‘Racing Intelligence_or_Money Makes The Mare To Go’, 1827

Description

Mounted hand coloured etching, entitled ‘RACING INTELLIGENCE_or_MONEY, MAKES THE MARE TO GO.’, drawn, etched, and published by Isaac Robert Cruikshank in 1827.

This is a lampoon on the third marriage of William Allen. William Allen was the first President of the Pharmaceutical Society; he married for the third time in 1827. This marriage was the subject of public comment, since his betrothed – Grizell Birbeck (formerly Grizell Hoare of Stoke Newington) – was a wealthy elderly Quaker widow.

The caricature shows a horse race between a man (William Allen) and a woman (Grizell Birbeck). A stout Mrs. Birkbeck in bonnet and cloak, long prick spurs on shoes astride a thin grey mare nag races William Allen in Quaker grey, who is a neck ahead on a chestnut.

They have almost reached a Friends’ “MEETING HOUSE”, outside the door are three Quakers, two men and one woman, watching the race and commenting: “Huzza! Huzza! friend William is in for the Plate” and “O! Yea!”. A nearby signpost points to “Winchmore Hi