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...."In his day Joe Scannell, of North Street, Romford, was the champion bare fist pugilist of all the fairs and tournaments. Once he fought 56 rounds with bare fists before he got the verdict. He served in the Army during the South African War and taught many a raw recruit how to use his fists.
....Last week "Old Joe" died at the age of 74 and among those who attended the funeral at Romford were friends of 50 years ago who had learned from him all there was to know about the art of boxing without the gloves."
The Essex Newsman, Friday 7th May 1948


The General Register Office has the death of a Joseph Matthew Scannell, at Camberwell, 1948, aged 73, with the same person being born in the Saint George in the East registration district (near to the Stepney area of London) in the third quarter of 1876. So if Joe Scannell and Joseph Matthew Scannell are the same person, he was actually aged 71 at the time of his death. Other than that I can't find anything else online about him.

That's a brutal activity to be involved in. 56 rounds?

There are a handful of J Scannells on the rolls for imperial units serving in the Boer War.

71 Years old and in his lifetime had a 56 round fight, I wonder about brain damage...... But to live that long, wow......

Mike