Gamble’s first appearance in the English ring was on the 5th September, 1792, at Bentley Green, nine miles from Colchester, which is thus recorded:
“This day (Friday, September 5), Hooper, the tinman (See Hooper, ante), having beaten Bunner, of Colchester, the day previous, Ben Stanyard, a pugilist from Birmingham, mounted the stage to box with Andrew Gamble, an Irishman. Joe Ward seconded Stanyard, and Hooper was his bottle-holder, looking little worse for his yesterday’s battle. Gamble was seconded by one Williams, and had Ryan for his bottle-holder. The stage was enlarged from eighteen to twenty-one feet square. The spot was Bentley Green, nine miles from Colchester.
“At first setting-to odds were greatly in favour of Gamble, till after some few rounds, when they became even, but Gamble’s superiority gained the bets in his favour five to four, and they again changed to the same height in favour of Stanyard, during the last six rounds, who then unfortunately made a foul blow at his adversary, which every one considered would have terminated the battle. Gamble’s friends, however, advising him to continue the contest, they fought another round, at the end of which Stanyard fell and Gamble retired, declaring himself victorious. Stanyard remained on the ground until his friends triumphantly carried him away. The umpires, seconds, etc., had many meetings, and it was at length declared a drawn battle. The contest was well supported, the combatants having met nineteen times in twenty-five minutes.
“To make amends for the disappointment, a bye-battle was fought between two countrymen, and very well contested.”
For eight years we lose sight of Gamble, as a pugilist, until in July, 1800, we find him matched with Noah James,[[122]] the guardsman. The battle is thus reported:—
“On Tuesday, July 1 (1800), a boxing match which had long been expected was fought in a hollow near the foot of Abbershaw’s gibbet, on Wimbledon Common, for 100 guineas, and bets to the amount of £5000, between Andrew Gamble the Irish pugilist, and Noah James, formerly belonging to the horseguards. Ben Stanyard, his old opponent, and now fast friend, was Gamble’s second, and Jack Bartholomew his bottle-holder; Joe Ward seconded James, and Hall was his bottle-holder.
“About ten o’clock the combatants set-to, when odds were six to four in favour of James; they fought with astonishing fierceness and displayed great science. In the twelfth round Gamble put in a severe blow in the face of his antagonist, and cut his nose dreadfully; in the twentieth he broke his collar-bone, and in the twenty-first his jaw bone; but notwithstanding such a dreadful state of disablement, James fought four rounds afterwards with determined courage, when he fell almost lifeless on the stage.
“James was a Cheshire man, and had fought seventeen battles. He was allowed to display more bottom than any other man. After this battle, being given over by his medical attendants, and considering himself at the last extremity, he sent for Gamble, and generously exchanged forgiveness with the successful champion. Gamble, equally open hearted, gave Mrs. James a very handsome present for the more comfortable support of the unfortunate bruiser.”
This was Andrew Gamble’s best fight. His warm-hearted friends, now overrating his capabilities, determined to match him with the best English pugilist of the day, the young Bristol champion, Jem Belcher. December 22nd, 1800, was fixed, and the friends of Gamble, having won the choice of place, named the old hollow, by Abbershaw’s gibbet, on Wimbledon Common, as the spot. How triumphantly he was thrashed may be read in the memoir of Jem Belcher; what disgraceful abuse, and worse, he received at the hands of “his enraged backers,” may be read in “Boxiana,” p. 242. We have extracted it as a specimen of “history,” omitting the small capitals, italics, and emphasised slang.
“Gamble’s being so soon deprived of his laurels, created the most dreadful murmurings among his countrymen, many of whom were nearly ruined from Gamble being defeated. St. Giles’s was in a complete uproar upon this occasion, and the Paddies had not been so neatly cleaned out since the days of the renowned hero Peter Corcoran! It proved a most woeful day for the Irish indeed; the dealers in wild ducks had not a feather left to fly with; the rabbit merchants were so reduced as to be even without poles, and not a copper to go the next morning to market; never were men so completely dished and done up. Andrew’s name had hitherto been a tower of strength, he was the tight Irish boy, and the darling of his country—but alas! the scene was changed, he was now called a cur, an overgrown thing, a mere apology, and was in danger of being tossed in a blanket by his enraged and disappointed backers. Gamble, from this defeat, lost the warm hearts of the Paddies ever afterwards. Gamble appeared truly contemptible in this fight, in comparison with even the worst of his former displays—and it was the opinion of the amateurs, that the evident superiority of Belcher completely frightened all Gamble’s courage and science out of him.”