Duck-baiting involved releasing apinioned duck on to apond. The dog dived into the pondcoursing the duck, which was unable to fly. A spectaculardiving exhibition ensued, as the duck dived the dog dived to pursue. Inevitably, the dog could not match the duck's speed underwater and would surface in rage. Spectators wouldgamble and joined in the noise to encourage their animal of choice. Those who backed the dog might throw stones at the duck in an attempt to disable it, which caused fights among the spectators. The dogs would take turns catching the duck. Prizes would be awarded to the dogs that caught the duck in the least amount of time.[1]
Strutt'sSports and Pastimes says of duck-baiting:
"another barbarous pastime and for the performance it is necessary to have recourse to a pond of water sufficiently extensive to give the duck plenty of room for making her escape from the dogs, when she is closely pursued; which she does by diving as often as any of them come near to her."[2]
^abcWright, Gordon (2006)The Dictionary of Pub Names Wordsworth Editions, Ware, Hertfordshire, England,page 116,ISBN1-84022-266-2
^Collins, Tony and Vamplew, Wray (2002)Mud, Sweat and Beers: A cultural history of sport and alcohol Berg, Oxford, England,page 8,ISBN1-85973-553-3
^Delderfield, Eric R. (1965)British inn signs and their stories E.R.D. Publications, Exmouth, England, page 77,ISBN0-7153-4022-0
^Walford, Edward, Old and New London, A Narrative of its History, its People and its Places.Illustrated with Numerous Engravings from the Most Authentic Sources. vol 6, 1872–78. Electronic Resource. Permanent URL:http://hdl.handle.net/10427/15579.
^"Have you seen in the neighbourhood of the church or churchyard duck-hunting or dogfighting?"-"There is scarcely a Sunday there is not. I have gone out with the greatest anxiety when my wife and family were going to church to protect them." James May, vestry clerk ofSt Matthew's, Bethnal Green, 1817: quoted inThe Times, 25 August 1834, p. 4
