Stud. 



Sporti)ig and Rural Records of the Cheveley Estate. Gt 



Steygould ; and, finally, in December, 1745, the manor, rectory, Chkveley. 

 and parsonage of Gazely. Thus, in thirteen years the Duke of ^, 



Somerset, who, prior to 1732, did not own an acre of land in the Scudamore 

 vicinity of Cheveley, became not only the owner of that interesting Family, 



estate, but was, moreover, probably one of the largest landowners 

 in the country.* 



The Duke's private stud was at first located at Newmarket, The Duke's 

 and subsequently at Petworth. He evidently had a great pre- 

 dilection for Arab blood, and bred from that strain as near as 

 possible. Take, for instance, his Pet Mare, by Westell's Turk, by 

 Hautboy out of Trumpeter's dam ; Red Rose, by the Hampton 

 Court Arabian ; Windham, by Hautboy, by Selaby Turk, by 

 Bustler, by Place's White Turk, by Dodsworth ; Miss Windham, 

 by Windham, by Belgrade Turk ; Greylegs, by Windham, by 

 Belgrade Turk; Cinnamon, the Reigate mare, by the Thoulouse 

 Barb ; and so on, in other instances, from the same strains. There 

 is extant a characteristic autograph letter from the Duke to Lord 

 Oxford, dated Newmarket, April 29, 1729, in which we learn he 

 bought of Lord Oxford two four-year-old horses of his lordship's 

 own breed ; and gave " a hundred broad pieces, or ;^i 15, for his old 

 Arabian stallion called Bloody Shoulder." The Duke hopes Lord 

 Oxford " will give orders to his servant at Wimpole to deliver the 

 horse to a groom he will send from Newmarket to receive it, and 

 to ride or lead him away for Petworth according as the horse hath 

 been most used to." The Duke adds : " I hope the next purchases I 

 make, y'' lod"'' will be more moderate in your prices." Allowing 

 for the difference in the value of money then and now, the deal 

 may be considered an expensive one. 



* Of course, we are only interested in the Cheveley estate within its 

 present limit. Since the time in question portions of it have been alienated 

 by the late owners. It may be likewise noted that the above sketch 

 does not pretend to be a full account of the acquisitions made by the 

 Duke of Somerset ; to give all the particulars of his purchases would 

 occupy too much space, and it would hardly be pertinent to our subject 

 to do so. 



