FIRST PERIOD : CHARLES II. TO GEORGE II. 25 



there and elsewhere, were still either common or 

 general, to the paucification or exclusion of sweep- 

 stakes. The same reign, too, witnessed the per- 

 manent foundation of 'racing calendars' by Mr. 

 John Cheney, in 1727, who, however, had been 

 preceded, as early as 1670, it is said, by a Mr. 

 John Nelson with a temporary and apparendy 

 unexisting or unobtainable record, for which any- 

 body wishing to have it had to write to Mr. 

 Nelson, who apparently made copies as they were 

 required. 



As the sweepstakes, the subscriptions, and the 

 like were in their infancy during the reign of 

 George II., the 'cracks' of the time among the 

 horses would be the winners of the Royal Plates 

 (for which the best match - horses and sweep- 

 stakes-horses would also run in those old days), 

 and the most prominent among the owners would 

 be the owners of those horses. Let us see, then, 

 who they were and with what horses they won 

 the Plates between 1727 (in the June of which 

 year George I. died) and 1760 (in October of 

 which year George II. died). The following list 

 contains the names and titles of the principal 

 proprietors (for it were tedious and superfluous to 



