Bella was married to boxer (and bank robber, see OldTimeMusicHall) Dick Burge. They took on the lease of the Surrey Chapel, an ex-chapel which had become a boxing ring in 1910. Renamed "The Ring" it became one of the first indoor venues for working class boxing. Bella and her female friends attended the boxing bouts, which was very unusual at that date. Dick died in 1919 and Bella carried on the Ring, expanding into all-in wrestling in 1932. Bombs in 1940 and 1941 destroyed the building and the site was redeveloped, most recently into the Palastra Building. This information all comes from the wonderful Nickel in the Machine, where you will find some fascinating pictures.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Bella Burge
Commemorated ati
Other Subjects
Nathaniel Charles Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, OM, GBE, CVO, FRCA, FBA, FKC
Investment banker. We cannot find any specific connection between Lord Rothschild and Laurence Olivier, upon whose statue his name as a benefactor appears. We asked our colleague, Andrew Behan, to...
1 memorial
Salmon & Gluckstein
Tobacco retailer which become the largest tobacco sellers in the UK, with over 140 retail outlets. Samuel Gluckstein (1821-73) was born in Rheinberg, Prussia (now Germany) on 4 January 1821, the s...
1 memorial
Thomas Twining
The Twickenham plaque is mistaken about his role as founder of Twining's Tea, since that company was founded in 1706 by a Thomas Twining, born in 1675. The Twining's website shows no interest in th...
1 memorial
1 memorial
Old Serjeant's Inn
There is a 53 page, privately printed history of the Old Serjeants Inn, published in 1912 by the Law Union and Rock Insurance Company Ltd, who acquired the property in 1909.
1 memorial
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