A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 



WRESTLING 



In the north, up to within quite recent 

 years, wrestling formed a part of almost every 

 youth's education. None but those who have 

 attended such wrestling rings as Carlisle or 

 Grasmere can realize with what enthusiasm 

 the sport is regarded in the Border counties. 



In writing of wrestlers and wrestling it is 

 proposed to confine the account mainly to 

 doings which are within the memory of those 

 now living. The sport is of course a very 

 old one, but there are few evidences from 

 which to construct its early history. 



It seems strange that a harmless sport like 

 wrestling should have ever been looked upon 

 with disfavour by a considerable portion of 

 the community and classed with sports like 

 bull-baiting and cockfighting ; but that this 

 was so in the time of the Puritan, the follow- 

 ing curious extract will abundantly testify. 

 It is quoted from ' The Agreement of the As- 

 sociated Minister! and Churches of the Counties 

 of Cumberland and Westmorland, London : 

 Printed by T. L. for Simon Waterson, and 

 are sold at the sign of the Globe in Paul's 

 Churchyard, and by Richard Scot, Bookseller 

 in Carlisle 1656' : 



All scandalous persons hereafter mentioned are 

 to be suspended from the Sacrament of the Lord's 

 Supper, this is to say any person that shall upon 

 the Lord's Day use any dancing, playing at dice, 

 or cards, or any other game, masking, wakes, 

 shooting, playing, playing at football, stool ball, 

 Wrestling : or that shall make resort to any Playes, 

 interludes, fencing, bull baiting, bear baiting: or that 

 shall use hawking, hunting, or coursing, fishing or 

 fowling : or that shall publikely expose any wares 

 to sale otherwise than is provided by an Ordin- 

 ance of Parliament of the sixth of April 1649. 

 These Counties of Cumberland and Westmorland 

 have been hitherto as a Proverb and a by-word in 

 respect of ignorance and prophaneness : Men were 

 ready to say to them as the Jews of Nazareth, 

 can any good thing come out of them. 



Early in the last century back-hold wrest- 

 ling was more practised and held in higher 

 estimation in the borders of Cumberland, 

 Westmorland and Northumberland than in 

 any other place in England or Scotland. Al- 

 most every village had its annual wrestling 

 competition, wherein the prizes consisted 

 chiefly of belts, sometimes of silver cups, 

 leather breeches and so forth. Gradually 

 scientific methods came to be introduced, 

 and it is urged by many that this has tended 

 to increase the system of ' barneying.' No 

 doubt this, however deplorable, is true to a 



482 



certain extent in spite of the vigilance of 

 competent judges. 



Among the most celebrated places for 

 wrestling meetings in the past was Melmerby, 

 one of the best types of fellside villages in Cum- 

 berland. For a century, and probably much 

 longer, Melmerby commenced its annual two 

 days' sports on old Midsummer day that is, 

 on 5 July. The wrestling took place on that 

 part of the green known as the cockpit, where 

 many a doughty champion has been sent 

 sprawling at full length on his back. Al- 

 though the amount given in prizes was small, 

 the entry of names was always large, from 

 sixty to seventy being the average number, 

 while more than fourscore men have con- 

 tended at various times. By being held at 

 the season of the year when the days were 

 longest Melmerby Rounds were invariably 

 attended by vast concourses of spectators. 

 The Alstonians used to muster remarkably 

 strong, the miners and others coming over 

 Hartside in considerable droves from that 

 town and from the neighbouring villages of 

 Nenthead and Garrigill Gates. So great be- 

 came the celebrity of the Melmerby ring that 

 first-rate wrestlers have frequently travelled 

 as far as thirty and forty miles to throw 

 and be thrown upon its village green. Buy- 

 ing and selling was a thing unknown. One 

 friend might give way to another sometimes, 

 but as a rule it was purely the honour of be- 

 coming victor for the time being that stimu- 

 lated the competitors. Owing to the establish- 

 ment of spring and ' back-end ' fairs in the 

 village for the sale of cattle, sheep, etc., it 

 was thought better to abolish the annual 

 rounds. Accordingly this ancient gathering 

 came to an end about the year 1850. 



Langwathby, also a typical Cumberland 

 village like its twin sister Melmerby, was 

 another great centre for wrestling. The 

 Langwathby Rounds, unlike those at Mel- 

 merby, were held annually in winter, on New 

 Year's Day and the day following. Yeomen, 

 farmers and husbandmen from the neighbour- 

 ing hamlets were the principal competitors. 

 The sports took place, as a rule, in a field 

 close to the village, which belongs to Mr. 

 John Hodgson ; but on some few occasions 

 they were held on the opposite or western 

 side of the river Eden. The prizes given 

 were of small value but great honour. Dur- 

 ing the early part of the last century a nar- 

 row leathern belt of meagre appearance or a 

 pair of buckskin breeches was almost the only 



