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
Alfred Phillips
Composer, publisher, piano dealer. Alfred William Phillips was born in Whitechapel to a family in 'trade', one of which was a music shop, where he learnt piano tuning. When he started his own busin...
4 memorials
W. D. Lambert
Works director of the Brilliant Sign Company in 1938.
1 memorial
Sir Mohammed Anwar Pervez, OBE
Trustee of The Memorial Gates Trust. Mohammed Anwar Pervez was born on 15 March 1935 in Rawalpindi, India (now Pakistan). Our Picture Source and his Wikipedia page give much information about the ...
1 memorial
Commercial Motor Users of Hackney
The name suggest a group of local business people coming together around the use of new-fangled motor-powered conveyances. The text of the plaque tells us that they also had charitable activities. ...
1 memorial
1 memorial