Fisticuffs Diamonds and Lace

This is the epic saga of three legendary Nottinghamshire families. The Leavers invented the ground-breaking Leavers lace machines. Their relatives, the Thompsons included Bendigo, the undefeated English bare-knuckle fighting champion who became equally famous as a fire and brimstone preacher. The Halls, including the great Victorian physician, Dr. Marshall Hall, succeeded in making Leavers lace the toast of America. From the violent, machine-smashing Luddites through to Bendigo’s brutal fighting tournaments, then on to the new generation, led by the brave and determined Hannah Hall, who rose from poverty in Nottingham to become the toast of the 19th century fashion scene in New York and Washington. The author, Ann Rayner, is the descendant of these families, whose story is one of fame, struggle and elusive fortune.