the neighbourhood of Royston
was the scene of many prize-fights. That between Ward and Crawley for
the championship took place when I was a youngster. Early in the
morning our High Street was so full of people that you could walk on
their heads. My father would not allow me to go on the Heath to
witness the prize-fight; so I went to the top of our garden, where I
could hear the roar of voices and fancied I could hear the blows!"

This famous "milling" came off on the Heath at the lower end of the
cricket ground somewhere near the spot selected for the Jubilee tea in
1887. Cambridge and neighbouring towns sent their thousands of
visitors, coaches were loaded and over-loaded, while the villages were
nearly emptied.

The greatest precaution appears to have been taken to secure a spot
where no interruption would be likely to take place, and with this end
in view two places were appointed, one on Royston Heath, and the other
at Heydon Grange, the seat of the boxing baronet, Sir Peter Soame. But
whichever spot was to be fixed upon, Royston was the rendezvous. Jem
Ward, the champion, made his head-quarters at the Red Lion, and Crawley
and his friends stopped at "a road house about two miles from Royston."
The extraordinary ferment of interest and anxiety in Royston as to
where the event was actually to come off was kept up till even the
morning of the day! To increase the uncertainty, the parties actually
got two rings, and one of them was put up at the famous fighting
rendezvous near Heydon Grange, as a ruse; but there was little need of
such a precaution. The rumour of the erection of the ring near Heydon
Grange got wind, and away went an excited avalanche of human beings,
helter-skelter, over fields and hedges that winter's morning, for
Heydon Grange, only to find themselves disappointed, and under the
necessity of running back as fast as tired legs and panting lungs would
carry them! In at least one case a Royston spectator lost his life by
the excessive exertion and over-heating!

Upon the site of the battle, at the lower end of the cricket ground,
about ten to fifteen thousand persons were assembled, including all
classes of society from post-boy to nobleman.

The fight came off about mid-day amidst the utmost excitement and
enthusiasm. In an age when fighting was reckoned among the "fine
arts," Ward was allowed to be "the finest fighter in England." The
{138} rapidity of his movements "gave amazing advan