Henry Hughes (Horse Racing) | Biography & Stats

Henry Hughes (23 July 1839 – 2 July 1924)^[[1] was a horse racing official in South Australia.

Hughes was born in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, a younger son of Jabez Hughes fellmonger and tanner. In late 1849 he sailed with his parents on the Lord Stanley for Adelaide, arriving on February 11, 1850. He attended E. W. Wickes’s school in North Adelaide and later began working for George Aldridge’s (died 1879)^[[2] baking and grocery business, then helped out at his brother William’s butcher shop (Whittle & Hughes)^[[3] adjacent, in Kensington.^[[a]

He next “went bush”, droving sheep for the Angorichina Run, then droving cattle for the Chambers brothers at Wirrialpa, where T. Collins was manager.
Hughes was managed J. Scott’s Illanawortina Run from around 1862 to the end of May 1863, and while there organised, with J. H. Howe and Bedford Hack, a two-day race meeting at Mudlapina, a station once owned by J. Baker.

While there with tbe Hon. J. H. Howe, Mr Bedford Hack, and others, he organized a race meeting at Mudlapina, on the late Hon, J. Baker’s station. It was a two days’ gathering, the principal atten-dants camping on the ground; others found quarters at Pannana Station (Mr. Bedford Hack, manager), and at the Ange pina Police Station. Mr. Stacey, of Port Augusta, brought up drinkables in bullock drays. Horses came from Port Augusta and from stations hundreds of miles away. Mr. Hughes won two races with a horse called Yorkie, and one with Matcherem. Shortly after this meeting he left the north to join his brother in business in Adelaide. The latter’s death occurring a few weeks after, he eventually carried on the business, and having racing! instincts. was quickly engaged with Messrs. Bennett, W. H. Formby, W. Blackler, Christopher, and others, in arranging race meetings. In order to raise funds, they canvassed for subscriptions by going to leading tradesmen, solicitors, and others, and succeeded in this way in get-ting stakes for the first Adelaide Cups, and many other good races. From that time Mr. Hughes was always associated with racing clubs as committeeman, steward, judge, starter, clerk of scales, and handicappcr, and at the time of his resignation in 1913 was the senior official acting. He was starter at the first races held at Morphettville. In 1875 he took up handicap ping as an amateur, and in 1877 first acted as paid official, and from 1892 devoted his time entirely to handicapping. He was present at every Adelaide Cup, Goodwood Handicap, Birthday Cup, and City Handicap until 1917. He was one of the early members of the Adelaide Bowling Club, and was also associated with tbe Adelaide Oval Club. Mr. Hughes served for several years as Councillor in Kensington and Nor wood Corporation, and afterwards as Mayor for two years; and was also Chairman and Councillor of the Burnside Council.^[[1]

Suffering chronic illness, he resigned his various duties as handicapper in 1913, but continued to attend race meetings as long as he was physically able. He died at his residence in Kent Town.

Hughes married Sarah Ann Stevens (c. 1841 – 1 October 1913)^[[6] on 26 October 1864.^[[7] She was the eldest daughter of George Stevens and a niece of John Stevens, proprietor of the old South Australian Company Mill, at Hackney. Their children include:

• Sarah Mary “Pollie” Hughes (1865–1958) married Alfred Percy Birks on 28 August 1889,^[[8] lived at “Wendouree”, Clare. Alfred was a grandson of George Vause Birks.
• Maria Ellen “Ellie” Hughes (1867–1952) married Frank Sidney Bleechmore on 3 October 1889,^[[9] lived at Watson avenue, Rose Park
• Henry Arthur Hughes (1869–1942), of Savings Bank
• William Charles Hughes (1870–1958), handicapper and a director of Wilkinson & Co. Ltd
• George Edwin Hughes (1874–1954), of Henley Beach