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Messages - billyboy1

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Sussex / Re: Looking for info on Thomas Sayers - Boxer
« on: Saturday 13 February 10 21:31 GMT (UK)  »
Iain, having now had the chance to dip into your book, from what I have read so far I can agree that it is a more reliable account than the previous works and the quotation of sources is a great benefit for those that want to research further.  An excellent job, well done and thanks.  I will contact you off line as I have a copy of an old photograph that you might find interesting.

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Sussex / Re: Looking for info on Thomas Sayers - Boxer
« on: Monday 08 February 10 22:13 GMT (UK)  »
Just for the record, books that I have consulted over the years that might be of interest to those following this thread are: - The Great Prize Fight by Alan Lloyd (1977).  My copy is now rather worn and was the first lead that got me searching.  This introduces Sarah Powell ("two years older than himself") as the woman 'parted from her husband' that Tom took up with  and had his first 2 children with.  Back then, without the instant access to census etc from the comfort of our own homes, I suppose we should forgive him if he got it a bit wrong.  Next is Tom Sayers: The Last Great Bare-knuckle Champion by Alan E. Wright - 1994.  This refers to Sarah Henderson and has a lot more detail regarding Toms private life, associates and relatives.  I have since reading this thread been onto Amazon and ordered The Lion & The Eagle by Iain as mentioned above and look forward to it's arrival!  I also have a scan of the magazine 'Famous Fights' Police Budget Edition that was published in either the late 1890s or early 1900's and that has 12 pages on Toms life and dips into his relationships, although as expected of the time, in a quite coy and cryptic way.  You have to try to 'read between the lines' although this has to be classed as gossip rather than fact I suppose.  Anyway, I can now claim with some certainty that my Gx3 Grandfather was Peter Sayers who had something to do with Tom Sayers, maybe, but we are not quite sure what.

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Sussex / Re: Looking for info on Thomas Sayers - Boxer
« on: Friday 05 February 10 21:34 GMT (UK)  »
Hi again, sorry if I am being a bit thick here, but i have only just twigged!  Would Francis be Uncle Frank from Archway?

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Sussex / Re: Looking for info on Thomas Sayers - Boxer
« on: Friday 05 February 10 21:26 GMT (UK)  »
Hi, Albert Henry Oxley who lived in St Albans was my Great Grandfather.  He died when I was about 16, so I can remember visiting him and have phots etc.  Is there a way you can contact me of line?

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Sussex / Re: Looking for info on Thomas Sayers - Boxer
« on: Thursday 04 February 10 22:49 GMT (UK)  »
Just stumbled across this and find it fascinating and maybe it has broken one of my brick walls.  We have always been told we are descended from Tom and used to visit the grave in Highgate back in the 1970s before the place was cleared.  On reading the 2 books on his life I have been confused by the quoting of Sarah Henderson and Sarah Powell as his wife.  There were 2 Sarahs?  I couldn't work out how my Great Grandmother could have been a grandaugher of Tom if Tom junior went to Australia and died childless?  And his daughter Sarah's children wouldn't have had Sayers as their surname.  My Grandmothers marriage certificate gives her name as Ada Phoebe Powell Sayers.  Her Fathers name is Peter Sayers.  Is this Peter an illigitemate son of Tom?  We know that some of the family had some of Toms shirts (very broad shouldered) and photographs of him performing in a circus.  It all seems to fit.  Certainly has given me a new line of enquiry.  This has been a a niggle for years!!!!!!!!!!

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