page_title: Tom Spring
section_title: Retirement
hierarchical_section_title: Tom Spring / Retirement
caption_attribution_description: English: Early 19th century print of a boxing match. Public domain by virtue of age
context_page_description: Tom Spring was an English bare-knuckle fighter. He was heavyweight champion of England from 1821 until his retirement in 1824. After his retirement he became landlord of the Castle Inn at Holborn in London, where he arranged the patronage and contracts of many of the major boxing events of the period while overseeing fair play in the ring.
context_section_description: On his retirement he purchased the Castle Inn at Holborn (previously owned by the pugilist Bob Gregson), which under his management became the unofficial headquarters of English boxing; fights were arranged and contacts signed under his supervision.  English boxing at that time has been described as full of "gambling-related corruption" when "disqualification and open cheating were common". On 25 September 1828 an organization known as the Fair Play Club was formed to try and clean up boxing's image, "to ensure fair play to the combatants" and "to preserve peace and order in the outer ring"; this was in addition to the London Prize Ring rules, which had been devised by Jack Broughton almost a century earlier.  Spring was elected as the club's first treasurer, and was also authorised to employ officials to enforce the new rules and prevent invasions of the ring by supporters.
  Spring, however, was not immune from criticism himself. Vast amounts of money were bet on the outcome of fights and inside knowledge could make the holder enormous sums.  Spring twice arranged fights for, and personally seconded, the Irish heavyweight champion Simon Byrne.  In 1831 he put Byrne in the ring against the heavyweight champion Jem Ward, knowing that Byrne was unfit and out of condition; Ward was known to be corrupt, having once thrown a fight for £100.  Spring finally pulled Byrne out of the fight in the 33rd round, allowing Ward to retire and retain his title.  The boxing commentator Gilbert Odd described this fight as a "disgraceful affair".
  On the second occasion he seconded for Byrne, in 1833, Byrne was fighting James Burke for the heavyweight title. This was the longest fight in boxing history until the famous bout between Andy Bowen and Jack Burke in 1893, which went 111 rounds. It was brutal and bloody, but vast sums were riding on the fight.  In the 99th round Spring had to carry the barely conscious Byrne to the mark to fight.  Byrne was quickly knocked unconscious and died three days later.  The death finally led to a reform in the rules governing English boxing.
  In retirement Spring became very wealthy.  He is known to have married and had two children.  He split from his wife, and, in spite of the wealth Spring later acquired, she died destitute in the Holborn workhouse. But Spring remained well respected for his kindness and good manners outside of the boxing ring.  His reputation was in itself an achievement for a fight promoter of this era.
  After his death on 20 August 1851 his funeral was well attended, with many neighbours from The Castle, Holborn, walking with his coffin to West Norwood Cemetery. Spring was buried under his real name of Thomas Winter.
  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a short story, "The Lord of Falconbridge", with Spring as the protagonist.
caption: A boxing match in the early 19th century. Often held in warehouses, courtyards of Inns, or open fields away from the eyes of local authorities.
exif: {}