Author: Sarah Elizabeth Cox

‘I’ll shoot you in the eye with my fist.’ – A Biographical Sketch of the Gentlemen’s Instructor, John Plantagenet Green (Part II)

It’s in 1870 that Green’s so-called private life begins to appear in the press as often as his professional one. In May 1870 Green was summoned to Hammersmith Police Court charged with assault. Under the headline “Can’t Help His Colour”, the West London Observer reports, with scant detail:  “Plantagenet Green, a man of colour, of… Read More ‘I’ll shoot you in the eye with my fist.’ – A Biographical Sketch of the Gentlemen’s Instructor, John Plantagenet Green (Part II)

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‘I am a pugilist, and that is an artist.’ – A Biographical Sketch of the Gentlemen’s Instructor, John Plantagenet Green (Part I)

“Some novel lessons in the elasticity and expressiveness of the English language” were learned in the Middlesex Sessions of November 1874, when a witness called to give testimony made newspaper headlines over and above the men charged with a crime. William McCarthy, 23, and James Rowland, 21, both labourers, were the lads in front of… Read More ‘I am a pugilist, and that is an artist.’ – A Biographical Sketch of the Gentlemen’s Instructor, John Plantagenet Green (Part I)

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A small and unreliable bit of information about the disappearance of Hezekiah Moscow

As work continues on A Thousand Blows – a TV drama set in a fictionalised 1880s East London boxing world, starring a character loosely based on boxer Hezekiah Moscow aka Ching Hook – I have cause to occasionally pop Moscow’s name/s into the British Newspaper Archive and see if anything new has appeared since my… Read More A small and unreliable bit of information about the disappearance of Hezekiah Moscow

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100 years since Jack Wannop’s death – a talk in his cemetery – 19 Feb 2023

New Cross, London, might not be well-known as the ‘home’ of British wrestling or boxing, but back in the 1880s and ‘90s, hundreds – sometimes thousands – of people flocked to the area’s pubs and public halls to watch men (and the occasional woman!) punch and grapple for a cash prize, trophy, or moment of… Read More 100 years since Jack Wannop’s death – a talk in his cemetery – 19 Feb 2023

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Where Did You Go, Hezekiah Moscow? (Part V: A Thousand Blows announced by Disney+)

It’s been quite a year since my last post. To great excitement and lots of media interest this week, streamer Disney+ announced A Thousand Blows (a working title) – an epic new 12-part series set in the perilous world of illegal boxing in 1880s Victorian London. With even greater excitement, I finally get to tell… Read More Where Did You Go, Hezekiah Moscow? (Part V: A Thousand Blows announced by Disney+)

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Jack Wannop wants a go with… George Hackenschmidt?! (And it’s goodbye, for now, from Grappling With History)

It is with an extremely heavy heart – excuse the drama – that I have taken the decision to put Grappling With History on an ‘extended break’, in order to concentrate on my book proposal, continue research for the book, focus on my personal life and – fingers crossed – return to pro-wrestling training. All… Read More Jack Wannop wants a go with… George Hackenschmidt?! (And it’s goodbye, for now, from Grappling With History)

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Where Did You Go, Hezekiah Moscow? (Part IV: Ching Ghook Found)

My articles on Hezekiah Moscow, who was better known by his ‘ring name’ Ching Hook or Ghook, are by far the most shared and read pieces so far produced – apologies to Mr Wannop – and last year led to conversations with the National Archives. My research now appears in their school educational materials, part… Read More Where Did You Go, Hezekiah Moscow? (Part IV: Ching Ghook Found)

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Brockley Boy Burglars Birched! Finding minor Wannop scandals in the Brockley News

I have written before on my love of local newspapers. It’s genetic, I reckon. My father worked as a junior reporter, then sports and crime reporter, rising to news editor and editor at the Luton News and Dunstable Gazette from the age of 17 until his early 60s. My mother was at the same titles… Read More Brockley Boy Burglars Birched! Finding minor Wannop scandals in the Brockley News

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Wrestling with danger: “We legislate by panic, and are surprised to find our laws a farrago of nonsense”

In 1878 a young man called Hooler was put on trial in Liverpool for the crime of accidentally killing a man named Brindle as a result of a half-Nelson. The unfortunate incident occurred at Burnley cattle market on the 9th November 1877. The men were engaged in wrestling, not a proper organised match, but rather… Read More Wrestling with danger: “We legislate by panic, and are surprised to find our laws a farrago of nonsense”

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“The death of Mr Sam Sloper has cast a gloom over the New Cross and Catford districts…”

The sums of money involved in boxing and wrestling during the late-19th century were quite frequently astronomical. Local tournaments might be fought for a modest £5 or a nice silver watch, but bigger bouts could attract a purse of £25 to £100 – well over a year’s salary for a labourer – with a zero… Read More “The death of Mr Sam Sloper has cast a gloom over the New Cross and Catford districts…”

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