1G09.] IN THE REIGN OF JAMES I. 329 



Privy Council ordered that meeting to be suppressed. 

 We find the Turf instituted at Brackley, Northampton, 

 under somewhat novel circumstances. Races were 

 held at Linton and at York. Mention of the national 

 sport also occurs at Derby. In Lancashire meetings 

 were held at Whalley Abbey, Liverpool, and Walton. 

 This brings us to the Borders, and before crossing into 

 the Land o' Cakes, Carlisle stops the way, where the 

 Border meetings appear to have been in a flourishing 

 state, and attended with the social shindies peculiar to 

 all such gatherings at this period. At Peebles the 

 disturbance and bloodshed incident to the races, occa- 

 sioned the meeting there, in 1608, to be prohibited. At 

 Paisley silver bells were run for as early as the year 

 1608, when this meeting was first instituted by the 

 corporation of that ancient and horsey borough. The 

 articles for the bell-race are interesting, and it appears 

 the chief steward was Andrew Crawfurde — a name 

 well and honourably known on the Turf in our 

 own time. Horse-racing must have been a popular 

 pastime in Scotland about this time, where the meet- 

 ings being " over much frequented," and the betting 

 excessive, the Parliament were induced to apply certain 

 restraints for remedy thereof. 



" The bell and bowl, which are run for on St. 

 George's Day by horses, were provided by Mr. Robert 

 Amery, sometime sherift* of this city, who on 

 the same day in this year brouMit them }^^J- 



^ \ ^ _ Chester. 



down to the Roods-Eye with great triumph." 



— " Local History of Chester," quoted by Dr. Ormerod, 



" Hist," vol. i., p. 202. 



