1 62 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



Joseph Hawley's name is not mentioned in the 

 report of the proceedings. He was probably 

 too ill to attend, but it must have been very 

 galling to him when he learned that the members 

 of the Club had so speedily stultified themselves. 

 And now we have reached the stage at which 

 we must ** close the book ** so far as Sir Joseph 

 Hawley is concerned. Owing to his ill-health 

 the ** stable ** was in 1871 reduced to very small 

 dimensions, and the following year his connection 

 with the Turf practically ceased. The few 

 winners we sent forth from Kingsclere at this 

 period were of little consequence, and it is not 

 worth while to dwell on their performances. In 

 1873 nearly all Sir Joseph's horses in training, 

 brood mares, yearlings and foals, were sold by 

 auction. He seems to haVe realised, as did his 

 friends, that his life was ebbing fast. I well 

 remember the last visit he paid to Kingsclere. 

 My instinct told me that we should never see 

 him there again. After he had gone I found on 

 the mantelpiece the stump of the cigar he was 

 smoking just before he left the house. I put it 

 carefully away, and have it to this day. It was 

 a somewhat curious habit of his never to take a 

 cigar he was smoking out of the house, or a rail- 

 way compartment, or a brougham, or from one 

 room to another. Even if he had lit it only 

 five minutes before he had to move he would 

 throw it away and take another one out of his 



