Wrestling Matches at Lancashire Wakes and Rushbearings

[RuslanPashayev]

Wrestling Matches always were one of the traditional amusements at local Lancashire folk festivals like Wakes and Rushbearings. Currently only Saddleworth Rushbearings have wrestling contests as essential part of their annually held festivals. I would highly appreciate any information on wrestling championships at local folk festival. Thanks. Kind regards, Ruslan

[sallyyorks]

'Saddleworth' used to be in the West Riding of Yorkshire until the 1970's.

Brawling between young men from rival villages or towns was quite common at one time I think. This was how football (soccer) started maybe?

'Brawls' between rival rushbearers are mentioned on this site.
http://www.rushbearing.com/about_the_festival.html
quote
"Historically, the custom of 'rushbearing' was confined to the Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire and parts of Derbyshire. It was probably well before the 16th century that this late summer custom of replenishing the rushes used in the churches developed into an anticipated yearly festival.

From the early 18th Century, the focal point of these festivals in West Yorkshire and Cheshire was always the celebrated 'rushcart.' Rivalry between the supporters and builders of different carts was sometimes intense and open brawls often developed, no doubt assisted by the large amount of beer that had inevitably been consumed."

[RuslanPashayev]

Wow, Brilliant information, thanks so much for sharing, my sincere appreciation, I wonder why wrestling/brawling contests were discontinued at the Wakes and Rushbearings. I am pretty sure that may be till late 1840's it was still practiced everywhere. The oldest rushcarts were a Stalybridge Wakes. But there were some other quite famous wakes like Cheetham Hill, Oldham, Ashton, Rochdale. I think they still called it "village wakes" back then. In the mid 50s there was a big revival of those festivals, but wrestling wasnt brought back, and only in Saddleworth it was re-installed as part of it and now "morris-men" from different counties compete against each other for the championship.

[RuslanPashayev]

SADDLEWORTH WAKES WRESTLING CONTEST.