Early in 1825 (February 15), in compliance with a desire of the amateurs, Tom Cannon gave a sparring exhibition at the Fives Court, in which Josh. and himself fought their battle of Warwick over again with the mufflers. Josh. was pronounced, despite his fat, to have the best of the “science,” but the activity was with Cannon. “Bravo, Josh.!” at each hit or stop, resounded from all parts of the Court at each manœuvre of the old favourite. The bills and advertisements were headed “Tom Cannon, the Champion of England,” and a challenge for £1,000 was given to any disputant of his title. The door-money was over £100, exclusive of the sale of private tickets.
Cannon now went on a tour, after winning a foot-race of 200 yards with “Squire Smith,” at Shepperton, for a stake of £20 a-side, February 19, 1825, in handsome style. In the following month we find him at Brighton, with his patron, Mr. Hayne, where matches at billiards and wrestling had been made by Mr. Hayne with a well-known Irish adventurer, Mr. Carney. At billiards Mr. Hayne had chosen the celebrated Jonathan (Kentfield) as his representative. It would appear that Mr. Carney caught Mr. Hayne “upon the bustle” early one morning, and backed himself for 100 guineas, p. p., 100 up, Mr. Hayne to find a player who should give him (Carney) 70 points! and this without consulting Jonathan on the matter. At the same time Mr. Hayne backed Cannon to wrestle with Mr. Carney, “collar and elbow,” for £50 a-side, “best of three falls.” Jonathan, winning the toss, named his own table in Manchester Street, for the trial of skill. There was a great muster of sporting men on Thursday, March 24, 1825, and ten to one was betted that Mr. Hayne would forfeit. There was little betting on the play, as it was the general opinion that the odds were preposterously great. Cannon offered £20 to £15 that Carney won. The affair was over in eighteen minutes, Carney winning straight “off the balls,” so soon as he got the cue in hand. Carney played with judgment and coolness, and won the match with credit to himself. He declined another match with forty given. With regard to the wrestling, the following placard was posted in Brighton:
“Ireland’s Royal Grounds will be a scene of great attraction this day (Thursday). A wrestling match, for a heavy stake, will take place between Cannon from Windsor (the celebrated pugilist) and a sporting gentleman amateur from Ireland, at two o’clock; the best of three falls. In addition to which, the art of self-defence will be exhibited by White-headed Bob and Gaynor, with other gymnastic sports. Price of admission, 2s. The large room will be appropriated entirely for the ladies who may honour the above manly exhibition with their presence. Every attention will be paid to render the amusements highly interesting to the visitors.”
The crowd at “Ireland’s Ground” was immense, and there was no end of wrangle as to the true definition of “collar and elbow,” the Carney division determining to have “the pull” on their side, if possible. Then arose the question as to whether the game allowed the elegant and humane practice of kicking each other’s shins. Mister Carney had come with his legs swathed in woollen list; but at last Cannon took off his boots, Carney divested himself of his bandages and heavy shoes, and it was finally settled that the umpires should place the hands of the wrestlers on each other’s shoulders and elbows, and leave them. Cannon was dressed in a new jacket and breeches, without any handkerchief on his neck. Carney wore an old blue dress coat and light pantaloons; his fine figure was much admired. We remember him well about town, in his fatter and latter days, when he was a constant frequenter of “Silver Hell,” near Leicester Square, and perpetually engaged in legal or personal war with the notorious Barnard Gregory and the Satirist newspaper; his six feet of height, and fifteen or sixteen stone of weight, still marking him as an opponent one would rather let alone than challenge.
There was little in the match to call for description. Cannon declared he did not understand the style of wrestling. After a short struggle, Carney succeeded in tripping his man, and bringing him almost sideways to the ground. Cannon denied it was a “back fall.” The umpires disagreed, but the referee gave it to Carney. £10 to £5, and then £30 to £10, were offered on Carney. After some play the men were down in a scrambling fall; Cannon was on his knees, and Carney fell over him. This was declared “No fall.” The third and deciding bout was more spirited. Cannon tried to show off, but Carney, with great activity, “heeled” his man so cleverly, that down went “the Great Gun” clean on his back. Cannon jumped up, and with the utmost good humour exclaimed that he had lost the match. He repeated that “he didn’t understand the game.” The whole was over in eight minutes.
White-headed Bob and Gaynor next made their bows, and set-to. The talents of the “White-nobbed One” gave him the best of it, although Gaynor exerted himself to give satisfaction. It was expected Cannon would have had a turn with Baldwin; but “the Great Gun” immediately set off for the metropolis. Five-and-twenty pounds were collected at the doors, which were distributed among the candidates for fame, Mr. Ireland reserving one-fifth for the use of his grounds. Mr. Carney, however, generously made the host a present of his share.
Cannon’s pretensions to the championship were not allowed to remain unchallenged. Jem Ward put in his claim, and, as already recorded,[[42]] on July 19, 1825, at Warwick, Cannon was defeated, in ten rounds, occupying ten minutes only. The heat of the weather was so intense that several persons fainted and were carried from the ground. Cannon stood £200 of his own money, and £200 in his backer’s bets. During the dispute at Tattersall’s about the stakes, Tom publicly said, that as £200 of the battle-money belonged to him, that should be given to Ward, whatever might be done with the rest. He added, that he should like another trial with Ward, but that he had lost all his spare cash.
In August, 1825, Tom Cannon and Peter Crawley “starred” it at the Coburg (now the Victoria) Theatre in a piece called “The fight at Warwick,” which, we are told, was attractive and lucrative to the management.[[43]]
Cannon’s next match was with Ned Neale (see Life of Neale, post), the Streatham Youth, which was decided in an enclosure at Warfield, Berks, February 20, 1827. Neale proved the winner in thirty minutes, after twenty-two hard-fought rounds. The odds were at one time in Tom’s favour, who attributed his defeat to a severe hurt in the shoulder from a heavy fall.
This was Cannon’s last public appearance as principal within the ropes. In November, 1827, Tom seconded Jem Burn in his second fight with Ned Neale, on the same ground at Warfield. The day was wretchedly damp and wintry, and Cannon caught so severe a cold that he was laid up with lumbago, and for several months was a cripple. Cannon still found a friend in Mr. Hayne. Though that gentleman had retired from “the turf and ring,” he placed him in the Castle, in Jermyn Street, St. James’s. Here, through his civility and attention, he was well supported for a time; but Tom’s friends wore off, and new ones came not. His health, too, was precarious, and he retired from business, not upon a competency, we regret to say. For nearly eighteen years Tom disappeared from an active part in ring affairs, and resided at Strand-on-the-Green, in the capacity of a swan-watcher for the Corporation. Severe attacks of the gout and rheumatism disqualifying him from all exertion, he fell into a state of hypochondria, and on Sunday, the 11th of July, 1858, terminated his existence by suicide with a pistol, in the sixty-ninth year of his age, leaving a constant and attentive widow in narrow circumstances to lament his loss. Jem Burn and some other friends of the old school kindly strove to alleviate her forlorn condition.