The Remarkable Life of Tom Molineaux: A True Rags to Riches Story

By Alex Smith, Third Year History

The Bristorian begins its Black History Month initiative by delving into the fascinating story of Tom Molineaux, a former slave turned bare-knuckle boxer. Having fought his way to freedom, this piece explores his heroic journey to the final of the English Championship, along with all the bloodshed and scandal that came with it.

Tom Molineaux, a former slave turned bare-knuckle boxer, defies our preconceptions of early 19th century Britain whilst also cementing others. We have precious few records of this extraordinary man’s life, and still less from his younger years. Yet the works of esteemed journalists of Molineaux’s time such as Pierce Egan, and sports historians such as Thormanby, tell an awe-inspiring story. 

Molineaux was born into slavery in the state of Virginia in 1784. Thormanby recounted in 1900 that Molineaux was granted his freedom for winning a bout on which his master had staked $100,000; a sum he could not afford to lose. He travelled around America’s East Coast prize fighting, and by 1809 had made his way to England, hoping to reap the rewards of England’s Golden Age of bare-knuckle boxing.

Reportedly referring to himself as the ‘Champion of America’, Molineaux befriended the retired Bill Richmond, another ex-slave turned boxer. Seeing potential in Molineaux, Richmond would go on to train and manage the younger man’s career. 

Before exploring the short and turbulent career of Molineaux, which sheds great light on attitudes towards emancipation and equality in late Georgian society, a few words must be said about the brutal sport in question. 

By the 19th century, bare-knuckle boxing had become established as one of England’s most popular sports, and the champion of England was widely regarded as the champion of the world. Boxers fought with no gloves or wraps for their hands. Rounds would be fought until a fighter was knocked down, at which point he had thirty seconds to make his (likely very unsteady) way to the mark. 

There was neither a time nor round limit to a fight; they would continue to inflict crippling punishment on one another until a man quit or failed to rise to his feet in time. Bouts could be long, bloody, and sometimes deadly. 

Despite being officially illegal, boxing competitions held in remote locations attracted crowds of tens of thousands and large sums of gambling money. Its popularity, and wealthy patrons, encouraged the authorities to turn a blind eye. 

Included in these crowds were figures from all social standings, from peasants to royalty. Indeed, Pierce Egan wrote fondly of the egalitarian nature of the audience: “A union of all ranks, from the brilliant of the highest class in the circle of Corinthians, down to the Dusty Bob gradation on society, and even a shade or two below that.” 

It was in this brutal but supposedly egalitarian context that our hero’s odyssey took place, and the once enslaved Molineaux, who stood at 5 foot 8 inches tall and weighed 90kg, fought his way to fame and glory. 

Molineaux defeated his first two opponents with ease. First, he took on Bristolian Jack Burrows in a brutal affair lasting 65 minutes. The Fancy (1828) reported that “the sable hero punished his opponent so severely that it was impossible to distinguish a single feature on his face.” Following this, Molineaux disposed of Tom Blake, the principal challenger to Tom Cribb’s title of champion of England, in just eight rounds. 

Tom Molineaux was now poised to fight for the boxing championship of England. With mental and physical fortitude, and luck on his side thus far, Molineaux had emancipated himself from slavery and instigated himself as a respected competitor within pugilistic society.  

Despite this heroic journey so far, it must be continued with one fact in mind: British society was, in large parts, unapologetically racist. Most Britons had had little or no exposure to non-whites, and consequently racist attitudes tended to prevail in the public sphere. The spectacle of bare-knuckle boxing may have, I reiterate, brought together people from all classes. Yet, a black man becoming the champion remained a worrisome prospect for many. 

The Chester Chronicle reported prior to the fight that “many of the noble patronisers of this accomplished art, begin to be alarmed, lest, to the eternal dishonour of our country, a negro should become the Champion of England!”

The two fighters, one, a Virginian freedman and the other, a Bristolian labourer, met at Shenington Hollow, Oxfordshire, in December 1810. It was assumed that Cribb would make light work of his opponent. Nevertheless, the event drew out “an immense concourse of spectators,” which included many aristocrats and “fancy lads”. 

The bout was a magnificent affair and became one of the most historic sporting events of the 19th century. Lasting far longer than expected, Molineaux’s physical talents, combined with the boxing tutelage of Bill Richmond, made for a close and bloody affair. For 18 rounds each man absorbed one another’s blows and returned them like-for-like. Both fighters were knocked down several times as the mob cheered on.

During the fight, Molineaux defied many people’s prejudices. In a tribute by Blackwood’s Magazine in 1820, they recounted: “We never felt so grateful to Mr Clarkson and Mr Wilberforce, for their humane exertions to procure the abolition of the slave trade, as when we first saw Molineaux knock down Crib. At once all distinction of colour was lost. We saw before us two human beings – and our hearts beat for the cause of liberty all over the world.” 

This moment of solidarity was not shared by all. In the 19th round, with Cribb flagging and the pair clinching one another, the crowd stormed the ring. By the time the commotion had been resolved, Molineaux appeared to have injured or even broken his hand in the ruckus. By the 35th round, disfigured and exhausted, Molineaux called out that he “could fight no more.” 

It can be disputed whether it was the colour of his skin, him being from America, or both, that spurred on the crowd. We do know that Egan, who witnessed the fight that day, wrote: “It will also not be forgotten, if justice holds the scales, that his colour alone prevented him from becoming the hero of that fight.” 

Even in defeat, however, Molineaux had achieved something of a victory during this course of events. He had fought his way from the status of legal property in pre-civil war America, to an established sporting icon. 

Two days after the fierce battle with Tom Cribb, Richmond took Molineaux to the London Stock Exchange. He was awarded a standing ovation and gifted 45 guineas. Thormanby speculated that this was possibly because “they felt rather ashamed of their countrymen for not showing more of the spirit of English fair-play towards the Black.” That Molineaux inspired this sort of appreciation in a country rife with prejudice, is telling of his valour.  

The pair would rematch the following year in September at Thistleton Gap, Rutland, in front of 15,000 spectators. But it was clear by this point that Molineaux no longer had the fire in his belly that had carried him from enslavement to admiration in a foreign land. He had spent the best part of a year drinking heavily and fornicating with women, much to his trainer Richmond’s dismay. 

With his famed strength, skill, and fitness all having diminished, Molineaux seemed a shadow of his former self. During the bout, numerous shots to the body slowed him down, and a punch to the head in the 9thround broke his jaw. The challenger was subsequently knocked out cold in the 11th round of a fight lasting 19 minutes and 10 seconds. 

From that point, Molineaux’s life seemed to spiral into descent as rapidly as it had risen. He parted ways with his trainer and mentor Bill Richmond, continued to drink heavily, and fought sporadically with mixed results. After a short period in debtors’ prison, Molineaux travelled to Ireland, where he continued to box, increasingly dependent on alcohol. He looked as if he were “a walking skeleton” in his final days, dying there in 1818 of liver failure. 

The story of Tom Molineaux’s life – full of gruesome battles, luck, and scandal – is a riveting tale. A short summary cannot possibly do it justice. Over 200 years ago, Molineaux stood defiantly against the prejudices of his age. He inspired his contemporaries to pursue greatness in the face of adversity, defied their expectations, and in doing so, became one of Britain’s first black heroes.