94 The Life of Fred Archer 
career as an owner of horses. At that time such jockeys as 
Webb, Fordham, Chaloner, Custance, Tom Cannon, and John 
Osborne were riding, and it was no small thing for a man to 
come to the front in such company. That he did come through 
the crowd, however, is a matter of history. 
From 1874, Archer's majority became overwhelming, vary- 
ing from 150 to a third of that number over Charles Wood in 
1878, because in that year Archer was savaged by Muley Edris 
and was out of the saddle a good deal of the season. 
Lord Falmouth took a devoted interest in Archer when 
a boy, even securing the most remunerative investments for 
the jockey's early earnings. He was the first owner to pay 
Archer a yearly salary of £100, at which Fred was content to 
serve him to the day of his death, although tempted by fabulous 
offers from others quarters for the first claim on his services, 
or second, third, or even fourth claims. 
A noteworthy incident of Archer's career was the joint 
presentation with his old master, Mathew Dawson, of a hand- 
some silver salver to Lord Falmouth, who told them that no 
gift or family heirloom at Tregothnan would ever be more 
valued or cherished. 
Mr. John Corlett wrote in 1874 : 
" There is no more hospitable man breathing than the 
Heath House trainer, and whether it is the Prince of Wales or 
the humblest visitor, he must, before leaving, pay a visit to 
the ' sanctum,' hung round with portraits of Alice Hawthorne, 
Eclipse, Kingcraft (with Lord Falmouth at his head), and, in 
fact, all the celebrities of bygone days. 
" This year the stable has been overwhelmed by an em- 
barrassment of riches, and at one time there were in it : 
Atlantic, Aquilo, Couronne de Fer, Tomahawk, Trent, and 
Leolinus, all of them Derby horses. With such cards to shuffle 
it may be imagined, if the trainer had been unscrupulous, 
what wealth would have poured into his pockets. The same 
was the case with the St. Leger. So thoroughly, however. 
