Bull baiting collar, Kingswinford

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Date:1800 - 1825 (c.)

Description:A rope bull baiting collar attached to an iron chain and a severed length of rope which would have originally been about 30 feet or so (10 metres) in length. The collar is secured by an iron bolt. The collar belonged to Joseph Henry Meece of Kingswinford, and had originally been used at fairs in Kingswinford or Brierley Hill in the early 19th century. The collar would have been used to tether the bull to a ring or post and the enraged bull would then be baited with terriers.

Bull baiting was a popular form of recreation but began to die out in the early 19th century, partly because of fears of public disorder but also because of increasing concerns about animal cruelty. It was particularly popular in the Black Country. Bull baiting was finally outlawed with the introduction of the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1835, but occasional illegal events took place later on in the 19th century.

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Donor ref:2019.023.0001 lr (37/44988)

Source: Staffordshire Museum Service

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