The heat of summer, 1846, had been intense: racecourses, parched and dustbound, had been particularly badly affected and none more so than the track at Manchester.
Its turf - if turf it could be called - had been rendered hard and was now totally unfit for horses to run upon. At some places on the course, dust was said to be ankle-deep.
On Saturday afternoon, May 31, James William Byrne sat fishing some yards from his cottage near Tenbury, in Worcester. He was obviously aware of the buckling heat, but not of the lethal state of Manchester racecourse.
James had earned some fame in recent years as a 'gentleman jockey', but had recently married a young lady who was devoted to him, and, because of this, had virtually retired from the turf.
It was she who brought a letter to him, interrupting his quiet enjoyment.
It was from Mr Smith, a close friend from Huddersfield, inviting William to ride Mr Smith's horse, Roderick Dhu, at Manchester that coming Wednesday.
Within two hours, James was on his way and lodged at Mr Smith's, in Broughton.
On race day, he breakfasted with Mr Smith before making his way to the course.
He was repulsed by what he saw: in fact, so great was his repugnance that he declared that he would never ride another race. The hardness of the turf and the dust shocked him and, as race time - 5 o'clock - approached, he evinced symptoms of great uneasiness.
The second hurdle had been erected at what is called the bottom of the hill, and the two leading horses in the first heat, Roderick Dhu and Violet, collided after taking it, both falling heavily.
James was thrown violently upon the hard ground, likewise Lloyd, the rider of Violet.
Lloyd got to his feet almost immediately, but James had been critically injured and was insensible. He was conveyed to the grandstand where Mr Thorpe, a surgeon, took some blood from him but without effect.
James was then rushed to the Infirmary but he never regained consciousness and died at four the following morning.
James, of Irish birth, was 32 and said to be of exceedingly pleasing and agreeable manners.
He left a young widow.
