A rare copy of an autobiography by the celebrated boxer Daniel Mendoza has sold for more the £10,000 at auction, twice the price it was expected to go for.

The Jewish prizefighter, whose remains are buried in an unmarked mass grave in Essex, is believed to have written Memoirs of the Life of Daniel Mendoza in 1806 during a stint in a debtors’ prison.

The Sephardi sporting hero proudly fought under the name “Mendoza the Jew”, and is credited with developing the “scientific” technique in boxing.

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The copy of The Memoirs of Daniel Mendoza (Photo: Copyright unknown)

Published in 1808, the book was listed for sale by London auction house Chiswick Auctions with a guide price of £4,000 to £6,000. However, it ended up fetching £10,625. 

Another title by Mendoza, a manual entitled The Modern Art of Boxing, had a guide price of £1,000 to £1,500.