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{{short description|English bare-knuckle fighter}}
{{for|the footballer|Jimmy Belcher}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}
 
{{multiple issues|
{{essay|date=April 2014}}
{{refimprovemore citations needed|date=March 2013}}
}}
[[File:James ('Jem') Belcher from NPG.jpg|right|thumb|Portrait of Jem Belcher, circa 1800]]
 
'''James Belcher''', also known as '''Jem Belcher''' (15 April 1781 – 30 July 1811), was an English [[Bare-knuckle boxing|bare-knuckle prize-fighter]] and Champion of All England 1800-18051800–1805.
 
==Life Early life==
HeBelcher was born at his father's house in St. James's churchyard, [[Bristol]], on 15 April 1781. His mothermaternal grandfather was a daughter of Jack Slack (d. 1778), a noted pugilistfighter, who had defeated [[Jack Broughton]] in April 1750. 'Jem' Belcher followed the trade of a butcher, though he wasAlthough never formally apprenticed, and'Jem' signalisedBelcher himself whenbecame a lad by pugilistic and other feats at Lansdown fair. He was a natural fighter, owing little to instruction in the art. His form is described as elegant ; he was, at any rate, good-humoured, finely proportioned, and well-looking. He came to London in 1798 and sparred with Bill Warr, a veteran boxer, of [[Covent Garden]]. On 12 April 1799, after a fight of thirty-three minutes, he beat Tom Jones of Paddington at [[Wormwood Scrubbs]] in the Middleweight Championship of England.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/jones-paddington-tom.htm|title=Cyber Boxing Zone -- "Paddington" Tom Jones|work=cyberboxingzonebutcher.com}}</ref>
 
==Boxing career==
He drew with champion [[Jack Bartholomew (boxer)|Jack Bartholomew]] in a 51-round bout in 1799, but in the following year, on 18 May 1800, on [[Finchley Common]], the 19-year-old Belcher, after seventeen rounds, knocked out the 37-year-old Bartholomew out with a 'terrific' body blow to win the rematch and become champion.▼
In his youth he became known for his pugilistic—and other—feats at Lansdown fair. Belcher was a natural fighter, described as "elegant" in style, whose skills were less due to instruction than his own ability. He was considered good-humoured, finely proportioned, and well-looking. He came to London in 1798 and sparred with Bill Warr, a veteran boxer, of [[Covent Garden]], who concluded that Belcher was "a match for any man in the kingdom".<ref name="Age 31">''[[The Age]]''. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19310418&id=tjRVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7158,3564447 "More Prize Ring Personalities: 'The Napoleon of the Ring'"]. 18 April 1931, p. 8. Retrieved on 15 June 2013.</ref> On 12 April 1799, after a fight of thirty-three minutes, he beat Tom Jones of Paddington at [[Wormwood Scrubbs]].
 
▲He drew with champion [[Jack Bartholomew (boxer)|Jack Bartholomew]] in a 51-round bout in 1799, but in the following year, on 18 May 1800, on [[Finchley Common]], the 19-year-old Belcher, after seventeen rounds, knocked out the 37-year-old Bartholomew out with a 'terrific' body blow to win the rematch and become champion.
On 22 Dec. 1800, near Abershaw's gibbet on [[Wimbledon Common]], he defeated Andrew Gamble, the Irish champion, in five rounds, Gamble being utterly confounded by his opponent's quickness. On 25 Nov. 1801 he met Joe Berks of Wem, and defeated him after sixteen rounds of desperate fighting. He fought him again on 20 Aug. 1802, and Berks retired at the end of the fourteenth round, by which time he could scarcely stand and was shockingly cut about the face. In April 1803 he severely punished John Firby, 'the young ruffian,' in a hastily arranged encounter. Next month he had to appear before [[Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough|Lord Ellenborough]] in the court of king's bench for rioting and fighting, upon which occasion he was defended by Erskine and Francis Const.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNBSupp|wstitle=Belcher, James}}</ref>▼
 
▲On 22 Dec.December 1800, near Abershaw's gibbet on [[Wimbledon Common]], he defeatedfought Andrew Gamble, the Irish champion. Four days before the fight, Belcher said that he was attacked by four thugs in [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]], whom he proceeded to beat up without getting harmed himself.<ref>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred/3232581954/in/album-72157616043429682/ Jem Belcher from Bristol]</ref> It was suspected that someone sent those men so he would be unable to fight the high stakes match, but since he couldn't provide evidence the fight still went underway. Belcher defeated Gamble in only five rounds, Gamble being utterly confounded by his opponent's quickness. After this victory Belcher seems to have been acclaimed as English Prizefighting Champion. On 25 Nov.November 1801 he met Joe Berks of Wem, and defeated him after sixteen rounds of desperate fighting. He fought him again on 20 Aug.August 1802, and Berks retired at the end of the fourteenth14th round, by which time he could scarcely stand and was shockinglybadly cut about the face. In April 1803 he severely punished John Firby, 'the young ruffian,' in a hastily arranged encounter. Next month he had to appear before [[Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough|Lord Ellenborough]] in the court of king's bench for rioting and fighting, upon which occasion heand was defended by Erskine and Francis Const.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNBSupp|wstitle=Belcher, James}}</ref>
In July 1803 Belcher lost an eye owing to an accident when playing at rackets. His high spirit and constitution forthwith declined, but placed by his friends in the 'snug tavern' of the Jolly Brewers in [[Wardour Street]], evaded challenges to his title until 1805. Jealousy of a former pupil, [[Hen Pearce]], the ' Bristol game-chicken,' once more to try his fortune in the ring. He had a terrible battle with Pearce on [[Barnby Moor]], near Doncaster, on 6 Dec. 1805. He displayed all his old courage but not his old skill or form, and was defeated in eighteen rounds.<ref name="Age 31"/>
 
In July 1803 Belcher lost an eye when playing raquetball. He never could really overcome the loss of his eye so his friends bought him the pub "Jolly Brewers" on [[Wardour Street]], where he put on sparring exhibitions and met and inspired Henry Pearce, a young boxer of which he became his manager.<ref name="okaybliss.com">[https://www.okaybliss.com/jem-belcher-death/ How did Jem Belcher die? His tragic death detailed]</ref> It became apparent that he would be Belcher's succussor to the title Champion of England. In 1805, Belcher returned to the ring as he refused to give up his title without a fight. Belcher invited Pearce to London, hoping to keep the championship in Bristol's hands, The two men had a tough fight at a common in [[Blyth, Nottinghamshire|Blyth]], a coaching stop seven miles north of [[Retford]], [[Nottinghamshire]] on the [[Great North Road (Great Britain)|Great North Road]] on 6 December 1805. Belcher chose the venue on a coin toss, deciding to site it 150 miles north of London so that the police did not disrupt the fight.<ref>E. Dipple, The Sportsman's Magazine of Life in London and the Country, Volume 1 (1845)</ref> The crowd were adorned with handkerchiefs of blue birdseye in support of "the Chicken", and the "famous yellow-striped 'Belcher'". Here Belcher displayed all his old vigour and punching speed, but lacked power, and was impaired by his damaged vision in ascertaining range; he was defeated in 18 rounds.<ref name="Age 31"/> Pearce never fought again and died from tuberculosis in 1809.<ref name="okaybliss.com"/>
He fought yet again two heroic fights with [[Tom Cribb]] — the first on 8 April 1807 at [[Moulsey Hurst]] in forty-one rounds, when Belcher would have proved the winner but for his confused sight and sprained wrist — the second on 1 Feb. 1809, in answer to a challenge for the belt and two hundred guineas. Belcher was again defeated after a punishing fight in thirty-one rounds,<ref name="MacCabe 78"/> though the best judges were of opinion that, had Belcher possessed his once excellent constitution and eyesight, Cribb must have been the loser.<ref name="DNB"/> This was Belcher's last fight. Virtually ruined by the huge gambling losses he sustained at this fight he caused a fracas after the bout, for which he spent four weeks in [[prison]].▼
 
▲HeThis foughtfight yetwas againfollowed by another two heroicbouts, fightsboth withagainst [[Tom Cribb]]. —In thetheir first encounter, on 8 April 1807, at [[Moulsey Hurst]], inthey fought forty-one rounds, whenwhere Belcher wouldcame havea provedclose thesecond winnerdue but forto his confused sightvision and a sprained wrist —; the secondsequel, on 1 Feb.February 1809, was in answer to a challenge for the belt and two hundred guineas. Belcher was again defeatedlost after a punishing fight in thirty-one rounds,<ref name="MacCabe 78"/> thoughbut theit bestwas judges were of opinionjudged that, had Belcher possessedbeen in his once excellent constitution andpeak eyesightcondition, Cribb mustwould have been the loser.<ref name="DNB"/> This was Belcher's last fight.; Virtuallyvirtually ruined by the huge gambling losses he sustained at this fight, he caused a fracas after the bout, for which he spent four weeks in [[prison]].
During his career, Belcher was known as "The Napoleon of the Ring"<ref name="Age 31">''[[The Age]]''. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19310418&id=tjRVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7158,3564447 "More Prize Ring Personalities: 'The Napoleon of the Ring'"]. 18 April 1931, p. 8. Retrieved on 15 June 2013.</ref> and the "Black Diamond."<ref name="MacCabe 78">MacCabe, Eddie. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19780221&id=7eMyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_-0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5997,122820 "Nothing has changed"]. ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'', 21 February 1978, p. 17. Retrieved on 15 June 2013.</ref> Belcher was one of the gamest fighters ever seen in the prize-ring, and probably the most rapid in his movements : 'you heard his blows, you did not see them.' A truly courageous man. Belcher was in private life good-humoured, modest, and unassuming ; but after his last fight he became taciturn and depressed. He was deserted by most of his old patrons : one of the best of these was [[Thomas Pitt, 2nd Baron Camelford]], who at his death on 10 March 1804 left him his famous bulldog Trusty.<ref name="DNB"/>▼
 
▲During his career, Belcher was known as "Thethe Napoleon of the Ring"<ref name="Age 31">''[[The Age]]''. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19310418&id=tjRVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7158,3564447 "More Prize Ring Personalities: 'The Napoleon of the Ring'"]. 18 April 1931, p. 8. Retrieved on 15 June 2013.</ref> and "the "Black Diamond.".<ref name="MacCabe 78">MacCabe, Eddie. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19780221&id=7eMyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_-0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5997,122820 "Nothing has changed"]. ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'', 21 February 1978, p. 17. Retrieved on 15 June 2013.</ref> Belcher was reckoned "one of the gamestgreatest fighters" ever seento inenter the prize-ring, andwith probablyspecial theappreciation most rapid inof his movements speed: '"you heard his blows, you did not see them".' AHis trulygood courageousqualities man.were Belcher waswell-known, in private life "good-humoured, modest, and unassuming", ; butalthough after his last fight he becamesuffered taciturnfrom andlow depressed.spirits, Hehaving wasbeen deserted by most of his old patrons : one of the best of these was [[Thomas Pitt, 2nd Baron Camelford]], whohowever, at his death on 10 March 1804, left himBelcher his famous bulldog Trusty.<ref name="DNB"/>
Belcher died on 30 July 1811 at the Coach and Horses, [[Frith Street]], Soho, a property which he left to his widow ; he was interred in the Marylebone burial ground. By the consequence of his various battles, stated the ''[[Gentleman's Magazine]]'', aided by great irregularity of living, he had reduced himself to a most pitiable situation for the last eighteen months,<ref name="DNB"/> and died a broken man.▼
 
Portraits are given in 'Pugilistica' and ''[[Boxiana]]'', in which [[Pierce Egan]] remarks upon his likeness to [[Napoleon]]. A link between the silver and golden ages of the prize-ring, Belcher was 'as well known to his own generation as [[William Pitt the Younger|Pitt]] or [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Wellington]].' Like the latter he is commemorated by an article of attire, a 'belcher' or blue -and -white spotted [[neckerchief]], though the term is applied loosely to any particoloured handkerchief tied round the neck. In 1805 a very brief but blood-thirsty 'Treatice (sic) on Boxing by Mr. J. Belcher' was appended to [[George Barrington]]'s ''New London Spy'' for that year.<ref name="DNB"/>
 
==Death==
▲Belcher died on 30 July 1811 at the Coach and Horses, [[Frith Street]], Soho, a property which he left to his widow, ; heand was interredburied in theat Marylebone burial ground. By“By the consequence of his various battles,” stated the ''[[Gentleman's Magazine]]'', aided“aided by great irregularity of living, he had reduced himself to a most pitiable situation for the last eighteen months, and came to suffer the effects of his lifestyle.”<ref name="DNB"/> andPut more plainly, he died afrom brokenalcoholism.<ref>{{cite manweb | url=https://www.okaybliss.com/jem-belcher-death/ | title=How did Jem Belcher die? His tragic death detailed | date=25 July 2022 }}</ref>
 
== Tom Belcher ==
 
Jim's younger brother, Tom Belcher, was scarcelyalso inferiora as adistinguished pugilist. He won battles in succession, withbeating Dan Dogherty, the 'Young Ruffian' John Firby, and some lesser-known fighters of less repute, but he was badly defeated by Dutch Sam (Samuel Elias). He was an accomplished boxer and sparrer,; and at the Tennis Court, during Tom Cribb's proprietorship, he defeated with the glovesbested such experts as Shaw the lifeguardsman, John Gully, and the African-American Tom Molineaux.
 
When Tom travelled toBelcher facefaced Dogherty at the Curragh of Kildare (on 23 April 1813),; [[Pierce Egan|Pierce Egan’s]] commentaryaccount impliesindicates that the Irish fighter was outclassed by the London Fancy's hero: 'Twentieth. – Belcher now seemed perfectly at home, and felt convinced how things were going. The length of his arm, added to the advantage of superior science, enabled him to serve out Dogherty about the head with such severity of manner, as to occasion the latter to fall at his feet'.<ref>David Snowdon, 'Writing the Prizefight; Pierce Egan's Boxiana World' (Bern, 2013)</ref>
 
Tom Belcher, who is described as 'gentlemanly and inoffensive,' died in London on 9 December 1854, aged 71, having earned a competence asbeen tavern-keeper at the Castle, Holborn, subsequently kept by Tom Spring.<ref name="DNB"/> He is buried in [[Nunhead Cemetery]], London.
 
==References in popular culture==
Belcher features as a character in ''[[Rodney Stone]]'', a [[Gothic fiction|Gothic]] mystery and [[boxing]] novel by Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]].
 
Charles Dickens refers to the Belcher neckerchief in ''The Old Curiosity Shop'' (1841): the character Richard Swiveller says in Ch. 34: 'What shall I be next? Shall I be a convict in a felt hat and a grey suit, trotting about a dockyard with my number neatly embroidered on my uniform, and the order of the garter on my leg, restrained from chafing my ankle by a twisted Belcher handkerchief?' <ref>The Old Curiosity Shop, Wordsworth Classics, 1995 edition, p. 249, also Note 170, p. 559: Becker handkerchief: dark blue spotted handkerchief, as first won by Gentleman Jim Belcher (1781-1811), a well-known pugilist.</ref>
==See also==
 
*[[List of bare-knuckle boxers]]▼
In [[Patrick O'Brian|Patrick O'Brian's]] seafaring novel [[The Thirteen-Gun Salute]], captain Jack Aubrey commands a frigate called ''Diane'', which has a cannon named ''Belcher''. The reference to the prize-fighter is clear, because other cannon are also named after famous prize-fighters (''Tom Cribb'', ''Game Chicken'').<ref>Patrick O'Brian: The Thirteen-Gun Salute, 1989.</ref>
 
The 2022 [[Amazon Prime Video]] biopic movie, ''[[Prizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher]],'' stars [[Matt Hookings (actor)|Matt Hookings]] as Belcher, [[Russell Crowe]] as Belcher's grandfather, Jack Slack, and [[Ray Winstone]] as Belcher's trainer, Bill Warr. [[Matt Hookings (actor)|Hookings]] was the movie's producer and wrote the screenplay, and it was directed by Daniel Graham.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4471908 | title=Prizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher | website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref>
 
==External Sources==
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=9YYoAAAAYAAJ Chapter on Jem Belcher in ''Boxiana, or Sketches of Ancient and Modern Pugilism'' volume 1, 1830, Pierce Egan]
*[https://archive.org/details/pugilisticahisto01mileuoft/page/132/mode/1up Chapter on Jem Belcher in ''Pugilistica, the History of British Boxing'' volume 1, 1906, Henry Downes Miles]
 
==References==
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==External links==
*[http://weldgen.tripod.com/fighters-of-the-west-country/id5.html Fighters of the West Country]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
*[http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp00355&desc=&eDate=&grp=&lDate=&medium=painting&name=&occ=56%3BSports+and+Leisure+Pursuits&search=as an oil painting portrait of Jem Belcher by an unknown artist at the British National Portrait Gallery]▼
*[http://www.ibhof.com/belcher.htm Jem Belcher at The International Boxing Hall of Fame]
▲*[http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp00355&desc=&eDate=&grp=&lDate=&medium=painting&name=&occ=56%3BSports+and+Leisure+Pursuits&search=as an oil painting portrait of Jem Belcher by an unknown artist at the British National Portrait Gallery]
*[http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.php/Jem_Belcher Box Rec website data]
 
{{Authority control}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belcher, James}}
[[Category:Bare-knuckle boxers]]
[[Category:English male boxers]]
▲*[[List ofCategory:English bare-knuckle boxers]]
[[Category:1781 births]]
[[Category:1811 deaths]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Bristol]]
[[Category:English disabled sportspeople]]
[[Category:British disabled sportspeople]]
[[Category:18th-century English people]]
[[Category:19th-century English people]]
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