[bear]

Prince Benjamin Boswell "The Gypsy Prince" HW boxer 4 England
1733-1748
weight 154 lbs
Various sources have him as either the son of the king of English gypsys or the nephew of the ruler of the Yorkshire clan. Some also feel that he used boxing as a front for his occupation as highwayman. Was a noted regular performer at the Geat Booth at Tottenham Court. Worked as both a brickmaker and a chairman, occupations requiring strength. Godfrey speaks of his noted hard left to the jaw and Boswell himself was known to boast of having frequently broken men's jaws. Godfrey's criticism of Boswell is that he lacked "true English Bottom". Wheter this was true or a reflection of anti-Romany prejudice can be mooted. Although he is known to have frequently appeared on the stage at the Great Booth only one fight result has been commonly attributed to him, a losing effort vs. George Taylor. Tony Gee, in "Up To Scratch p. 18-21 offers a lot more possible bouts, based largely on bills and advertisments of the time, and a gleaning of period newspapers. It was, Gee asserts, common for boxers of this era to have frequent fights with the same adversary and Gee begins with Taylor and then adds more possible opponents. We get a picture of the Gypsey Prince's ring activity that looks
like this:
1737-11 billed vs. Hammersmith Jack (John Read)
1737-12-06 billed vs. George Taylor
1738-Winter billed vs. Coachman William Slann (an undefeated pugilist)
1738-Winter billed vs. Lighterman Joseph Parsons
1939-06 billed vs. Irish Champion Patrick Henley (Undefeated at this time, and a very avtive pugilist)
1739-10-16 W 16 minutes George Taylor at Tottenham Court with 100 pound stakes (ticket cost 3 shillings)(unexpected defeat of Taylor)
1739-late in year: a long and doubtful affair beween Boswell & Taylor is alluded to
1740-01-11 billed vs. George Taylor
1940-late in year billed vs. "Terrible Tom Boy", Richard Foster
1940-late in year billed vs. The Terrible Welchman, James Francis
1741-03 billed vs. George Taylor
1741-03-31 billed vs. Chairman Peter Brookes
1741-06-16 L George Taylor (Boswell's often chronicled fight)
1741- billed vs. Waterman James Taylor (a veteran pug)
1741- billed vs. Somerset John Cooper (victor over Hammersmith Jack, John Whitacre, and Thomas Allen aka Pipes, the contender)
1842-07-27 billed vs. Coachman William Flanderkin
1842-08 challenged by Suffolk Robert Smith (undefeated at time)
1743-03 billed vs. George Taylor
1743-11-15 L James Field, The Sailor (underdog Field earnd a bout 3 weeks later with Taylor because of this bout)
1745-11 billed vs. The Life Guardsman Thomas Hawksley (238 lbs)
1746-08 billed vs. Jack James (LW who used art and agility over weight and force)
1748-12 billed vs. Jack Slack (a loss to Slack is said to have occued prior to 1750-01-01 and this is possibly it