The Sun.
London, England, 1836-07-07 00:00:00

THE LATE MR. BEARDS WO4TH.

The late celebrated John Beardsworth, of Birmingham,
commenced the world as a driver (not an owner) of a
hackney coach. A story, and a true one, is told of him,
to the effect that on one occasion there being a grand ball
in the town, Beardsworth had to drive an heiress to it.
The lady was young and beautiful, and Jack, was smitten !
He went home, dressed, paid for admission to the ball,
danced a great part of the night with his fair (fare!) and
gallantly handed her out to the coach, mounted the box,
and drove her to her home ! He managed to run away
with her soon after, and her money was the foundation of
his future fortune. Beardsworth became proprietor of the
largest Repository in the British empire for the sale of
horses and carriages. His house (built on the lame
ground with the Repository) was all.that money could
make it ; it was indeed a curiosity. The hall was lined with
splendid mirrors—the carpets were of the richest Turkey
—every chair was of a different pattprn, and each as sump-
tuous as imagination could conceive. The chimney-pieces
were exquisite, and the tables of the richest and rarest
woods—one centre table cost 1,500/., and was made of every
wood indigenous to America. It was part of his business
to keep up a famous stock of wine, for truth to say, what
bargains were unfinished in the stable or the repository were
finished with spirit over a bottle of wine in the dining-room.
He used to say that his wine sold off all his hack horses
and craziest carriages ; and the best of the joke was,
that people who had filled themselves at his table with the
fat of the land, and the best vintages of France, Spain,
and Italy, would scarcely admit, even to them-
selves, that " honest Jack Beardsworth " had taken
them in. When Beardsworth's racer, Birmingham, won
the Doncaster St. Leger, he could not have been worth
less than 2.50,000/. It soon melted away on the turf.
The whole story of the race is curious. The famous Jack
Mytton, of Halstead, lost a great part of his estate by
dealings with Beardsworth ; and from 1826 to 1830, all
Beardsworth's racers were entered in Mytton's name. One
of these was Filho da. Puta, the sire of the sickly colt which
was foaled at Beardsworth's. Orders were given to kill
the colt—it was so weakly ; but Mrs. Beardsworth having
seen it, said—" No ; give it to me—l shall try and nurse
it." Accordingly it was given to her, and she had it
carefully fed on bread and milk, &c., until it became
quite strong and , handsome. Lord Grosvenor saw the
colt at a year old, and offered to buy it. Beardsworth
said, " No, Mary owns Birmingham, and she intends
running him for the St. Leger." " And if he runs," said
Lord Grosvenor, "he certainly will win." The animal be-
came so tame that he used to follow Mrs. Beardsworth all
round the dining-room table, and allowed the children to
play with him. In fact, the future winner of the St. Leger
was as much domesticated as a dog or a kitten. Birming-
ham was duly entered for the Doncaster St. Leger, and as
duly were attempts made to come at the blind side of Co-
nolly, the jockey who was to ride him. Conolly informed
Beardswprth of the offers made to him, and, acting under
his advice, carefully pocketed every bribe. Conolly
made extensive promises to all parties that Birming-
ham should lose. A man named Gregg took care that
the horse should not be meddled with. To such an ex-
tent (lid this caution go, that the water for the horse
was actually fetched from a distance of ten miles. Gregg
lay in the stable, cheek by jowl with the horse, for ten
days before the race. When the day came on, it rained.
cats and dogs, and Birmingham won by strength. Beards-
worth had freely taken 40 to 1, and cleared 40,0001. by
the race. He presented Conolly, the rider, with 1,5001.
His daughter and wife gave 5001., so that the rider got
2,0001. by his 'honesty. He was induced by his
success to keep a racing stud of his own. He lost an
immensity of money by it. Beardsworth was much
attached- to his wife. He always called her his " right-
hand man." She kept all the accounts, made all money
payments, and was, in fact, complete major-domo of his
immense establishment. No man in England was better
acquainted with the racing calendar ! She died about
two years since, and her death was the worst thing, next
to his own, that could have happened to Beardsworth.
All his concerns were at sixes and sevens after her death.
Beardsworth farmed the post;bcirse duties for the mid-
land counties of England ; and his wife, knowing the toll
receivers arid the innkeepers cheated them, took a tour to
every station, dressed as an officer in the army, discovered
a thousand instances of fraud, and thus added, at least,
10,0001. to the income of her husband. Beardsworth
married one of his daughters, in 1830, to a cavalry officer,
whose father was a wealthy sugar-baker in Liverpool. His
epistle to that worthy was laconic, but much to the point.
It runs thus :—" Sir,—Your son loves my eldest daughter,
and she loves him. They are determined to marry. You
sell sugar, and I sell horses. lam content to put down
shilling for shilling, pound for pound, hundred for hundred,
and thousand for thousand with you, to make a provision
for the young couple. Yours, JOHN BEARDSWORTH."
The sugar-baker refused his consent, so the match took
place without. The newly married couple drove from
church in a splendid carriage, with four bloods, a present
from Mr. Beardsworth. In the pocket of the carriage
was loosely thrown a draft from Beardsworth on his bankr
for 50,000/. This was his ofd hand way of doing things.
At Beardworth's death he owed Government a balance of
35,0001., and an execution was levied on the property ; but
it paid 20s. in the pound and over ; so that, after all,
there was some provision made for his familY, but not
much.—Fa,.mer's Magazine.