THOMAS CRIBB (Champion of England).
From the Painting by De Wild, 1811.
In the time of Cribb, the descendant of an African race, remarkable for insensibility to pain, a low cerebral development, and immense muscular powers, challenged the belt, was met by Tom Cribb, defeated, and died a self-destroyed victim to his mortification and reckless excess. In our own time an Irish-American of superior stature, weight, and physique, with the advantages of youth, activity, and unexhausted energy, offered himself as challenger of the belt, which might well be taken as the symbol of the championship of the world. Its holder was a middle weight, whose many hard fought battles had left him outward marks on his person, and still more told upon his elasticity and lasting powers. Yet Tom Sayers undauntedly met the defiance, and the result, though unsatisfactory in the main, showed what lion-hearted courage and a determination to “do or die” can achieve. The trophy was retained in our little “nook-shotten isle,” again to be contended for by Englishmen, though “open to all comers,” without regard to country and colour. But we are anticipating our history, which has now to do with the honest, hearty, and gallant Tom Cribb.
Cribb was born July 8th, 1781, at Hanham, in the parish of Bitton, Gloucester, on the borders of Somerset, situate about five miles from Bristol, and it is rather a disputed point to which of the counties contiguous to Hanham this spot belongs.
Pierce Egan, from Cribb’s own lips, has compiled a diffuse account of his earlier career, to which we are indebted for the following particulars:—
Our hero left his native place at a very early period, and arrived in the metropolis, when no more than thirteen years old, to follow the trade of a bell-hanger, under the guidance of a relative; but the confined occupation of hanging bells not exactly meeting his ideas, and being a strong youth, he preferred an out-door calling, and commenced porter at the wharfs, during which time he met with two accidents that had nearly deprived him of existence—in stepping from one coal barge to another, he fell between them, and got jammed in a dreadful manner; and in carrying a very heavy package of oranges, weighing nearly 500 pounds, he slipped upon his back, and the load fell upon his chest, which occasioned him to spit blood for several days afterwards. By the excellence of his constitution, he was soon enabled to recover his strength from those severe accidents; and aided by the invigorating air of the ocean, upon which he had the honour of serving against the enemies of his country, his fine natural stamina was improved. The natural good temper and forbearance of this brave man has left his historian little to record in the way of skirmishes; and the important contests which it will become our duty and pleasing task to record, were all conducted on the principles of professional boxing—the very first elements of which are manliness, forbearance, and fair play. Though Cribb was generally considered a slow fighter, he was as generally admired as a sure hitter; his wind was of the first quality, and his game never excelled. With such sound pugilistic pretensions it will not appear surprising that Tom quickly scaled his way to fame and fortune, in which career we shall leave his actions to speak for themselves.
In the beginning of 1805, Cribb fought his first public battle with that veteran of fistic glory, George Maddox, on Wood Green, near Highgate, January 7th, 1805, for a subscription purse of twenty-five guineas—twenty for the winner and five for the loser. The disparity of years was considerable between the combatants; and Cribb, besides possessing the advantages of youth, was somewhat taller than Maddox, and, consequently rather the favourite.
As we find no report, beyond a mere mention of this fight in “Boxiana,” or elsewhere, we give the brief account we find in the weekly papers: “On Monday (January 7), at Wood Green, about two miles north of Highgate, a severe boxing match took place, between the pugilistic veteran, George Maddox (in his 50th year), and Thomas Cribb, a young man, who had never entered the lists before, but known in the neighbourhood of Wapping, where he has been working as a coal-porter, as ‘the Black Diamond.’ Maddox’s second was Tom Jones, and Black Sam sympathetically seconded the Black Diamond.
“The contest was for an amateur subscription purse of 25 guineas, 20 for the winner, and five for the loser. A ring having been formed, at about twelve o’clock the combatants entered. On stripping appearances were greatly in favour of Cribb; he being a well made man, standing five feet ten inches, about two inches taller than Maddox. After the usual ceremonies they set-to.”
THE FIGHT.