Chapter I: Duels in Great Britain and Ireland

Personal Combats introduced into England Page
by the followers of William the 1
Conqueror.—Modification of the
barbarous practice of Trial by
Battle.—The Law of England with regard
to Duels.—Legal Opinions on the
subject by the greatest Authorities

Case of Morgan.—Case of Richard 5
Taverner.—Early Challenges.—Combats
prevented by Regal and Judicial
Interference.—Challenge of the Duke of
Brunswick by the Duke of Lancaster—and
of the Duke of Norfolk by the Duke of
Hereford

Meeting between the Earl of Salisbury 6
and the Bishop of Salisbury, for the
right of the Castle of Old
Sarum.—Desuetude of the Trial by
Battle.—Instance of, in the reign of
Elizabeth,—and in the Court of
Chivalry in 1631.—Case of Thornton and
Ashford, in 1818.—The barbarous and
superstitious practice abolished

Duels in the Reign of James the 9
First.—Lord Bacon’s Speech in the
Star-Chamber Court.—His determination
to make no distinction between a
Coronet and a Hatband in his efforts
to repress the practice.—Instances of
the chivalric notions of the
Times.—Lord Herbert of Cherbury’s
Challenge to De Guise.—Fatal Duel
between Sir Hatton Cheek and Sir
Thomas Dutton.—Between Lord Sanquair
and a Fencing-master.—Desperate Duel
between two Noblemen

Cause of the rarity of Duelling during 21
the Civil Wars.—Cromwell’s Ordinance
for punishing and preventing the
practice.—Purgation by Single Combat
in 1631.—Case of Lord Rea.—Fatal Duel
between the Earl of Dorset and Lord
Bruce at Antwerp.—Between Duke
Hamilton and Lord Mohun.—Bill brought
into the House of Commons for the
Prevention of Duelling.—Lord Mohun’s
Trial for the Murder of Montford the
Player

Duel, in 1662, between Mr. Jermyn and 38
Colonel Rawlins.—Lord Chancellor
Clarendon challenged by Lord
Ossory.—Scuffle between the Duke of
Buckingham and the Marquess of
Dorchester.—Meeting in Covent-garden
between Sir Henry Bellasses and Mr.
Porter.—Duel between the Earl of
Shrewsbury and the Duke of
Buckingham—and between their seconds,
Sir John Talbot and Sir J.
Jenkins.—Sir William Coventry
committed to the Tower by the King for
sending a challenge to
Buckingham.—Anecdote illustrative of
the profligacy of the times.––Quarrel
of Ambassadors regarding precedency

Quarrel between Beau Fielding and 46
Fulwood.—Duel between Dr. Mead and Dr.
Woodward.—Between Dr. Williams and Dr.
Bennet.—Between Ensign Sawyer and
Captain Wrey.—Between Mr. Paul and Mr.
Dalton.—Prevalence of general
frays.—Riot of about a hundred
“gentlemen” in Windmill-street with
swords and canes.—Clubs of
desperadoes.—Proclamation to suppress
them

Duel between Major Oneby and Mr. 52
Gower.—Sentence of death passed on the
Major.—Endeavours of Addison and
Steele to check the rage for
duelling.—Duel between Sir
Cholmondeley Dering and Mr.
Thornhill.—Addison’s account of the
“Hum-drum and Mum
clubs.”—Anecdote.—Duel between Steele
and a brother officer in the
Coldstream Guards.—Letter from an
officer of the Guards declining a
meeting.—Anecdote related by Horace
Walpole illustrative of the manners of
the day

Duel between Lord Byron and Mr. 60
Chaworth.—Reflections thereon.—Duel
between Lord Talbot and John
Wilkes.—Between Mr. Wilkes and Mr.
Martin.—Between Mr. Wilkes and Mr.
Forbes