I haven't posted in an age because I'm currently writing my first book, a (surprise surprise) historical biography. It's taken a long time to research but the outcome will be worth it - my subject led a fascinating life!
In addition to the book, I've undertaken a further two biographies which will be posted here once research is completed. Once those are online, there's a very exciting history-related project waiting in the wings... I'm having a blast, be back soon!
Saturday, 2 April 2016
Monday, 29 September 2014
Arthur Frederick "Peggy" Bettinson (1862 - 1926)
On a lesser-explored pathway in Highgate Cemetery
East lies a relatively modest grave. The
earth contained within the grave’s curb is hard, dry and without floral
tributes. The plain white letters
inscribed on the headstone reveal only a name and dates of birth and death. Yet, to historians and aficionados of the
noble art of boxing, the man lying beneath commands colossal amounts of respect. A posthumous inductee to the International
Boxing Hall of Fame, thanks to the immeasurable contribution he made toward revolutionising
the rules and reputation of the sport, this is the final resting place of Arthur
Frederick “Peggy” Bettinson.
Born in Marylebone, Peggy grew up in Hampstead and
was an avid sportsman throughout his life, partaking in competitive swimming
while also enjoying rugby and cricket.
In his later years, he was also said to be an enthusiastic roller skater. But boxing was always his first love and in
1882, aged 20, Peggy became the British Amateur Boxing Association's
lightweight champion. Peggy continued competing
as an amateur in exhibition bouts, but it was shortly before his 29th
birthday that his passion for pugilism steered him away from fighting and down
a path that would leave his indelible mark on the sport for years to come.
The Pelican Club on Gerrard Street opened its doors
in 1887 as an entertainment venue for wealthy men of influence, but was soon frequented
by rowdy rakish types who squandered their money on drink and gambling. While its members (known as Pelicans) were no
angels, the club boasted the largest boxing hall in London and hosted many a bout
that featured the most illustrious fighters of the day. The Pelican Club counted The Marquess of
Queensberry as a member but despite such high level patronage, the club’s reputation
suffered a blow in 1889 following its sponsorship of a bare-knuckled fight in
Bruges between Jem Smith and Frank Slavin that ended in a riot. The club’s standing was sullied further by the
behaviour of the Pelicans themselves, who staggered out of the club into the
surrounding streets of the West End in the early hours of almost every morning,
inebriated and raucous. In response, the
sleep-deprived residents took out an injunction against the Pelican Club,
resulting in the revocation of the club’s licence to host fights. And so, just four years after its grand opening,
the Pelican Club was declared bankrupt.
The steps and pillars outside what would later become the National Sporting Club are visible on the right (near centre) of Hogarth’s “Morning”, published in 1738 (see Additional Notes for more information on the building)
This presented Peggy with the perfect opportunity to establish a far more respectable boxing venue and, after ploughing a large amount of his own capital into the venture, he joined forces with the Pelican’s former manager, John Fleming. Together they set up the fledgling organisation’s new headquarters at 43 King Street, Covent Garden and on Thursday 5 March 1891, the National Sporting Club opened its doors to a throng of excited sports lovers.
Peggy Bettinson John Fleming Lord Lonsdale
The interior of the club was impressive on an
aesthetic level while simultaneously offering the utmost comfort to its members
courtesy of the plush but elegant furnishings.
The grand entrance hall featured
part of an ornately carved staircase that had once belonged to Lord Russell’s
flagship, Britannia. The Coffee Room was tastefully decorated, the
walls adorned with portraits of notable sportsmen and other distinguished faces
and complimented by a well-stocked bar. Amongst
the Club’s other attractions were the upstairs Billiard Room and the nostalgic London
Room – the NSC even featured new-fangled electric lighting!
But the pièce de résistance was the boxing ring
downstairs in the basement, which allowed up to 1,300 spectators and guests a
good view from any angle in the room. The
Club’s first President was boxing royalty, gloved boxing enthusiast Hugh Cecil
Lowther (a.k.a. the fifth Earl of Lonsdale) and, while the Club’s focus was mainly
on boxing, matches were often punctuated by performances from the leading music
hall artistes of the day, as well as the occasional literary and musical
recital - rather fitting considering that prior to occupancy by the NSC, the
building had previously been home to a music hall and a theatre.
Images of the NSC boxing ring (above) and floor plan (below) used with the kind permission of Miles Templeton (http://blog.boxinghistory.org.uk)
From a business perspective Peggy ran the NSC in an
exacting and unflinching fashion, taking responsibility for approving all
fights, handpicking the original members and overseeing the general day-to-day
mechanics of the club. He is described
in Andrew Horrall’s “Popular Culture in
London C.1890-1918… ” as ‘opinionated’ and ‘outspoken’, while Arne K Lang noted
him as being ‘autocratic’ in “Prizefighting:
An American History”. While Peggy may
have ruled with a firm hand, it was this same single-mindedness that, in time,
transformed the reputation of the sport from one linked with gambling and ne'er-do-wells
to a respectable and noble art appreciated by gentlemen. Under the NSC, Peggy also cemented the foundations
for the British Boxing Board of Control as we know it today.
The NSC then and now
("Then" image (left) used with the kind permission of Miles Templeton (http://blog.boxinghistory.org.uk), "Now" picture by Sam Perrin)
The etiquette expected of NSC members was a far cry
from the pleasure-seeking antics of the Pelicans, with Peggy insisting that the
NSC operate as a strictly private club which "was a businesslike undertaking of business men for other business men”. Access to the club by non-members was by
invitation only and a dress code (evening attire) was observed. Following dinner, members would descend to
the basement to observe bouts in decorous silence. Even the fighters were expected to conduct
themselves in a courteous manner, bowing to the audience after each bout - regardless
of whether they had won or lost - and exercising the utmost compliance with any
decision made by the referee.
Images of NSC Programme (08 June 1914) and NSC logo used with the kind permission of Miles Templeton (http://blog.boxinghistory.org.uk)
In terms of the rules of the ring, a modified
version of the Queensberry Rules was followed and no more than 20 rounds were permitted
for championship fights. Boxers were to
wear padded gloves and a five-point round-by-round scoring system was now adhered
to. Overall, the standards of safety
observed by the NSC were much higher than those of the boxing clubs of the past. According to Graham Gordon in “Master of the Ring”, Peggy based the
defence points system on the style of the great Jem Mace, who taught Lord
Lonsdale to box and who both John Fleming and Peggy had observed for years. Peggy was determined that the National
Sporting Club instilled a sense of fairness, good sportsmanship and respect among
fighters and club members alike.
In 1897 John Fleming passed away unexpectedly and
Peggy took over as Managing Director of the NSC. Following his promotion, four fatalities occurred
at the NSC in just as many years, resulting in a sea change for boxing rules as
they then stood. Peggy and the
respective officials were hauled into court to defend themselves and the NSC
against allegations of unlawful killing, culpable manslaughter and “felonious
killing” of the deceased fighters. However,
in each and every instance, all were cleared of any wrongdoing. After all the energy and effort Peggy and the
NSC had put into transforming the sport’s image, these “not guilty” rulings
essentially saved boxing from being outlawed.
One positive development that emerged as a result of the court cases was
the implementation of a regulation in which a referee could now halt a bout as
and when he saw fit. Two types of knockouts
(knockouts* and technical knockouts†) were also now clearly defined.
* Knockout (KO): When
a competitor in the ring cannot get up from the floor without help by the count
of ten
† Technical Knockout
(TKO): When a competitor in the ring can no longer defend himself (or is unable
to continue the fight due to being badly injured) and the referee stops the
fight as a result
By 1909, the NSC’s influence within the boxing
world was far-reaching. It had begun
regulating divisions, setting the bar for weight limits before the sanctioning
of British title fights, as well as introducing the presentation of 22 carat
gold and porcelain championship belts (donated by Lord Lonsdale) to the victors
of all British title fights held at the NSC’s premises. The belts were exclusive to the NSC, with
Henry Cooper later being the first man to win three of them in succession.
Peggy on the front cover of Boxing, 18 December 1909
With regard to Peggy’s personal life, he married Florence
Mallet in 1890 and together they had two sons, Gerald and Lionel (Lionel would later
succeed his father as Managing Director of the NSC). However at some point, it appears that
Florence and Peggy’s marriage broke down and the couple were living
separately. The census of 1911 confirms that
Peggy was living at 59 Clifton Hill with Lionel (aged 18), niece Florence (aged
18) and two servants (Alice Reed and Bridget Ahearn). However, there were also two other people
living in the house: “Kate H Flint” (aged 33, single, no occupation noted) and “Ralph
Gilbert Bettinson” (son, aged 3). At the
same time, Florence was noted as living with an uncle in Northdown, Kent, and
was listed as still being married, while Gerald wasn’t recorded as residing at either
of these residences.
Peggy on the front cover of Boxing, 13 August 1910
(Image used with the kind permission of Miles Templeton (http://blog.boxinghistory.org.uk)
In 1911, despite the sport beginning to enjoy an
increasing surge in popularity with the public, boxing became the focus of yet another
court case. A fight between Owen Moran
and Jim Driscoll was scheduled to take place in Birmingham on 16 December 1911
and the stakes were high: the victor would’ve walked away with a purse of
£1,560 (quite a sum in those days) and the title of Featherweight Champion of
the World. But before the fight could
take place, each boxer was issued a summons and ordered to appear in court, the
fight accused of being a now-illegal prize fight (as opposed to a sparring
exhibition) and, as a result, a breach of the peace. The
promoter, Mr Gerald Austin, stood accused of soliciting and inciting the two
boxers to partake in a prize fight and the safety of the sport was also microscopically
scrutinised. Once again Peggy and a
number of officials rallied around in boxing’s defence, with the cost of the
defence borne entirely by Lord Lonsdale.
Despite the testimony of numerous experts defending the sport, the fight
was declared illegal and Moran and Driscoll were each fined £50 (as well as sureties
of £25 each). The newspapers of the day
lamented that this ruling had sounded the death knell of professional boxing
and an appeal was launched, but the Crown only withdrew the charges two years
later. And so, on 27 January 1913, Messrs
Driscoll and Moran finally partook in the fight that should have taken place
over two years earlier. Hosted at the
NSC (naturally) the fight was a 20-round battle that ended (much to the
disappointment of the crowd) in a draw, with Driscoll retaining his title of Featherweight
Champion of the World.
Peggy and co in court on the front cover of The Mirror of Life & Sport, 18 November 1911
1914 marked the start of The Great War. Peggy wasn’t sent away to fight in the
trenches because, at the age of 52, I suspect he may have been regarded as a little
too ‘time-worn’ for combat. This didn’t
stop him from volunteering as a Special Constable though, while son Lionel
enlisted in the Middlesex Regiment. In
the year following the end of the war, Florence Bettinson passed away (aged 46)
and less than a fortnight later, Peggy made Harriet Flint his second wife in a
ceremony in Hampstead.
Peggy certainly didn’t rest on his laurels as an
ex-amateur champion, manager, match-maker, promoter and referee. Even into middle age, he exuded a crackling
energy and dedicated his spare time to authoring books dedicated to boxing and
the NSC. Along with Ben Bennison, he
penned “Famous Fights and Fighters: From
Jem Mace to Tommy Farr” (published 1913) and “The
Home of Boxing” (published 1922). ‘The
Guv’nor’ (as he was known to many) was also responsible for writing “The National Sporting Club, Past and Present”
with William Outram Tristram (published 1902). Of
all the luminaries within the sport, Peggy Bettinson possessed an encyclopaedic
and multi-faceted knowledge of his subject matter, fuelled by a deep love of
the sport and based on vast personal experience.
Peggy on the front cover of Boxing, 21 June 1922
In the weeks preceding his death, Peggy had been
travelling through Europe and suffered a heart attack en route. After being
hospitalised for a month, he was discharged and continued his journey through
Italy. However he suffered a further
cardiac arrest, forcing him to return to England accompanied by his son, Gerald.
Peggy passed away on Christmas Eve 1926 at his home
on Fairfax Road, south Hampstead, aged 64.
The news of his death shocked and saddened the boxing world, both in the
UK and internationally, and Peggy’s funeral was held at Highgate Cemetery on
Wednesday 29 December 1926. The cemetery
seemed an especially fitting place for Peggy seeing as it is also the final
resting place of Tom Sayers, who famously fought John C. Heenan back in 1860, and
who Peggy was said to have held in high regard.
The Daily Herald described Peggy’s funeral as being
attended by “a gathering of men mostly
with battered faces and gnarled ears but with hearts of gold” and his friends,
colleagues and fellow boxing devotees and were certainly not restrained in their
admiration and respect for Peggy and his contribution to the sport:
“He did more
than any other six men for professional boxing.
I have lost a good friend and sport has lost a great figure”
John Douglas (referee)
“A national
figure in boxing has gone. He was a good
friend and the game has lost a great supporter.
He was more than a manager; he was an authority on the history of the
game. I am sure all boxers will join me
in my deep regret”
Bombardier” Billy Wells (former British heavyweight champion)
“It is bad
news. I met Mr Bettinson frequently and
he always struck me as a man on whom one could rely for a fair deal. He did professional boxing many services
which none of us can forget”
Jimmy Wilde (former flyweight champion of
the world)
A multitude of wreaths were sent to Peggy’s home,
the NSC and Highgate Cemetery, with an especially poignant tribute left by
Jimmy Lambert made of violets and shaped as a boxing glove. Modestly inscribed, Peggy’s headstone is a simple
chunk of grey granite set at the head of the plot which, I think, sums up his
character and legacy quite nicely: straightforward, tough and enduring.
Image by Sam Perrin
By 1933, seven years after he’d passed away,
Peggy’s influence in the boxing world was still evident following the
implementation of an idea he’d formulated 15 years earlier. Peggy had been looking to promote the “institution of new boxing championships at
the eight weights for belts such as offered in the British championships in a
new series of British Empire titles.” The
10 May 1933 edition of the Western Daily Press and Bristol Mirror reported that
“the project will be sponsored by Lord
Lonsdale and the trophies will be known as the Lonsdale Empire Belts. Rules for the new championships are being
framed.”
Peggy had accomplished an astonishing PR coup by
transforming public opinion so favourably of a sport that had once been viewed
with disdain. Nevertheless, boxing’s increasing
popularity ironically contributed to the downfall of the once-mighty NSC by the
end of the 1920s. Boxers who’d once flocked
to the venue described by Peggy as a “Temple of Sport” had learned and evolved,
and were now positioned to command larger purses at bigger venues. This impacted negatively on the NSC’s
profitability and in 1928 the club had no option but to renege on its exclusivity
as a private club by opening up to the public.
Unfortunately, this effort was long overdue and the club was forced to
shut up shop at 43 King Street the following year and move to another premises. Members of the NCS went on to form the
British Boxing Board of Control, the organisation’s primary goal being to act
as “the sole governing body for the
professional sport”. The Board
reformed in 1929 and is still the governing body of professional boxers in the
UK. The National Sporting Club is also still
in existence, the organisation now specialising in providing hospitality for corporate
and sporting events. Curiously, there is
not a solitary mention of Peggy or John Fleming within the ‘History’ section of
the NSC’s official website, with the inception of the club being credited solely
to Lord Lonsdale.
As for Peggy’s nickname, he offered up the
following explanation not long before his death:
“I was the
baby of a large family, and as a youngster fresh to an infant school my mother
tried to break me of left-handedness. I
always held my knife in the left hand and my fork in the right. One day at dinner my mother said, “You’re not
a boy; you must be a girl to eat your food like that. We shall have to call you Peggy.
“My elder
brothers, always glad to take it out of me, carried that name to school, where
the other boys seized upon it, and it has stuck to me through a life-time,
though it is years since anybody was curious enough to ask how I got it.”
ADDITIONAL
NOTES
43 King
Street
Originally designed by Thomas Archer, 43 King
Street is the oldest surviving building in Covent Garden’s Piazza. In June 2013, a proposal to award the
building a commemorative green plaque was put forward to Westminster Council,
which responded that “the nomination for
a commemorative Green Plaque at 43 King Street, Covent Garden to commemorate
the National Sporting Club, be approved subject to sponsorship in full”. The official unveiling of the plaque to
commemorate the NSC’s former headquarters as the “home of gloved boxing” is scheduled
for May 2015 and the interior of the building is currently being renovated to
house an upmarket shoe shop.
John
Murray, first editor of “Boxing”
20 years after Peggy’s death, Highgate Cemetery would
count John Murray, the first editor of “Boxing” (later known as “Boxing News”),
as a permanent resident after he passed away following a long illness. Like Peggy, John possessed an
all-encompassing knowledge of (and was a great friend to) the sport. Peggy featured on the cover of “Boxing” a number of times and it appears
that both he and John Murray shared the same desire to make the sport fair and
reputable.
Sources:
Sue Berdy
Prizefighting:
An American History by Arne K. Lang
Popular
Culture in London C.1890-1918: The Transformation of Entertainment by
Andrew Horrall
SPORT AS
HISTORY - COLLINS SOCIETY: Essays in Honour of Wray Vamplew, edited by Tony
Collins
The Marquess
of Queensberry: Wilde's Nemesis by Linda Stratmann
The Boxing
Register: International Boxing Hall of Fame Official Record Book by James
B. Roberts & Alexander G. Skutt
The National
Sporting Club Past and Present by A.F. Bettinson
Old
Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 7.0, 18 September 2014), June 1901,
trial of JACK ROBERTS ARTHUR FREDERICK BETTINSON JOHN HERBERT DOUGLAS EUGENE
CORRI ARTHUR GUTTERIDGE ARTHUR LOCK WILLIAM CHESTER WILLIAM BAXTER BENJAMIN
JORDAN HARRY GREENFIELD, (t19010624-479).
The Argus, 15 November 1911
The Spectator, 18 November 1911
The Straits Times, 16 December 1911
Kalgoorlie Miner, 28 December 1911
New York Times, 29 January 1913
Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 29, 3 February
1913
Sunday Post, 26 December 1926
Evening Telegraph, 27 December 1926
Daily Herald, 30 December 1926
Western Daily Press and Bristol Mirror, 10 May 1933
Aberdeen Journal, 29 December 1937
Copyright © Sam Perrin September 2014
Friday, 26 July 2013
David Devant – Multi-Talented Magician (1868 to 1941)
“[Magic] is an art by means of which a man can exercise, as it were, a spell over others and persuade them into believing that they have seen some natural law disobeyed"
David Devant
David Devant is largely considered the best British stage illusionist and practitioner of magic of his era, although his talents weren’t restricted to conjuring. He was gifted with irrepressible creativity and counted the making and exhibition of films, shadowgraphy, inventing, writing, acting and animation amongst the many strings to his bow. As a magician, he was an engaging and witty showman and possessed exceptional skill which, coupled with superb technique, captivated audiences of all ages.
Early Life
Born David Wighton in north London on 22 February 1868, he became enamoured with conjuring when, as a 10-year old boy, he watched a travelling magician called Dr Holden perform. This so inspired him that he rushed out and purchased a selection of tricks that he practised diligently, using his siblings as a test audience. From that point onward David immersed himself all things magical, poring over books such as Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin’s Masterpieces and Modern Magic by Professor Hoffman, and regularly attending shows at the Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly to watch and learn from performing magicians as they confounded their audiences.
Into Magic
David’s reputation grew, as did his audiences and in March 1896 he exhibited the first animated photographs at the Egyptian Hall. He got his hands on one of Robert Paul's Theatrograph projectors and, at his own expense, introduced it to the theatre’s performances. Apparently Maskelyne, who’d been initially apprehensive about the introduction of the Theatrograph, soon realised its potential and began to enthusiastically introduce each performance! A review of the first performance read:
“The first moving scene announced by Mr Nevil Maskelyne is a band practise. The music of the march that one may imagine is being played is given on the pianoforte by Mr F. Cramer.”
David certainly didn’t rest on his laurels and industriously continued creating new illusions and tricks to keep his show original and exciting. He delighted audiences with tricks like “The Magic Kettle", from which multiple alcoholic beverages suggested by the audience were poured, as well as the fantastic “Mascot Moth” illusion. This was one of his best, in which a female assistant (wearing a silk dress with beautiful wings attached to her arms) weaved around Devant, who held a lit candle in his hand while trying to entice the beautiful moth-woman toward him. Just as Devant drew the candle to the moth-woman’s wings, she literally disappeared with a flash right in front of the gobsmacked audience.
(“Mascot Moth” was actually inspired by a curious dream that Devant had one night. He recalled the incident:
“My wife saw me get up and light a candle and go through all the actions, which were afterwards performed on the stage, with my eyes wide open, although I was obviously asleep. The next morning I awoke with a clear conception of the illusion, complete with new principle, with the exception of a few mechanical details which were supplied by my friend Bate”.
Even Nevil Maskelyne was bamboozled by this illusion and described it as “the trickiest trick” he’d ever witnessed)
Another of David's most popular tricks was called The Egg Trick, although he didn't invent it. A young volunteer was invited up onto the stage to assist David as he rapidly produced a seemingly never-ending quantity of eggs from an empty top hat. The charm of the trick was the almost slapstick humour that came from it: the boy or girl couldn't possibly hold as many eggs as were materialising from the hat, resulting in eggs being smashed all over the stage as the hapless young volunteer battled to retain all of them.
The Magic Circle
The Magic Circle was formed in 1905 after 23 magicians met at Pinoli's Restaurant on Wardour Street with the aim of creating a society that would further and preserve the interests of magic. The initial meeting was chaired by Servais Le Roy, a Belgian magician, and The Green Man pub in Soho played host to their first official meeting. The meetings were later moved to St George’s Hall on Langham Place which was, fittingly, the venue that Maskelyne and Devant moved the company to after performing at the Egyptian Hall so many years previously. By this point, Devant wasn’t just working for Maskelyne but alongside him as a partner, with their company now known as Maskelyne and Devant’s Mysteries.
The following year, The Magic Circle published a magazine called The Magic Circular, first edited by Maskelyne with a monthly edition distributed to its members. It was Maskelyne who proposed the society’s motto “Indocilis Privata Loqui". This is Latin for "not apt to disclose secrets" and is pretty much the organisation’s Golden Rule. This rule of preserving the secrecy of the mechanics behind tricks and illusions was (and still is) vitally important and was supported in the Society’s set of rules, first drawn up by Neil Weaver (the son of an amateur magician and one of the founding members of the organisation). I imagine that this Golden Rule was akin to the 1905 conjurers’ version of the film Fight Club: “The first rule of The Magic Circle is: You do not talk about the mechanics behind your magic”. Any member caught intentionally revealing magical secrets to anyone other than fellow magicians or students of magic would suffer the indignity of an enforced resignation from the society (or were they ‘ex-spelled’?).
Scandal Part I
Bearing in mind The Magic Circle’s motto, I’m sure you can imagine the furore when a member of the society committed the cardinal sin of showing the layman how to perform tricks. Worse, the guilty party was none other than David Devant himself, one of the organisations founding members and its first President! Devant had contributed to a series of articles called Tricks for Everyone, published in The Royal Magazine from 1908 to 1909. As the title suggests, the articles made magic more accessible to the reader but David’s contribution to the publication was construed as being a a flagrant breach of The Magic Circle's secrecy rule (this was despite David trying, but failing, to stop the production of the magazine). It was an incident that split the magic community in two and Devant resigned on 05 April 1910. He was reinstated two years later.
Devant’s contribution to these articles wasn’t motivated by spite or the desire to expose his fellow magicians - he’d contributed them because he truly believed that the articles would benefit the art of magic, an opinion that his friend, former stage partner and current President of the society, Nevil Maskelyne, supported (it appears that both Devant and Maskelyne believed that technological advancements could be used not only to benefit their performances but also to expose frauds and potential faults – see Additional Notes on Nevil Maskelyne).
Translucidation
In 1909, David and his sister Dora utterly baffled audiences with a mind reading trick called Transludication. Six audience members were each passed a blank visiting card and were invited to write a message on the card without anybody else seeing it. Each card was placed into an envelope and sealed, and all sealed envelopes were collected in a black bag, which was to be brought to the front of the stage where Dora (who was completely blindfolded) sat near the footlights, surrounded by a semi-circle of volunteers behind her. However, something completely unexpected happened that even Devant himself couldn’t have anticipated. As the person collecting the envelopes approached the seat of Sir Oliver Lodge, the eminent physicist, Sir Oliver stood up and insisted that his own card, written at home before the performance, be added to the bag and challenged Dora to 'read' it.
Sir Oliver's card was dropped into the bag with the others and the bag then bought to the stage and placed into Dora’s lap by her brother. David stepped away from his sister and explained to the audience that what they were about to do involved no trickery or fraud and could be done by anyone in the auditorium. The anticipation in the room was palpable as Dora reached into the bag and, one by one, drew each sealed envelope up to her forehead and ‘read’ the message within while still blindfolded. The unopened cards were then returned to their owners, each of whom confirmed that Dora had just relayed the messages on each card absolutely correctly, including Sir Lodge’s. Sir Lodge stood up in his seat, appealed for silence from the stunned audience and then said, “I do not understand by what means this marvel has been accomplished. I know nothing in science that could account for it, and although the lady herself may be unaware of the supernatural powers she is exercising, I believe that the intervention of such power alone could offer a solution.”
The Royal Command Performance
David was invited to appear at the very first Royal Command Performance, in July of 1912, for King George V and Queen Mary, an enormous honour given that it was the monarchs who decided who would perform and who wouldn’t. This glittering event was held at the London Palace Theatre and was a terribly extravagant affair, with the entire theatre and all the boxes being decked out with three million roses. David performed alongside not only vaudeville star Wilkie Bard (who, coincidentally, is also interred at Highgate Cemetery East) but other entertainment heavyweights such as Harry Lauder, Clarice Mayne, George Robey and Fanny Fields but to name a few.
(Incidentally, this was the same Royal Command Performance to which the music hall legend Marie Lloyd was scandalously not invited, due to her act being considered far too salacious at a time when music hall was supposedly regaining a respectable reputation. Marie was positively adored by the public but was considered too common to perform in front of royalty because, scandalously, she’d had the temerity to marry three times. Oh how times have changed… Elizabeth Taylor, who famously married eight times, was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1999)
A promotional poster for David's The Little Chocolate Soldier illusion
Ill Health
By 1919 at the age of 52, David’s health was failing. He’d noticed that his hands had begun to shake while performing and he was diagnosed with ‘paralysis agitans’, or what we now know as Parkinson’s disease. The main symptoms of this debilitating condition are stiffness and rigidity of the limbs, shaking and loss of agility. In some cases, the disease can cause speech and communication problems and can also adversely affect the memory. For someone who’d based his entire life’s work on sleight of hand, mental dexterity and constant interaction with audiences, this diagnosis must have been absolutely devastating to David. By 1928 Marion Devant passed away from alcoholism and, by this point, David was unable to walk or control his hand movements. Although he was confined to a wheelchair, David continued to write books and teach magic.
Scandal II
In 1931, David wrote an autobiography called My Magic Life, which was followed up with Secrets of My Magic four years later. An excerpt from the latter entitled “Illusion and Disillusion” was published in the Windsor Magazine in December 1935 and once again, David found himself in hot water with The Magic Circle for contravention of Rule No. 13. He was forced to resign in 1936 and said of his expulsion:
“The tricks I had exposed were my own, so I did not think I had broken any rule. I owe it to posterity to give to the world my secrets before I die. I don’t think I shall live much longer. Exposing tricks or illusions—providing they are not someone else’s new invention—is good for the profession. It stimulates public interest in magic and forces magicians to seek new tricks rather than to stagnate with some that are centuries old. The Magic Circle seems to think that it is the mechanics of a trick that are the secrets of its success. In my view, it is only the artistry of the performer that can make it magic.”
Death & Burial
By 1937, David had been placed in the care of the Royal Home for Incurables in south west London, and was presented an Honorary Life Membership by The Magic Circle the same year. Every year following his admittance to the hospital, a group of magicians from The Magic Circle performed for David at his bedside, a tradition that has continued long after his death 1941. He is buried in Highgate Cemetery in the Dissenters’ section of the West cemetery. The grave is not accessible by guided tour because it’s in a rather tricky spot to locate but is cared for by The Magic Circle.
The grave number is 16167, in square 23, and the Right of Burial granted 11 August 1868 to Matilda Wighton, 8 Grosvenor Road, Holloway for the sum of £3.3.0. The plot itself is 2’6 by 6’6 and is unconsecrated. The Wighton family members in the plot are:
David Wighton (died 1868)
Matilda E Wighton (died 18 November 1887)
James E Wighton (died 21 January 1901)
Mary Wighton (died 08 July 1918)
Jessie Wighton (died 01 November 1934)
David Devant (died 11 Oct 1941)
Ownership of the grave was transferred more than once and by 25 July 1902, the registered owner was Mary Wighton of Camden Road.
Legacy
Every year since 1999, The Magic Circle presents an award to, “those who have made a significant contribution in advancing the art of magic or who have given outstanding service to magic internationally”. The award is known as (you guessed it!) the Devant Award and past recipients have included:
2012 Jim Steinmeyer
2011 David Berglas
2009 Ali Bongo
2008 Siegfried & Roy
2007 Paul Daniels
2006 John Fisher
2005 John Calvert
2004 Marvyn Roy
2003 Mark Wilson and Nani
2002 Dr. Eddie Dawes
2001 John Gaughan
2000 Channing Pollock
1999 Jay Marshall
David has a room at the Centre for the Magic Arts named in his honour and even has a band named after him (indie group David Devant & His Spirit Wife). He appears in a book by children’s called The Story of the Amulet by E. Nesbit and his contribution to the performing arts was finally recognised by English Heritage in 2003, when a blue plaque was erected outside his home on Ornan Road, Belsize Park. His magic can be seen on Youtube via the Vintage Magic Archive's wonderful collection:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmZ7-xc3gp0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUYXYDl2_hY
In short, David Devant is still a huge inspiration to magicians today, both old and new, and when asked how his magic was done, David simply answered: “All done by kindness".
David’s Accomplishments –a Summary:
Illusions:
1893: Vice Versa
1893: Artist's Dream
1893: Colour Change
1893 (±): The Vest Servante
1895: Birth of Flora
1905: Mascot Moth
1906: The New Page
1913: The Vanishing Motorcycle
Shadowgraphy:
1911: Window of a Haunted House
Books:
1901: Hand Shadows
1903: Woes of a Wizard
1911: Our Magic, co-authored with J. Nevil Maskelyne
1913: Tricks for Everyone
1921: Magic Made Easy
1922: Lessons in Conjuring
1931: My Magic Life
1931: The Best Tricks and How to Do Them
1936: Secrets of My Magic
Cinematographer (documentaries):
1898: Collision
1898: Eastbourne Memorial
1898: Greasy Pole
1898: Worcester Street
Acting Roles:
In 1920, Devant played the part of The Master Magician in a film called The Great London Mystery, alongside Robert Clifton and Lady Doris Stapleton. The film was directed by Charles Raymond and was a silent crime/mystery/horror movie in which a magician foils a Chinese crime lord.
Short films featuring Himself:
1903: David Devant's Laughable Hand Shadows
1903: David Devant, Conjurer
1896: Devant's Exhibition of Paper Folding
1896: Devant's Hand Shadows
1896: The Egg-Laying Man
1896: The Mysterious Rabbit
Documentary:
David featured in a television documentary in 2000 called Heroes of Magic
Additional Notes about Nevil Maskelyne:
It appears that Nevil Maskelyne is regarded in some circles as being the world’s first hacker (or troll, depending on how you look at it!). In essence, he was a self-taught devotee of wireless technology and used it in in parts of his magic act. However, he found his efforts within the field were constantly hampered by Marconi’s broad use of patents and so, rather mischievously, Maskelyne decided to have the last laugh in 1902 by hacking into Marconi’s wireless telegraph display at the Royal Institution's lecture theatre. He interrupted the public demonstration of the transmission by sending insults in Morse code that claimed Marconi was a fraud and was "diddling the public." Marconi was bamboozled (and not to mention incredibly humiliated) by the hoaxer and his colleague, physicist John Ambrose Fleming, fired off a strongly worded letter to the Times of London, demanding that the paper’s readers assist in unmasking the perpetrator accused of "scientific hooliganism". Four days later, the paper received a response from Maskelyne, in which he claimed that his exposure of the security flaws were completely justified as it demonstrated that Marconi’s previous claim that the system’s security was top notch to be false. Maskelyne is buried in Brompton Cemetery and is also credited with creating the first pay toilet. Copyright © Sam Perrin July 2013
Thanks:
Paul Kieve (http://www.stageillusion.com/)
Matthew Lloyd (www.arthurlloyd.co.uk)
The Vintage Magic Archive channel on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/VintageMagicArchives)
Matthew Lloyd (www.arthurlloyd.co.uk)
The Vintage Magic Archive channel on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/VintageMagicArchives)
Justin Bickersteth (Registrar) and Eddie Daley (Trustee), Highgate Cemetery (http://highgatecemetery.org/)
Sources:
http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/mpcimg/17000/B16763_87.htm
http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/29/2667801/marconi-maskelyne-rivalry-1903-hacking-morse-transmission
Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear by Jim Steinmeyer
The Sounds of the Silents in Britain, edited by Julie Brown and Annette Davison
Magic: A Picture History by Milbourne Christopher
Take it for a Fact: a Record of my Seventy-Five Years on the Stage by Ada Reeve
When the World Was Young: Lost Empires by Graham Nown
Thunderstruck by Erik Larson
The Dream That Kicks: The Prehistory and Early Years of Cinema in Britain by Professor Michael Chanan
Meta-Morphing: Visual Transformation and the Culture of Quick-Change, edited by Vivian Carol Sobchack
The Thought Reader Craze: Victorian Science at the Enchanted Boundary by Barry H. Wileya
Modern Enchantments: The Cultural Power of Secular Magic by Simon DURING
Theosophist Magazine January 1932-April 1932, edited by Annie Wood Besant
The Straits Times, 14 November 1936, Page 18 (“Devant Tells His ‘Secrets’ of Magic”)
Popular Mechanics, Dec 1958
Our Magic: The Art in Magic, the Theory of Magic, the Practice of Magic by John Nevil Maskelyne, David Devant
Circle Without End the Magic Circle 1905 by Edwin A Dawes and Michael Bailey
Cheating and Deception by John Bowyer Bell and Barton Whaley
Encyclopedia of Early Cinema edited by Richard Abel
The Thought Reader Craze: Victorian Science at the Enchanted Boundary by Barry H. Wiley
The Haunted Gallery: Painting, Photography, and Film C. 1900 by Lynda Nead
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