Vol. I. 1762-1810. Covers Clift's birth, early racing career through his first big wins in 1810, mostly with his trainer Robert Robson. Contains a chronological biography, and many materials about racecourses, jockeys, horses, trainers and other people involved in horse racing both at Newmarket and other places. Materials include: two portraits of William Clift, printed notices of race meetings, engraved caricatures, maps and plans of race courses, newspaper and magazine clippings from The sporting magazine, Baily's magazine, Picks and Weatherby's Racing calendars, Orton's Turf annals of York & Doncaster, prints, engravings, newspaper clippings, woodblock prints, notices of horse auctions, letters, printed music, and several photographs. The last 15 pages contain a mss. list of highlights of Clift's early career and an index to the contents of the volume. Vol. 2. 1811-1840. "Second period with Richard Prince trainer". Covers the latter part of Clift's racing career until his retirement from racing in 1826 and continues with his career as a trainer. Also contains biographical information about Clift's family, and several different obituaries for Clift. Some biographical information and a photograph of the compiler as a young man. Additional information about other key jockeys of the time, including Samuel Chifney. Materials include: typescript chronological biography of Clift, portraits of horses, excerpts from The racing calendar, The annals of York and Doncaster, the Sporting mirror, newspaper clippings from the 1930s, maps and plans of race courses, letters, a few postcards, engraved caricatures, notices of race meetings, and a baptismal certificate for Thomas Dodson Dutton, born in 1827. Vol. 3. 1779 and 1792. Mss. introduction: "The principal items in this volume relating to Clift are the Review of racing in 1779 when he entered the stables of the Marquis of Rockingham as a boy of 17; and a similar review of racing in 1792, when Clift first became a subscriber to Weatherby's Racing calendar and consequently was established as a leading Newmarket jockey." Materials include: several original watercolor paintings of racing scenes, engravings and reproductions of portraits of important horses, jockeys, and men of the turf, clippings from the Sporting Magazine and Baily's monthly magazine, newspaper clippings from 1939 and 1940, portraits of trainers and jockeys, letters, maps of racecourses and views of important places and buildings associated with racing. Compiler's ms. notes throughout; mss. index to this volume on the last 5 pages. Vol. 4. Newmarket, Doncaster, Epsom, York 1820-1831. Ms. introduction: "This volume contains extracts from the "Sporting magazine" which commenced to give descriptive reports of the races at Newmarket and other meetings from the end of 1821. There are several references to Clift's riding, some of which are favorable to his ability. When Clift retired from riding in 1826, he continued to train Earl Fitzwilliam's horses until 1831 during which they won 44 events at various meetings in Yorkshire." Materials include: numerous 19th-century engraved caricatures, maps and plans of race courses, excerpts from Turf annals of York and Doncaster, The Sporting magazine, Pick's Racing calendar about important jockeys, trainers and men of the turf, portraits of horses, jockeys, and horsemen, and newspaper clippings. Four pages of ms. index at end. Vol. 5. Supplement. Ms. introduction: "At the end of Vol. IV are some reports from the Sporting magazine of race meetings at Newmarket during the last years of Clift's career (1822-26). Similar reports are at the end of this volume from the Annals of sporting and Fancy Gasette[sic]; also coloured plates from the same magazine illustrating many of the sports in vogue for the same period." Contents and materials include: two ms. pages entitled "William Clift's family as communicated by his granddaughter Mrs. Meecham Newmarket May 1st 1901", many caricatures, some featuring Geoffrey Gambado, maps and plans of race courses, 2 pages of music, many scenes of hunting, steeplechasing, fox hunting, cock fighting, hunting dogs, owling and horse racing, 5 color lithographic postcards of horse racing, newspaper clippings from the late 1930s, excerpts from the Sporting Magazine, Annals of horsemanship (1791), and an original watercolor painting (on p. 191) of a racing scene, captioned: "Lord Foleys brown horse Teasdale, ridden by W. Clift, 8st. 2 lbs., beating Mr. Udny's bay horse Truffle ... Beacon course Newmarket ... May 14th 1814 for 500 guineas a side. Betting 11 to 8 on Truffle. Won easy." signed by P. Dutton, 21.6.1940. Vol. 6. Appendix. Contains a miscellany of materials relating to the entirety of Clift's career, with special attention paid to his notoriety. Materials include: four engravings by Henry Alken (from the series titled "Ideas"), printed notices of race meetings and race results, newspaper clippings from the London Illustrated News depicting the fashion of the mid-19th century, several engraved caricatures, portraits of horses, jockeys and trainers, newspaper clippings from the 1930s and 1940 regarding betting, views and scenes of races, excerpts from The Field, the Turf, and the Sporting Magazine, numerous lithographic portraits and scenes, and some biographical information about the Clift and Dutton families, including a few photographs of Barbara Dutton as a child, who was a great great great granddaughter of William Clift.
