220 COURSING 



pains to elaborate a complete list of all the existing clubs, going so 

 far as to supply the names of the members in most cases, I should 

 have been tempted to believe that it did not exist in his day were 

 it not for the testimony of a living member to the contrary. During 

 the winter of 1889 two letters appeared in the 'Field' from 'A 

 Sportsman of the Olden School,' appealing to the younger members 

 to take the trouble of supplying a history of the club, such as had 

 been published in connection with Altcar. There being no response 

 to his appeal, I opened up a private correspondence with this 

 gentleman, which has ever since been maintained with much 

 pleasure on both sides. He supplied me with many details of 

 coursing as conducted in his early days, and specially of his con- 

 nection with the Ridgway Club. Contrary to my belief, he affirms 

 that when he joined the club in 1828 it had been in existence 

 some years, and was at this date a flourishing institution, to be 

 connected with which was accounted no small honour. He was 

 barely twenty years of age when he found admittance to the Select 

 Circle, and the circumstances were impressed upon his mind, as 

 well by the fatherly interest which the president took in him, as by 

 the sound advice he gave him ' to drink little wine or spirits, avoid 

 cards and gambling, and go early to bed.' Mr. W. G. Borron, 

 the gentleman referred to, has been at great pains in corresponding 

 with the descendants of Mr. Ridgway in the hope of being able to 

 throw light upon his connection with the club, but except a remark 

 contained in a letter from Mr. Ridgway's daughter, there is nothing 

 to help us materially. The note is to the following effect ; ' I can- 

 not tell when the Ridgway Coursing Club was founded, certainly 

 some years before my marriage in 1832.' 



Mr. Brown then goes on to tell us how he visited the British 

 Museum, and overhauled Bell's Life in search of what he 

 wanted, but that he could find no trace of the club earlier 

 than 1839 ; he, however, also discovered that at the Southport 

 meetings there had been a ' Ridgway Stakes ' as far back as 

 1833, which stake continued to be run until the meeting dis- 

 appeared in 1839, and the Ridgway took its place. This 

 appears to have raised a doubt in Mr. Brown's mind as to 

 whether Mr.. Borron was right in his dates, but, on being inter- 

 viewed, the latter gentleman stuck to his story, detailing inci- 

 dents which had made a firm impression upon him at the time, 



