwing at the last Jo-
seph Bushby, of Mockerkin, a companion of
Fletcher's, taller, and nearly of equal celebrity
with him ;
the above four dons of their day
were all husbandmen.
In pursuing the above progressive clue of
Wrestling, we have got within the limits of the
eighteenth century, and are consequently ap-
proaching the great era of the Carlisle Wrestling
in 1809. Before commencing our account of
these truly celebrated meetings, we will briefly
notice a very few transactions which involve
the names of some Wrestlers who never entered
the Carlisle ring, and who were so well known
as Wrestlers, as to render our account somewhat
imperfect without some notice of them.
For three or four successive years there were
Public Bridals at Lorton, which occasioned the
attendance of many celebrated Wrestlers from
different parts of the county. The first of these
we will notice was in the year 1806 the last fall
;

was disputed between Jacob Fletcher of Mock-

erkin, and William Armstrong of Tallentire. The
latterwas an excellent Wrestler, but near three
stones lighter than his opponent, and as many
inches shorter. He was particularly good at
striking inside with the left leg, and on this oc-
casion was considered to have the best of the fall
 WRESTLIANA. 133

in question. Fletcher however refused to give

up, and in the course of the evening both par-
1

it

ties agreed to decide the matter by another tri-

al ; when, after a well-contested struggle, the
three great advantages of length, weight, and
strength prevailed, and Fletcher was declared
the conqueror. Fletcher was a very quiet and
well-behaved man, and if not diversified in ac-
tion, was so well versed in the science that we
have heard him assert he was never vanquished
in a number of trials, and never wrestled a dis-
puted fall over again without winning it. In
wrestling through the ring on that day, he threw
that truly formidable character, Thomas Bell,
for some time a schoolmaster at Bassenthwaite,
and afterwards at Keswick. Bell at that period
ranked higher as a Wrestler, and we believe as
Boxer, than any man in the two counties. In
him were united all the qualifications which
constitute a finished Wrestler, or Pugilist. He
possessed youth, length, strength, courage, ac-
tivity, and science, fully equal, if not superior,
to any hero of that, or any other time of mo-
dern date, and there is no doubt, if he had re-
mained in the county, he would have shone as
a star of the first magnitude. In the situation he
then filled, he was considered a very good scho-
lar, but at times, unfortunately for himself, he
deviated from that propriety of conduct always
expected from those in his situation. We have
the greatest reason to believe he was the master
of Richardson of Caldbeck, then in his prime,
and whom he resembled in his manner of wrest-
ling, the inside being his favourite aim. Soon
after the period alluded to, Bell emigrated to
America, where we have been informed he has
succeeded in establishing himself comfortably.
 134 WRESTLIANA.

In this contest with Fletcher, whom at a previ-

ous period he had thrown with ease, he went
down when making play. Of one or two suc-
ceeding trials which Fletcher acceded to for
mutual accommodation, we cannot speak deci-
sively, we have heard them very differently re-
presented some affirming' Fletcher had not the
;

least chance, and others, among whom may be

enumerated Fletcher himself, maintain that he
iiad none the worst of them.
In the following year, namely, 1807, no less
than one hundred and twenty Wrestlers from
different parts of the county entered the ring to
contend for a very handsome belt with plated
buckles and sliders. The same William Arm-
strong who contested the last fall with Jacob
Fletcher the preceding year, again distinguish-
ed himself on this occasion. He wrestled
through the ring with much eclat, and though
vanquished by us for the prize, he lost no laurels
in that contest contending for victory to the
;

last,and though the advantages might certainly

be considered against him, he was not disposed
of without difficulty. This was the only time
we ever w restled or witnessed wrestling at Lorr
r

ton, and the well-known John Brownrigg,

of Patterdale, was the first man we threw.
Brownrigg was acknowledged by all who knew
him to be an excellent Wrestler, and was more
particularly known for being the conqueror of
George Stamper, of Newlands, a very powerful
man, and the only Wrestler, we believe, who
ever vanquished both Thomas Nicholson and
William Richardson without being at some fu-
ture time defeated by them. Brownrigg was
about the size of William Armstrong, and con-
sequently on encountering- us, the advantages
 WRESTLIANA. 135

of length and strength were against him :this

well known Wrestler died some time ago.
We will rrot dwell much upon the numerous
meetings in this vicinity in which we ourselves
played the first fiddle.We shall only observe,
that in 1808, Blake Fell races, which had laid
dormant for many years, were revived and the
;

weather proving favourable, they were well at-

tended. Having carried off the prize with much
ease the first day, a most determined opposition,
often spoken of, was contrived against the en-
suing day. The writer, with considerable
adroitness, managed to call in against us, suc-
cessively, no less than seven of the best Wrest-
lers upon the ground, among whom were Jo*
seph Bushby, of Mockerkin, and the two best of
the younger Tinians, John and Joseph. Not-
withstanding this deep-laid scheme, their oppo-
sitionproved of no avail, as none of these se-
lected champions appeared to have the least
chance of arresting our career of victory.
We have elsewhere observed that the best wrest-
ling in the west of Cumberland was on Ar-
lecdon Moor, where one, two, and sometimes
three prizes were given every year; one of
them, for a number of years, amounting to two
guineas. On that Moor we w ere never thrown
r

from the year 1805 to the year 1815; during

which time we either won, or could have won,
all the prizes, if we except one carried off

by William Mackereth, of Cockermouth, in

1814; for which we did not wrestle; therefore
how that event might have terminated, can
remain matter of opinion only. However, in-
dependent of that circumstance, the multipli-
city of our victories there, sufficiently evince,
that, although we were sometimes thrown in
M2
136 WRESTLIANA.

the west of Cumberland, our being so was more

owing to carelessness, or accident, than to any
superiority, or even equality, of those who
threw us. As the name of every other cele-
brated Wrestler within the eighteenth century
will occur, either in our Review of the Wrestling
at Ambleside, Carlisle, Penrith, or Keswick
races, or in the Biographical Remarks on those
who do, we will immediately proceed to the
methodical consideration of them, with this
preliminary observation, that the short me-
moirs annexed to some of the most celebra-
ted, will be found in that period of our Re-
view, where every such Wrestler has last en-
tered any of the rings in question for the pur-
pose of wrestling.
 WRESTLE N A, 137

Review of the Ambleside, Carlisle, Penrith,

and Keswick Wrestling, from their com-
mencement to the year 1823.

PREVIOUS to the year 1809 the wrestling in the

vicinity of Ambleside, and throughout the Lake

circuit in general, was considered very inferior
to that usually witnessed about Penrith, and the
greatest part of Cumberland. It was, probably,
through a laudable desire to remedy this defi-
ciency, and to bring this manly exercise into
more general estimation that J. Wilson, Esq. a
gentleman then residing at Elleray, and who
was extremely attached to many athletic amuse-
ments, through a conviction of their utility, by
his own liberality and example promoted the
donation of a larger sum of money to wrestle for
at the annual sports near Ambleside in the year
1809, than had ever been known at any prece-
ding period in that part of Westmorland. Among
the competitors collected to contend for this
liberal prize, w as Thomas Nicholson of Threl-
r

keld, in Cumberland, then in the height of his

provincial reputation. We
say provincial, be-
cause it was previous to what might be termed
his attainment of the comparative metropolitan
stamp by his repeated victories at Carlisle.
Nicholson was the winner of this prize, throw-
ing a distinguished Wrestler of the name of
Dixon, and the two well known Wrestlers, Row-
land and John Long. It is however due to that
impartiality which ought to be the invariable
maxim of every historical writer to observe, that
there were, and yet are, many in the vicinity of
Ambleside that witnessed the contest who posi-
tively affirm he had no right to it. Their opinion
M 3
138 WRESTLIANA.

is that he was thrown

by J. Dixon (a brother to
the Dixon he threw) a Wrestler of no
celebrity.
It appears however that it had been the
opinion
of the stewards, that the fall in question was
considered not fair, as they decided for another
trial. This, Dixon conscious of his inferiority,
declined, and consequently Nicholson was de-
clared the stander, and was the ultimate victor.
Notwithstanding- the magnitude of the prize, the
competitors were not numerous, and the con-
tests between Nicholson and the two
Longs
were considered the principal attraction of the
day.
Influenced by the same motives which occa-
sioned the above display at Ambleside, a much
more considerable sum was, by the zeal and ex-
ample of Mr. Henry Pearson, Solicitor at Car-
lisle, collected to wrestle for during the races at
that ancient city. Previous to this period,
wrestling in the immediate vicinity of Carlisle
was in no very great estimation ;
it was seldom

witnessed, and consequently could not be duly

appreciated : and it was probably owing to this
circumstance, that there was not any Wrestler
of celebrity, either in the city itself, or within
some miles of it therefore, notwithstanding the
:

novelty of such an exhibition on the Swifts, and

the very handsome sum subscribed, the competi-
tors were not unusually numerous. Among
these however, from what might be called west
from Carlisle, were the celebrated Richardson
of Caldbeck, and Thos. Nicholson of Threikeld ;

and from the east, the equally distinguished

Robert Rowantree, from Ihe neighbourhood of
Bewcastle, and the Earls, of Cumwhinton. As
some wagers were depending whether the prize
would be carried east or west, it was deemed
 WRBSTLIANA. 139

desirable that the best Wrestlers on either side,

should not encounter each other till ths close of
the contest. Accordingly in wrestling through
the ring, Nicholson successively threw the eas-
tern heroes above alluded to, and in conse-
quence of some dispute arising respecting the
fall between them, he threw Rowantree a second
time with such ease as to convince the amateurs
of his superiority over him. The same good
fortune did not attend Richardson, he was thrown
by a noted Wrestler of the name of Harrison ;

and Harrison was the final opponent of Nichol-

son, who by throwing him for the prize, was en-
titled to rank higher as a Wrestler than any man
in the county.
The gentlemen of Penrith, well aware of the
universal satisfaction the revival of this truly
British amusement had given to all ranks at Car-
lisle, determined to adopt the same means of in-
creasing the popularity of the ensuing races at
that town ;
and Dr. Pearson, brother to Mr.
Pearson of Carlisle, exerting himself in the busi-
ness, it was attended with corresponding suc-
cess. As Penrith was deemed a kind of central
situation between Carlisle and Ambleside, and
situate in a much more noted country for wrest-
ling than either of them, the competitors for
that prize were more numerous than at the
other places. From Nicholson's previous suc-
cess, the established character Richardson had
long possessed, and the celebrity Harrison had
acquired by throwing him at Carlisle, these three
heroes were considered by the amateurs to stand
the best chance for the prize. But " 'tis not in
mortals to command success," for however much
they might deserve it, they were all thrown at
the close of the third round ! and the prize was
HO WRESTLIANA.

won by a lad of the name of Golding, said to be

only eighteen years of age ! The man whom
! !

Golding last threw was Paul Gedlin, from Cul-

gaith, who by all accounts, had at that time won
as many prizes as Richardson himself, many
more than Nicholson, and was as good a Wrest-
ler as either of them. Some time previous to this
he had been matched to wrestle Richardson five
falls, for five guineas aside, though more than a
stone below his weight. The parties met ac-
cording to appointment, but the wager was
never determined, owing to some disagreement
about the holds. Our accounts respecting this
meeting do not coincide some affirm that each
;

man won a fall, and others that one fall only

was wrestled, which was won by Richardson.
However that might be, the fact was, that Ged-
lin was the better loose-hold Wrestler, and
Richardson was anxious for a tighter hold than
he would allow to be fair and on the other
;

hand, Richardson did not choose to risk his re-

putation and his friend's money with a slack
hold, against an adversary whom he knew he
could throw with a tiyfttone. Gedlin was rather
advanced in years when thrown by Golding,
but was always considered a very superior
Wrestler and had won a great many prizes. In
the course of the wrestling alluded to, he threw
John Nicholson, brother to Tom, who had pre-
viously thrown Richardson on that occasion.
Harrison we believe visited Liverpool soon after,
and making one ring a very ostensible reason for
never entering another in quest of athletic re-
nown, we must here take our final leave of him.
As for Golding, the very young and unexpect-
ed winner of this prize, although no doubt a
very promising youth, and at that time heavier
 WRESTLIANA. HI

than Nicholson, yet it would be absurd to sup-

pose he was an equal match for several of the
competitors on that occasion. His most formid-
able point as a Wrestler, was a very vigorous
assault outside with the left leg. A short time
after this conquest at Penrith, he wrestled a-
gainst T. Nicholson for a belt ; the result was
what might naturally be expected from the
celebrity of that hero. In the course of that, or
the ensuing year, Golding removed to London,
and distinguished himself for the annual prize
given there during the Easter holidays, for the
young men from Cumberland and Westmorland
to wrestle for.
In the year 1810, the patrons of the Amble-
side wrestling disseminated hand bills all over
the country to announce that a belt of consider-
able value and five guineas, would be given to
wrestle for at their annual sports at the head
of Windermere Lake. The competitors how-
ever did not exceed sixteen couple, one half of
whom were merely nominal. At this meeting
we were present, as were Thomas and John
Nicholson, and Joseph Slack from Blencow ;
all of course from Cumberland. The Westmor-
land competitors were the same Nicholson had
vanquished the preceding year, with the acces-
sion of Henry Chapman, a Bampton man, and
Miles Dixon, a brother to the two already no-
ticed in the year 1809. John Nicholson was
thrown by Rowland Long, but both he and his
brother were again thrown by T. Nicholson.
Chapman was defeated both for the prize and a
subsequent wager by Slack, who laid down to T.
Nicholson but on the other hand, Miles Dixon
;

threw us, and finally Nicholson. The cir-

cumstance of Dixon throwing two of the very
 142 WRESTLIANA.

first Cumberland Wrestlers was certainly an un-

expected one, although he was a stone heavier

than either. Nicholson was no stranger to him,
as they had had frequent trials together, and
Dixon was consequently no stranger to his op-
ponent's superiority; while Nicholson's know-
ledge of that fact, in this instance contributed to
his defeat by rendering him careless respecting
his hold, as through his negligence in that point,
Dixon took him from the ground, and twisted
him down without a single struggle. As for our-
selves, we contend that Dixon derived no ho-
nour from the result of the contest between us,
as he had a firm hold of the waistband of the
breeches during the whole time of the wrestle.
Notwithstanding this incalculable advantage the
result was for some time extremely dubious. In
short, we will aver that we had such manifest
unfair play as reflected disgrace upon those who
should have been the umpires on the occasion,
as we several times desired him to quit his hold
of our breeches, and do declare, that to the best
of our belief, that circumstance alone prevented
us from throwing him ; after the victory was
decided, both Dixon and his friends refused to
accept of two guineas to one for a single trial
only.
The great attraction of the Carlisle wrestling
was year fully manifested by a greater as-
this
semblage of people on the Swifts than was ever
previously remembered. The Earl of Lonsdale
gave five guineas to the eleven subscribed by the
gentlemen of Carlisle. The first prize was a-
gain won by Nicholson, who likewise this year
threw both Rowantree and John Earl. Richard-
son was thrown very unexpectedly by some per
son of no previous celebrity, but he won the
 WRESTLIANA. 143

second prize which was contested for by the six-

teen last standers in great style ; throwing at the
last, Joseph Slack, who had likewise wrestled
the last fall for the first prize. Being the last
loser for both of these prizes, certainly was as
creditable to Slack as a Wrestler, as if he had
won one of them. Slack though only about five
feet eight inches high, was a heavier man than
Nicholson, but Tom's length gave him such ad-
vantages that Slack never could do any thing
with him. He was however justly entitled to
the appellation of a first rate Wrestler, and
though not considered a match for Richardson,
had thrown him more than once in the neigh-
bourhood of Greystoke, at which place the late
Duke of Norfolk frequently gave prizes, par-
ticularly buckskin breeches, to wrestle for.
Slack was rather addicted to rambling, had won
many prizes in different parts of the county, and
continued to wrestle occasionally for many years
after the period alluded to ; but as we do not
think he ever entered himself as a candidate for
any capital prize afterwards, his name or exploits
will not again occur in the subsequent part of
this work.
The Ambleside wrestling in 1811 was, we be-
lieve, betterattended than on either of the two
preceding years. Miles Dixon did not wrestle,
and therefore Nicholson who was again present
had no opportunity of settling the last year's
accounts with him. Tom, however, as early as
the second round had to encounter a much more
formidable opponent than ever Miles Dixon was,
in the person of John Lowden, from the neigh-
bourhood of Keswick. Lowden, although at
that time scarcely at his best, was not on good
terms with Tom, and on that account purposely
144 WRESTLIANA.

threw himself against him and it was not till

;

and keenly contested trials

after three successive
had taken place that Nicholson got rid of this
troublesome customer. Lowden was not satis-
fied He indeed ac-
with the different decisions.
knowledged that Tom won the last fall, but
thought himself fully entitled to the first the
:

second being considered a dogfall. Tom in the

next round threw Rowland Long, but was him-
self thrown by John Long in the fourth round.
Long was now arrived near the end of his jour-
ney, but proved unable to reach it being thrown
;

by William Mackereth, a Cockermouth lad,

then working at his business (a mason) with
Nicholson, and on that account had accompani-
ed him to the field of honour.
It is universally allowed that the ring at Car-
lisle this year could boast of a greater number of
first-rate Wrestlers, than ever entered any other
ring in the kingdom. Wrestling was now the
acknowledged grand source of attraction at that
place, and all ranks seemed to coincide in
the opinion, that it was entitled, in a national
point of view, to take the lead of every other
amusement. Even the worthy and respectable
proprietor and editor of the Cumberland Pac-
quet, who scarcely ever noticed any athletic
achievement in the ring, began to think the sub-
ject worthy of honourable mention, and we ac-
cordingly select the following paragraphs from
that paper of the 2d of October, 181 1 :

" Carlisle
Wrestling. On the first day of the
races, 20 guineas were wrestled for on the
Swifts, in a roped ring, sixty yards diameter.
We never witnessed so an exhibition of agil-
fine
ity and nerve, or a diversion that gave uch
universal satisfaction. The peaceable deport.
 WRESTLIANA. 145

ment of the different combatants cannot be too

highly praised, as they submitted in all dubious
falls, in the most implicit manner, to the deci-
sion of the umpire. The wrestling was most
severely contested, in the presence of nearly
12,000 people, by some of the most sinewy and
active youths, that we ever saw enter a ring.
We observed amongst the spectators, the Mar-
quis of Queensberry, the Earl ofLonsdale, Lord
Lowther, Sir James Graham, (of Netherby) Sir
James Graham, (of Kirkstone) Henry Fawcett,
Esq. of Portland Place, together with a great
.concourse of other Gentlemen. We understand
.the Lord Lieutenant expressed his most unquali-
fied approbation of the diversion ;
and will an-
nually give it his support, as long as there is not
any riot or confusion, which we may venture to
pledge ourselves, will never be the case, as the
wrestlers are in general the sons of respectable
.yeomen and farmers, in this and the adjoining
counties, and not like prize fighters, collected
from the dregs of the people.
" Want of room
prevents us giving the names
of the different wrestlers but we understand the
;

first prize was won by Thomas Nicholson, of

.Threlkeld, near Keswick who is esteemed one
;

of the best thirteen stone wrestlers in the king-

dom. John Richardson, of Staffield Hall, near
Kirkoswald, gained the second prize, and is
allowed by judges to be inferior to no man as
a wrestler, (being the favourite at setting to), but
he did not wrestle with such luck, through the
ring, for the first prize, as the Champion. He
was thrown by one Robert Rowantree, from
Rewcastle, in one of the severest struggles ever
witnessed both being fourteen stone wrestlers,
;

.they shewed uncommon muscle when stripped,

N
 146 WRESTLIANA.
.

and Richardson was thrown by a half jirk of

the hip, followed up by a sweeping cross buttock.
Sir James Graham, of Netherby, and Humph-
rey Senhouse, jun. Esq. of Netherhall, subscribed
five guineas, and Lord Lowtherand Henry Faw-
cett, Esq. each two guineas, towards this ath-
letic diversion, somuch excelled in by our fore-
fathers."
In respect to Nicholson's wrestling through
the ring this third successive year of unequalled
triumph, we must be allowed to observe, that
though entitled to every credit, his progress was
more smooth than he could possibly have antici-
pated. His first fall was gained under such cir-
cumstances as not to entitle it to the appellation
of a wrestle. Watson who had thrown Rowland
Long the first round, laid down to him in the
second. In the third he threw Jordan, a well
known Wrestler from the east of Penrith. In
the fourth, W. Earl. In the fifth he accommo-
dated matters with Douglas, a very likely man
and just in his prime, from Caldbeck ; and in the
sixth threw his old opponent John Earl. We will
in this place briefly notice some of the most noted
men who will not again come under our consi-
deration. The William Richardson alluded to
in the .above .quotation was certainly a very cele-
brated Wrestler, and we have heard, had once
an intention of advertising himself to wrestle any
man in the kingdom. Wrestling, it is to be obser-
ved, is extremely different from boxing in respect
to such challenges. A Wrestler stakes a trifling
sum of money on the qualifications he naturally
possesses, and the science
he has acquired, that
he cannot be excelled in what he himself has pur-
sued, and what the world in general regards as
an amusement', on the other hand, pugilism is
 WRESTLUNA H7

a profession, and on the good or bad success of

a contest, depends the comfort, and sometimes
the subsistance of the pugilist and his family. Be-
of
ing present we can vouch for the accuracy
this hero being the favourite for the first prize,
and some were even so confident of his capabili-
ties as to take him against the field
! this partiality
we presume was more owing to his education
and connexions being superior to those of Wrest-
lers in general, than to his individual merit as a
Wrestler. We admit that his requisites entitled
him to stand on equal grounds with any other
competitor, but against such a field was indeed
an overwhelming preference. With his celebra-
ted namesake from Caldbeck we believe he had
never contended, and with Nicholson only
once. It is true on that occasion the fall was
given in his favour, but he was not on fair
grounds entitled to it : it was a complete snap

in every sense of the word, but Kirkoswald being

the scene of action, his friends were averse to his
giving Nicholson another chance, otherwise we
are informed, that he had no objections to
wrestling over, and was very ready to admit that
he did snap. He was in our opinion as likely a
man for wrestling as we ever saw, being upwards
of fourteen stone weight, and six feet three inches
high ;
he generally struck outside with his right
foot, and followed it up if occasion required with
his left side. He did not at Carlisle, though the
winner of the second prize, fall in with any that
could be considered an equal opponent except
Rowantree but he wrestled an extra fall for
;

two guineas with a man of the name of Arm-

strong, but better known by the appellation of
Solid Oak, who was upwards of six feet high, and
without appearing particularly fleshy, or cor-
N 2
 148 WRESTLIANA.

pulent, weighed eighteen stones. In this con-

test Richardson on making play, appeared to re-
coil and go down from, if we
may so express it,
the solidity of his opponent, who was, without
exception considered the strongest man in the
north of England. Richardson probably did
not rightly consider this, and so became the vic-
tim of his own temerity, otherwise the result
ought to have been different, as Oak had been
thrown by Rowantree, and that hero, though the
conqueror of Richardson on this occasion, did
not rank so high in the estimation of those, who
from an equal knowledge of both the men and
the exercise, might be considered competent
judges of their comparative merits.
As this was the last year in which John and
William Earl acted a distinguished part in the
Carlisle wrestling, it is but justice to remark that
they both, particularly the former, greatly con-
tributed to render the exercise worthy of the
patronage it received. They were about thir-
teen stone men, and had gained a great many
prizes. When the Carlisle wrestling commenced,
John had a family, and was past that time of
life in which men in general get out of practice,
and often decline wrestling. Notwithstanding
this disadvantage, Nicholson was the only man
of his weight who appeared equal to him as a
Wrestler, for he this year threw Scott twice,
who gained the prize the succeeding year, and
who had previously thrown Richardson of Cald-
beck. He was particularly noted for slipping
from his side or breast, and consequently par-
tial to loose holds.
This was likewise the last year in which Ni-
cholson himself ever entered a ring to contend
for a prize. The circumstance of Tom carrying*
 WRESTLIANA. 149

away the prize for three successive years will

best speak his merits as a Wrestler. He did not
want half an inch of six feet, and generally
weighed about twelve stone and eight pounds.
Boxiana remarks, " the great similarity of Jem
Belcher's portrait to a most distinguished hero
on the Continent (Bonaparte) is truly curious ;"
the likeness however of the former distin-
guished pugilist to Tom Nicholson is much more
so, as the former likeness must have been con-
fined to the head and /ace, while in the latter it
is preserved through the whole frame, as there
was not one quarter of an inch difference be-
tween their height, nor as far as we can judge,
a single pound in their weight both weighing
;

from twelve stone six pounds, to thirteen stones.

Nor was this resemblance in person, though cer-
tainly very remarkable, more so than the similar-
ity visible in the different contests inwhich they
were engaged. We have heard Nicholson as-
sert that he was as good a man before he was
twenty years of age, as at any succeeding peri-
od : this was exactly the case with Belcher,
who was at the same age open to all England.
If an amusement like Wrestling can entitle any
of its professors to the appellation of Champion,
the victor at Carlisle for three successive years
had certainly a better claim to the title than any
other man and it is well known Belcher was
:

for some years considered the Champion of Eng-

land. In the great essentials necessary for ac-
quiring that enviable distinction, the similarity
was equally striking. The same cool and un-
daunted courage, and the same varied and effec-
tive action were conspicuous in both : and if
Jem's propriety when fighting " might be deemed
a model for pugilists in general," it is but justice
N3
150 WRESTUANA.

to remark, that a fairer Wrestler than Torn ne-

ver entered a ring ; and sorry are we that Jem
did not, like Tom, take his leave of the
ring
when in possession of the great renown he had
acquired.
It may not be thought
improper in this short
account of Thomas Nicholson, to make some al-
lusion to the pugilistic contest in which he was
engaged in the year 1814, during the races at
Carlisle. We have the highest authority for say-
ing, that when Tom left home for Carlisle, he
knew nothing of the match in question and that
;

the behaviour of Ridley, who was on the look-

out for him, and the wishes expressed by some
amateurs to witness a trial of skill between them,
made Tom erroneously think his character was
at stake, and that he could not decline the con-
test without incurring the charge of having a
white feather in him. We say erroneously, be-
cause we think by his consenting to fight to o-
blige any man, or set of men whatever, he de-
viated from that manly independence of charac-
ter he wished to preserve and sullied the re-
;

nown he had acquired as a. free and first-rate

Wrestler, by becoming so much the slave of o-
thers, as to subject himself to the certain degra-
dation of being considered as a minor pugilist, by
fighting such a blackguard as Ridley was uni-
versally known to be. In the battle itself, Tom
likewise suffered the opinion of others to influ-
ence his own judgment till he had received more
beating than would have satisfied a tolerably
game man ; yet even then, notwithstanding the
superior weiyht and practice of Ridley, the re-
sources Tom possessed in his science as a wrest-
ler> joined to his natural discrimination and for-
titude when acting upon his accustomed man-
 WRESTLIANA. 151

ner of boxing enabled him to bring the contest

1

to such a state as clearly evinced what would

have been the result if he had adopted that line
of conduct at the commencement of the battle.
Respecting the termination of that contest, it is
the opinion of many who witnessed it, and whose
judgment we think cannot be questioned, that
Tom was the fresher man when the combatants
were separated, and that the severe falls Ridley
constantly received, must soon have rendered
him unable to meet his opponent at the scratch.
Whatever different opinions might be entertain-
ed respecting the science displayed during the
contest, it was unanimously admitted that the
courage, and bottom exhibited by both, were ne-
ver excelled by any pugilists in the kingdom.
Tom, we believe, is not yet thirty eight years of
age.
As this was the only time the celebrated Henry
Graham, of Brigham, ever entered the Carlisle
ring, we cannot notice his exploits in a more pro-
per place, though he continued a most dis
tinguished Wrestler for many years after. Harry
has wrestled more matches than any other man
in the county, and several of his opponents have
always been considered as first rate Wrestlers as
ever peeled in a ring when we mention the
;

names of Thomas Nicholson, William Richard*

son, and inform the reader, that to these two he
may add our own, the truth of that assertion will
not be disputed. Previous to this visit to Car-
lisle Harry had won many prizes, and ranked

very high as a Wrestler, but being then in his

very prime (we suppose about twenty two years
of age) it was his own opinion, as well as that of
his friends, that he was a competent match for
any Wrestler whatever. This opinion was by
152 WRESTLIANA.

no means rashly grounded, when it is considered

that though only about five feet nine inches
high, he weighed between thirteen and fourteen
stones, possessed unrivalled activity, had been
a Wrestler from a boy, and was then in full
practice. At this meeting, having thrown a
Wrestler of some celebrity in the first round,
Harry, in the second, came against John Jordan
a noted Wrestler from the Penrith side. On what
account he was obliged to give Jordan a second
chance, we cannot possibly determine, as Harry
threw him so fair the first fall, that he himself
never went to the ground. We believe the
truth is, that sport, more than fair play, was the
object of those assistant umpires who were with-
in the ring; and such was the confusion, that J.
Boadle, a good Wrestler who had accompanied
Graham, after winning his first fall was never a-
gain called upon. However that may be, Jordan
won the second fall, and Harry was crossed out.
Feeling dissatisfied at the usage he had experien-
ced, Harry expressed a wish on the following day
to try a few falls with any Wrestler then at Car-
lisle. This being repeated to the Champion
Nicholson, Tom offered to stake three to two on
himself for the best of five falls, which offer was
immediately accepted. It was then about eleven
o'clock, and a meadow in Caldewgate at five,
was the place and time appointed for determining
the wager. Both parties were true to the ap-
pointment, and no time was lost in proceeding to
action. The first and second falls were similarly
contested, and terminated in the same manner.
Harry, eager to be at work, instantly made
play the superior length of Tom, enabled him
;

to defend himself by lifting against his opponent,

and he lost no time in returning the assault by
 WRESTLIANA. 153

hankering his heel. Notwithstanding the activi-

ty of Harry, he could not in either of these in-
stances, resist the consequences resulting from
this favourite mode of Tom's, in which he certain-
ly excelled all the Wrestlers we ever knew, and
both the falls were immediately conceded to
Nicholson. The third fall was contested in near-
ly a similar manner, but the termination was dif*
ferent. Harry, on finding his heel again hook-
ed, immediately turned his body round with such
rapidity as to bring Tomall but underneath him
in the fall. Tom insisted it was a dog fall, while
Harry claimed it, in which he was supported by
his friends, and in which opinion the spectators
in general coincided. However being left to us,
we decided it was not fair. In this place we
will remark that it has been maintained by Tom's
friends, that it was a drunken business altogether
on his part: this story is utterly false. Tom
was apparently as sober when the wager was
made as any man on the Swifts on meeting in
;

Caldewgate, he remarked to us that a pint, or

glass of ale, then before him, of which he had
drank about one third, was the only one he had
tasted since he had made the wager; and on
winning the two first falls he jocularly remark-
ed " that Graham, though a good Wrestler, was
far too fond of making play ; but that if Harry
gave him more time, he himself was no bad one
in that respect;" besides, could any drunken
man have thrown such a Wrestler as Graham
was, twice successively ? In the fourth trial Tom
made play, which Harry warded off with much
skill, and gave Tom a convincing proof of his
quality by striking him fairly down. The fifth
fall was
exactly similar to the third, and being
so decided by us, the business was for some time
154 WRESTLIANA.

suspended, as Harry's friends insisted that he had

won ; however on Tom's offering to strike even-,
and begin again> it was acceded to, and the con-
test was instantly renewed. It is unnecessary
to dwell on the ensuing falls, suffice it to ob-
serve, they were well contested, both display-
ing great action and science. Harry won the
first, Tom the second, and Harry the third
and fourth no dispute occurred, and Tom ac-
;

knowledged defeat by paying his money cheer-

fully.
We will now briefly give the reader our can-
did opinion of the foregoing contest in which
Harry acquired so many laurels. Neither of
them we believe spent the preceding evening in
the most sober or prudential manner ; and pro-
bably Tom's more extensive acquaintance, join-
ed to the circumstance of his winning the prize,
might have rendered him the less fit for such a
contest. Tom felt anxious for another trial, and
how that would have terminated, can now only
be guessed at. Admitting that we think the
knowledge nine falls must have given them of
each other, was not in Tom's favour, as Harry
had become perfectly awake to his favourite me-
thod, and that Harry evidently gained ground as
the contest advanced ;
still we do think Tom
was the better Wrestler, and would have thrown
more men than Harry ever could. As our rea-
sons for this would occupy a much greater por-
tion of our remaining pages than we can possibly
spare, we are compelled thus abruptly to take
leave of the subject.
The great fame Harry acquired by this con?
quest, satisfied his friends that he was a match
for any man in the kingdom ; and our refusal to
acquiesce in that opinion, occasioned an agree-*
 WRESTLIANA. 155

ment to wrestle him within one month of his

contest with Nicholson, for the greatest sum we
ever knew wrestled for, either in Cumberland or
Westmorland. At the time of making this wa-
ger, nothing was farther from our intention than
wrestling Harry or any other person, as we had
been unwell for some time, though we had been
at Carlisle, where we were thrown after a smart-
ish contest by Joseph Bird, of Holme Wrangle, a
wrestler highly noted in that part of the county.
The preceding year we had thrown Harry at
Arlecdon with such ease, that we believe three or
four to one would then have been offered against
him for a single fall and a meeting between us
!

for a number of falls, would have been thought

highly ridiculous. But now the case was totally
altered ; through extreme illness we were obli-
ged to solicit at least a respite of our engage-
ment; this was not granted and, as six guineas
;

were deposited, we chose to appear rather than

forfeit. The sum contended for was sixty gui-
neas, and the number of falls wrestled was ele-
ven. No Wrestler ever entered a ring in higher
condition, or with greater confidence than Har-
ry, and his gaining the three first falls could not
fail to increase the good opinion of his friends, as

nothing but a most decisive victory could then

be contemplated. But the loss of three falls, in-
stead of depressing, only roused our energies,
the listlessness which pervaded the whole frame
at the commencement of the contest, now gave
place to that animated feeling arising from exer-
cise, and the situation in which we were then
placed ;
and instead of the expected victory,
Harry was somewhat obligated to fortune for one
fall out of the other eight !
Harry was some
pounds the heavier man, but the advantages of
156 WRESTLIANAi

length and strength were so much against him,

that in the latter part of the contest, it is well
known he had not the slightest chance what-
ever. This contest took place .on Arlecdon
Moor, on the 26th of October, 181 1 .

The following year Harry was worsted at

Cockermouth, by John Fidler of Wythop Hall,
a stronger and heavier man than himself, and
considered as a first rate Wrestler. Fidier had
not much catch at Harry, whom he had accom-
panied to Arlecdon races in 1810, where we
threw them both for the prize. Harry continued
wrestling up to the year 1822, during which time
he gained many prizes, and we believe was never
afterwards defeated in a match however the ;

following circumstance is all we can notice

that
in thiswork.
William Richardson being at Cockermouth
previous to his winning the prize at Carlisle in
1821, accidentally fell in with Harry, and some
wordspassing between them respecting wrestling,
a challenge for a trifling wager, to be decided
immediately, was the consequence. Harry at
this time was so increased in flesh as to weigh
nearly sixteen stones, but notwithstanding this
disadvantage, he obtained an easy victory. It is
alleged by some that Richardson was not in a
proper state to wrestle at that time this is as ;

strenuously denied by others we cannot say

:

how the matter really was, but we are correct

in saying that Richardson acknowledged defeat
in three trials, and that Harry could have been
backed to wrestle him for any wager he thought
proper, at that, or any other time.
Very few (if any) Cumberland Wrestlers at-
tended the Ambleside sports in 1812. Miles
Dixon, and a butcher in Ambleside, were the
 WRESTLIANA. 157

two last slanders, and it being: agreed between

them that the latter should be the ostensible win-
ner of the prize, they agreed to wrestle two or
three falls for the gratification of those gentle-
men who had subscribed towards the Wrestling;
and in this friendly trial Miles Dixon was vic-
torious. This Champion, though we believe not
an equal match for some of the Cumberland men
of his day, seems to have been entitled to rank
as the most renowned hero in that part of West-
morland. About this, and the succeeding time,
John Long seems to have been considered su-
perior to his brother Rowland. The latter visit-
ed Carlisle in 1811, but notwithstanding his un-
common powers, being both a very tall and
heavy man, he was not so fortunate as to gain a
single fall. Rowland is a Wrestler of nearly 30
years standing, and must during that time have
contended with a number of good men. It is
said he is extremely anxious to make the prizes
he has gained up to one hundred, as he is only
two or three short of that number ; but from his
increasing years, and corresponding numbness,
it is a great chance whether he will ever suc-

ceed in doing so. This was the last year in

which any considerable sum was given at Am-
bleside. The gentleman who so actively patron-
ised it, returned to Edinburgh. The intention
it a meeting of much
of making notoriety seems
to have completely failed, as the Wrestling there
was never at all equal to that witnessed at Car-
lisle and Keswick.
In 1812, the first prize at Carlisle was won by
J. Scott, of Canobie, throwing at the last Wm.
Richardson, of Caldbeck, whom he had thrown
in the course of the Wrestling the preceding
year. Scott though shorter by three inches than
 WRESTLIANA.

Nicholson, was we believe the heavier man. His

being- the third stander in 181 1,and the conquer-
or in 1812, is sufficient to stamphim as a very ex-
cellent Wrestler, though he had not successive*
ly vanquished such a hero as Richardson. This
was the only year William Mackereth attended
the Carlisle Wrestling. His being- considered a
pupil of Nicholson's and the victor at Ambleside
in 1811, much was expected from him. He was
thrown very unexpectedly in the first round, but
being chosen in for the second prize, he acquit-
ted himself to the perfect satisfaction of the ama-
teurs, being one of the three last standers, and
the contest between him and William Richard-
son, who threw him, .is spoken of as one of the
best ever witnessed on the Swifts. Mackereth,
in person, greatly resembles Jack Carter the
pu-
gilist, but is a much stronger man than Carter,
In addition to the above exploits, he won the
prize at Arlecdon the succeeding year, throwing;
at the last Robert Selkirk, for some time consi-
dered the leading Wrestler between that place
and Duddon. At Penrith, this year, where the
Wrestling had, owing to various circumstances,
dwindled so as to excite no comparative interest
with that at Carlisle, the prize was won by John
Slee, of Dacre, who, as an outside striker with
the left knee, excelled any other Wrestler at that
time. Among those whom he threw on this oc-
casion, were James Robinson, and the person
who threw Wm. Dickinson, the two men who al-
ternately gained the prize at Carlisle the ensuing
years.
In 1813, Robert Rowantree,so often mention-
ed as a distinguished Wrestler in the course of
this work, gained the first prize. It was singu-
iar that Richardson was again the last loser and
 WRESTLIANA. 150

the winner of the second prize. Rowantree was

six feet high, and a very muscular man attach-
;

ed to loose holds, an excellent cross buttocker,

and an extremely awkward customer to get at.
He had as a Wrestler largely contributed to the
celebrity of the Carlisle wrestling since
its insti-

tution ; but now, fully satisfied with the laurels

he had honourably acquired, he took his leave
of that, and for any thing we know, of every o-
ther ring.
The prize at Carlisle in 1814 was won by
William Dickinson, from Alston Moor, who
weighed from thirteen, to fourteen stones, and
was about five feet ten inches high. Dickinson
had wrestled both at Carlisle and Penrith the
preceding year, and was much noticed. He was
justly considered a rate Wrestler, and his
first
attendance was expected the ensuing year ; but
Dickinson, it appears, had other prospects he ;

married, and things not falling out according to

his expectation, he emigrated to America. The
last person he threw for the prize was George
Dennison, the successor of that highly reputed
bone setter, Benjamin Taylor. Dennison, in
addition to coming last for the first prize, won
the second, and his exploits in the ring on this
occasion, afforded great satisfaction to the at-
tendant gentlemen. The fall between him and
Dickinson was rather a singular one. Dennison
threw in his left side with much force, intending
to buttock his opponent; Dickinson left go, and
Dennison, disappointed of his object, staggered
forward a considerable distance but could not
save himself from going down on his hands,
otherwise he would have won the fall as he had
preserved his hold.
In 1815 the prize at Carlisle was borne away
02
 WRESTLIANA.

by James Robinson, one of the Earl of Lonsdale's

game-keepers at Lowther Castle. The last
standerwas William Slee, brother to John Slee,
whom we have noticed as the victor at Penrith
in 1813. Robinson was a fourteen stone man,
and Slee not thirteen, and both coming- from the
neighbourhood of Penrith, Slee, probably con-
scious that the chance was against him,
agreed
to lie down, and there is no doubt he was well
paid for it. This mode of proceeding was high-
ly censured by many sincere friends to the exer-
cise, but in fact, it was only following up the
precedent allowed to Nicholson and Douglas in
1811. In wrestling over for the second prize,
Slee was thrown the first round, and the last
standers were Thomas Todd, of Alston, and the
youngest of three brothers of the name of Fos-
ter, all of whom wrestled this year, and acqui-
red great celebrity by throwing several good
Wrestlers. Todd and Foster could not agree
about the hold, and consequently never wrestled ;

but on dividing the money, we have been inform-

ed that Todd received more than his opponent,
it being the
opinion of the umpire that he was
the fairer stander.
In 1816 Todd was one of the two last standers
for the first prize, but who had a right to be the-
other, is somewhat difficult to determine. Being
a spectator that.year, we do not hesitate to say
that the conduct of the umpires was extremely
blameable. In the course of the wrestling, afall
between Thomas Richardson, of Hesket, and Jo-
seph Graham, from Ravenglass, was given to the
former. We assert that Graham was not allow-
ed a fair hold, that it was a manifest snap, and
that after all it was a complete dogfall. On
wrestling when there were but four standers,
 WRESfLIANA. 161

Richardson was indisputably thrown but such;

was the gross partiality shewn towards him, that

he was allowed to compound with the person
who threw him. Having thus become the other
last stander, appeared that he had agreed with
it

Todd to divide the money between them, but

the point of honour had not been settled whether
was to be the ostensible victor; accordingly
they would not make a wrestle of it, and not-
withstanding the precedents before alluded to,
Mr. Pearson very properly withheld the money.
The proprietor of the circus, awake to his own
interest, gave a silver cup to wrestle for the next
day. The sum demanded foradmittance was
not great, but the receipts overbalanced the
far
value of the cup, which was won by John Low-
den, from Keswick. The last loser was Andrew
Armstrong, from Sowerby Hall, an excellent
Wrestler, who weighed between twelve and thir-
teen stones, but not an equal match for Lowden,
who was nearly a stone heavier. Lowden was
a very cross stander, and as difficult to dispose
of as any Wrestler within the last century. We
have noticed the contest between him and
Nicholson at Ambleside in another place. That
contest took place before Lowden was at his
best, and being the last year of Nicholson's
wrestling, he never threw that heroin a ring,
but in the list of those he afterwards threw, the
names of Richardson, Mackereth, Graham, and
many others, might be enumerated with us he
;

was not so fortunate, as we threw him at Arlec-

don in the year 1813, when in his prime.
The disputes respecting the wrestling in 1816
caused its suspension in 1817, but the proprietor
of the circus again ventured to speculate on the
celebrity of the exercise, by giving t\vo or three-
03
162 ^ WRESTLIANA.

prizes. These were won by John M'Laughlen,

(commonly called Clatten) and John Liddle,
both from the vicinity of Dovenby. Laughlen
threw Liddle at the last for the first prize, and
laid down to him for the second he likewise
:

threw Toddanti Robinson, neither of them being

able to do any thing with him, on account of his
tremendous size.
As the wrestling at Carlisle Races continued
suspended till the year 1821, we must now revert
to that at Keswiek, which in 1818 was patronized
in a very liberal manner, and has continued aug-
menting to the present time. The prize that
year was won by Thomas Richardson, of Hesket,
throwing at the last the celebrated William Wil-
son, of Ambleside. In 1819 it was won by An-
drew Armstrong, of Sowerby Hall. In 1820, it
was won by William Wilson, of Ambleside,
whose last opponent was William Richardson,
of Caldbeck. In 1821, so rapidly had wrestling
increased in the estimation of all ranks, that it
was found the attendance at the Races, was in a
great measure governed by it ; and the subscrip-
tions proportionably increasing, it was extended
to three days, the winner on the first day, be-
ing debarred on the second. Notwithstanding a
very numerous field of Wrestlers, the first prize
was won by Richard Abbot, a schoolmaster from
Whitehall, who weighed very little more than
eleven stones. it be considered
Neither could
that Abbot fortunately in when wrestling
fell

through the ring, his four last opponents being

A. Armstrong, J. Frears,T. Richardson, and T.
Lock, all of them good Wrestlers, and averaging
two stones above his weight. Two of these/ot*r
it will be recollected had likewise been previous-

ly victors at Keswick, and

had distinguished
 WRESTLIANA. 163

themselves at Carlisle. Frears and Lock were

from the vicinity of Whitehaven, and both well
known as Wrestlers the latter on this occasion
;

greatly distinguished himself, throwing both Ed-

ward Hawel, a very noted Wrestler, and the
truly celebrated J. Lowden, who, though mar-
ried, took a fancy to enter the ring, and was the
third stander. The second prize was won by
James Graham, then residing in Bassenthwaite,
a very likely man for excelling as a Wrestler ;
standing above six feet, and weighing fourteen
stones. We are very sorry our limits will not
permit a more lengthy detail of this celebrated
meeting.
The great falling off in the attendance of all
ranks at Carlisle races since the suspension of
the wrestling occasioned its revival this year ;

and it could boast among the numerous spec-

tators assembled to witness it, many of the most
distinguished characters in this and the adjacent
counties ; nay, such was its attraction, that the
gentler sex, as in the days of auld lang syne,
deigned to regard it as an exercise worthy of
Englishmen to practise, and as an amusement
which false delicacy, or predetermined prejudice
only could discover any thing so indecorous as to
prevent Englishwomen from sanctioning it with
their presence. The first prize on this memor-
able day was won by William Richardson, of
Caldbeck and the second by John Weightman,
;

a hero who had during the two preceding years

risen to the top of the tree in the vicinity of Car-
lisle. The last opponent of Weightman was
Joseph Abbot, from the vicinity of Penrith, a
very celebrated Wrestler, who likewise highly
distinguished himself at Penrith Races this year,
where there were evident symptoms of this ath-
104 WRESTLIANA.

letic exercise again becoming- an object worthy

of encouragement. Thomas Ford who
acquired
great celebrity at this meeting by throwing
Weightman, and contesting the last fall with
Richardson, has generally resided within a few
miles of Egremont. He was thrown by Weight-
man for the second prize, but appeared to be no
unequal competitor for him; being six feet two
inches high, and weighing upwards of fourteen
stones. To say the least of Ford, he was much
noticed by the spectators for his manly exertions,
and the alacrity and cheerfulness with which he
always met his man. James Graham before al-
luded to, was likewise considered to stand on
very high ground though thrown by Weight-
man for both prizes.
As for the victor, W. Richardson, whom we
have so often had occasion to allude to, this
might very justly be considered an excellent tie
up for him, as he was stated in the newspapers
of the day, to be forty-five years of age and the
!

winner of 240 Belts!! We cannot decisively

contradict either statement, but as far as we can
judge they are both rather exaggerated. We
never met Richardson in a ring but once, and
that was during our novitiate. Richardson was
in his prime, and we well remember he then call-
ed himself about twenty-throe years of age ;
we
were turned of eighteen, therefore if he spoke
correctly, he could not be more than forty-one
at the time he won this prize. Richardson might
be about five feet nine inches in height, and
would weigh from thirteen to fourteen stones.
Being a Wrestler of twenty-five years standing*,
and for a long time open to any man, he has
wrestled more, and gained a greater number of
prizes, than any other man ever did. His favou-
 WRESTLIANA. 165

rite method was theinside, and he seems to have

been (like Achilles) the most vulnerable in the
heel. It was by catching his heel that Scott
threw him two successive years, and by which
J. Nicholson (brother to Tom) threw him at dif-
ferent times and yet neither of them, though
;

excellent Wrestlers, ought to have stood any

chance with him. We are likewise well inform-
ed, that in his casual trials with T. Nicholson, he
not unfrequently barred that favour He finish off
of that hero's, which was a kind of acknowledg-
ment of his inferiority. We do not credit the
assertions of his friends in regard to his being
Tom's master, our opinion is, that he was not :
and notwithstanding Tom was a stone the lighter
man, the fact of his repeatedly throwing the
very men who have thrown Richardson, as Row-
antree, Harrison, and Lowden, and the great
reasons there are to believe, that such men as his
brother John, and Scott, could never have
thrown him, justify us in asserting Tom was the
better Wrestler, and more capable of wrestling
through rings than Will was, although the latter
was always considered a more pains-taking
Wrestler. Many of Richardson's friends assert,
and among them are some well qualified to judge,
that he was the fairest stander, and best Wrestler
of his time while those rather hostile to him, con-
;

tend, that he was a sulky (which is tantamount to

an unfair) stander, and was as much indebted to
that, and his tremendous strength of arm, as to
his science. For our part we have no reason to
applaud or condemn ; we do not think any of
our readers will deem us incapable of forming an
opinion, and we assure them it is a free and un r
prejudiced one. We
have not the least doubt
but that he was for a number, or even for one
166 WRESTLIANA.

fall, a competent match for any man in the king-

dom for very many years. For us to endeavour
to particularize his conquests would be absurd ;

and we have noticed his occasional defeats for

the purpose of reflecting lustre on those who
threw such a hero, and not by any means to de-
tract from the great and well merited renown he
universally possessed.
We come now to the Keswick Wrestling in
1822. The first prize was won by John Liddle,
of Blind Bothel, throwing at the last William
Cass, of Loweswater and the second by Jona-
;

than Watson, of Torpenhow. Weightman, who

was the favourite, was thrown by Cass for the
first prize, and Watson threw him the last fall for
the second. Watson likewise threw J. Richard-
son, T. Lock, J. Graham, and T. Tordiff. Wat-
son had before thrown Weightman in the course
of the year, at Micklethwaite, and W. Richard-
son, at, or near Caldbeck these conquests we
:

think entitle him to rank very high as a Wrestler.

He is about five feet eight inches high, and near
thirteen stone weight; is considered an excellent
ground Wrestler, and is by trade a shoemaker.
Notwithstanding Watson gained the second
prize, he was thrown in the first round for the
first, by William Wilson, of Ambleside, undoubt-

edly the best Wrestler Westmorland ever pro-

duced ; and it is the confirmed opinion of very
many whose judgment is entitled to every con-

sideration, that at the time he won at Keswick,

he was the master of any man in the kingdom.
It is certain that upon that occasion Richardson
had not the shadow of a chance with him, and
the preceding year he gave a convincing proof
of his powers by striking J. Laughlen down in
such a manner as we are convinced no other man
 WRESTLIANA. 167

in thekingdom could hav don. When thrown

by Weightman he was labouring under an asth-
matic complaint, otherwise he ought to have been
in hisvery prime. He stands near six feet four
inches high, and weighed, when in good health,
about fifteen stones.
We come now to the consideration of the Car-
lisleWrestling in 1822. The first prize was won
by W. Cass, and the second by John Weightman.
As those who wrestled may yet be considered in
possession of the ring, that circumstance must
of course circumscribe our account of them. Cass
is not far from six feet high, and weighs sixteen
stones. The action he displays is an outside
stroke with his left foot, but its fatality consists in
the swing, or twist, with which it is accompanied,
and his method of parting with his men. He was
not much noticed previous to his throwing
Weightman but in our opinion he will, and is
;

the only man who ought to throw him again.

Cass is equally as strong, full as heavy, and
Weightman will find it difficult to improve his
hold, and command him as he does all his other
opponents. Cass certainly won very cleverly,
and though we must admit he wrestled fortunate-
ly through the ring, we think him the likeliest
person to win again. The redoubted Weight-
man is above six feet three inches high, and
weighs upwards of fifteen stones. Weightman
has certainly a very good natured, and indeed we
might with truth say, a prepossessing appearance.
The whole science he appears master of is the
address he displays in the application of his tre-
mendous strength in breaking his adversary's, and
improving his own hold. He appears to be master
of Liddle,and in the match bet ween him and Rich-
ardson, the latter certainly had no chance with
 WRESTLIANA.

him. Respecting his behaviour towards the spec-

tators on that occasion, we will remark that there
is a very material difference between
wrestling
a private match, and contending for a public
prize. The latter is expressly for the amusement
of the spectators-) and they have a right, as in a
theatre, to express in a certain degree, their opi-
nion of the conduct of the performers ; but with
the former they have no right whatever, except-
ing to preserve fair-play between the men ; and
when it is well known that this was neither the
second nor third instance in which matches with
Richardson never were decided, we have room
to infer that the fault in taking hold might not
be all Weightman's. The grand question now is
Is there one man in the present list who can
throw him a main ? Our opinion is, if there be
one, there are not two. John Laddie, the victor
at Keswick, and from whom much was anticipa-
ted at Carlisle, is upwards of fourteen stones,
and about five feet ten inches high. It is scarce-
ly fair to make lengthy remarks upon those who
may again appear in the ring, therefore we shall
only observe, that with one exception, there is
no wrestler of, or under his own weight at pre-
sent that can throw him. James Graham had
for some time been labouring under a bad state
of health, and in appearance, as well as pow-
ers, had evidently declined. We likewise
think that T. Richardson cannot be what he has
been. As a hiper, he is certainly the quick-
est and best on the list. He is taller, but not so.
heavy as Lid die ;
and though we do not think
him a T. Nicholson, yet very few at present are
1

an equal match for him John Fearon, who

threw Weightman at Carlisle, is about the same
height, but heavier than that hero. The fame
of
 WRESTLIANA. 109

Weightman was his principal inducement for

ring, and by throwing him
entering that he ac-
complished his object. Respecting the contest
between them, it was a bad one, and Weightman
lost the fall at a time when he ought to have been
pertain of winning it. John M'Laughlen, ike
fourth stander on that occasion, is near six feet
six inches high, and at present weighs about se-
venteen stones. Had he been in practice and ta-
ken more pains procuring an equal hold,
in
Weightman ought not to have thrown him as ;

though not excelling in action, he is by no means

deficient in science. Haying been some years
married previous to his present settlement in
Whitehaven as a publican, his practice must
have been latterly very confined, otherwise
he ought, and we think, would have been the
present champion. Weight and age considered,
no Wrestler more distinguished himself at Car-
lisle than Robert Waters, the third stander. He
a little one, is a very young one, and
appeared
gave most convincing proofs of his science
and quickness the two great essentials which
constitute a finished Wrestler, T. Todd, the
last loser, is ten inches high, and
full five feet

weighs twelve stones and four pounds. Putting

hearsay, out of the question, and giving our opi-
nion of what we have personally witnessed.,
Todd is the best and most finished Wrestler we
ever saw. He has not the power of Nicholson,
but excepting him, we never saw a thirteen, nor
is there at present
any fourteen stone man, in
our opinion, able to throw him the best of three,
or five falls. The prize given for Lads afforde4
much amusement, and many of them displayed
infinite science, and seemed quite at home in the
The two last, though not the tallest, or
 170 WRESTUANA.

heaviest, among the competitors, were both we

were told, above the age specified in the adver-
tisement.
In concluding this Treatise, we will briefly re-
mark there are, and were, some excellent Wrest-
lers in the eastern part of this county, with
whose names and exploits we were too imper-
fectly acquainted in proper time for noticing
them. As for the present heroes, our circum-
scribed limits, and the recollection that we have
freely criticised the exploits of those only, who
may be considered to have taken their leave of
the rinfa will, we hope, prove a sufficient apolo-
gy for our brief notice of them. Of the perform-
ance itself, we will only observe, that the disad-
vantages invariably connected with any origi-
nal work must plead in extenuation of its most
glaring defects. At any rate, it may serve as
a kind of data, or landmark, to those who may
feel disposed to sail in that tract, where its pre-
cedence must be allowed to have broken the ice.

ERRATA.
Page 20, line 29, (in a few copies only) for attachments read
1

achievements.
Page 146, line 26, for William Richardson re&djohn Richardton.

FINIS.
to

Whiteharen : Printed by R. Gibson,

26, King Street.
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