|
Corporal John Shaw Life Guardsman and prizefighter |
|
On 15th October 1807 Shaw enlisted in the Life Guards in London. By then he was 18 years old, stood 6 feet tall and weighed around 15 stone. With the support of officers in his regiment he had prospered as a prizefighter and his fame grew. Some accounts say that he fought and beat Tom Molineux, the black American former slave, who had fought and lost twice to Tom Cribb for what was in effect the unofficial World Championship.
Shaw’s last appearance in the ring was two months before Waterloo. A massive crowd turned out to see the fight at Hounslow Heath between Shaw and a man named Ned Painter, inferior in height and weight to Shaw and in poorer condition and preparation due to his release only that morning from Fleet prison. He was very highly rated, however. So much so that one of his seconds was none other than Tom Cribb. Contemporary accounts described it as piteous to witness the punishment handed out by Shaw, but Painter was a game opponent and pluckily struggled on until, after 28 minutes of pounding, he was unable to continue and Shaw was declared the winner. So impressive was Shaw that it is almost certain that he would next have challenged Tom Cribb for the championship of All England had he not been called away on active service.
|
|
Corporal John Shaw engaged with cuirassiers at the battle of Waterloo
|
|
Next to the Duke of Wellington and one or two of the senior commanders Corporal John Shaw of the Life Guards was probably the most well known man in the British army at the time of Waterloo due to his activities as a prizefighter. Son of a Nottinghamshire farmer, he was born in 1789. His first fight took place outside his native village of Wollaton when he was about 16. The story goes that young John was losing the fight when a powerful looking man pushed his way into the ring and told John how to beat his opponent who was more experienced and 3 stone heavier. Within a few minutes he had turned the tables and won the fight. The coach was none other than Jem Belcher, one of the most renowned prizefighters of the era and the then current champion of all England. |
|
At Waterloo Shaw took part in the charge of the Union and Household Brigades against D’Erlon’s Corps and also the counter attacks against the French cavalry in mid afternoon. The popular accounts, possibly exaggerated, describe him as having accounted for nine cuirassiers and also saving the life of an officer. On his final charge he found himself surrounded by French cavalrymen. He fought bravely against overwhelming odds, using his helmet as a club after breaking his sword. He was finally shot by a standing cuirassier who took careful aim with his carbine and felled Shaw. He was later found by a wounded comrade near La Haye Saint still alive but covered in wounds. He knew it was all up, saying to his comrade “Ah, my dear fellow, I’m done for”. The comrade faded into unconsciousness and when he came to Shaw was no more, having died from a loss of blood from a variety of wounds rather than the magnitude of any one.
Interestingly, in his autobiography “The Recollections of Sergeant Morris” Tom Morris writes of having Shaw pointed out to him at Waterloo. He makes disparaging remarks, however, about the mode of Shaw’s death, claiming that he was drunk and needlessly left the ranks of his regiment to launch himself on a suicidal charge into the midst of the French cavalry, running “a-muck” and being cut down by the French as a madman. It appears, however, that Morris did not witness this event and was probably relying on hearsay from people who may have envied Shaw because of his celebrity. Who will ever know?
Shaw is not forgotten. In the churchyard at Cossall, the Nottinghamshire village where he grew up, there is a splendid monument dedicated to Shaw and two of his fellow Waterloo Life guardsmen, Richard Waplington and Thomas Wheatley, all local men. Erected in 1877 at a cost of over £100 raised by public subscription. |
|
TOM CRIBB |
|
Tom Cribb fights Tom Molineux |
|
If you have surfed directly to this page you might be interested to know that this is part of the web site of Waterloo Battlefield Tours For details of our tours click on Rifleman Coleston’s top hat |
