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l£oANNUAL REGISTER, 1794•the ceiling is a portrait of King William, and the arms of Middleton and Green. Under this room is one of the above-mentioned citterns.The property of the New River is divided into 72 (hares, which diviiion* * took place foon alter the commencement of ;he undertaking. Thirty-fix of thel'e were originally vefted in Sir Hugh Middleton, the firft projector, who having impoverifhed him-felf and his family by an undertaking which has proved fo beneficial to the .public, as to render his name ever honoured and reipecled, was obliged to part with his property in the undertaking, which was divided among various perfons. Thefe (hares are called the- Adventurer’s (hares. The moiety of the undertaking which was vefted in the crown, having been divided into the fame number of (hares, was alienated by king Charles I.: but the crown having never had any concern in the management of the undertaking, the holders of thefe (haresare ftill excluded from the direction,which under the charter of king James (by which the company was incorporated anno 1619) is vefted in :S9 holders of Adventurer’s (hares, who form a board. When a vacancy*happens in this number, the remaining 28 elect.Fom Sir Hugh Middleton, we fumto a celebrated man of a very different description, “ James Figg, “ buried December 11,1734.” The celebrated prize-fighter* The amphitheatres of the prize-fighters afforded in his time a favourite amufern ent, which refles little credit on the humanity of the age. Thefe trials of (kill were frequently attended with much hurt, and were fometimes fatal te the eombatants.+ Figg, who, long bore the palui of victory from all competitors, is extolled by captain Godfrey in his treatife of the fcienceW Mof defence, as the greateft mafter of the art that he had ever feen; h# calls him the atlas of the fword, and fays, that he united ftrengtb, refolu-tion, and unparalleled judgment, lie was for many years proprietor of the boarded houle in Marybone-fields, near Oxford-road. Here he frequently exhibited his own (kill, and at other times made matches between the moft celebrated mattersI*or mijircJJ'es of the art, for the noble lcience of defence was not confinedto the male lex; we find Mrs. Stokes, the famous city championel's, challenging, the Hibernian heroines to meet her at Mr. Figg’s.tSometimes bear-baiting, tiger-baiting, c. were exhibited at this amphitheatre. A bull-fight wasonce* A poem of I)r. Byrotn’s (printed in Dodflev’s collection), describing a famous combat between Fn*g and Sutton, begins '*' Long liv’d the great Figg, by the prize-fighting fwains,“ Sole monarch acknowledg'd of Afarj bone plains.”t Tnone of the advertifements from Broughton's amphitheatre, announcing* trial of fttU between two pme-ftu liters, it was promised that the* bcautr of the fword fhoubi h« 1‘g'raujly difyla^ed, and that there ftiould.be.no bandage nor wound drefieri till tiia battle was over. Howland lien net, who frequently fought ;»t Broughton’s, generally made it Iis boaft in his challenges, that the eTcr-memor able gladiator, Timothy liu':k (celebrated in the 436th number of the Sprctatur) foil by in*, unfortunate hand.Daily Advertifer, July 5, 1745.-»# t€ .We h.?artfcat th? £rrr,t!erien of Irrhr.d hav* bv?n ! picking lt;lt;iit an Hibernia.*' u hcroioe to iiiatch ?Ji: Ua: bul*/ dii\l lt;lt;it: thvrt; is0'A*Z
Newspaper Details
London Annual Register
London, Middlesex, GB
Wed, Jan 01, 1794
Page 551
Full Page
Clipped by
Peter R.
UK 04 Mar 2020
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