Rat Baiting: A Cruel Victorian Sport
Rat baiting was a cruel sport very popular in the 19th century: at a rat pit, spectators made bets on how many rats a dog could kill in a given time. Billy, a famous rat baiting terrier, set the record by killing 100 rats in five and a half minutes.
One of the most fascinating illustrations in the Victorian Picture Library is an engraving dated c1825 which depicts rat baiting. This was one of the most popular gambling spectator sports in Britain in the 19th century – there were about 70 rat pits in London then. Although the Cruelty to Animals Act, which prohibited bull and bear baiting, was passed in 1835, rat baiting was not prohibited.
The smoky, smelly rat pit
At a typical London rat pit the spectators went down a steep wooden stair into a large underground cellar. It was full of smoke, and the stench of rats, dogs, dirty human beings, and stale flat beer was almost unbearable. Gas lights illuminated the ring, which was enclosed by wood barriers and similar to a small Roman circus arena. Here the crowd came to watch dog fights, cockfights and rat baiting. On a typical night a hundred rats were tossed into the pit, and sizeable wagers went back and forth on whose dog could kill the most rats within a minute. The dogs were skilled killers - a grip, a toss and it was all over for the rat.
Billy, a famous rat baiting terrier
The dogs used in rat baiting were usually working terriers, specially bred for the sport – many of these terriers had sporting pedigrees going back many generations. One of the most celebrated rat baiting dogs of all was Billy (depicted in the Victorian Picture Library illustration), descended from a long line of sporting dogs and bred by a breeder famous in his time.
Billy wins a wager and sets a record
In 1822, lovers of rat baiting enjoyed a frenzied bout at the Cockpit, Westminster. Willing punters bet twenty sovereigns that Billy could kill a hundred rats in just twelve minutes. The rats were turned out on the floor, which was whitened so that the rats would be easily visible. Then the battle began, and Billy got quickly down to business. After four and three quarter minutes, his head was covered with blood and gore, and he was lifted out and washed and given water to cool his throat. Then he was dropped back in again, and the spectators watched the unfortunate rats struggling to evade his claws by desperately trying to climb up the walls of the pit out of the ring. But in twos and threes he caught them, and their mangled corpses were strewn across the floor. Some tried to fight back by seizing Billy by the ears, but the dog was much stronger and more powerful and lashed out time and again until they were overcome. After seven and a quarter minutes, Billy won the wager, to huge cheers. He was patted and made a fuss of by the lucky punters.
Billy set a rat baiting world record on 22 April 1823 by killing 100 rats in five and a half minutes – this record stood until 1862. Billy fought on in the rat pit until old age caught up with him.
The end of the rat baiting era
By the end of the Victorian era, rat baiting had lost its popularity. The Queen’s fondness for animals, especially dogs, encouraged the growing tendency towards kindness to all living creatures. Indeed, the promoter of the last rat baiting competition (in Leicester in 1912) was prosecuted and heavily fined.
The smoky, smelly rat pit
At a typical London rat pit the spectators went down a steep wooden stair into a large underground cellar. It was full of smoke, and the stench of rats, dogs, dirty human beings, and stale flat beer was almost unbearable. Gas lights illuminated the ring, which was enclosed by wood barriers and similar to a small Roman circus arena. Here the crowd came to watch dog fights, cockfights and rat baiting. On a typical night a hundred rats were tossed into the pit, and sizeable wagers went back and forth on whose dog could kill the most rats within a minute. The dogs were skilled killers - a grip, a toss and it was all over for the rat.
Billy, a famous rat baiting terrier
The dogs used in rat baiting were usually working terriers, specially bred for the sport – many of these terriers had sporting pedigrees going back many generations. One of the most celebrated rat baiting dogs of all was Billy (depicted in the Victorian Picture Library illustration), descended from a long line of sporting dogs and bred by a breeder famous in his time.
Billy wins a wager and sets a record
In 1822, lovers of rat baiting enjoyed a frenzied bout at the Cockpit, Westminster. Willing punters bet twenty sovereigns that Billy could kill a hundred rats in just twelve minutes. The rats were turned out on the floor, which was whitened so that the rats would be easily visible. Then the battle began, and Billy got quickly down to business. After four and three quarter minutes, his head was covered with blood and gore, and he was lifted out and washed and given water to cool his throat. Then he was dropped back in again, and the spectators watched the unfortunate rats struggling to evade his claws by desperately trying to climb up the walls of the pit out of the ring. But in twos and threes he caught them, and their mangled corpses were strewn across the floor. Some tried to fight back by seizing Billy by the ears, but the dog was much stronger and more powerful and lashed out time and again until they were overcome. After seven and a quarter minutes, Billy won the wager, to huge cheers. He was patted and made a fuss of by the lucky punters.
Billy set a rat baiting world record on 22 April 1823 by killing 100 rats in five and a half minutes – this record stood until 1862. Billy fought on in the rat pit until old age caught up with him.
The end of the rat baiting era
By the end of the Victorian era, rat baiting had lost its popularity. The Queen’s fondness for animals, especially dogs, encouraged the growing tendency towards kindness to all living creatures. Indeed, the promoter of the last rat baiting competition (in Leicester in 1912) was prosecuted and heavily fined.
Billy the famous rat baiting terrier
An engraving showing Billy the rat baiting terrier at work in a London pit during the early 19th century
An engraving showing Billy the rat baiting terrier at work in a London pit during the early 19th century
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