68 Saddle and Sirloin. 



nent's shoulder. With a fine eye to business, he 

 would not have him taken to an hospital, but set the 

 shoulder then and there, amid loud cheers. Prize- 

 fighting was introduced as a wind-up the next year ; 

 and Tom Nicholson, and a seaman called Ridley, 

 alias " The Glutton," had a slogging half-hour ; but 

 the police interfered, and the Fist never again held a 

 place at those revels. 



For a few years the wrestling was removed from the 

 old tryst under the hill, and not far from the T.Y.C. 

 starting post, to a circus, and became a private specu- 

 lation ; but on September 6th, 1821, it was restored, 

 thanks to the late Mr. Henry Pearson, a Carlisle 

 solicitor of great size, to its old haunts, and Will 

 Richardson added another belt to his almost countless 

 store. The entry was very large, and very few of the 

 men were under fourteen stone. Weightman of Hay- 

 ton, the second man, was more than a stone above 

 this weight, twenty-two years of age, and 6ft. 2in. in 

 his stockings. He was second the next year, and 

 came first in 1825-26. Then the knights of King 

 Arthur's Round Table were determined to be in the 

 fashion, and gave two prizes at " The Table," near 

 Penrith. The " Harry Brougham" of that day was a 

 spectator, and the knights entered so much into the 

 spirit of the thing, that as the term "Muscular Chris- 

 tian" had not then been invented, they drank the 

 bishop's health, as " the tallest and handsomest man 

 in his diocese." 



From nineteen to twenty-five is the best age, and 

 few men are really supple after that time. A school, 

 near Bampton, in Westmoreland, was once the great 

 nursing mother of wrestlers, and chips innumerable 

 were put in by future " Belted Wills" upon its green ; 

 while the Cumbrians were especially keen of it about 

 Sebergham and Sowerby Row. Dearham was also a 

 stronghold of the sport, and Weardale has had three 

 capital men in the ring during the last twelve years. 



