Fairfax Morocco Barb, Buckingham Turk, Helmsley Turk, possibly Whiteshirt gr c 1665c. Sire Line Fairfax Morocco Barb.

Some of the following equine genealogy incorporates the original research of Highflyer.

Thomas Fairfax ("Black Tom") (1612-1671), Parliamentarian Commander, later 3rd Baron Fairfax, laid siege to Helmsley Castle in 1644. For a wound suffered there he was granted Helmsley Castle in 1651. In addition to the Helmsley estate he probably acquired the existing stock.

Some of that stock may have descended from that of Francis Manners, 6th Earl of Rutland, one of the wealthiest landowners of his day who numbered among his estates Helmsley, Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire and Haddon Hall in Derbyshire. The Manners family was one of the earlier recorded breeders of racing horses, noted for their "Belvoir Castle running strains" [Robertson:32]. In 1620 Lady Katherine Manners, only daughter of the 6th Earl, and over his objections, married George Villiers (1592-1628), Master of the Horse to King James I, who was created Duke of Buckingham in 1623. To her marriage she brought Helmsley and possibly the breeding stock located there.

The breeding stock at Helmsley is often thought to be native bred, however, imported oriental stock has been documented as early as the twelfth century. The Earl of Rutland himself recorded a desire to acquire a Barb from Italy in 1609, about the same time that Lord Cranbourne purchased one in Marseilles, whilst staying with the Duc de Guise [Early Records:79]. The General Stud Book in its chronological list of Arabians, Barbs and Turks presents Guise, the Duke of Rutland's Barb, before the Fairfax Morocco Barb [GSB 1:388] although there is no supporting evidence to connect the event with the horse. However, the notion that imported oriental stock was already being crossed with native stock at Helmsley prior to 1620 seems plausible.

Buckingham, favourite of King James I, imported many horses, both for himself and on behalf of the King. In June of 1623, Buckingham, in the fortuitous position of being both Master of the Horse and Lord High Admiral of the Navy, directed the Commissioner of the Navy to send to Madrid a ship with a capacity to transport as many as thirty-five horses which had been presented by the Spanish Court to the Prince of Wales, later King Charles I. Buckingham and the Prince had been to Spain to expedite the marriage of Charles to the Spanish Infanta, which failed to materialize. Later in August William Young recorded in his diary that "six horses and mares which the Marquis of Buckingham sent for into Barbary" made their way through Exeter [History of Newmarket 1:307].

Buckingham maintained his own Highe Wair stud and racing stable. In 1622 at Newmarket the Marquis of Buckingham's horse is said to have lost a £100 stake to a horse belonging to William Cecil (1591-1668), 2nd Earl of Salisbury (formerly Lord Cranbourne, above, who had acquired a Barb in Marseilles). In 1623 Highe Wair was home to twenty-two mares, five of which were Spanish and three of which were Barbary, along with stallions which were Barbaries, Rennetts and a courser [The History of Horse Racing:43].

As Mr Prior notes, Buckingham had access to many more imported horses than would have been needed for the royal studs or his own use and some of them were probably sent to Helmsley [Royal Studs:107].

After Buckingham's asssassination in 1628, his son George Villiers (1628-1687), who had been born at Wallingford House, Whitehall, and only a year old at the time, was raised and educated along with the children of the king. In 1635 his mother, the Dowager Duchess of Buckingham, married Randal MacDonnell (1609-1682), 2nd Earl and Marquess of Antrim, and presumably left Helmsley for Ireland where she died in 1649.

Thomas, Lord Fairfax, acquired Helmsley in 1651 as a "salve for a bad wound" he suffered at the seige of the castle in 1644 [Royal Studs:107]. Since there is no record of importation for the Fairfax Morocco Barb (gr c 1655c) it seems possible that he descended from the earlier Buckingham imports, perhaps crossed with original Helmsley stock. His famous mate, Old Bald Peg (f 1665c), may have also descended from the same stock.

There is no evidence that Fairfax himself ever lived at Helmsley, as it was at Nun Appleton that his daughter Mary was tutored by the poet Andrew Marvell, and had in fact left it indefensible and considerably damaged from the seige. While Fairfax had an interest in breeding war horses, (he had written a treatise on the subject), and had presented a horse of his breeding to King Charles II to ride to his coronation, no horses appear to have raced in his name and he is given credit for having bred only the Old Morocco Mare (f 1670c), suggesting that he probably retained some nominal share in the Helmsley horses until his death in 1671.

In 1657 Mary Fairfax, the only living daughter and heir of Lord Fairfax, married George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, whereby Helmsley was restored to him. He seems to have spent little time at Helmsley until after the death of King Charles II in 1685. Helmsley horses who had been confiscated, (1657-8, when Buckingham was detained at Windsor Castle), during Cromwell's tenure were formally returned by a warrant in 1661 from King Charles II which ordered the return of "one Turkish horse, one barbe, and five mares". It is possible that some of these horses were the sires and dams of the Fairfax Morocco Barb and Old Bald Peg.

The General Stud Book credits Buckingham as the breeder of Spanker (b c 1675c Darcy's Yellow Turk), thought the best horse on the turf in the reign of Charles II, from Lord Fairfax's Old Morocco Mare. The Fairfax Morocco Barb probably remained in Buckingham's custody until his death in 1687.

It seems reasonable to suggest that Fairfax Morocco Barb was known by that name between 1665 and 1671, the Buckingham or Helmsley Turk between 1671 and 1687, the Holderness Turk between 1682 and 1689, and finally, Whiteshirt after 1689.

Helmsley Turk

Helmsley Turk, Buckingham Turk, Fairfax Morocco Barb, Holderness Turk, probably Curwen's Grey Morocco Barb, possibly Whiteshirt gr c 1665c. Sire Line Helmsley Turk. The Turf Register notes that Bustler was "bred by Mr Place" and got by "the Duke of Buckingham's Turk, generally called the Helmsley Turk" [Pick 1:20]. In 1791 An Introduction to a General Stud-Book says that Dodsworth's Dam was sold at the age of twenty when in foal to the Helmsley Turk, the result of this mating being Vixen [Intro:203]. The Turf Register notes that Vixen "was got by the Earl of Holderness's Turk, out of the dam of Dodsworth" [Pick 1:72]. (This is not the same horse as the later stallion, Holderness Turk, who sired Old Royal and Hartley's Blind Horse). This information is significant in that it indicates the Helmsley Turk had probably been acquired by Conyers Darcy (1598-1689) who was created Earl of Holderness in 1682. Conyers Darcy was the older brother of James Darcy the elder (1617-1673) of Sedbury Park, the stud master to King Charles II. Best known for his sons, Helmsley Turk got Bustler, Darcy's Diamond, Hutton's Royal Colt, and possibly Place's White Turk (Darcy's White Turk) [see Family 2]. After the death of Conyers Darcy the Helmsley Turk probably passed into the custody of Henry Curwen and became known as Curwen's Grey Morocco Barb, below.

Bustler (GB)

Bustler c 1675c (Helmsley Turk). Sire Line Helmsley Turk. Bred by Rowland Place and probably owned by James Darcy the younger, in the old calendars his sire is given as the Buckingham Turk. Although he was said to have had a limited mare book, he nevertheless sired a number of worthy daughters and three useful stallion sons, Blunderbuss, Old Merlin and Darcy's Woodcock, the latter probably his best son.

Blunderbuss (GB)

Blunderbuss c 1690c (Bustler). Sire Line Helmsley Turk. Bred at Sedbury by Lord Darcy, his notable contribution to the stud book was his daughter, Kitt Darcy's Royal Mare, from whom most of Family 13 descends. She was the dam of Old Royal (Holderness Turk), who sired the famous race mare Bald Charlotte (ch f 1721) and her full-sister Miss Brampton (ch f 1722), the latter the dam of Sir Edward O'Brien's good Irish race horse Fribble (b c 1746 Merry Andrew). Kitt Darcy's Royal Mare was also the dam of Sir Ralph Milbanke's Black Mare (bl f 1703 Makeless), dam of Hartley's Blind Horse (ch c 1712 Holderness Turk). The Royal Mare was also the 5th dam of Old Standard (b c 1736 Young Belgrade). Blunderbuss also sired Blunderbuss Mare, the 5th dam of Phantom (gr c 1737 Hobgoblin).

Merlin (GB)

Merlin [Old, Acklam] c 1695c (Bustler - Merlin's Dam, by unknown stallion). Sire Line Helmsley Turk. Family 37. Old Merlin was bred by Sir Matthew Pearson at Lowthorpe, near Bridlington in Yorkshire, and later sold to Mr Acklom (sometimes Acklam or Acklem). Merlin was considered to be "in a very high form for racing, and allowed to be the best horse that had ever ran in the kingdom" [Pick 1:18]. He won a number of Plates and important matches, although he lost a match to the Duke of Bolton's Bay Bolton (br c 1705 Grey Hautboy), who had also been bred by Pearson. Merlin was involved in a famous match against one of Tregonwell Frampton's horses arranged by Sir William Strickland, an associate of Sir Matthew Pearson, prior to which the two runners took part in a private trial. In the trial each side, unbeknownst to the other, had added extra weight to their runners. Merlin won the trial by "more than a length of excellent running" [Pick 1:19]. Thus each side felt they would win the match, the logic being, on Merlin's side, that he had won carrying extra weight, and on the other, Frampton's horse had lost by only a length, therefore without the extra weight he would be sure to win. Unprecedented sums were wagered on the match which developed into a North-South contest, with some backers staking all their money and property. Merlin duly won the match by the same distance he had won the trial. As a consequence of the match a number of gentleman lost their fortunes, which subsequently came to the attention of parliament, following which legislation was enacted prohibiting wagering in excess of ten pounds. Little Merlin, as he was called in the popular verse which commemorates this match, entered the stud at Boynton, in east Yorkshire, a seat of the Strickland family, where he got several good daughters and three notable sons, Bethell's Castaway and Woodcock, and Richardson's Merlin.

Castaway (GB)

Castaway [Bethell's] br c 1704 (Old Merlin - Sister to Ruffler, by Brimmer Colt). Sire Line Helmsley Turk. Family 31. Bred and raced by Hugh Bethell of Rise, in Holderness, Yorkshire, he was described as "a moderate Plate horse" [Pick 1:20]. He may have been the Woodcock who in March of 1710 won a cup at Kiplingcotes, which was still in the possession of a family descendant when Mr Prior saw it. See Woodcock, below [Early Records:147]. In August of 1711 he started for a £20 Plate at York, won by Sir William Strickland's Castaway (gr c Woodcock) [Orton:2]. In the stud he got three useful mares.

Woodcock (GB)

Woodcock b c 1715 (Old Merlin - Sister to Ruffler, by Brimmer Colt). Sire Line Helmsley Turk. Family 31. Woodcock, brother to Castaway, was bred by Mr. Bethell and later sold to Mr. Raikes Fulthorpe. In July of 1721 he won the Royal Plate at York for six year olds against a large field, most of whom were distanced in the first heat due to a fall by the co-favourites, the Duke of Rutland's Proserpine and Mr. Frampton's gelding, some time after which both their jockeys died. The horses survived and met again in August for the Royal Plate at Lincoln, in which Woodcock defeated Mr. Frampton's gelding. However, in October for the Royal Plate at Newmarket, in which Woodcock was the favourite and heavily backed, the gelding was victorious. In April of 1722 Woodcock avenged his loss by winning the Royal Plate at Newmarket defeating the same gelding and Proserpine. This last match was said to have developed into a similar north-south contest to that which attended the earlier match between Old Merlin and one of Frampton's horses. Results of the Royal Plates just mentioned do not accord with those of Baily's Turf Register which suggests logic should not preclude the existence of a parallel universe. Mr. Prior suggests Woodcock's birth date was probably earlier than 1715, as a descendant of Mr. Bethell still retained a "very beautiful cup" with Woodcock's name engraved, and bearing the Royal Arms, which had been presented to him by Queen Anne for a victory at Bramham Moor in 1708 [Early Records:147]. However, this Woodcock would have been another horse as the Royal Plates the first Woodcock ran for in 1721 and 1722 were for six year olds. Woodcock left at least one mare, Grey Woodcock [Cheny1749:199 & Pick1:69]. Grey Woodcock (gr f 1720) was bred by John Croft, and became the dam of Croft's Egyptian Mare (ch f 1725 Croft's Egyptian) who placed 6th in the Royal Plate for mares at Hambleton in 1730, and was later the ancestress of the St. Leger winner The Duchess (b f 1813 Cardinal York).

Merlin (GB)

Merlin [Richardson's] c (Old Merlin). Sire Line Helmsley Turk. He sired the 3rd dam of Figure* (br c 1757 Hamilton's Figure), who was exported to America in 1765 and stood at Dr T Hamilton's Schoolfield stud in Maryland before moving on to New Jersey and New York.

Woodcock (GB)

Woodcock [Darcy's, Davill's] c 1695c (Bustler). Sire Line Helmsley Turk. Woodcock was probably bred at Sedbury Park by James Darcy the younger. Although the General Stud Book expresses uncertainty that Darcy's Woodcock and Davill's Woodcock were the same horse [GSB 1:384], Pick's Turf Register records Brown Woodcock (dam of Lambton's Miss Doe) by Davill's Woodcock [Pick 1:41], while the General Stud Book states that Brown Woodcock was by Darcy's Woodcock [GSB 1:414], which suggests they were. Woodcock was best known for his daughters although Sir William Strickland's Castaway (gr c Woodcock) who ran at York in 1709 and won a £20 Plate at York in 1711 may have been his son. All the mares below, except Mad Darcy, are credited by one or more sources to Darcy's Woodcock.

Diamond (GB)

Diamond [Darcy's], possibly Bainton's Diamond b c 1680c (Helmsley Turk - Cowdray Montague Mare). Sire Line Helmsley Turk. Family 12-a. In the Darcy stud at Sedbury, he sired Diamond Mare, a foundation mare of Family 37 and 3rd dam of Bay Bolton (br c 1705 Grey Hautboy), and Diamond Mare, a foundation mare of Family 57 and ancestress of the three Irish stallions Buffer (b c 1798 Prizefighter), Escape (ch c 1802 Commodore) and Rugantino ch c 1803 Commodore). He is possibly the same horse as Sir Robert Bainton's bay Diamond, by Whiteshirt.

Helmsley Turk Colt (GB)

Helmsley Turk Colt c 1680c (Helmsley Turk). Sire Line Helmsley Turk. Said to be the sire of Morgan's Dun and Sister to Morgan's Dun, the latter the 5th dam of Lord Portmore's Chub (b c 1741 Devonshire Blacklegs) and Lord Portmore's Grey Childers (gr c 1727 Bartlet's Childers), as well as their half-sister Little Bowes (f Chedworth's Monkey), a matron in Family 2. There is reason to doubt the integrity of the dam line of Bowes. The Helmsley Turk Colt is possibly the same horse as Place's White Turk.

Hutton's Royal Colt (GB)

Hutton's Royal Colt c 1685c (Helmsley Turk - Royal Sedbury Mare). Sire Line Helmsley Turk. Said by the General Stud Book to have been bred by Sir William Ramsden and sold to Mr Hutton in 1700 [GSB 1:382]. He may have been the same horse as Darcy's Royal Colt, who sired the dam of Mr Lister's race horse Dunkirk (gr c 1726 Fox Cub), although Darcy's Royal Colt appears to date somewhat later and may himself be instead the same horse as the Royal Colts belonging to Mr Dalton and Mr Hatton. Hutton's Royal Colt sired the 6th dam of Marske (br c 1750 Squirt). He also got the Fen Mare, 3rd dam of dam of King's Pate winner Black Chance (bl c 1732 Hutton's Bay Barb), the good race horse Moorcock (gr c 1740 Hutton's Blacklegs) and King's Plate winner Phantom (gr c 1737 Hobgoblin).

Place's White Turk, Darcy's White Turk, Sedbury Turk gr c 1670c (Helmsley Turk). Sire Line Place's White Turk. According to tradition Place's White Turk was acquired in Aleppo by the Levant Company at the request of Oliver Cromwell, and arrived at Gravesend via Holland in 1657, on the ship Dartmouth, accompanied by Nicholas Baxter, Cromwell's Gentleman of the Horse. Presumably the Turk would have joined Crowmell's other horses who were said to be at Hampton Court [History of Newmarket 2:213]. After Cromwell's death Rowland Place, Cromwell's studmaster, was thought to have removed the Turk to Dinsdale in North Yorkshire where he was thence known as Place's White Turk.

This tradition was based on John Cheny's speculation that identified the horse with Cromwell's import, and is unlikely. Cheny said: "The White Turk that got Wormwood, and also the Great Grand-Dam of Windham, I suppose to be the Turk of Mr Place's, Stud-Master to the Lord Protector Cromwell; but this I am not absolutely certain of" [Cheny 1744:x]. In all pedigrees Place's White Turk appears later than Darcy's Yellow Turk. Offspring of Place's White Turk occupy an approximate time span between 1680 and 1700.

Cheny's remark appears to be the original source for the information that Mr Place was "Stud-Master" to Cromwell, which has yet to be confirmed by another authority. Mr Prior found it "remarkable that Rowland Place should have accepted office under Cromwell, as his father was a devoted Royalist, and had to compound for his estate under the Commonwealth" [Early Records:20]. In the genealogical table drawn from Dugdale's Visitation there is no mention of Rowland Place occupying such a prominent position under Cromwell, while there is note that his son Francis Place was a celebrated painter. Author Roy Sherwood* advises that in an article by C H Firth on 'Cromwell's View on Sport' in Macmillan's Magazine', October 1894, Firth states that "A modern biographer, Mr Waylen, boldly asserts that 'races continued in Hyde Park during the Protectorate; and Dick Pace, the owner of divers horses who live in racing chronicles, was the Protector's stud-groom'." Firth goes on to say that Waylen "gives no authority for these statements, and neither of them is confirmed by contemporary evidence". The book Firth refers to is The House of Cromwell by James Waylen (1880). Sherwood suggests that perhaps Richard (Dick) Pace might at some point have been confused with R(owland) Place. It is also possible that stud groom and stud master were different occupations. Nevertheless, the possibility remains that Mr Place's position may have been no more than another speculation.

Through the years there has been constant and continuing controversy whether Place's White Turk was the same horse as Darcy's White Turk. While no definitive proof is available, it is certain that if there were two Turks, both Turks were covering during the same time span in the vicinity of Bedale, Yorkshire, that both of them were often bred to daughters or descendants of the Darcy Yellow Turk (also called Dodsworth) and that neither was ever mated with daughters of the other.

In a pedigree for Creeper attested to by James Darcy, he said that "Blunderbush Royall's dam was out of my own Gray Royall, and got by the White Turk". Mr. Prior observed that for horses belonging to himself James Darcy always used the term "my," which suggests that there were two White Turks [Early Records:36]. However, since the White Turk would have first belonged to Mr. Place, Darcy would have been unlikely to call him "my" Turk while he was the property of Mr. Place. There is also the speculation that Darcy called him simply "the" Turk because there was only one of them.

Place's White Turk left a number of daughters who were invaluable to the development of bloodstock breeding as well as two sons, Croft's Commoner and Wormwood.

Commoner (GB)

Commoner (GB)

Commoner [Warton's] gr c 1710c (Croft's Commoner - Creeping Molly, by Curwen's Bay Barb - Mare, by Little Mountain Barb [White Legged Lowther Barb] - Foreign Mare). Sire Line Place's White Turk. Bred by Sir Michael Warton, he was also called Grey Commoner and Onslow's Commoner. Although the General Stud Book feels that his dam was the dam of Creeping Molly [GSB 1:379], other sources, including the Turf Register, indicate that his dam was Creeping Molly herself, a "favourite Mare of Sir Michael's called Creeping Molly" [Pick 1:113]. Ernest Hutton, who had a portrait of Creeping Molly in his extensive collection, noted that she was grey and produced Lord Onslow's Commoner, who was also known as Grey Commoner, by Croft's Commoner [British Racehorse, September 1951]. According to Cuthbert Routh's stud book Creeping Molly's dam was "got by a little White leggd Barb of Mr Curwen's, out of a mare nobody can give any acct of" [Early Records:27]. Mr Prior suggests that the Somerset Mare in the 2nd Duke of Ancaster's stud was got by Warton's Commoner, however, by dates it seems more likely that her sire was Old Commoner [Early Records:87]. In 1718 Lord Onslow's Commoner won a match against the Duke of Warton's Winchindon [Baily's Racing Register]. In the stud he left no relevant sons, however, his daughter Mr Witty's Commoner Mare contributed to Family 40, being the 2nd dam of George Witty's Grenadier (b c 1746 Blaze) and possibly of Jenny Cameron* (b f 1742 Quiet Cuddy). Another daughter, Mr Witty's Commoner Mare (gr f 1724), ran in the Royal Plate for five year old mares at Hambleton in 1729, won by Mr Egerton's Nanny (gr f 1724 Pigot Turk) [Orton:24].

Wormwood (GB)

Wormwood c (Place's White Turk). Sire Line Place's White Turk. Despite the numerous times he is mentioned by various sources as being a prominent son of the white Turk, his only appearance in the stud book seems to be as the sire of Wormwood Mare, taproot mare of Family 75. Wormwood Mare was the 3rd dam of the King's Plate winner Mr Jackson's Favourite (gr f 1725 Alcock's Arabian), also known as the Gardiner's Mare. Wormwood Mare was also the 3rd dam of the celebrated race mare Mother Neasham (b f 1720 Hartley's Blind Horse) who won the Annual Plate at Kiplingcotes an unprecendented five times.