James Polkinghorne
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1778 St Keverne |
| Died | 1851 St Columb Major, Cornwall, England |
James Polkinghorne (1788 – 15 September 1851)St. Columb Major, where he ran a pub called the Red Lion.
He had a number of famous contests against Devon fighters, including Flower, Jackman (1816) and Abraham Cann (1826). The Devonians, "kickers", fought in the Devon style, wearing boots with toes that had been soaked in bullock's blood and then baked as "hard as flint". Polkinghorne fought in the Cornish style and was a "hugger" who fought without footwear. He died at St Columb at the age of 73. [2]
Polkinghorne's match with Cann
Polkinghorne's greatest match was on 23 October 1826 against
Devonport
, and ten thousand people are said to have attended. The match was adjudged to be drawn. (The Devon style which was used allowed Cann to wear heavy boots soaked in bullock's blood).
Cann had long been known as the champion of Devonshire when he challenged James Polkinghorne, the champion of
Devonport, on 23 October 1826, in the presence of upwards of 12,000 spectators. After a long struggle, the Cornishman won a fair back fall. Cann then threw Polkinghorne, but a dispute arose, and a toss gave it in favour of the latter. After several other falls, Polkinghorne threw Cann, but the triers were divided in opinion as to the fall. Polkinghorne left the ring, and after much wrangling, the match was declared to be drawn. The Devonshire man, using the toes and heels of his shoes, kicked his adversary in the most frightful manner, while the Cornishman neither wore shoes nor kicked.[3]
The fight is remembered by a plaque on the Red Lion pub in Saint Columb Major, Cornwall, where Polkinghorne was landlord and by a ballad entitled "A New Song on the Wrestling Match between Cann and Polkinghorne".
See also
References
- ^ Deaths, Royal Cornwall Gazette - Friday 19 September 1851, p5.
- ^ "Cornish characters and strange events". Retrieved 28 March 2012.
- ^ Boase, George C (1886). "Cann, Abraham (1794–1864), wrestler". Dictionary of National Biography Vol. VIII. Smith, Elder & Co. Retrieved 14 November 2007. The first edition of this text is available at Wikisource: . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.