Ben Caunt
Encyclopedia
Ben Caunt was a 19th century English
bare-knuckle boxer who became the "heavyweight
" boxing
champion known as the "Torkard Giant" and "Big Ben".
in Nottinghamshire
in England
. Caunt stood six foot two and a half inches tall and had a fighting weight of between 203 and 210 lb (95 kg). He was said to be strong, durable, willing yet also slow and clumsy. His early boxing career is not well known, but he did defeat several minor local opponents at the age of 18.
and was disqualified for an alleged foul striking Thompson while he was sitting in his corner.
In 1837, Caunt fought and beat on August 17 William Butler at Stoneyford and on November 4 Bill Boniford at Sunrise Hill.
On April 3, 1838, Caunt again fought William Thompson on Skipworth Common, and after 75 rounds Thompson was disqualified for going down without being struck; Caunt claimed the Heavyweight Championship of England but this was not generally accepted.
On June 24 Caunt was scheduled to again fight William Thompson but the bout was cancelled.
In 1840 on October 26 Caunt defeated Bill Brassey
at Six Mile Bottom
in 101 rounds.
Then in 1841 on February 2 Caunt fought Nick Ward on Crookham Common
for the Heavyweight Championship of England where the crowd forced the referee to disqualify Caunt for an alleged blow striking Ward while he was down.
Caunt avenged this defeat on May 11 of the same year, defeating Ward in 35 rounds at Long Marsden to become the Heavyweight Champion of England. On September 10, 1841 Caunt sailed to America to challenge Tom Hyer
to a world championship bout, but Hyer never replied. Caunt returned to England on March 10, 1842 with the "American Giant" Charles Freeman.
In 1845 he was challenged for the English heavyweight title by William Thompson. On September 9 Caunt lost at Stoney Stratford with a disputable decision after 93 rounds where it was alleged that Caunt went down without a blow striking him. Caunt denied this accusation and announced his retirement, only to return for a final attempt at the heavyweight crown 12 years later.
In his final fight on 21 September 1857, Caunt fought Nat Langham at Home Circuit where after 60 rounds both men were too exhausted to continue and a draw was declared.
on September 10, 1861 at an address in St. Martin's Lane in London
.
Ben Caunt is buried outside the north transept of the Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene
in Hucknall close to the grave of two of his children who died in the Coach and Horses fire.
It is said that "Big Ben
", the hour bell of the clock-tower of the Palace of Westminster
, is named after this English Heavyweight Champion. The origin of the name is contested with Westminster's Chief Lord of the Woods and Forests, Sir Benjamin Hall. A large and ponderous man known affectionately in the House as "Big Ben", he is said to have given an impressively long speech on the subject. When, at the end of this oratorical marathon, Sir Benjamin sank back into his seat, a wag in the chamber shouted out: "Why not call him Big Ben and have done with it?" The house erupted in laughter; Big Ben had been named. This, at least, is the most commonly accepted story. However, according to the booklet written for the old Ministry of Works by Alan Phillips (1959):
"Like other nice stories, this has no documentary support; Hansard failed to record the interjection. The Times had been alluding to 'Big Ben of Westminster' since 1856. Probably, the derivation must be sought more remotely. The current champion of the prize ring was Benjamin Caunt, who had fought terrific battles with Bendigo, and who in 1857 lasted sixty rounds of a drawn contest in his final appearance at the age of 42. As Caunt at one period scaled 17 stone (238 lbs, or 108 kilogrammes), his nickname was Big Ben, and that was readily bestowed by the populace on any object the heaviest of its class. So the anonymous MP may have snatched at what was already a catchphrase." HMSO
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
bare-knuckle boxer who became the "heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
" boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion known as the "Torkard Giant" and "Big Ben".
Early life
Caunt was born on March 22, 1815 in Hucknall TorkardHucknall
Hucknall, formerly known as Hucknall Torkard, is a town in Greater Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, in the district of Ashfield. The town was historically a centre for framework knitting and then for mining but is now a focus for other industries as well providing housing for workers in...
in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Caunt stood six foot two and a half inches tall and had a fighting weight of between 203 and 210 lb (95 kg). He was said to be strong, durable, willing yet also slow and clumsy. His early boxing career is not well known, but he did defeat several minor local opponents at the age of 18.
Boxing career
In 1834 he beat George Graham (of Lincolnshire). On July 21, 1835, Caunt boxed William "Bendigo" ThompsonWilliam Thompson (boxer)
William Abednego Thompson was an English bare-knuckle boxer.-Early life:Born in Sneinton, Nottingham in 1811, Thompson was one of a set of triplets named Abednego, Shadrach and Meshak, after the young men in the Book of Daniel who emerged from the fiery furnace of Babylon...
and was disqualified for an alleged foul striking Thompson while he was sitting in his corner.
In 1837, Caunt fought and beat on August 17 William Butler at Stoneyford and on November 4 Bill Boniford at Sunrise Hill.
On April 3, 1838, Caunt again fought William Thompson on Skipworth Common, and after 75 rounds Thompson was disqualified for going down without being struck; Caunt claimed the Heavyweight Championship of England but this was not generally accepted.
On June 24 Caunt was scheduled to again fight William Thompson but the bout was cancelled.
In 1840 on October 26 Caunt defeated Bill Brassey
Bill Brassey
Bill Brassey was an English bare-knuckle boxer.On October 26, 1840, Ben Caunt defeated Bill Brassey at Six Mile Bottom, Cambridgeshire, in 101 rounds.-See also:*List of bare-knuckle boxers...
at Six Mile Bottom
Six Mile Bottom
Six Mile Bottom is a hamlet within the parish of Little Wilbraham, near Cambridge in England.-History:In the 1790s the only building at Six Mile Bottom was a paddocks run by a stable keeper. In 1802, a sizeable country house was built nearby...
in 101 rounds.
Then in 1841 on February 2 Caunt fought Nick Ward on Crookham Common
Crookham Common
Crookham Common is a common adjoining the hamlet of Crookham in the English county of Berkshire and within the civil parish of Greenham. It is located at the eastern perimeter of the RAF Greenham Common complex.-External links:*...
for the Heavyweight Championship of England where the crowd forced the referee to disqualify Caunt for an alleged blow striking Ward while he was down.
Caunt avenged this defeat on May 11 of the same year, defeating Ward in 35 rounds at Long Marsden to become the Heavyweight Champion of England. On September 10, 1841 Caunt sailed to America to challenge Tom Hyer
Tom Hyer
Tom Hyer was an American bare-knuckle boxer. He was a champion of boxing in America from September 9, 1841 to 1851....
to a world championship bout, but Hyer never replied. Caunt returned to England on March 10, 1842 with the "American Giant" Charles Freeman.
In 1845 he was challenged for the English heavyweight title by William Thompson. On September 9 Caunt lost at Stoney Stratford with a disputable decision after 93 rounds where it was alleged that Caunt went down without a blow striking him. Caunt denied this accusation and announced his retirement, only to return for a final attempt at the heavyweight crown 12 years later.
Retirement and attempted comeback
Between 1845 and 1851 Caunt worked as farm labourer and then became the landlord of "The Coach and Horses" pub at St. Martin's Lane, a business that made him very prosperous until a fire destroyed the pub and killed two of his children.In his final fight on 21 September 1857, Caunt fought Nat Langham at Home Circuit where after 60 rounds both men were too exhausted to continue and a draw was declared.
Death and legacy
He died of pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
on September 10, 1861 at an address in St. Martin's Lane in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Ben Caunt is buried outside the north transept of the Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene
Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Hucknall
The Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, is a parish church in the Church of England.The church is Grade II* listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as it is a particularly significant building of more than local interest....
in Hucknall close to the grave of two of his children who died in the Coach and Horses fire.
It is said that "Big Ben
Clock Tower, Palace of Westminster
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is generally extended to refer to the clock or the clock tower as well. It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world...
", the hour bell of the clock-tower of the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
, is named after this English Heavyweight Champion. The origin of the name is contested with Westminster's Chief Lord of the Woods and Forests, Sir Benjamin Hall. A large and ponderous man known affectionately in the House as "Big Ben", he is said to have given an impressively long speech on the subject. When, at the end of this oratorical marathon, Sir Benjamin sank back into his seat, a wag in the chamber shouted out: "Why not call him Big Ben and have done with it?" The house erupted in laughter; Big Ben had been named. This, at least, is the most commonly accepted story. However, according to the booklet written for the old Ministry of Works by Alan Phillips (1959):
"Like other nice stories, this has no documentary support; Hansard failed to record the interjection. The Times had been alluding to 'Big Ben of Westminster' since 1856. Probably, the derivation must be sought more remotely. The current champion of the prize ring was Benjamin Caunt, who had fought terrific battles with Bendigo, and who in 1857 lasted sixty rounds of a drawn contest in his final appearance at the age of 42. As Caunt at one period scaled 17 stone (238 lbs, or 108 kilogrammes), his nickname was Big Ben, and that was readily bestowed by the populace on any object the heaviest of its class. So the anonymous MP may have snatched at what was already a catchphrase." HMSO
See also
- List of bare-knuckle boxers
- http://www.bencaunt.freeserve.co.uk/gallery.htm
- 'Big Ben' Caunt, Ashfield District Council: http://www.ashfield-dc.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/community-and-living/faiths--beliefs-and-religions/st--mary-magdalene/-big--ben-caunt/;jsessionid=C67652C9797FAB972267E2ADEB50DEA0
- http://www.whitechapelbellfoundry.co.uk/bigben.htm
- Alan Phillips 1959, The story of Big Ben, Ministry of Works, H.M.S.O