Bear baiting in London
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Bear baiting for a long time was as popular as bull baiting, but bears were rather difficult to obtain so the pastime happened less than fights between dogs and bulls. Remarkable, bull and bear baiting both still exists...it's still a popular pastime in some eastern regions, like Pakistan (despite the prohibition of 1998) for example. They use Pit Bulls, Bully Kutta and Gull Terr for these fights.
In some parts of the United States (like South Carolina, Alaska, Arkansas and Wyoming) there still exist a form of bear baiting, called 'baer baying'. Under the guise of training their dogs for bear hunting this is completely legal and the events still attracts many spectators. The baiting contests are organized by breed clubs which often are associated with the United Kennel Club and American Kennel Club, which is at least remarkable because Kennel Clubs generally dissociate from canine bloodsports and, in addition, they often are negative towards 'real' fighting dog breeds...rather hypocritical.
In the old days bear baiting probably took place in the open fields. The bear was usually chained at its hind legs or neck, sometimes even blinded. Also not uncommon, fangs and claws became removed which obviously made the bear a lot less defensible. One by one the handlers send their dogs against the bear.
Already in the 12th century bear baiting is mentioned as a pastime for Londoners, as William Fitzstephen writes in his 'Descriptio Nobilissimae Ciuitatis Londoniae' (Description of the mighty London, 1174 AD). The famous Dutch Desiderius Erasmus (1469-1536) reported that during his stay in England he saw many bears which were kept to use for baiting events.
In some parts of the United States (like South Carolina, Alaska, Arkansas and Wyoming) there still exist a form of bear baiting, called 'baer baying'. Under the guise of training their dogs for bear hunting this is completely legal and the events still attracts many spectators. The baiting contests are organized by breed clubs which often are associated with the United Kennel Club and American Kennel Club, which is at least remarkable because Kennel Clubs generally dissociate from canine bloodsports and, in addition, they often are negative towards 'real' fighting dog breeds...rather hypocritical.
In the old days bear baiting probably took place in the open fields. The bear was usually chained at its hind legs or neck, sometimes even blinded. Also not uncommon, fangs and claws became removed which obviously made the bear a lot less defensible. One by one the handlers send their dogs against the bear.
Already in the 12th century bear baiting is mentioned as a pastime for Londoners, as William Fitzstephen writes in his 'Descriptio Nobilissimae Ciuitatis Londoniae' (Description of the mighty London, 1174 AD). The famous Dutch Desiderius Erasmus (1469-1536) reported that during his stay in England he saw many bears which were kept to use for baiting events.
Despite the fact that through the ages there were many attempts to stop the bear baiting contests by consider them as unlawful games which disturbing the peace (Cooper - Annals of Cambridge, Henry III, 1269 AD), it took until 1835 before all animal bloodsports were finally banned. That these events have been able to continue for centuries has largely to do with the fact that the motives of the attempts to ban them were different than those of the current reasons why people are against canine bloodsports. People had different standards than today and animal welfare was not popular. The main reason that some tried over the centuries to ban these contests was that it disturbed public order, immoral behavior and disturbances were not uncommon.
BEAR BAITING AT THE BANKSIDE
It's not entirely clear when the bear baiting events moved to built arena's, such as in ancient Rome. Approximately the first written evidence that bear baiting took place at the Bankside comes from april 1546 when Henry VIII (1491-1547) ordered the Mayor of London to shut down the brothels (known as 'stews' or 'stewhouses') and announce the prohibition of bear baiting in that area. A few months later however, the same capricious Henry VIII gave permission to organize a bear baiting event at the Bankside. He also held bear baiting events at the tiltyard (Horse Guards Parade) of Whitehall Palace.
The first permanent built arena's appeared on the 'Civitates Orbis Terrarum' (City's of the World), Map of London, created by the German Georg Braun (1541-1621) and Dutch Frans Hogenberg (1535-1590). The map was probably drawn somewhere at the end of the 1550's but eventually was issued around 1572. Clearly shown are two amphitheatres, called 'The Bear Bayting' and 'The Bull Bayting'. However, an earlier map of Southwark depicts only one ring, called the 'Bulryng' (High Street, Southwark). Thomas F. Ordish writes about it in his 'Early London Theatres' (1899) and he even suggests that this could be an ancient Roman amphitheatre. A description from 1544 of an attendant of the Spanish Don Manriquez de Lara, Duke of Nejara indicates that at that time this ring was still in use...
"In another part of the city we saw seven bears, some of them of great size. They were led out every day to an enclosure, where being tied with a long rope, large and intrepid dogs are thrown to them, in order that they may bite and make them furious. It is no bad sport to see them fight, and the assaults they give each other. To each of the large bears are matched three or four dogs, which sometimes get the better and sometimes are worsted, for besides the fierceness and great strength of the bears to defend themselves with their teeth, they hug the dogs with their paws so tightly, that, unless the masters came to assist them, they would be strangled by such soft embraces. Into the same place they brought a pony with an ape fastened on its back, and to see the animal kicking amongst the dogs, with the screams of the ape, beholding the curs hanging from the ears and neck of the pony, is very laughable..."
He also mentioned Lions and Leopards at the Tower, confined within wooden railings'...
What matters about this annecdote is that it actually confirmes that between 1544 and about 1560 the old 'Bulryng' dissapeared and that the two amphitheaters shown at the Braun & Hogenberg map has to be built somewhere around the end of the 1550's.
BEAR BAITING AT THE BANKSIDE
It's not entirely clear when the bear baiting events moved to built arena's, such as in ancient Rome. Approximately the first written evidence that bear baiting took place at the Bankside comes from april 1546 when Henry VIII (1491-1547) ordered the Mayor of London to shut down the brothels (known as 'stews' or 'stewhouses') and announce the prohibition of bear baiting in that area. A few months later however, the same capricious Henry VIII gave permission to organize a bear baiting event at the Bankside. He also held bear baiting events at the tiltyard (Horse Guards Parade) of Whitehall Palace.
The first permanent built arena's appeared on the 'Civitates Orbis Terrarum' (City's of the World), Map of London, created by the German Georg Braun (1541-1621) and Dutch Frans Hogenberg (1535-1590). The map was probably drawn somewhere at the end of the 1550's but eventually was issued around 1572. Clearly shown are two amphitheatres, called 'The Bear Bayting' and 'The Bull Bayting'. However, an earlier map of Southwark depicts only one ring, called the 'Bulryng' (High Street, Southwark). Thomas F. Ordish writes about it in his 'Early London Theatres' (1899) and he even suggests that this could be an ancient Roman amphitheatre. A description from 1544 of an attendant of the Spanish Don Manriquez de Lara, Duke of Nejara indicates that at that time this ring was still in use...
"In another part of the city we saw seven bears, some of them of great size. They were led out every day to an enclosure, where being tied with a long rope, large and intrepid dogs are thrown to them, in order that they may bite and make them furious. It is no bad sport to see them fight, and the assaults they give each other. To each of the large bears are matched three or four dogs, which sometimes get the better and sometimes are worsted, for besides the fierceness and great strength of the bears to defend themselves with their teeth, they hug the dogs with their paws so tightly, that, unless the masters came to assist them, they would be strangled by such soft embraces. Into the same place they brought a pony with an ape fastened on its back, and to see the animal kicking amongst the dogs, with the screams of the ape, beholding the curs hanging from the ears and neck of the pony, is very laughable..."
He also mentioned Lions and Leopards at the Tower, confined within wooden railings'...
What matters about this annecdote is that it actually confirmes that between 1544 and about 1560 the old 'Bulryng' dissapeared and that the two amphitheaters shown at the Braun & Hogenberg map has to be built somewhere around the end of the 1550's.
Through the ages, Paris Garden is consistantly mentioned in conjunction with bear baiting but this seems incorrect because the old maps of London clearly show the Bear Gardens in the Liberty of the Clink, actually between Southwark and Paris Garden. According to Charles L. Kingsford (Paris Garden and the bear baiting, 1920), the association is possibly caused by the fact that the London rabble, which crossed the Thames from the Northbank, arrived at Paris Garden Stairs, from which they had to go through Paris Garden to get to the Bear Gardens. It is not entirely clear but name confusions happened more often and fact is that the bear baiting sites regularly changed over the centuries.
The baiting rings depicted at the Braun & Hogenberg Map were in use till 1583, at least one of them. January that year the 'Beare Bayting' arena collapsed, along with the crowd within...Result, 7 deaths, many injured and nothing left of the building itself. A number of records are known of this dramatic event. John Stowe (1524-1605), the British historian mentioned it in the second edition of his 'Annales of England' (1603) and according to Rev. John Field (1519-1587) the building was "old and rotten", there wasn't a stick left "as high as the bear was fastened to". Philip Stubbes (1555-1610), the Puritan writer of 'The anatomy of abuses in England', describes the event as follows:
"Upon the 13 day of January last, being Sabbath day, anno 1583, the people; men, women, and children, both young and old, an infinite number, flocking to those infamous places where these wicked exercises are usually practised -for they have their courts, gardens, and yards for the same purpose-, when they were all come together and mounted aloft upon their scaffolds and galleries, and in the midst of all their jolity and pastime, all the whole building, not one stick standing, fell down with a most wonderful and fearful confusion. So that either two or three hundred men, women, and children, whereof seven were killed dead, some were wounded, some lamed, and otherwise bruised and crushed almost to death. Some had their brains dashed out, some their heads all to-squashed, some their legs broken, some their arms, some their backs, some their shoulders, some one hurt, some another."
The Puritans, who were strongly against such events, saw this as a warning from God and tried to make an end to the bear baitings through the city authorities. Leaving aside all their efforts, in a few months the arena was replaced, by a new Bear Garden. John Norden's (1547-1625) Map of London (1593) shows the new Bear Garden, which he calls 'The beare-Howse'. Also appears another theatre at this map; 'The Play-Howse', which in fact is the around 1587 by Philip Henslowe (1550-1616) constructed Rose Theatre. Henslowe, along with his son inlaw, famous actor, Edward Alleyn (1566-1626) later in 1604 became 'Master of the Royal Game of Bulls, Bears and Mastiff Dogs'.
Besides the Bear Garden, baiting events were kept in theatres like the Swan, which was considered as being the most prestigeous theatre of London at the time and in the early days of its existence it's been used for different kinds of baiting events. In 1635 the Swan is demolished.
Another famous theatre is the Globe, opened around 1599 at the Maid Lane area. This actually was the sequel of The Theatre from Shoreditch, which was demolished, moved and rebuilt as the Globe. In 1613 The Globe burned down but was rebuilt a year later at the same foundation, in 1644 it was pulled down definitely.
Also in 1613, Philip Henslowe (1550-1616) and Edward Alleyn decided to demolish the Bear Garden and built another, dual-purpose, theatre in its place. The Hope was built after the Swan Theatre and was meant to be a playhouse at mondays, wednesdays, fridays and saturdays and a baiting arena at tuesdays and thursdays. The Hope never lost its former name and was always referred to as the Bear Garden.
The stage plays continued untill Edward Alleyn's death in 1626, after that the Hope was primarily in use as bear baiting arena, till 1644, when it was closed due to the Puritans. In the early 1650's the State Council orders that the bear- and bull baiting events at Southwark has to end and by 1656 The Hope was torn down by the Lord of the Clink, Thomas Walker.
Again, in 1662, the Bear Garden was rebuilt (Davies Theatre) in the Maid Lane area, by the then Master of the Royal Game, James Davies. Some references occur the following period of Bear Baiting at Bankside.
John Evelyn (1620-1706) wrote in his 'Diary of John Evelyn' (Biker & Sons, 1879):
June 16th, 1670.
"I was forced to accompany some friends to the Bear Garden. There was cock-fighting, dog-fighting, beare- and bull baiting. It being a famous day for all these butcherly sports or rather barbarious cruelties. One of the dogs tossed a dog full into a lady's lap as she sat in one of the boxes at a considerable height from the arena...I'm most heartily weary of this rude and dirty pastime, which I had not seen, I think, in 20 years."
The Spanish ambassador seemed to be treated to a baiting event in 1676 and the last reference to baiting events at Bankside dates back to 1682, which concerned 'horse baiting' to entertain the Moroccan ambassador. As of about the late 1680's the baiting events seemed to be moved to the other side of the Thames and probably around 1686 the old Bear Garden is being replaced for rental buildings.
The baiting rings depicted at the Braun & Hogenberg Map were in use till 1583, at least one of them. January that year the 'Beare Bayting' arena collapsed, along with the crowd within...Result, 7 deaths, many injured and nothing left of the building itself. A number of records are known of this dramatic event. John Stowe (1524-1605), the British historian mentioned it in the second edition of his 'Annales of England' (1603) and according to Rev. John Field (1519-1587) the building was "old and rotten", there wasn't a stick left "as high as the bear was fastened to". Philip Stubbes (1555-1610), the Puritan writer of 'The anatomy of abuses in England', describes the event as follows:
"Upon the 13 day of January last, being Sabbath day, anno 1583, the people; men, women, and children, both young and old, an infinite number, flocking to those infamous places where these wicked exercises are usually practised -for they have their courts, gardens, and yards for the same purpose-, when they were all come together and mounted aloft upon their scaffolds and galleries, and in the midst of all their jolity and pastime, all the whole building, not one stick standing, fell down with a most wonderful and fearful confusion. So that either two or three hundred men, women, and children, whereof seven were killed dead, some were wounded, some lamed, and otherwise bruised and crushed almost to death. Some had their brains dashed out, some their heads all to-squashed, some their legs broken, some their arms, some their backs, some their shoulders, some one hurt, some another."
The Puritans, who were strongly against such events, saw this as a warning from God and tried to make an end to the bear baitings through the city authorities. Leaving aside all their efforts, in a few months the arena was replaced, by a new Bear Garden. John Norden's (1547-1625) Map of London (1593) shows the new Bear Garden, which he calls 'The beare-Howse'. Also appears another theatre at this map; 'The Play-Howse', which in fact is the around 1587 by Philip Henslowe (1550-1616) constructed Rose Theatre. Henslowe, along with his son inlaw, famous actor, Edward Alleyn (1566-1626) later in 1604 became 'Master of the Royal Game of Bulls, Bears and Mastiff Dogs'.
Besides the Bear Garden, baiting events were kept in theatres like the Swan, which was considered as being the most prestigeous theatre of London at the time and in the early days of its existence it's been used for different kinds of baiting events. In 1635 the Swan is demolished.
Another famous theatre is the Globe, opened around 1599 at the Maid Lane area. This actually was the sequel of The Theatre from Shoreditch, which was demolished, moved and rebuilt as the Globe. In 1613 The Globe burned down but was rebuilt a year later at the same foundation, in 1644 it was pulled down definitely.
Also in 1613, Philip Henslowe (1550-1616) and Edward Alleyn decided to demolish the Bear Garden and built another, dual-purpose, theatre in its place. The Hope was built after the Swan Theatre and was meant to be a playhouse at mondays, wednesdays, fridays and saturdays and a baiting arena at tuesdays and thursdays. The Hope never lost its former name and was always referred to as the Bear Garden.
The stage plays continued untill Edward Alleyn's death in 1626, after that the Hope was primarily in use as bear baiting arena, till 1644, when it was closed due to the Puritans. In the early 1650's the State Council orders that the bear- and bull baiting events at Southwark has to end and by 1656 The Hope was torn down by the Lord of the Clink, Thomas Walker.
Again, in 1662, the Bear Garden was rebuilt (Davies Theatre) in the Maid Lane area, by the then Master of the Royal Game, James Davies. Some references occur the following period of Bear Baiting at Bankside.
John Evelyn (1620-1706) wrote in his 'Diary of John Evelyn' (Biker & Sons, 1879):
June 16th, 1670.
"I was forced to accompany some friends to the Bear Garden. There was cock-fighting, dog-fighting, beare- and bull baiting. It being a famous day for all these butcherly sports or rather barbarious cruelties. One of the dogs tossed a dog full into a lady's lap as she sat in one of the boxes at a considerable height from the arena...I'm most heartily weary of this rude and dirty pastime, which I had not seen, I think, in 20 years."
The Spanish ambassador seemed to be treated to a baiting event in 1676 and the last reference to baiting events at Bankside dates back to 1682, which concerned 'horse baiting' to entertain the Moroccan ambassador. As of about the late 1680's the baiting events seemed to be moved to the other side of the Thames and probably around 1686 the old Bear Garden is being replaced for rental buildings.
HOCKLEY IN THE HOLE
The new Bear Garden was situated in 'Hockley in the Hole', at the site of todays 'Coach & Horses' at Ray Street, Clerkenwell. Although the first adds appeared around 1699, already in 1641 a reference is made to a new Bear Garden at Islington and Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) write in his diaries about a bear baiting in 1666, also at Islington. Whether this refers to the Royal Bear Garden at Hockley seems obvious but isn't quite sure. However, around the 1720's there appears to be another arena, James Stokes' Amphitheatre in Islington Road. In 1709, the Royal Bear Garden's keeper, Christopher Preston, was attacked and killed by his own bears. For the next 5 years, the popularity of the Hockley arena would be significantly less...
Around this time another Bear Garden was established by William Wells at Tothill Fields, Westminster. Wells probably was an assistant at Hockley before he left and established his own Bear Garden. Along with another arena, James Figg's New Bear Garden at the 'Boarded House' in Marylebone Fields, they drew the public from Hockley's Bear Garden.
The popularity of the Royal Bear Garden began to attract again around 1715, when a notorious backsword fighter agreed to fight at Hockley, live-and-death contests between dogs and bears were organized and again there was to see Bull baiting spectacle, complete with fireworks...
After Wells' death in 1721 the popularity of the Tothill Bear Garden decreased, in favour of the Hockley arena, however, English antiquarian and author M.E.C. Walcott (1821-1880) writes that this Bear Garden was in use even into the 19th century, contrary to His Majesty's Bear Garden in Hockley of which around 1750 the heyday were gone for good.
Besides the traditional Bear and Bull baiting events, the Londoners were also provided with the necessary variation, as was advertised in 1716 to promote a fight between dogs and a Leopard at Marylebone, a Tiger fought 6 dogs at Hockley and also known are accounts of baiting events in the Thames between dogs and white Bears.
"At the Bear Garden, Hockley-in-the-Hole, 1710.
This is to give notice to all gentlemen gamesters, and others, that on this present monday is a match to be fought by two dogs, one from Newgate Market against one from Hony Lane Market, at a bull, for a guinea, to be spent. Five let-goes out of hand; which goes fairest and farthest in wins all. Likewise a green bull to be baited, which was never baited before, and a bull to be turned loose, with fireworks all over him; also a mad ass to be baited. With a variety of bull-baiting and bear-baiting, and a dog to be drawn up with fireworks. To begin exactly at three of the clock."
"At William Well's Bear Garden in Tuttle Fields, Westminster, this present monday, there will be a green bull baited; and twenty dogs to fight for a collar; and the dog that runs farthest and fairest wins the collar; with other diversions of bull and bear-baiting. Beginning at two of the clock.
In the early 19th century bear baiting was a dying phenomenon. Given the era and change of mentality, badger baiting and dog fighting prevail. In London occasionally bear baiting contests were organized, as in Bill Gibbons' Bear & Badger Pit in notorious Black Boy Alley and the famous Westminster Pit in Duck Lane.
The new Bear Garden was situated in 'Hockley in the Hole', at the site of todays 'Coach & Horses' at Ray Street, Clerkenwell. Although the first adds appeared around 1699, already in 1641 a reference is made to a new Bear Garden at Islington and Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) write in his diaries about a bear baiting in 1666, also at Islington. Whether this refers to the Royal Bear Garden at Hockley seems obvious but isn't quite sure. However, around the 1720's there appears to be another arena, James Stokes' Amphitheatre in Islington Road. In 1709, the Royal Bear Garden's keeper, Christopher Preston, was attacked and killed by his own bears. For the next 5 years, the popularity of the Hockley arena would be significantly less...
Around this time another Bear Garden was established by William Wells at Tothill Fields, Westminster. Wells probably was an assistant at Hockley before he left and established his own Bear Garden. Along with another arena, James Figg's New Bear Garden at the 'Boarded House' in Marylebone Fields, they drew the public from Hockley's Bear Garden.
The popularity of the Royal Bear Garden began to attract again around 1715, when a notorious backsword fighter agreed to fight at Hockley, live-and-death contests between dogs and bears were organized and again there was to see Bull baiting spectacle, complete with fireworks...
After Wells' death in 1721 the popularity of the Tothill Bear Garden decreased, in favour of the Hockley arena, however, English antiquarian and author M.E.C. Walcott (1821-1880) writes that this Bear Garden was in use even into the 19th century, contrary to His Majesty's Bear Garden in Hockley of which around 1750 the heyday were gone for good.
Besides the traditional Bear and Bull baiting events, the Londoners were also provided with the necessary variation, as was advertised in 1716 to promote a fight between dogs and a Leopard at Marylebone, a Tiger fought 6 dogs at Hockley and also known are accounts of baiting events in the Thames between dogs and white Bears.
"At the Bear Garden, Hockley-in-the-Hole, 1710.
This is to give notice to all gentlemen gamesters, and others, that on this present monday is a match to be fought by two dogs, one from Newgate Market against one from Hony Lane Market, at a bull, for a guinea, to be spent. Five let-goes out of hand; which goes fairest and farthest in wins all. Likewise a green bull to be baited, which was never baited before, and a bull to be turned loose, with fireworks all over him; also a mad ass to be baited. With a variety of bull-baiting and bear-baiting, and a dog to be drawn up with fireworks. To begin exactly at three of the clock."
"At William Well's Bear Garden in Tuttle Fields, Westminster, this present monday, there will be a green bull baited; and twenty dogs to fight for a collar; and the dog that runs farthest and fairest wins the collar; with other diversions of bull and bear-baiting. Beginning at two of the clock.
In the early 19th century bear baiting was a dying phenomenon. Given the era and change of mentality, badger baiting and dog fighting prevail. In London occasionally bear baiting contests were organized, as in Bill Gibbons' Bear & Badger Pit in notorious Black Boy Alley and the famous Westminster Pit in Duck Lane.