Annie Newton

Annie Newton

Annie Newton depicted with a male opponent.
Personal information
Nationality	British
Born	1893
Died	1955
Residence	Marylebone
Occupation	Boxer
Height	5 ft (152 cm)
Weight	108 lb (49 kg)

Annie Newton was London’s first and principal woman boxer, claimed during her time to be “the greatest woman boxer in the world."

Newton was the niece of ‘Professor’ Andrew Newton, lightweight boxing champion (1888-1890) and boxing instructor.

She was unwell as a child. Following a visit to her uncle’s gymnasium he was shocked by her pale appearance and began to train her to improve her health, which she later claimed saved her from an early death. He taught her to punch the bag and later, “for his amusement”, to spar.

From the age of 10, she appeared in stage shows and fairground tents sparring with men, raising money for various charities. She reportedly boxed everyday for fourteen years.

After losing two husbands in the First World War, she was left to raise her daughter Daisy alone as a widow. In order to financially support her family she gave boxing lessons to men in her uncle's London gymnasium. She was eager to teach women, but found very few were willing to take up the sport. During the 1920s, Professor Andrew Newton formed a Women's Boxing Club in London, of which Annie Newton was the most famous member.

In June 1925, she took part in a boxing tournament at the Alcazar, Edmonton. She was in the ring for over an half and hour sparring with three men, giving them two rounds each.

She could bunch a bag 900 times without missing.

On Monday 8 February 1926, an exhibition match of six rounds was arranged at the Hoxton Baths between Newton and Madge Baker. Baker was the other woman boxer in England and a student of Digger Stanley. The promoter, Harry Abrahams, later stated that it was not billed as a contest but was meant to be a novelty.

News of the event caused outrage and protest. Plans were made to summon a 'town's indignation meeting' of local representatives with the aim of preventing the match. The campaign to stop the match was led by the Mayor of Hackney, Rev. W. Evans, who wrote to the Daily News "I regard this proposed exhibition of women boxers as a gratification of the sensual ideals of a crowd of vulgar men." Evans appealed to the Home Secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks. The Home Secretary replied "I should have no power to interfere, mainly, I think, because the Legislature never imagined that such a disgraceful exhibition would have been staged in this country...I hope and trust that the influence of decent public opinion will prevent such an outrage taking place."