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Westminster-Pit
The Westminster Pit was a well-known blood sport arena in nineteenth-century London, England. It reached a zenith of popularity between 1820 and 1830, and hosted such spectacles as dog-fighting, cock-fighting, bear-baiting, badger-baiting, monkey-baiting, and rat-baiting. A legal enterprise at the time, the Westminster Pit openly declared its activities, ushering notoriety on the district in which it existed. The Westminster Pit was located on Duck Lane, Orchard Street (since renamed St. Matthew's Street), and its dimensions were approximately by . The gallery was above the arena and was capable of containing 200 people – or, by report of William Pitt Lennox, "perhaps a greater number of less refractory persons, for the common run of spectators were so obstreperous and so agitated by various emotions, according to the amount of bets depending, and the various turns of the conflict, that a decent orderly person would feel himself much incommoded by a considerably less number." ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monkey-baiting
Monkey-baiting is a blood sport involving the baiting of monkeys against dogs. Background The English were always keen for something new to challenge their dog fighting breeds. This resulted in unusual fights, sometimes with very surprising outcomes. 'Dog versus Monkey' was shown to be such a match-up. These monkey gladiators proved to be a formidable opponent for the canine warrior; owners and handlers of fighting dogs frequently underestimated the monkey's abilities. The monkey's intelligence, dexterity, unorthodox fighting style and gameness proved to be overwhelming for many canine opponents. Jack The following occurrence is from ''The Sporting Magazine'' in the year 1799: :''A quite unusual fight between two animals was staged in Worcester. The wager stood at three guineas, according to which the dog would kill the monkey in at most six minutes. The dog's owner agreed that the monkey would be allowed to defend itself with a stick about a foot long.'' :''Hundreds of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bull And Terrier
Bull and terrier was a common name for bulldog and terrier crossbreeds of the early 1800s. Other names included half-and-halfs and half-breds. It was a time in history when, for thousands of years, dogs were classified by use or function, unlike the modern pets of today that were bred to be conformation show dogs and family pets. Bull and terrier crosses were originally bred to function as fighting dogs for bull and bear baiting, and other popular blood sports during the Victorian era. The sport of bull baiting required a dog with attributes such as tenacity and courage, a wide frame with heavy bone, and a muscular, protruding jaw. By crossing bulldogs with various terriers from Ireland and Great Britain, breeders introduced "gameness and agility" into the hybrid mix. Little is known about the pedigrees of bull and terrier crosses, or any other crosses that originated during that time. The types and styles of dogs varied geographically depending on individual preferences. Bre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hockley-in-the-Hole
Hockley-in-the-Hole was an area of Clerkenwell Green in central London where bull-baiting, bear-baiting and similar activities occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries.Boulton, W. 1901. The Amusements of Old London: CHAPTER I - THE DIVERSIONS OF HOCKLEY IN THE HOLE, AND AT FIGG'S'' The Beargarden was located at Hockley-in-the-Hole where the ''Coach & Horses'' pub at Back Hill and Ray Street meet today, north of the junction of Clerkenwell Road and Farringdon Road. See also * Beargarden * Westminster Pit The Westminster Pit was a well-known blood sport arena in nineteenth-century London, England. It reached a zenith of popularity between 1820 and 1830, and hosted such spectacles as dog-fighting, cock-fighting, bear-baiting, badger-baiting, monk ... References Animal cruelty incidents Baiting (blood sport) Clerkenwell Sports venues in London {{London-sports-venue-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beargarden
The Beargarden was a facility for bear-baiting, bull-baiting, and other "animal sports" in the London area during the 16th and 17th centuries, from the Elizabethan era to the English Restoration period. Baiting is a blood sport where an animal is tormented or attacked by another animal, often dogs, for the purpose of entertainment or gambling. Samuel Pepys visited the venue in 1666 and described it as "a rude and nasty pleasure". The last recorded event at the Beargarden was the baiting of "a fine but vicious horse" in 1682. History The Beargarden was constructed as a round or polygonal open structure, comparable to the public theatres built in and around London starting in 1576. Contemporaneous illustrated maps of the city show a substantial three-storey building that resembles the theatres nearby. It was located in the Bankside, across from the City of London on the south bank of the River Thames in Southwark; but its exact location is unclear, and apparently changed over tim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nuisance
Nuisance (from archaic ''nocence'', through Fr. ''noisance'', ''nuisance'', from Lat. ''nocere'', "to hurt") is a common law tort. It means that which causes offence, annoyance, trouble or injury. A nuisance can be either public (also "common") or private. A public nuisance was defined by English scholar Sir James Fitzjames Stephen as, "an act not warranted by law, or an omission to discharge a legal duty, which act or omission obstructs or causes inconvenience or damage to the public in the exercise of rights common to all Her Majesty's subjects". ''Private nuisance'' is the interference with the right of specific people. Nuisance is one of the oldest causes of action known to the common law, with cases framed in nuisance going back almost to the beginning of recorded case law. Nuisance signifies that the "right of quiet enjoyment" is being disrupted to such a degree that a tort is being committed. Definition Under the common law, persons in possession of real property (land ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity operating in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. The RSPCA is funded primarily by voluntary donations. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest and largest animal welfare organisation in the world and is one of the largest charities in the UK. The organisation also does international outreach work across Europe, Africa and Asia. The charity's work has inspired the creation of similar groups in other jurisdictions, starting with the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (founded in 1836), and including the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1839), the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1840), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1866), the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1882), the Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1959) and various groups which eve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nux Vomica (herbalism)
''Strychnos nux-vomica'', the strychnine tree, also known as nux vomica, poison fruit, semen strychnos, and quaker buttons, is a deciduous tree native to India and to southeast Asia. It is a medium-sized tree in the family Loganiaceae that grows in open habitats. Its leaves are ovate and in size. It is known for being the natural source of the extremely poisonous compound strychnine. Description and properties ''Strychnos nux-vomica'' is a medium-sized tree with a short, thick trunk. The wood is dense, hard white, and close-grained. The branches are irregular and are covered with a smooth ashen bark. The young shoots are a deep green colour with a shiny coat. The leaves have an opposite decussate arrangement (each opposing pair of leaves at right angles to the next pair along the stem), are short stalked and oval shaped, have a shiny coat, and are smooth on both sides. The leaves are about long and wide. The flowers are small with a pale green colour and a funnel shape. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pierce Egan
Pierce Egan (1772–1849) was a British journalist, sportswriter, and writer on popular culture. His popular book '' Life in London'', published in 1821, was adapted into the stage play ''Tom and Jerry, or Life in London'' later that year, which became the first play to have a continuous run of 100 performances in London during its run at the Adelphi Theatre in the West End. Coining the term "the Sweet Science" as an epithet for prizefighting — which he dubbed "the Sweet Science of Bruising" as a description of England’s bare-knuckle fight scene, the first volume of his prizefighting articles, '' Boxiana; or Sketches of Ancient and Modern Pugilism'', was published in 1813. Life Egan's parents were Irish but he may have been born in the London area. He went into the printing trade, and was a compositor for George Smeeton in 1812. He established himself as the country's leading reporter of sporting events, which at the time meant mainly prize-fights and horse-races. He die ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Sporting Magazine
''The Sporting Magazine'' (1793–1870) was the first English sporting periodical to devote itself to every type of sport. Its subtitle was "Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chase and Every Other Diversion Interesting to the Man of Pleasure, Enterprize, and Spirit". History ''The Sporting Magazine'' was established in 1793. The magazine was published in London, but was able to offer extensive coverage of events nationally because the editor, John Wheble, had established a wide-ranging network of informants, writers and contributors throughout the shires. Much of the information in the magazine stemmed from the readers themselves, who were urged to contribute material. The editor insisted that information should be accurate, rejecting contributions where he had doubts. Readers would also respond to one another's letters and sharp debates often occurred within the magazine's columns, acting as an additional check on the accuracy of material. The editor refused ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rat-baiting
Rat-baiting is a blood sport A blood sport or bloodsport is a category of sport or entertainment that involves bloodshed. Common examples of the former include combat sports such as cockfighting and dog fighting, and some forms of hunting and fishing. Activities char ... that involves releasing captured rats in an enclosed space with spectators Gambling, betting on how long a dog, usually a terrier, takes to kill the rats. Often, two dogs competed, with the winner receiving a cash prize. It is now Crime, illegal in most countries. History In 1835, the Parliament of the United Kingdom implemented an Act of Parliament, act called the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835, which prohibited the baiting of some animals, such as the bull, bear, and other large mammals. However, the law was not enforced for rat baiting and competitions came to the forefront as a gambling sport. It was very popular in Ireland even before 1835, because of the limited space in larger cities, Dublin and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Pitt Lennox
Lord William Pitt Lennox (20 September 1799 – 18 February 1881) was a British Army officer and writer. Biography Lennox, fourth son of Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, and the former Lady Charlotte Gordon, was born at Winestead Hall, Yorkshire, 20 September 1799, and was a godson of William Pitt and a cousin of Charles James Fox. He was educated at Westminster School from 1808 to 1814. On 13 May 1813, while still at school, he was gazetted to a cornetcy in the Royal Horse Guards, and on 8 August 1814 accompanied the Duke of Wellington as an attaché in his embassy to Paris. In 1815 he was attached to General Sir Peregrine Maitland's staff, was present at his mother's memorable ball in Brussels, and saw some portion of the battle of Waterloo, but was prevented by the effects of a horse accident, which cost him the sight of one eye, from taking an active part in it. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
