RACING ADVENTURERS. 233 



FREDERICK SWINDELL. 



Had Mr. F. Swindell chosen to take pen in 

 hand in order to narrate his experiences of racing, 

 and to indite notices of the turf men with whom 

 he had business or other relations, he might have 

 produced a book of more than ordinary interest. 

 Although six years have elapsed since the death 

 of this " Napoleon of the turf," as he was called 

 by some of his admirers, his memory is kept 

 green in racing circles by frequent references 

 to his achievements in connection with many 

 of the turf transactions of his day. As Mr. 

 Swindell had moved in sporting circles for a 

 period of half a century, evidence of his sayings 

 and doings is by no means scarce. In his time 

 he had a finger in many pies, and as he left 

 personal estate at the date of his death to the 

 value of over ^140,000, it may be taken for 

 granted that the transactions he managed or took 

 part in were somewhat profitable. 



In his earlier days Mr. Swindell, as he used 

 often enough to tell in his own racy way and 

 in good honest " Lancashire lingo," experienced 

 a good deal of rough weather. " It's a pretty bad 

 case, lad, when thou wants a shilling and doesn't 

 know where to look for it." Frederick Swindell 

 was born in the town of Derby, and learned his 

 father's craft of bell-hanging, by which he made 

 a living for some time in Manchester, in which 

 city he speedily acquired a taste for cock-fighting 

 and other sports, particularly horse-racing, by 

 which in after years he was destined to court 

 fortune both as bookmaker and commissioner, 



