BRITISH TURF. 380 



1714/' he goes on to remark, "such was the 

 concourse of nobiUty and gentry that attended 

 York races, that one hundred and fifty coaches 

 were at one time on the course." 



Among the names worthy of notice that we find 

 mentioned in this work as owners of race-horses, are 

 those of Mr. Childers, better known as the breeder of 

 Flying or Devonshire Childers ; Mr. Curwin, who 

 imported the barbs known by the names of the 

 Curwin Bay barb, and the Thoulouse barb ; Mr. 

 Darley, the importer of the Arabian called by his 

 name, the sire of Childers ; Mr. Darcy, who 

 brought over the horses known in the stud book 

 by the names of Darcy's White and Yellow Turks 

 and the well-known Tregonwell Frampton. 



Of these patriarchs of the turf httle is known 

 beyond the benefit they conferred upon this country 

 by the importation of eastern horses, and testing 

 the value of their produce by public racing. 



Tregonwell Frampton, Esq., of Moreton, Dor- 

 setshire, was keeper of the running horses at New- 

 market, to their Majesties, WiUiam the Third, 

 Queen Anne, George the First and George the 

 Second. He was styled, for a great number of 

 years, *' the Father of the Turf," and died on the 

 12th of March, 1727, aged 86, and was buried at 

 Newmarket. 



This extraordinary character was born in the 

 reign of King Charles the First, when the sports 

 of horse-racing commenced at Newmarket. He 



