Simon Byrne (Part 1)
Simon Byrne (1806 – 2 June 1833), nicknamed "The Emerald Gem", was an Irish bare-knuckle prize fighter. The heavyweight boxing champion of Ireland, he was drawn to England by the larger sums of prize money and his hopes to become the heavyweight champion there as well. He became one of only six fighters worldwide to have been involved in fatal fights as both survivor and deceased since records began in 1741. His death was a factor contributing to the improvement of safety standards in English boxing.
Byrne fought in an era when English boxing, though illegal, was patronised by many powerful individuals. Its patronage and popularity did not, however, free it from corruption, heavy betting, and staged fights. Byrne fought just eight recorded matches. His career and notability can be evaluated by just three of those contests: his fights against Alexander McKay, Jem Ward, and James Burke. In the fight with McKay, McKay was killed; in the following fight against Ward, Byrne lost and was said to have been unfit to fight; and in his final bout against James Burke, Byrne himself was killed.
Early 19th-century English boxing
A typical 19th century boxing match, often held in warehouses, courtyards of inns, or in open fields away from the eyes of local authorities. This particular painting was by Byrne's friend Jem Ward.During the first half of the 19th century, pugilism (better known as prize-fighting) held a curious position in British society. Though supported by members of the establishment from the royal princes downwards, it was illegal. It has been argued[2] that the reason for the illegality was less concern for the welfare of the individual pugilist than concerns arising from the civil unrest, riots and tumult which often arose following a planned fight. Despite the ban, matches were publicised by posters in public places, with the venue changed at the last minute to avoid the authorities — which often led to further public inconvenience and disturbance.
Rules governing the sport were based on those drawn up by Jack Broughton in 1743, which were ambiguous and often open to vague interpretation. Wrestling, biting, gouging of eyes and hitting below the belt were often ignored by the referee. The sport enjoyed an unprecedented surge in popularity during the Regency period when it was openly patronised by the Prince Regent and his brothers. Championship boxing matches acquired a louche reputation as the places to be seen by the wealthy upper classes. Thus a match would often be attended by thousands of people, many of whom had wagered money on the outcome. The Duke of Cumberland (an uncle of King George III) was reported to have bet thousands of pounds on the legendary boxer Jack Broughton.
By the 1820s, boxing had become a nest of "gambling related corruption". The epitome of this era was the championship reign of Jem Ward: a fighter known to lose a fight for a fee, who on one occasion admitted taking £100, equivalent to several thousand pounds today. By 1830, the sport had become openly known for its corruption; disqualification and open cheating were common. The gang of "supporters" which followed Ward's brother Nick often openly intimidated the referee into disqualifying his partners. It was against this background that Simon Byrne earned his living.
Early lifeVery little is known of Byrne's early life beyond the fact that he was born in Ireland in 1806. His first fight, in 1825, was a loss to Mike Larking; it lasted 138 rounds spread over two and a half hours — despite the fact that at this time a round could vary in length, and usually only ended when a man was knocked down. His second fight was a draw against Jack Manning in 1826, earning Byrne £100. Next was Byrne's first match against the Scottish boxer Alexander McKay, which Byrne won easily in five rounds, earning him a further £100. This match was McKay's first ever prize-fight. This victory was soon followed by a win against Bob Avery, earning a further £50, then another win over Phil Samson in 1829, earning him £200. By the standards of the day these latter sums were enormous; it is therefore surprising that he was then offered £200 for a rematch, regardless of whether he won or not, against the less experienced McKay, whom he had beaten so easily on the first occasion. Today this would be the equivalent of about £13,000.
Byrne versus McKay
Buckingham Gaol, where Byrne was imprisoned in 1830 following the fight against McKay.The fight against Alexander McKay was to be Byrne's first brush with notoriety. On 2 June 1830, Byrne, billed as "Champion of Ireland", fought McKay, the "Champion of Scotland", for the right to challenge Jem Ward, the heavyweight champion of England.The match had been organized at Tom Spring's "Castle Tavern", in Holborn. The former champion boxer Tom Spring, as treasurer of the "Fair Play club" — the organization which oversaw boxing — was immensely influential in the boxing world. Along with two other legendary boxers, Gentleman Jackson and Tom Cribb (who also acted as Byrne's manager), he was Byrne's sponsor for the match. Cribb was considered to have been one of the greatest fighters of the era: on one occasion over 20,000 people attended one of his fights.
Newspaper report of rioting against the Irish population of Dundee following McKay's death. (Larger)Contracts were signed at Spring's tavern and it was arranged for the fight to take place at Hanslope, Buckinghamshire. However, as a vast crowd of spectators began pouring into Hanslope, the venue was switched at the last minute to Salcey Green, just inside Northamptonshire, thus rendering the Buckinghamshire constables powerless to stop it.
In spite of the publicity and billing given to this fight, it was in fact only McKay's fourth prize-fight. It was the second time Byrne and McKay had fought; two-and-a-half years previously Byrne had defeated him. Since that date McKay had fought and won just three matches earning him £140, while in the same period Byrne had won £250. Both men were promised £200 for the match whatever its outcome. With one exception, McKay had only ever been paid £40 if he won. Only in his previous match against Paul Spencer had he been promised £100 whatever the outcome. Thus the promised payment was a huge improvement in fortune.
McKay's boxing relied on brute strength rather than scientific pugilistic theory but the fight still lasted for 47 rounds before McKay collapsed under a left punch to the throat that did not seem particularly powerful. He was carried to his corner where he regained consciousness, complaining of severe headache. He was bled by a surgeon on the scene and died at a local inn just over 30 hours later. Post mortem results showed a "considerable effusion of blood, three or four tablespoons full, on the left side of the brain," called subdural haematoma today. McKay was buried in Hanslope Churchyard with the following inscription on his headstone:
Strong and athletic was my frame
Far from my native home I came
And bravely fought with Simon Byrne
Alas, but never to return.
Stranger take warning from my fate
Lest you should rue your case too late
If you have ever fought before
Determine now to fight no more
The result of the fight attracted wide publicity and led to rioting in the streets of McKay’s homeland. In Dundee, three people died and 200 were injured in the fracas. In Glasgow, four people died, and the Dragoons were called out to quell rioting after a Roman Catholic church was burned and looted[9] (the mob would have assumed Byrne, an Irishman, to be a Roman Catholic). Byrne was arrested three days later aboard the ferry to Ireland as he tried to leave the country. He was returned in chains to Buckinghamshire and incarcerated in Buckingham Gaol to await his trial, and the prospect of the gallows.
encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com
Other Links:
Miguel Hidalgo (Part 1)
Miguel Hidalgo (Part 2)
Photo Gallery : Imam Khomeni and Books
