THE JOCKEY CLUB IN THE DAYS OF CHARLES JAMES FOX. 247 



familiarity of these names to-day is one of the strongest testimonials to the enduring 

 excellence both of the Club and of the Turf in whose interests it was formed. 



No doubt one of the greatest influences wielded by the young Club was the pub- 

 lication of the "Racing Calendar" by James Weatherby, their devoted adherent, 

 keeper of the Match Book at Newmarket. The edition for 1779 is before me as I 

 write (vol. vii.), printed by H. Reynell at 21, Piccadilly, and " containing an account 

 of the Plates, Matches, and Sweepstakes run for in Great Britain and Ireland in the 

 year 17/9, together with an abstract of all the Matches, Sweepstakes, &c., now 

 made, to be run at Newmarket from the Craven Meeting 1780 to the year 1785, 

 and of several matches, &c., made for York, Bath, and many other places." Among 

 its advertisements is a note that " complete sets of Heber's Books, with several odd 

 volumes of Cheney's," both predecessors of James Weatherby in his important publi- 

 cation, were to be had at n, Hamilton Street, Piccadilly, where also was to be 

 bought the " Sporting Calendar" for 1772, published by Messrs. Tuting and Faw- 

 coner, " both since deceased." The book contains many interesting items long since 

 pressed out by increasing demands of space, such as a list of subscribers, the form of 

 affidavit to prove the qualification of a hunter, the " articles for a cock match," and 

 proper rules for fighting, with a few details of past encounters, concluding with such 

 alluring advertisements as, " Goulard's Original Extract of Saturn," " Mrs. Tur- 

 meare's Horse Medicines," " Mr. Wareham's Greyhound Slips," and many other 

 items of interest. 



At Newmarket the Club in its first years did not possess an inch of ground, for 

 the importance of ownership of the Heath had not, of course, developed. But they were 

 able to lease a private " Coffee-Room" as early as 1752 from Mr. Erratt, and before 

 their lease was up, Mr. Vernon, a member, bought it and sold shares to other 

 members. He extended the buildings, and when his lease expired the freehold of 

 the " Coffee- Room," the "New Rooms," and their adjuncts was bought outright 

 from the Erratts and conveyed in trust for the Club to three members, Lord 

 Lowther, the Duke of Richmond, and the Earl of Verulam, probably the stewards in 

 1831. But this transaction only affected the comfort and shelter of members. Far 

 more important were the acquisitions of the land forming the actual racecourse at 

 Newmarket, made in 1798, 1807, 1808, 1819. This was still insufficient; and 

 either by lease or freehold the Club subsequently got possession of Bury Hill, Warren 

 Hill, the Limekilns, and other stretches of ground in the vicinity of Newmarket, a 

 series of purchases which enabled them as early as 1827 to give legal effect to their 



