One of the most colorful and dynamic Irishmen to stride through the 19th century scene was born February 12, 1831, in Templemore, County Tipperary, Ireland. He was one of eight children, seven girls and John. Life in Ireland at that time was anything but pleasant, especially for folks like the Morrisseys. The tithe agitation, coupled with tax levies, particularly on people who scratched out a living by tilling the soil, presented a heavy burden on the poor. The Morrisseys were no exception.
Conditions became so bad the only possible salvation was the emigrant ship.Timothy Morrissey, John’s father, made the decision, boarded the emigrant ship and took his family to Canada. The year was 1836 and John was five years of age.

Upon their arrival in Canada, the Morrisseys found very little relief. This new country offered few opportunities and after three months it was necessary for the family to move again. So their next choice was America. They moved to Troy, New York.

It was in Troy that John Morrissey began the career that, like the chapters of a romance, led from rags to riches and from poverty to power. Considered a big boy for his age and with very little interest in school, John roamed the streets of Troy picking up bad habits and a very definite skill in rough-and-tumble fighting.

He experienced his first taste of work in a wallpaper factory and later as an apprentice in the Burden Iron Works, giving up both jobs in disgust. However, the men with whom he worked with in the iron works were hard working and tough men and if noting else, he did learn the rudiments of fisticuffs. This, coupled with a fine physique developed through his work, earned him the respect and fear of his fellow workers. His exploits as a street fighter on the streets of Troy earned him the title of local gang leader.

However, at the age of seventeen and looking for adventure, he took a job as a deck hand on the steam boat, “City of Troy,” under Captain Eli Smith. He made several brief visits to New York city and eventually made the big city his permanent home. While a worker on the steamboat, Morrissey fell in love with the Captain’s daughter, Sarah. She later became his wife and was instrumental in carving his career as a politician.

Meanwhile, Morrissey’s first exploit upon arriving in New York City was to invade the Empire Club, a sporting saloon owned by an individual known as “Dutch Charley,” and challenged all hands to combat. He did not fare to well, but liked New York City and decided to stay. He became a “runner” for a boarding house. His task was to encourage as many immigrants as possible to a particular boarding house. Needless to say competition was tough and street fights between the “runners” was very much part of the job, which suited the big man from Tipperary.
Meanwhile, Morrissey’s former employer, Alexander Hamilton as befitted his position, attended a majority of the big prizefights staged throughout the country. On his return from the famous Yankee Sullivan vs Tom Hyer fight at Chesapeake Bay, in 1849, Hamilton called in on the renowned American Club. The location was a rendezvous for the leading sportsmen and politicians of the period.

In a discussion, which turned heated, noted men gave their opinion as to the best bare-knuckle fighter in America. Not to be outdone, Hamilton suggested Morrissey. Boastfully he claimed that the Irishman could beat anyone, not only in America, but also in the world. In the interim, the Tipperary man was “bumming” his way across America, lured to California by the gold rush and the hope of engaging Hyer to a bout. He was unsuccessful in both ventures and returned to the East where he fought Yankee Sullivan at Boston Four Corners (now Boston Corners, Columbia County, NY), October 12, 1853. In thirty-seven rounds and for a purse of $2,000,00, the Tipperary man was victorious. The victory gave him somewhat of a claim on the heavyweight championship.

Recently married, Morrissey’s wife Susan, (Captain Smith’s daughter) a well-educated lady constantly encourage and directed her husband to personal growth and social acceptance. The birth of their son, John, added to Morrissey’s determination to leave his violent and questionable past. He returned to Troy with his family, however, he missed the excitement and social acceptance he was accustomed to in New York City.

A challenge from John C. Heenan, the alleged “Champion of the World,” rekindled his desire to return to the limelight and he accepted the challenge. The fight was held on a forlorn stretch of beach known as Long Point, a peninsula jutting into Lake Erie on the Canadian side. On October 20, 1858, John Morrissey defeated Heenan in eleven rounds and took home a $2,500.00 purse.

The successful Irish emigrant became a huge flamboyant and belligerent figure in New York sporting, political and financial life.He befriended Commodore Vanderbilt by presenting him with a fine race horse and is supposed to have profited greatly by financial tips from Vanderbilt in later years. He became such a prominent figure, his friends persuaded him to run for Congress.In 1866 he ran for the office and represented the people from the fifth district and served two terms, from 1867 to 1871. Four years after his last term in Congress he ran for State Senator in New York and was elected from the fourth district. Two years later he was elected to the New York State Senate again, only this time from the seventh district. He did not serve his full second term. The very short life of John Morrissey ended in Saratoga, NY, May 1, 1878. He was 47 years of age. Throughout his short life the Irish emigrant, pugilist, gambler, heavyweight champion and politician amassed and lost fortunes.

Notwithstanding, at the time of his death he owned a percentage of a gambling casino in Saratoga, one-third of a racetrack and numerous buildings and real estate holdings in the town. Though he was a turbulent character in turbulent times, his fighting exploits, his kindheartedness, his loyalty to his friends, and other redeeming qualities covered a multitude of his sins. He was buried in Saint Peter’s Cemetery, Troy, New York., with state senators as pallbearers and 15,000 people following his body to the cemetery in the rain.

John Morrissey was elected to the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954.