Find Ancestors

Isaac was the Heavyweight Boxing Champion of England and came from the Banbury area in Oxford. I am a direct descendant but cannot establish a link between him and my great-grandfather, Frederick Arthur Perrin (b.1880), from the same area. I know the surname has changed slightly but that was quite a common occurance in those days.
I know its a bit of a challenge but any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Leigh.

Hi Leigh,

I'm also on that mission. I've still not linked him in, have you? I've got his parents as Edward Perrins and Sarah White, and I think they had a child also called Isaac. Was it your great grandfather that told you that you are directly descended? He told my mother that story, but we have no direct evidence, just word of mouth.

Luke.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Perrins

States father also called Isaac.

Luke, the chances of Leigh seeing this message after nearly 3 years is slight.

If you want help, put all you've got so far on this thread, and the helpers on here will see what they can do.

Ozi

Tom Johnson became a highly regarded champion who refused to participate in fixed fights, endearing himself to a public who was growing tired of this increasingly commonplace practice. In 1789, the smallish Johnson fought the much larger Isaac Perrins for 62 grueling rounds in Banbury, England. Johnson would come out on top, spawning David vs. Goliath comparisons in the press and inspiring several artists’ prints and a pair of commemorative bronze medals which were offered to the public as souvenirs.

On Nov. 22nd 1789 Tom Johnson, the most scientific Boxer in England and the reigning Heavyweight Champion, took on Isaac Perrins. Perrins was known as a Giant for his day and was a very powerful fighter who also possessed very good scientific skills. He entered this fight with a lethal reputation as a quick finisher who seemed invincible in routinely whipping his opponents in under 5 minutes. The betting would open with Perrins the 2-1 favorite. What would follow is an exercise which would replay itself over and over again throughout boxing history when the superior scientific boxer enters the ring with the supposedly invincible slugger.

"Isaac Perrins, of Birmingham, one of the strongest men in the kingdom, and who had lifted into a waggon upwards of eight hundred weight of iron without difficulty. Few men ever stood up to him more then five minutes....."

"Perrins was six feet two inches high without his shoes, and weighed close upon seventeen stone, which was three heavier than Johnson."

"The battle took place at Banbury, in Oxfordshire, upon a turf-stage, twenty-four feet square, railed in, and raised about five feet from the ground."

"On stripping, Perrins looked in comparision, like a Hercules, and Johnson, who, in other fights, appeared as a big man, by the side of Perrins now looked as a boy...."

Perrins then made a blow, which, in all probability, had he not have missed his aim, must have decided the contest, and Johnson been killed, from its dreadful force; but Tom was awake to the intent, and eluded it, and in return put in a hit, which could be of no trifling nature, to knock a man down of seventeen stone!"

".....and directly made a spring at Perrins, and put in a lunge over the left-eye, that closed it up in a twinkling...."

"Perrins, like a brilliant of the first water, appeared not the least dull or dismayed by this loss, but rallied in fine style, and went into Johnson and closed his right-eye in return."

"....an gave Perrins a desperate blow upon the nose, which slit it down so completely, as to have the appearence of being done with a knife.-Odds Ten to one upon Tom."

"The manly fortitude of Perrins astonished all present.."

"Johnson had it nearly his own way, hit where he liked, and put in several tremendous facers, that Perrins's head had scarcely the traces left of a human being! still his courage never forsook him, and had not his friends interfered and prevented Isaac from fighting any longer, it was the general opinion that Perrins would have continued the contest till he had died!"

"Sixty-two such rounds of fighting for an hour and a quarter, were scarcely, if ever, before witnessed in the annals of pugilism."

Tom Johnson (bareknuckle boxer) - Wikipedia, the free ...
Tom Johnson was born in Derby, England in about 1750, although at least one early historian of ... Tom Johnson fighting Isaac Perrins at Banbury in 1789 ... writing in 1909, listed Johnson as the fourteenth World Heavyweight Champion. ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Johnson_(bareknuckle_boxer) - 137k - Similar

' "Isaac Perrins, of Birmingham, one of the strongest men in the kingdom, ..' That's interesting, AGG. Perrins may not be from Oxfordshire at all, just fought that famous fight at Banbury.

Ozi

I missed that!!!!

1881 - a likely descendant then

John PERRIN Head M Male 46 Aston General Dealer
Ann PERRIN Wife M Female 40 General Dealer
John PERRIN Son U Male 18 Aston, Warwick, England Bricklayer
George PERRIN Son Male 13 Birmghm Printer (Apprentice)
Elizabeth PERRIN Daur Female 11 Birmghm Scholar
Abraham PERRIN Son Male 9 Birmghm Scholar
Isaac PERRIN Son Male 1 Birmghm -


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source Information:
Dwelling 47 Fox St
Census Place Birmingham, Warwick, England
Family History Library Film 1341714
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 2987 / 84
Page Number 55

HI Leigh.From Bob Mee's book Bare Fist's.Isaac Perrin's was from Birmingham and worked for a Smethwick firm Boulton and Watt's as an engine fitter, plus preached the gospel at a chapel in Handsworth,but later took over a pub in Manchester he died of fever in 1800 shortly after he rescued some people from a burning house.Regard's Bones

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the replies. I know all about Isaac's fight, and the fact that he went to Manchester and died after fighting a fire. I have also seen the article on Wikipedia, but I am quite sure his information is wrong.

This web address:

http://blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/GB145_DSCAM_2_1_22_1/

shows his father as Edward and Mother as Sarah.

I have him as having a son, Isaac who was christened 10 March 1782 in Bedworth, Warwick, but I have found no other children. My feeling is that there are other children.

I have a John Perrin (1788 - 1868), who married Anne Butler(1785-1867) with a father called William Perrin (no dates) and mother Elizabeth Nicholls (no dates). At the moment I can't attach Isaac to these people, although I know Isaac had a brother called William. I have nothing to prove that the William I have is Isaac's brother.

Any help would be great. Thanks everyone.

The conveyance/will is interesting, Luke. It looks like he came from the Tipton area. So presumably this refers to Isaac, the boxer, and you're hoping the brother, William, is your ancestor.

Ozi

Isaac Perrins
England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975

birth: 25 Mar 1812
residence: 1812 —Tipton, Stafford, England
parents: Isaac Perrins, Jane

record title: England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
name: Isaac Perrins
gender: Male
baptism/christening date: 26 Apr 1812
baptism/christening place: Tipton, Stafford, England
birth date: 25 Mar 1812
father's name: Isaac Perrins
mother's name: Jane
indexing project (batch) number: C39464-2
system origin: England-EASy
source film number: 1526134

??

1881

Isaac PERRINS Head M Male 40 Wednesbury, Stafford, England Pattern Maker
Ellen PERRINS Wife M Female 40 Tipton, Stafford, England
Benj. PERRINS Father W Male 62 Brockmoor, Worcester, England Pattern Maker (Art...)
Florance PERRINS Daur U Female 18 Tipton, Stafford, England Domestic Servant
Benj. PERRINS Son U Male 15 Tipton, Stafford, England Iron Moulder
Eliza PERRINS Daur U Female 13 Tipton, Stafford, England Domestic Servant
Rhoda PERRINS Daur U Female 11 Tipton, Stafford, England Scholar
Clara PERRINS Daur U Female 8 Tipton, Stafford, England Scholar
Walter PERRINS Son U Male 6 Tipton, Stafford, England Scholar
Alice PERRINS Daur U Female 5 Tipton, Stafford, England Scholar
Louisa PERRINS Daur U Female 3 Tipton, Stafford, England
Henry PERRINS Son U Male 4 m Tipton, Stafford, England


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source Information:
Dwelling 17 Watery Lane
Census Place Tipton, Stafford, England
Family History Library Film 1341686
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 2864 / 30
Page Number 6

' I have him as having a son, Isaac who was christened 10 March 1782 in Bedworth, Warwick, but I have found no other children. My feeling is that there are other children. ' Are you referring to Isaac, the boxer, having a son? That would mean he lived at Bedworth too. But you can't get your line back to Bedworth?

record title: England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
name: Isaac Perrins
gender: Male
baptism/christening date: 10 Mar 1782
baptism/christening place: BEDWORTH,WARWICK,ENGLAND
father's name: Isaac Perrins
mother's name: Mary



Where did you get your John Perrin's mother's maiden name from, Nicholls?



Also do you think this is Isaac, the boxer's, brother?
record title: England, Warwickshire Parish Registers, 1538-1900
name: William Perrins
event: Marriage
event date: 10 Nov 1780
event place: Bedworth, Warwickshire, England
gender: Male
marital status: Widowed
spouse: Catherine Thomas
spouse's marital status: Widowed

William Perrins
England Marriages, 1538–1973

marriage: 27 Feb 1804 —Bedworth, Warwick, England
spouse: Sarah Woodhouse

record title: England Marriages, 1538–1973
groom's name: William Perrins
bride's name: Sarah Woodhouse
marriage date: 27 Feb 1804
marriage place: Bedworth,Warwick,England
indexing project (batch) number: M03984-1
system origin: England-ODM
source film number:

William Perrins
England, Warwickshire Parish Registers, 1538-1900

residence: 10 Nov 1780 —Of This Parish
marriage: 10 Nov 1780 —Bedworth, Warwickshire, England
spouse: Catherine Thomas

record title: England, Warwickshire Parish Registers, 1538-1900
name: William Perrins
event: Marriage
event date: 10 Nov 1780
event place: Bedworth, Warwickshire, England
gender: Male
marital status: Widowed
spouse: Catherine Thomas
spouse's marital status: Widowed
digital folder number: 4290980

William Perrin
England, Warwickshire Parish Registers, 1538-1900

residence: 07 Jun 1778 —Of This Parish
marriage: 07 Jun 1778 —Bedworth, Warwickshire, England
spouse: Elizth Green

record title: England, Warwickshire Parish Registers, 1538-1900
name: William Perrin
event: Marriage
event date: 07 Jun 1778
event place: Bedworth, Warwickshire, England
gender: Male
spouse: Elizth Green
digital folder number: 4290980

Hmmm confused now. Too many William's and Isaac's!