Richard Tattersall in 1788 founder

Richard Tattersall the younger in 1841

Richard Tattersall, a former groom to the 2^nd Duke of Kingston, established himself as an auctioneer in 1766, and soon afterwards opened premises near the Hyde Park Turnpike toll houses. This was the world’s first bloodstock auction house.

There were stables, loose boxes, and a large circular enclosure for trying out horses, in the center of which was a cupola surmounted by a bust of Tattersall's friend, the Prince of Wales. There were also 2 subscription rooms for members of the Jockey Club and these became not only a resort of well known figures of the racing fraternity but also the recognized center for the regulation of betting upon the turf.

The business was carried on by Tattersall's descendants untill the 99-year lease expired in 1865, when the buildings were pulled down and the site covered by a new wing for St. George's Hospital. The business was removed to Knightsbridge Green. It remained there until 1939, and is now at Newmarket.

Tattersall's enclosure in 1811
from Ackermans Microcosm of London, by Rowlandson

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