PERSONAL REMINISCENCES. 319 



generally considered preferable, and lie would most 

 likely use them. I remember very well seeing 

 a main of cocks fought at Aintree, and still retain a 

 lively recollection of losing my money over the same. 

 The pit was situated at the entrance of the Liverpool 

 racecourse, and built by the then Lord Derby (the 

 present nobleman's grandfather), where he fought his 

 •own birds until the sport and bull-baiting were 

 prohibited by law. It is now converted into a church 

 or chapel. Of Mr. Merry, personally, I may say 

 that I have had for many years the privilege of 

 chatting over times past and present with him, 

 discussing the merits of public horses belonging not 

 only to himself, but to others. On my telling him, 

 at Ascot, how greatly all classes of racing-men 

 regretted his leaving the turf, he entered very 

 readily iDto the matter, and told me the whole reason 

 of his taking the step, which was deplorable in the 

 extreme as depriving him of his chief if not only 

 pleasure, and the turf of a staunch friend. 



Amongst those Mr. Merry employed, two notable 

 persons, dissimilar in character yet useful to him in 

 their way, Avere Norman Buchanan and ' Tass ' 

 (Hazard) Parker, and the two were always in great 

 request before a trial, and at all race-meetin"-s. 

 Buchanan was Mr. Merry's friend and representative 

 in all racing matters. He may have been a descendant 

 of George Buchanan, the regent and historian of his 

 own country, who alone, amongst writers, has accused 



