had not his good, or evil, fortune led him to “seek the bubble reputation” in the roped lists of the Prize Ring.
On the third day of the last month of the year 1844, a battle was fought between a brace of rustics, which soon after introduced yet another “Champion” candidate. The day above-named was a bustling one for the Fancy of the Hardware Town, there being no less than four fights on the far-famed battle-ground of Sutton Coldfield. The first of these, between William Shakespeare (of Brierly Hill) and Tom Jenkins (of Dudley)—in which the namesake and possible kinsman of that other “Warwickshire lad,” renowned for all time, got an exemplary thrashing in about half an hour—concerns us no farther than that the said Jenkins, in January of the same year, had beaten Elijah Parsons, of whom we shall hear more presently.
TOM PADDOCK.
From a Photograph by Watkins.
Shakespeare and his conqueror having quitted the stage by the early hour of half-past eleven, and the Birmingham Commissary having rearranged his “properties,” the spectators resumed their seats for the second performance, in which the principal actors were our hero, announced as “Young Tom Paddock, of Redditch,” and his opponent, “Old Elijah Parsons, of Tambourne,” a village near Dudley. Parsons, who stood six feet and weighed 13st., was liberally backed by his local friends, he having in his younger days (he was then thirty) won some very hard battles. Paddock, who weighed a pound or two under 12st., and was in his twentieth year, had already stripped on one occasion in the P.R., when, at Mapleborough Green, he defeated Fred Pearce, of Cheltenham, for a purse, after Sam Simmonds, of Birmingham, had defeated Tom the Greek, on January 29, 1844. The country folk seemed to fancy “Old Elijah,” who for a fortnight had been under the care and tuition of Nobby Clarke, who, on this occasion also acted as his second, assisted by Bob Rowley. Ben Terry had trained Paddock for the same short period, and now seconded him with Jem Hodgkiss. Parsons, who was in attire and staidness of demeanour a counterpart of a field-preacher, sported a white ground kerchief with a small yellow spot, Paddock the orthodox blue birdseye. Some time was lost, through local jealousy, in selecting a referee; but that and every other necessary preliminary settled, at half-past 12 o’clock the business began.
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.—As the men stood up Parsons looked big, bony, and formidable, Paddock round, rosy-red, and blooming with rude health. After a little rustic dodging and sparring, both went in right and left. Paddock succeeded in planting the first hit, a slashing left-hander on the Old’un’s mouth. Parsons missed a heavy hit, his right going over Paddock’s shoulder, who nailed him with a one, two. Parsons, evidently not knowing what to make of it, turned half-round and went from his man. Paddock followed him, and, hitting up, caught him a tidy smack with the left; Parsons, swinging completely round, made a good hit on the side of Paddock’s head, when they closed, and both fell. (5 and 6 to 4 offered on Paddock.)
2.—Parsons came to the scratch looking serious, with his right eye already damaged and a bleeding cut on the left cheek-bone. (First blood claimed for the Young’un.) Parsons rushed in, chopping away with both hands, but with little effect. Paddock propped him, but was first down. (Cries of “2 to 1 on Redditch!”)
3.—Parsons’s right eye showing symptoms of closing. Exchanges, Paddock nailing Parsons with his right on the damaged cheek, and Elijah retaliating on his opponent’s ribs. Both men pegged away at give and take; in the close, Parsons bored Paddock down.