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Sarah Elizabeth Cox

@oispooky.bsky.social

5.4K followers 660 following 3.2K posts

👩🏻‍💻 PR @britsciassoc.bsky.social 🥊 1880s boxing + wrestling historian 📕 THE DEVIL'S DANCE FLOOR (Duckworth, 2026/27) ✍🏻 Moscow, Munroe, Goodson, Wannop, Smith, Ball &c. 🤜🏻 Advisor #AThousandBlows 🏖️ Clacton-on-Sea 🖤 www.grapplingwithhistory.com

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 4d

Seconds out! Round one!

THE DEVIL'S DANCE FLOOR

This isn't an official announcement from Duckworth. It's a page from my agent's newsletter and book fair rights catalogue, which is public. So, a tiny-text soft launch? Details subject to change.

A lot of thank yous and less Disney, to come.

🐻🥊👊🏾👊🏻🦁🍺

Page from literary agency Curious Minds rights guide for Frankfurt Book Fair etc. Alongside a photo of me looking slightly drunk and a lot hostile, it says, in tiny font:

NEW DEALS
AGENT - Eli Keren
PUBLISHER - Duckworth
PUBLICATION - Spring 2027
STATUS - Manuscript due April 2026
LENGTH - 80,000 words
RIGHTS SOLD
World English (Duckworth)
The Devil’s Dance Floor
Late-Victorian London and the Last Bareknuckle Boys
SARAH ELIZABETH COX
An 1880s’ group biography of the last of Britain’s
bareknuckle boxers from the historical consultant behind
A Thousand Blows (Disney+/Hulu)
THE DEVIL’S DANCE FLOOR is the first popular book from Sarah Elizabeth Cox,
the historical consultant behind Steven Knight’s television series A Thousand Blows
and author of the historical blog ‘Grappling with History’.
A group biography of Victorian boxers, THE DEVIL’S DANCE FLOOR is a cultural
history that does far more than recount the true story behind the fictionalized
version now streaming. Taking a narrative approach, Cox charts the decline of
bareknuckle boxing over the 1880s, and, in doing so, explores subjects ranging
from policing and healthcare to the press and entertainment – all while offering a
personal-scale view of the melting point of Victorian London (think Hallie
Rubenhold’s The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper but
with a lot more getting punched in the face).
The subjects themselves hail from as far afield as London’s East End and the North
to the United States and the Caribbean. Each has a unique story to tell and reveals
something not only about our shared history but also about the world we live in
today.
Sarah Elizabeth Cox was a historical consultant on season one and two of Steven Knight's
1880s’ boxing and crime TV drama A Thousand Blows. She researches biographies of
Victorian and Edwardian boxers and wrestlers for her website ‘Grappling with History’ and
works as the British Science Association’…

1888 portrait of boxer Hezekiah Moscow, a slim Black or Black/East Asian mixed heritage man, taken by Harry Carpenter. He is shirtless, fists raised, wearing white tights and a chequered sash at the waist. There are painted palms on the studio backdrop.

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 8h

There's a new book coming out next year called Amazons of the Arena ed. by academics at University of Texas and Uni. Ulster - a global women's wrestling history. I am contributing a chapter on a 6ft 2, 252lb, Edwardian UK Lady Wrestler, her identity, & bigger female bodies in wrestling generally! :)

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Reposted by Sarah Elizabeth Cox

Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 15h

This month in 1909 -

Lady Wrestler Violet Stanley, who had recently performed at the Agricultural Hall, Islington was imprisoned for three months for keeping a brothel. She was later done for sex work as Emily Baillie, and in 1911 for using counterfeit coins in Newcastle as Rose Daley.

LADY WRESTLER SENT TO PRISON At the Clerkenwell Police-court on Saturday afternoon, Bertram Young, 26, described as a salesman, and Violet Stanley, 22, a “lady wrestler,” were charged with assisting in the management of a brothel at Caledonian-road, between the 11th and 17th September. Mr Bramall prosecuted for the Islington Borough Council, and Mr. Harry Ricketts appeared for the defence. Sub-divisional Inspector Rogers, G division, executed the warrant, after the usual police observation, and in the coarse of the case it was stated that both the prisoners had travelled the country as wrestlers - the lady having given an exhibition side show in the Agricultural hall. The couple had cohabited together. When the police raided the premises in Caledonian-road a loaded revolver, ready cocked, and two "life preservers” were found there.

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 13h

Hah, it's all so seedy! Bertram has a long record stretching from age 16 well into his 40s - proper wrong 'un - but I can't trace what happens to Violet/Emily/Rose after the Newcastle events in 1911 which involved a chap called Ernest...

Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 15h

Oh, Bert!

From the long list of criminal charges and convictions of Bertram Young. This one says 'Stealing one case and 600 pairs of knickers'. He was actually found not guilty of this particular one.

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 15h

Steven Knight should definitely pay me to source characters for TV shows. Oh, wait.

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 15h

I'm in day job / mum / omg it's nearly the weekend mode and don't have time to follow up in detail right now, BUT Bertram Young alias Bertrand Jones alias Bertram Adolphus was a lifelong ROGUE and VAGABOND. Mad he served longer for stealing margarine than he did for assaulting a cop though, hah...

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 15h

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 18h

Does 1880s boxers whacking down a glass of sherry and an egg for breakfast count? 💪🏻🥚🥃

Conor Heffernan @physcstudy.bsky.social · 18h

To mark the release of my new book, When Fitness Went Global: The Rise of Physical Culture in the Nineteenth Century (Bloomsbury, 2025), I’m giving away a copy.

To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition

I’ll pick a winner next week.

#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory

Reposted by Sarah Elizabeth Cox

Spitalfields Life @thegentleauthor.bsky.social · 18h

I am giving an illustrated lecture of Spitalfields & Whitechapel in Old Photographs on Thursday 16th October at 7pm at the Hanbury Hall in Hanbury St, E1 6QR. Tickets shorturl.at/I0Ywf

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 19h

Having JUST written this week for my book on the incredible funeral procession of a boxer who died tragically young, the photographs from Ricky Hatton's are even more moving -

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cy...

PA photos from the funeral procession of boxer Ricky Hatton in Manchester, showing floral tributes spelling out RICKY and HATTON, his Only Fools and Horses yellow car on the back of a truck, a young boy on shoulders with flowers.

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 20h

If you can smell someone's vintage corduroy from afar, they might want to consider a trip to the launderette instead of the market...

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 20h

Hah! They're v. silly creatures. Mine's 22 months & he's just learned how to put the yoghurt pot or pouch in the bin when he's finished. But of course, the spoon HAS to go in there as well. Then he gives himself a round of applause. Makes a change to it being my phone or the TV remote, I guess... 😅

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 20h

I had to open three different yoghurts today, following the request for yoghurt, and only the third one was acceptable, but only with the second spoon option, as the first spoon (the same as the second spoon, but a different colour) was also completely incorrect.

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 20h

I don't disagree. I'm in Jaywick several times a week (the council has a LOT to answer for - they'd never let burnt out buildings sit there like this in Frinton for years). But why isn't Farage getting an easy win (and thousands of votes next time!) by saying or doing ANYTHING about it...

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 21h

This is how it's going in Jaywick, the poorest end of the constituency.

Plots of seafront land with burnt out homes and piles of junk from a fire in June 2024 which left several families, kids, dogs, and erm... pigs (don't ask) homeless. What could be prime coastal property is left to rot and become a public dump.

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 21h

Oh there's a new high-end opticians right next to Boots and Specsavers. Never seen anyone go in or out. Their doors were smashed in within weeks of opening. Can't see it lasting a year.

Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 21h

At least one more bank has closed. Wetherspoons still smells like decomposing mice. There's a new cat cafe and the gay Jewish bagel place has moved into a bigger shop? SOME hope Pure Gym may be taking over derelict Carpet Right. Erm, think that's about it...

Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 21h

Thank you! I appreciate your comment :) We usually we get "you get what you vote for, you're all racists, you deserve him" on social media. An attitude that isn't correct or helpful!

Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 22h

I've got quite a lot of jobs but at least ten less jobs than Nigel Farage and at least some of them are, hopefully, contributing to society eh, if not my bank balance.

Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 22h

They're welcome to get in touch - I've done a few interviews with Guardian, Mirror and US TV previously about it all.

Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 22h

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 22h

My tanned from pram pushing arm is pointing at old newspapers in the British Library!

Excited to be presenting research on 1880s boxer Alec Munroe to 1000s of GCSE students across the UK next Monday at the National Archives event, Archives Live: Whitechapel🥊

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/archives-l...

A woman's hand with nice red fingernails points at an 1885 copy of the Illustrated Police News, a newspaper with lots of black and white cartoons of murders and other dramatic events on the cover

A pink, orange and green comic strip style artwork depicting Charles Boothe, some Irish immigrants to Victorian London, a match girl, cop, and a Jamaican boxer in a suit, fists raised

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 22h

The total disinterest and lethargy from the other parties was just awful. I'm looking at the Greens and Lib Dems for next time. Clacton has NEVER had a non Tory or Ukip and never had a woman. But never say never, eh!

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 22h

During the campaign, we got one flyer through early from Labour and zilch other campaign material from any other party. But Reform bombarded us all with leaflets and letters. Even one from Ann Widdecombe, who I thought was dead 😂 They drove electric billboards & buses up and down past my flat etc.

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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 22h

I was so so angry about that whole situation. And Jovan still got a decent number of votes, to be honest! He was fantastic. I'm as angry at Labour for what they did, treating him and all of us here with contempt, than I am at Reform directly.

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