Devon wrestling

Devon wrestling or Devonshire wrestling is a type of wrestling that originated in Devon, England, which was popular in the nineteenth century.[1] The Devonshire fashion of wrestling allows hardened footwear to be worn and kicking intended to disable the opponent.

Devon Wrestling
Also known asDevonshire Wrestling
FocusGrappling, Kicking
Country of originEnglandDevon Devon, England
Famous practitionersAbraham Cann
Olympic sportNo

It has similarities to Cornish wrestling but it was reputed to focus more on foot moves and less on throwing.[2] In the eighteenth and nineteenth century many Devon wrestlers used to wear "baked" boots when wrestling, which could cause serious injury to opponents (on rare occasions leading to death).[3]

Notable wrestlers

The best known champion Devon wrestler is Abraham Cann of Colebrooke, Devon.[4] Cann was the Devon champion and faced the Cornish champion James Polkinghorne in a match in Devonport in 1826, watched by a crowd of over 10,000. After discussions between the triers, the match was declared a draw.[5][6][7] A song was written about the match.[8][9] Cann had defeated John Jordan, Flower, Wreyford, Simon Webber, and the other good wrestlers in Devon, and carried off the prizes at many of the places where he became a competitor.

References
  1. "Bayview House Lynmouth". Archived from the original on 8 September 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  2. Sam Sam's Son (1831). "Letter to the editor: Wrestling in Cornwall and Devonshire, October 8, 1827". The Every-Day Book and Table Book, Vol III. By William Hone. London: Published for T. Tegg, sold by R. Griffin. pp. 499–502.
  3. Anita Merritt (30 June 2019). "The Salutation Inn: A past that includes smuggling, wrestling and elephants". DevonLive. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  4. "Abraham Cann". Rootsweb. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. "Devonshire Wrestling". Crediton Museum. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  6. Boase, George C (1886). "Cann, Abraham (1794–1864), wrestler". Dictionary of National Biography Vol. VIII. Smith, Elder & Co. Retrieved 24 October 2023. The first edition of this text is available at Wikisource: "Cann, Abraham" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  7. Walter Armstrong (1889). "Chapter IV. Styles and Systems". Wrestling. London: Longmans Green, and Co.
  8. Unknown. A new song on the wrestling match between Cann & Polkinghorne.
  9. Charlotte Vowles (27 June 2020). "The "Devon Hercules" who fought the Cornish and became the Champion of England". DevonLive. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
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