14 Sporting and Rural Records of the Cheveley Estate. 



Ditto N 

 Valence. 



Henry VIII. 



Sir Giles Cape! 



and 



Henry VIII. 



Pheasants. 



An interesting incident associated with the pheasants 

 and partridges of the locality now known as the famous 

 " Links beat,"* adjoining Newmarket Heath, occurred there in 

 the reign of Henry VIII. At that time Sir Giles Capel 

 was the lord of the manor. His first wife, Lady Marv Capel, 

 had a grant of 20 marks a year from Henry VII. The 

 annuity was confirmed to her by Henry VIII. In November, 

 1535, the payments were two and a half years in arrear ; 

 and, in order to obtain the money. Sir Giles wrote to Cromwell 

 (who became Chancellor after the fall of Cardinal Wolsey) 

 to remind him of the circumstance, and to solicit payment 

 of the amount. On this occasion Sir Giles — probably to 

 propitiate the powerful Minister — intimated that " his goshawk has 

 killed a few pheasants and partridges," which he forwarded for the 

 Chancellor's acceptance. The present was highly appreciated, 

 and, moreover. Sir Giles obtained an order on the Exchequer for 

 the arrears of his wife's annuity. Those pheasants and partridges 

 were greatly admired at Court, and when the King saw them he 

 claimed them for his own table. The Links pheasants and partridges 

 in modern times have obtained a high reputation with gunners and 

 hon vivants who have had the felicity of making their acquaintance. 

 That they constituted a dainty dish to place before a King, in the 

 days of Henry VIIL, is proved by the above circumstance ; and it 



* It is difficult to satisfactorily get at the meaning or the derivation of this 

 place. It never had anything to do with golf, as it was never played there. 

 Topographically, the name cannot be applied, because the configuration of the 

 ground does not admit of that interpretation, nor is there any sand or waste land 

 there, according to the Scotch meaning. Some of the beats are certainly partly 

 linked to one another, but they are called " rides." In Suffolk, sausages were 

 frequently called "links." When George II. landed at Lowestoft, January 14, 

 1736-7, it was so dark by the time he reached Copdock that lights were thought 

 necessary ; the officer in advance inquired of the landlady at the White Elm if she 

 had any flambeaux, or could procure any. Being answered in the negative, 

 he asked her if she had any links. " Aye, that I have," said she, " and some 

 as good as His Majesty (God bless him) ever eat in all his life ; " and immediately 

 produced some fine sausages ! Not far from " The Links " is the " Beacon 

 Course" — another topographical puzzle. 



