1773 THE DUKES 31 



Keeper ' to the notorious Nancy Parsons (who, by the 

 way, is said to have married Lord Maynard, having 

 previously been Mrs. Horton, as was mentioned in 

 another passage). As a patron of the Turf, how- 

 ever, and as a breeder and runner of racehorses, he 

 deserves the most honourable and respectful notice. 

 His brood-mares, Prunella, and her daughters, Pene- 

 lope and Parasol, are among the marvels of the 

 ' Stud Book ' ; and he lived to win the Derby three 

 times (with Tyrant in 1802, with ' Waxy ' Pope in 

 1809, and with Whalebone in 1810), and the Oaks 

 twice (with Pelisse in 1804, and with Morel in 1808). 

 He was divorced, of course, for divorce was the 

 fashion of the age, and a member of the Jockey Club 

 would not fail to be in the fashion ; and his ex-Duchess 

 married the Earl of Upper Ossory (another member 

 of the Jockey Club) . The Duke, in fact, was true to 

 his descent from the ' Merry Monarch ' as regards 

 both Nancy Parsons and Newmarket. 



The Duke of Hamilton of the list is the sixth, 

 James by name, who married one of the two ' lovely 

 Gunnings.' He was a great gentleman-jockey, inso- 

 much that he could hold his own against the celebrated 

 or notorious Earl of March (afterwards ' Old Q.,' or 

 the 'Star of Piccadilly'). He succeeded to the title 

 in 1723 and died in 1758 ; and for proof of his 

 membership of the Jockey Club it is sufficient to say 

 that he ran a brown colt, by Babram, for a Jockey 

 Club Plate in 1757. He appears in Horace Walpole's 



