Nathaniel Langham was born in May, 1820, at Hinckley in Leicestershire; his height 5 feet 10 inches, and weight, as already stated, 11 stone. Nat’s earlier years were passed as a country labourer’s are usually. In his boyish days he worked in the fields, and as soon as he was fitted, made his way into Leicester, where he was engaged by a tradesman, as he himself has told us, to “deliver goods with a horse and cart.” While in this town he attained, in the years 1841–1843, an insight into the more scientific manœuvres of the art pugilistic, for which he had a natural taste and instinctive aptitude, being much praised by Dick Cain, who often encouraged him to “put on the mittens” with rural roughs who might fancy their fistic abilities, and who gave Nat the best of tactical advice and instruction. Notwithstanding this episode of town life, it is certain that in February, 1843, Langham was again at his native village of Hinckley, for in Bell’s Life of February 12th we find the following paragraph, recording the first Ring fight of our hero:—
NAT LANGHAM.
From a Painting by Williams.
“A fight came off on Thursday last, near Hinckley, Leicestershire, between Nathaniel Langham, of Hinckley, and William Ellis, of Sabcote (an adjacent village), for £5 a side. The men were of pretty equal proportions, each standing a little under six feet, but, if anything, Ellis is the larger man; he is an old fighter, and was considered by his backers (though they must now be convinced to the contrary) invincible. Langham, too, has appeared in the Ring before, and distinguished himself as a man of no small talent as regards his milling capabilities. The fight took place about eleven o’clock, when both men went to work hard and fast, Langham hitting well at his man, and getting his blows home. Ellis was unable to hit his antagonist with effect, and at the expiration of the eighth round showed his sense by giving in, having his peepers most effectually darkened, his lips cut, and other very visible marks of heavy and frequent visitations from Langham’s skilfully directed ‘fives.’”
Nat after this took his way to the great mart for all rising talent, the Metropolis, landing at Ben Caunt’s early in 1844. On the 7th of May in that year Langham found himself one of a pugilistic party, headed by Ben Caunt, on board of the “Nymph” steamer, outward bound in search of a convenient battle-field for the settlement of the “difference of opinion” between Joe Bostock (a former opponent of Johnny Broome) and Turner, the “Wychwood Forester.” This affair disposed of, by Bostock winning in thirty-four minutes, a purse was collected for “an afterpiece.” Thereupon Tom Lowe, a stalwart coal-whipper of some repute as conqueror in various bye-battles, and who afterwards beat Hurley at 12 stone, presented himself. Nat proposed to answer the challenger, and “Big Ben” gave his approval of the experiment. D’Orsay Turner, and Mike Driscoll seconded Langham, Jack Cullen and Ned Adams picking up Lowe. The battle was a curious, scrambling affair, according to the meagre paragraph which is afforded to it in Bell’s Life. In fact, it is within our knowledge that the reporter on this occasion had left the ring and gone aboard the steamer before it was known that a second fight was arranged. In the 43rd round, when Lowe was said to have “the best of the battle” (?) we are told, “On getting up from his corner Lowe, much to the surprise of most parties, went up to his adversary, and shaking hands with him, declined fighting any more; Langham was of course proclaimed the victor, after fighting 50 minutes.” We suspect the verbal amateur reporter of this affair did not know so much about Nat Langham’s capabilities as Mr. Lowe had found out during the 50 minutes he had faced him. At any rate, Caunt was so satisfied with his “novice’s” display that he offered to back him for £25 against any man of his weight. Langham also put forth a challenge to fight Joe Bostock, the conqueror in this day’s battle, “for £25, to meet within six weeks of signing articles;” but Johnny Broome, who was behind Bostock, and than whom in his day there was no better judge, having availed himself of an opportunity of trying Nat with the gloves, would not have the engagement at any price, and so the affair came to nought. A clear twelvemonth now elapsed before Nat could meet with a customer, although we find him offering himself as a candidate for pugilistic honours at 11 stone, and give 7lb., for £25; money ready at “The Lion,” at Hinckley, or the “Coach and Horses,” St. Martin’s Lane.
In the month of June, 1845, Langham being then under the wing of Ben Caunt, an outsider presented himself at the Champion’s hostelrie, and in the course of conversation announced himself as “Doctor” Campbell; he was soon recognised as the successful opponent of Ben Hart, in a punishing fight of seventy-one rounds, which took place on the 3rd of November, 1842, in the Kentish marshes. A bout with the gloves with “brother Bob” (certainly no great “trial-horse”) was followed by the “Doctor,” who weighed close on 12 stone, declaring himself to be “in want of a job,” whereon Nat suggested to his patron Ben that he thought he could accommodate the “Doctor” by giving him a few pounds’ weight and a beating. Ben, who was ever close-fisted, offered to put down a “fiver” for Nat; and, as the “Doctor’s” friends were not flush of money, that modest sum remained without increase until the 12th of June, when Big Ben, as M.C., taking advantage of the hiring of a steamer for a more important “excursion,” shipped his man Nat, and conveyed him to the battle-field at Rainham Ferry, at which place “Doctor” Campbell and friends were in waiting. No contemporary report of the rounds is extant, but we know from eye-witnesses that Nat, though with small preparation, in the short space of thirty-five minutes so used his left “pickaxe”—as it was afterwards expressively termed by no less a master of arts than Tom Sayers himself—that the “Doctor” was completely “physicked.” In the 27th round he “retired from professional practice,” entirely disabled, and declined further contest, and never again showed within the ropes of the P.R.
Dan Hagerty, who had beaten Bill Amos, Jack Johnston, and subsequently the hard-hitting Aby Durell, was challenged by Nat for £25 a side; but Dan’s backers, after some conference, thought it best to leave the Leicester man alone, and a sov. down was forfeited.
Nat now retired into country quarters, and we next hear of him as matched with a boxer of great local renown, hight George Gutteridge, of Bourne, in Lincolnshire. Gutteridge, who was born in 1823, stood 5 feet 9 inches, and weighed 11 stone 7 lbs., began his rising career in April, 1845, by beating, in 23 sharp rounds, George Graham (known as the “Potter”); this he followed in June, 1846, by defeating Macdonald, of Derby (the conqueror of Jem Bailey and several others), in a slashing fight of thirty-five minutes, in which 31 rattling rounds were contested. About this time we saw Gutteridge in London, at Caunt’s, and a more likely young fellow for wear and tear, his pluck being undoubted, we have seldom seen. His skill as a fighter, like all rural champions, was, of course, ridiculously overrated; and when Ben pointed him out to us as “that’s the chap that’s matched against Langham, what do you think of him?” there was a sort of hesitancy in the Champion’s tone, that expressed anxious doubt for the safety of the “quarter of a hundred,” besides “training ex’s,” which he had invested on the “wager of battle.” Caunt having received £7 from Gutteridge’s friends, for the right of naming the place of meeting, Mr. Banton’s, New Inn, at Bourne, South Lincolnshire, was named as the rendezvous, and thither on the overnight of the battle, Tuesday, June 9th, 1846, Caunt, with Langham and friends, repaired. At 8 a.m. the men went to scale, Langham drawing 11 stone, Gutteridge 11 stone 8 lbs. Langham looked thin but hard, as if somewhat overtrained. Gutteridge showed wonderfully strong, though a trifle fleshy. An excellent ring was formed at South Farm Pastures, about three miles from Bourne, and around it was grouped a large attendance of the gentry, yeomen, farmers, and labourers, with a sprinkling of sporting men from Leicestershire and the Midlands. The order, good-temper, and we might say decorum of the assembly, and the conduct of the spectators throughout the fight, were an example to such gatherings which we despair in these days to see imitated, either down rail or river. Langham had for his seconds Dan Bufton and John Gill; Gutteridge was excited on by Homer Howden and his former antagonist “Potter George” (Graham). The colours, a canary yellow for Langham, and a blue and white spot for Gutteridge, being tied to the stakes, the men shook hands cheerfully, and the battle began, the current odds being 6 and 7 to 4 on Gutteridge.
THE FIGHT.