294 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



passing through that town, found one of her horses lame 

 from the loss of a shoe, and there was no one who could 

 replace it. She forthwith issued a mandate compelling 

 all peers of the realm to forfeit a horse's shoe when pass- 

 ing through the locality, or the payment of a fine. 

 The proceeds accruing therefrom were devoted to the 

 maintenance of a blacksmith,'' This tradition is not a 

 very probable one, as it conflicts with nearly all the others ; 

 the custom is, in all likelihood, of an earlier date than the 

 days of Queen Elizabeth. 



Blount, in his 'Jocular Tenures,' informs us that a Duke 

 of York once paid a silver horse-shoe to Lord Ferrers, and 

 that a silver horse-shoe is due from every scion of royalty 

 who rides across one of his manors. Of the shoes seen by 

 Evelyn, three at least are said to remain — those bearing 

 the names of Earl Gainsborough, Henry Montagu, and 

 Lord Gray. Among the more notable ones of later date 

 are those presented by the Earl of Cardigan in 1667, 

 Lord Ipswich in 1687, Lord Guildford in 1690, and Lady 

 Percy in 1771. More than thirty years ago. Queen 

 Victoria acknowledged the right of Oakham, as her 

 uncles, the Prince Regent and the Duke of York, had 

 done before her; and the late Duke of Wellington soon 

 followed her example. The law itself has sanctioned this 

 unique species of taxation. Lords Denham, Campbell, and 

 Wensleydale having followed the precedent of the famous 

 Lord Mansfield. The day upon which Lord Campbell's 

 horse-shoe was added to the collection of trophies, was a 

 red-letter one in the chronicles of Oakham Hall, for on 

 that day it recovered its long-lost ' golden shoe,' This 



' F. F. Col/ins, Ruijal Dragoons. The Veterinarian, p. 66;^, 1867. 



