Alcock's Arabian

Alcock's Arabian [Curwen's Grey Barb, Curwen's Grey Morocco Barb, Curwen's Grey Turk, Pelhams Grey Barb, Pelham's White Barb] gr c 1701c. Sire Line Alcock's Arabian.

It appears that the horse later known as Alcock’s Arabian, from his owner at the time he sired Crab (1722), was probably imported by Mr Curwen, and that his stud career extended from about 1705 through about 1726. These dates suggest that he could have been foaled about 1701, and been an elderly horse at the time he became known as Alcock’s Arabian. Evidence from the first part of the 18th century that supports this conclusion is as follows:

1. An advertisement in 1746 identified the breeder of Alcock’s (later White’s, &c) Spot as Mr Alcock of Emingham in Lincolnshire.
THERE is now in the Hands of John White at Binbrook in Lincolnshire, a bay Stoned Horse called Spot, and will cover Mares this Season at half a Guinea a Leap and Tryal. He is near fifteen Hands high, and is thought to be as strong a Horse of the Sort as any in England. He was bred by Mr Alcock of Emingham in Lincolnshire. In his Year he won the Hundred Guineas at York and Nottingham. Then Mr Alcock sold him to Sir John Chaplin, and while in his Hands, he won the Thirty Pound Plate at Farndon, the great Plate at Chester, the Thirty Pounds at Oswestry, and the Thirty Pound at Theotwood. Then he was sold to Sir Watkin Williams Winn for a hundred Guineas, had again very great Success, and is thought to have won more Plates than any Horse now in being. Gentlemen that please to send their Mares, shall have proper Care taken of them, and good Grass at Eighteen Pence a Week, by their humble Servant / John White [Stamford Mercury. Thursday, March 20, 1746. Numb. 750.]

2. For many years Cheny’s calendars of races covering the years 1729-1750, included in the list of subscribers a William Alcock, Jun, Esq; & a Mr Alcock of Lincolnshire.

Records in the English National Archives appear to identify the relevant Alcock family. From the short description of documents related to a lawsuit in 1728 (Allcock vs Woolnough), the following individuals are known:

Plaintiffs William Alcock, gent of Immingham, eldest s. & heir of William Alcock (deceased)
also Joseph Alcock, gent of Immingham
others … younger children & devisees of said William Alcock appear to have been
“said Joseph Alcock”
Hannah, w. of William Cappe, gent of Harmston near Lincoln
Mary, w. of Samuel Shaw, clerk of Derby
Elizabeth, late w. of James Sewell of Lincoln

It seems likely, then, that William Alcock, Jun, &/or his brother Joseph were the owner(s) of Alcock’s Arabian.

In 1729, Cheny described the winner of the first Royal Plate of 100 Gs for 6 years old run that year at Newmarket in April as
Mr Cotton's Grey H Crab, got by a Foreign Horse of Mr Alcock's

Crab’s sire also seems to have been regarded as a Foreign Horse in an advertisement of his descendant Ramper, where Ramper’s proprietor listed the foreign horses in that horses pedigree from top to bottom.
As there is flowing in Ramper's Veins a more extraordinary Collection of foreign Blood than most publick Stallions can boast of, I hope it will not be looked upon as needless to give a Sketch of the Arabs, Turks, and Barbs, that Ramper sprung from. There is in him, that of the Alcock Arabian, the Byerley Turk, of the Arabian that got Leeds, of the Darcy Yellow Turk, of the Curwen Bay Barb, of the Sellaby Turk, and of the white-leg'd Lowther Barb; moreover, that of Shaftsbury Turk, and of the Lister Stradling Turk, with the Hutton white Barb. If there is no just Reason to believe that any one of these foreign Horses were bad, then there is no material Flaw in Ramper's Blood.

3. In his calendar for 1743, Cheny gives a neat summary of the get of Crab’s sire:

The Alcock Arabian, which got Old Crab, Sire of Ramper, was also the Sire of the Duke of Ancaster's Gentleman, Sir Wat. Williams-Wynn's Spot, Lady Chaplin's Spot, Mr. Humberston's Blue Ribbon, and the Dam of Lord Godolphin's Dismal and Miss Alcock.

Of these horses, all but one were stated to have been bred by Mr Alcock, the Duke of Ancaster, or Mr Pelham. This suggests that the Alcock Arabian was essentially a private stallion. And further, that, his best get were the produce of the long-established breeding programs of the Dukes of Ancaster, and Mr Pelham (using mares formerly Mr Curwen’s).

4. Searching further, there are a couple of later references which call Crab’s sire, the Pelham Grey Arabian. It appears, then, that Mr Pelham acquired Crab’s sire along with other bloodstock from Mr Curwen’s stud.

In the Hands of William Garlick,
At Charlton, near Malmsbury in Wiltshire,
THE beautiful strong grey Horse, call’d TRIFLE; he was got by Old Fox, Son of Clumsey, Son of Hautboy, Son of the White Darcy Turk; his Dam was bred by Charles Pelham, of Broclesby, Esq; she was got by his Grey Arabian, which was the Sire of Old Crab; her Dam was got by the old Bay Barb, and out of a natural Arabian Mare, which was thought by Judges to be as fine a Mare as ever was seen. He has won several Fifty Pound Prizes, but the Places and Particulars are too tedious to mention: He is sound, and quite free from any natural Blemish, and will cover this Season at one Guinea a Mare, and one Shilling the Man, the Money to be paid at the Stable Door.
N B Grass for Mares near the Horse, and proper Care taken of them. [London Evening Post, Thursday, February 21, 1751; Issue 3642.]

To LEAP this Season,
At One Guinea each Mare, and Half a Crown to the Groom, being the Property of Robert Shepherd, of Leberston, near Scarborough,
A Fine strong Chesnut Horse, call'd CRAB, fifteen hands high, rising eight Years old, well mark'd, clear of all natural Blemishes, goes well on his Legs, and bred by Thomas Panton, Esq; He was got by Mr Panton's Old Crab; Old Crab was got by Mr Pelham's Grey Arabian; his Dam, by Basto; his Grandam, by Curwen's Bay Barb; his Great Grandam, by Old Spot; his Great Great Grandam, by the Lowther's Barb, and out of the Vintner's Mare: His Grandam was full Sister to Mixberry, and was the Dam of Partner; his Dam was full Sister to Little Scar, and was the Dam of Black-Legs, Second, Snip, and Bay Mot. Old Crab got the Duke of Ancaster's Grasshopper, Ward, and Rib; Mr Grevil's Crab and Ramper; the Duke of Perth's Horse, Mr Panton's Sloe, Little Crab, Drudge, Bustard, Blossom, Black-and-all-Black, Oroonoko, Slammerkin, Skim, Mr Vernon's Crab, Mr Routh's Black-Eyes, and several other Horses of good Form.--The Widdrington Mare was got by Partner; her Dam, by Bloody Buttocks; her Grandam, by Greyhound; her Great Grandam, by Makeless; her Great Great Grandam, by Brimmer; her Great Great Great Grandam, by Place's White Turk; her Great Great Great Great Grandam, by Dodsworth, out of a Layton Barb Mare. She won Hambleton Guineas in 1742, and the King's Plate at Newmarket in 1743, where she beat Volunteer, and the best Horses of her Age.
The Chesnut Horse I sold Mr Shepherd was got by Old Crab, out of my Widdrington Mare, and bred by me / THOMAS PANTON.
Good Grass for Mares. [York Courant. Tuesday, March 11, 1755. Numb. 1533.]

A record dating to 1747 in the Lincolnshire Archives indicates that Mr Pelham had properties in Immingham [1 Dixon 1/J/3/2]. Such proximity supports the idea that at the time that his primary stallion was the horse now generally known as Curwen’s Bay Barb, he would have been willing to sell or loan another of his stallions to Mr Alcock.

There are other references in Mr Routh’s records (C M Prior, Early Records, 1923) to what is probably the same horse: “Mr Pelham’s Gray Turk,” “Mr Pelham’s White Barb,” and “Mr Curwen’s Gray Turk, which got Flandrkin.”
The sire of Flanderkin was mentioned in an advertisement from 1715 for the dispersal of Mr Curwen’s stud.
THis is to give Notice, that upon the first Tuesday in October next, 1715. Mr Curwen of Workington, in the County of Cumberland, will expose to publick Sale, his whole Stud, at moderate Prices, consisting of 30 Choice Brood Mares, 22 of which Mares are the Daughters of the famous bay Barbe, which got little Mixberby [sic], creeping Molly, Whitneck and Mr Gage's little Mare called Lightfoot, 5 large grey Mares, got by the Turk that got my Lord Harvey's Flanderkine, 4 Years old Filly's, 5 three Years old Fillies, 3 two Years old Fillies, and 3 Yearlings Fillies, all got by Terror, a four Years old, 6 three Years old, 3 two Years old, one Yearling Colt, all got by Terror, and several other Mares, Colts and Fillies most rarely bred. [Evening Post (London) 3 September 1715]

Since the Turk’s daughters were described as mares (which implies that they were at least 5 years old), that suggests that he had been used by Mr Curwen no later than 1709. Lord Harvey’s Flanderkin is mentioned in His Lordship’s diary as running in 1712 and 1713.

One more piece of evidence comes from a series of pedigrees that mention Curwen’s Grey Morocco Barb, and help to date this horse’s career in the stud to the late 1600’s or early 1700’s.

This is to give Notice, That there is now in the Hands of Farmer Price, of Tinbead, in the Parish of Edington, Wilts, …
The Bay Horse, Basset, was bred by Lord Weymouth ; he was got by Young Sparks, out of Yellow Mess, who was got by the Chesnut Arabian, her Dam by the Coniers Grey Arabian, her Grand-Dam by Vernon Barb, and her Great Grand Dam was called the Grey Foot Ramsden Mare, she was got by Mr. Curwin's Grey Morocco Barb, and she under Sir William Ramsden's Bay Peg, that was got by Mr. Leed's Arabian, that got Leeds and Bay Peg, was under Mr. Leed's Chesnut Peg, which was got by Old Sparks, and under Old Ballad Peg, and Old Ballad Pag was under a natural Barb Mare, who was got by Lord Fairfax's Arabian. [The Bath Journal, Number 164, Monday, April 13, 1747.]

Aimwell, Mr. Pembroke's, was got by Babraham, Son of the Godolphin Arabian; his Dam by Sir Everard Faulkner's grey Turk, his Grandam by the old Hampton Childers, his Great Grandam by Conyer's Arabian, his Great Great Grandam by the Vernon Barb, his Great Great Great Grandam by Mr. Curvin's grey Morocco Barb, his Great Great Great Great Grandam by Leeds's Arabian, that got Leeds, his Great Great Great Great Great Grandam by old Spanker, out of Bald Peg. [Pond 1754; pedigrees of 4 yo]

EURUS will Cover at One Guinea a Mare, and a Crown the Groom. He was got by Young Merlin; his dam (which is the dam of Plough-Boy) was got by Greswood Partner; her dam by Bartlet’s Childers; her grandam by Jack-of-the-Green; her great grandam by Richards Arabian; her great-great-grandam by the Vernon Barb; her great-great-great grandam, by Curwen’s Grey Barb, out of Sir William Ramsden’s Bay Peg, that was got by Mr Leed’s Arabian, that got Leeds.
He won the King’s Plate at Canterbury, the Gold Cup at Cirencester, the Gold Cup at Bath, the 50 l at Bridgewater, the 50 l at Blandford, and the 50 l at Maidenhead.
Good grass, and due care will be taken of the mares.—The money to be paid at the time of covering. [The Bath Chronicle. Thursday, April 12, 1781. No. 1069.]

Henry Curwen is known to have spent time in France in the 1690’s, after which, according to Cheny’s calendar for 1743, he imported two Barb stallions.

the Thoulouse Barb… was brought into England by the late Mr. Curwen, of Workington in Cumberland.
That Gentleman being in France at a time when Count Byram and Count Thoulouse (two Natural Sons of Lewis the Fourteenth) were, the former, Master of the Horse, and the other an Admiral, he procured of them two Barb Horses, which he convey'd to England.
One of which became Sir John Parsons's, of Rygate, Surrey ; which was styled the Thoulouse Barb….
The other of these Barbs was a Present to Lewis the Fourteenth from Muly Ishmael, King of Morrocco ; which, after he came to England, proved so excellent a Stallion, that he is a distinguishable to all Sportsmen, by the bare Title of the Bay Barb, as he could have been had there never been another Barb Horse of his Colour in the Kingdom

There are also references in pedigrees to an Arabian Mare, that Mr Curwen had out of France.

An Account of the Mares & Colts, &c Belonging to the Honble Edward Coke, Esqre, at Longford, Taken the 5th July [1732] as followeth
Mare got by ye Gray Arabn, yt got Crab out of a daughter off ye old Bay Barb which mare was out of an Arabian Mare, that Mr Curwen had out off France, yt was dam to Mr Minchell’s Chesnut Post Boy / [signed] Henry Pelham.* [C M Prior, Royal Studs of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, 1935; Lord Godolphin’s Stud]

NOTE* Mr Pelham is known to have had Mr Curwen’s Book [of his stud records] as it is mentioned in an advertisement for Smiling Ball in the Newcastle Courant for February 28, 1735-6.

Perhaps it was Mr Curwen’s French connections that enabled him to procure his Grey Morocco Barb.

A J Hibbard

The Alcock Arabian's outstanding son was Crab, however he got a number of runners, including Sir Williams-Wynn's Spot (b c 1725c) who won eighteen races from 1731 to 1733. He also got several useful fillies. An Alcock Arabian Mare, probably bred by Charles Pelham, owned by Lord Godolphin and later by Charles Bertie, was the dam of Dismal (gr c 1733 Godolphin Arabian), Trifle (gr c 1738 Fox) and Browne's Whitefoot (gr c 1734 Bolton Whitefoot). Dismal was undefeated on the turf, winning the 1000 guineas Great Stakes at Newmarket and King's Plates at Ipswich, Guildford, Salisbury and Lincoln. Trifle won several £50 Plates. Alcock Arabian Mare was the 5th dam of William Alcock's Miss Peeper (ro f 1759 Regulus), the winner of eight Fifties in the north before breaking down in a race against Mr Hudson's Dart. She defeated, among others, Mr Wentworth's Patriot (ch c 1757 Regulus) and Mr Hutton's Lofty (Regulus). She stood about 14 hands and a quarter inch. Alcock's Arabian was Champion Sire in 1728.

Gentleman (GB)

gr c 1723 (Alcock's Arabian - Virgin, by Ancaster Merlin). Sire Line Alcock's Arabian. Family 28. Bred by the Duke of Ancaster, he ran from 1728 to 1734. In April of 1728 he won the 300 guineas Wallasey Stakes at Newmarket. In 1729 he won the King's Plate at Nottingham, beating Mr Adams's Miss Vane, Mr Shepherd's Darcy, Mr Williams's Sloven and distanced five others in three heats. The same year he placed 2nd in the King's Plate at York. In April of 1730 he won 200 guineas at Newmarket, beating Sir Robert Fagg's Goldenlocks over four miles. In 1731 he won 50 guineas at Leighton and 80 guineas at Stamford, beating Miss Neasham and six others. In 1732 he won the 50 guineas at Leighton, and in 1733 he won it again, along with £40 at Huntington, beating Mr Grisewood's Diamond and Mr Fleetwood's Foxhunter. He went on to win 40 guineas at Burford, beating Mr Major's Whitestockings. In 1734 he won £40 at Boston, beating Captain Appleyard's Quiet Cuddy and others. He was in the Ancaster stud where he sired a colt in 1735. He was later advertised to cover in Cambridgeshire at the Wheat Sheaf for a fee of 1 guinea although he doesn't appear to have gotten any other offspring.

Alcock's Spot (GB)

b c 1722 (Alcock's Arabian - Spot's Dam, by Curwen's Spot). Sire Line Alcock's Arabian. Bred by Mr Alcock of Lincoln he was later purchased by Richard Williams, Sir John Chalpin and Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn. A runner of some ability he raced from 1727 to 1733. For Mr Alcock he won the Royal Plate at Nottingham in 1728, beating Lord Gower's Last Time of Asking (Cyprus Arabian), the Duke of Hamilton's Victorious (gr c 1722 Ruffler), Mr Bacon's Fox and Mr Luck's Fearnought (Royal). He also won the Royal Plate at York, beating Mr Wharton's Hackney (Hartley's Blind Horse), Mr Luck's Foxhunter, Mr Anderson's Longlegs and Captain Coulson's Whynot, the latter having previously won a Royal Plate in Scotland. He covered for proprietor John Smith at Lowth, near Horncastle, at half a guinea. He was said to stand nearly 15 hands, be well marked and have the strength to carry weight with any horse of "that kind". He left no offspring in the stud book.