Chapter V: Tom Owen—1796‒1799 (1820).74

Tom Owen, though living only in the memory of the present generation as a landlord combining liquor and literature, some fancy, more fun, a certain amount of old-school pugilism and much pretence, deserves a niche in this period of the History of British Boxing.

True it is the clumsy bespattering of praise with which, in bad English and worst taste, his name is loaded in “Boxiana,” may induce many of better judgment to turn from his biography; yet is there enough to furnish matter worthy the pen of the chronicler of deeds of courage and of skill.

Tom Owen was a native of Hampshire, being born at Portsea, on the 21st December, 1768.

Of the apocryphal rigmaroles which disfigure “Boxiana,” we shall not condescend to take any account; suffice it to say, that after several provincial encounters with the Smiths, Joneses, Greens, and Browns of his vicinity, Tom Owen came to London, where he followed the occupation of an oilman; a calling which the reader will perhaps condescend to remember was much more followed than now; for, as Byron says, “in those days we had not got to gas.”

A casual turn up caused an introduction to Mr. Jackson, who, perceiving the germ of future greatness in Tom, took him in hand, and, fancying his style, he was matched against the then celebrated Bully Hooper, for 100 guineas.

On the 14th, Nov., 1796, Owen met his formidable antagonist, who, it must be remembered (with the exception of his draw with Big Ben) was as yet unconquered. The battle-field was near Harrow. Owen was seconded by Joe Ward and Jack Bartholomew, Hooper by Symonds and Paddington Jones. “The contest,” says the reporter, “lasted rather more than an hour, during which the men fought fifty rounds of hard fighting, but for the most part of which Owen constantly kept a straight guard of such prodigious strength, that Hooper could never beat it down, and very seldom put in a hit. Hooper, in striking a blow, dislocated his shoulder, and being also dreadfully bruised, gave in. Owen was so little hurt, that he leisurely put on his clothes and walked away.”

TOM OWEN, 1820.

_From a Portrait by_ GEORGE SHARPLES.
]

Pierce Egan tells us of a second fight (Hooper not being satisfied) for 100 guineas, at the same place (Harrow), a few weeks afterwards, which “Owen won in equally good style.” We fail to find it in contemporary records, though Pierce adds, “the stakeholder had his pocket picked of the 100 guineas, and Owen never got a single farthing afterwards,” vol. ii., p. 194.

The fame of Owen now spread, and a match for 25 guineas a-side was made between Jack Bartholomew and Tom, which took place at Moulsey Hurst, August 22, 1797. George Maddox and Goff seconded Owen upon this occasion. It was a desperate battle, and highly spoken of at the time, for the courage displayed on both sides; but here Tom was forced to succumb; Bartholomew overfought him, both at close quarters and out-fighting, and the contest was finished by Owen being hit out of time.

On September 2, 1799, Tom entered the lists with one Houssa, a Jew, for 10 guineas a-side, on the race-ground at Enfield. Joe Ward was second to Owen. But here again Owen was so desperately beaten, that, after a struggle of forty minutes, he was incapable of coming to the scratch, and the Jew was the conqueror.

Davis, of Deptford, an excavator, weighing fourteen stone, was beaten by Owen in one hour, at Deptford, in December, 1799.

At a benefit which took place at the Horse-shoe and Hoop, Tower Hill, Owen and Jack Bartholomew had some words about their fight at Moulsey. The result was an exchange of blows. Pierce Egan tells us, “the smiles of victory crowned the exertions of Owen in a quarter of an hour.” Perhaps so—but old Tom was his own reporter.

At the Surrey Sessions, in January, 1805, Owen was indicted for a riot and conspiracy, on Putney Common, in aiding and abetting Joe Berks and Pearce to fight a pitched battle. The jury found Owen guilty, and he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment in Horsemonger Lane.

From this period Tom figured as a trainer and second, and his judgment was generally considered good in all matters pugilistic; he also flourishes immensely in the benefit-taking line, and was, as the “Historian” terms him, “fly to every movement on the board.”

We shall decline transferring the trash of the Apocrypha of Boxing respecting the exploits of Owen, as no traces of them are to be found in the “canonical books,”—which, we take to be the journals of the time. Leaving him, therefore, as a blind guide, we proceed to the contest with Mendoza. This, although a very foolish affair on the part of the Jew, as the follies of great men, even in pugilism, outweigh in interest the wiser doings of lesser ones, is our chief reason for giving Owen a separate chapter in the history of pugilism—despite the immense, intense, and absurd gaggery of his injudicious friend and biographer.

In 1820, Tom (being no bad judge at match-making) proposed to Daniel Mendoza a “passage at arms” to settle an old grudge. Dan, like an old war-horse at the sound of the trumpet, though physically but a shadow of his former self, met the twelve stone Tom Owen. Thirty-three years had elapsed since the “Star of the East” had first peeled in the lists, and fourteen since his last appearance. Although, however, his deeds were, even to the existing generation of ring-goers, rather matter of tradition than evidence, the fame of Mendoza made him the favourite at six and five to four. Owen was known to be a good man, but it was thought he had not science enough to oppose the accomplished Israelite. Hence a great number of the oldest amateurs were induced to be present. It is worthy of note, that Sir Thomas Apreece, Bart., who was Mendoza’s umpire at Odiham, acted in that capacity on this occasion.

Owen, attended by Cribb and Josh. Hudson, threw up his hat first; and Mendoza, followed by Randall and Harry Lee, repeated the token of defiance. Mendoza was loudly cheered, and backed at five to four. Mendoza was quickly ready, and walked about the ring with a coat thrown over him. Owen was a considerable time preparing himself, and in making his shoes right; instead of drawers he fought in a pair of nankeen breeches. Mendoza’s colours were a blue silk bird’s eye, and tied over Owen’s.

THE FIGHT.

Round 1.—Mendoza, on stripping, exhibited a fine
manly bust; his eyes sparkled with confidence,
and there was altogether an appearance about
him that seldom characterises an individual of
fifty-five years of age. Owen, on the contrary,
looked thin; and his general appearance was
rather meagre than otherwise. On setting-to,
both the ould ones were extremely cautious, and
a minute elapsed before a hit was made. Owen at
length let fly, but without any effect. Some
exchanges took place, when they closed at the
ropes, and, after an attempt to fib on the part
of Mendoza, which was frustrated by Owen, a
struggle for throw ensued: in going down, Dan
was the undermost.

2.—Mendoza ran in with great alacrity, made
a sort of push forward, and got Owen on the
ropes; the latter went down, and his neck got
scored from them. (Great applause for Mendoza.
While Tom was on the knee of Josh, the latter
said, “Master!”—Owen, smiling, “What says my
boy?”—“Have you brought the pepper castor with
you?—“Yes, my lad, and the mustard and vinegar
cruet too!”)

3.—The Jew behaved very handsomely, and
showed some good fighting; but Owen planted
a tremendous hit on his left cheek, just
under the eye, whence the claret flowed
copiously: Mendoza went down, yet jumped up
gaily. (Randall told Mendoza he should not
have done so. “Let these ould ones alone,”
said Josh; “they know more about fighting
than you or I do.” Even betting, but Owen
for choice. “I say, master,” says Josh, “you
furnished Danny with some sour crout then!”)

4.—Owen now showed the spectators that he was
the younger man. Mendoza was again nobbed, and
the claret profusely running down his cheek.
In going down Owen was undermost. (“When am I
to have the tobacco-stopper, master?” cries
Josh.—“Leave it all to the cook yet!” Owen
smilingly observed.)

5.—Mendoza now showed he was completely gone
by as to any superiority of fighting. Owen,
having nothing to oppose him, “displayed talents
that astonished the ring.” Mendoza received a
dreadful fall.

6.—Owen, in retreating from his antagonist, ran
against the stakes, but the latter again planted
a heavy facer. In struggling, both went down.

7.—Here Tom was the hero of the tale. He nobbed
Mendoza, and got away with all the dexterity of
a youth: it was now only Mendoza by name; his
excellence as a fighter had evaporated, and his
hits were generally short. Owen, in a close at
the ropes, held Mendoza as firm as if the latter
had been screwed in a vice, and pummelled him at
the back of the neck so dreadfully, that Dan at
length fell exhausted.

8.—Mendoza came to the scratch bleeding, and
almost in a state of stupor, from the severity
of the last round. Owen planted such a
tremendous hit on Dan’s face, that he went back,
and slipped down at the corner of the ring. The
Jews were still backing Mendoza with confidence.

9.—Long sparring: Owen convinced the spectators
that he was a perfect master of the art. He hit
Mendoza in the eye, jobbed him also in the face,
and at the end of the ropes held Mendoza by the
arm, and punished him till he went down. (Two to
one on Owen.)

10.—The appearance of Mendoza’s face was much
changed; his left eye was encircled in claret.
Owen got away from his antagonist in good style.
Mendoza was punished all over the ring; Owen
threw his opponent, and fell heavily upon him.
(Three to one. Indeed, it was any odds.)

11.—Owen was determined not to give a chance
away; and he also appeared determined not to
have any more body blows. He accordingly kept at
out-fighting. A short but sharp rally occurred,
when Owen fell; and Mendoza likewise, at about
two yards distance, came heavily down upon his
face on the turf.

12th and last.—Mendoza was quite abroad, and
hit short, and at the ropes was again held by
Owen, and fibbed down. Mendoza said he would not
fight any more, as he could not win it. He was
terribly punished, and defeated in fourteen
minutes and twenty-seven seconds and a quarter;
while, on the contrary, Owen had not a scratch
on his face. The latter was carried out of the
ring by Cribb and Hudson, amidst the cheers of
the spectators.

Mendoza, while being dressed, seemed sensibly affected at his defeat. He had not the least idea of losing the battle.

Mr. Jackson collected £20 on the ground for Mendoza, who was put into a coach. Owen soon returned to the ring, decorated in the spoils attendant upon conquest. Mendoza’s blue trophy was hung round Owen’s neck, surmounted by the yellow-man of Hooper; now doubly won.

This battle hardly deserves comment, after the observations we have already made under the memoir of Mendoza; yet it is valuable as a warning. The merits of the combatants remain, except in the balderdash of “the historian” of the P. R., just where they stood previous to the fight.

Tom’s judgment as a second was unquestionable. His coolness and readiness as second to Turner in his victory over Scroggins, and in the remarkable fight with Sutton and Painter, may be cited.

Tom was known for many years as a pleasant companion, a good convivial singer, and the landlord of a house on the ground now occupied by the basin of St. Katherine’s Docks, whence the hand of improvement compelled him to migrate. For several years he was well known as the landlord of the Shipwrights’ Arms at Northfleet, where the fancy of all grades found him a civil, pleasant, and obliging host. Owen died at Plumstead in 1843 aged 76 years.