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Blandford’s Brutal Pastime

Until it was banned outright under the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1835, the blood sport of cockerel fighting was a popular pastime in Blandford. Large bets were regularly placed on the results and the fighting cocks were specially bred for their aggression. Training was notoriously cruel and well-off owners even employed cockerel trainers. At considerable expense, the pastime was regarded as a ‘predominant amusement’ at the time by the local gentry. At these events, much alcohol was consumed.

The enclosed dirt area where the roosters fought became known as a cock pit. This led to the expression ‘to be pitied against.’ Sometimes, the cockerels were required to wear razor-sharp mettle spurs when fighting. Victory was awarded to the cockerel that either killed its opponent or rendered it so injured it could not continue. Some spectators, in the interests of comfort, brought their own light-weight chairs which became known as cock fighting chairs.

According to the Salisbury & Wiltshire Journal of 22nd June 1752, a match was advertised to  take place at the Crown Hotel, Blandford between two teams with 41 cockerels in each team. One team would represent the gentlemen of Dorset & Wiltshire and the other the gentlemen of Somerset. Prize money was four guineas for each battle winner and forty guineas for the overall match victor. The contest took place at the same time as the Blandford Races which were held where Blandford Camp can be found today. There, other attractions included wrestling, badger baiting and cudgel playing - where contestants hit each other over the head with thick, heavy sticks. Another barbarous pastime was squailling where a cockerel was tied to a stake and weighted sticks were thrown at it from a distance until the cockerel was killed. It was said this practice was an expression of anti-French feeling with the cockerel being the emblem of France.

At least two other Blandford inns hosted cock fighting. They were the Cock & George in West Street and the White Bear in East Street. After the pastime was banned, the former changed its name to the Crown & Anchor. The White Bear was described in 1782 as a ‘most miserable ale house’ and changed its name to the Star in 1842.

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