Page:The Victoria History of the County of Lincoln Volume 2.pdf/544

Rh to fox, hunting that part of the Fitzwilliam country lent him by Mr. G. C. W. Fitzwilliam in the immediate neighbourhood of his residence, Burghley House, Stamford, with invitation days in neighbouring countries. Lord Kesteven, formerly Sir John Trollope, used to hunt up to Bourne Wood, and Mr. Tailby came right up to Manton Gorse.

There are now no harriers in Lincolnshire. Both the Hon. G. Pelham and Mr. W. Wright of Wold Newton kept harriers in the last century, and Major Allott has a pack of beagles kennelled at Louth, which provides excellent sport in the neighbourhood and attracts a large field. The master hunts them himself, and the honorary whipper-in, Mr. E. H. Cartwright, carries the horn in his absence.

No otter hounds are kennelled in the county, but now and then a pack pays it a visit, hunting the Bain in the Southwold country and the various brooks and becks in Lord Yarborough's domains. In 1904 Mr. Evan Jones brought the Ynysfor hounds and killed a fine otter in the brook between Ulceby and Thornton.

RACING Racing in its early days, depending as it did on local support, was most popular in horse-breeding districts, and Lincolnshire therefore figured prominently with organized race Among these was meetings at a remote period. that at Stamford, which dates back to the entirely

fifteenth century.

'To

fix

race meeting at Stamford writes

is

the date of the

first

Mr. C. O. Eaton, of Tolethorpe

Annals of Stamford {i J 2"]), writes that

Hall,

ancient and public sports of Stamford are not many, in all but two, but too many by one. The one

manhood and

gentry, a con-

course of noblemen and gentlemen meeting together in mirth, peace, and amity, for the exercise of their for the race every ThursMarch. The prize they run for is a silver gilt cup and cover, to the value of seven or eight pounds provided by the care of the Alderman

swift

day and

running horses, kept

in

time being, but the money is raised out of the a stock formerly made up by the nobility and gentry, who are neighbours or well-wishers to the town. for the

interest of

Whether

March

races took place on the on Wittering Heath there The present grand is no means of knowing. stand was built in 1766, and formerly races in all probability were run on Wittering Heath the March races, run on the Thursday before Mid-Lent Sunday, for a plate of ^fio value The provided by the town, were held there.

these

Articles is

'

or rules under

singular

which the



matched horses or their riders chaunce anye of the foure heats, the rest of the riders shall staye in theire places, where they were at the time of the fall, until the rider so fallen, have his foote If anye of the to fall in

in the stirroppe againe.

existing racecourse or



Harrod, the historian of Stamford, says



In October, 1679, horse-racing articles are mentioned. old course, four miles in length, was discarded in

The

new one laid out in 1 7 1 6 saw meeting on Thursday and Friday, 20 and 2 July, 1873. 1

7

1

the

5

or 1716, and the

last

Mr. C. O. Eaton



The

a sport favouring both

'

matches were run

think impossible,'

I

Stamford, in a letter revised by Captain E. C. ' It was subsequent to Clayton of Cottesmore. the bull-running which was instituted in the reign of King John by William earl Warren, Francis Peck, in the first lord of the town.' his

of the

fifth

says



have no records till 1734, in which year on the lith, I2th, and 13th June, a plate of ^^50 was run

I

for,

and won

—by

Mr.

in the three heats

— twice round the course

bay horse Liberty, which beat five others ; on the 1 2th by Mr. Weaver's Sober John in three heats, four miles ; on the I 3 th by Mr. Curzon's roan colt by Cade in four two-mile heats, beating Pitt's

others.

I I

In 1755 similar prizes were offered, the winners being Mr. Sisson, Captain Vernon, and the Duke of Ancaster. In 1808 there were three days'

The Town Plate of ^^50, the winner to be sold for 150 guineas, was the principal race ; it was twice round, about two and three-quarter racing.

miles. '

There was

also a

sweepstake of 20 guineas