His father was a bare-knuckle champion of Essex, and rumour had it that his mother could take on and beat any woman in London's East End.

[2] Palmer met Irish-born American boxer Dave Sullivan in London on 18 October 1897 in what was billed as a World 116 pound Title Match.

[3] Sullivan failed to receive the twenty round points decision, but established himself as the primary contender for the World Featherweight Title.

[2] Jordan successfully defended the English Featherweight Title on 12 December 1904 against Palmer in an important bout at the National Sporting Club in London in a fifteen-round points decision.

In April 1907 he killed Robert Croat on a train to Epsom races, for which crime he was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to five years in prison.