To the Admirers of the CHASE, the TURF, the STUD, the RING, &c. On the 1st of January, 1822, was published, (to be continued Monthly,) price 2s. 6d., No. I. of the ANNALS of SPORTING and FANCY GAZETTE; a MAGAZINE entirely appropriated to SPORTING SUBJECTS and FANCY PURSUITS; containing every thing worthy of remark on […]
ANNALS OF SPORTING. Published on the first of every Month, price 2s. 6d. each Number. THE ANNALS of SPORTING and FANCY GAZETTE; a Magazine entirely appropriated to Sporting Subjects and Fancy Pursuits; containing every Thing worthy of Remark on Hunting, Fishing, Single Stick, Rowing, Shooting, Cocking, Pedestrianism, Sailing, Coursing, Pugilism, Cricket, &c. &c. Racing, Billiards, […]
WRESTLING. Yesterday afternoon, the grounds of the Eagle Tavern were filled with spectators (paying each) to witness the exertions of some of the best wrestlers that could be collected from Devonshire and Cornwall, two of the most noted Counties in England for this species of gymnastic exercise. The sport commenced about two o’clock, by two […]
WRESTLING.—A. Cann, the Champion of England, and Polkinghorne.—Perhaps there never was more evasion practised, or so much idle chaffing as on the subject of a match between these men. “My Dear Sir, In answer to your Letter bearing date the 13th inst I beg to state, that it would have been an agreeable surprise, had […]
WRESTLING.—Yesterday, about two thousand persons were assembled in the bowling-green of the Eagle Tavern, in the City-road, to witness the conclusion of the Cornish wrestling. The sport was finished by Warren, a Cornishman, and Abraham Cann, the Devonshire Champion, who contended for the first prize, ten sovereigns, which was won by Cann. He is a […]
Grand Devonshire & Cornish Wrestling Match, in London. A very interesting match has been played between the Cornish and Devonshire men in London, which was decided on Thursday at the Eagle Tavern, City Road. WEDNESDAY, (Third Day.)—Of four and twenty men who entitled themselves to enter the lists for the double play, 14 were Devonshire […]
THE LONDON MAGAZINE, 1826. WRESTLING. THE amateurs of athletic performances were gratified towards the end of last month, with an exhibition of the old national feat of wrestling. Several matches were played between Devonshire and Cornwall men, on the 19th, 20th, and 21st, at the Eagle Tavern green, in the City Road. The variety of […]
WRESTLING.—MOYLE AND HEAD.—Moyle the Cornwall man, wrestled his match with Head, the Devonshire man, on Thursday evening, at the Eagle Tavern, City-road. They both played Devonshire fashion, and for that purpose were padded. Moyle was the favourite at starting, and justified the confidence of his friends. The match was to be decided by the first […]
WRESTLING. WRESTLING IN THE KENT ROAD.—On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, a wrestling match for thirty sovereigns took place on the bowling-green of the Green Man Tavern, in the Kent-road. During the play on Tuesday, when Gaffney and Copp were contending for the fall, a Mr. Vicary, landlord of the Rose and Crown in London-lane, Bermondsey, […]
WRESTLING.—The Tavistock Games.—A statement more entirely opposed to what really took place at Tavistock, was perhaps scarcely ever attempted to be palmed on the public. Polkinhorn was on the spot, and certainly no good reason was assigned why he did not meet Cann in the ring;—there stood his opponent before him. Cann again kept the […]
Devon and Cornwall.—The match at Tavistock, in a most decisive way, settled the question as to superiority in this manly exercise, in favor of the former county. Two gentlemen, as a last effort, have made a purse of 50 sovereigns, for which Cann and Stone are ready to play any two Cornishmen that may appear […]
DEVON WRESTLING IN LONDON. [Reported expressly for this paper.] The matches at the Eagle Tavern, City Road, concluded on Friday, when the first was awarded to Abraham Cann; 2d to Chappie; the fourth to Devon men. At the close of the play, two gentlemen from Westmoreland, Dobson and Anderson, entered the ring, and challenged Cann […]
WRESTLING IN LONDON. [Reported expressly for this paper.] A match for a prize of was played for at the Mile End Road, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, when excellent sport was afforded to those who are fond of athletic amusements. The first day play commenced at three o’clock. Stone raised his left wing in good […]
Monday a wrestling match for different prizes, to the amount of 30 sovs. took place in the grounds of the Green Man, in the Kent-road. Between 2 and 3 o’clock the rules for regulating the play were read, and immediately afterwards Gaffney, the celebrated Irish wrestler, threw his hat into the ring, and was opposed […]
Tuesday.—The spectators were more numerous than on the preceding day, and the single play was renewed with great vigour. On Gaffney making his appearance in the ring, a few persons raised a violent clamour against him, contending that he ought not to be allowed to play after quitting the ring before the time was out […]
WRESTLING. The wrestling match between Cann the celebrated Devonshire wrestler, and Gaffney, called the champion of Ireland, took place on Monday at the Golden Eagle, in the Mile-end-road. The match was for 60 guineas on the part of Cann to 50 on that of Gaffney, the first three fair back falls to decide it. After […]
WRESTLING. The wrestling match between Cann the celebrated Devonshire wrestler, and Gaffney, called the champion of Ireland, took place on Monday at the Golden Eagle, in the Mile-end-road. The match was for 60 guineas on the part of Cann to 50 on that of Gaffney, the first three fair back falls to decide it. The […]
WRESTLING. The following are the arrangements agreed upon during the past week for the great wrestling match, at Haigh Park, near Leeds, on Easter Tuesday and two following days. The wrestling games to commence the day after the Races, and to be continued for three days. The play to be hand to collar, fair back […]
TO THE EDITOR OF THE LEEDS INTELLIGENCER. SIR,—A Correspondent in your last states, that, at the approaching Grand Wrestling Match, at Leeds, it is understood by the Cornishmen, that the players are to be confined to the hold by the collar, and that no other hold will be allowed. This is not the case. The […]
GREAT WRESTLING MATCH, AT HYDE PARK CRICKET GROUND. ON MONDAY next and Two following Days, a GREAT WRESTLING MATCH will take place between the Men of Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Cumberland, and the surrounding Counties, and a number of picked Wrestlers from London, Devonshire, Cornwall, and Ireland. On commencing, the Men are first to […]
WRESTLING, AT HYDE PARK. On Wednesday, a chosen party of wrestlers, who have been for some days past in this town on their return to London from Leeds, gave a display of the ancient game of Wrestling, in the Hyde Park Cricket Ground. About four o’clock, two Devonshire men (Pook and Pell) handed their hats […]
LEEDS, April 19.—The great wrestling match took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, on a stage erected in the centre of an enclosed piece of ground called “Haigh’s Park,” at Huddersfield. About ten o’clock, Bell and Pook commenced, the latter was thrown; Pyle, one of the Devonshire men from London, then threw in his hat for […]
GRAND WRESTLING MATCH AT LEEDS. On Monday last, the whole of the Wrestlers who arrived from London, nineteen in number, appeared on the Race Ground, and excited considerable attention from the commonalty there assembled. On Tuesday the sports commenced, & after three days’ excellent play, the Prizes were thus awarded:—A. Cann 1st, 30l.; James Stone […]
WRESTLING – In the account given last week of the wrestling which took place at Hyde Park, the best trial of skill, between Finney, an Irishman, and King, a native of Devon, and servant to a respectable spirit merchant in the town, was by accident omitted. Finney, who may be termed a professional, is six […]
TO THE EDITOR OF BELL’S LIFE IN LONDON. Joseph Butler presents his respectful compliments to the Editor of Bell’s Life in London, and begs to correct an error into which he seems to have fallen in his Paper of this week, wherein he (J. B.) is designated as Bull Calf. The person known by that […]
Wrestling. The Devon Wrestlers came back on Monday from the grand Matches at London and Leeds. They have been every where successful and floored every opponent. Cann, though greatly weakened from the effects of the attack of Gout, could not look tamely on, and risked his well-earned Laurels, while in that state at the London […]
WRESTLING. Yesterday a most interesting wrestling match took place in the new ground of the Eagle Tavern, In the City Road. The match was for 20l. aside, between James Copp, a Devonshire man, well known in the wrestling ring, and considered to be the best wrestler from Devonshire resident in London, and Laurence Hanlon, an […]
In June, 1828, a match took place at the Eagle Tavern, in the City-road, for £20, between the celebrated JAMES CANN, of Devonshire, and a young Cornishman of good repute, of the name of OLVER. After shaking hands, they grappled each other. In a few minutes it was evident that Olver was not only the […]
In the above month, a Wrestling Match took place at the Wellington Ground, Chelsea, between PHILIP GAFFNEY and GEORGE SAUNDERS, a Cornish man, for forty sovereigns. On entering the ring, it was at once seen that Gaffney was not only taller, but also considerably heavier than his antagonist. Betting, 2 to 1 on Gaffney. Saunders […]
Shortly after two o’clock the ground was opened, and lots were drawn to determine which men should oppose each other, there being exactly 13 Cornishmen, 13 Devonshiremen, 1 Irishman, and 1 Cumberland man as double players. The men entered the ring in the following order: Randall and Batstone, the former was quickly thrown; Trewicke and […]
The Devonshire Wrestling Society archive has been assembled over more than twelve years of systematic research into the history of Westcountry martial arts. When this work began, the documentary record was sparse and dispersed: sources were few, descriptions were thin, and access required navigating institutional barriers that most researchers would not have the time or resources to overcome. The archive now comprises 421 records — 322 newspaper articles (1778–1947), 35 manuscripts, 11 posters, 48 books, one letters patent, two cemetery inscriptions, and two memorials — spanning approximately one thousand years of history across five defined periods and three core disciplines: wrestling, cudgelling, and pugilism.
The material has been drawn from archives, museums, and libraries at both local and national level, as well as from diaspora communities. Access varied considerably: some holdings were straightforwardly available through public or gated online repositories; others required direct institutional inquiry, formal licensing, or payment. Licence fees for individual items have, in some cases, reached several hundred pounds. Items acquired under licence are retained for private research purposes only and are not published. A small number of items from private collections likewise remain unpublished, pending permission. All records for which publication rights have been secured are made freely and openly available.
The cost of the archive — in time and in money — has been substantial. It is offered without charge because the traditions it documents belong to the communities that produced them, and because those who come after should not be required to repeat the effort already expended.
Every record in the archive was acquired through a consistent five-stage process:
Identification. Awareness of potential sources was established through systematic searches of public and private institutional indexes worldwide, and through direct correspondence with subject specialists already engaged with relevant holdings.
Access. Depending on the institution, access was obtained through online repositories, direct application, or formal licensing. Correspondence was initiated with several hundred institutions over the course of the project. Where institutions confirmed the absence of relevant holdings, this was recorded. Where access was granted, the means of access was documented.
Storage. All acquired material is held in a single centralised repository, ensuring that research access is permanent and that no duplication of acquisition effort is necessary.
Preparation. Every record has been transcribed to render it fully searchable and taggable. Images have been assigned metadata recording provenance, licensing terms, and resolution specifications for publication purposes.
Publication. The publicly available inventory represents all records for which the requisite permissions have been obtained.
In order to ensure consistency and intellectual coherence across the archive, all prospective additions are evaluated against the following criteria, which are applied collectively and in sequence. A record should satisfy the majority of these criteria before inclusion is considered.
Relevance. The record must have a demonstrable and direct connection to the Six Shires (Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire) as the location of practice, the origin of practitioners, or the primary institutional context. Records concerning Westcountry practitioners competing elsewhere (in London, the United States, or South Africa, for example) are eligible where the practitioner’s regional identity is explicitly identified in the source. Records documenting the export of Westcountry martial arts beyond Britain are admissible and desirable, consistent with existing holdings relating to California, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa. The record must concern one or more of the three disciplines in scope: Westcountry wrestling (Devonshire or Cornish style), cudgelling or single-stick as practised in the region, or pugilism and boxing with a demonstrable Westcountry connection. Records documenting the co-occurrence of two or more disciplines are particularly valuable and should be prioritised.
Integrity. The source must be primary or a reliable early secondary record. For newspaper sources, this means a contemporaneous report; for books, a first or early edition, or a verified transcription thereof. Secondary scholarship is admissible where it contains primary-source quotations not otherwise independently accessible, provided these are clearly identified as such.
Balanced representation. The curatorial target is approximate parity — not of record count, which will inevitably reflect the uneven survival of evidence — but of intellectual representation across the three core disciplines. Where any discipline is underrepresented relative to this target, acquisitions in that discipline should be prioritised accordingly.
Material culture. Physical objects — trophies, belts, equipment, and architectural features — are admissible where they carry inscriptions or documentary provenance that independently attest to the practice of a discipline in the region.
Verifiability. The source must be identifiable with sufficient bibliographic precision to be cited in APA format and, where possible, to be independently verified by a reader consulting the original. Oral tradition, undocumented folklore, and secondary paraphrases without citation do not meet this standard. Where a source is available online, a direct URL must be provided.
