BRITISH TURF. 385 



CHAPTER VTIL 



Earliest Racing Calendar — Tregonwell Frampton, Es£[., Father of the 

 British Turf — Amusing Anecdote of— Origin of the different meet- 

 ings at Newmarket — Royal Plates, &c. — Extract from a curious 

 work on racing published in the reign of Charles 11. 



The earliest historical records on which de- 

 pendance can be placed of the performances of 

 the English race horse, and published in an au- 

 thentic form, was a work by John Cheney, en- 

 titled an " Historical list of all the Horse Matches 

 run, and all plates and prizes run for in England 

 and Wales (of the value of Ten Pounds or up- 

 wards,) in 1727, &c. &c. ; and to which is added a 

 List of all Cock Matches of the same Year." 



This book was published by subscription, the con- 

 dition being for half-a-crown to be paid at subscrib- 

 ing, and five shillings annually for 7 years, (the 

 term of the first subscription ;) and we find the 

 number of subscribers amounted to six hundred 

 and sixty, among whom were at least one hundred 

 and nineteen people of rank, including fifteen 



VOL. 1. c c 



