Historical information

William Abednego Thompson (11 October 1811 – 23 August 1880), also known as Bendigo Thompson, was an English bare-knuckle boxer who won the heavyweight championship of England from James Burke on 12 February 1839.[3] He was inducted into The Ring magazine Hall of Fame in 1955, the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991[3] and the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011. His nickname of "Bendigo" lives on in the name of a city and creek in Australia. (Wikipedia)

Physical description

Front cover of forty-two page magazine: pink heading with 'Australian Ring' inscribed in black text. Jan-Feb 1962 and 2/6 in top right hand corner. Photo of two boxers fighting below title, which contains an article on William Thompson, listed on the front page as 'Bold Bendigo'.
Article regarding William Thompson ' Did Boxer Give Name to Victorian City?' by James G. Harrison, President Royal Historical Society of Victoria, Bendigo and District Branch, on page 28 and 29, details Thompson's boxing story and allegedly, how his fighting name came to be the name of the city of Bendigo. The text is annotated in dark blue biro, refuting some of the claims made in it regarding the early days on the field, and particularly in relation to Tom Myers.
Copy of article attached to foolscap lined paper, with brown adhesive tape, enclosed with magazine.

Inscriptions & markings

On bottom of page 28, in pen, 'This is in conflict with Richard Grice's letters of the early 1840's. Thos Myers did not employ anyone. Myers worked for Heape and Grice who brought him out from England with them in 1839' ( arrow pointing to text where it is stated that a 'sailor abandoned his calling and followed him....after working for Myers for a year or two')
Second annotation in right hand margin: ' An extraordinary confusion of facts! According to James Mouat, a reliable witness of the period, Thos Myers built Bendigo's hut (about early 1840) for Sherritt when he (Myers) was still Heape and Grice's overseer'.