London’s Female Boxer Annie Newton -1893 to 1955: The Only Boxer to be banned by the Home Secretary – by Sue TL Fox of WBAN

London’s female boxer Annie Newton, was born in 1893 in Highgate, North London, and passed away in 1955. Annie began appearing in stage shows and fairground tents, at the young age of 10, and in those shows she would spar with men, to raise money for various charities. She boxed for 14 years. Annie who was not very healthy in her early life—she claimed that boxing training saved her from an early death.

  
Photo credit: Magazine – Boxing News

Annie has been reported on Wiki that during her time she was “the greatest woman boxer in the world and the only boxer to be banned by the Home Secretary.” [On the world’s greatest historical claim WBAN is not sure about that, we have had others in this time frame that were considered “great” female boxers.]

Annie was the niece of Professor A.J. Newton, who in his own time in boxing, was reported to have been the lightweight boxing champion from 1888 to 1890, and that he was also a boxing instructor.

She first got into boxing with her uncle, when he was taken back by how unhealthy Annie looked and decided to train her in boxing to improve her health. Annie was very appreciative of her cousin’s help and was extremely grateful.

In the magazine “Boxing News” Andrew Newton wrote (excerpt of article): “The boxer in question is my cousin, Annie Newton. She was the undisputed lady boxer, ball puncher, and club swinging champion of the world. She was taught by her uncle Professor A. J. Newton (twice ABA Champion 1888 & 1890). He also wrote about her being banned by the Home Secretary when there was a female exhibition scheduled for her to fight a woman in a six-rounder.

Newton said, “Professor Newton formed the “Newton Midgets” which consisted of himself, Annie, her brother David and myself. We toured the most famous music halls in London, which included the Collins M.H. The Islington Empire, The Euston Theatre, and the Canterbury MH.”

In their act he said that in their act it consisted of club swinging, three kinds of ball punching which were the Overhead, The Wall Punch Ball, and the Ground Punching ball. He said while performing, Annie would play the piano, after that session was over she would put on boxing gloves and box three rounds with her brother David. After that she would go through the finer points of the Noble Art of Scientific Boxing with my father.

Newton said, “Annie held the unique record of being the first and only female to enter the boxing ring of the famous NSC Covent Garden. With my father and the two other midgets, we gave our usual exhibition. He said that Annie was very scientific she carried a terrific punch in both hands.”

His father’s boxing gym was located at 55 Barnsferry Road, Islington. Annie at that gym sparred a very young talented boxer Kid Logan. He got a little cocky and dropped his hands, and Annie immediately sank a left into Logan’s Solar Plexus, and crossed with a short right. Down went Logan spark out, and it took some time before he came around.

Although Annie never weighed over eight stones, Andrew Newton reported that Annie took part in 50 six-round contests, winning them all within the distance. He said that all of the bouts were always held private and there was always a large gathering of keen boxing fans. And that five of these bouts were held in South Africa.

According to Newton, Annie boxed in public in three-round exhibitions, against male opponents. She did this at the following places: Manor Hall, Hackney, the Alcazar, Edmonton, and at the Winter Gardens, Peckham. She also was reported to have sparred with Nipper Pat Daly when it was at the peak of his career.

MORE TIDBITS OF HISTORY ON ANNIE

Wiki wrote, “After losing two husbands in the First World War, she was left to raise her daughter Daisy alone as a widow. In order to financially support her family she gave boxing lessons to men in her uncle’s London gymnasium. She was eager to teach women, but found very few were willing to take up the sport. During the 1920s, Professor Andrew Newton formed a Women’s Boxing Club in London, of which Annie Newton was the most famous member.”
In June of 1925, she took part in a boxing tournament at the Alcazar, Edmonton. She was in the ring for over a half and hour sparring with three men, giving them two rounds each.

ANNIE BANNED BY THE HOME SECRETARY

On February of 1926, promoter Harry Abrahams, was attempting to promote a bout featuring Annie in an six-round exhibition (novelty) fight against England’s Madge Baker.

In what was considered a boxing scandal, Wiki reported the event as the following:

News of the event caused outrage and protest. Plans were made to summon a ‘town’s indignation meeting’ of local representatives with the aim of preventing the match. The campaign to stop the match was led by the Mayor of Hackney, Rev. W. Evans, who wrote to the Daily News “I regard this proposed exhibition of women boxers as a gratification of the sensual ideals of a crowd of vulgar men.” Evans appealed to the Home Secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks. The Home Secretary replied, “I should have no power to interfere, mainly, I think, because the Legislature never imagined that such a disgraceful exhibition would have been staged in this country…I hope and trust that the influence of decent public opinion will prevent such an outrage taking place.”

The event was banned by the Shoreditch Borough Council. The only vote in favour of the bout going ahead came from a women member who stated “that if the girls wanted to maul each other, she thought it was perfectly all right”.

Attempts were made to hold the match on 14th February at Manor Hall, Hackney. Rev. W. Evans wrote to the management to prevent this event from taking place. On hearing the match was again postponed. Ultimately Annie was only allowed to give an exhibition of her skill with the punchball. Link to Wiki for full details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Newton