79 



Public feeling, however, still warmly upheld 

 the cocker as it upheld bull and bear baiting 

 and dog-fighting. Hutchinson in his History 

 of Cumberland, 1 794, states that the principal 

 amusements of the people were wrestling and 

 cock-fighting 



When the law interfered it was in the 

 interests of peace ; the Walsall authorities, in 

 1 789, threatened ale-house keepers with for- 

 feiture of their licences if they encouraged or 

 abetted bull-baiting or cock-fighting ; but for 

 the same reason that the Weclnesbury and 

 Darlaston Authorities had taken the step in 

 previous years simply because the proceed- 

 ings so frequently ended in riot 



Among the vast majority, the idea ol 

 humanity was literally non-existent. A Shrews- 

 bury cocker laid a wager that a cock of his 

 breeding would fight, though on fire, and, 

 drenching the unfortunate bird w r ith turpentine, 

 set it alight in the pit. This incident was 

 cited as proof of the game-cock's extraordinary 

 courage and passion for fighting, and not as 

 proof of man's brutality 



POPULARITY OF COCKIKG 



It was the spirit of the age. It is very 

 difficult for us to realise how <>reat was the 



