Wrestling Heritage

A BEAR STORY. (Ashton-under-Lyne, XVI c).

“A quaint local tradition tells of the time when a huge bear, which had been tamed was kept in the Ashton district, and “baited” at intervals as an attraction to sportsmen. The story relates how Bruin was brought to a certain hostelry the night before the baiting day, and fastened securely within the confines of the brew-house.

As the night wore on, a troublesome customer, who watched, was an expert wrestler, declined to quit the premises until “he’d wrastled som’dy. He didn’ care who”. As a last resource the landlord consulted the bear’s custodian, who, being willing it was arranged that the intoxicated wrestler should be introduced to Bruin. The information was conveyed to the would-be gladiator that his match was waiting for him in the brew-house, and no time was lost by our hero.

It was now pitch dark as the door closed upon the pair, and soon the scuffling within told of the unwitnessed conflict. Soon, however, cries were heard for assistance. The door was opened, and the discomfited wrestler liberated. Bruised, breathless, and sobered, he ignored for a time the question of his friends, but at length expressed himself thus:- “By gum, chaps, who is ho…. he’s squozzen me to some tune. He has a grip an’ a hauve…. but aw could ha’ downed him if he hadn’t had his topcoat on”.

This old short-story shows the animalistic nature of the Lancashire wrestling traditions. Their wrestling was similar to how the bears wrestle. They grab however they want and they fell each other from the knees. Interestingly very similar to this bear-stories circulated in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Catching any hold of your opponent for the purpose of felling him wasn’t accepted as normal wrestling behavior  in England, though it is fair to say that it was not unknown. It’s just that it was not considered a fair wrestling action. Even Shakespeare refers to as such that in his famous As You Like It. There are also several medieval churches misericords that feature leg holds too, to only show it as a reaction of a defensive wrestler being kicked by his adversary above the knees and etc. So to say, as an unfair response to an unfair action.

Despite all that there was understanding in Lancashire that wrestling, which was part of up and down fighting, wasn’t really a fair wrestling which just like everywhere else in England was a catch-holds above the waist style, it looks like sometimes they even negotiated the kind of wrestling which was allowed in the fight.

The traditional Lancashire wrestling culture was very rich and existed in the form of various wrestling games and challenges which were popular pastime of the local men and youth, one of such Lancashire craddies is described in the Pearson’s Magazine for the year of 1897, in an article called Wrestling by W.J. Woolley.

“These neck holds bring to mind a style (if it may be honoured by the designation ) in vogue in many pit districts in the north. It is generally called a “wrustle,” but may be nearly as often heard of as a “cock fight,” or “toeing the line .” Two votaries of this elegant pastime face each other, toeing lines a yard or so apart, and each endeavours to seize his opponent by the scruff of the neck, and to drag him forward over the line. Short hair is fashionable among these men; but it is rarely that two of them can “toe the line” without one, at least, being half scalped. The horny hand of a pitman falling on the back of the neck and fastening there like an iron clamp, is a sore thing to bide for the sake of empty honour and a full pint mug . Now, let two readers, who think there is absolutely nothing to learn in this crude business of “toeing the line,” chalk for themselves marks on the floor and set to . Observe how the head can be made to dodge that sweeping hand, and how, when the hand has descended, an artful wriggle of the back and neck will set the victim free once more.”

Interestingly, famous wrestling historian and a wrestler himself Walter Armstrong also speaks of such “neck-holds” as being an essence of the old Lancashire wrestling.

“A favorite trick is for one of the combatants to seize the other by the back of the head and send him heels over head, when it seems as if nothing could save him from falling on his back; with a desperate wriggle round, however, and an acrobatic leap, he often cleverly lands on his chest, and at once commences either to play his adversary a similar trick, or to make a sudden and fresh attack.”

The below passage from A Merchant Pirate, by E. Stirling  (which also is featured in John Manesty The Liverpool Merchant), clearly shows that fair upright wrestling techniques such as in-lock, out-lock and cross-buttock formed an essential part of the up and down fighting, obviously along with those of typical Lancashire’s grabbing both legs behind the knees lifting shoulder-high and flipping him backwards on his head.

“If you must fight do it in Lancashire fashion. Rough and tumble; in-lock and out-lock, cross-buttock; and when you get him down fettle and purr him.”

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