Post by Tina I on May 10, 2015 9:13:16 GMT -5
I an trying to find out some information about a boxer turned wrestler named S C Townshend who was also known as Little Hack .While originally South African he came to England in 1905 and supposedly won 72 feather weight fights in England and also took part in over 250 wrestling matches before going to American and Canada and eventually settling in Australia where he became a well known wrestler . .Following is the text of a newspaper article from November 1933 from an Australian newspaper
Born In South Africa, Little Hack
gained his early fame in England,
when, in 1905, when quite a youth,
he won the quest for the best de
veloped man in England, promoted
by the 'Dally Express.' Then an
enterprising impresario booked him
for a tour of England and the Con
tinent.
In 1910, weighing only 9 St., he
won the West of England weight
lifting championship, and in 1912
won outright the gymnastic shield
of England, following It up by an
nexing the valuable South African
gold trophy presented by Capt Rob
erts to the winner of the 9 st. tour
nament, open, to all British boxers,
held at Bristol. Then followed a
third prize in the weight-lifting
championship of England.
As a featherweight boxer he won
72 fights in England, holding deci
sions over Alf Avent, English cham
aion; Alb. Jennings, ex-amateur
champion; Billy Handly, Tuffy
Evans, navy champ; Ron Scott.
Royal Navy Reserve champion, and
won the championship of the 48th
Army Division. Between while?
this versatile athlete wrestled suc
cessfully in over 250 matches, and
he beat Harry Rowlands for the
West of England championship;
beat Harry Hustler in a 'one-hour'
match; drew with Jim Colder, the
famous Olympic wrestling trainer;
wrestled a draw with Joe Porter,
bantam champion of the world, at
Bristol, and a loss at Gloucester.
He went to America and Canada,
where he wrestled and boxed with
great success.
Back again to England, he mixed
It with such well-known mat per
formers as Tom Rose, Bill Buss,
Peter Gotz, defeated Kid Batten,
dam, and again toured the country,
tackling 'all-comers.'
When Little Hack first arrived In
Australia he was attached to Wlth
row's gym., acting as wrestling in
structor. A tour of Australia fol
lowed, and In 30 matches he has
never suffered defeat. Amongst his
victims were Tom Cornich, Alex
Aleys, Sailor Winbrldge, and Jack
Sorenson, West Australian cham
pion, by two falls. In Queensland
he beat Norman Norman, Jack
Hozelbrook, 'Archer' Bell, and In
New South Wales his victims in
cluded Bob Bailey, Harry Santos
(twice), 'Grapevine' Mitchell, Bill
Young, Jack Burns, Roy Griffiths
and many others .
If anyone knows anything about him I would be most interested to hear as I cant find out anything about him in Australian on -line newspaper archives after 1941 -thanks.
Born In South Africa, Little Hack
gained his early fame in England,
when, in 1905, when quite a youth,
he won the quest for the best de
veloped man in England, promoted
by the 'Dally Express.' Then an
enterprising impresario booked him
for a tour of England and the Con
tinent.
In 1910, weighing only 9 St., he
won the West of England weight
lifting championship, and in 1912
won outright the gymnastic shield
of England, following It up by an
nexing the valuable South African
gold trophy presented by Capt Rob
erts to the winner of the 9 st. tour
nament, open, to all British boxers,
held at Bristol. Then followed a
third prize in the weight-lifting
championship of England.
As a featherweight boxer he won
72 fights in England, holding deci
sions over Alf Avent, English cham
aion; Alb. Jennings, ex-amateur
champion; Billy Handly, Tuffy
Evans, navy champ; Ron Scott.
Royal Navy Reserve champion, and
won the championship of the 48th
Army Division. Between while?
this versatile athlete wrestled suc
cessfully in over 250 matches, and
he beat Harry Rowlands for the
West of England championship;
beat Harry Hustler in a 'one-hour'
match; drew with Jim Colder, the
famous Olympic wrestling trainer;
wrestled a draw with Joe Porter,
bantam champion of the world, at
Bristol, and a loss at Gloucester.
He went to America and Canada,
where he wrestled and boxed with
great success.
Back again to England, he mixed
It with such well-known mat per
formers as Tom Rose, Bill Buss,
Peter Gotz, defeated Kid Batten,
dam, and again toured the country,
tackling 'all-comers.'
When Little Hack first arrived In
Australia he was attached to Wlth
row's gym., acting as wrestling in
structor. A tour of Australia fol
lowed, and In 30 matches he has
never suffered defeat. Amongst his
victims were Tom Cornich, Alex
Aleys, Sailor Winbrldge, and Jack
Sorenson, West Australian cham
pion, by two falls. In Queensland
he beat Norman Norman, Jack
Hozelbrook, 'Archer' Bell, and In
New South Wales his victims in
cluded Bob Bailey, Harry Santos
(twice), 'Grapevine' Mitchell, Bill
Young, Jack Burns, Roy Griffiths
and many others .
If anyone knows anything about him I would be most interested to hear as I cant find out anything about him in Australian on -line newspaper archives after 1941 -thanks.