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THIS is to give Notice, THAT Mr. William Saunders, of the Saracen’s-Head at Highworth, Wilts, will give Two Guineas to be wrestled for, by the famous Berkshire Milk-Boy, and four other Berkshire Men, of his Company, against any other five Men in England, on Thursday the 30th Instant, October, for a Fall, or six Foils. […]
THIS is to give Notice to all Gentlemen Gamesters, and Others, THAT there will be Three HATS, of Three Guineas Price, the free Gift of Abraham Golding and Robert Hobbs, at St. John’s-Bridge in Gloucestershire; One Hat, on Monday the 6th of September next, to be play’d for at Back-sword, by Five or Seven of […]
Har. How did you divert yourself ? Tim. Oh, we ha’ pastimes enow there :—we ha? bull-baiting, and cock-fighting, and fishing, and hunting, and hurling, and wrestling. Har. The two last are sports for which that country is very remarkable in those, 1 presume, you are very expert. 8 Tim, Nan! What? Har. 1 say […]
John Prowse, who had now taken me under his protection, was a good specimen of the North Devon peasant; lively and intelligent, stout and muscular, nearly six feet high, and with shoulders that would not have disgraced Hercules. Besides this, he was upright as a dart, a grace he had acquired by having been some […]
An etching found in the British Museum (id: 1873,1108.218): Village scene, with two men standing on a square at centre, wrestling with their right arms, keeping their left arms behind their backs, surrounded by spectators; three men and a dog seated on the ground in foreground at left, next to a barrel and basket, and […]
Handwritten rules for Cudgel playing, from Wiveliscombe, Somerset. Articles of Play 1st best: The person that shall fairly break the greatest number of heads & save his own to receive 3 guineas & a half 2nd best: The person that shall fairly break the next greatest number of heads & save his own […]
An etching held at the British Museum (id: 1849,0210.107): Two young man playing fencing; illustration to ‘The Sporting Magazine’ vol.35. 1810. Etching and engraving © The Trustees of the British Museum. Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) licence.
The athletic exercise to which these people are mostly addicted is that of wrestling. This is pursued with great fervour and emulation by the young farmers and peasantry in the country It is common on these occasions for a purse of six eight or ten guineas to be made by gentlemen fond of promoting this […]
Sixty years ago this curious West-country ditty was sung not only from the Tamar to the Land’s End, but from Barnstaple Bay to the Rame Head. It describes, in rough and ready rhyme, the experiences of a country yokel who was carried off by a press-gang from a wrestling match on Maker Heights, near Plymouth. […]
Page 608 EXMOUTH WRESTLING. Rosalind. —— Shall we see this wrestling, coz? Le Beau. You must, if you stay here, for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. As You Like It. Page 609-611 [The first part describes a Londoner’s life and the author’s visit to Exmouth […]
A woodcut by George Cruikshank, currently held in the British Museum (id: 1978,U.3287). It bears the label: Two Cornish men wrestling, a large crowd of rustic men gathered around the ring and watching with interest, some seated on a bench, flags flying from the covered stand behind; a version of the etching; illustration to the […]
An illustration by Thomas Rowlandson (London 1756-1827) ‘A Cornish wrestling match’ – bears indistinct inscription (lower centre), pen and ink and watercolour on paper laid down on card 18.2 x 30.6cm (7 3/16 x 12 1/16in). Sold at Bonhams for £1,062.50 inc. premium: 26 July 2017, 10:00 BST, London, Knightsbridge Available online: https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24193/lot/552/thomas-rowlandson-london-1756-1827-a-cornish-wrestling-match/
Although listed variously as ‘A Cornish wrestling match’, ‘Two Cornish men wrestling’ et al., this artefact produced by Cruikshank clearly depicts Moor-men (wrestlers from Dartmoor) who were known to wear Red/Green and Black Cockerels/Lions on their backs*. The pictures also show wrestlers wearing skillibegs (‘shin-padding’) and shoes, distinctive equipment of the Devon style. Credit to […]
An indirect reference to Devon Wrestling in reference to shin injuries and conditions of disease (not caused by Wrestling, but by other ailments): Now in Devonshire especially, a habit prevails of kicking shins in wrestling. In this gymnastic exercise, two men collar each other, and kick each other’s legs; whosoever throws his opponent first on […]
WRESTLING. To Mr. ABRAHAM CANN, St. Thomas’s, Exeter. SIR, Although you did not answer mine of Sept. 20th, nor accept the proposals with respect to time, place, and amount of stake——I see yours of the 10th inst., in the Devon Freeholder, dated Dec. 2, wherein you now assert your readiness to try the championship of […]
Portrait of Abraham Cann, whole length, standing outdoors, directed slightly to left, making wrestling moves; wearing half-open jacket fastened with strings, breeches and stockings; top hat lying on the ground at his foot at left. Lithograph Printed by: Thomas Bayly Published by: J Penny Published by: John Dickinson – https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1868-0612-1077 Inscription content: Lettered below image with the […]
Lithograph in the British Museum (1943,0410.2111), by Maxim Gauci: Portrait of James Polkinhorn; whole length, standing in three-quarter profile to right, leaning slightly forward, with arms folded, his left foot placed in front, wearing short jacket fastened with cord; impression had been folded for posting. 1826 Lithograph on chine collé © The Trustees of the […]
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 science displayed on the occasion shows, that […]
[WRESTLING]. Pair of Hand-Colored Portraits of Famous British Wrestlers who Faced Each Other in the Ring. Including: [CANN, Abraham, subject]. “The Wrestling Champion of England, Abraham Cann. Who challenges all the World for 100 Sovereigns…” [Exeter: Geo. Rowe, Aug. 10th, 1826]. Hand-colored full-length portrait of Cann in profile outdoors, with caption. 12 ¾ x 9”. […]
The origin and author of these lyrics (also described as a ballad) are unknown. The song was printed in a broadside newspaper in December 1826. Tripp states that it was sung to the tune of The Night I Married Susy, or The Coronation. When Polkinghorne did first agree, And Cann the day did fix, Sir, […]
DEVONSHIRE WRESTLING. For the Table Book. Abraham Cann, the Devonshire champion, and his brother wrestlers of that county, are objected to for their play with the foot, called “showing a toe” in Devonshire; or, to speak plainly, “kicking.” Perhaps neither the objectors, nor Abraham and his fellow-countrymen, are aware, that the Devonshire custom was also […]
A copy of the August 26th 1827 edition of Pierce Egan’s “Life in London and Sporting Guide”, with several vignettes of sporting activities as the headings to various news items (1827). Woodcut Content: WRESTLING. The feats of Cann, Polkinhorne, Copp, Gaffney, and the whole of the Wrestlers faithfully recorded. “Now clear the Ring: for, hand […]
Wrestling IN CORNWALL AND DEVONSHIRE. To the Editor. Sir,-The ready insertion given to my letter on the above subject, in the second volume of the Every-Day Book, (p. 1009,) encourages me to hope that you will as readily insert the present, which enters more fully into the merits of this ancient sport, as practised in […]
A TALE — (PENWARNE.) A Cornish Miner, high in wrestling fame. And Thomas Triggyniggy was his name: To London city Tom would fain be packing; In hardy enterprise no lad was bolder; He threw his trusty staff across his shoulder. And hung his wardrobe on it in a nackin.* The journey was a long […]
This satirical epitaph commemorates Abraham Cann, a celebrated wrestler from Devon, through the conceit of his ultimate defeat by Death personified. Originally published in the Weekly Dispatch, the poem employs mock-heroic conventions to honour Cann’s prowess whilst acknowledging mortality’s inevitability. The verse chronicles Cann’s wrestling dominance, noting his victories over formidable opponents including “giant Jordan,” […]