Image ID: 11986

The Bendigo, Sneinton, c 1992

Courtesy of Mrs Brenda M Hadley

Nottingham, Sneinton
England

The 'Bendigo' shown with the statue of the boxer Bendigo on the flat roof. Born in 1811, one of three triplets and the last of 21 children. He became a bare fist fighter and was the unbeaten English champion throughout a career spanning 20 years. His real name was William Abednego Thompson. He started boxing at the age of 16, and retired at the age of 40 after beating his final opponent after 49 rounds. His fighting life spilled over into his private life and he became a drunkard and was imprisoned on 28 occasions. Towards the end of his life he repented, turned religious and became famous as a preacher. He died in 1880 and is buried in Bath Street Rest Garden. His grave is marked by a stone where it is the only memorial not to have been moved. A town in New South Wales is named after him. Sneinton is one of the oldest parts of Nottingham. It has Nottingham's only surviving windmill, the birthplace of the founder of the Salvation Army, William Booth, and the home of the internationally famous scientist George Green. It also has remains of cave dwellings and the parish church, St Stephen's. Sneinton was originally called 'Notintone' but by 1194 the present name was recorded and has remained unchanged through the centuries. Formed about 900 AD, until 1877 Sneinton remained a seperate community from the city. It covered a large rural area bounded by the river Trent downstream to Colwick Park, following a line North to the top of Colwick woods, across Sneinton Dale and Carlton Road, turning to run along the line of Gordon Road down to Sneinton market, returning to the river along a course parallel with and to the East of London Road. Sneinton officially became part of the city of Nottingham in 1877.

Date: 1992

Organisation Reference: NCCK000965

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