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Sunday 22 May 2016

Names of Georgian and Regency Horses

Here the noble steed Diamond by Highflyer, dam by Matchem.  The pedigrees of horses did not always give much in the way of information about the dam save her pedigree!
Sometimes the names of horses gave some information about their pedigree but as often as not they did not, and I include the next couple of pedigrees to show that these illustrious steeds had relatives whose names did pass down as in the case of Woodpecker who sired Young Woodpecker, who sired Woodpecker Lass.

And here is his sire, Highflyer:
Highflyer was sired by Herod, one of the founding stallions of the Thoroughbred.  Highflyer also sired Florizel and Woodpecker [see below].  Highflyer's dam was Rachel, sired by Blank, her dam sired by Regulus, and both Regulus and Blank sired by Godolphin Arabian, who needs no introduction.  [Wickipedia]


Then we have in 1765 the stud record of 'Forrester' [owned by a Mr Hugo Meynell, husband of one of the early Patronesses of Almack's]  whose dam was Layton, but who has a list of ancestors who are stallions:
Old Forrester
Bloody-Buttocks
Partner
Dormouse
Matchem [presumably the same one who was grandsire to Diamond, above?]
Sweepstakes
Makeless [a medieval word meaning matchless]
Brimmer
Dosworth.

the notice in the Derby Mercury of the stud fees and pedigree Friday 19th April 1765 below:

Other names for horses around the Regency which I have noted down when researching other things between 1800 and 1820:
[these are all race horses, as though there are many advertisements for horses for sale, alas, the names are not given.]


Stallions:

Aeolus
Belianis
Beliante
Billy-The-Beau
Blacklock
Black Triphonius
Bruiser
Bucephalus
Bullion
Bustard
Buzzard
Cardenin
Cerberus [adding insult to injury calling it for a dog]
Claymore
Corregio
Faunus
Ganymede
General
Golumpus
Grampian
Harraion
Hippomenes
Jack Spavins
King Corneus
Lightning
Little Thomas
Lochinvar
Loiterer
Mandeville
Masker
Merlin
Newton
Orville
Radamanthus
Ralph
Reveller
Rifleman
Rover
Slender Billy
Sorcerer
Spartan
Snail
Starlight
Symmetry
Thunderbolt
Torchbearer
Tortoise
Traveller [by Highflyer]
Young Woodpecker [by Woodpecker]
Whiff
Winner
Witchcraft
Wonder
Wood-Daemon
Woodpecker


Mares:

Abermule Lass
Agnes Sorrel
Ally Croaker
Aspania
Aspasia
Banshee
Beggar-girl
Bistirpa
Bittery Anne
Black-eyes
Boadicia
Brown Bess
Cambrian Lass
Cecilia
Celecia
Cestrian
Creeper
Creeping Jenny
Cressida
Duchess
Empress
Esterhazy
Fandango
Fanny
Flora
Folly
Fugitive
Georgiana
Glauvina
Gloriana
Goldenlocks
Grey Highflyer [by Highflyer] 
Hannah
Hebe
Helen
Huncamunca [by Highflyer]
Jemima
Jennette
Jenserie
Josephina
Locket
Louise
Maid of all Work
Maid of Lodi
Marcia
Maritornes
Mary-Ann
Meteora [dam by Highflyer]
Miss Blanchard
Miss Buckle
Miss Frances
Miss Judy
Miss Staverley
Morgiana
Nymphima
Octaviana
Parthenope
Pecunia
Peggy
Placid
Priscilla
Princess Jemima
Rosalind
Rosanne
Saganna
Sheba's Queen
Silenua
Stella
Susan
Sweetlip
The Duchess
Truila
Tulip
Victoria
Woodpecker-lass [by Young Woodpecker racing 1817]
Witch of Endor

a fairly good indication that the age of reason had swept away superstition amongst the horse owning classes at least with names like Sorcerer, Witchcraft, Wood-Daemon and the filly Witch of Endor. Interesting the deprecating names like Loiterer, Snail, Tortoise, Jack-Spavins

Interesting that a greater number of mares seem to bear ordinary female nnames.