The Oakengates Wake by Mrs Lucy Cameron, title page.
Illustration of bull-dogs
Mrs Lucy Cameron was the wife of the Rev. Charles Cameron. She wrote several books for children that are moral tales, encouraging them to live good lives and go to church. One of these books was called The Oaken-Gates Wake; in this she recounts the story of Thomas Cadman. Cadman is a man so obsessed with bull-baiting that he feeds meat to his dogs rather than his own children.
Bull Baiting Pamphlet (665/3/11)
This pamphlet contains letters sent to the MP William Windham who had opposed a bill to prevent bull-baiting. The letters contain many gory descriptions of injuries and accidents suffered as a consequence of bull-baiting, here is an example:
"I saw a man who was gored by a baited bull, from his groin up his right side, so as to render him a miserable cripple for life. And at the same place I saw another man overtaken by a bull which had broken from the stake, and being enraged by the cruelties attendant on baiting him, struck the man with his horn on the temple, so that he expired in a few hours. I have been witness to the most dreadful brutalities practiced upon the bull: I have seen one actually torn to pieces by several dogs let loose upon him at once; and have seen dogs excited to run at the bull till they have died upon the spot; others have been gored till their entrails have been seen, and even then have been encouraged to run again."