Now there is much debate as to when the word "boxers" was applied to this type of underwear, and some sites put the first English usage to as late as the Second World War, when it was heard from the mouths of visiting G.I.s.
We definitely know that it was an American word, and legend has it that it refers to the time when the old thick material shorts which needed to be supported by leather belts, were replaced by more modern ones with elasticated waists - and that to differentiate between the two, the newer style were advertised as modern boxer shorts.
Arthur Evernden was born in 1886, in Erith, Kent, and boxed between 1908 and 1920, some sixty-nine bouts, of which he won thirty-nine.
His first match was at the Camberwell Public Baths, opened in 1892 as a place for local men, and also ladies, in a separate area, simply to take a bath, or do their laundry. The baths were sorely needed, as many of the local homes did not have baths, or a place to hang out washing. When it came to winter, the swimming pool section was deemed unnecessary, and it was closed, but it was soon decided that instead of leaving the space unused, a floor could be laid above it and it could be used for other sports and entertainments. The first boxing match was in 1908, but I am not sure if Mr. Evernden was involved in that, because his match took place late in the year, on November the 30th, against a fairly local opponent, Bert Langford of Deptford.
This card mentions. that was on May the 21st, but not that Harry Duncan was from Holloway, nor that this "Wonderland" was in Whitechapel. There was another, in Paris, where he fought a man called "Eustache", on March the 18th, 1911. Mr. Evernden was a regular at the Whitechapel "Wonderland", and first fought Aschel "Young" Joseph, from Aldgate, there - on June the 11th, 1910.
On January the 23rd, 1911, our man reportedly won the British Welterweight Championship, at the Ring, in Blackfriars, beating the current holder, who was Aschel "Young" Joseph. It appears that he won not because he was better, but because his opponent was disqualified for holding on to our man, which was against the rules. However I cannot find this win anywhere, and all boxing sites say that "Young Joseph" held the belt continuously from October 1908 until May 1912.
The same year, Arthur Evernden tried for the French World Championship, against Georges Carpentier, but lost. However, he was greatly attracted to Paris, and decided to stay on, something which would cost him dear, as, on March the 8th, 1912, his opponent, Raphael Bell, aged just twenty-two, died, from cerebral hemorrhage, after a match, and the police were called in, arresting our man. This led to several changes in the sport, and for the better, but there is no record of any actions against Mr. Everndon. It also did not stop our man`s trip, as he is recorded as taking part in a match, in Paris, on March the 24th - and, more intriguingly, he left the country to come back to England to contest the British Welterweight Title against Johnny Summers of Canning Town, and returned to France straight after, something which might have been difficult if he was under suspicion of murder. He seems to have only left France in January 1913, coming back to England, where his career continued.
Between May and August of that year he received an offer of touring Australia. He liked that country as well, and decided to make it official and emigrate. And he boxed on, through the war, into the 1920s.
However after the 1920s he seems to have disappeared. And all we know is that he died, in Australia, in 1942.
This is an unusual set, as a lot of collectors think it was issued in the British Isles, but it was not, it was a general overseas issue. And it is also exactly the same as the set issued with Wills` "Scissors" brand, in India. The two make their appearance in our Wills reference book part four, together, as :
- 153. 36. BOXERS (adopted title). Size 63 x 36 m/m. Unnumbered. Fronts lithographed in colour. Backs with brief descriptive text. Issued 1911-1912.
A. "Scissors" Issue : Backs in red, with illustration of open "Scissors" packet.
B. General Overseas Issue : Backs in green, star and circle trade mark.
1. Corpl. Baker, British
2. Peter Brown, British
3. Sid Burns, British
4. Tommy Burns (Noah Brusso), American
5. Young Cohen, British
6. Johnny Condon, British
7. P O Curran, British
8. Jim Driscoll, British
9. Arthur Evernden, British
10. Joe Gans, American (coloured)
11. Jack Goldswain, British
12. George Gunther, American (coloured)
13. Seaman Hayes (Arthur Hayes), British
14. Johnny Hughes, British
15. Peter Jackson, Australian (coloured)
16. Joe Jeanette, American (coloured)
17. Jim Jeffries, American
18. Jack Johnson, American (coloured)
19. Battling Jim Johnson, American (coloured)
20. Jim Kenrick, British
21. Bill Lang (Wm. Llan Franchi), Australian
22. Sam Langford, American (coloured)
23. Packy McFarland (Patrick McFarland), American
24. Owen Moran, British
25. Seaman Parsons, British
26. Bandsman Rice, British
27. Spike Robson (Frank Robson), British
28. Private Smith, British
29. Bill Squires, Australian
30. Digger Stanley, British
31. Jim Sullivan, British
32. Johnny Summers, British
33. Tom Thomas, British
34. Bomb. Wells, British
35. Matt Wells, British
36. Fred (Thomas) Welsh, British
You may be wondering why this version got the nod to be a Card of the Day, being listed as "B" above, so I will tell you. When this book was published it was believed that the brand issue, the "Scissors" had come first, but when we were given the list of issue dates from the Wills` Works Magazine, it was revealed that the brand issue had come later, in August 1911, whilst ours was issued in June 1911.
Even more interesting than that, both these versions were printed in England and shipped overseas for issue - for only sets printed in this country were included on that list. This almost certainly means that all the fronts were printed en masse and then a separate stone made for each of the two backs, saving on the printing costs.