Royal Ascot 



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connection as its sometime Starter of the Races, and 

 whose fame was always dear to him. Charles Davis's 

 ordinary life was one of great simplicity and moderation. 

 He died soon after his retirement, October 26th, 1867. 

 It was an ardent wish of Davis that the horse Comus, 

 which had been given him by the Prince of Wales, should 

 be destroyed at his own death, and after His Royal 

 Hiofhness's sanction had been obtained, his wish was 

 respectfully observed. 



Henry King was born at Brington in 181 4. He was 

 the son of Mr. Charles King, huntsman to the Pytchley 

 Hounds, and his boyhood was thus spent under conditions 

 very favourable to the knowledge of horse and hound, 

 which was of such high importance to his qualification 

 for the occupation of his life. When he was fourteen 

 years old he was sent to the Warwickshire kennels, where 

 he was placed under Jack Wood. During this service he 

 sometimes rode second horse. His next engagement, 

 which only lasted a year, was in Oxfordshire, with Mr. 

 Drake, whom he left to take service with Mr. Applethwaite, 

 of Atherstone. After a sojourn here of five years, he 

 entered the Royal service, wherein he was employed 

 as Whip and Huntsman for thirty-five years. Becoming 

 first Whip in 1856, Mr. King occupied that position for 

 ten years, when, in 1866, he was appointed Her Majesty's 

 Huntsman. He held this situation for five years, during 

 the Masterships of Lords Colville and Cork, whose cordial 

 approbation he won by the able discharge of his duties. 

 He died on December 30th, 1871, after a short illness. 

 His successor was Frank Goodall, who, in his turn, 

 was followed in 1889 by J. J. Harvey. J. Comins, the 



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