We’ll be exploring the lives of some of the all-time-great cockers of England and the world up to that time, including Edward Smith-Stanley, The 12th Earl of Derby and some of his contemporaries, including William Tregonwell Frampton, William “Bill” Gilliver, Joe Gilliver and Paul Potter.
At the end of the 1600s, cockfighting was about as prevalent among the British as it…
At its height in the 17th and 18th centuries, cocking permeated British culture without exclusion, occupying crown, court, church and countryman for centuries. Called the “Pleasure of Princes” or the “Royal Pasttime” in books from that time, it was at the same time a rabble darling, a people’s diversion.
Puerto Rican cockers currently have an appeal pending in the First Circuit Court in Boston which challenges the constitutionality of the ban and also argues the cockers were entitled and did not receive due process of law prior to the prohibition. Oral arguments were made earlier this month, and gamefowl community awaits the decision of the court judges.
In this episode, we hear the story of Tommy Carrano and also talk to the gamefowl show standards expert, the chicken-man’s chicken expert, Anthony Saville.
Bloodline explores the largely unwritten history and culture of the gamefowl community, including but not limited to the ancient past time of cockfighting.