NAMED AFTER PUGILIST

Evening Star, Issue 19519, 29 March 1927, Page 2

NAMED AFTER PUGILIST

BENDIGO, THE PUGILIST The suggestion mentioned in the ‘ Age ’ that the city of Bendigo derives its name from a famous English pugilist, who was nicknamed Bendigo, is probably correct (says that journal), though residents of that district may prefer to disbelieve it. That monumental work, the ‘Dictionary of National Biography,’ which was published thirty years ago, devotes nearly a page to an account of Condigo’s pugilistic career, and records;—" It is generally stated that the Victorian goldfield, now an Australian city, was called Bendigo after the popular pugilist.” Tho pugilist’s real name was William Thompson. He was one of triplets—all hoys—born at Nottingham on October 11, 18il. The triplets became known to facetious friends of the parents as Shadmch, Mcshacli, and Abednego, the three pious .Tows who, as recorded in tho book of Daniel, were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship tho golden imago set Up by King Nebuchadnezzar, William Thompson was known as Abednego, and in his first public challenge as a pugilist, published in ‘ Bell’s Life of London,’ ho called himself ‘ Abednego of Nottingham,’ and thenceforth tho sporting journalists christened him Bendigo, a mutilation of Abednego. His first big fight was on July 21, 1835, against the renowned Ben Gaunt, then the idol of the prize ring. The fight was for the modest stake of £25 a side, and it was awarded to Bendigo on a foul. Gaunt, angered by Bendigo’s shifty tactics, struck a blow while Bendigo was resting on his second knee. Bendigo was beaten by Gaunt three years late, and when they met for the third time, in 1845, for a stake of £2OO a side, ' which was the highest stake provided in the prize ring championships in those days, i the decision was given in Bendigo’s favor I but if was much disputed at the time. Under the rules of the prize ring a round 1 lasted only until one of the men went down, instead of three minutes under the present rules of hosing; and, as a man frequently sought safety on tho ground to escape punishment, the fights lasted much longer than the present limit of twenty rounds. Bendigo’s "fight- with I John Leechman, known as “Brassey,” I lasted fifty-two rounds before Leechman gave in; his nest important fight, against I Charles Langan, in which Bendigo was victorious, lasted ninety-two rounds. His longest fight was against William Looney, whom he defeated in the ninety-ninth round. HOW ELECTIONS WERE WON. Bendigo was a prominent member of tho Nottingham “ Lambs a band of ruffians employed by Parliamentary, municiI pai, and other candidates to intimidate voters. Those were the days before the introduction of the secret ballot. Candidates wore elected at tho hustings by a show of hands on the part of those present. It cost a good deal of money to secure tho services of the “ Lambs, ’ but the candidate who obtained thoir support was generally successtul at the election. It was a common practice throughout England to pay prize., fighters and other bullies to attend election meetings and intimidate I votcis. Tho late Bernal Osborne, in supI porting in the House of Commons a Bill ! for tie introduction of the secret ballot, ; which was under discussion for nearly i thirtv years before it was finally a'l-plcd i in 1872, confessed that he had spent as much money as anybody in the Homo m I retaining tho services of “ prize fighters 1 and people of that sort ” to secure clec- ' tion. Bendigo achieved notoriety troni the 1 fact that when he attended the hustings i to prevent people voting against the candidate who had bought his services, he appeared in the peaceful guise of a clcrgy- . man of the. Church of England. But residents of the city of Bendigo 1 will perhaps prefer to dwell on Bendigo s i later years, when he became converted and preached the Gospel. He signed the 1 pledge, in common with scores of thousands of other people m England who entno under the influence of the great temperance advocate, Father Mathew, who extended his mission to England in 1843, after having converted half the adult population of Ireland to temperance, and effected a reduction _ of 40 per cent, in the revenue from spirits in that country. Bendigo “ got religion during tho revivalist campaign of the avangelist. Richard Weaver. He died m 1880 at the age of sixty-eight. Hutchinson’s ‘ Australian Encyclopaedia, jubllshed in. 1892 in one volume, under the editorship of George Collios Licvcy, ifjecfr ho idea of the name of the Victorian ■ity being derived from the famous pugi ist, and suggests that the name is a imitialien of bandicoot. The goldfield war iriginally named Sandhurst, and that ' name survives in minor ways in various parts of Bendigo to-day.