Episode 22

Jem Belcher : Bristol's Bare Knuckle Fighter

They were heroes. Songs were written in their honour, engravings of them were sold, and their names were known to everyone, including those who vehemently opposed the sport.

Bare knuckle fighting became one of the most popular sports in Georgian England: it drew huge crowds, involved vast sums of money

Amongst the crowd of sailors, dockers, colliers and tough locals in a Bristol fair, watching a fight, was 14 year old Jem Belcher, a butcher's boy who was mesmerised by what he was seeing and dreamed of entering the ring himself.

Listen to the story of his rise to fame and eventual fall.

THIS PODCAST

This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England.

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The BIG Bristol to London Stroll

If you wish to donate and sponsor our endeavours to raise money for the Suicide Prevention Bristol charity, then go to our dedicated Justgiving page. This walk and the money raised is dedicated to Sara, who sadly passed away in March this year. Remember, if you feel low, there's always someone you can talk to and you are more important than you probably know.

Thanks in advance for your support.

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SOURCES

Luke G. Williams, author, Richmond Unchained, 2015, Amberley Publishing

Dennis Brailsford, Bareknuckles: A Social History of Prize-Fighting (Cambridge: Lutterworth, 1988), pp. 25-6.

John Ford, Prizefighting: The Age of Regency Boximania (Newton Abbot: David and Charles, 1971), pp. 65-82The Universal Register, 20 December 1787.

Lucienne Boyce.

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk


© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2021

About the Podcast

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The BackTracker History Show

About your host

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Alice The Backtracker

Hello there! My name is Alice and this is The Backtracker History Show Podcast where I ask you to join me on a meander down through the archives to find out more about the people, places and events from the past.

From tales of pirates and privateers to murderers, tragic accidents to war time escapades, this podcast has it all.
The show is originally aired on Bradley Stoke Radio, in Bristol, England, before being released into the wild in the form of a podcast.

You can show your support by spreading the word about the show, leaving reviews and sharing with all your family and friends. It really does help.

I endeavour to make this podcast completely free with no monthly payment system, but if you would like to make a donation to the show, then pop on over to https://ko-fi.com/backtrackeruk.

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