Prizefighters' Pubs

Here's an interesting article about the prize-fighting men and the pubs they ran or frequented in Coventry. Paddy Gill, landlord of the Lamp Tavern, 'Fatty' Adrian's first pub was the Leopard Inn, loads of great details from David McGrory, 2005 Coventry's Pugilists

Interesting Foxcote. They certainly got their money's worth in the ringside seats in those days (55 rounds) and most of them were tiddly too. Times have changed and the purses, and I bet they didn't always follow the Queensberry rules. These days I reckon a lot of the fighting happens after closing time outside!!

Where was the Lamp Tavern?

Market Street

Not Coventry, so move if it suits the moderators, but certainly prizefighting with a mention of a Coventry pub. In February 1929, Bedworth said farewell to one of its most famous fighting sons. Local dignitaries led by Sir Francis Newdegate and Billy Johnson followed the flag-draped coffin to Coventry Road Cemetery. 'Danny Peck,' the last of the town's bare-knuckle boxers, had fought his last fight He died in the Nicholas Chamberlaine Almshouses at the age of 79 after being associated with boxing as a bare fist fighter, booth scrapper and tournament promoter for well over 60 year. For many years after his death, stories were still told about the man who was born John Parker in 1849, at the Woodlands, Bedworth. It was a time when a man had to be able to use his fists. Most of the men in the town were miners or ribbon weavers and 'Black Beduth' was a forbidding place. He left school at ten and went down the mines where the work hardened his muscles to steel. At 17 and already known as Danny Peck', John Parker was the uncrowned boxing king of the miners. He was later backed by the Newdegate family of Arbury and turned professional and became the star of the ring at the Three Tuns in Coventry. In booth contests, he took on such men as former World Champion Jem Mace, British Champion 'Iron' Haig, Charlie Mitchell and Peter Brislin the only man who ever beat him. It was his only defeat in more than 151 fights as a professional. Sometimes he would walk a hundred miles to a fight, beat his opponent, and then walk back home to Bedworth. His most famous fight was against the fighting butcher John Huffer in the fields near the old Charity Pit at Collycroft. 'Danny' was a staunch Tory and Huffer, a Radical and they fought thirty three blood splattered rounds before Huffer succumbed. Few people saw the fight. Most of Bedworth turned up at 7 o' clock on the Sunday morning, only to discover it was all over, they had met two hours earlier. His roots were in the Black Country. His father 'Tass' Parker was a fighter from West Bromwich. who was regarded as brilliant in his day. Bedworth was reputed to be a dangerous town to set foot in at Parliamentary Election times. 'Danny Peck' was the Tory hero and, backed up by a gang of redoubtable fighters, was always ready to take on any Radicals foolish enough to back up their party feelings with their fists. Despite the cruelty of his chosen profession he was always a man who could laugh at himself. Once, when his friend Jim Tolley brought his boxing booth to Bedworth, he displayed a Coventry made silver lever watch and promised it to the local man who could beat his best fighter Up stepped 'Danny' and duly won, only to discover it was his own watch, Tolley had removed it from his pocket before the fight. But there were no hard feelings and in later years he loved to tell people the story. His son 'Danny Peck junior' was also a boxer and many of his descendants are scattered around the Bedworth area. They used to go out together and every pub they visited contained some memento of their fighting prowess. They would sell their prizes for beer Even to this day, the Parkers still carry the nickname 'Peck', as a tribute to the man who was a fighting legend and lived to earn the respect of the town. Even as old man his features bore the unmistakable marks of a fighting past, a flat nose and cauliflower ears.

Cor blimey!!! Well, I'm not moving it anywhere, Heritage Loved it and you wrote that so well.

I put a few facts together about Danny Peck a few years ago for one of our exhibitions. A lot of visitors are coming to Bedworth to see our 'made in Exhall' Olympic Torch.

After reading the article, I wanted to know more about 'The Three Tuns' and found it looking neglected in this old photo. Warwick Row, Corner of Bull Yard The second link shows the building in better condition. The Three Tuns

Did you notice Peeping Tom on this one?

The Three Tuns

I have spotted a blurry figure! Also, there's a sign up on the right, I think it reads 'Recruits still wanted'?

Tom's high above that sign!

Has anyone got a photo of the 'Lamp Tavern'? In the newspaper archives, it is described as being located directly opposite the Market Hall Tower. Does this link help identify it? Market Hall I have found a good site with for the history of our local pubs... History of the Lamp Tavern, Market Street Also, a lovely selection of old spirit flasks from around the City's pubs. The Lamp Tavern, Market Square being one of them! Coventry Spirit Bottles

I might as well confess 20A, I didn't think it was a tram, I thought it was demolition and scaffolding to the side of the pub