In October, 1895, King Edward VII, then Prince of Wales, stayed with the Beresfords at Deepdene, others staying in the house at the time were the Sassoons, Colonel Brabazon 10th Hussars, otherwise known as “Beautiful Bwab” (he had some difficulty with his r’s), Captain Holford, Lady Sarah Wilson and Mr. Winston Churchill, also, I believe, Mr. Charles Moore.
His Majesty enjoyed his visit. He was taken to see the Home Farm where Lord William attended to his business and where he kept all his horses except his racing stud; they were at Epsom, under the care of Mr. Willson, who came from India with Lord William. The farm was a delightful sunny spot and was occupied by Lord Bill’s head man and his wife; occasionally his lordship had some cheery bachelor parties there. The view was charming, looking over Boxhill and the North Downs, sweeping the valley towards Reigate and Bletchingley. It was on these downs that Bishop Wilberforce met his death in 1873; the church there is a memorial to him.
Soon after his marriage, Lord William had one of his many accidents while driving a fast trotter named Hugh from Leatherhead. The only other occupants being Lord Marcus and the groom Tommy Ryan, who came from Curraghmore. The night was very dark and wet, but they were thundering along at a very fast pace when Hugh shied violently, upsetting the whole caboodle. When they began collecting themselves Tommy was missing, so his master shouted out, “Tommy, where are you?” From the other side of a wall came the answer, “I’m here, my lord, on my head in a ditch.” The brothers were much amused. Amongst other things Lord Bill’s head was cut, obliging him to appear at breakfast next morning with it bandaged up; his mother who was staying there at the time asked anxiously what was the matter, he wished to avoid frightening her so told one of those useful white lies which oil the wheels of life, saying quite coolly that he always wore a turban on a certain anniversary of some event in India! which quite satisfied his mother.
A fast trotter or two for his buggy was considered a necessity, and he brought his chestnut mare, Ilee, from India with him, he said he could not part with her, she had so often saved his life by her sagacity. She apparently did not leave her wisdom behind her in the East, for one night when for a wonder Lord Bill was alone and driving her home in the dark, as he turned into the lower drive at the Deepdene and she was doing a little bit of her best, she suddenly stopped dead, causing a bit of a splutter but probably saving Lord William’s life, for, thinking he had returned, the lodge keeper had put up the bar for the night across the drive blocking ingress or egress without his permission and knowledge.
Some of Lord William’s trotters did remarkable things; Harry, another prodigy, he raced against a train between two stations on the Brighton line, I believe it was between Burford and Dorking, for a bet, of course, and ended in a dead-heat! It used to be quite a joke amongst the people of Dorking when they heard one of the trotters thundering down the road to shout out, “Clear the way for his lordship,” all using their best endeavours to clear everything out of his way. The Dorking people had taken him to their hearts, and they were so proud of all his feats and doings. It must be recognised more indulgence and latitude was allowed to his lordship than would be extended to everybody, but that is just one of the remarkable things about him, everybody succumbed to him, allowing licence that would certainly not have been permitted to anybody else.
Piloteer, a handsome grey trotter, won many prizes at Richmond, Dublin and other places. I am able to give a good photo of him taken just after winning one of his prizes. He was an Irish horse.
During 1896 there were various hairbreadth escapes, without which I am sure Lord Bill would have felt dull. While driving his coach from Ascot to Bishopsgate when trying to pass some other coaches the leaders stepped into a furze-bush and then bolted; if history tells true the coach was upset, but of that I cannot speak with certainty, but I do know for certain that all in the coach were full of praise for the wonderful driving which had enabled them to escape unhurt. On the coach at the time were Lord and Lady Marcus Beresford, that fine old sportsman, Colonel Chaine, and his wife, Major Braithwaite and Mrs. Featherstonhaugh.
Another mishap occurred once going to the Derby, I think, if I remember rightly, when some of the occupants were landed over a hedge into a field. They were all men this time and one who was there told me about it. I believe it happened when his lordship was racing against young Mr. Fownes; at least that is how the tale was told to me, but it was long ago and I hope I am not taking anybody’s name in vain.
Lord William’s coach was always one of the best turned out and horsed at the Coaching and Four-in-hand Club meets.
His first successful racing season after his return to this country was 1896. He knew the business thoroughly from A to Z, to which much of his success was due, for it is no use anybody saying in a light-hearted way “I am going to race,” expecting to do wonderful things because they know the points of a horse and have judged the jumping at local agricultural shows; it not only spells disappointment, but often financial disaster. No one unless they have been behind the scenes or learnt by bitter experience can form any idea of how much there is to know before there is even a possibility of success. To begin with, and it is a big beginning, there are the numerous authorities which it is wise and advantageous to keep in a pleasant frame of mind, and under no circumstances bandy words with, or argue; fancy arguing or bandying words with the Jockey Club for instance, the National Hunt Committee, or the Turf Club of Ireland; yet all have to be considered. Many are the rules, regulations, and niceties in the way of etiquettes requiring digestion, all an education in themselves.