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Jack Broughton

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For other people named John Broughton, seeJohn Broughton (disambiguation).

Mezzotintby an unknown artist,c. 1725–1750

John "Jack" Broughton(c. 1703– 8 January 1789) was anEnglishbare-knuckleboxer. He was the first person to codify a set of bo xing rules; prior to this the "rules" that existed were very loosely defined and tended to vary from contest to contest. His seven rules were widely used in bo xing for nearly century, until they were replaced by theLondon Prize Ring rulesin 1838.Pierce Egancharacterised Broughton as the "Father of the English School of Bo xing".[1]

Early life

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John Broughton was bornc. 1703to unknown parents, possibly in London, though one early-20th-century history of bo xing claims that he was a farmer's son fromBaunton,Gloucestershire.[2]Apprentice records show that Broughton was apprenticed to aThameswatermanin May 1723. On 1 August 1730, Broughton won the annualDoggett's Coat and Badgerowing race among watermen who had completed their apprenticeship within the previous year. At the time, he was noted as working on the shore nearHungerford Marketin London.[2]

As an adult, Broughton stood 180 centimetres (5 feet 11 inches) and weighed 14 stone (200 pounds).[1]His first fights may have been against other watermen in London, with one story claiming that he beat another man following a dispute. A promotion for one of Broughton's fights in 1750 claimed that he had gone undefeated for 24 years, placing his first fightsc. 1726.[2]

Fighting career

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Broughton's seven rules from 16 August 1743

By 1730, Broughton was competing in professional prizefights advertised in London newspapers. He frequently appeared as a fighter at the amphitheatres of Thomas Sibblis, who had taken overJames Figg's venue in 1731, and James Stokes. He fought semi-regular matches with recurring opponents, such as a series of four fights against pipe-maker Thomas Allen between 1730 and 1734 and three matches against coachman George Stephenson starting in 1738, one of whichPaul Whiteheadsatirised in his 1744mock-epicpoem "The Gymnasiad".[2][3]

Broughton opened an amphitheatre inOxford Roadand began staging fights on 13 March 1743, when, for an entrance fee of a shilling or less, patrons were able to watch a display of bo xing between several competitors.[4]Broughton envisaged a venue in which bo xing matches as well as fights with weapons such as short swords,quarterstaffs,andcudgelswould only take place between skilled combatants, although he also hosted bouts of animalblood sport,includingbear-baiting.[2]On 16 August 1743, he drew up thefirst standard set of rules for the sport,stipulating that a round would last until a fighter went down with a 30-second interval between rounds.[5][6]The rules were applied widely in bo xing until they were replaced by theLondon Prize Ring rulesin 1838.[7][8]

Broughton was aKing's Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guardand probably accompaniedGeorge IIto Hanover in 1743 during theWar of the Austrian Succession.[2][9]

In 1747, Broughton opened a school inHaymarketwhere men could learn bo xing while wearing an early form of bo xing glove called "mufflers" to protect against injury,[2]possibly making the activity more attractive to wealthy customers.[10]Some historians credit Broughton as the inventor of bo xing gloves because of his use of mufflers, though their use in professional bouts would not become widespread until the late 19th century.[11][9]

The Bruiser Bruisd; Or, the Knowing Ones Taken-in. A bo xing match between John Broughton and Jack Slack

On 11 April 1750, Broughton fought Jack Slack, aNorfolkbutcher, following a personal dispute between the men. Two minutes into the fight, Slack threw ablinding punch,and after 14 minutes Broughton retired from the bout because he was unable to see.[2]TheDuke of Cumberland,Broughton's patron at the time was said to have lost £10,000 on the match.[12][13]Broughton permanently retired from bo xing following his defeat, though he continued to operate his amphitheatre until 1753 or 1754, after which he ran an antiques business.[2]

Later life and death

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Broughton continued to teach bo xing until 1787, when he was in his eighties. He was married to a woman named Elizabeth, who was approximately 20 years his junior.[2]

In December 1768, Broughton was involved in hiring ruffians to be sent toBrentfordon behalf ofSir William Beauchamp-Proctor,who was standing for parliament. A riot broke out on 8 December, though it is uncertain whether the gang Broughton hired was intended to incite the riot or preserve order. Two men, one of whom was hired by Broughton, were subsequently found guilty of murder, though both were later granted a reprieve.[2]

He died on 8 January 1789 at his house at Walcot Place, Lambeth, and left a sum of £7,000 to his niece. He was interred atWestminster Abbeyand requested to have the epitaph "Champion of England" carved on his headstone, but the dean of the church objected, and left a blank space. In 1988, Broughton's request was fulfilled with the qualification "Pugilist" also added to the line.[2]

Legacy

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Portrait byJohn Hamilton Mortimer,c. 1767

Broughton appeared in 18th century art and literature. He was the subject of portraits byJohn Ellys[9]andJohn Hamilton Mortimer,[14]and also served as a model forJohn Michael Rysbrack's statue of Hercules.[2]In literature,Paul Whiteheadsatirised one of Broughton's bouts against George Stephenson in the 1744mock-epicpoem "The Gymnasiad",[3]andWilliam Hazlitt's 1822 essay "The Fight" references of one of the fights between Broughton and Stephenson.[15]Henry Fieldingalso alluded to Broughton's bo xing academy and lampooned the invention of "muffler" bo xing gloves in several of his writings, including the 1749 novelThe History of Tom Jones, a Foundling.[16]

Broughton was one of the original inductees of theInternational Bo xing Hall of Fame,inducted as a pioneer of the sport.

References

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  1. ^abEgan 1823,p. 16
  2. ^abcdefghijklmGee 2004
  3. ^abHoward 1993,p. 246
  4. ^Egan 1823,p. 49
  5. ^Rawson 1961
  6. ^British Medical Journal 1963,p. 514
  7. ^Miles, Henry Downes (1906).Pugilistica.Vol. 1. Edinburgh: J. Grant. pp.21–30.Retrieved26 May2019.
  8. ^Roberts 1977,p. 251
  9. ^abcEinberg 2004,p. 28
  10. ^Downey 2007,p. 214
  11. ^Roberts 1977,p. 252
  12. ^Roberts 1977,p. 253
  13. ^Guttmann 1985,p. 117
  14. ^Howard 1993,p. 254
  15. ^Juengel 2003,p. 108
  16. ^Johnson 1996,p. 331

Sources

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Further reading

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  • Hennell, Reginald (1904).The History of The King's Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guard.Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co.
  • Mee, Bob "Bare Fists" pug. Collins Willow 1998
  • Miles, Henry Downes "Puglistica" Pub. John Grant (Edinburgh) 1906
  • Sawyer, Tom "Noble Art" pub. Unwin Hyman, ltd. 1989
  • Godfrey, Captain "A Treatise on the Useful Art of Self-Defence", 1740 (reprint)
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