328 THE DUKE OF CLEVELAND. 



the St. Leger. My father rode for him on the 

 occasion, and it is not unlikely that the success was 

 in a measure due to his jockeyship. At all events, 

 not only was the noble owner highly pleased at the 

 result, but the Duchess also showed her appreciation 

 of my father's services in a very charming way. I can 

 just remember her as a tall, handsome lady, whose 

 appearance is impressed on my memory by the re- 

 markable simplicity of her dress. That she took 

 more than an ordinary interest in the race was shown 

 by her action in presenting my second brother with a 

 memento of it in the shape of a handsome gold watch 

 with chain and seal complete. This delicate method 

 of showing her goodwill was duly recognised at the 

 time, and long after remembered in our little circle. 



My reminiscences, however, have to do, not with 

 the old, but with the late Duke of Cleveland, who 

 for many years raced as Lord William Powlett, 

 by which name he was much better known on the 

 turf. He deserves more than a passing notice in 

 regard to his ill-luck, and also in respect to some 

 personal dealings which I had with him. His 

 grace, or his lordship, as it would seem more con- 

 venient for my present purpose to call him, was 

 one of the notable personages at Newmarket. He 

 was well known to its inhabitants and frequenters of 

 all classes, high and low, both for his peculiarities of 

 appearance and supposed eccentricities. These peculi- 



