Andrew Jephtha

Andrew Daries Jephtha (30 December 1879 – 1931) was the first black boxer to win a British boxing title, winning the welterweight title in London on 25 March 1907. However, Jephtha is not often recognised as the first black British boxing champion.

Early life

Andrew Jeptha was born on 30 December 1879 in Cape Town, Cape Colony. He was the son of a Cape Town carpenter and was educated at the Marist Brothers School in Hope Street, Cape Town. He came to England in 1902 after winning a boxing competition in South Africa organised by visiting world champion Kid McCoy. He married Abby Mitchell (born 2 December 1881 in Adlington, Lancashire) in 1904 in the District of St Marylebone, London. They had four children. Abby Mitchell was the daughter of Charles Mitchell and Mary Ellen Hope. Her parents ran the Cardwell Arms pub in Chorley Road, Adlington.

Career

Jeptha became a professional boxer in South Africa before the age of 18 years, fighting as a professional in the Vaudeville Theatre and also in Fillis' Circus. He started his boxing career in England as a booth fighter and was reportedly a big attraction for Peddlar McMahon who operated a booth-fighting business.

He had 74 fights in his career, winning 32 (KO 21), losing 27 (KO11) and drawing 6. He was a popular and well known boxer. Stories about him often appeared in newspapers and he was known as "le Negre" in France and as "the Boer" in Ireland. on 25 March 1907, when he knocked out Curly Watson in the fourth round. The fight was arranged for a purse of five hundred and fifty pounds. At the time, Watson (who was also known as Robert Watson, Curley Watson and Seaman Watson) was the boxing champion of the Royal Navy. Curly Watson later died of injuries sustained in a fight with Frank Inglis in London on 5 March 1910. Jeptha had been having problems with damage to his eyesight since before the March 1907 title fight and had received treatment at the Moorfields Eye Hospital, and now had blurred vision.

Jeptha did not hold onto the title for long. He was defeated by Joe White in October 1909 and the sight in his right eye was permanently damaged during this contest. However, he continued to box until he was injured in a fight with Joe White in July 1910. Apparently, the famous referee John Douglas and his son Johnny Douglas, together with other prominent sportsman, tried to help him earn a living. Andrew Jeptha was in hospital in Liverpool for a while, but unfortunately nothing could be done to save his sight. His supporters bought him a tobacconist and confectionery shop in Walthamstow, but he was unable to make a go of it because of his lack of sight. 05

Andrew Jeptha died in South Africa in 1931.