Wrestling and Wrestlers

Every dale and valley, every nook and corner, throughout Cumberland, Westmorland, and North Lancashire, at all likely to yield materials, has been ransacked and laid under subservience in the compilation of this volume; and it now becomes the pleasant duty to record the fact, that not a single instance of unwillingness was met with, on the part of the multitude of narrators, who supplied the items of the various events chronicled.

The local newspaper files have materially aided our labours, in a variety of ways. Besides supplying many passing incidents, we have found them, in some instances, exceedingly useful in the way of verifying and correcting dates.

A brief description of Swiss Wrestling was promised, for the introductory chapter, by a native of that country resident in London. This promise yielded no fruit at the time, and it is a matter of regret that it still remains unfulfilled.

Of Wrestling in France, we have not been able to glean much information, although enquiries were set on foot through the columns of Notes and Queries and Bell's Life in London.

For much information contained in the article on Wrestling in Scotland, we are indebted to Mr. Walter Scott of Innerleithen; and for a few other items we have to thank Mr. Robert Murray of Hawick.

While the feats of many well known wrestlers are to be found in these pages, the names of others equally well known are necessarily omitted; but we may be able to publish a record of their achievements at some future time.

With a full consciousness of many imperfections, we now leave our work to the judgment of those impartial readers, who may honour it with a perusal.

LOCAL WORKS ON THE SUBJECT.

Wrestliana: an Historical Account of Ancient and Modern Wrestling. By William Litt. Whitehaven: R. Gibson, 1823.

Second Edition of the above, (reprinted from the "Whitehaven News,") by Michael and William Alsop, 1860.

Wrestliana: a Chronicle of the Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestlings in London, since the year 1824. By Walter Armstrong. London: Simpkin, Marshall & Co., 1870.

Famous Athletic Contests, Ancient and Modern, compiled by Members of the Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling Society. (Reprinted from the Best Authorities.) London: F. A. Hancock, 1871.

Great Book of Wrestling References, giving about 2000 different Prizes, from 1838 to the present day. By Isaac Gate, Twenty-five Years Public Wrestling Judge. Carlisle: Steel Brothers, 1874.

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION: Page

Ancient Grecian Wrestling ix.

Wrestling in Japan xii.

Indian Wrestling xviii.

Wrestling Match in Turkey xxi.

Old English Wrestling xxiv.

Wrestling in Scotland xxxviii.

Irish Wrestling xlvi.

CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORLAND WRESTLING 1

MELMERBY ROUNDS 20

LANGWATHBY ROUNDS 27

JAMES FAWCETT, Nenthead 36

WILLIAM RICHARDSON, Caldbeck 43

WILLIAM LITT, Bowthorn 61

MILES AND JAMES DIXON, Grasmere 74

ROWLAND AND JOHN LONG, Ambleside 90

TOM NICHOLSON, Threlkeld 99

WILLIAM MACKERETH, Cockermouth 115

HARRY GRAHAM, Brigham 116

JAMES SCOTT, Canonbie 119

ROBERT ROWANTREE, Kingwater 126

WILLIAM DICKINSON, Alston 135

GEORGE DENNISON, Penrith 141

JAMES ROBINSON, Hackthorpe 149

THOMAS RICHARDSON, Hesket-New-Market 156

TOM TODD, Knarsdale 167

WILLIAM WILSON, Ambleside 175

JOHN WEIGHTMAN, Hayton 186

JOHN MC.LAUGHLAN, Dovenby 208

BULL BAITING 219

BADGERS AND BADGER BAITING 235

ADDENDA 244

INTRODUCTION.

ANCIENT GRECIAN WRESTLING.