HISTORIC JOCKEYS AND A ROYAL OWNER. 



353 



Mr. Read, who was a persistent racer, won the Hunters' Purse of twenty cruineas 

 (owners up) at York, in 1739, with Three Legs. At that date Matchem Timms was 

 still riding, but I find no mention of Singleton on the Northern cards before 174% 

 though in view of his first purchase it is most interesting to see that Mr Read's b. 

 Lucy (by Gallant's Smiling Tom, who also sired Mr. Barley's gr. h. Plunder] was fourth 

 for His Majesty's 100 guineas, for five-year-old mares at Hambleton in 1737. She 

 was beaten at York in 1736. Singleton's fine riding had soon attracted the attention 

 of the Marquis of Rockingham, who eventually made him both his rider and his 

 trainer ; and he used to attend at Newmarket in the spring and Thixendale in the 

 summer. Riding the 

 Marquis's Bay Malton, he 

 beat Herod at Newmarket, 

 and seven years after- 

 wards celebrated his 

 fiftieth year in the saddle. 

 He died at the advanced 

 age of eighty years in 

 1795, and was buried near 

 his old master's grave by 

 Ross Moor. 



We begin the con- 

 trasts already ; for where 

 could we find a jockey 

 nowadays who only 



served two masters all his life, and was buried in the same church with his 

 first employer by the desire of each ? Singleton made money and founded the 

 fortunes of his family at Great Givendale, where he was universally beloved. In 

 1769 he had married the widow of Peter Jackson, a name well known in the annals 

 of th'e saddle. His own son John did not ride, but his nephew rode Lord Rocking- 

 ham's Alabacuha, and had a son of the same name as himself, the third John 

 Singleton, who won the Derby of 1797 for the Duke of Bedford, and also the 

 St. Leger for Lord Fitzwilliam in Orville's year, but died young. To the end of his 

 life the original old John could lilt a full glass of port without a tremor, for his head 

 and nerves remained as cool as his chest and arms were strong and solid. He could 

 ride Sst. 7lb. when he was fifty-seven years old, as may be seen from the card of the 



'Oscar" by " Saltram," from a "Highflyer" mare. 



