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Ben was born in 1814 in a cottage near
Newstead railway station just outside Hucknall Torkard to
parents Robert and Martha Caunt.
Ben came to notice as a pugilist in his
first important fight about 1835 when he defeated a member
of his own family, Richard Butler at Wighay Field Hucknall.
Then around 1836 and relatively inexperienced he fought
the English champion Bendigo (William Thompson) of
Nottingham but lost over 22 rounds. After losing patience
with Bendigo's tactics of constantly going down on one
knee for a rest he struck Bendigo as he rested on the knee
of his second . The referee then disqualified Ben for a
foul blow
In 1838 he was given a chance for revenge
and this time made no mistake defeating Bendigo over 76
rounds of bitter combat. Bendigo complained that he had
tripped accidentally when he was disqualified for going
down without being hit. But the victory was clear cut and
the" trip" was over Ben's fists and a cross hip
throw finished the fight. A perfectly legal tactic at the
time.
Another great pugilist John Leecham, known
as Brassey, challenged Ben Caunt in 1840 at Six Mile
Bottom Haymarket during a race meeting. Ben acknowledged
this to be the toughest fight of his career.
Next, he fought and lost in a championship
fight with Nick Ward but won the championship in a
re-match a few weeks later.
Pugilism was beginning to find popularity
in America and Ben went on a financially successful
exhibition tour of that country. He returned with an
American fighter the gigantic Charles Freeman and the pair
embarked on a sparring tour of the provincial theatres.
Freeman eventually fought the Tipton Slasher but he died
shortly afterwards of Tuberculosis.
In 1845 Big Ben and Bendigo again fought
for the title and this time Bendigo prevailed over 96
rounds with a controversial verdict given by the referee .
The tactics employed by Bendigo were brought into question
as he constantly went to ground for a rest during the
fight and there were many who declared he should have been
disqualified. However the rules, or lack of them, did not
forbid such tactics and the verdict stood. Ironically,
this time, it was Big Ben who was disqualified for going
down for a rest before a blow was struck.
Early in 1851 a great tragedy came into
the life of Big Ben when his son Cornelius Butler Caunt
and a daughter Martha were killed in a fire at the Coach
and Horses.
Ben retired aged 45 years in 1857 to
become a publican and fight promoter at the Coach and
Horses Inn at St. Martins Lane London. He had one more
fight, to settle a dispute between his wife and the wife
of his one time protégé, another Nottinghamshire man,
Nat Langham, and the result was a draw. Once again despite
being well past his best years Ben had shown himself a
worthy adversary.
Ten years later during the third quarter
of 1861 Big Ben Caunt died aged 47 years in London and his
body was taken back to Hucknall, the place of his birth,
where his funeral attracted a huge throng of people and
the visitors to his grave were reported as far
outnumbering those who visited the tomb of the poet Lord
Byron who is also buried there.
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