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CHAPTER X. 



THE MARQUIS OF DROGHEDA, K.P. 



His Death — Shock Caused — Its Suddenness — Particulars — Concurrent Circumstances — 

 Continental Trip — Curragh June Meeting — News Eeceived There— Meeting of the 

 Turf Club— Eesolution of Condolence— As a Eacing Man— Moore Abbey— His Early 

 Life— Hunting— Shooting— Game and Foxes— His Yachts— Coursing— Boherbawn— 

 Punchestown — The Curragh — Head of Irish Turf — No one his Equal — Appreciated 

 During Life— A Lycurgus — His Lordship's Characteristics — Born to Govern — Physique 

 — Hauteur — His E3^e — His Supervision — Impartiality — Eanger of the Curragh — 

 Eesults— His Tenantry— Lord Drogheda as a Public Man— His Politics— His Habits— 

 "The Black and Silver"— His Steeplechase Horses— His Eacera- His Jockeys— His 

 Breeding Establishment— Philammon— His Produce— Satanella and other Brood 

 Mares — Lord Drogheda a "famous" owner — Moneypenny — His Long Service — A 

 Characteristic Narrative— A Comparison— Lord George Bentinck and Lord Drogheda 

 —Lord Waterford— Their Deaths— Funerals of the two latter— Author's personal 

 Experience of Lord Drogheda— His successor. 



Eakly in the morning of the 29th June, 1892, at his residence in 

 St. James' Place, London, died suddenly, of heart disease, Henry 

 Francis Seymour Moore, third Marquis of Drogheda. Aged 66 years. 



Such briefly was the direful news conveyed to the public in the 

 morning papers of the 30th June, 1892. 



The tidings came as a shock to everyone, while his friends and asso- 

 ciates heard them with the deepest regret. The shock was the more 

 severe from the fact that Lord Drogheda appeared to be in his usual 

 health and spirits for some time past. He attended in his place in the 

 House of Lords on the day of his death, and was at the Carlton Club 

 up to midnight. He then went home, and was heard going up to his 

 room at about 12.30 a.m. In the morning at 7.30, when his valet went to 

 call him, he found his lordship lying dead upon the floor, and apparently 

 in the act of undressing. 



As is too frequently the case in sudden visitations of death, the 

 sadness of this event was increased by surrounding and concurrent 

 circumstances. It was the intention of the Marquis, accompanied 

 by the Marchioness, to have started for a continental trip on the 

 following morning. Yet another melancholy episode. The June 

 meeting at the Curragh was being held when the terrible news reached 

 Ireland, and it happened to be perhaps the largest ever held there. 

 Just as the thousands had assembled for a day's sport, came upon them 

 like a thundercrash the news of the death of the head of all Irish 

 racing, and at the scene of where his far-sighted judgment was so con- 

 tinually and emphatically displayed. 



It was of course only fitting that the Turf Club should be the first to 

 express their sense of the great loss which the death of the Marquis 



