24 Sporting and Rural Records of the Cheveley Estate. 



Cheveley. 



Turning down 



Game 

 there in 1630. 



Rubens. 



The King's 

 Letter on the 



Royal 



Prerogative in 



1636. 



with direction to acquaint the gentlemen of those parts of their 

 coming, in order that there would be no spoil made of the game 

 nor abuse committed. 



The duties incidental to this office evidently entailed on Sir John 

 Carleton serious trouble, as we learn by a familiar letter dated 

 Cheveley, November 14, 1630, to his uncle, Viscount Dorchester, 

 in which he says : " I haue so troublesome an office, that no 

 sooner my backe is turned but an inundation of greyhounds, hunters, 

 and faulkoners come downe vpon me that I almost despair to 

 discharge it to the King's liking." By this it would appear that 

 " the season " for turning down game in the Royal preserves in the 

 vicinity of Newmarket was observed late in the year. Apart from 

 the occurrences of those "inundations," Sir John Carleton found 

 suitable opportunities to receive and entertain his guests at Cheveley. 

 In the spring of this year Charles I. paid him frequent visits. 

 Probably the lion of those days at Cheveley was Peter Paul 

 Rubens, who was then attending the Court at Newmarket, in his 

 capacity of Ambassador of the Archduchess Isabella, to sound the 

 King, ascertain his views, and pave the way for a peace or a 

 "suspension of arms." In this embassy the eminent artist was 

 successful, a treaty of peace having been concluded and signed at 

 Madrid soon after. 



In 1636 Sir John Carleton was High Sheriff of Cambridge- 

 shire. In the spring of this year he received the following letter 

 under the King's own hand : 



" Whereas wee are given to Vnder stand that our hount 

 grounds within the Bounds of Newmarkett there are diuers 

 both Lords and other of our subjects that usually giues their 

 meeting there in those places w"'' Wee preserue for our own 

 Sport, these are therefore to will [and] comand you vpon 

 sight hereof to giue warning to all such as uses to hunt in our 

 absence to forbeare to come within our Liberties of Newmarkett, 

 and hereaftere as you will be answerable to vs, upon your perill 

 permit or suffer no man to come in our absence except such of our 



