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At a later date the honour of Allerdale was frequently called the honour of Cockermouth. Waltheof probably built the castle, under the shelter of which the town See also:

GREW, NEHEMIAH (1641-1712)

grew up. Although it never received any royal See also:

CHARTER (Lat. charta, carta, from Gr. Xap-rns, originally for papyrus, material for writing, thence transferred to paper and from this material to the document, in O. Eng. boc, book)

charter, the earliest records See also:

RELATING

relating to Cockermouth mention it as a borough. In '295 it returned two members to See also:

PARLIAMENT (Anglo-Lat. parliamentum, Fr. parlement, from parler, to speak)

parliament and then not again until '64o. By the See also:

REPRESENTATION

Representation of the See also:

PEOPLE

People See also:

ACT (Lat. actus, actum)

Act of '867 the representation was reduced to one member, and by the Redistribution Act of 1885 it was disfranchised. In 1221 See also:

William de Fortibus, earl of See also:

ALBEMARLE, EARLS AND DUKES OF

Albemarle, was granted a Saturday market, which later in the See also:

YEAR

year was transferred to See also:

MONDAY (in O.E. Monandaeg, the moon's day, a translation of the Late Lat. Lunae dies, from which the French lundi is taken)

Monday, the See also:

day on which it has continued to be held ever since. The Michaelmas See also:

FAIR

Fair existed in 1343, and an See also:

INQUISITION, THE (Lat. inquisitio, an inquiry)

inquisition dated 1374 mentions two See also:

HORSE (a word common to Teutonic languages in such forms as hors, hros, ros; cf. the Ger. ross)

horse-fairs on Whit-Monday and at Michaelmas. In' 638 Algernon See also:

Percy, earl of See also:

Northumberland, obtained a See also:

grant of a fair every Wednesday from the first See also:

WEEK (from A.S. wicu, Germanic *wikon, probably=change, turn)

week in May till Michaelmas. The See also:

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief See also:

SOURCES

sources of See also:

revenue in Norman times were the valuable See also:

FISHERIES

fisheries and numerous See also:

mills. See also:

COCK, EDWARD (1805-1892)

COCK-FIGHTING, or COCKING, the See also:

SPORT (a contracted or shortened form of "disport," to amuse, divert oneself, O. Fr. se dis porter or deporter, to leave off work, hence to play, Lat. dis-, away, and portare, to carry; the origin of the meaning lies in the notion of turning away from ser

sport of pitting See also:

GAME

game-cocks to fight, and breeding and training them for the purpose. The game-See also:

FOWL (Dan. Fugl, Ger. Vogel)

fowl is now probably the nearest to the See also:

INDIAN

Indian See also:

JUNGLE (Sans. jangala)

jungle-fowl (See also:

Gallus ferrugineus), from which all domestic fowls are believed to be descended. The sport was popular in ancient times in See also:

India, See also:

CHINA

China, See also:

PERSIA

Persia and other eastern countries, and was introduced into See also:

GREECE

Greece in the See also:

time of See also:

THEMISTOCLES (c. 514-449 B.C.)

Themistocles.

The latter, while moving with his See also:

army against the Persians, observed two cocks fighting desperately, and, stopping his troops, inspired them by calling their See also:

ATTENTION (from Lat. ad-tendo, await, expect; the condition of being " stretched " or " tense ")

attention to the valour and obstinacy of the feathered warriors. In honour of the ensuing victory of the Greeks cock-fights were thenceforth held annually at See also:

Athens, at first in a patriotic and religious spirit, but afterwards purely for the love of the sport. See also:

Lucian makes See also:

SOLON (7th and 6th century n.c.)

Solon speak of See also:

QUAIL (0. Fr. Quaille, Mod. Fr. Caille, Ital. Quaglia, Low Lat. Quaquila, Du. Kwakkel and Kwartel, Ger. Wachtel, Dan. Vagtel)

quail-fighting and cocking, but he is evidently referring to a time later than that of Themistocles. From Athens the sport spread throughout Greece, See also:

ASIA

Asia See also:

Minor and See also:

SICILY (Ital. Sicilia)

Sicily, the best cocks being bred in See also:

Alexandria, See also:

DELOS

Delos, See also:

Rhodes and Tanagra. For a See also:

long time the See also:

Romans affected to despise this " See also:

Greek diversion," but ended by adopting it so enthusiastically that See also:

COLUMELLA, LUCIUS JUNIUS MODERATUS

Columella (1st century A.D.) complained that its devotees often spent their whole patrimony in betting at the See also:

PIT (O. E. pytt, cognate with Du. put, Ger. Pfutze, &c., all ultimately adaptations of Lat. puteus, well, formed from root pu-, to cleanse, whence gurus, clean, pure)

pit-See also:

side. The cocks were provided with See also:

IRON [symbol Fe, atomic weight 55.85 (0=16)]

iron spurs (tela), as in the East, and were often dosed with stimulants to make them fight more savagely. From See also:

Rome cocking spread northwards, and, although opposed by the See also:

Christian See also:

church, nevertheless became popular in See also:

GREAT

Great See also:

BRITAIN (Gr. Hperavuml vi7vot, Bperravia; Lat. Britannia, rarely Britannia)

Britain, the See also:

Low Countries, See also:

Italy, See also:

Germany, See also:

Spain and her colonies. On See also:

account of adverse legislation cocking has practically died out everywhere excepting in Spain, countries of See also:

SPANISH

Spanish origin and the Orient, where it is still legal and extremely popular. It was probably introduced into England by the Romans before See also:

Caesar's time. William Fitz-See also:

Stephen first speaks of it in the time of See also:

Henry II. as a sport for school-boys on holidays, and particularly on Shrove Tuesday, the masters them-selves directing the fights, or mains, from which they derived a material See also:

ADVANTAGE

advantage, as the dead birds See also:

fell to them. It became very popular throughout England and See also:

WALES (Cymru, Gwalia, Cambria)

Wales, as well as in See also:

Scotland, where it was introduced in 1681. Occasionally the authorities tried to repress it, especially See also:

Cromwell, who put an almost See also:

COMPLETE

complete stop to it for a brief See also:

period, but the Restoration re-established it among the See also:

NATIONAL

national pastimes.

Contemporary apologists do not, in the 17th century, consider its See also:

CRUELTY (through the O. Fr. crualte, mod. cruaute, from the Lat. crudelitas)

cruelty at all, but concern themselves solely with its See also:

JUSTIFICATION

justification as a source of See also:

PLEASURE (through Fr. plaisir from Lat. placere, to please; Gr. rlbovii)

pleasure. " If See also:

LEVIATHAN

Leviathan took his sport in the See also:

WATERS, TERRITORIAL

waters, how much more may See also:

Man take his sport upon the See also:

LAND

land?" From the time of Henry VIII., who added the famous Royal Cock-pit to his See also:

PALACE (Lat. Palatium, the name given by Augustus to his residence on the Palatine Hill)

palace of See also:

WHITEHALL

Whitehall, cocking was called the " royal diversion," and the Stuarts, particularly See also:

James I. and See also:

Charles II., were among its most enthusiastic devotees, their example being followed by the gentry down to the 19th century. Gervase See also:

Markham in his Pleasures of Princes (1614) wrote " Of the Choyce, Ordring, Breeding and Dyeting of the fighting-Cocke for Battell," his See also:

QUAINT (O. Fr. cointe, from Lat. cognitus, known, probably influenced by association with Lat. corn plus, neat)

quaint directions being of the most explicit nature. When a cock is to be trained for the pit he must be fed " three or foure daies only with old Maunchet (See also:

FINE

fine See also:

white See also:

BREAD

bread) and See also:

SPRING (from " to spring," " to leap or jump up," " burst out," O. Eng., springau, a common Teut. word, cf. Ger. springer, possibly allied to Gr. QnrFpxecOac, to move rapidly)

spring See also:

WATER

water." He is then set to spar with another cock, " putting a payre of hots upon each of their heeles, which Hots are soft, bumbasted roules of See also:

Leather, covering their spurs, so that they cannot hurt each other.... Let them fight and See also:

buffet one another a See also:

GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good space. " After exercise the See also:

BIRD

bird must be put into a See also:

BASKET

basket, covered with See also:

hay and set near the See also:

FIRE (in O. Eng. f j'r; the word is common to West German languages, cf. Dutch vuur, Ger. Feuer; the pre-Teutonic form is seen in Sanskrit pu, pavaka, and Gr. irup; the ultimate origin is usually taken to be a root meaning to purify, cf. Lat. purus)

fire. " Then let him sweate, for the nature of this scowring is to bring away his grease, and to breed breath, and strength." If not killed in the fight, " the first thing you doe, you shall See also:

SEARCH, or VISIT AND SEARCH

search his wounds, and as many as you can find you shall with your mouth sucke the See also:

BLOOD

blood out of them, then See also:

WASH, THE

wash them with warm See also:

salt water, .. . give him a roule or two, and so See also:

STOVE

stove him up as hot as you can." Cocking-mains usually consisted of fights between an agreed number of pairs of birds, the See also:

MAJORITY (Fr. majorite; Med. Lat. majoritas; Lat. major, greater)

majority of victories deciding the See also:

main; but there were two other varieties that aroused the particular ire of moralists. These were the " See also:

BATTLE

battle royal," in which a number of birds were " set," i.e. placed in the pit, at the same time, and allowed to remain until all but one, the See also:

victor, were killed or disabled; and the " Welsh main," in which eight pairs were matched, the eight victors being again paired, then four, and finally the last surviving pair. Among London cock-pits were those at See also:

Westminster, in See also:

DRURY, SIR WILLIAM (1527-1579)

Drury See also:

Lane, Jewin See also:

Street and Birdcage Walk (depicted by See also:

HOGARTH, WILLIAM (1697–1764)

Hogarth). Over the royal pit at Whitehall presided the See also:

king's cockmaster. The pits were circular in shape with a matted See also:

STAGE (Fr. 6/age; from Lat. stare, to stand)

stage about 20 ft. in See also:

DIAMETER (from the Cr. &a, through, µErpov, measure)

diameter and surrounded by a barrier to keep the birds from falling off.

Upon this barrier the first See also:

ROW, JOHN (c. 1525—1580)

row of the See also:

AUDIENCE (from Lat. audire, to hear)

audience leaned. Hardly a town in the See also:

KINGDOM

kingdom was without its See also:

COCKPIT

cockpit, which offered the sporting classes opportunities for betting not as yet sufficiently supplied by horse-racing. With the growth of the latter sport and the increased facilities for reaching the racing centres, cocking gradually declined, especially after parliament passedlaws against it, so that gentlemen risked See also:

ARREST (Fr. arrester, arreeter, to stop or stay)

arrest by attending a main. Among the best-known devotees of the sport was a See also:

COLONEL (derived either from Lat. column, Fr. colonne, column, or Lat. corona, a crown)

Colonel Mordaunt, who, about 1780, took a number of the best See also:

ENGLISH

English game-cocks to India. There he found the sport in high favour with the native rulers and his birds were beaten. Perhaps the most famous main in England took See also:

PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place at See also:

Lincoln in 1830 between the birds of See also:

Joseph Gilliver, the most celebrated breeder, or " feeder," of his day, and those of the earl of See also:

Derby. The conditions called for seven birds a side, and the stakes were 5000 guineas the main and loon guineas each match. The main was won by Gilliver by five matches to two. His See also:

GRANDSON (Ger. Grandsee)

grandson was also a breeder, and the blood of his cocks still runs in the best breeds of Great Britain and See also:

AMERICA

America. Another famous breeder was Dr Bellyse of Audlem, the See also:

PRINCIPAL

principal figure in the great mains fought at See also:

Chester during See also:

RACE

race-week at the beginning of the 19th century. His favourite breed was the white See also:

PILE

pile, and " See also:

CHESHIRE

Cheshire piles " are still much-fancied birds. Others were Irish See also:

brown-reds, See also:

LANCASHIRE

Lancashire See also:

black-reds and See also:

STAFFORDSHIRE

Staffordshire See also:

DUNS

duns.

In Wales, as well as some parts of England, cocking-mains took place regularly in churchyards, and in many instances even inside the churches themselves. Sundays, wakes and church festivals were favourite occasions for them. The See also:

HABIT (through the French from Lat. habitus, from habere, to have, hold, or, in a reflective sense, to be in a certain condition; in many of the English senses the French use habitude, not habit)

habit of holding mains in See also:

SCHOOLS

schools was See also:

COMMON

common from the 12th to about the See also:

MIDDLE

middle of the 19th century. When cocking was at its height, the pupils of many schools were made a See also:

SPECIAL

special See also:

ALLOWANCE (from "allow,' derived through 0. Fr. alouer from the two Lat. origins adlaudare, to praise, and allocare, to assign a place; so that the English word combined the general idea of "assigning with approval")

allowance for purchasing fighting-cocks, and parents were expected to contribute to the expenses of the See also:

ANNUAL

annual main on Shrove Tuesday, this See also:

MONEY

money being called " cockpence." Cock-fighting was prohibited by See also:

law in Great Britain in 1849. Cocking was early introduced into America, though it was always frowned upon in New England. Some of the older states, as See also:

MASSACHUSETTS (an Indian name, originally applied to a tribe of Indians)

Massachusetts, forbade it by passing See also:

LAWS

laws against cruelty as early as 1836, and it is now expressly prohibited in See also:

CANADA

Canada and in most states of the See also:

Union, or is repressed by See also:

general laws for the prevention of cruelty to animals. Cocks are fought at an See also:

AGE (Fr. age, through late Lat. aetaticum, from aetas)

age of from one to two years. " Heeling," or the proper fastening of the spurs, and " cutting out," trimming the wings at a slope, and cutting the tail down by one-third of its length and shortening the hackle and rump feathers, are arts acquired by experience. The See also:

COMB (a word common in various forms to Teut. languages, cf. Ger. Kamm, the Indo-Europ. origin of which is seen in yoµros, a peg or pin, and Sanskrit, gambhas, a tooth)

comb is cut down See also:

close, so as to offer the least possible See also:

mark for the hostile bird's See also:

BILL

bill. The cock is then provided with either " See also:

SHORT, FRANCIS JOB (1857– )

short heels," spurs 11 in. or less in length, or with " long heels," from 2 to 21 in. in length. The training of a cock for the pit lasts from ten days to a See also:

month or more, during which time the bird is subjected to a rigid See also:

DIET

diet and exercise in See also:

RUNNING

running and sparring. The birds may not be touched after being set down in the pit, unless to extricate them from the See also:

MATTING

matting.

Whenever a bird refuses to fight longer he is set See also:

BREAST (a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. the Ger. Brust, possibly connected with an O. Sax. brustian, to bud)

breast to breast with his adversary in the middle of the pit, and if he then still refuses to fight he is regarded as defeated. Among the favourite breeds may be mentioned the " Irish gilders," " Irish Grays," " Shawlnecks," " Gordons," " Eslin Red-Quills," " See also:

Baltimore Topknots," " Dominiques," " See also:

War-horses " and " Claibornes." Cock-fighting possesses an extensive literature of its own. See Gervase Markham, Pleasures of Princes (London. 164); Blain, Rural See also:

Sports (London, 1853) ; " Game Cocks and Cock-Fighting," Outing, vol. 39; " A Modest See also:

COMMENDATION (from the Lat. commendare, to entrust to the charge of, or to procure a favour for)

Commendation of Cock-Fighting," See also:

BLACKWOOD, WILLIAM (1776-1834)

Blackwood's See also:

MAGAZINE

Magazine, vol. 22; " Cock-Fighting in Schools," See also:

Chambers' Magazine, vol. 65.

End of Article: COCKERMOUTH

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