27 Facts About Daniel Mendoza

Daniel Mendoza was an English prize fighter in the 1780s and 90s, and was an instructor of pugilism.

Daniel Mendoza's ancestors came from Jaen, Spain; they had emigrated to the Netherlands, which had a policy of toleration, where his grandfather was born.

Daniel Mendoza attended a Jewish school, Shaare Tikvah, where he was instructed in English grammar, writing and arithmetic, as well as Hebrew.

Daniel Mendoza grew up in London's East End in poor surroundings and worked as a glass cutter, labourer, assistant to a green grocer, and actor before taking up boxing as a profession.

Daniel Mendoza's first fight occurred in 1780 when he was 16.

The porter had demanded twice the agreed price for the consignment and Daniel Mendoza said the porter behaved in a manner unfit for a gentleman.

Humphries would later act as a manager for Daniel Mendoza, arranging training facilities and securing payment for fights.

The report read as follows: 'Monday, a pitched battle was fought near Wanstead, between Daniel Mendoza, the noted fighting Jew, and a tailor, of the Borough, which after a contest of 40 minutes was decided in favour of the tailor, to the no small disappointment and regret of the knowing ones'.

Daniel Mendoza noted that in the second bout Tyne fought with 'uncommon shyness' and that 'several sporting gentlemen assembled on this occasion'.

Daniel Mendoza used the money to open a boxing school in Capel Court.

The next phase of Daniel Mendoza's career was defined by a series of bouts with his former mentor and second Richard Humphries between 1787 and 1790.

Humphries replied Daniel Mendoza should make the same claim in the ring, and vowed to meet him.

Daniel Mendoza had trained for the bout at the Essex home of his principal Sir Thomas Apreece.

Poems and songs were written of Daniel Mendoza, he sat for portraits, and was asked to give boxing exhibitions at London's prestigious Covent Gardens.

Daniel Mendoza was paid 50 English pounds, an impressive sum in 1790, for several of his boxing demonstrations at Covent Gardens, which he conducted as often as three times a week.

Daniel Mendoza was believed to have 'derived his primitive knowledge of boxing from the tuition of his elegant rival Humphreys; but he so rapidly improved upon the system of his master, as to remain several years without a rival'.

At around this time Daniel Mendoza was employed as a recruiting Sargent.

Daniel Mendoza managed to come back up to scratch after this, but was knocked out.

Daniel Mendoza asked for a foul for the hair pulling, but it was ruled to be legal at the time.

Daniel Mendoza retired after his loss, and though he attempted boxing comebacks, he never again enjoyed the same-size audiences or received large purses.

In 1799, Daniel Mendoza contracted a debt and ended in Carlisle Prison.

On 21 March 1806, at Grinstead Green, Daniel Mendoza returned to the ring and defeated the taller Harry Lee in 53 rounds.

Daniel Mendoza turned down a number of offers for re-matches and in 1807 wrote a letter to The Times of London in which he said he was devoting himself chiefly to teaching the art of boxing.

Daniel Mendoza published his third book, the autobiographical Memoirs of the Life of Daniel Mendoza, in 1816.

Daniel Mendoza made his last public appearance as a boxer on 4 July 1820, one day short of his 56th birthday, at Banstead Downs in a grudge match against former boxer Thomas Owen, at that point a London innkeeper and five years younger than Mendoza.

Daniel Mendoza died on 3 September 1836 at the age of 72, reportedly at his home in Horseshoe Alley on London's Petticoat Lane, leaving his wife Ester and family of eleven in poverty.

Daniel Mendoza was initially buried in the Nuevo Sephardic Cemetery, a Jewish Cemetery near Mile End, now part of the campus of Queen Mary University of London and later reburied in Brentwood Jewish Cemetery in Essex, England.