Cooke, Topographical and Statistical Description of the County of Devon (1817)

In the description of some late matches, it is observed, “the ring was formed in a field called the Marshes, to which kind of soil the showers that had previously fallen lent rather a cruel aid.” When the narrator approached the ring, though the rain descended rapidly, the people stood round unmoved. There was a large circle of wooden railing erected, forming the back to a single bench, and within this ring people were admitted, on paying threepence. The crowd being constrained to stand as near the rails as possible, an open space was thus kept for the competitors. After the rules had been read, a hat was hurled into the air, and immediately followed by another from the acceptor of the challenge: the wrestlers began immediately to prepare for the struggle. The first that stood in the midst of the ring, having stripped to the shirt, then put on a linen jacket, with a green cock worked on the back, which, it appears, was the customary garment; he was a young man of an appearance extremely prepossessing, his limbs being well grown and strongly set, yet rather slight; his body was easy and slim, yet peculiarly expressive of prowess. The fronts of his legs, from the knees to the ancle, were armed with thick carpeting, to pretect him from the kicks of his antagonist. “Having,” says the relator, “turned to a countryman near me, and inquired who the youth was?” “Who is that?” said the countryman, with a tone of surprise, accompanied by a look of profound pity-” why, one of the Canns, to be sure.” Young Cann stood awhile in a calm and indifferent attitude, whilst his opponent ploughed his heavy way towards him.

This was a little bull-necked, thickset man, of prodigiously broad and weighty carriage, whose carpeted limbs resembled the bolsters of a sofa, and his throat was scarcely less inferior in size. Cann pledged him in beer or cider, and then giving the mug to one of the umpires, he seized his opponent by the collar of his jacket, and received in return the tiger clutch of this formidable antagonist. Cann stood up nobly and watchfully, met every movement with a harder gripe of the jacket, receiving the kicks intended for him with an indifference quite astonishing to all possessors of knees and shin-bones. The short man stood low and far from Cann, sometimes leaning forward, as if he were on all-fours, and slipped and sprawled about like a cat in walnut-shells, and with the same extraordinary pertinacity for keeping his feet. This ungainly attitude was strongly contrasted by Cann’s upright muscular form towering above it, and following lionlike the crouchingand shifting manœuvres of the creature opposed to him. This display of skill and strength lasted five minutes; and such being the time limited for the single play, as it is termed, the parties were instantly separated by the two umpires. When a man has stood out two men and thrown one, he is set down as a double player, and is entitled to strive among the select on the second day for the prizes. Of course, all the Cann’s, the best men from the moors, and young Brockenden and Thorn from Dawlish, made themselves double players. The second morning was any thing but “rosy-fingered,” and there was some slow and tedious contests for double players till very late in the afternoon, so that the grand contest did not commence till the moon arose, when the first shout from the master of the revels was, “The younger Cann, and Widdicomb of the moors.” This was received with a low murmur and a deep interest, which almost smothered sound. The younger Cann was the stoutest of the brotherhood, finely formed and fair-haired. He stripped and accoutred himself immediately, his two brothers assisting in buckling his leg armour and fastening his jacket. The Cann’s were farmers, consisting of five brothers, all excellent wrestlers, though only three of them were present on this occasion. The popular feeling, it might be perceived, was painfully on Cann’s side. Widdicomb, the moor-man, was soon prepared for the conflict; he was a giant in size, and after the cup had been pledged, the opponents seized each other with an iron grasp. Cann stood boldly but cautiously up, as conscious that he had much to do, and the moor-man opposed him resolutely. The struggle was immediate, and Cann, with one terrific wrench, threw his antagonist to the earth; but he fell so doubtfully on his shoulder, that it seemed uncertain whether he would have fallen on his back, or recover himself by rolling on his face, which by a sudden wrench he effected. In consequence of the slippery state of the grass, Cann now fell upon his knees, and the moor-man instantly hurled him on his back. All was uproar and confusion, but Cann was declared to have received a fall; though, as he did not seem to be convinced of the justice of his judges, it was with real pain of spirit that he pulled off his jacket. Young Brockenden followed next with another man from the moors, and he received a doubtful fall, which was much cavilled at; but which the judges, nevertheless, gave against him. It now grew late, and the clouds thickening round, the wrestling could scarcely be perceived: the relator left the spot, but he afterwards heard that the Cann’s retrieved the fame of the family. In the morning the awning and the scaffolding had vanished; the young fellows had separated, the Cann’s to their farms, and the others to the moors.