sporting and Rural Records of the Cheveley Estate. 1:21 



his celebrated club in St. James's Street, London. The former was Saxton Hall. 

 situated near the centre of the town on the Cambridgeshire side of 

 the High Street, and is now the well-known house of Lady Stamford. 

 The spacious gardens in the rear of it were laid out with great taste, 

 and embellished with valuable statuary, walks, and fountains.* 



Frampton's farmhouse was afterwards in the occupation of 

 William Cripps Kitchener, Esq., who was Deputy Steward of the 

 manors of the Cheveley Estate from 1835 to 1840, and Chief 

 Steward from 1841 to February 27, 1886. He was uncle to Lord 

 Kitchener of Khartoum and Aspall, co. Suffolk. 



Some of the customs appertaining to the manor are very Cheveley. 



interesting. In the reign of James L, playing at cards, dice, and 



Manorial 



* Various accounts are given of Crockford's rise to fortune and prosperity. It Customs, 



is said that on one occasion he, with his partner, Gye, won, after a sitting of twenty- 

 four hours, the enormous sum of ^^loo.ooo from Lord Thanet and Lord Granville, 

 Mr. Ball Hughes, and two others whose names arc not recorded. Crockford's next 

 partner was an expert gamester named Taylor. 'I'hey set up a hazard bank, won a 

 great deal of money, but quarrelled and separated at the end of the first year. 

 Crockford removed to St. James's Street, had a good year, and, his rival having in 

 the meantime failed, immediately set about building at No. 50. on the west side of 

 the street, near White's, the magnificent clubhouse which was destined to become so 

 terribly famous — a reputation notorious to gamesters throughout Europe in 1827. 

 .\11 the celebrities in England, from the Uuke of Wellington to the youngest ensign 

 in the Guards, hastened to enrol themselves as members, whether they cared for 

 play or not. Card tables were regularly placed, and whist was played occasionally, 

 but the great attraction was the hazard bank, at which the proprietor took his nightly 

 stand prejiared for all comers. At a single sitting four noblemen are said to have 

 lost ^25,000 each. Others lost in proportion to their means. Indeed, it would be 

 hard to say how many ruined families went to make Crockford a millionaire. His 

 sensational death on the Derby Day of 1844 caused much comment at the lime, 

 owing to his being the owner of Ratan, the second favourite. The race, however, 

 resulted in a singular conclusion by the disqualification of Running Rein, the 

 winner, who was proved to be a four-year-old. He retired in 1840, and died on 

 May 24, 1844, in Carlton House Terrace, aged 69, having in a short time amassed 

 something like ;^i, 200,000. After his death the clubhouse, the facade of which 

 was taken from Wren's design of Newmarket Palace, was sold by his widow for 

 /"2900, held on lease, of which thirty-two years were unexpired, subject to a 

 yearly rent of ;^i400. The interior decorations alone cost ;^94,ooo. In 1849 

 the club was re opened for the Military, Naval, and Court Service, but was again 

 closed in 1S51. It is now the Devonshire Club. 



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