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t - • * i ~ * r? 1 fi !• .*• ** fjiMODiaM HldTdftf'a* -;..■B fi X I N G, , ,{Containedfrom bur Paper of TutfdafjTHE Tottitoham Court Booth was the only flage on which thefe ProfefTdrsi or a they called themfelves; Matters of the Boxing Art, dHr played their prowefs, till Broughton, encouraged and patronized by fome of the nobility and gentryJ built his amphitheatre in Oxford Roadl Thi$ place wns fifciftied 1742'. George Taylor, the proprietor of the booth, was himfelf a very atl* praitioner, and welcomed every champion who offered hitpfelf to-fight, by giving him what waS called, in the cant language of tRofe bruifers} the truth of a good drubbing. Mr. Tajdor was commonly known by the name of George the Barber.But it was not pngilifls alone that diftiriguifhed therrtfelves on tliefe ftages; nor were the coni teds confined to fingle matches; Seven or eight were frequently let to together} in what wtfs called a battle-royal ; in thefe the noted Buckhorfe generally took a part. There were alfo frequent exhibitions of llcill by the profeflbrs of the broad-fword and quarter-daff, of which the following ad-vertifement will give a curious example.September 6, 1742.“ At the Great Booth at Tottenham Court,on Wednefday next, the 8th indant, there will be a fevere trial of Ihength by the following maf-t:rs.“ Whereas there was a fevere battle fought between Mr. Johnfon and Mr. M‘ArtyJ who has had the ill-fortune to have a large piece cut out of his head, which has fo mucji enraged this Hibernian hero, that he has vowed revenge, and faid he could never leave London Without another trial with the faid Johnfon, in which combat he would either retrive his lofs, or otherwife ' fubmit to a fate he has hitherto been a flranger to ; the ur*-daunted Johnfon not having the lead regard to this bold failor’s threats, has agreed to fight him on the following terms, viz. to begin the weapons backward, and he that gives the mod bleeding wcunds at fword, and mod blows at quarter-fta£F* to have the fird five pounds out of the box, and the red to be (hared as ufnaL“ Attendance will be given at thtee o’clock, and the mailers mount the ftage at half after four, by reafon the days are fhort.“To entertain the gentlemen while the houfe fills, there will be a hat played for at cudgels* which will be given to him that breaks the mod heads.“ Note, Tiu's is to acquaint gentlemen,that Mr. Johnfon has began teaching for the winter feafon, as ufual, and has a very convenient room near his own houfe in Gra)l’s-inn-lane.“ Daily AdvertiferT*In the leading circumdance* of this conted, a remarkable fimilarity fubfids to that which lately took place between Johnfon and Ryan. Johnfon was in his line the fird champion in England and a native of Yorklhire. So is the Johnfon of the prefent day. He fought an Trifh failor, and beat him ; and in the eourfe of the battle gave him a cut on the forehead. The very fame thing was done by Johnfon againd Ryan in the late fight near Staines. The Irifh failor was difiatis-fied with the decifion of the combat, and wilhed to fight again ; which is exaly the cafe with Ryan. So far the parallel is exa. The only cir-cumdancc; in which the two occurrences differ are, that the one was with fids, the other with fword and quarter-daff; in the fird the vanquifhr ed combatant made no charge or complaint of foal play ; in the lad there was a great deal of partiality, and the match was, by the management of the feconds and by-danders, by no means fairly though decifivcly won.(To be continued.)
Newspaper Details
Public Advertiser
London, Middlesex, GB
Thu, Jan 10, 1788
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
David L.
WI, USA 20 Jun 2017
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