Any one caring for such particulars will well know that this was the golden age for pugilism. There were Tom Johnson, 1783-1791. Benjamin Brain (Big Ben), 1786-1791. Daniel Mendoza, a Jew, 1784-1820. Richard Humphries, "the Gentleman boxer," 1784-1790. John Jackson, 1788-1795. Bill Hooper (the Tin man), 1789-1797. Tom Owen, 1796-1799-1820. Tom Jones (Paddington Jones), 1786-1805. Bill Warr (of Bristol), 1787-1792. Will Wood, the Coachman, 1788-1804. George Ingleston, the Brewer, 1789-1793. Bob Watson, of Bristol, 1788-1791. Tom Tyne, "the Tailor," 1788-1792. Symonds (the Ruffian), 1791-1795. Jem Belcher, 1798-1809. This is the list of the Chief Gladiators of the period.
"Mendoza's terms for teaching are reasonable enough—eight lessons for a guinea."—(Morning Post, May 26, 1788.)
"Mendoza and Ward, finding that the blackguard exercise of boxing had fallen into disrepute, took up the genteel trade of crimping, and became acting serjeants, at a house in St. George's Fields, until a stop was put to that nefarious business by authority. We are sorry to find that these notorious blackguards have since returned to their former occupation."—(Times, April 16, 1795.)
Boxing made easy, or Humphreys giving a lesson.—1788.
Duels were of as common occurrence, as highway robberies, and need as much comment. Still, I give two, or three, instances to show on what trifles, men, then, ventured their lives.
The first is an ordinary duel between two officers, reported in the Morning Post of 22nd June 1788—in which one of them was wounded in the thigh. This report brings a letter from some one, probably a second, who gives his version thus:—"Sir, in your account of the duel between Captains Tonge and Paterson, in your Paper of the 22nd, there is a mistake or two, which, for the sake of truth, I beg leave to correct. You say, 'that Capt. T. wished to apologise for the injury he had done.' The truth is, Captain T. being not quite himself when the affray happened, remembered very little of what had passed, except that, on some provocation, he had struck Capt. P. Considering himself, therefore, as having, palpably broken the peace, he was ready to ask Capt. P.'s pardon.
"This was not deemed sufficient satisfaction, and the duel took place. You tell us, that Capt. T.'s ball passed Capt. P., thereby implying that Capt. T. actually fired at his antagonist. Now, Sir, I can positively affirm that Capt. T. was determined not to fire his pistol, and that it was involuntarily discharged, after he was wounded, and not levelled at Capt. P. You tell us then, that Capt. T., upon falling, declared that 'he had merited his fate, and begged Capt. P.'s pardon.' His words were, Are you satisfied? I fear I am dangerously wounded, I therefore advise you to fly.
"To enable the Public to judge properly of this affair, it is necessary they should be told, that the first offence was, Capt. T.'s treading accidentally on Capt. P.'s heel, who, though he saw Capt. T. was intoxicated, continued to follow him.
Rich. Weeks."