Tom Hyer was an American bare-knuckle boxer

Bare-knuckle boxing

Bare-knuckle boxing is the original form of boxing, closely related to ancient combat sports...

. He was a champion of boxing in America from September 9, 1841 to 1851.

Hyer was born in New York in 1819. His father Jacob

Jacob Hyer

Jacob Hyer was an American bare-knuckled boxer. He is generally credited as the first professional American boxer, due to his 1816 match with Tom Beasley, and has even been called "The Father of The American Ring".-Hyer v...

 had also been a prizefighter. Hyer was recognized as a champion of boxing after a 101-round victory over Country McCloskey at Caldwell's Landing New York on September 9, 1841. He did not fight again for nearly ten years.

Hyer defeated Yankee Sullivan

Yankee Sullivan

Yankee Sullivan also known as Frank Murray and James Sullivan was a bare knuckle fighter and boxer. He was a Champion of Prizefighting from 1851 to October 12, 1853...

 in the 16th round at Still Pond Creek, Maryland on February 7, 1849. The fight lasted 17 minutes, 18 seconds and Hyer won a $10,000 purse. This was a widely publicized boxing match at the time and helped to ignite the sport's popularity. Hyer retired in 1851. While he challenged other fighters, he never fought again. Yankee Sullivan claimed Hyer's title in 1851 based on Hyer's retirement.

Hyer died in 1864, with a reported cause of death as "cardiac dropsy

Edema

Edema or oedema ; both words from the Greek , oídēma "swelling"), formerly known as dropsy or hydropsy, is an abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin or in one or more cavities of the body that produces swelling...

".

Tom married Emma Beke (b abt 1818-d. Aug.1898) of Maine and had one daughter, Charlotte (b Sacco, Maine, March 9, 1849--d. March 1909), who later married a Floyd Grant (d.Aug 1916). Charlotte and Floyd had a daughter May Rankin Grant, (d.Mar.1934) who married Charles R Davis (d. Oct, 1946). All are interred with Tom at the Green-Wood Cemetery

Green-Wood Cemetery

Green-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838 as a rural cemetery in Brooklyn, Kings County , New York. It was granted National Historic Landmark status in 2006 by the U.S. Department of the Interior.-History:...

in Brooklyn, New York.