This is Findon Village — this website was created by Valerie Martin and contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

Cockfighting at the Gun Inn

A group outside the Gun Inn in Findon in 1910.

Copyright Valerie Martin 1998

First published in Along the Furlong, March 1998.

I have uncovered that a form of entertainment at the centre of Findon during the 1700s and at the beginning of the 1800s was still the noisy one of cockfighting.    This is unbelievable now.   No doubt, everyone living near the centre of the village was well aware when an event was in progress at the time.

The cockpit was conveniently situated on glebe land behind the Gun Inn and near the site of the school, where the sport of cock fighting was organised for both rich and poor. It is assumed the bloodthirsty amusement brought in even more trade for the thriving Gun Inn close by.

Many Findon men would have possessed game cocks, kept purposely for fighting.  They were beautiful birds but all destined to be killed sooner or later by their fellows.

So called "mains", (or matches), where a number of birds were engaged in fighting, were arranged to compete against nearby villages and, no doubt, gambling was involved.

Here is a cock-fighting advertisement from 200 years ago from the long defunct Sussex Weekly Advertiser (the first weekly newspaper published in Sussex.... the following appeared in the 23rd March 1795 edition....

The mains of cocks will be fought between the Gentlemen of Henfield and Steyning, against the Gentlemen of Horsham for five guineas a battle, and 20 the odd.   Also two shake bags for 20 guineas.   The first main will be fought on Monday, the 30th March, at the Chequers Inn, Steyning, the second main will be fought on Monday, 20th April at the Lamb Inn, Horsham.   To fight in silver, and to go to Pit at 11 o'clock.   Hammond and Holding, Feeders.  N.B.  A good ordinary at one o'clock.

Each bird was armed during a bout with an artificial long steel spur attached on each leg.  During the battle and some heavy lunging, one would inevitably jump higher than the other and drive one of its sharp spurs clean through the opponent's neck.  Whereupon the foe dropped dead.   This brought immense excitement to the crowd of betting men and gawpers.  Another bird would then be brought out. These barbarous scenes would be enacted again and again just off School Hill during long summer afternoons.  They went on well into the evening, as long as daylight allowed.   Everyone living nearby could hear the profane chorus of whoops and yells.  These were from the onlookers as they watched the birds in the sanded ring ripping and gouging at each other with their steel spurs.

These events were eagerly looked forward to with anticipation by the innkeeper, who would undoubtedly "up" his sales at the public house before and after the events.

When the sport was banned, the men of Findon had to look for an alternative form sport on their days off.

 

Continue if you would like to read how Kennel Bottom Hits the News in 1867.

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — was launched by Valerie Martin in January 1999 and will grow to be a historical record of life in Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

E-mail: valeriemartin@findonvillage.com