98 THE JOCKEY CLUB 1750- 



CHAPTEK V 



THE MISTEES 



WE have now come to the plain 'Misters,' whom, 

 having no particular 'scent,' such as a ducal, baronial, 

 or similar title, for us to follow, it is sometimes a 

 little difficult to run to earth, as naval and military 

 ' handles ' and the courtesy-prefix of ' honourable ' 

 are very often omitted, and would not be sufficient 

 guide, even if they were not. Be it premised that 

 the asterisk denotes that the bearers of the names so 

 distinguished were connected with the West Indies, 

 where, when slavery was not yet abolished and 

 planters had large fortunes, energetic efforts were 

 made to introduce and propagate the thoroughbred, 

 and to establish horse-racing (to such purpose, indeed 

 that some of our early ' Calendars ' give the results of 

 races held in Jamaica, &c.) ; and the election of such 

 gentlemen as members of the Jockey Club in its early 

 days tends to emphasise what has been said about the 

 wise and liberal spirit displayed by the Club in wel- 

 coming, if only the qualifications of social rank and 

 of property were satisfactory, representatives of the 



