A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



we can only quote the details of the patrons and 

 !■: t of members from 1828 to 1832 furnished by 

 Mr. Borron to the keeper of the Stud Book : — 



Patrons. — Sir Hesketh Fleetwood, bart., and 

 Squire Scarlsbrick of Scarisbrick, joint lords of the 

 manor of Southport. The former kept a large 

 kennel of greyhounds at Churchtown and bred from 

 the bulldog cross. The produce were slow until 

 the seventh or eighth generation, but possessed 

 strong spirit and determination. He had a private 

 club, which dated back to a more remote period 

 than either Altcar or Ridgway, at North Meols on 

 his own land, and erected stages for the judge to 

 stand on. He ran regularly at Ashdown Park and 

 Newmarket. The squire was a great cross-country 

 or steeplechase rider, never rode along a public road 

 if he could avoid it. He left instructions in his will 

 to be carried to his grave by his tenantry across 

 country in defiance of hedge, ditch or any other 

 obstacle, and his request was duly carried out by 

 his executors, but as the history of Southport relates, 

 ' with much difficulty and through breaking down 

 fences and even walls.' Bold Hoghton, subsequently 

 a baronet, of Bold Hall near Warrington, and pro- 

 prietor of Birkdale lands at Southport, supported 

 the Ridgway either as patron or honorary member. 

 He preferred cock-fighting to coursing, and was very 

 antagonistic to Lord Derby in this then fashionable 

 sport. Sir T. Hesketh of Rufford also patronized 

 coursing at Ridgway, meetings being held adjoining to 

 his own lands. He is said to have been the first to 

 introduce a blue greyhound (reputed to be of Lord 

 Rivers' breed) into Lancashire. Another patron was 

 Mr. Legh of Lyme and Haydock, who gave per- 

 mission to the club to course over his grounds near 

 Newton-le-\Vlllows. Names of members — 



T. Ridgway of Wallsuches 



Jos. Ridgway of Ridgmount 



J. Knowles, town clerk of Bolton, secretary 



and treasurer 

 James, Robert and John Smith of Chadwick 



Hall, near Tyldesley (the first-named being 



vice-president of the club) 



— Allanson of Liverpool 



E. Allison of Croston Hall, Ormskirk 



T. Allison, his brother, of Knotty Ash, Liverpool 



— Thompson of Wigan (of racing celebrity, 

 cock-tailed horses chiefly) 



Aaron Lees of Stockport (more given to play 



whist than coursing) 

 Messrs. Bellhouse, two brothers, of Manchester 



(capital singers of sporting songs) 



— Orrell of Liverpool 



— Ackers of Liverpool 



Brewer Allan of Manchester (a Scotsman and 



for some years amateur judge for the club) 

 J. Pedder, banker, Preston 

 S. Horrox, Preston 



— Easterby, Preston 

 G. Andrew, Chorley 



Hulton of Hulton, honorary member 

 Sir T. Hesketh, bart., honorary member 

 Messrs. Brydson (father and son) of Southport 



— Eden of Astley and Lytham (celebrated for 

 collection of pictures, and a very successful 

 courser) 



476 



Daniel Broadhurst, Manchester (subsequently 

 stipendiary magistrate for Manchester and 

 secretary to the club after Mr. Knowles) 



— Anderton, Rochdale (had first-class dogs from 

 Sir Bellingham Graham's breed) 



In the foregoing it is interesting to read of 

 Mr. Knowles and Mr. Broadhurst as successive 

 secretaries of the club. Probably the latter was 

 succeeded by Mr. James Bake (for long secretary 

 of the National Coursing Club), who in 1879 

 was succeeded by Mr. Percival. Then came 

 Mr. Mugliston, who has held office for upwards 

 of a quarter of a century, so equalling, even if 

 not exceeding, Mr. T. D. Hornby's tenure of 

 the secretaryship of the Altcar Club. The 

 presidents of the club have been Mr. Ridgway, 

 Mr. Hardman, Mr. B. H. Jones, Mr. T. H. 

 Clifton, Mr. Mallabey, Mr. C. I. F. Fawcett, 

 and Mr. G. F. Fawcett holds the office at the 

 present time. A look through such lists of 

 members as are available and the returns of the 

 meetings shows that, like the Altcar Club, the 

 Ridgway Club has always had the support of the 

 best coursers of the day. In fact many of the 

 best supporters of coursing in the three king- 

 doms have been and are members of these two 

 Lancashire clubs. The Ridgway Club seems 

 to have been always generous with its cups and 

 added prizes — some given by members, some by 

 honorary members, and others from the funds of 

 the club. In a copy of the rules for 1859 

 it is laid down that : — 



The Ridgway Club Challenge Cup shall be run 

 for at the meeting in December, added to a sweep- 

 stakes of £j each. The winner of the cup three 

 times to be entitled to it. No double nomination 

 to be allowed. 



The rule for the Crinoline Stakes ordains 

 that — 



This stake added to a sweepstakes of £^ each, 

 shall be run for at the meeting in December. The 

 winner of the stake three times to be entitled to the 

 picture of 'The Morning of the Twelfth,' most 

 liberally presented by G. F. Cooke, Esq., to the 

 Ridgway Club. No double nomination allowed. 

 The picture shall be deposited at the house where 

 the club meet, and remain there as the pro- 

 perty of the club, until finally won. The name of 

 the winning dog each year shall be placed under- 

 neath the picture. 



Then follows the Champion Collar — 



This stake added to a sweepstakes of £^ each 

 (single nomination). The winner of the Stakes 

 to retain the collar until won by some other 

 member, unless called in by the members by a 

 resolution at a general meeting ; to be run for 

 annually at the meeting in February. 



The Champion Collar appears to have been 

 first run for in 1863 at the Southport meeting 

 in December, and won by Lord Sefton's Sampler. 



