The Sporting Magazine, Single-stick with an engraving (1809)
THE SPORTING MAGAZINE.
VOL. XXXV. DECEMBER, 1809. N°. CCVII.
SINGLE-STICK.
WITH AN ENGRAVING.
[This is the engraving by Wheble, Somersetshire Gamesters (1810)]
WE have been favoured not only with a drawing, from which this Engraving is taken, but likewise with an article on the Game of Backsword or Single-Stick, which follows. The subject is likewise noticed in another part of our present month’s Magazine, under the head “On Popular Sporting Amusements.”
Backsword, or Single-stick, is a game of high antiquity, and the most warlike extant. When the fate of nations was principally decided in battle by the sword, it was the policy of our ancestors to render its use familiar to the bulk of the population; hence arose the courtly tournament, and the plebeian exhibitions at wakes and festivals of courage and skill, in sword and dagger, sword and pot-lid, cudgels, backsword, &c. &c. the prizes for which still remain annually given in many parts: thus were formed those heroes, who carried triumphant the British standard, “o’er the vine-cover’d hills and gay vallies of France;” and though the fire of artillery now generally rules the battle, yet the use made of the sword in modern warfare, warrants every encouragement being given to a game, so productive of intrepidity and confidence in its use, which the practice of backsword must, in combats of [foot of page, left: VOL. XXXV.—No. 207.] hand to hand, inspire. With a view to its more general encouragement, I send you the following rules of the game, premising, that the stage should not be less than sixteen feet square—the ring of ropes from forty to fifty feet diameter.
The basket sticks to be three feet two inches in length.
The winner of most heads to carry the prize.
Should a stick break, or fall out of the hand, and the adversary, not observing, strike, and the blow so given draw blood, the head, nevertheless, is not to be allowed.
No head to be allowed, except the blood runs an inch above the chin.
The umpire to decide all disputes.
The tyers to play with one another in the order they become tyers; that is, the winner of the first head to play with the winner of the second head—the winner of the third with the fourth, and so on.
The first tyer being on the stage, the second is called, and if he appears not to play the first, after being repeatedly called, he loses his right to further play, and the third tyer is called; if he appears not, the fourth is called, &c. &c. and if none appears to dispute the prize, it is adjudged to the first tyer.
If the tyers are played regularly off, supposing the tyers to be four, being each winners of one head, then the two winners of these four, [catchword: being] [signature: N]
[p. 98] THE SPORTING MAGAZINE.
being then tyers of two heads each, play for the prize.
If the number of tyers is uneven (suppose three), then the winner of the first head plays with the winner of the second, and the winner of these plays the remaining tyer, the prize belonging to the victor.
When two parties play together, if one side gets six heads out of seven, and supposing the players to be seven a side, yet the seventh may insist on playing till he loses his own, or wins the other heads, in which case he carries the prize.
Wilts and Somerset are the most famous counties for this pastime: it is partially practised in Hants, Berks, Dorset, Bucks, and the neighbouring counties, where, perhaps, it is only necessary to bring it into more general use, to furnish at the several fairs the prizes usually given; viz. a hat with gold or silver lace of from fifteen to thirty shillings value, or a purse of from twenty to fifty shillings.
The lord of the manor of Bucklesbury, Berks, gives, the first Monday in August, a hat, value 25s. and 2s. to the winner, and 1s. to the loser, of each head; also a hat of the value of 10s. 6d. to the best wrestler.
SINGLE-STICK MATCH, AT TROWBRIDGE, WILTS.
We here give an account of this match, as first published in the Salisbury Journal, and to it annex two letters which have since appeared upon the subject. It is not the first time of our having to record the commencement of a paper war between the Wilts and Somerset men.
“The best-contested match of Single-stick that has been seen for many years, was played at Trowbridge on the 4th and 5th instant, between Wiltshire and Somersetshire, for a purse of thirty guineas. By four o’clock on Monday, the Wiltshire men stood twenty tyers, Somerset fourteen, the Walls having saved their heads. Early on Tuesday morning the tyers commenced playing out. Never was greater science or more play displayed than on that day by both sides: nor till every Somerset gamester’s head was broken, did they yield the palm of victory to the Wiltshire lads. John Blackford, Humphries, Coleman, Hambleton, Eyles, and Isaac Perrett, were the Wiltshire gamesters who saved their heads.
MR. EDITOR.—In justice to the gamesters of the county of Somerset, I cannot pass over in silence the vague, partial, and incorrect statement of the Single-stick play that took place at Trowbridge, on the 4th and 5th instant, which appeared in your last Journal, without feeling myself bound to correct it. It is therein stated, “that by four o’clock on the first day, the Wiltshire men stood twenty tyers against fourteen of Somerset,”—this is a gross misrepresentation, so peculiar to the person at Trowbridge who advocated the cause of the men of his county. The Somerset had but ten tyers, and including the twenty of Wilts, sixteen of them were tyers without turning a stick. The Somerset lads having all played, their renowned opponents came forward in the most courageous manner, and each of the number above-mentioned successively became a tyer every five minutes (being the time fixed for that purpose), because there were none of Somerset to oppose them, and never were gamesters of the county of Wilts in
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in such plenty, in consequence of this advantageous encouragement! The odds for the second day’s contest were therefore exactly two to one; viz. the Wilts having twenty, and the Somerset only ten. At length the number of Somerset tyers was reduced to two only, George Wall and John Wall, who had to play with fifteen, of whom they broke nine, which, with twothey obtained before, were eleven, namely, seven by George Wall and four by John, the former having also saved his head: he was then opposed to Blackford, and, after two severe bouts, and having six left to contend with, he was advised to decline the contest, as there could not, of course, be any great prospect of success. It may not be improper to observe, that these two gamesters only broke as many heads as all the Wiltshire men who played on both days added together, and whenever they have fair play, they are always, I conceive, a match, in the proportion of one to two, for any county in the kingdom.—I am your’s, &c.
AN IMPARTIAL AMATEUR.
Frome, Dec. 13, 1809.
MR. EDITOR—I have seldom thought it worth my notice to reply to the assertions or insinuations of an anonymous writer; nor would I now notice a paragraph inserted in your excellent paper, dated Frome, Dec. 13, 1809, only that I wish to represent the Single-stick play that was at Trowbridge in a candid and fair manner. Nothing can surpass the arrogance of the person who signs himself an Impartial Amateur, but his folly. His arrogance in asserting that one Somersetshire player was equal to two of any other county in the kingdom; his folly in proposing that the ten Somerset tyers should play the twenty Wiltshire tyers who had just beaten them. On the Somerset side fourteen played, and every man either had his head broken, or, what is worse, was so severely beat as to be obliged to give in. The statement that appeared in your Journal of the 11th instant, I know nothing of, nor by whom it was made, nor do I know any thing of your anonymous correspondent, I beg to be understood, fairly on the part of the Somersetshire players, when I say, they are in my opinion the best I have ever seen, except the Wiltshire. If the Somerset amateurs of Single-stick wish once more to try the courage, science, and manhood of the county of Wilts, let them do as we have done, viz. give a purse of guineas worth contending for, and the Wiltshire lads shall come forward and meet them. I cannot finish this paragraph without thanking your Frome correspondent for the honour he has done me, by calling me the advocate for the men of my county, an honour I hope to always merit. Your correspondent seems to beat himself with his own weapons; he significantly tells us, that when the ten Somerset tyers were reduced to George and John Wall, they had fifteen to play; the inference is, that when eight of the ten Somerset tyers were beat, there were but five of the twenty Wiltshire tyers had lost their heads.—I am, your’s, &c. &c.
THOMAS REDFERN, Surgeon,
Trowbridge, Wilts.
P. S.—When the tyers were played out, Wiltshire had Eyles, Blackford, Perrett, Hambleton, Humphries, and Coleman left, able to play any Somersetshire players that ever mounted a stage. [signature: N 2]
The Sporting Magazine, vol. XXXV, no. CCVII (207), December 1809, pp. [97]–99, comprising the article “Single-Stick” with its rules, followed by the “Single-Stick Match, at Trowbridge, Wilts.” reprinted from the Salisbury Journal and two answering letters. Available online via Google Books.