Hi everyone,
This little tale is so interesting that I’m going to share it in one or two places besides this, so don’t be surprised if you find it re-posted somewhere else. I just came across a fascinating tale of a prize-fight with a wandering stage gladiator in a book called “Tales of My Grandmother” by Archibald Crawfurd, (Edinburgh, 1825) which is a collection of short fiction based on Scottish folk-tales known to the author:
“As Davie, at this period, was one day proceeding to his labour, he observed the town-crier making a proclamation, that on that afternoon a fencing-master would display, on a public stage, his method of attack and defence, and all lovers of that noble art were invited to come and witness the science which was to be displayed; and that he would with broad sword or rapier, for five gold nobles, try an exchange of hits with any native of this realm. Davie felt himself not a little interested, and at the hour appointed he mingled with the crowd, merely with the intention of being a spectator at this trial of skill.
Davie was aware, at such a scene as this, that both courtier and plebeian would be present; he therefore thought, that his humble grinding attire which he wore at his labour would best suit the occasion, for fear of again coming in contact with the Laird of Brodie’s butler.
The hour at last arrived, and Lieutenant Lugar made his appearance. After haranguing the mob which surrounded the stage for a considerable time, and again repeating the challenge, no one appeared to contend for the five gold nobles.
At this period, John of Middleburgh vaulted on the stage; Lugar then informed them, this gentleman was a Knight of Malta, a friend of his own, and that they would make play, to give time for some gallant to come forward willing to contend for the prize.
Lugar and John of Middleburgh now set to with rapiers, displaying some little activity, after the manner of these Bear Garden heroes, giving and taking of few hits; and they received abundance of applause. After which, Lugar again harangued them, ordering the town-crier to make proclamation again, saying "That the prize purse was the gift of that noble gallant who had just left the stage; therefore, it was only risking a little blood, or perhaps a limb, for five gold nobles; and hoped, for the honour of the gay gallants of this city, that some one would come forward to contend for the palm of victory. '
No one appearing to enter the lists with the fencing-master, he now made a few flourishes and hits at a post which rose from one angle of the stage, on which hung the purse which contained the gold. He was about to take it down, when a voice from among the crowd shouted "Hooly, my friend, you and I maun hae twa words anent that first. You see, lathies, I wad be laith to reap your hearst field, sae dinna blame me; for if there's ony o ye wad like to try your hand, I'll surely make way for you."
"Well said, Aberdeen !" shouted the mob, who had now found a hero to contend with the fencing-master in our old acquaintance Davie Garrie. When Davie was lifted upon the stage, the whole mob burst into loud laughter at poor Davie's squalid figure, for poverty and hard labour had made its impression upon his form.
"Some o' you, lathies, maun len' me a Ferrara, for mere chance brought me here. I could never dreamt o' getting in my hand, whan sae monie brave gallants war at hand."
"Bravely spoke," shouted the crowd, when a dozen of swords were handed up for Davie to make choice, when, after trying one or two, and shaking the blade, he returned the others to the owners. Davie now threw himself into an attitude, saying, " Come away, an' let us see wha the gold belongs to."
The fencing-master by this time began to discover his old friend, who had disarmed him in the shop of Earwind; he, therefore, began to demur about the degree of genteelity of Davie's family; but this was overruled by the mob, as the challenge was a general one.
"An wha kens," was exclaimed by the mob, "but the sword-slipper may be as guid a man as the sword-wearer." Lugar, therefore, had no method of retreat left with any degree of honour. The combatants therefore set to, the fencing-master discovering no little caution in all his movements. Davie Garrie was a much more expert swordsman; and there is one movement in the broad-sword exercise gives it a superiority over all others, which is the movement of the advanced leg, which had been neglected in Lugar's Backsword and Bear Garden education. Had Davie been inclined, he could have made minced meat of the fencing- master. He, however, had only applied the broadside of his blade, which brought the applause of the crowd with loud shouts, which so provoked the master of defence, that in his rage he became furious.
Davie now thought he had humbled this vain boaster enough; and again applying his old favourite trick, he made Lugar's sword twirl into the air, as if it had been shot out of an air-bolt.
" Bravely done," shouted the mob. "Well done, Aberdeen !" shouted another;" he maun put on his gloves when he claws wi the cat;" with a thousand other attempts at plebeian wit, while Davie took his five nobles from the post ; and it was with no little difficulty that he could shake off his numerous new made friends, which his success and cool bravery had created him.”
What is really interesting about this tale to my mind is this one line: “there is one movement in the broad-sword exercise gives it a superiority over all others, which is the movement of the advanced leg, which had been neglected in Lugar's Backsword and Bear Garden education.”
The “movement of the advanced leg” would seem to refer to the tactic of slipping or shifting the lead leg, a defining characteristic of the later Regimental Highland Broadsword systems such as that of Henry Angelo (although not unknown in other systems of course).
Normally, no distinction is drawn between the backsword and the broadsword in terms of method, but this anecdote does draw such a distinction. The “Bear Garden” was where the London backsword masters fought their prizes, and the story specifically says that this tactic of slipping the lead leg was “neglected in Lugar's Backsword and Bear Garden education.”
The tale also describes this tactic as the “one movement in the broad-sword exercise (that) gives it a superiority over all others”. The hero of this tale seems to be an Aberdeen man, based on the reaction of the mob to his victory ("Bravely done," shouted the mob. "Well done, Aberdeen !" shouted another), but I haven’t had a chance to read the whole book so I’m not sure. The weapon Davie asks for is a “Ferrara,” which refers to a Highland Broadsword.
James Logan, in “The Scottish Gael,” mentions that even in the 1830s the youths of Aberdeen excelled at singlestick play. Interestingly, Henry Angelo’s broadsword sparring partner was also an Aberdeen man. Angelo’s memoirs describe his training with this man (the journalist Perry) in the same year that he published his Highland Broadsword posters.
Taking all these points together, there seems to be some implication that slipping the lead leg frequently was a known feature of Aberdeen Highland Broadsword play, and was seen as something that distinguished it from English Backsword play. I don’t know how this figures in with other factors such as the Le Marchant broadsword manual (which also uses this tactic) but some connection to the Angelo Highland Broadsword method does seem to be implied.
As supporting evidence, consider also this passage from James Grant’s The Romance of War, a novel from 1849:
In the fashion of the Highland swordsman, he placed forward his right foot with a long stride, presenting it as a tempting object for a blow, while he narrowly watched the eye of his adversary, who instantly dealt a sweeping stroke at the defenceless limb, which the young Gael withdrew with the rapidity of light, bestowing at the same time a blow on the conde, which broke the shell of his Toledo and wounded his right hand severely.
Although this is a later and completely fictional source (as opposed to the Garrie story, which was fiction based on oral tradition) it does support the idea that the slipping of the lead leg, which is such a defining feature of the Angelo system, was perceived as a characteristically Highland technique.
-Chris Thompson
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