59 



Penrith ; each match consisting of 26 cocks 

 a side for 2 guineas and 20 guineas 



In each of these three matches the home birds 

 won : the Whitehaven cocks won at White- 

 haven, the Penrith cocks at Penrith, and the 

 Carlisle cocks at Carlisle, despite the fact that 

 in each case the home birds had to meet the 

 pick of the two other towns, " which seems, 

 says the record, " to support the opinion of 

 cocks receiving great damage by being far 

 carried " 



The stakes in such matches were not extra- 

 vagantly high. The largest mentioned in the 

 list of matches fought in 1727 were in the 

 main fought between Preston and WakefielcL 

 Thirty-one cocks were shown : 10 guineas a 

 battle and 180 guineas the odd. Twenty 

 battles were fought, of which one was drawn, 

 and the pecuniary result was as follows : 

 Preston, 12 battles won at 10 guineas = 

 i 20 guineas, plus 180 guineas = 300 guineas ; 

 Wakefield, 7 battles won at 10 guineas = 

 70 guineas. Net result, Preston won 300 

 guineas less 70 guineas = 230 guineas. The 

 wagering would have been out of all proportion 

 to the stakes 



The rage for cocking gave use to many 

 satires, lampoons and caricatures. A once 



