Dixie Brown

Dixie Brown
Dixie Brown, c. 1930
Born	Anthony George Charles 27 June 1900 Castries, Saint Lucia
Died	April 20, 1957(1957-04-20) (aged 56) Bristol
Nationality	British
Occupation	Boxer

Anthony George Charles, a boxer known as Dixie Brown, was born in Castries, Saint Lucia, 27 June 1900.^[1] He worked on the construction of the Panama Canal^[2] and emigrated to Cardiff, Wales in 1919. In the West Country of England, he survived by working as as a bare-knuckle boxer in fairground booths. He moved with his wife, Lily Sellick, to Bristol in 1923, and registered as a professional boxer, fighting 85 bouts in the 1920s and '30s, as welterweight and middleweight. He trained at the White Horse in Milk Street.^[3] He could not contest any British championships owing to the colour bar then in operation.^[4] He had two wins, both over one-time champion Billy Green, five losses and two draws in his professional career.^[5]

Brown started family life in the "tough neighbourhood" of Philadelphia Street, St Jude's. He was blinded in a fight in the 1930s and then moved with his family to Knowle West, Bristol after the Blitz.^[6] A collection was made to send him to the Catholic shrine of Lourdes in France, in search of a cure.^[4] He was visited by many African American soldiers during the Second World War, as they respected him as "a well known and a much admired character".^[1] Brown had nine children and thirty grand-children. One of his grandsons used to take him to his local public house, the Venture Inn, where he had his own special chair.^[6] He was popular and well respected throughout Bristol. Brown died in 1957 and is buried at Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol.^[1] Bristol historian Madge Dresser described him as "a family man who founded a virtual dynasty of Bristolians of mixed heritage, all of whom remember him with fondness."^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Dixie Brown Biography" (PDF). Bristol Ethnic Minority Achievement Service. 2009. p. 17–18. http://www.emas4success.org/acrobat/TeachingMaterials/Biographies/BlackBristolians/Dixie_Brown.pdf. Retrieved 9 July 2011. 
2. ^ Staff (17 October 2009). "2nd generation offspring of famed UK boxer visits St Lucia". The Voice, Saint Lucia. http://www.thevoiceslu.com/features/2009/october/17_10_09/2nd_generation_offspring_of_famed_UK_boxer_visits_St_Lucia.htm. Retrieved 9 July 2011. 
3. ^ Wilson, R. (29 June 1999). "We could make a book about the Pomphreys and boxing" (Subscription required). Bristol Times (Bristol Evening Post, archived at LexisNexis): p. 6–7. http://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/nexis/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T12319077115&format=GNBFI&sort=BOOLEAN&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T12319077118&cisb=22_T12319077117&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=166254&docNo=10. Retrieved 9 July 2011. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} "Dixie Brown" (PDF). cliftondiocese.com. 2007 [last update]. http://www.cliftondiocese.com/assets/files/pdf/2007/december/Dixie%20Brown.pdf. Retrieved 9 July 2011. 
5. ^ "Dixie Brown - Boxer". boxrec.com. 2011 [last update]. http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=214449&cat=boxer. Retrieved 9 July 2011. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "Dixie Brown". explore.englandspastforeveryone.org.uk. 2011 [last update]. http://explore.englandspastforeveryone.org.uk/items/dixie-brown. Retrieved 9 July 2011. 

External links

• Professional boxing record for Dixie Brown from BoxRec

Persondata
Name	Brown, Brown
Alternative names	Charles, Antoine George
Short description	Boxer
Date of birth	27 June 1900
Place of birth	Castries, Saint Lucia
Date of death	20 April 1957
Place of death	Bristol, England