Jemmy Robinson

With issue 105, the team at Famous Fights had been in business for exactly two years. Tucked away on the inside pages is a battle featuring one of the most promising of all prize fighters; Jemmy Robinson.

Early in 1846 considerable excitement was caused by the arrival of a new fighter on the boxing scene. The new man was Jemmy Robinson, a black fighter who was from Liverpool, England. Jemmy had been trained by Young Norley and had his first ring scuffle in a pub in front of an audience of potential backers and sponsors.

He won this first fight, and afterwards won several more. In March 1847 he was matched with Johnny Peach. In freezing weather conditions the combatants shivered and jogged on the spot to keep warm (see image below).

As the crowd grew restless, a bright spark shouted that if they wanted to keep warm the best thing to do was fight, which caused Jemmy to laugh. Both fighters were lightweights and weighed in at around 120 pounds. Here's how Famous Fights describes our men.

“The Black, whose beautifully-symmetrical frame elicited general admiration stood 5ft. 5in, and though his legs were light and thin there could be no doubt that his limbs, back and chest were well-clothed with muscle. His attitude was very graceful; he stood lightly poised on the balls of his feet, and every motion of his body was as springy as if he had been made of india rubber. Peach stood 5ft. 6in, and, though not so symmetrical and muscular as his opponent, seemed sturdier on his pins. But his posture was not so artistic as his opponent's, nor was there the same look of self-reliance on his face”

Prior to the fight, Peach hadn't taken much notice of Jemmy. Jemmy would be yet another scalp on Peach's ring record, but as they faced each other, Peach smelt a rat. Jemmy wasn't here to be beaten, he was there to do the beating.

Both fighters started cautiously, Peach threw the first punch but Jemmy blocked it. Suddenly he landed a one-two on the left ear and over the left eye. The sudden attack disconcerted Peach, who fell without a blow. Almost instantly the betting was in Jemmy's favour. Jemmy knocked Peach to the ground, and the writer described Peach as now 'sulking'. After a few feints, further punches, wrestling holds, stopping and hitting, Jemmy had shown he was the superior fighter in every department.

Peach looked glum. Knowing the battle was lost he attempted some trickery by falling without being hit, but on rising fell for good reason as Jemmy's fist landed on his chin. Peach had met his master. His heart was gone. He made some stands up until the 19th round but then regularly fell without being hit at all. Sometimes Peach wasn't quick enough even with these tactics and Jemmy's fist battered Peach. The beating took its toll on Jemmy's right hand which bled and may have been broken. Jemmy jabbed and used his right hand sparingly. But a fierce punch to the ear was enough to knock Peach dizzy and his main backer threw in the sponge. Peach was carried from the ring and spent much time in bed.

The final paragraph is a sad one.

“As for Jemmy, he quitted the arena as fresh as when he entered it. His friends were enthusiastic in their admiration of his prowess, as they had a right to be, for I doubt whether the Prize Ring has ever seen a cleverer fighter of his weight than Jemmy Robinson. His subsequent victories over Mullett and Horridge proved him to be a first rater, and his death, of cholera, in 1849, cut short a career as promising as any my memory can recall.”

Readers might notice that the illustrations here are slightly cruder than those previously shown. Maybe the illustrator, Ferdinand Fissi, had to rush them. There's probably a good reason for this. The team behind Famous Fights were busy and just about to launch a sister paper Famous Crimes. The back cover gives a quarter page advert for the forthcoming publication. Several of these are on eBay at the moment, see Famous Crimes.