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Webster Family Library of Veterinary JVIedicirie

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A

HISTORY

OF THE

YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

V -;>»■

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BY

William Scarth Dixon,

Author of _ ^
'A History of ihf. Bramham Moor Hunt," "In .the Kokth COuNfteEE," &C-

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'V

LEEDS :
RICHARD JACKSON

I 899.

Contents.

List of Illustrations ... v.

Preface ...... vii.-viii.

I. TiiK York and Ainsty Country . . 5-17

II. The Early History of the Hunt . . 17-69

III. j\Ir. Ralph Creyke, Mr. S. Bate.man, and

Sir Charles Slingsby . . . 70-109

IV. The Accident at Xewby Ferri' . . 1 10-133

V. Sir George O. Wombwell and the Hon.

Egremont Lascelles . . . 134-142

VI. Colonel Fairfax's Mastership . . 143-175

VII. Captain Slingsby, Captain Brocklehurst,

AND Colonel York . . . 176-184

VIII. The Rule of Mr. E. Lycett Green . 185-232

IX. The Melbourne Hall Run . . . 233-238

X. On the Flags and in the SHo^v Yard . 239-250

XL York and Ainsty Huntsmen . . 251-259

XII. Some Old Supporters . . . 260-26S

APPENDIX :—

The Duke of Cleveland's Hounds in

the York and Ainsty Country . 269-272

APPENDIX II.:—

Will Clark . , , . 272

This EdiiioJi is liiiiitcd to Tzuo Hundred copies.

List of Illustrations.

Portrait of Mr. E. Lycett Green, M.F. H. - - Frontispiece

Breaking Cover. — Sir Mark Masterman Sykes and

Hounds, afte?- M'ohtenJiolm ^ . . . Facing page 20

Portrait of Mr. George Lloyd . - _ _ ^^ 4^

A Meet at Red Hou.se, 1842 ----- ,, ^2

Portrait of Sir Tatton Sykes, after Sir Francis Grant ,. 80

Portrait of ^[r. Samuel Bateman - - - - ^^ 84

Mehorial Picture. — Sir Charles Slingsbv, with

Hounds, after Thomas Slingsby - - - - „ 52

Group. - Orvis, Sir Charles Slingsby, Mr. Edward

Lloyd, Mr. Edmund Robinson - - - - ,, 112

Portrait of Sir George AVombwell - - - - ,, 136

Portrait of Colonel Fairfax ----- „ 142

A Meet at Nun Appleton, 1870 - - - - ^^ 168

A Meet at Red House, 1898 - - - - „ 184

Portrait of Colonel Thornton's Favourul Hound,

" Modish --------- ,, 240

Portraits of Mr. B.\teman's Hounds, "Traveller,"

"Triumph," "Trimbush" - . - . ^^ 244

Jack Wilson, with Hounds ----- ,, 250

Will Danby, with Hounds ----- ^^ 252

The Kennel Yard. — Will Gray, with "Warwick,"
"Treasurer," "Talent," "Dreamer" and

"Gamebov" ------- „ 256

Portrait of Mr. H. S. Thompson - - - . ,, 260

Portrait of Will Scott - „ 264

Portrait of Colonel Telford - - - - ^^ 266

PREFACE

^^^HE difficulties altendiny the compiling a History of
Vir' THE York and Ainstv Hunt seemed at one time
almost insuperable. Diaries which were of incalculable
value were either lost or mislaid, and during long" periods
of the Hunt's history no diaries were kept. The pages
of old newspapers and magazines were drawn blank in
many instances, and had it not been for the opportune
discovery of diaries ranging over a period of thirty years,
much of the earlier part of the history would perforce
have been unwritten.

My thanks are due to Mr. E. Lycett Green, Mr.
P.^RRiNGTON, Mr. Preston, Mr. Brooksbank, Mr. Guy .St.
Maur Palmes, Mr. F. W. Slingsby, and other gentlemen,
for the information they have placed at niy disposal, and
for the untiring efforts they have made to procure further
information. The Editor of the Field has also come kindly
to my assistance, and has allowed me to extract many
valuable items from the newspaper over which he presides.

It should be mentioned that the horse on which Mr.
Lycett Green is taken {7.<ide frontispiece) is Grey Dawn,

viii. I PREFACE.

on whom he made the historic jump over the Red House
drain. The drain was in flood, and the old horse cleared it
gallantly. The width from the nearest hind foot to the
edge of the water on the landing side was 24 ft. i in.,
and the horse cleared 27 ft. 10 in., which is ten inches
more than Mr. Mytton's celebrated jump on Baronet.

In Ferneley's picture of the meet at Red House all
the horses are portraits of thoroughbreds from the stud
of Mr. H. S. Thompson.

WILLIAM SCARTH DIXON.
York, June, 1899.

i

J

CHAPTER I.

The York and AinStv Country.

' Come, I'll show you a country that none can surpass,
For a flyer to cross like a bird on the wing.
We have acres of woodland and oceans of grass,

We have game in the autumn and cubs in the spring.'

Once it was the fashion to decry the York and Ainsty
country, and not so many years ago the late Mr. Bromley
Davenport, whose spirited writings are well known to most
sportsmen, wrote, with somewhat questionable taste, in my
humble opinion, about a man deserving to be condemned
to hunt for the rest of his days with the York and
Ainsty. Even when it was purely a plough country, when
the little grass there was in it was mainly confined to
riverside meadow, the York and Ainsty was a happy
hunting ground, as many a gallant soldier will testify who
had his early hunting when quartered at York, Consule
Planco, and from its earliest history good runs have been
as prevalent as with other, and at one time, more
fashionable packs.

The York and Ainsty country is a somewhat straggling

one, very irregular in shape, extending thirty-five miles in

length, and varying considerably in width. Thirsk is its

most northern point, and it extends nearly to Selby ; on the

A

6 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

east, the road beyond Melbourne and Bubwith Bridge marks
its farthest boundary, whilst Pateley Bridge is the farthest
point westward. The curious shape of the country seems
to point out its origin from a number of other countries,
but, though it sometimes entails a long ride, and frequently
a railway journey to get at the more distant fixtures, the
peculiar nature of the country must be looked upon as an
advantage, for perhaps there is not another country of its
extent that stands so much hunting as the York and
Ainsty. Writing of the country in 1883, 'Brooksby'
says : — ' Starting northward, just north of the Badsworth,
it runs up between the Bramham Moor and the
Holderness, is narrowed at York between the Bramham
Moor and Lord Micldleton's, throws a limb in between
the Bramham Moor and the Bedale, and carries its head
northward between the Bedale and Lord Middleton's till it
reaches the Sinnington.'

When Bromley Davenport wrote in terms of contempt
of the country, and even later when Brooksby wrote of
it, it was to a great extent a plough country, grass was
not frequently met with to any extent, and it was conse-
quently a difficult country to get over for a man who was
used to the pastures of the midlands. The strong thorn
fences, with a drain of greater or less width at one side
or the other, took some jumping out of the stiff clay,
and if a man was in a hurry at them with a half-tired
horse, disaster was sure to result. Since then, however,
the aspect of the country has changed considerably, the
low prices which corn has fetched of late years has
caused a great deal of the ploughed land to be laid
down to grass, and taking the country all round, fully
half of it is rtow grass. Indeed, in some parts of it,
there is a much larger proportion of grass than there is of
tillage, and the consequence is that runs over an entirely
grass line are not infrequent.

THE YORK AND AINSTY COUNTRY. 7

Perhaps there is not such a level country in England.
On the north, south, and east sides a hill is unknown, and
only here and there are there to be found a few gentle
undulations. In the west part of the country, however,
there are plenty of hills, and about Knaresborough and
Harrogate, where the country joins the Bramham Moor,
there is a considerable tract of moorland. Though there
are considerable woodlands in parts of the country, it can
by no means be called a woodland country, and the bulk
of the coverts are gorse or thorn, so that a gallop in the
open is almost a certainty whichever part of the country
may be visited.

The country is hunted four days a week, viz., on
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The
Monday country is that part which lies to the north of the
Ouse and is nearest to York. There is a good deal of
plough in this part of the country, and the most southern
portion of it is a strong clay. Farther north, about Alne
and Aldwark, the land is of a more sandy character, and
rabbit holes frequently cause grief The fences in this
part of the country are stiff and strong, and big drains
are scarcely so prevalent as they are in other portions of
the country. Still, it will not do to leave the water
jumper at home, as there are the Blue Beck, the Alne
Beck, and the Huby Drain, all of them sufficiently
formidable obstacles which it will not do to play with, and
which, as many a gallant sportsman has discovered to his
cost, are rather awkward to negotiate at twice. The Alne
Beck is, when full, a bumper indeed, and on one occasion,
not so very long ago, it was the scene of an exciting
incident. Late in the day Mr. Lycett Green drew for a fox
and found him at home in Derring's Wood, and they ran
hard over a big country till they got to Alne Drain, which
looked sufficiently cold and forbidding. But the bitches

8 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

\vere over it, and with a bit of luck horses might get
over it too ; at any rate, there was a strong body of
sportsmen who were determined to try. Mr. Lycett Green,
Major Onslow, Will Gray, and a lady, whose name I
forget, got over all right, though not quite without a
scramble, and it of course goes without saying that they
did not make the landing any the better for those who
had to follow. The result was that seven good men and
true were in it with their horses, floundering about in the
chilly bottom, and as the far bank was plumb, horses
naturally went to the side where they could get out easily,
and when they were joined by their owners it was on the
wrong side. One and one alone got in and was able to
ride out, though of course on the wrong side, and that was
a lady who was served by her light weight. One
gentleman had a very curious experience, which I am sure
he will forgive me for relating. He was ridino- his horse,
not perhaps qiiiie so fresh as he might be, hard at the
drain, and when on the edge of it, the horse changed
legs and stopped so suddenly, that his rider was shot
over his head to land on his feet at the other side,
whilst so great was the impetus, that the horse, relieved
of the weight of his rider, jumped the drain and landed
safely.

Hawkhills, Stillington, Beningbrough Hall, Blue Bridge,
Sutton-on-the-Forest, Strensall, Aldwark, Alne Station,
Skelton, and Myton Hall are amongst the principal
fixtures in the Monday country. From Hawkhills, where
there are some good though not very large woods, is a
nice galloping country, and though there is some plough,
it does not ride so heavy as some of the plough f^u'ther
north and south. Near Stillington there is a very good
gorse covert, one of the best in the hunt, or for the
matter of that in any hunt, for it is beautifully situated,

I

THE YORK AND A INST Y COUNTRY. 9

and there is a good line in every direction. It is on the
North Slceugh farm, and was planted during the master-
ship of Mr. H. D. Brocklehurst, after whom it is
sometimes named Brocklehurst's Whin, and was re-planted
about 1S90. The country about Aldwark and Alne is a very
sporting one, and one, moreover, which takes some crossing.
The principal coverts are Alne Forest, Aldwark Wood,
Harbour Plantation, and the coverts about Linton. Myton
is on the edge of the Bedale country, the river Swale being
the boundary, but it is not often that it is crossed. Farther
north, however, the York and Ainsty frequently cross into
the Bedale country. Strensall soon gets hounds into Lord
Middleton's country. There are some good coverts in the
neighbourhood, notably the Oak Wood, Lilling Green and
Suet Carr, the latter a rough open common, which
generally provides an enterprising fox. Skelton Spring,
the Moorlands Coverts, Court House Wood, Overton
Wood, and Coldstream Gorse are good coverts, which can
be drawn from either Skelton or Beningbrough. From
Blue Bridsfe there are the New Parks Coverts and
Dodholme Wood, part of the ancient forest of Galtres, of
which, however, there is now no trace save the old hunting
box which James L was wont to occupy during his
hunting expeditions in the forest, and which is now a farm-
house. There are a few good coverts about Sutton, but
generally when hounds meet there, they get to Suet Carr
before the day is over,

The Tuesday country is on the Ainsty side, and is
that part of the country which was at one time hunted by
the Bramham Moor, and was given up to the York and
Ainsty, conditionally, by Mr. James Lane Fox. It is a
long and rather narrow strip, laying between the Nidd on
the north, the Wharfe on the south, and the Ouse on the
east. South-westerly from Bilbrough the Tadcaster road

10 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

is the Bramham Moor boundary, but farther north, what
is known as the old cut, divides the two countries. The
Tuesday country differs very much in character from the
Monday country. The enclosures are smaller, and the
fences are quite as formidable. At one time most of this
country was under the plough, but there is more grass
every year, and at least three-fifths of it is now grass,
In wet weather it rides very deep, and in such a flat
country it seems needless to say that the drains are
frequent and wide. The Copmanthorpe Drain, the Colton
Drain, and Bow Beck have taken tithe of a hard-riding
field many a time in the past, and scarcely a day goes over
without someone getting a wet jacket in the Tuesday
country. More formidable, perhaps, than either of the
drains mentioned are the Rufforth Drain and the Red
House Drain. There are plenty of places in the former
that do not afford much difficulty to a bold horse, but then
foxes are not always so accommodating as to cross at
those places. At nearly every fence there is a drain
of greater or less width. As the fences are so close
together, and as, moreover, they all take some doing, it
will be readily admitted that the answer of a sportsman who
knew the country well, and who on being asked by an
intending visitor what sort of a horse he should bring
into the Ainsty, replied, 'the best you've got, ' was a very
apposite one.

The principal fixtures are The Kennels, Red House,
Skip Bridge, Street Houses, Oxton Hall, Acaster, Nun
Appleton, and Askham Bryan. From The Kennels, Kennel
Wood and Askham Bogs are the principal coverts drawn.
The latter is a big covert, boggy, and with plenty of
rough ground in it, and a lot of trees, chiefly beech. It is
a favourite place with foxes, and has been frequently
drawn successfully twice, or even oftener, in a day. It

THE YORK AND AINSTY COUNTRY. ii

forms a rare sheet-anchor on a Tuesday, for if hounds
have got to the end of their afternoon draw, and have
only had an easy day, they are generally taken on to the
Bogs on the chance of an evening gallop, and it may be
added, that the evening gallop generally comes off under
these circumstances. At any rate there is generally a fox
there, no matter how hard the covert may have been
hunted.

From Red House and Skip Bridge, practically the same
country is drawn. Red House Wood is a well-known and
favourite covert, large in extent, yet it is a covert from
which foxes generally go away well, and many a good run
has had its starting point at Red House Wood. It is
close to the Nidd, and occasionally, though happily not
often, confusion is cast into the ranks of their followers
by hounds crossing that river. For there is no bridge,
and though there is a ford, it is a slow process getting
across the river by that means. So that when hounds do
cross, if there is anything like a scent, those who are
over first see very little of them till they check, or kill, or
otherwise account for their fox. From Street Houses,
Colton Whin, a famous covert, which has done well ever
since it was planted some years ago by the late Colonel
Telford, Pickering Wood and the Steeton coverts are
drawn, and from Acaster^ Stub Wood, Copmanthorpe
Wood and Brocket Hagg are good strongholds. From
Askham there is Askham Whin,^ a very fine covert, not
far from Askham Richard ; and Rufforth Whin and Grange
Wood are also well-known coverts reachable from this
fixture. Bolton Percy and Nun Appleton are practically

(i) Askham Whin is also known as Svvann's Whin, and was planted by
Mr. R. Swann. It is now the property of Sir Andrew Fairbairn, who sets an
example which may well be followed by other covert owners. Though not a
hunting man, Sir Andrew subscribes liberally to the hunt, and his covert is
never closed to hounds. Indeed, practically, it is under the management of
Mr. Lycett Green,

12 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

in the same country. In the immediate neighbourhood of
Nun Appleton there are plenty of woods and plantations,
and Bolton Percy and Hornington Willow Beds are good
coverts, which generally hold a fox. From Oxton Hall
there are some nice plantations to draw, and then
Pallethorpe Whin^ is a tower of strength. The Steeton
country generally is tried in the afternoon of an Oxton
fixture.

On Thursdays the hounds go westwards, and a special
train has generally to be requisitioned. This part of the
country is generally lighter to ride over than the rest of
the York and Ainsty, as it is also the most hilly.
Nearest to York are Thorpe Green and Kirby Hall,
round both which places there are numerous woods and
plantations. The country is a sporting one, and there is
a fair proportion of grass, but there are some formidable
fences in places, and the Jordan, with its difficult
approach and rotten banks, is a constant source of
tribulation to those gallant spirits who scorn to turn
round. It is, indeed, much easier to get into than to get
out of for the bottom is muddy and holding. Allerton
Park and Goldsborough are also within reach of York,
but they are rather a long ride, especially as it is within
the range of possibility that hounds will go from, rather
than towards, home. There is a lot of wood about both
places, and Goldsborough is by no means a good place
to get away from, though I have seen more than one
good run from it. From Allerton Park there are good
coverts to be drawn in the Lylands, Shepherd's Wood,
and some coverts on the Grass Gills Farm. Ribston
Hall is another fixture in this locality, and Ribston Great

(i) This covert is being laid this year. It has got very open at the bottom,
and Sir Angus Holden has given Mr. Lycett Green ca7'te blanche to put it into
a fit and proper condition for a fo.x covert.

THE YORK AND AINSTY COUNTRY. 13

Wood and the adjoining coverts and plantations are good
strongholds for foxes. Hunsingore has a nice bit of country
round it, perhaps as easy as any in the York and
Ainsty hunt, and there are good coverts between that
place and Cattal. But the typical part of the Thursday
country lies farther west, beyond Knaresborough, and it is
the best of it too, though there is a good deal of hilly
ground, some strong woodlands, and a bit of moor to
encounter in places. It is there that a stone wall-
jumper is required, for in the neighbourhood of Farnham,
Ripley, Nidd Hall, Burnt Gates and Sawley, the walls
take some doing, and as they get near to Pateley
Bridge they are unjumpable. Burton Leonard, Bishop
Monkton, Copgrove, Swarcliffe Hall and Roecliff, added
to the places already named, make the principal fixtures
in this district. The country varies a good deal and
about Cayton, which is generally drawn from Ripley
Castle or Nidd Hall there is a fair quantity of grass.
The Sawley country, fine wild country though it is, does
not find much favour with the bulk of those who hunt
with the York and Ainsty. And much as is to be said
in favour of it — its picturesqueness, its wildness, and its
stout foxes — it must be admitted that it is not a good
place to get away from. The woods seem almost
interminable, the moors are not always the best of
riding, and there is a good deal of rough ground to get
over before one can fairly get to hounds when they do
go away from the woods, as they frequently do, and face
a good country to boot. Still, notwithstanding these
drawbacks, spring hunting in Sawley is very enjoyable.^

(i) Sawley is principally hunted in the spring, and to hunt it regularly in
mid season, like the low country, would be impracticable. When cubs are
plentiful, it is a good place for early cubbing, and may perhaps be best
compared to Lord Zetland's high country, which they do not hunt except in the
early autumn and spring.

B

14 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

It now remains to describe the Saturday country,
which may be said to consist of three parts, namely, the
extreme north of the country, that part of it which lays to
the east of the Ouse, and the extreme south-eastern
part, some of which, as is the case with some of the
country in the extreme north, is loaned to the York and
Ainsty. To begin, then, with the northern part, all of which
is beyond a reasonable riding distance of York. Raskelf,
Sessay station, Brafferton, Pilmoor, Thirkleby and Helperby
Hall are the principal fixtures in this district, which abounds
in woods of considerable size. Nevertheless, foxes are of
an enterprising disposition, and from all the places named
good runs are frequent. There are several nice coverts
within reach of Raskelf, most famous amongst which is
Peep of Day, a gorse which has been well looked after
by Mr. Frank Green of late years. Sessay Wood is a
covert that will live in hunting history, for long before the
York and Ainsty hunt was established, Sir Mark
Masterman Sykes's hounds had a great run from it, an
account of which will appear in its proper place, and for
many a year the first Duke of Cleveland roused the
echoes of Brafferton Spring. In this district, too, are
the strong coverts of Newbrough, which are really in
Lord Middleton's country, or at least the bulk of them
are, and which are hunted by the York and Ainsty by
permission. It should be added that in this northern
part of the Saturday country is the Sun Beck, so that
here a water-jumper is as much required as in any
portion of the hunt. The line from the Sessay coverts
to the famous Hambleton Hills is a fine one, and
frequently of late hounds have run to Hambleton and
Wass as they were wont to do in the days of Sir Mark
Masterman Sykes and Colonel Thornton.

The second division of the Saturday country is in the

THE YORK AND AINSTY COUNTRY. 15

more immediate neighbourhood of York, and indeed comes
quite close to the city. It extends from Heslington on the
north to Osgodby on the south. The extreme eastern
point of this district is Elvington, and roughly it may be
said that it is bounded by the river Derwent. There is a
greater proportion of plough in this part of the country
than in others, and it is a very deep country to cross. In
wet weather the fields by the side of the Derwent are
frequently under water, and of most of the land in the
district it may be said that it is wet. There are also
considerable woods at Moreby, Escrick and Wheldrake,
woods from which foxes at times take a great deal of
driving. The Holly Carrs, at Escrick, is a favourite place
for foxes, and they will run round and round the big
woods with a persistence which is tiresome to an eager
field. It is, however, a famous place for cub hunting, and
I have seen more than one good run from Escrick.
Nearer to the Ouse, the Naburn, Moreby and Stillingfleet
woods are the chief coverts in the neighbourhood of these
places, and good woods they are. Unless the ground is
very wet, the country round about here does not carry
a very good scent, and the river is rather a drawback,
as foxes have a way of hanging a good deal to it, and
crossing it, when they are just about beaten. Kelfield,
farther south, is a oood covert and is in the best of this
district. Skipwith, Riccall, and Osgodby are the other
principal fixtures in this division. Skipwith Common is
about seven hundred acres in extent, a dead level, and
rather rough travelling. It is not particularly boggy, but
there are lots of holes about, which are well calculated
to upset a horse. About Osgodby and North DufiField,
when off the common there is some very fair country,
with a fair proportion of grass. The district which has
just been described has its big water jumps, like all the

i6 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

Others, and Peel Beck and the StilHngfleet Drain afford
plenty of opportunities to the ambitious.

The best part of the York and Ainsty country, however,
is that which has yet to be described, and which lies to
the east side of the river Derwent. This is known as the
Melbourne country, though Melbourne is only a very small
part of it. One side of the Melbourne country, that to the
west of Melbourne Hall, is 'sticky' enough, but fortunately
foxes seldom run over it, but show their good taste by taking
a good grass line. There is not much of this country which
belongs to the York and Ainsty proper, but Melbourne,
Bubwith Bridge, F"oggathorpe, Laytham Whin, Aughton
Nurseries and Auohton Ruddings are coverts within the limits
of the York and Ainsty country, all of which have a place in
history. The remainder of this division consists of the How-
den, Spaldington, Wressle and Breighton coverts, which are
lent by the Holderness, and some of which are occasionally
hunted by them. This Melbourne side is the finest part of the
York and Ainsty country. It is perfectly level, is mostly
grass, and generally carries a good scent. The enclosures are
large, there is plenty of room, and the fences, though they
require a good hunter and a bold jumper to negotiate them
safely, are perfectly fair. Here again a water-jumper is
required, for at one side or other is sure to be found a widish
drain, and Hell Dyke, which separates the York and Ainsty
and Holderness countries, could, if it were able to speak, tell
a tale of disaster and disappointed sportsmen who have got
in instead of over. Then when Hell Dyke has been crossed,
the Charity Drain has generally to be encountered, and
though not so formidable an obstacle, it is quite wide enough
for a half-tired horse. There is just about enough of this
country to serve for a day a fortnight, and perhaps an extra
day per month thrown in, and it is a pity there is not more
of it, for I know of no country so good. As an instance of

THE YORK AND AINSTY COUNTRY. 17

what it is capable of, I may say that the great Melbourne
run, an account of which will appear in its place, was a ten-
mile point, that only two ploughed fields were crossed, and
that, during the whole of this hour, the fox ran up the middle
of the fields, and met nothing to head him. One great
charm of the country is its wildness, for it is possible to
hunt all day and never see a team in a field or scarcely on
the roads, of which there are happily very few.

Before leaving the subject of the Saturday country, it
should be added that Oldstead Wood and Wass, which are
now hunted by the Sinnington, are included within the
northern part of it.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the
York and Ainsty cannot now be called either a woodland or
a plough country, though there is a good deal of both wood-
land and ploughed land within its borders. The poorer land,
however, is slowly but surely going more and more to grass,
and some of it has laid itself away. If things remain as
they are, and as there is every prospect of their doing, the
farmers are likely to depend more and more upon their
stock, and less upon cereals, and this will have the effect of
bringing all but the best land back to grass. One word
more about the York and Ainsty country. There is perhaps
no country which is so little troubled with that curse of
modern fox-hunting, barbed wire. That a good deal of it is
used goes without saying, but the farmers take it down when
the hunting season approaches, without fee or reward, like
the good fellows and good sportsmen that they are.

Surely, after all that has been said, the York and Ainsty
is not such a bad country to be ' banished ' to.

iJeiiiSuifiki^sii.

CHAPTER II.

The Early History of the Hunt.

'There is only one thing better than tradition, and that is the original
and eternal life out of which all tradition takes its rise.' — Lowell.

The early history of all hunts, or of nearly all, is enveloped
in a great deal of obscurity. Even in the case of hunts of
comparatively recent formation, such as the York and Ainsty,
this is the case. There has been some sort of hunting
community out of which the more modern establishment has
been evolved and the records of which, if thev have ever
existed, have long been lost. The York and Ainsty dates
from the year 1816, but long before that date the whole of
the country which is now hunted by that pack was thoroughly
well hunted by one or other of the historic packs which still
exist, or by some which have long been given up, and the
very memory of which is almost forgotten. Previous to that
date, the Bramham Moor hunted up to the walls of York
on the south side, whilst Sir Tatton Sykes, who at that time
managed his brother's hounds which were kennelled at
Eddlethorpe, hunted up to the walls on the east side. Then
the horn and holloa of Lord Darlington, and the merry cry
of the famous Raby pack, roused the echoes of Brafferton
Spring, though Sir Mark Masterman Sykes hunted Sessay

EARLY HISTORY OF THE BUNT. 19

Wood ; and in what is now known as the Thursday
country, Sir Thomas Slingsby kept hounds and hunted the
Goldsboroush district, so that before the formation of their
own hunt, the residents in the York and Ainsty country
got plenty of hunting.

It would perhaps be scarcely accurate to say that in
those days York was a hunting centre, yet that a few people
came to York for the sake of the hunting is not only possible
but highly probable, and we know that such was the case
a very few years after the formation of the York and Ainsty
pack. For York had a pack of hounds of her own even in
those days, a pack which doubtless showed excellent sport,
and which had, moreover, a long and doubtless interesting
history, could it be discovered. This was the York City
Harriers, who, in their later days, were kennelled at the
Brown Cow, a hostelry long since done away with, and which
was situated close to or on the site of the old railway station.
Curiously enough, there is no record of this pack, of the
masters or the huntsmen, or of the sport which they showed.
But one thing is certain, and that is, that when they were
given up and sold in 1830, they had been in existence for
upwards of a century. The late Colonel Telford's stud-
groom, whom many of my readers will remember, was in
his early days whipper-in to the pack, which not only
hunted hare, but occasionally had a turn with a fo.x if they
came across one.

The Hambleton foxes were rattled by Colonel Thornton,
whose hounds .seem to have achieved a well-merited repu-
tation, but the country which he hunted is now im-
possible to define exactly. He seems to have been some-
what of a bird of passage as regarded his sporting exploits.
It need scarcely be pointed out that the York and Ainsty
do not hunt the Hambleton district now, though they
occasionally run there, and some of their best runs of recent

20 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

years have found them in the Devil's Parlour, or within hail
of that picturesque place, with a fox that has been found at
Pilmoor or Sessay.

A run which finished in the Hambleton district upwards
of a hundred years ago, though it has little to do with any
part of the country run over by the York and Ainsty, may
be interesting, as showing the kind of sport which was
enjoyed in the country in the brave days of old. It is best
o'iven in the chronicler's own words: —

&

' Mr. Willoughby's foxhounds, on Wednesday last, had one of
' the longest and severest runs ever known in England.
' They unkennelled a fox in Skusely Wood, which was
' killed seven miles below Hamilton, on the Moors, after
' a run of four hours and ten minutes, with only one short
' check. The ground they went is calculated at least fifty
' miles, over a very deep and strong country. The only
' persons in at the death were the two whippers-in, Lord
' Carlisle's stud-groom, and a gentleman of the name of
' Leatham.

* The exact account of this extraordinary run is as follows : —

' Found at fourteen minutes past ten o'clock on Skusely
' Moor; ran some rings there; then to Swarthdale Springs,
' to Hovingham South Woods ; then to Hairyholm (Airy-
' holme) and Wiggenthorpe (Wiganthorpe), and ran some
' rings there ; then to Duncomb Park, and on to the
' moors for eight miles near Hamilton (Hambleton), and to
' Scawton ; then to Old Byland and near Hornby, where
' the hounds ran out of scent into view, which lasted about
' four miles.

* Killed handsomely at fifteen minutes past two o'clock, after a

' chase of fifty-one miles, and four hours and one minute's
' hard running. Thirty couples of hounds went into the
' field ; nineteen were in at the death.'

Mr. Willoughby was afterwards the sixth Lord Middleton,
and hunted for a couple of seasons the vast country which
is now divided between Lord Middleton and the Holderness,

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 21

The discrepancy in the time will be noticed, and the
estimated distance and the pace, of course, must be taken
considerably cinu grano sali's. Twelve-and-a-half miles an
hour for four hours is rather open to doubt, whilst it must
have been a very good fox indeed which stood before hounds
for four miles in view after such a preliminary "dusting "as
he had got. But allowing for these minor incidents, this
must have been a great run, and some of it was over country
which is familiar to those who have hunted on the north
side of the York and Ainsty country during the last few years.
The great Sessay Wood run is one which lives in history
as one of the best runs of the century, or indeed in the
annals of fox-hunting. This fine run took place with
Sir Mark Masterman Sykes' hounds on April 7th, 1806, and
is perhaps the best April run on record. The account given
of it in the York Herald of the following Saturday is so
quaint that I give it verbatim : —

' The sports of the season having now closed, we would
' think ourselves greatly deficient in our duty were we
' not to return our acknowledgments to those noblemen
' and gentlemen who have furnished this department of
' the York Herald with their communications and patron-
' age. We believe that we may not hesitate to state
' that the Chase in our publication has given much
' satisfaction to a numerous and respectable list of its
' readers. It is therefore our determination to continue
' during the future hunting season this very desirable
' feature in our paper, and as such, hope for a continuance
' of information from our former friends as soon as the
' sports of the field commence.

' But before we conclude, we beg leave to remark
' that we never knew, nor indeed has there ever been
' known, in the memory of man, a finer season for that
' noble sport, fox-hunting. We may say, without delusion,
' that our county has always been pre-eminent in this
' diversion, always remarkable for hard riders and good
' sportsmen. The Duke of Leeds, the Earl of Darlington,

C

22 HISTORY OF THE YORK: AND AINSTY HUNT.

' the Hon. L. Savile, Sir Mark Masterman Sykes, and
' Mr. Fox Lane have rivalled each other in determined
' and continued good sport. Among these, although we
' allow in general, the old adage " comparisons are
' odious," Lord Darlington's and Sir Mark's hounds are
' certainly the best. Could old Meynell have seen the latter
' go the pace as on Saturday and Monday last they did,
' he would have forsworn for ever the " green fields of
' IVfelton." We may assert without flattery that Monda}^
' was the finest day's sport ever remembered in the
' annals of York fox-hunting.

" How sweet was the joy on a high scenting day
When from Sessay's old cover they holloa'd away.
While the pack in high glee pursued the bold fox
Who, running up wind, climbed Hambleton's rocks."

' For out of a field of 150 sportsmen who started with
' the hounds, the following were the only ones up at the top
' of Hambleton, viz.: — Will Carter, the. huntsman. Sir F.
' Boynton, Messrs. Treacher, Hawke, Best, Lascelles, and
' Mr. Batty, the farmer. The rest, in sorrowful mood we
' may fairly say, did not get to the top. Could the
' Emperor Napoleon have beheld, — first of all the beauty
' of the prospect from the top of the stupendous White
' Mare, then the gallant sportsmen, despising all dangers
' to reach the summit, he would gladly have relinquished
' his throne of thorns to have joined in the diversion
' of this glorious day, more glorious, as less culpable
' than the plains of Marengo or of Jaffa, and would he
' not have relinquished his Vin de Champagne or de
' Bordeaux for humble port, when filled to the brim in
' " Success to Fox-Hunting." '

This is a very curious account of a run, for beyond
the place where hounds found and the place where they
finished, little or nothing is said about the run itself. It is
a very good type, however, of the sort of hunting-
information which is to be found in old newspapers and
magazines. The Emperor Napoleon was busy at the time
planning the Confederation of the Rhine, but it is very

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT.

23

questionable, even had he had leisure to indulge in a gallop
from Sessay Wood, whether he would have found it to his
taste, for the country takes some getting over, the Sun Beck
is wide and deep, and Napoleon was a wretched horseman.

Luckily we have a spirited description of the run in
verse, from the pen of one who was there, and who, as was
his wont, was amongst the first flight — the Hon. Martin
Bladen Hawke : —

'Sessay Wood: Descriptive of a Run witji Sir jMark.
Masterman Sykes' Foxhounds.

" Deus nobis, hrec otia fecit." — Virgil.

' Though an easterly wind, and the sun shining bright,
No pack ever hunted with such gay delight,
As when lately at .Sessay' we joyously met,
Of horses and riders a desperate set.

Famed Sessay, whose woodlands have long been renowned.
Whose foxes themselves with such honour have crown'd,
Again we invite thee thine aid to impart,
And trust to good luck for a fortunate start.

' Each breast was expanded with joy at the thought,
And each bosom the flame now ardently caught ;
The face which, unmoved, such rapture could view,
Were unworthy the pencil of me or of you ;
But happy indeed am I now to relate.
That nothing was wanting our wish to complete.
A huntsman- so keen, and a country so good,
A pack so renowned and so famous in blood ;
These, these are the joys we should follow through life.
And drive far away hatred, envy, and strife.

'Now see but how nobly the covert they try:
Hark ! surely 'twas Myrmidon's musical cry.

(i) Sessay Wood has, almost from time immemorial, been renowned for
affording the best foxes and the longest runs ; and in Colonel Thornton's days
of celebrity, it was the most favourite covert in his Hunt.

{2) The huntsman's name was William Carter, father of Tom Carter, who
was afterwards huntsman to Sir Tatton Sykes.

24 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A IN STY HUNT.

Now Sempstress, my bitch, have at him again,

And soon he shall find all his efforts are vain.

In BrafFerton Spring long disdaining to stay.

Right over the common he's hoUoa'd awa}' ;

And such a head carried as fairly beat all,

Till within a short space of Thirkleby Hall.'

The check they then met with gave time to the rear.

To recover their wind from a burst so severe ;

But a minute could scarcely the vacancy fill.

Ere a holloa was heard towards Hambleton Hill.

' On a prince of the blood, though of Russia's race,
Gay Martin' appears 'mongst the first in the chase;
Yet from riding so hard, should his favourite flag.
His tongue will not fail an excuse for his nag ;
And though strange it appears, perhaps you may not know it,
'Tis a privilege granted to him as a poet.

' Now Treacher,' depending on bottom and speed.
Seems determined to try famed Arabia's breed ;
And though once on the plains of Newmarket he flew.
And a forfeit received, to his excellence due,
Yet I'm greatly afraid, on this glorious day,
That himself must the forfeit to foxhunting pay.

' Though with others' misfortunes it's cruel to jest,
I could not but laugh at my friend, Francis Best ;^
From his fall I was happy to find him no worse.
For, like Richard, he only exclaimed for his horse ;
But wherefore repine r for 't has always been known.
That rulers have sometimes a way of their own.

' Now sobbing and panting and heaving for breath,
Just trying to live, and be in at the death ;

(i) Thirkleby Hall was the seat of Sir Robert Frankland Russell.

(2) The Hon. Martin Hawke was uncle to the Lord Hawke. His horse's
name was Prince Brangradion, but doubtful whether of so hardy a race as his
namesake.

(3) Treacher was an officer in the Life Guards, residing- in London. His
horse, by an Arabian, was called Sweepstakes, it is supposed from the circum-
stances of his receiving two forfeits at Newmarket. Mr. Treacher afterwards
hunted the country one season.

(4) Rev. Francis Best, of North Dalton. His fall happened at a very small
ditch. Poor Ruler. ' Optiinus tile est, qui minimus urgetur."

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 25

With Lascelles' and Patch 'tis so nearly who-op^

What late kept him back now can scarce keep him up.

" Get out of the way there, you piteous sinner,"

Cries Boynton,== whilst cramming his horse at a spinner ;

" I've a uniform on, my good friend, d'ye see,

And the collar shall ne'er be dishonoured by me ;"

But scarce had he uttered this valiant threat,

Ere Obi and he took a grand somerset !

So fragile indeed are all our best joys.

What one moment gladdens, another destroys ;

Though the world, I acknowledge, has various ways

With pleasure to sweeten life's tedious days,

And each in his turn is content to appear,

And preside at the head of his favourite sphere ;

Yet pray, my friend Clough,^ do for once let me ask,

When you mean to accomplish this arduous task r

' Now Johnstone, ■* beholding the pack with delight,
Now eager to catch at the glorious sight,
Cries, " Tolstons and I sure no power shall part.
He's the prop of my fame, and the pride of my heart."
For the prize he's indebted, friend Perry, to you,
Such tributes of friendship are certainly due.

'T has of late been the mode, and I will not retrench,

In each entertainment to give something French ;''

You'\'e your soup a la Rcine, your crane a la France,

But what French we had here was a la distance.

In each different hunt some hard riders are found.

And with Bramham's famed pack I believe they abound ;

But it's easy to rise in the temple of fame,

When hounds are a week in destroying their game;

(i) Robert Lascelles, of Northallerton. Patch was the name of his grey
horse.

(2) This was Sir Francis Boynton. His horse was black, and was called Obi.

(3) Prima sii curarum, ut id quod fingimus fieri pussit.

(4) George Johnstone, in the Fifth Dragoon Guards, then of Tavistock
Square, London.

(5) Tolston. This horse was valued at five hundred guineas, and sold a
short time before the period of the run, by Mr. Wentworth, for the moderate
sum of eight)' guineas.

(6) Captain French, of the Carabineers.

26 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

So I hope Mr. York' will no longer deny

That from home he must travel his hunter to try.

'Young Clifton = set out from his father so grave,
With this admonition: "Your steed, sir, pray save.
And should Treacher betray you, or Hawke, to ride hard,
All such wicked counsels Td have you discard."
But instruction so good was quite thrown away.
For he swears he beat Hawke at the end of the day.

'"What a capital leaper," exclaims Captain Pierse
(Whilst at every fence he hangs on by the ears],
" Is my little horse," and I fairly agree,
That his equal you seldom or ever can see ;
For if you had chose to have followed his track,
You'd have gone the whole chase on a moderate hack ;
And I really think, in a literal sense.
That he constantly took a rood from each fence.

' Oh ! Bovver of Welham, what desperate play.
You made o'er the heath when they hoUoa'd away ;
But now that a few small enclosures we face,
No longer you glory in Jollyboy's pace. 3

' Lo, puffing together in terrible plight,
John Bell and Sir Marki nearly beat out of sight ;
And though it don't happen such weights should be first.
Or beat the whole field in a desperate burst,
Yet their laurels this day, you will surely allow.
Were honestly gained by the sweat of their brow.
Though Billsden and Howell, and Red House Wood, too.
As coverts of note have been equalled by few ;
Yet Corsica's mountains, and Lombardy's plains.
Were never yet echoed in fox-hunting strains, —

(i) Mr. Richard York, of Wighill Park, near Tadcaster.

(2) Thomas Clifton, of Lytham Hall, co. Lancaster: —

' He thanked his sire, yet all the day
His bosom burned to disobey,
And every time the pack he saw,

Scorned in his heart the foolish law.'

(3) Jollyboy was Mr. Bower's horse.

(4) ' Jiihu Bell anil Sir MarA-':^

' Sudcf Diiiltuiii , frustraque laborei
A us us idem.'

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 27

Such a country was this, at least Torre' so declared,
And of his having travell'd you all must have heard.

' See Thimbleby's squire- on his sweet Lady-fair,
Who has so long been accustomed to hunting the hare ;
That unus'd to the system in which we pursue,
He now and then gladdens himself with a view.
If Weatherby's volume you ever should read,
Richard Watt,' you'll believe, has made it his creed ;
And I think it most likely he'll gain by the race,
More honour than ever he will by the chase ;
So I hope that his Shuttlecock^ nimbly will fly,
Nor be wanting the aid of a battledore nigh.

' A Liverpool trader, s who lately arriv'd
From the hills of the west, thought with us to have lived,
And though mounted on Firelock, whose speed seldom fails.
The rate of the pack he now greatly bewails ;
But happy the man, when for home he repairs.
In wine he can drown both himself and his cares.

' On Rudgier placed, and straining each nerve,
Now fearing he'll tumble, now dreading he'll swerve,

(i) Major James Torre, of Snydal, son of the Rev. James Torre, and elder
brother to the Rev. Henry Torre, of Thornhill, near Wakefiekl.

(2) Sir Robert Frankland Russell. A most perfect hunter in every respect ;
but the tout ensemble certainly put one in mind of a pilgrimage to ' Agnes
Altar ' more than an admirer of the chase.

(3) Richard Watt, of Bishop Burton.

(4) Watt's Shuttlecock was a great favourite, and expected to win the
St. Leger. ' For his success ' (thus writes the author), ' he has my best wishes,
but " cerium voto pete fiuem." '

Shuttlecock was a bay colt by Schedoni — sister to Trumpeter. As a three-year-
old he won a match with Mr. N. B. Hodgson's Brafferton, at York. There
were four better favourites than him when the numbers for the St. Leger went
up. The race was won by the favourite, Mr. Clifton's Fyldener, by Sir Peter,
Shuttlecock finishing third. Shuttlecock was only a disappointing horse, and
ran second several times as a four-year-old. From what can be gathered, the
three-year-olds of 1806 were not a very grand lot, and the St. Leger of that year
was remarkable for the slowness of the pace.

(5) Mr. AUanson, a very respectable wine merchant, from the flourishing
town of Liverpool.

28 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

Behold Major Topham,^ so cas'd up in leather,
He boldly defies both the wind and the weather ;
But though now he is left such a long way behind,
He can boast that he saw a most beautiful find ;
Then in future, my friend, since you funk at a fall,
Pray stick to the lap-dogs of Falconer's Hall.

' Having now passed a country twelve miles in length.
Nor failing in speed, nor lessened in strength,
A sight so stupendous at once caught the eye.
As scarce can be equall'd 'neath Britain's mild sky.
First, see where the sun his bright splendour displays.
And gladdens the hills with his all-cheering rays !
Now echo, resounding down Hambleton's vale,
In mystic delusion repeats the glad tale,
And each gallant hound seems eager t'aspire
To the far-famed renown of his glorious sire ;
The craggy descent, nor the deep, thorny brake.
Can his bold resolution slacken or shake ;
In fancy each moment he catches his breath.
The long wish'd-for signal of poor reynard's death.

' How grand was the sight to those fortunate few,^
Who, soaring above, could contemplate the view !
And whilst we enjoy, in the pride of our hearts.
That pleasure which nought but the chase e'er imparts,
Each pitiful group in the valley below
Was destined to suffer the torture of woe.
Such ever must happen to those who depend
On skirting and craiii^ig t'accomplish the end.

' Then take this advice, my good friends, ere we part.
And deeply engrave it on each hidden heart : —
"That to ride well to hounds, and a sportsman be counted,
Take care, first of all, to be gallantly mounted ;
The eye of a lynx, and the breast of a lion,
You should also possess, like the famous Orion.

(i) Major Topham, of Wold Cottage. Major Topham was a man of note
in his day, and some furtlier notes respecting his career will be found later on.

(2) See ante, page 22, for the names of those who got to the top of
Hambleton.

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 29

And if added to these you can muster a hand,
You may always retain the pack at command :
So you've only to wish, to prove my words good,
For an Easingwold fox, and old Conqueror's blood.'"'

The name of another well-known sportsman, Colonel
Mellish, is also associated with the York and Ainsty
country, though no records are in existence which relate
the particular part of the country which he hunted. It
is particularly to be regretted that there is nothing
known of the sport that he showed, or the hounds that he
bred, for Colonel Mellish was one of those who did well
whatever he put his hand to. He was a scholar as well
as a sportsman, and many of the Peninsular War
despatches were from his pen. As a gentleman rider he
took high rank, and there were some good men amongst
his contemporaries, notably Mr. Osbaldeston. A good
soldier, a fine judge of racing and match-making, he was
also one of the boldest horsemen of his time, and in
Leicestershire, and in his native Yorkshire, he could hold
his own with the best of the light weio-hts, notwithstandine
that he always rode a good fourteen stone. He was
also eminent as a cattle breeder, and in everything he
touched showed remarkable talent, save that he was
an inveterate plunger, and the cards and the 'bones'
practically ruined him, or at any rate dissipated his
princely fortune to a great extent. How interesting
would an account of his experience as a master of hounds
have been from his own pen — a pen that was deemed by
Wellington worthy of writing his despatches.

Some time between the years 181 5 and 18 18, the
exact date is not forthcoming, Sir Thomas Slingsby gave

(i) Conqueror's blood, which was once, as the author beheves, reckoned the
first in the kingdom, and the repute in which an Easingwold fo.x was held, gave
occasion to the above sentiment.

D

30 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

up his hounds, and the Goldsborough country was
unhunted for a short time. Then we have the authority
of ' Nimrod ' for saying- that the Hon. Captain Butler
kept hounds for a season or two at Nun Monlcton, and he
is stated by that great authority to have originated the
pack. In this, however, 'Nimrod' was scarcely correct,
though Captain Butler's keeping hounds may have had
something to do with the formation of the present York
and Ainsly country, and although he undoubtedly played a
leading part in the formation of the country as it now
exists.

No doubt that the fact of Sir Thomas Slingsby giving
up his hounds had aroused the keen sportsmen of the
York district that they were in some danger of losing
some of their hunting, and at the same time the improved
state of agriculture, the increase of enclosures, and the
systematic preservation of foxes, which was coming fast
into vogue, rendered it necessary that there should be some
clearer definition of hunting countries, and that the vast
areas which have been hunted over by the Duke of
Cleveland and Sir Mark Masterman Sykes should be
curtailed in extent. Everything, indeed, pointed for the
time being opportune for the establishment of a hunt
which, ever since its formation, has taken a foremost place
in the annals of the sport, and which has indeed a
brilliant, if also a somewhat tragic history.

So, the time being ripe in 1816 a deputation from
York waited upon Mr. James Lane Fox, of Bramham,
and requested him to allow the proposed new pack to hunt
that part of the country which had hitherto been hunted
by the Bramham Moor, which lay to the south of the city.
Mr. Fox, who had plenty of country, assented, on the
condition that whenever the York and Ainsty Hunt should
be given up, this part of their country should revert to the

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 31

Bramham Moor, and it may be added that the cession of
country was practically one in perpetuity, for ever since its
formation the York and Ainsty Hunt has prospered.

A Committee was then formed to superintend the
management of the hunt, kennels were built at Knaves-
mire, and the Committee commenced to get some hounds
together. The Committee consisting of Captain Butler,
Mr. William Clough, and Mr. Chaloner, commenced their
labours at a very favourable time for getting a pack of
hounds together. The Duke of Cleveland, who was a bit
of a poacher where hunting was concerned, had made
considerable encroachments on that country, reaching from
Hornby Castle to the high moors, which was hunted by
the sixth Duke of Leeds; and that gentleman, rather than
enter into any dispute with his neighbour, gave up his
hounds. Eighteen couples of these were purchased for the
newly-formed York and Ainsty pack, and Will Danby,
who was afterwards to become so closely associated with
the country, brought them by road from Hornby Castle to
the new kennels at Knavesmire. The carpenter who had
been employed to put up the benches in the new kennels
did not know much about such work, and made them far
too light, so when Danby arrived with his hounds they all
rushed on to the benches, and the result was that they
gave way. Mr. Clough, who was present, used such
powerful language that Danby was frightened, and thinking
that it was like being no place for him he went off in the
night, and took service with Mr. Tom Hodgson, for whom
he whipped-in for many a year. At first, the Committee
had only a limited subscription to work with, and I have
been told that in the earlier years of the hunt's history,
there was a good deal of 'rough and ready' about the
way in which things were done. An occasional burst
with a hare, if fo.xes were not readily found, was indulged

32 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

in, and no regular huntsman was kept. I give the
information as I had it, and it is quite possible that the
new pack has somehow been mixed up with the City
Harriers, who were always wont to hunt a fox if they
could conveniently come across one without purposely
drawing a fox covert.

But however near the way things may have been
done at first, it is certain that the ' rough and ready '
system did not last long. Neither did the Committee,
for in 1821, Mr. George Treacher took hold of the pack
and hunted it for two seasons. On his retirement,
Messrs. George Lloyd and Robert Chaloner were
co-masters for a couple of seasons, and then Mr. George
Lloyd commenced a long and prosperous mastership.
Mr. Lloyd is said to have taken hold of the reins of
office in 1825, but it is probable that the more active
duties connected with the management devolved upon him
before he became nominally the master. At any rate,
such is the impression conveyed by an anonymous
writer in the Sporting Magazine of March, 1825. This
gentleman says : — 'The hounds that hunt in this part of
Yorkshire are known as the York and Ainsty hounds,
and are a subscription pack, under the direction chiefly
of Mr. Lloyd, of Acomb, a village near this city.'
Unfortunately, the tourist quoted has not given us any
history of the doings of the pack during his visit, and
his tour would have afforded much more entertaining
reading had he given us one or two of those runs in
the neipfhbourhood of Easingwold, where he tells us that
he saw the best sport, or, one of those excellent runs
on the Borou"hbrida-e road to which he refers, instead
of a whole page of reasons, which certainly do not
appeal to us of a later generation, why he does not do so.
Few of my readers will be found to agree with him that

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 33

' the record of a fox-cliase is an especial tame thing,'
and that ' the calling to mind of chases, however
brilliantly run even a month ago, although it may not be
beyond an effort of memory, is certainly beyond that of
feeling.'

The banker poet, Rogers, hit off the sportsman's
spirit far better than did this contributor to the Sporting
Magazine, when he pictures the old squire, no longer
able to take part in the sport he loved so well,
'scouring the country in his elbow chair,' and we should
have preferred ' one day from Sessay Wood, and
Brafferton Spring, and another from Skip Bridge, Providence
Green, or Askham Bogs,' to any amount of moralising or
quotations from Juvenal. However, we have to be
thankful that we have the opinion of a man who
evidently knew something about hunting, respecting the
pack in its early years.

' So far as I have been able to judge of these
hounds,' says he, ' from what I have seen of other packs,
I should be led to assert that they are one of the
fastest packs in Yorkshire;' and whilst he speaks very
favourably of the management, he suggests that a little
more activity on the part of the hunstman would be of
advantage.

Who the correspondent of the Sporting Magazine
was I have not been able to discover, but in the
following season, a greater man than he came to visit
the York and Ainsty country, viz., Mr. Charles James
Apperley, known to all hunting men as ' Nimrod.' The
York and Ainsty occupied a good deal of his time
during his famous Yorkshire tour, and the hounds pleased
even his fastidious eye. Naylor, who was Mr. Lloyd's
first huntsman, was a capital man in the kennel, and the
hounds had even then, at so early a period of their
history, achieved a high reputation on the flags.

34 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

The country in 'Nimrod's'* day was very different to
what it is now, and his description of it affords
interesting reading. ' I consider it favourable to hounds
and unfavourable to horses, on account of the wet, and
in many places boggy state of the land, in addition to
its being nine-tenths ploughed. In another respect it is
unfavourable to horses : it is so very flat that hounds
are lost sight of if suffered to ret two fields ahead ;
so there is no riding to points, as in most other provincial
countries. The fences — the common hedge and ditch,
not often bound — though they occur frequently, are not
difficult; but a brook-jumper is often wanted, as in parts
there are many wide drains. Few of the gates in the
north are practicable, as they far exceed the usual height.'

Though 'Nimrod' speaks well of the hounds in the
kennel, he appears to have only had indifferent sport
with them, some of those untoward incidents which go
to mar a day's sport constantly cropping up. It is
perhaps best to let him tell his own tale : —

'Saturday, the iith. Met the York and Ainsty at Hulby,
' eight miles from York, in the direction of Boroughbridge.
' Unfortunately we had no sport. Our first fox was lost
' by the ignorance of the second whipper-in, who never
' attempted to turn the hounds, which ran over three fields
' with their heads up — the fox having turned short back.
' He was also ably seconded by a well-mounted gentleman
' in scarlet, who was of course equally at sea. The hounds
' being disappointed and the scent bad, they did not
' settle again, and we lost him. After chopping another,
' we found again in Oldwork (Aldwark) Wood, but the
' scent got worse and worse. I viewed the fox across the
' field about ten minutes after we found, and although
' the hounds came to holloa immediately, only one of
' them, Remus, could speak to it. This country was close,
' and some of it loose in the soil, and not looking

"Nimrod's" tour took place in 1826.

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 35

' favourable for scent ; but taken altogether, I did not
' dislike it ; and I thought that part of it which I had
' ridden across on my road to the covert, was capable
' of showing a fine run.'

Hulby, of course, is Huby; and ' Nimrod,' who was
staying with Sir Bellingham Graham at Norton Conyers at
the time, would pass over some of the best of the Monday
country as he rode to the meet. Those who have carried
the horn in the York and Ainsty country will cordially
endorse the remarks about the bad scenting properties of
the loose soil about Aldwark.

'Tuesday, November 21st. Met the York and Ainsty at
' Pilmoor, ten miles from Norton Conyers, a common
' situated between two very large coverts — a wild fox-
' hunting place, but not a November fixture. In the
' spring it must often afford runs. On this day our
' hounds divided and made bad work of it. I got off
' with the smaller lot ; but seeing that nothing could
' be done, and that the fox was making back for the
' coverts, I trotted gently on the line. We again found, and
' had a hunting run through a horrible country, composed
' of fields of about two acres each, enclosed with strong
' blackthorn fences — • nice chance for horses' legs !
' Fortunately for my horse he cast a shoe, and I went
'home; but rather a singular adventure occurred. I
' had ridden about two miles in quest of a blacksmith,
'when I met a person on foot (Mr. Dale, of Creakhill).
' " I think I have got your shoe in my pocket," said
' he. " Did you ride over the rails out of Pilmoor with
' Mr. George Swann r" On telling him I did, he informed
' me that my horse pulled off his shoe when he landed
' on the other side. Had it not come off a fall would
' have been the result.'

It is curious to compare the description of this part
of the country with the former statement that 'the fences
are not difficult.' The face of the country has, of course,
altered considerably since 'Nimrod' jumped the rails at

36 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT

Pilmoor, but it Is by no means a bad country now,
though it is necessary to look sharp, as it is not the
best place in the hunt to get away from.

'Nimrod' now went farther north, and he did not pay
another visit to the York and Ainsty country till
March :—

'Thursday, 15th. Met York and Ainsty at Nun Appleton
' village, ten miles from York. We hunted a fox that
' had stolen away from one of Sir William Milner's
' coverts for some distance, but owing to a false holloa,
' and two or three other awkward circumstances, we
' could do nothing with him. Found again on Askham
' Bogs, but the day was stormy and we had not any
' scent.' , There was a large field out, several of whom
' belonged to Lord Harewood's hunt.'

'Nimrod 'was certainly very unhappy in his experiences
with the York and Ainsty in the field, but even the
short accounts he has to give, relating as they do to
moderate sport, make one wish all the more that his
predecessor had not been quite such a 'superior person,'
and had told us of some of those o;ood things which
seemed to fall to his lot so plentifully.

'Nimrod's' visit was productive of an incident which
probably inspired one of the most amusing passages in
' Handley Cross.' A gentleman rode up to Naylor, the
huntsman, and said, ' Now Naylor, you must mind what
you are at to-day: 'Nimrod' will be out, and will have
you in black and white.' ' Lord bless you, sir,' was the
huntsman's reply, 'I have forgotten more than 'Nimrod'
will ever know.'

It is disappointing that there is not more forthcoming
about the history of the hunt during Mr. Lloyd's master-
ship, and of the earlier years of his rule nothing much
is known. But even thus early in the annals of the
hunt there is a tragic incident to relate. On November

EARLY HISTORY OF. THE HUNT.

37

4th, 1825, in Mr. Lloyd's first season, one of the leadinor
members of the hunt, Mr. Henry de Yarburgh, of
Heslington Hall, was seized with gout in the stomach
in the hunting field, and died the same night.

I am able, thanks to the kindness of Mr. E. C.
Brooksbank, to give a little information about the hunt
during the thirties and forties. This information is taken
from the hunting diaries of Mr. Richard York and Mr.
E. York. These gentlemen kept their hunting diaries
fully and carefully, and though they generally hunted
with the Bramham Moor, they occasionally had a day
with the neighbouring pack. The first day I have to
record is a good day in the Ainsty, which took place in
the season of 1830-31 : —

' Tuesday, November gth. Acaster Mill. Found in Stub Wood,
' ran to Brocket Hagg, through the whin, down to Acaster
' town end, down to the river side, and all along the Ings
' nearly to Low Acaster ; turned up to the right to Brocket
' Hagg, and killed him in Copmanthorpe Wood. One hour
' twenty minutes. Found in the Dog Kennel Spinney, at
' Nun Appleton ; ran over the park, through the Bridge
' plantation, by the keeper's house, and lost him in
' Mr. Markham's garden at Bolton Percy. Found in Palle-
' thorpe Wood, ran by Beanland's house, past Oxton, up
' to Oxton House, crossed the York road at Tadcaster town
'end, almost to the windmill; turned to the right, through
' Catterton Spring, almost to Bilbrough Moor ; turned to
' the left, and crossed the York road at Brettan Abbey,
' through Pickering, up to Laycock's buildings, and lost
' him in Mr. Markham's garden at Bolton Percy. Forty-
' five minutes ; very fast.'

This was an excellent day's sport, and it is not a little
curious that two foxes should be lost in the same place
on the same day. It seems probable that there was a
snug earth in Mr. Markham's garden, known to the foxes
but not to the earth-stopper, albeit that would probably be
E

38 II/STOKY OF THE YOJiK AND AINSTY HUNT.

Will Clark, who was famous in this capacity. But history
has nothing- to say on this score.

On the following Tuesday they were at Red House,
but thev had to give up hunting on account of the rain,
which Mr. York describes as the hardest he ever saw.
November 23rd found Mr. York again meeting them, this
time at Askham Bogs, and they had a hard but rather
uneventful day, foxes ringing about between the Askhams
and Bilbrough. The next run recorded is a good one : —

' Thursday, December 2nd. Naburn. Found in Naburn Wood,
' ran by Deighton, and to ground in a rabbit-hole between
' Deighton and Wheldrake. Thirty minutes. Found in
' Richardson's whin, ran down to Naburn Wood, turned
'short back by Deighton, down to Wheldrake Common;
' ran two rings round the plantations, and then away over
' the road, over Kexby Common, down to the edge of
' Kexby Wood, almost to Elvington, and to ground in
' Wheldrake Common. Three hours five minutes. Very
' good day.'

' Thursday, December i6th. Red House. Found in Red House
' Wood, ran by Scag-glethorpe, leaving Nether and Upper
' Poppleton on the left ; crossed the York road, leaving
' Knapton on the left, and lost him near Air. Fearby's
' house at Poppleton Villa. One hour four minutes. Tried
' Chaloner Whin. Found in Askham Bogs, ran up to the
' Ginger Beer Shop, where he was headed, and went back
' through the Bogs, and away by Acomb plantations, up to
' the fir trees on the hill ; turned short to the right, and
' went through the nursery grounds between Acomb and
' Holgate, over the road and Severus Hill ; turned to the
' left, leaving Mr. Fearby's house on the right and Knapton
' on the left, and went straight forward half way to Hessay ;
' crossed the Boroughbridge road opposite Nether Poppleton,
' past Scagglethorpe, leaving Red House Wood on the
' right, over the road below Monkton church ; crossed the
' Boroughbridge road a little to the left of Skip Bridge
' inn, through the corner of Wilstrop Wood, over the low
'side of Marston Moor; crossed Hessay Moor, leaving

EARLY Hr STORY OF THE HUNT.

39

' Hessay on the left, almost to Knapton, where, it having-
' been dark some time, we were obliged to give it up. Two
' hours forty minutes. Very good run.'

There was not much to record on the following Tuesday
when they met at Acaster Mill; and on January iith,
when they were again at Red House, they were obliged to
give up hunting on account of the severe frost. A week
later they met at Askham Bogs and had two very fast
gallops. The first of these was from Little Askham Whin,
for they could not draw the Bogs on account of the ice,
by Bilbrough Gravel Pits, and to ground after a fast fifteen
minutes. The second fox was found in Pickering Wood and
ran by Colton, and back through Pickering Wood and by
Pallethorpe and Oxton, hounds eventually losing him at
Mr. Markham's garden at Bolton Percy. A run in the
beginning of March must finish the record for this
season : —

'Tuesday, March ist. Nun Appleton. Tried the Dog Kennel
' Spinney and Sicklepits. Found in the Bridge plantation,
' and killed there. Tried the new woods and coverts near
' the keeper's house, Pallethorpe and Steeton plantations.
' Viewed a fox from a field near Street Houses, ran to
' Bilbrough Moor, almost to Catterton Spring ; turned to
' the left, and crossed the road near Tadcaster Bar, up to
' Oxton ; turned to the left through Pallethorpe and
' Pickering, leaving the Wild Man on the left, almost to
' the New inn ; turned to the right, leaving Colton on the
' right, over Brumber Hill, past the windmill by the
' keeper's house, almost to the river side ; turned to the
' right, over the Foss at Bolton Percy, past Bolton Lodge,
' and killed him in the open field near Hornington Old Mill.
' One hour thirty-six minutes. Remarkably fine run.'

A fair average of sport seems to have been enjoyed in
the beginning of the season of 1831-32, but it was not till
November was half over that anything took place calling
for record here : —

40 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

'Tuesday, November 15th. Acaster Mill. Tried Stub Wood,
' Acaster Whin, Brocket Hagg, Dog Kennel Spinney, and
' Sicklepits at Nun Appleton. Found in the Bridge planta-
' tions, ran a short ring by Appleton and back, and lost
' him. Found in Pallethorpe Wood, ran by Steeton planta-
' tions, past Steeton Hall, turned to the left past Mr. Morritt's
' house at Colton, crossed the York Road near the New inn,
' over Bilbrough Hill, leaving Normans on the left, over the
' Askham road ; turned to the left up to Angram, over the
' bottoms almost to Robin Hood's Wood, over the Healaugh
' Road, and lost him near the old moat in Todd's ground.
' One hour eight minutes.'

November went out well and a good start was made
in December, as the following records show ■.~-

' Tuesday, November 2gth. Aldwark Bridge. Found in Aldwark
' Wood, ran in it for some time, and then away a short ring,
' by the old covert, and back into the wood ; then away by
' the water side to Linton, almost to Newton ; over the
'road down to Linton Woods, almost to Alne, and back
' to Aldwark Wood, and killed him. Two hours eight
' minutes.'

'Thursday, December ist. Red House. Found in Red House
' Wood, ran by Scagglethorpe, over the drain, crossed the
' York road, over Hessay field, almost to Rufforth Mill,
' then turned to the left by Rufforth plantations, over the
' York road, straight down to Water Poppleton, then along
' the Ings, past Red House into the wood, and killed him.
' One hour eight minutes ; very fast indeed.'

They had a smartish scurry from Askham Bogs on the
27th, running by Copmanthorpe and over Brumber Hill to
Nun Appleton, where the fox beat them. Then came
three good days in January, accounts of which must be
given in full : —

' Thursday, January 12th. Red House. Found in Red House
'Wood, ran away by Monkton Church, turned to the left
' along the drain side to Scagglethorpe, and back to Red
' House Wood, through it, and away by Monkton Church,

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 41

'over the drain, turned to the left and ran parallel to the
' York road down to Nether Poppleton ; turned short back,
' and ran over the park at Red House, and killed him in
' the wood. One hour forty minutes.'

' Thursday, January 19th. Askham Bryan. Tried Little Askham
' Whin. Found in Askham Bogs, ran to Askham Whin,
' Grange Wood, over both the great drains, leaving Rufforth
' on the right, up to Marston ; turned to the right to
' Marston Woods, straight down to Wilstrop Great Wood,
' ran round it, and then through the low side, and away
' almost to Skip Bridge, down to Moor Monkton, and lost
' him at Cock Hill. One hour fifty-five minutes' very good
' hunting.'

' Tuesday, January 21st. Askham Bogs. Found in Askham
' Bogs, ran by Copmanthorpe and over the common, and
' lost him at Acaster Whin. Found in Stub Wood, ran by
' Brocket Hall over Brumber Field, leaving Colton and the
' Wild Man on the right, over the Catterton drain, past
' Oxton, and to ground at Tadcaster town end. Thirty-five
' minutes ; most capital run.'

A hard day's sport in the Thursday country must finish
up the account of this season : —

'Monday, February 27th. Thorp Green. Tried the wood near
' Thorp Green. Found in Kirby Hall plantations, ran
' round them several times, and to ground near the lodge.
' Tried the plantations over again, Lylands and Broadfield.
' Found near the keeper's house, ran over the park and
' through the pleasure-grounds, then skirted Lylands and
' Broadfield almost to Marton ; turned to the left over the
' north road, and lost him near Arkendale. Tried Flaxby
' plantation. Found in Goldsbrough Moor, ran to Piker-
' shaw, Goldsbrough Hall, Moor, through Green Dick,
' crossed the road near the New inn, leaving Hopperton to
' the right, almost to Whixley ; turned to the left through
' Broadfield, and lost him in Lylands.'

On the following Thursday they met at Askham Bogs,
where it is noteworthy that there were so many foxes that
the hounds divided in all directions. There was not much

42 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A INST Y HUNT.

sport however, and nothing took place which calls for
record. The last day of which an account is given is
Monday, March 29th, when they met at Skipwith Bridge
and had a day about the Holly Carrs and Skipwith
Common, ending with blood.

The season of 1832-33 was productive of some fine
sport, though the best of it came late in the season. On
October 25th, they had a good run from Askham Bogs,
by Askham Whin, Acomb Grange, and Rufforth to the
Boroughbridge road, killing on the drain side on Hessay
Moor, at the end of an hour and seventeen minutes.
They had a woodland day at Naburn on November 3rd,
and twelve days' later they had a hard day in the
Thursday country, finding a fox late in the day at
Lylands, and running by Marton, Ferrensby, and Loft-
house Hill, nearly to Brearton, where hounds were stopped
at dark. On December 17th, they had a good thirty-five
minutes from Askham Bogs, by Chaloner Whin, the Acomb
Nurseries, and Severus Hill, pulling their fox down near
Poppleton Lodge. A month later they were at Red
House and had a ringing" sort of day, running about
Scagglethorpe, Acomb, and Grange Wood all day, and
finally the fox crossed the river. But they were to have
a better day from Red House than this, of which an
account will be found in its place.

' Thursday, February 7 th. Arkendale. Found in Coneygarths,
' ran to Scriven, over Farnham Bottoms, leaving the Mires
' on the left to Walkingham Warren, over the hill by
' Staveley Quarries, up to Burton Leonard. Down to
' Bishop Monkton, turned to the left past HoUin Hall,
' over the road, straight up to the pleasure grounds at
' Studley, up to Fountains Abbey, over the park, past
' the house, down to Laver Banks, ran a short ring
' over the hill in view, and killed him in the brook near
' Laver Bridge. One hour thirty-four minutes. Remarkable
' fine run.'

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 43

'Tuesday, March 5th. Askham Bogs. Tried Askham Bogs,
' found in Little Askham Whin, ran towards Angram,
' and then to Normans ; turned short back over Askham
' Field and to ground near Great Askham, bolted him
' and ran to Great Askham and lost him. Tried Grange
' Wood and Little Askham Whin, Steeton plantations,
' Pickering and Pallethorpe, Bolton plantations and the
' New Wood. Found in the Bridge plantation, ran across
' Nun Appleton park to the Sicklebits, leaving Low
' Acaster on the right to Stub Wood, took one turn in
' the wood, and then away by the water side to Low
' Acaster (where he got into drain under the road, but
'came out directly), and killed him. Forty-one minutes.'

Two days later they had a good run of an hour and
twenty minutes from Copgrove, killing their fox at Staveley
village ; but one of the best runs of which there is a
record was from Red House on the following Tuesday,
albeit the line would cause considerable disappointment
to the bulk of the field : —

'Tuesday, March nth. Red House. Found in Red House
' Wood, ran in it for some time, and then away to
' Scagglethorpe almost to Poppleton, turned back again
' by the water side, through Red House Wood, crossed
' the water below Beningbrough village, straight to Court
' House vSpring, through it and away over Newton Field
' to Beningbrough Park, crossed the river at Nun Monkton
' where a couple of hounds killed their fox, and rest of
' pack ran over Nun Monkton Park, away by Thorp
'Wood to Green Hammerton, over the hill and down
' to Kirk Hammerton, crossed the lane below Mr.
' Thompson's house, leaving the mill on the right, crossed
' the water at Wilstrop village and lost him just below
' "Wilstrop Great Wood. Two hours forty-five minutes.'

On March 21st, rather a curious incident took place.
They met at Scriven and ran a fox from Scotton Banks
into a cellar in Knaresborough, whence he was taken
and turned down in front of hounds, and eventually

44 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

killed near the Crimple Bridge. A run in the Thursday
country seems a fitting one with which to conclude the
history of this season : —

' Tuesday, April 2nd. Cayton Gill. Found in Cayton
' Gill, ran by Cayton Hall, by Stainley Quarries, leaving
' Burton Leonard on the right down to Burton Wood,
' through it and out along the brook side, nearly opposite
' Nevvby Hall. Turned to the left and ran by Bishop
' Monkton and Stainley to Cayton Gill, across it and
' lost him at Ripley Park. One hour thirty-two minutes.
' Found in Walkingham Warren, ran towards Staveley
' and then turned short back through Farnham Mires
' almost to Brearton. Turned to the left over the hill,
' leaving Copgrove on the right, past Burton Leonard,
' down into the bottoms opposite Newby, turned to the
' left up to Hollin Hall, crossed the Ripon road by
' Markenfield Hall into Studley Park, and to ground at
' Markershaw. One hour four minutes. Very good day.'

The season of 1833-34 was distinguished by some
very good sport, especially from Red House, from which
place there were several good runs. Early on in the
season they had a useful day at Ferrensby, and a week
after (October loth) they had a good day from Askham,
with plenty of good hound work, bet rather uneventful in
other respects. On November 7th, they had a pretty thirty-
five minutes from Red House Wood, over the drain and
by Scagglethorpe, and back through the wood, a line
which is very familiar to followers of the York and
Ainsty in the present day, finally killing near Monkton
Church : —

' Saturday, November 9th. Providence Green. Tried Hunsin-
' gore plantations. Found in Ribston plantations, ran
' to Langshavv and lost in Goldsborough Moor. Tried
' Goldsborough Moor, found in Goldsborough Wood and
' ran to the Moor, Flaxby Plantations, up to Claro Hill,
' crossed the North road by the end of Allerton Park
' wall, through Shepherd's Wood, skirted Lylands and

JiAI^LV HJ STORY OF 7 HE HUNT. 45

' Broadfield almost to Little Ouseburn. Turned short
' back by Whixley Hall down to Gilstrop, crossed the
' great North road to Ribston plantations, Langdon, over
• (xoldsborough Moor and the Common Field, past
' Goldsborough Hall, over the park, through the wood,
' and Ribston Spring and the pleasure grounds, and
' along the water side nearly to Walshford Bridge.
' Turned to the left up to Whincup's house, where he
' ran through the drain and the whole pack after him.
'Then through Ribston plantations and Langshaw,
' Goldsborough Moor, Green Dick up to the New inn.
' Turned to the right through Ribston plantations and
' Langshaw nearly down to Walshford Bridge, over
' Ribston Park, b}' the House, through the Spring, across
' the low end of Goldsborough Wood, through the Moor,
' Green Dick, through Ribston plantations, where we
' viewed him. Then through Langshaw, and ran into
' him in the great drain between Goldsborough Moor
' and Flaxby plantation. Three hours eight minutes.
' Very hard day.'

Well might Mr. York call this a very hard clay, and
though there was no great point made, it was a good
sporting run in a country which does not find much favour
with the generality of hunting men. Another very hard
day was soon to follow : —

'Thursday, November 14th. Copgrove. Found in Burton
'Wood, ran towards Bishop Monkton and killed him.
' Tried the plantation beyond Burton AVood. Found in
' the Round Carrs, ran to Burton Leonard, down to
' Burton Wood, over the bottoms towards RawclifF,
' turned to the right by Staveley town end, past Walking-
' ham Warren, over Farnham Bottoms and Scotton Moor.
' Crossed the water into Bilton Banks, ran the whole
' length of the covert to Bilton Hall, almost to Knares-
' borough town end, turned to the right to Bilton village
' and up to Harrogate, where we hunted up to him at
' the back of the Granby, and went away in view towards
'Bilton village, and killed him close to Harrogate
' turnpike bar. Two hours fourteen minutes.'

F

46 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINRTY HUNT.

On December 3th they had a good day from Red
House, killino" a brace of foxes after sharp runs ; and a
month later, when hoimds met at the same place (January
7th) we are told that the hounds were shamefully
overridden. On the 28th of January, they had a fast
forty-five minutes from Askham Bogs, over a fine line,
rolling their fox over near Marston Rectory, and on
February iith, came a great day from Red House: —

' Tuesday, February iith. Red House. Found in Red House
' Wood, ran a ring towards Cock Hill and back through
' the wood, and over the water to Beningbrough, and
' stopped the hounds near Court House. Tried Grange
' Wood, found in Swann's Whin, ran by Little Askham
' and up to Bilbrough, up to the hill top, turned short
' back again by Normans, almost to Angram, turned
'to the right by Swann's Whin and then went forward,
' leaving Great Askham on the right, turned straight
' across Askham Bogs, over the road and down over the
' drain, turned to the left by Bishopthorpe, through the
' Palace Gardens, and along the river side behind
' Middlethorpe. Turned up by the (xrand Stand and
' across Knavesmire, through Knavesmire Wood and
' ran parallel with the York road over Copmanthorpe
' Field, through Copmanthorpe Wood and straight away,
' leaving Colton on the right, over Brumber Field, and
* turned short back at Appleton town end, and killed
' him at the Boat House near Appleton. One hour
' thirteen minutes. Most capital run.'

'Tuesday, March i8th. Red House Found in Red House
' Wood, ran over Monkton Moor, leaving the village on
' the right, crossed the Nidd half-way between Monkton
' and .Skip Bridge, leaving Nun Monkton on the right
' almost to Widdington. Crossed the Ouse just above
' Newton town end, along the Tollerton beck side to
' Linton Woods, past Youlton and Alne, leaving Thol-
' thorpe on the left, skirted Hagg Moor up to Helperby
' town end, turned short back again down to Myton,
' over Myton pastures to Aldwark village, over Aldwark
' Moor and by the end of the wood down to Linton

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 47

' village, where he was viewed before the hounds, and
' was killed in the river at Linton Lock, but unluckily
' sank before they could get him out. P'our hours five
' minutes. Most capital run.'

They had another teaser in the district north of the
Ouse two days later, and it seems that long severe runs
were common in the latter part of the season : —

' Thursday, March 20th. Eighth Milestone, Easingwold road.
' Found in New Parks .Spring, ran straight away to Huby
' Fields, over them and past Stillington House down to
' the brook, and all along the side of it to the bridge,
' where he crossed and ran into him just below Brandsby.
' One hour twenty-three minutes. Tried .St. John's Well
' and the Roans plantations. Found in .Suet Carr, ran
' through the Roans plantations and up to Lilling, past
' .Sheriff Hutton, down into the vale of .Stittenham, along
' there about two miles, and then turned up past
' Stittenham Wood, over the hills into Mowthorpe dale,
'past Garthorp and into Castle Howard park, where the
' hounds were stopped, there being so many foxes.'

They had another good day from Skelton a week
later, finding their fox in Overton Wood, and running
by Court House Wood, across the Easingwold road, and
over Hall Moor and past Huby, losing their fox at
Moxby, after a very fast gallop of an hour and five
minutes. •

The next season did not begin with any very great doings.
They had a moderate day's sport at Ferrensby on October
/th, and on the 9th they had some useful hound work,
and killed a brace of foxes in .Swann's Whin. A week
later, after an uneventful and wild morning, they found
a fox in the Bridge plantation at Nun Appleton, and
after a ringing run they killed him in Lady Milner's garden.
October, however, was an uneventful month, and November
was little if any better, and it was not until December set
in that there was anything of importance to record : —

48 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' Thursday, December 4th. Copq-rove. Found in the round little
' Carrs near Copgrove, and ran by the house and over
' the brook. Turned to the left, parallel to the drain
' almost to the river, then turned to the right and ran
' straight away to Roecliff, over the common field almost
' to Minskip. Then ran all along the bottoms to Staveley,
' where he turned short back, and killed him by the brook
' side. Forty-four minutes, very fast. Went after a fox
' that was viewed near Burton Wood and ran to the
' Carrs and back, and killed him in the covert near the
' house at Copgrove.'

On the 6th they had a good run with their afternoon
fox, after a fair morning-'s work. They found on Wheldrake
Common, and ran by Elvington to Dunnington Hagg, where
they were stopped after a very fast thirty-five minutes. On
the following Tuesday they had a good run, the fox crossing
the Ouse ; and it is worthy of notice that during the period
under consideration it was a common thing for foxes to cross
the river backwards and forwards : —

' Tuesday, December qth. Acaster Mill. Tried Acaster
' Whin, Brocket Hagg, Copmanthorpe Wood, Askham
'Bogs and Chaloner Whin. Found in the Nursery near
' Askham Bogs, ran over the hill past Great Askham
' Whin to Grange Wood, crossed the Wetherby road
' half way between Rufforth and Acomb, leaving Knapton
' on the right, straight down to Poppleton, crossed the
* river, through Overton Wood, almost to Court House
' Spring and Shipton, turned and killed him at Primrose
Hill. One hour three minutes. Very good run.'

I wonder what men would say now if they were to
begin their day's sport at Askham and finish near Shipton.
Luckily foxes do not cross the river so frequently now, for
if they did but few would see the sport. Not many years
ago, however, hounds crossed from the north of the Ouse,
and then crossed the Nidd, and killed their fox alone.
Here is ancjther run with a fox who was fond of the water : —

£ARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT, 49

' Saturday, December 20th. Linton. Found in Linton Woods,
' ran almost to St. John's farm, then turned to the left
' and ran past Linton village and down to the river side.
' Crossed the river to Widdington, and ran all along under
' Thorp Woods and passed Wragby, and crossed the
' Nidd between Skip Bridge and Moor Monkton, as if
' he was going to Wilstrop, but turned to the left,
' straight down past Monkton Church to Red House
' Wood, through it and over the park at Red House,
' by Scagglethorpe, turned to the left and crossed the
' water to Overton Wood, Skelton Spring, past Skelton
' village, and lost him at Fairfield. One hour fifty
' minutes.'

On January 27th they had a splendid run from Red
House, one that would bear comparison with any of the
great runs which have taken place from that famous strong-
hold for foxes. After the usual short ring- by Scagglethorpe,
they crossed the river into Overton Wood, and ran by New
Parks and Huby Whin, across Stillington Park and by
Marton Abbey, hounds finally being stopped at Spelloe.
Well might Mr. York make the remark that the horses were
very tired. It would be quite an eleven-mile point, and
there were various twists and turns in it which would make
it measure out to three or four more at the very least.

On February 12th they had a useful day's sport at
Nun Appleton, killing their afternoon fox at the back of the
post office at Tadcaster, after a forty-minutes' ringing run
from Steeton Whin, in which Mr. York tells us that there
was very great overriding of hounds. There seems to have
been average sport in March, and the last day of which
there is any record is of April i6th : —

'Thursday, April i6th. Escrick. Tried the plantations in
'the park, Common Wood, Holly Carrs, and little
'coverts near Escrick and Wheldrake Common. Found
' in Langwith Whin, ran to Wheldrake Common and back,
' and away on to Telmires and back to Wheldrake
' Common, and lost him on Telmires.'

50 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

The season of 1S35-36 was a long one, commencing in
September and not being brought to a close until late in
April. Red House, as usual, occupies a prominent place in
the annals of the season, but the Red House foxes scarcely
showed so much enterprise as they had done in the two
previous seasons. On September 2 2ncl they met at Acaster,
and after some good hound work, killed a brace of foxes in
Acaster Whin. After that they seem to have had a fairly
successful cub-hunting, and the sport seems to have been
fair on the whole ; but nothing calls for note till November
17th, when they had a hard day from Red House. They
ran their second fox from the wood, over Monkton Moor,
by Skip Bridge, and into Wilstrop Wood. Here some time
was spent, hounds running hard all the while, and it is far
from unlikely that they changed, foxes. They got away at
last, and ran over Marston Moor, finally losing their fo.x
close to Marston church. It is worthy of notice that this
year the Red House foxes seemed to make quite a different
point to what they had done in previous seasons.

On December ist they had what was probably the run
of the season ; at any rate it is the best run with the York
and Ainsty of which Mr. York gives an account, though
they did not kill their fox. It will be noticed that it is a
Bramham Moor fixture, and in those days both packs
advertised for the Wild Man, the York and Ainsty fixture
of Street Houses being a comparatively modern departure : —

'Tuesday, December ist. Wild Man. Tried Steeton planta-
' tions and Pickering Wood. Found in Pallethorpe Wood,
' ran towards Bolton Percy, and then turned short back
' to Oxton, where a fox jumped up before the hounds
' and ran by Tadcaster Bar, through Catterton Spring,
' Catterton Whin, past Healaugh Manor, leaving Wighill
' village on the left, across the Avenue, leaving Wighill
' Park on the right, through Walton Wood, Sunnythwaites,
' skirted Hall Parks, straight away to Noble Wood,

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT.

51

' through it and by Svvinnow Hill, over Ingmanthorpe
' Park, and by the corner of Sugden Wood, by the
' little covert, and by Geldart's plantations. Over the
' Hall Garths, past Matson's house, crossed the North
' road opposite Matson's, crossed the Nidd about a
' quarter of a mile above Walshford Bridge. Past
' Whincup's house, straight away to Green Dick and
' Flaxby plantations, turned to the left by the brick
' kilns, over Goldsborough Moor, and on to Goldsborough
' Park and Goldsborough Field, along the Nidd side up
' to Knaresborough town, where he was viewed in the
' Nursery gardens, turned short to the right over Hay
' Parks, leaving Arkendale on the right and Ferrensby
* on the left, to Spellow Hill, where we lost him. Three
' hours eight minutes. Most extraordinary run.'

It does not seem too much to say that this was one of
the finest runs ever seen over any country. To begin with,
it was a sixteen-mile point, and as hounds ran it could not
have been much less than twice that distance. Every variety
of country was crossed, and most of the early portion of it was
in the cream of the Bramham Moor country. Hounds, too,
would finish fully five-and-twenty miles from home, and it
would be interesting to know how many gallant sportsmen
got to the end, and what were the hounds that distinguished
themselves. Long runs are generally not very fast, but in
this particular instance the pace must have been a good one.
It is, of course, open to doubt whether it was the same fox,
and the probability is that they changed, perhaps more than
once. But there was not much chance of chanorino- horses.

The Goldsborough foxes, in the year under notice, were
good ones, and many a good run was seen in a country which
is now not a favourite one with the followers of the York
and Ainsty. On the 10th of the same month they had a
g-ood run in this district. Finding their fo.x in Fla.xbv
plantation, they ran by Claro Hill, Nineveh and Allerton
Park, and then through Broadfield and by the end of

52 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A IN STY HUNT.

Lylands to Marton, and over the Boroughbrido-e road at
Ouse Head ; thence they ran by Renton and over the Ouse
at Low Dunsforth, and they were stopped in the dark at
Aldwark village. January 19th is worthy of passing mention,
although nothing of very great importance took place They
met at Holgate, found an afternoon fox in Dringhouses
brick-kilns, and after a ringing run, killed him near the
kennels, then at the white cottage opposite Knavesmire.
On February 2nd there was a hard day from Red House
Wood, the first fox running from the wood by Wilstrop and
Tockwith, and over the river to Old Thornville, whence he
took a line to Kirk Hammerton, and after re-crossing the
river he was lost about Cock Hill. A ringing fox from
Swann's Whin kept them going till dark, and they were
stopped between Askham Bryan and Askham Richard. The
last run which calls for notice this season was also from
Red House: —

'Tuesday, March 21st. Red House. Found in Red House
' Wood, ran to Moor Monkton, and back by the church,
' leaving- Hessay on the right, past the Red Lion ahiiost
' to Grange Wood, turned short back by Jolly's farm
' and killed him at Acomb. Fifty-eight minutes, very fast.
' Found in Askham Bogs, ran all along the Healaugh
' road to Swann's Whin, Hutton Hall, Arthur Sanders,
' Marston Fir Trees, turned short back again over the
'earths and lost him between Hutton and Angram.
' Forty-five minutes, very fast. Very good day.'

The .season of 1836-37 was remarkable for the good
sport which was seen in the Thursday country, the better
part of the runs which I have to record having taken place
from Providence Green. The tirst day which calls for notice
is October 25th, when they met at Askham Bogs. They
had a smart run in the morning from the Bogs, by Acomb,
Bishopthorpe, the Archbishop's gardens, Middlethorpc and
Knavesmire, and back to the Bogs, through which they ran

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 53

to Dringhouses, where they killed. A sharp run from
Swann's Whin, and a kill at Askham Bryan, made up a good
day. On November 14th, when they met at Red House,
they had a good run with their afternoon fox from Swann's
Whin, running him by Hutton, Healaugh and Marston, and
finally they were stopped at dark at Bilbrough : —

' Saturday, November 2 6tli. Providence Green. Found at
' Old Thornville Willow garth, ran by Cattal and over
' Rudgate, by Hunsingore plantation, crossed the North
' road near the New inn, skirted Flaxby plantation and
' Goldsborough Moor, crossed the Knaresborough road
* near Flaxby, straight away over Hay Parks, leaving
' Ferrensby on the right, and ran to ground in a drain
' between Lofthouse Hill and Farnham. Fiftv-five minutes,
' very fast. Very good run.'

On the 20th of the following month they had a good run
from Flaxby plantation by Claro Hill and Lylands, and then,
after a bit of ringing about Kirby Hall and the adjacent
coverts, by Thorp Green to Whixley, where they were
stopped, it being quite dark. On January i 7th they had a
good day's sport from Red House, the most notable feature
of which was a sharp ring from Askham Bogs, by Lavender
Grove, and back to Bishopthorpe, where they killed in the
palace gardens, doubtless greatly to the satisfaction of good
Archbishop Harcourt, who, if he was not there taking a
' constitutional,' would want to ' know all about it ' from
those who were : —

' Tuesday, February 28th. Providence Green. Tried Hunsingore
' plantations, found in Ribston plantation, ran to Golds-
' borough House and lo.st him near the mill. Found
' in Goldsborough Wood, ran down to the river and
' crossed to Scaliber up to Birkham Rocks, Braham
' Wood, down to Ribston village, over the moor up to
' Braham Wood, down to Ribston village, over the
' moor up to Braham Wood, Thickhill, Grimbald Crag,
' through Birkham, almost to Belmont, turned to the
G

54 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' left to Rough Arthington (f Rudfarlington), down to
' the Crimple, and stopped the hounds going into Plump-
' ton Rocks. Here part of the hounds divided and ran
' through Deighton Spring and lost their fox at Kirk
' Deighton.'

Much of this good run was in the Bramham Moor
country, a part seldom now run into by the York and
Ainsty hounds. In the olden time foxes, if not stouter than
they are at present, at any rate seemed to cross the rivers
more frequently than they do now, though in these later
days they cross them oftener than the field relishes. The
next run is remarkable for a curious incident such as seldom
takes place with hounds, but of which I know of one or two
instances, one of which is referred to later on : —

' Tuesday, March yth. Askham Bogs. Found in Askham
' Bogs, ran over the Askham Common field, over Bilbrough
' Hill, skirted the Moor, through ]\Ir. Fairfax's plantations,
' Catterton Spring, over the drain, almost to Mr. Brooks-
' bank's, turned to the right by Horse Wood and Healaugh
' Manor, Duce Wood, over the hill by the church, Angram
' to Swann's Whin, where the hounds divided. Part went
' a short ring to Bilbrough and back and lost, and the
' rest ran by Great Askham and towards Acomb and
' back to Great Askham, where a chimney sweep caught
' the fox and held her till the hounds came and killed her.'

For which piece of gratuitous interference, it is probable

that the chimney sweep would not receive many thanks at

the hands of the executive, as the fox seems to have

been a vixen. The last day of which there is an account

took place late in April, and was perhaps the last day of the

season. It was a good day for the time of year, and was

remarkable for the way in which foxes stuck to houses and

gardens at the finish : —

'Wednesday, x\pril igth. Goldsborough Moor. Found in
' Goldsborough Moor, ran by Langshaw and Ribston
' plantations and to ground in a clump of trees near

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT.

55

' the high road. Tried Goldsborough Wood. Found
' again in the Moor and ran to ground under the kitchen
' garden at Goldsborough. Found again in the Moor,
' ran to Langshaw, and killed him in the hothouse at
' Ribston Hall.'

The season of 1837-38 found the Goldsborough country
beginning well, for they had a lot of good hound work in
Goldsborough Wood on the 29th September, and after
knocking the cubs about there for three hours, they went
away with one to Ribston, and killed him on the river bank.
It was not long" before there was to be another good day in
what is now the Thursday country, and of this a full account
must be given : —

' Saturda}', October 21st. Green Hammerton. Found directly
' in Shipton's Rash, ran up to Green Hammerton, turned
' short back and ran by Thorp Woods, down to Widdington
' and killed him. Twenty-five minutes, very sharp. Found
' at Kirby Hall, ran a short ring and stopped the hounds,
' being an old fox that had gone away. Found at Thorp
' Green, ran, skirting the Kirby coverts, along the river
' side by Widdington, Thorp Woods, straight down to
'Nun Monkton, where he was viewed away from Mr.
'Butler's garden, and across the park, through the little
' coverts and Widdington Wood, straight back up wind
' to Kirby Hall, where he laid down in the park, and ran
' into him at the edge of the long plantation. One hour
' forty-five minutes. Very good day.'

Good as it was, however, it was nothing to be compared
with the following, which was a typical Red House day, and
was certainly one of the best runs of the season.

'Thursday, November i6th. Red House. Found in Red
' House Wood, ran by Monkton church, over the moor
' to Wilstrop, through it and away by Marston Grange,
' skirted Marston Whin, Bilton school, past Skilbeck's
' house, Bickerton far drain, turned to the right down
' through Munster Hagg Wood, crossed the river by Ripley's
• house, crossed again and again near Cattal Bridge up

56 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' to Old Thornville, past Kirk Hammerton, crossed the
' river again below Kirk Hammerton, up to Wilstrop,
' through the wood and away over Monkton Moor to Red
' House, crossed the Ouse near Beningbrough, by the
' park side, skirted Court House Spring, over Newton
' Fields, and ran him to ground in a drain between
' Linton and Tollerton. Three hours. Very good day.'

On the 2ist they had a fair day's sport from Nun
Appleton, finding plenty of foxes, and with their afternoon
fox they had a smart Httle scurry from the New Wood to
Naburn Lock, where they killed. On December 12th they
again crossed the river Ouse from Red House, running by
Beningbrough, Overton and Skelton, and finally losing their
{oy. near Shipton. It is by no means unlikely that this was
the same fox as they had run on November 16th, as hounds
would most likely change in Red House Wood on that day.
Indeed, though the fox that they found at first was an
amphibious sort of animal, and had crossed the Nidd four
times before he came back to Red House, he had got such a
dusting that he was scarcely likely to try the water again.

' Thursday, January 4th. Providence Green. Found in Ribston
' plantation, ran two rings to Langshaw and back, and then
' away by Ribston Park, crossed the river half-way between
' the two bridges, turned to the left over the Crimple,
' crossed the road near Matson's house, along the riverside
' to Cowthorpe, over Cowthorpe fields to Cowthorpe Woods,
' where the hounds divided (part went to Ingmanthorpe
'Willow garth and were stopped), then down, skirting
' Munster Hagg Wood, over Rudgate, down to Tockwith,
' over Bilton Bream to Marston Whin, Ratcatcher's, along
' the hill above Marston to Arthur Snowdon's, Robin Hood
' Wood, turned to the left across the bottoms between
' Hell Hole and Hutton, leaving Angram to the right
'nearly to Ringle Wood. Turned to the right by Little
' Askham Willow garth, crossed the road half way between
' Normans and Little Askham, up to Bilbrough, crossed the
' York road half way between the New inn and Street

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 57

' Houses, down to Colton Hagg, Copmanthorpe Wood, past
' Greenlands, turned to the left short of Brocket Hagg and
'ran him to ground in Acaster Whin. Dug him out and
' killed him. Three hours fifteen minutes. Most extra-
' ordinary run.'

If ever hounds deserved a fo.x it was after such a run as
this, and Mr. Lloyd did quite right in digging for his fo.K
when there was a chance of getting him, whilst hounds were
' angry for him.'

They do not seem to have had much sport during the
remainder of January and February, but they had a good
day from Providence Green in the middle of March, though
it was a somewhat unlucky one. They found their second
fox in Goldsborough Moor, and ran by Flaxby, and back to
Langshaw, and through Goldsborough Moor, by Flaxby
village. Shepherd's Wood and Lylands, and to ground in a
hollow tree in Allerton Park. They smoked him out, but
a heavy snow storm came on and enabled him to make his
escape. The following days in April will speak for them-
selves : —

' Monday, April 9th. Providence Green. Tried Hunsingore
' plantations. Found in Ribston plantation, ran to Lang-
' shaw and lost him. Found in Goldsborough Wood, ran
' over Ribston Park, by the house, crossed the river
' pointing to Scalliber, crossed back again and ran up
' the water side to Goldsborough Mill, turned to the
' right over Goldsborough Park, through the Moor, Lang-
'shaw, Ribston plantation, crossed the North road half
' way between Walshford and the New inn, over Hopperton
' bottoms, Gilstrop, up to the corner of Broadfield, turned
' to the right over the hill above Whixley Hall, down to
'Little Ouseburn, almost to Kirby Hall, turned to the
' right and ran into him in the middle of a field at Thorp
' Green. Capital day.'

'Monday, April 23rd. Escrick. Tried Gilberson's Wood and
' the little coverts down to the Common Wood. Found
' in the Holly Carrs, ran by the park and lost near the

58 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A IN STY HUNT.

' church. Tried Naburn Wood, Moreby Wood, Heron.shavv
' and Bentley Woods, and the Rash below the Holly Carrs,
' and little coverts below Deighton. Found at Wheldrake
' Common, ran by Langwith Moor, and lost him at
' Richardson's Whin.'

The season of 1838-39 began with favourable cubbing.
At Hunsingore, at Red House, at Flaxby and at Acaster,
as well as at other places, there were cubs in plenty, and
hounds rendered a good account of them from the very
beginning of the season. On November ist they killed a
leash from Nun Monkton, each after a smart little run. On
the 15th they had a sporting run from Skelton Spring, by
Shipton, Hall Moor, New Parks and Plainville, to Shipton,
where they lost their fox ; and it is worth remarking that
Mr. York noticed some barley in stook during the run. As
the neighbourhood is not a late one, it shows pretty clearly
that the harvest was exceptionally bad. Sport improved in
December, and the following was a really good day : —

'Tuesday, December iith. Red House. Found in Red House
' Wood, ran by the park and across the drain to Hessay,
' over Hessay Moor, up to Marston, over the hill and
' lost near Bilton church. Thirty minutes, very sharp.
' Tried Swann's Whin and Grange Wood. Found at
' Askham Bogs, ran by the old whin to Grange Wood,
' over Rufforth Moor to Angram, Normans, turned back
' by Askham Whin to Rufforth Grange and lost near
' Marston. One hour forty-five minutes.'

They had a fair day's sport two days later from
Providence Green, finding plenty of foxes, one of which
they ran from Goldsborough Wood, over the river by
Birkham, and to ground at Abbey Crag. But on the whole
the months of December, January and February were wild
and stormy, and sport was only indifferent. In March, how-
ever, there were some good runs, three of which I give : —

' Tuesday, March 5th. Red House. Found in Red House
' Wood, ran to Monkton church and stopped the hounds,

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 59

' as he was considered to be gone too long. Tried
' the Nun Monkton coverts, Widdington Rash and Thorp
' Woods. Found in the plantation near Thorp Green,
' ran to Green Hammerton, then turned back nearly to
' Thorp Green, up the hill to Whixley, Gilstrop, Hopperton,
' crossed the North road near the New inn, down to
' Green Dick, Goldsborough Moor, Goldsborough Wood,
' Ribston Hall, along the water side, all the way skirting
' Goldsborough field, past Scruton's Mill, over Hay Parks,
' crossed the road near Scriven Bar, over Scriven Park,
' over Scotton j\Ioor, turned to the left to the banks,
' crossed the water into Bilton Banks, out of the high
' end of the covert and away along the brook side at
' the back of Bilton, up to the road between Harrogate
' and Killinghal], where the hounds were stopped, as the
' fox was seen to go into Birk Crag ten minutes before
' the hounds.'

' Thursday, March 14th. Kirk Hammerton. Tried Old Thorn-
' ville Willow garth. Found in Hunsingore plantation, ran
'to Walshford and along the river side to Hunsingore
'Mill, Cattal, Old Thornville Willow garth, Kirk Ham-
' merton ; turned back by Providence Green, Gilstrop,
' Hopperton, crossed the road between Walshford and the
' New inn, down to Ribston plantation, through it, and
' away over Ribston Park ; over the wooden bridge by
' Ribston village, straight away to Braham Wood, Braham
' Hall, along the bottoms to SpofForth ; crossed the Crimple
'by Spofforth Mill, Spofforth Castle, over the Haggs,
' leaving Aketon on the right, over Rudding Park, Follifoot
' side, and killed him by the brook side between Spacey
' House Whin and Bainbridge's. Two hours ten minutes ;
' most capital run.'

It is not a little curious that at a time when many
excellent runs which the Bramham Moor hounds had on the
Ainsty side of their country during the early part of the
century finished in or were run over much of the neighbouring
York and Ainsty country, on the other side of the country
the York and Ainsty were continually running over the Bram-
ham Moor. borders, as was the case in the last run recorded,

6o HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A IN STY HUNT.

ci'ossino^ some of their best country. Of late years they
have run into each other's country a good deal, but it has
been principally on the Ainsty side. The next day was one
of misadventure, and as such is certainly worthy of record.
It reads very like a good day spoiled by a combination of
circumstances, amongst which might be reckoned an unruly
field :—

' Thursday, March 28th. Acaster Mill. Found and killed in
' Acaster Whin. Found in Stab Wood, and the fox went
' away, but they did not cast for him, not believing the
'persons who said they had seen him. Tried Sicklebits.
' Found in the Bridge plantation, and lost directly from too
' much noise. Tried the rest of the Nun Appleton coverts,
' Scotland Wood, Pallethorpe, and Colton Hagg. Found
' in Askham Bogs, ran to Dringhouses, over Hob Moor,
' over Acomb Hills, by Mr. Jolly's farm, crossed the
' Wetherby road near Knapton, by Rufforth plantations ;
' crossed the road near Rufforth Mill, up to Hutton, back
' by Ringle Wood, over Rufforth Moor, skirted Askham
' Whin, and the fox was viewed by Askham Mill, but the
' hounds were not suffered to proceed further.'

Probably it had been discovered that they were running
a vixen, and it must be borne in mind that they had been
through quite plenty of coverts in which a change of foxes
could have taken place. April opened with a brilliant run : —

'Monday, April ist. Wigginton Bar. Tried Hall Moor and
' Skelton Spring. Found in Overton Wood, where the fox
' crossed the river, and the hounds were stopped. Found
' again in Overton Wood, ran by Court House to Bening-
' brough, and lost him. Found in Court House Spring,
' ran by Tollerton, past the Woodman inn to Alne Whin,
' by Shires Bar up to Easingwold ; turned to the right, and
' crossed the great drain by Spring FTouse, away to Hagg
' Moor, over it to within two fields of Brafferton Spring,
' turned to the left by Helperby, and killed him by the
' water side at My ton. Two hours thirty minutes.'

The latest record that I can find lor this season is that
they met at Escrick on April i8th, and had a blank day.

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 6l

The season of 1839-40 opened promisinglv. Cubs were
plentiful ; Red House, Skelton, Nun Appleton and Scotton
being especially well provided with the 'raw material,' and
hounds had very satisfactory sport amongst them, gettino-
plenty of blood. They were not long before there was
something to talk about, a severe day taking place early in
November : —

' Tuesday, November nth. Copmanthorpe. Tried Copman-
' thorpe Woodj Brocket Hagg and Acaster Whin. Found
' in Stub Wood, ran towards Nun Appleton, turned to the
' right short of Appleton by Woollas, Copmanthorpe Wood,
' Copmanthorpe Field, crossed the road near Buckle's inn,
' up to Bilbrough, past Normans, turned to the right by
' Little Askham, and ran him to ground at Great Askham.
' One hour five minutes. Bolted him, and ran to Swann's
' Whin, Angram, along the bottoms by Ringle Wood,
' along the drain side by Rufforth Mill, Hessay Moor,
' Marston Wood, Marston Grange, down to Wilstrop, turned
' short back to Marston Grange, where the hounds were
' stopped, the horses being tired.'

' Tuesday, December 3rd. Aldwark Bridge. Tried Aldwark
' Wood and Moor, and Tholthorpe Whin. Found in Spring
' House Wood, ran towards Alne, and then back by Thol-
' thorpe, over Hagg Moor, to Brafferton Spring; ran three
' times round it, and then away towards Helperby, crossed
'the w. 'er just above Brafferton, EUenthorpe, crossed the
' road to Norton-le-Clay, Hutton Moor, and stopped the
' hounds at Givendale, near Ripon, at dark.'

These were two hard days, and hounds would ha\'e a
long journey home in the dark from Ripon. It is rather a
pity that there is no time for either of these runs, of which
the latter must have been a very fine one, for it is a fine
point from Alne to Givendale. A fortnight later they had
a fine run, this time in the Hammerton country : —

' Thursday, December igth. Green Hammerton. Tried all the
' Green Hammerton coverts and Kirby Hall. Found in
' Broadfield, ran to Ouseburn, and lost him. Found in

62 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' Lylands, ran to Marton, Grafton ; turned to the right over
' the York road, and ran parallel with it to Aldborough,
' along- the water side to Boroughbridge, Devil's Arrows,
' over Roecliffe Common field, over Staveley bottoms, and
' ran into him in a stackyard near Minskip. One hour.
' Very good day.'

The best sport, however, seems to have taken place in
January, two days in which month would have given a
character to any season : —

' Saturday, January 4th. Scriven. Found in Scotton Banks,
' ran to Gates Wood, over the river to Bilton Hall, almost
' to Harrogate ; turned to the left, and crossed the road
' about a quarter of a mile on the Knaresborough side of
' Harrogate, down to Rough Arthington (.- Rudfarlington),
' over the Crimple to Rudding Park, out at the Spacey
' House door, leaving the larches about half a mile on the
' right, crossed the bottoms above the highest Spofforth
' Hagg covert, by the old pump, almost to the Kirby drain ;
' turned short back and ran a short ring on the Haggs, and
' then crossed the road between Kirby and Spacey Houses,
' down into Swindon bottoms, Crompton's Whin, Peter
' Harland's, Clap Gate, leaving Owl Head on the right,
' down to the river opposite Cartick Whin, and ran to
' ground in the river bank opposite the backwater at
' Harewood. One hour thirty-five minutes. Very good day.'

' Thursday, January 30th. Wliixley. Tried Broadfield. Found
' in Lylands, ran by Shepherd's Wood to Flaxby plantation,
' back by Claro Hill, and killed him by the road side near
' Allerton Park. Found in Flaxby plantation, ran over the
' hill by Flaxby village, leaving Coneysthorpe on the right ;
' over Hay Parks, by the windmill, pointing for Gibbets,
' turned to the left by Mr. Dew's drain, over Knaresborough
'pasture to the Abbey Crag, over the water into the bottom
' of Birkham ; turned to the right over the Knaresborough
' and Plumpton road at the top of the hill, Rough Arthing-
' ton (r Rudfarlington), skirted Bainbridge's plantations,
' crossed the Harewood and Harrogate road at the top of
' the hill near Pannal, almost to Pannal Crags ; up the
' valley, and crossed the road near Harlow Hill, over the

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT.

63

' common to Birk Crag, over the bottoms, leaving Haverah
' Park on the left, straight away to Greystone Plain, Fellis-
' cliif, past Kettlesing, Swarcliff, by Darley, and gave it up
' at Cinder Hill, the fox having gone into Rayner Crag.
'Three hours; most extraordinary run.'

The last entry in connection with this season is for
April Sth, when they met at Red House, and had a fair
day's sport for the time of year, their last tox leading them
from Stub Wood by Acaster Whin, Acaster, Bishopthorpe
and Dringhouses to Acomb, where they were run out of
scent.

An event took place this season, which, though it had
practically nothing to do with the actual history of the York
and Ainsty Hunt, should not be passed by unnoticed.
Sportsmen whose memories take them back thirty years
remember the great sport which Sir Clifford Constable used
to show with his staghounds ; and in those days the chase
of the carted deer found oreat favour in Yorkshire. In
1840 .Sir Clifford Constable was the High Sheriff of the.
county, and a meeting was held at the Black Swan, Coney
street, the Sheriff of York in the chair, at which it vi^as
resolved to ask Sir Clifford to bring his hounds to York, so
that the citizens of York might have a day's hunt with them.
A deputation, headed by Mr. C. J. Hanson, waited upon
.Sir Clifford, who at once signified his consent.

W^ednesday, March iith, was the appointed day, and the
fixture was Heslington Field. It may easily be imagined
that a large crowd assembled, and the gentleman who
reported the proceedings estimated the number of ' horse,
foot and artillery' at ten thousand, and in all probability his
estimate was a moderate one. It was, however, scarcely
complimentary of the same gentleman to say that the scene
reminded him of the Epping Hunt, and I rather fancy the
hard ridino- citizens of York would not like the allusion.

64 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A INST Y HUNT.

With such a crowd it was hardly h'kely that there would
be much sport, for it almost t^oes without saying that the
stag was a good deal mobbed, and this is a thing which
stags do not care for. The first stag was enlarged close to
Grimston Bar, and ran first in the direction of Murton, and
turning to the left he crossed the Murton road midway
between that village and Osbaldwick, hounds now running
smartly. They crossed Bad Bargain lane, and leaving
Heworth to the left, crossed the Stockton road, and ran over
Heworth Moor into the Rev. J. Acaster's park, the stag
curiously enough avoiding the deer there, and crossing the
Malton road close to Monk Bridge, they ran along Monk
Gate up to Aldwark, and took their stag in the Black Swan
yard, Peasholme Green. There was too much of the town
element about this hunt for it to have been interesting, but
it would be a source of great entertainment to many who
had never seen a hunt before. The second stag was uncarted
opposite the Grimston New inn, in a field adjoining the Hull
road. First they ran him towards Elvington, and crossed
the Elvington lane, but bending a little to the left they ran
over Dunnington Common and through Kexby Wood, leaving"
the village to the left, down to the Derwent, which they
crossed half a mile from Ke.xby Bridge. They ran about a
mile at the far side of the river, and then turned and re-
crossed it close to Kexby Bridge, and crossing the Hull road
they ran on to Gate Helmsley, where they took the stag in
a pond. It was a I'un ot an hour and ten minutes, and was
run at a fair pace all the way. The whipper-in, Will Ellerton,
tried to swim the Derwent with hounds, but in mid-stream
he parted from his horse, and whilst he got out at the right
side, his horse swam back to the side he had come from.
The Eddlethorpe foxhounds, then under the mastership of
Sir Tatton Sykes, met at Gate Helmsley that morning, and
had not long left Kexby Wood, which they drew blank,

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 65

when the staghounds appeared on the scene. It would
have been curious had foxhounds and staghounds met when
running. It remains to add that there was any amount of
lane riding, for the stag obligingly ran parallel to the lane
most of the way ; and a gentleman who was present tells me
he shall never forget the wild charge they made down the
lanes, nor how a poor little terrier was literally crushed to
death under the hoofs of the horses.

The season of 1840-41, the last season of Mr. Lloyd's
mastership, was a brilliant one, characterised by many of
those long and severe runs for which the York and Ainsty
had now become famous. The season began well, and early
on they had some nice runs. On October loth they had a
useful day's sport from Street Houses, a fox from Steeton
plantation leading them a nice gallop by Pallethorpe and
Hornington before they killed him at Bolton Lodge. Then
on the 29th they had a good clay, their second fox, from
Farnham Mires, showing a capital though somewhat ringing-
run of an hour and fifty minutes, by Copgrove, Stainley,
Brearton, Farnham Bottoms and Walkington 'Warren back
to the Mires, where they killed him. The first good run in
the Ainsty of which there is any account was rather a
disappointing one, as, after crossing a lot ot stift country,
their fox gave them the slip : —

' Tuesday, November 24th. Askham Bogs. Found in Askham
' Bogs, ran to Dringhouses and back through the Bogs,
' past the windmill, through Swann's Whin, Angram, Hell
' Holes, along the bottoms by Healaugh church, Snowdon's
' Whin, almost to Nova Scotia, turned to the right over
' the hill, crossed the York road between Bilton Church
' and the Ratcatcher's, over Bilton Bream, Marston
' Grange, through Wilstrop Wood, over Monkton Moor
' to Red House. Went away by the church and stopped
' the hounds, it being a fresh fox from Red House. One
' hour fifteen minutes. Tried Red House to find the run
' fox but could not, he having crossed the river at Monkton
' town end.'

66 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

The following account of a fine day's sport is- taken from
BclTs Life in London for February 7th, 1841. Mr. York
does not appear to have been out, and it is not until a tort-
night or more later that there is anything to record from
his diaries : —

' Brilliant Run with the Yokk and Ainsty Foxhounds.

'This old-established and well-supported pack of foxhounds
' met on Monday last at Skelton. The weather was rather
' unpropitious owingf to the frost, which had again set in
' that morning, with an easterly wind. Nevertheless, the
' field was numerous, the hearts of Yorkshiremen being in
' the right place. On the hounds being thrown into covert
' a dog fox immediately broke covert towards Overton
' Wood. Finding the hounds pressed upon him, he pro-
' ceeded over the deep country to Beningbrough, and from
' thence to Court House Spring, which he merely skirted,
' and determined not to take too much out of himself,
' onwards he went in a straig-ht line to the Great North of
' England railroad, which he crossed near to the Angel
' inn. Here he was viewed, and was headed. However,
' nothing daunted, he soon returned to his own line.
' " Hurrah for Brafferton Spring. Give your horses time,
' or you'll not see the end of him," holloas old Will. In
'this instance the old one was taken in, for revnard, deter-
' mined that no one should know whither he was steering,
' shifted his position to the other side of the Easingvvold
' road from York. Here again he was viewed. The hounds,
' after crossing the road, began to run for him, and the
' pace was tremendous up to Hawkhills. Despising the
' covert, he pursued a straight line by the town of Easing-
' wold, towards Crayke, and after a run (according to
' ]\Ir. Lloyd's watch) of an hour and twenty minutes, he
' was pulled down at Oulston, thereby crowning with glory
' one of the finest day's sport that has been witnessed for
' ages in any country, the distance from point to point
' fourteen miles. The country was deep, and the enclosures
' small ; two or three brooks were in the line, which added
' variety to the leaps. The worthy master of these hounds,
' Mr. Lloyd, was up at the finish, with his first-rate hunts-

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 67

' man, Will Danby, and the whip, Tom. We also noticed
' Messrs. Gascoigne, Creyke, Prescot, Roper, Healey, Read,
' Gilbert, Wilson, Gooch, Thompson and Place. The dinner
' at the club afterwards was well attended, when the health
' of the master and success to the York and Ainsty hounds
' was drunk with enthusiasm.'

Making allowances for the hyperbole which ap]jears here
and there, this is a good account of a sporting run, and it
may well have been the run of the season. It took place
on February ist, 1841, and in the following week a meeting
W'as held at Etridge's hotel, to consider how Mr. Lloyd's
services in hunting the country should be acknowledged.

At this meetinq- the chair was taken bv Mr. R. Gilbert,
and it was resolved, ' That a dinner be given to George
Lloyd, Esq., and that a subscription be entered into for the
purpose of procuring a piece of plate, as a tribute of gratitude
for his services as master of the York and Ainsty foxhounds
for the last sixteen years.' The proposition was received
with enthusiasm, and a large amount was subscribed in the
room ; Lord Wenlock and the Hon. R. B. Lawley putting
down their names for twenty-five pounds each, and Sir Tatton
Sykes and other forty gentlemen for five pounds each.

Other good runs this season are as follows : —

'Tuesday, February i6th. Red House. Found in Red House
' Wood, ran to Monkton church, and then went back
' with another scent to Red House and lost him, the fox
' having gone to Wilstrop. Tried Grange Wood, found
' in Askham Whin, ran towards Grange Wood and turned
' to the left over Rufforth Moor to Angram (where part
' of the hounds turned back to Askham Whin and everybodv
'with them), along the bottoms at the back of Hutton,
' crossed the York and Wetherby road below Marston,
' through Marston Wood down to Wilstrop, nearly to
' Skip Bridge inn, over Monkton Moor to Red House,
' through it and down to the water side and up the
' banks to Monkton, and stopped the hounds going over
' the road near Monkton church. Very unlucky day.'

68 IJlSlOJiV OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' Tuesday, February 23rd. Wild Man. Found in Pickering
' Wood, ran to Pallethorpe, Oxton, Catterton Spring,
' Normans, over Bilbrough Hill, and lost near Colton.
' Went after a fox that was viewed at Steeton Hall, and
' ran to Pallethorpe, Oxton, Hornington, and stopped
' the hounds near Pallethorpe in order to go after a fox
' which was asleep in a tree at Nun Appleton, which
' they poked down into the hounds' mouths, which were
' waiting underneath the tree ! '

It would be interesting to know the reason for what
was apparently an unsportsmanlike action. There are some
things which are known only to the master and his hunts-
man, which not infrequently cause them to act in what is,
apparently, an unusual manner with respect to the killing of
a fox or the stopping of hounds, and this is doubtless one
of those occasions when they have had some particular and
ample reason for the line of action pursued. Mr. Lloyd and
W^ill Danby were too good sportsmen to do an unsportsman-
like action : —

' Tuesday, March gth. Askham Bogs. Found in Askham
' Bogs, ran by Acomb and Knapton and killed near
' Mr. Spence's house. Found again in Askham Bogs,
' ran by Copmanthorpe, down to Acaster, and killed him
* in Mr. Dixon's garden at Bishopthorpe. Twenty-eight
' minutes. Very good day.'

The last day of which there is record, and probably the
last day of the season, was April loth, when they met at
Moreby, and had a ringing run from Moreby Wood, by
Naburn, Moreby, Stillingfleet, into the Holly Carrs, where,
after running for some time, they marked their fox to
ground, and he was bolted and killed.

Mr. Lloyd was afterwards presented with a handsome
dinner service, and in connection with this a rather heartless
practical joke was played upon him. Some young fellows,
who should have known better, issued invitations to dinner
in Mr. Lloyd's name to about twenty of the leading hunting-
men ; and to Mr. Lloyd's dismay and astonishment, he found

EARLY HISTORY OF THE HUNT. 69

twenty unexpected guests at his house, for whose coming he
was totally unprovided. It was a senseless joke at the best,
but Mr. Lloyd was the last man in the world who should
have been made the victim of it.

Perhaps there was no man more fitted to take hold of a
newly-established pack of hounds, and rule over a newly-
formed country than Mr. George Lloyd, and it must have
cost him a considerable amount of money, as well as time
and trouble, for the subscription in his day only amounted to
one thousand three hundred pounds per annum. That every-
thing was done well, we have the testimony of so fastidious
a critic as ' Nimrod.' A long period under one master
means a great deal for any country, and more especially
to one which has only just been formed, so the York
and Ainsty Hunt owes much to the services of Mr. Lloyd,
who certainly placed it in the first rank amongst the hunts
of the day. In manners Mr. Lloyd was mild and courteous,
and it goes without saying that such a man was popular with
all classes of society. An anecdote is told of him that he
once particularly requested his field not to ride over certain
wheat fields which were near the coverts they were first
going to draw. A young farmer, and a very hard rider, at
once said that riding over wheat did it no harm, that he
should ride over any wheat that came in his way, and that
everyone was welcome to ride over his. The master replied
that no doubt the opinion he had expressed was correct, but
that every person did not think so, and he finished by
saying, ' I know you zvont ride over the wheat when I have
asked you to respect the owner's prejudices.'

Mr. Lloyd, in his day, was one of the best men in

Yorkshire, which is no small praise, and though in later life

he rode some fifteen or sixteen stone, he was always with

his hounds. He has left the name behind him of a keen

sportsman, a genial, courteous gentleman, and a good master

of hounds. .
I

I"'. ■'■■A

'^,/K'-^'

CHAPTER III.

Mr. Ralph Creyke, Mr. S. Bateman, and
Sir Charles Slingsby.

On Mr. Lloyd's retirement Mr. Ralph Creyke assumed the
reins of office, with Will Danby still as huntsman. His first
season was characterised by a large influx of strangers who
came to York for the hunting season, amongst them being
Lord Eglinton, who brought with him a fine stud of
hunters. He was the owner of the Flying Dutchman and
other famous horses, and was a fine horseman. His visit
to York was the subject of a paragraph in the Doncaster
Gazette, in which it was casually remarked that Mr. Ralph
Creyke had already shown some good sport.

Early on in Mr. Creyke's first season (1841-42) there was a
good run, and as had frequently happened during the rule of
his predecessor, it took place in the Goldsborough country ;
or to be more correct, it began there. They found in
Goldsborough Wood, and went away at once, crossing the
river to Ribston Spring. Thence they ran by Braham Wood
nearly to Deighton Spring, and crossing Crimple beck they
ran by Spofforth, Stockeld, to Sicklinghall, where they were

SEASONS ZS41-1S69. 71

run out of scent. On November 2nd they had a twisting
sort of run from the Bridge plantation at Nun Appleton, by
Bolton Percy, Pallethorpe and Hornington, and back by
Bolton Percy to Nun Appleton, where they lost their fox.
November seems to have been a bad scenting month, and
there is nothing of much interest to chronicle until the
middle of December, though they had a hard day on the
seventh of that month, running a fox from the Kirby Hall
plantation, along the river side by Low Dunsforth, to
Aldborough, just before reaching which they turned short
back by Dunsforth and Aldwark Bridge to Kirby' Hall.
Then they ran the same ring again, and were finally stopped
at Kirby Hall.

'Tuesday, December 14th. Providence Green. Tried Cattal
' and Hunsingore plantations. Found in Ribston plantation,
' ran towards the high road, then turned to the right almost
' to Walshford, over Ribston Park, crossed the river below
' the wooden bridge, over Ribston Moor up to North
' Deighton, over the Knaresborough road, skirting Deigh-
' ton Spring, leaving Hannam's on the left, over the
' bottoms to .Stokeld Whin, Linton Spring, skirted Devon-
' shire Whin, Woodhall, past Rudsdale's house, down
' into the bottoms, half-way to Owl Head, up the hill
' over .Sicklinghall Moor, back to Woodhall, Lime Kiln
' earths, Linton .Spring, Sickling Hall Wood, over the low
'part of Spofforth Haggs, crossed the road at the top
' of Sicklinghall, Woodhall, and stopped the hounds
'between Woodhall and Linton.'

It would seem as if there had been a fortnight's frost,
for there is not an entry in the diary again until Dec. 30th : —

'Thursday, December 30th. Ribston Park. Tried the gardens
' and Goldsborough Wood, Langshaw and Ribston planta-
' tion. Found in Flaxby plantation, ran to Goldsborough
' Moor and away by Flaxby over the low part of Hay
' Parks, turned to the left over Goldsborough Field,
'Scruton's Mill, over the park and moor and to ground

72 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

• near Flaxby. Dug him out and killed him. Viewed
' another fox out of the hole and ran him to Flaxby
' plantation, moor, wood, and along the water side and
' back by Ribston, and stopped the hounds near Allerton
' New inn.'

On February 15th they had a pretty Httle run from
Red House Wood. First they took a ring out by Moor
Monkton, and back through the wood, and then they ran
by .Scag-glethorpe and Knapton, and killed their fox on
Severus liill.

' Tuesday, February 22nd. Wild Man. Fountl in Pickering,
' ran to Steeton plantation and lost. Tried Pallethorpe
' and Hornington Willow garth. Chopped a fox in the
' plantation near Martin's house. Found in the New
' Wood, ran by Bolton Percy, Hornington, O.X-ton, Tad-
' caster town end, crossed the road pointing to Mr.
' Brooksbank's, turned to the right to the Wood House,
' Shireoaks, where the hounds divided (part went to earth
' in Catterton Whin), (Catterton) Spring, over Bilbrough
' Moor, over the hill to a willow garth at the edge of
' Askham Field, where he jumped up before the hounds
' which were stopped, as someone supposed he might
' be a fresh fox.'

There is nothing more to record of this season, which
seems on the whole to have been an indifferent one, and it
certainly did not come up to its immediate predecessors for
good long runs with straight-necked foxes.

The season of 1842-43 was decidedly a better one,
though there was not much to talk about till after October
went out. They had an useful day's sport on October 15th
from Street Houses, and a week later Askham Bogs showed
them plenty of foxes, but they failed to get hold of one.
November, however, opened auspiciously : —

' Tuesday, November ist. Red House. Found in Red House
' Wood, ran by Cock Hill, almost to Hessay, turned to

SEASONS 1841 -i86g. 73

' the right down to Wilstrop Wood, through it and crossed
' the river at Skewkirk, up to Kirk Hammerton Hall,
' turned short back along the water side, crossed again
' and lost him near Skip Bridge. Very good scent.'

This was a good day's sport, but it fell far short of the
run from Copmanthorpe Wood a month later : —

' Tuesday, December 6th. Acaster Mill. Tried Acaster Whin
' and Stub Wood and Brocket Hagg. Found in Copman-
' thorpe Wood, ran by Buckle's inn, Swann's Whin,
'Angram, Robin Hood Wood, Arthur Snowdon's, Nova
' -Scotia, the Loft, .Sunnythwaite, Walton Wood, Wighill
' Grange, along the water side to Brooksbank's wall,
' crossed the water to Newton, and to ground under a
' stack at Tollerton village. Two hours twenty minutes.
' Very good day.'

' Thursday, January 5th. Ribston Hall. Found in Goldsborough
' Wood, ran to Ribston gardens, Pikeshaw, Langshaw,
' Ribston plantation, Sellcarrs, Lund House, over the
' river to Matson's, Armitage plantation, Geldart's covert,
' Wetherby town end, Sandbeck and Swinnow AVoods,
' Mosscarrs, over Ingmanthorpe Park, Gants, Cowthorpe
' Fields, over the river at Hunsingore, Sellcarrs, Cranberry
' Carr, Hopperton, over the road down to Ribston
' plantation, where Dan by and the body of the hounds
' came up and where we viewed him. Then ran two
'rings round Goldsborough and Ribston and lost him.'

'Monday, February 27th. Skelton. Tried Skelton Spring.
' Found in Overton Wood, ran a ring in it and then
' away by Primrose Hill to Beningbrough, over the water
' to Nun Monkton, Widdington Woods, Thorp Wood,
' past Thorp Green, leaving Whixley on the left, past
' Allerton church, down to Flaxby covert, Claro Hill,
' Coneysthorpe, over Hay Parks, and lost him near the
' windmill. The other part of the hounds which had
' divided at Flaxby covert ran over Goldsborough Moor
' and Wood, Ribston Park, over the river to Ribston
' Moor, Braham Wood, leaving SpoflForth on the left, up
' the Haggs to Kirkby Overblow, where the hounds
' were stopped. Most extraordinary run.'

74 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

On March T4th they had a good run of an hour from
Sellcarrs by Goldsborough Moor, Flaxby plantation, Ribston
plantation, Walshford, Lund House, Hunsingore, Cattal and
Thornville, killing at Kirk Hammerton Park. A good
hunting-day in much the same locality is the last day in
this season which calls for notice : —

' Tuesday, March 28th. Ribston Hall. Found in Goldsborough
'Wood, ran by Ribston plantation to Walshford and lost
' him. Found in Flaxby covert, ran to Goldsborough
'Wood, moor, mill, over the fields, over Hay Parks,
' Scriven, Scotton Moor, Brearton, Findal Wood, and lost
' near Nidd Hall. Very good hunting.'

Little of any moment seems to have taken place under
the eye of the diarist in the early part of the next season (1843-
44), and it is not until quite the end of October that there is
anything which calls for notice. On the 31st of that month
they had a fair day's sport from Little Askham. They began
by chopping a fox in the whin, and then they ran another
nicely by Angram, Normans, Askham Bryan and the Bogs,
losing him eventually at Mr. Swann's. A month later
(November 28th) they had a good day from Red House,
but failed to get blood. The last run over the park, by
Scagglethorpe, Poppleton, Grange Wood, Knapton, Askham
Whin, Askham Bryan and Copmanthorpe to the railway at
Colton, and back by Bilbrough to Little Askham, where they
lost their fox, was a good hunt.

'Tuesday, January i6th. Askham Bogs. Found in the whin,
' ran by Angram and Bilbrough, round the hill and back
' to the whin, and then away to RufForth Moor, by
' Rufforth plantations, leaving Hessay on the left, and
' lost him at Cock Hill. Very hard day.'

'Tuesday, January 23rd. Red House. Found in Red House
' Wood, ran to Cock Hill and lost him. Tried the wood
' again and Grange Wood. Found in Swann's Whin,
' ran to Angram and killed him. Found again in .Swann's

SEASON'S iS4i-rS6g. 75

' whin, ran to Grange Wood, Rufforth plantations, crossed
' the road near the Red Lion, Poppleton, crossed the river
' and killed him at Tanfield.'

'Tuesday, March 12th. Askham Bogs. Found in Askham
' Bogs, ran a ring towards Aconib and away by Knaves-
' mire Wood, Bishopthorpe, Copmanthorpe Field, Brocket
' Ilagg, over Brumber Field, and lost him near the New
' Wood at Nun Appleton. Tried the Nun Appleton coverts.
' Found in Copmanthorpe Wood and killed him in Brocket
' Hagg.'

The most notable thing in the early part of the season
of 1844-45 was a real good morning's cubbing in the middle
of September, at Red House. For three hours did they
rattle the cubs about in that stronghold, and then they got
hold of one. Two good days before Christmas call for
special notice : —

'Tuesday, November (9th. Street Houses. Tried Pickering,
' Steeton plantations and Pallethorpe. Went after a fox
' that was viewed at Oxton, ran to Shireoaks and lost
' him. Tried Hornington Willow garths, found in Appleton
' New Wood, ran b\' the windmill, Brumber Field, Colton
' Hagg, Askham Field, round the Bogs to Knavesmire, and
' killed him in the open field near the railway bridge
' near the high road.'

' Tuesday, December 3rd. Acaster. Tried Stub Wood and
' the whin and Brocket Hagg. Found in Copmanthorpe
' Wood, ran towards Colton Hagg, turned short back over
' the railroad and ran very fast down to Stub Wood,
' almost to Low Acaster, turned back to Appleton, skirted
' the New Wood, over Brumber Hill, Pallethorpe, Pickering,
' crossed the road near the Wild Man, and ran into him
' in the open field near Bilbrough. One hour twenty-nine
' minutes. Very capital day.'

In the beginning of January they had an useful day from
Providence Green. They found in Goldsborough Wood, and
ran by the moor. Hay Parks, F"errensby, Lofthouse Hill, and
Minskip, whence they ran back to Lofthouse Hill, and killed.

76 HISTOJiV OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

On the 25th they had a good day from Whixley, killing a
brace, and a few days after frost set in, and there is no
account of any hunting from the 4th to the 27th of February.

'Thursday, February 27th. Copgrove. Tried all the Copgrove
' coverts and Walkingham Warren. P'ound in Farnham
' Mires and to ground near the house at Copgrove. Tried
' Lofthouse Hill Whin and Scriven plantations. Found
' in Scotton Banks, ran by Scriven, Coneygarths, Farnham
' Quarries, Gibbetts, Ferrensby, over Hay Parks, past
' Eccles House, between Arkendale and Coneythorpe,
' Claro Hill, Shepherd's Wood, outside Allerton Park
' wall, Broadfield, almost to Whixley Park, down to
' Hopperton, turned back by Allerton Park wall. Shepherd's
' Wood, past Nineveh, crossed the North road and stopped
' the hounds near Arkendale, being very late.'

March was wild and blustering, and there were several
storms. A good run on the eleventh was spoiled by a heavy
fall of snow. They found in Askham Bogs, and ran by
Copmanthorpe, Brockett Hagg, Stub Wood, and to ground
under a tree root near Acaster. The fox was soon bolted,
and they ran on smartly to Acaster Whin, where the snow
overtook them and saved their fox.

The two last entries for this season are made on April
/th and 8th. On the former day they killed a fox after a
good deal of knocking about in the Holly Carrs, and on the
latter they ran a fox from Askham Bogs to the back of
Acomb, and back to the Bogs, and lost him at Greenlands.

Though Mr. Creyke soon retired. Will Danby kept on
in his place, and so when Mr. Bateman succeeded in 1845,
he had the advantage of a huntsman of experience who
thoroughly knew the country. Mr. Bateman was very keen,
and perhaps no man took a livelier interest in hunting than
he did. When a young man he rode hard enough, as indeed
he was obliged to do, for like many a good sportsman he
had no knowledge of country, and it has been said of him

SEASONS 1841-1869 77

by one who knew him well, that if he were turned round
three times in a field he would not be able to find the "ate
by which he had entered it. He was very keen about
hounds, and was careful to preserve a record of what took
place with them. His hunting diary, which was most carefully
kept, was practically a history of the hunt for upwards of
fifty years, but it has unfortunately been destroyed or lost, —
a loss to the hunting world which it is difficult to appreciate.
Mr. Bateman was very popular, and during the eight years
of his mastership he showed excellent sport, whilst after he
retired he was one of the most consistent supporters of the
hunt. He died at an advanced age in 1891, and until the
last he was always to be seen in his carriage at the more
handy fixtures.

One of the first great public incidents which took place
during his mastership was the dinner which the hunting men
of Yorkshire gave to Sir Tatton Sykes. This dinner took
place in the De Grey Rooms, on Tuesday, January 19th, 1847,
and the invitations were strictly confined to hunting men.
The chair was taken by Mr. R. Gilbert, and Mr. Bateman
and Mr. Rudstone Read were vice-chairmen. It is curious
to read over the names of those who were present to do
honour to Yorkshire's typical sportsman, for amongst the
sixty-four who sat down to dinner were some of the foremost
sportsmen of their time: — Lord Hawke, who was master of
the Badsworth ; Sir Charles Slingsby, Mr. Creyke, and
Mr. Hill of Thornton, either had been, were, or were to be
masters of hounds ; and amongst others may be named
Lord W. Thynne, Baron Osten. the Hon. A. Bosville, the
Hon. Captain Buncombe, the Hon. B. R. Lawley, Sir Charles
Strickland, Mr. Bower of Welham, the Rev. J. Bower,
Mr. Digby Cayley, Mr. Darley of Aldby Park, Mr. J. Dent,
Mr. Garforth, Capt. Healey, Mr. E. H. Reynard, Mr. C.
Reynard, Mr. Scrope, Mr. Strickland, Mr. H. S. Thompson,

78 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

Mr. H. Willoughby, Mr. York and Captain Yorke. At that
time Sir Tatton Sykes was hunting what is now Lord
Middleton's country, from the i<ennels at Eddlethorpe, and
carried the horn for six years longer, when he was succeeded
by Mr. H. Willoughby, afterwards Lord Middleton.

1 he carlii St record of sport under Mr. Batcman's rule
which comes to hand is of a September morning, at Askham
Whin, where we read, they 'found a litter of cubs, and killed
one.' They also had a good morning amongst the cubs at
Brafferton on the 27th ; and the following month began with
such a day as would gladden the heart of any master of
hounds, for it showed what good stuff there was in the
kennel :^

Thursday, October 2nd. Ribston Plall. Tried Langshavv.
' Found in Ribston plantation, ran a ring by Langsliaw
' and back, then away over Ribston Park, Goldsborough
' Moor, Pikershaw, Langshaw, Ribston plantation, up to
'the North road. Turned to the right to Walshford,
' Hunsingore, Lund House, over the river by Cowthorpe
' town end, over Cowthorpe Field, down to Ingmanthorpe
' Willow garth, ran him very hard in it for some time,
' and into a hole under a bridge, where the hounds
' scratched him out and killed him.'

From November iSth to the sgtli there seems to have
been a stoppage from frost, but on the latter day they had
some very good sport : —

' Thursday, November 29th. Copgrove. Tried the covert near
' the kennel, found opposite the house, ran by Burton
' Leonard, Iredale Wood, Stainley Quarries, Brearton,
' .Scotton, and lost him at Coneygarths. Found in
' Farnham Mires, ran to the Warren, Copgrove, Burton
' Leonard, Stainly Quarries, Brearton, and lost him at
' the Mires. Very beautiful hunting.'

On December 9th they killed a fox in the streets of
York, or rather on the outskirts of York, for the Mount
was not built up in 1845 as it is now: —

SEASON'S 1 8 41 - iS6g. 79

' Tuesday, December 9th. Askham Bogs. Found in Askham
' Bogs, ran to the old whin and back by Jolly's house,
' and then by Askham, and lost him at Bilbrough. Tried
' Steeton Whin, found in Swann's Whin, ran to Askham,
' Acomb Hills, Nursery grounds, and killed him in York,
' on the Mount. One hour five minutes.'

' Saturday, December 27th. Shires Bar. Found in Alne old
'whin, ran up to the station, turned to the right to
' Crankley, back by the old whin, crossed the road near
' Shires Bar, Hawkhills, Black Woods, Stillington Whin,
' over Huby Field, Huby Whin, Sutton, ran the road
' and crossed the Foss below Moxby, almost to Farlington,
' turned up the hill and ran into him in the open field
* at Sherrifii" Hutton. One hour forty five minutes. Most
' capital day.'

January was a good month, and one hard day succeeded
another, hounds being frequently stopped at dark. Two
days must serve as a specimen of the general run of sport : — -

'Tuesday, January 27th. Red House. Tried Red House
' Wood. Found in Grange Wood, ran towards Askham
' Bogs, turned to the left short of Jolly's house, crossed
' the Wetherby road near Knapton, straight away to the
' Red Lion, crossed the road to Poppleton, Scagglethorpe,
' over the great drain, skirted Red House Park, then
' the wood, past Monkton church, almost to Skip Bridge
' inn, over the road to within a field of Wilstrop Wood,
' over Marston Moor, Hutton Thorns, leaving Hutton
' Hall on the left, Ringle Wood, Askham Whin, and
' turned him up in the open field half-way between the
' two Askhams. One hour forty-five minutes. Most
' capital run.'

'Thursday, January 2gth. Ferrensby. Found in the whin,
' ran by Spellow Hill, Nineveh, and to ground near
' Grafton, bolted and killed him. Found in Flaxby covert,
' ran to Goldsborough Moor and back, and away to
' AUerton, to Shepherd's Wood, Nineveh, Marton, Broad-
' field, Lylands, Shepherd's Wood, Allerton Park,
' Hopperton coverts, Broadfield, and stopped the hounds
' at Shepherd's Wood, the horses being tired.'

So HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

On the third of the following- month they had a very
good forty-five minutes from Stub Wood, by Acaster, over
the Copmanthorpe drain, and by Askham Mill and Grange
Wood, killing at Acomb ; and two days later they had a
capital day's sport, and one, which for one incident alone,
would be likely to live long in the memories of those who
were fortunate enough to be present : —

' Thursday, February 5th. Skip Bridge. Tried Widdington
' Wood, Shipley (?) Rash, Thorpe Woods and Kirby
' Hall, Broadfield and Lylands. Found in Shepherd's
' Wood, ran by Broadfield, Whixley, crossed the road
' by Little Ouseburn, Thorp Green, skirted Kirby Hall,
' Thorp Woods, Widdington, straight down to Nun
' Monkton, where the fox and hounds were in the river
' together, and killed him as he was trying to get through
' the palings at Beningbrough Park. Fifty-five minutes.
' Very good day.'

' Thursday, March 5th. .Scriven. Tried the new Scotton
' Moor whin. Found in the Banks, crossed the water
' to Willow Banks and to Killinghall, where the hounds
' were stopped. Found again in the Banks, and the fox
' crossed the water, when the hounds were stopped.
' Found in Farnham Mires, ran over the bottoms to
' Lofthouse Hill, Butterhills, Scriven, Farnham, Farnham
' Mires, Brearton, Nidd, down to the river banks, back
' again to the road, and to ground near Nidd. Bolted
' and killed him.'

On April 1st they had rather a disappointing day from
the huntsman's standpoint. It was in the same country as
was the day's sport just recorded, a part of the country, by
the way, which was very productive of sport during the
earlier years of Mr. Bateman's mastership. They found in
Scotton Banks, ran down to the Nidd and Scriven, and
finally lost their fox at Hay Parks. The second run was a
very good one They found in Flaxby plantation, and ran
hard by Goldsborough, Ribston, Walshford and Lund, and

SEASON'S 1841- 1 86g. 81

were running hard for their fox when a violent thunderstorm
came on and deprived them of the blood they so well
deserved.

Though this was a good season there was not a great
' list of slain.' Mr. York records that in fifty-nine days they
found ninety foxes, of which they killed above ground, seven-
teen ; killed on the earth after digging, seven ; and ran to
ground, ten ; leaving fifty-six to be accounted for, and of
these many doubtless owed their lives to the friendly
darkness. Of course, this is not the full record of the
season, but it is interesting, as showing how difficult the
good wild old foxes were to handle, even when such a past
master as Will Danby was carrying the horn.

There are no diaries forthcoming from the .spring of 1 846
to the autumn of 1851, but from other sources three good
runs are given. The first of these took place on Tuesday,
March 14th, 1848. The fixture was Dringhouses, and there
would seem to have been a rare crowd, for the chronicler
estimates the field at three hundred horsemen, and says that
a friend of his who had hunted with the York and Ainsty
for upwards of thirty years told him that it was the largest
field he had ever seen. Askham Boo^s were first tried, and
a capital fox it was that hounds found there, provided that
they never changed. They were not long in getting to
work, for hounds had no sooner found than the fox broke
on the Tadcaster road side, which then, as it generally is
now, would doubtless be lined with people on foot and in
carriages. The fox crossed the road in spite of this, and
hounds ran him hard to Colton HaQo- and on to the York
and North Midland railway. At the railway the fox was
headed, and turned away for Colton village, and hounds ran
him hard over the Tadcaster road again, and past Bilbrough
village. Leaving the village to the left, they ran on to
Catterton Spring and skirted Healaugh Manor, leaving Shire

82 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

Oaks to the left. The pace was now a cracker, and the
large field was considerably thinned. They now crossed the
Tadcaster and Wighill road, and ran along the Ings nearly
to Thorparch. Thence they hunted past Walton Wood,
which was left on the right, and crossing the Wetherby road
not very far from Deighton toll bar, they ran on to Tock-
with. From Tockwith they ran hard to Marston Whin,
through which they forced their fox, and then they ran him
on to Healaugh, and through Shire Oaks. Mr. Brooksbank's
park was then crossed, find they pointed for Thorparch again,
and leaving Tadcaster on the right, passed Catterton village
and pointed for Nova Scotia. Here the fox was probably
headed, as he made a sharp turn past Bilton Hall and
Hutton village, leaving Angram to the left. The pace now
began to slacken a little, but up to this point it had been
fast. Hounds, however, stuck well to their work, and rolled
their fox over near Askham village. The chronicler con-
cludes, ' Time, four hours and ten minutes, over a very
heavy country. The distance gone over would be fifty
miles at least. One or two crack riders acknowledge this
to have been the fastest run it had been their fortune to
witness across any country. Out of the large field only
fourteen were up at the death. Will Danby rode well
throughout the day, and was one of the fortunate ones at
the finish, with the whole of his hounds except three or four.'
This was a great run, though it was not very straight,
but it by no means covered fifty miles of country. It is to
be regretted that we have not a more detailed account of it,
for it was one of those runs which are so typical of the time
and country. For instance, it is a long stretch from Thorp-
arch to Deighton toll bar, and again from that place to
Tockwith. These long points make it difficult to measure
the run with any degree of accuracy, but in all probability
from thirty-five to forty miles would be covered. Our

SJSASONS i84i-i86g. 83

historian does not say anything about the roads being
convenient, but no horse could have carried a man all
through such a run without a bit of ease. It was in favour
of horses that hounds occasionally took a good ring, and that
there was consequently sometimes the chance of the inside
turn. It is not to be wondered at, however, that, in the
words of the historian, 'veterinary surgeons were in great
request in York on the following day.' In estimating this
run it must not be forgotten that not only did it take place
over the deepest and stiffest part of the Ainsty, but that, in
those days, the country was much more difficult to cross than
it is at present. There was a much greater percentage of
plough, and but little of the land was drained.

The next good run of which there remains a record took
place in November, 1849, in the Thursday country. The
account, which is taken from BelVs Life of November iith,
is only a meagre one, and I give it in full : —

' York and Ainsty Hounds.
' Mr. Editor. — These hounds had a good run on Thursday
' week. Met at Tewin (Scriven) Park, and on putting
' into Scotton Banks a fox slipped out, away to Rawson's
' Banks. It was not long before the hounds were on to
' liim, and away by .Scotton to the north of Brearton
' village. Here he turned towards Farnham Mires, to
' Walkingham Warren, thence by the Dark Walk at
' Copgrove to Loftus Hill. Here he turned back and
'made for Walkingham Warren, by Piel's house, having
' tried an earth there which he found stopped. At this
'time the hounds were not a hundred yards behind him,
' but a check occurred of two or three minutes, which
' allowed reynard to get as far as Burton village before
'the hounds ran into him. The pace throughout was
' good, with the exception of the check. The numerous
' by-lanes allowed a large field to be in at the death.
' After crossing a fox near Scriven Park, they tried
' Gateshill, which was blank, as also Loftus Hill. As
' the hounds had twenty miles to go home, they ceased

84 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT

'hunting about two o'clock. Old Danby, the huntsman,
' looked as fresh as ever, and I understand the new whip
'gives every satisfaction. Wishing good sport to these
' hounds, I am, yours, D.'

Another good run took place in the early part of the
following" year, this time in the Tuesday country. They
met at Askham Bogs on February 29th, and for a wonder
drew the Bogs blank, a fact which was commented on as
'astonishing.' Chaloner Whin, a covert which no longer
exists, was also drawn blank, as was Colton Hagg, and then
they trotted off to Pallethorpe Wood. Here they found, and
were soon away in the open, running hard for Copmanthorpe.
Leaving the village on the left, they pointed for Bishopthorpe,
which they skirted, and ran over the Archbishop's farm to
Knavesmire Wood. Hounds ran hard through the wood,
and pointed first for Askham Bogs, but swung round to
Knavesmire, across which they viewed their fox. They
pointed for York, but turning to the right they ran over
Scarcroft and crossed the Bishopthorpe lane, and ran into
their fox on Clementhorpe Ings, about fifty yards from the
river Ouse. The run occupied an hour and five minutes,
and was over a very heavy country, and it seems scarcely
necessary to add that very few were up at the finish. It
would be over a seven-mile point, so that the computed
distance of ten miles would not be far from being correct.
A run which finished in the same place now would cause
a strange commotion.

The season of 185 1-2 commenced with some good
cubbing. At Lylands, on October ist, they killed a brace,
though scent served them none too well. On the i8th they
had a good day at Ripley, and ten days later they had
another useful day, finding a good show of foxes in Steeton,
Pallethorpe and Nun Appleton, and getting blood after a lot
of hard work. In November they had some fair sport, but

SEASONS i84i-i86g. 85

nothing that calls for particular notice ; but they had some
very good days in December : —

'Tuesday, December 2nd. Red House. Found in Red House
' Wood, ran by Moor Monkton, over the Nidd and crossed
' back by Skip Bridge bar, back over Monkton Moor,
' and killed him near Red House Wood. Found in
' Askham Whin, ran by Angram, turned short back by
' Parker's, Grange Wood, Jolly's farm, Acomb vvater-
' works, Poppleton villa, along the water side to Poppleton,
' over the river to Skelton Spring, Overton Wood,
' Beningbrough, and over the water to Red House,
' where the hounds were stopped.'

' Tuesday, December 9th. Acaster. Found in Stub Wood,
'ran three fields and killed him. Tried Brocket Hagg,
' Found in Copmanthorpe Wood, ran to Brocket Hagg.
' WooUas, Brumber Wood, Appleton New Wood, Low
' Acaster, Rudding Green, Woollas, Colton Brecks, Cop-
' manthorpe road, and lost him near Bishopthorpe. Found
' in Colton Hagg, ran to the new whin, Bilbrough Hill,
' over Bilbrough Moor, Catterton Spring, and lost near
' Tadcaster.'

' Saturday, December 13th. Fairfield. Found at Fairfield, ran
' to Overton Wood and lost him. Tried Overton Wood
' and Skelton Spring. Found in Stockton Moor, ran by
' Wigginton and Haxby parallel with the high road to
' Haxby Whin, past the Scottish firs, over Suet Carrs,
' leaving St. John's Well on the left, and ran him to
' ground at ]\Ioxby. Forty-four minutes. Best pace
' without a check.'

They had a good day from Arkendale on the second of
March, finding plenty of foxes, and having a lot of hard
work with them ; their third fo.x, from Goldsborough Moor,
giving them a good deal of woodland work about Ribston
before they killed him in the river : —

'Saturday, March 13th. Goldsborough Hall. Found in
' Goldsborough Wood and stopped the hounds from a
' vixen. Found in Goldsborough Moor, ran to the wood,
L

86 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A IN STY HUNT.

' over the river to Scalliber, Ribston Spring, Ribston
' village, over the river to Ribston plantation, Sellcarrs,
' Cattal Grange, Old Thornville, Green Hammerton,
' Shipton Rash, Thorp Woods, almost to Nun Monkton,
' turned back along the river side to Skip Bridge, over
' the river to Skip Bridge inn, back over the river and
' along the bank nearly to Skip Bridge, where they
' crossed again and killed him behind Skip Bridge bar.
' Good hunting run.'

There is nothing more of any importance found in the
diaries for this season, but in the following one, which was
Mr. Bateman's last season as master, they made a capital
start amongst the cubs, finding plenty of litters at Ribston,
Lylands, Brafferton, Scotton and Nun Appleton. November
passed by without much incident, but they had a good day
late in the year, and a rather curious incident in connection
with the second run : —

' Thursday, December 30th. Askham Bogs. Found in Askham
' Bogs, ran to Jolly's farm, and to Hessay Whin, a short
' ring by Rufforth, and killed him at Hessay. Forty
' minutes. Tried Colton Hagg, found in Stub Wood,
'ran by Brocket Hagg and to Appleton, where the fox
' was caught in a snare.'

'Tuesday, January i8th. Street Houses. Found in Steeton
'Whin, ran to Oxton, along the river to Hornington,
' Pallethorpe, Steeton, and to ground at Oxton. Tried
' Steeton Whin again and Colton Hagg. Went after a
' fox that was viewed near Colton, and to Steeton Hall,
' Brumber Hill, Pallethorpe, Steeton Whin, over the road
' to Catterton Spring, up to Tadcaster, turned short back
' almost to Shire Oaks, Catterton Whin, Catterton, over
' Bilbrough Moor, Hill, Colton, Pickering, Pallethorpe,
' Oxton, through Pallethorpe, Steeton Whin, and lost
'near Bilbrough Hall. Very hard day.'

The last day of Mr. Bateman's mastership of which I
can find an account was on April 12th. The fixture was
Sessay Wood ; and they drew Sessay Wood, Fawdington

SEASONS 1841-1869. 87

Moor, Brafferton Sprino-, Pilmoor, Aldwark Wood and the
Linton coverts without finding- ; this being one of the very
few blank days of which I find a record in ' the good old
times.'

Sufficient has been said to show that Mr. Bateman
showed excellent sport during the years that he ruled over
the destinies of the country. At the end of this season he
retired, and Sir Charles Slingsby assumed the reins of office.

The retirement of Mr. Bateman, and the succession of
Sir Charles Slingsby, brought about other changes. Sir
Charles, who had had considerable experience with a pack
of harriers, with which he had shown excellent sport, was
anxious to hunt the hounds himself, and Will Danby was
getting advanced in years, and a four-days-a-w^eek country
was almost too much for him. So when Mr. Bateman
retired, he retired also, and the members of the hunt showed
their appreciation of his long and valuable services by giving
him a handsome testimonial. Danby went to live at Acomb,
but he was soon in harness again. Mr. Wilkinson, the master
of the Hurworth, was in want of a huntsman, and to him
Danby went, and he was kennel-huntsman during the early
part of the time that Mr. Parrington hunted that pack.

The time was now come that the old kennels at Knaves-
mire Gate would no longer answer the requirements of the
hunt, and the growth of the city in this direction made it
desirable that they should be moved farther afield. So a
lease was secured of the present kennels at Acomb, and
commodious kennels were erected, which were subsequently
added to and improved by Colonel Fairfax and Mr. Lycett
Green.

Larger kennels were required by Sir Charles, for he was
an enthusiastic hound breeder, and a very successful one to
boot. He at once set about importing new blood into the
pack, and from his first season he bred largely. The

88 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSIY HUNT.

consequence was that he soon got effected a considerable
improvement in the pack, for, as all hound breeders know,
it is only by breeding largely that the standard of excellence
can be raised, or if once raised, be retained.

As a huntsman Sir Charles had few equals and no
superiors. He was patient and persevering, and would
never leave a fox if a hound could own a line. Lifting
hounds was a practice which he never resorted to save in
the direst necessity, and as he trusted his hounds implicitly,
they trusted him ; and the result was that he soon had a
close hunting and killing pack of hounds, who rendered a
good account of themselves over the ploughs which prevailed
in the York and Ainsty country in Sir Charles Slingsby's day.

Few huntsmen have such an influence over hounds as
Sir Charles had. He spent a great deal of time amongst
them in summer as well as in the hunting- season, and he
had a peculiar falsetto note on his horn which they would
fly to whatever they might be doing, even if they were
running another fox hard at the time. And if Sir Charles
was a good huntsman, he was also a good master, and an
adept at keeping a large and hard-riding field in order. He
was not a man of many words, and a few very mild words
of remonstrance were sufficient to bring the unruly to order.
It is told of him that, on one occasion, a hard-riding gentle-
man jumped in amongst the pack, and somehow came to
grief, — in plain English he 'cut a voluntary.' Sir Charles
merely remarked, ' I am very glad,' and took no further
notice of the incident.

On another occasion hounds had come to a check, and
there was an open gateway just in front of them. Sir Charles
was casting his hounds, when up came Mr. Edward Robinson
full gallop through the gateway amongst them. 'Would you
believe it.'*' remarked Sir Charles, quietly, 'that man has
been hunting all his life.' On another occasion he offered

SEASONS i84i-i86c>. 89

an officious stranger his horn, remarking that there could
not be two huntsmen.

He was a very fine horseman, and with his own hounds
was a very hard man, always with them, and ready for any
emergency ; but when he was hunting with other packs he
scarcely rode so hard. As a gentleman jockey he had a fair
measure of success at local meetings, and often rode in the
Thirsk Hunt Cup and similar races. He steered his own
horse. Egg Sauce, to victory in the Thirsk Hunt Cup in
1859, and it is needless to say that it was a popular victory
in every sense of the word. Two years later, on Mousetrap,
he was second to Sir George Strickland's Lady Bird, who
was ridden by Mr. Thompson, and who only won by a length.

In those days the Thirsk Hunt Cup was an important
event ; indeed, it was well nigh the most important event of
the meeting, and it shows what was the class of horses that
ran in it when Sir Charles hunted hounds on Egg Sauce
and Mousetrap. They were hunters in the best sense of
the word that took part in such races in those days, and it
is much to be regretted that races on similar lines cannot
be run now. It is, however, impossible to revive these hunt
races, as someone would be sure to farm them with a cast-off
racehorse.

Sir Charles soon began to show good sport, and within
a week of the commencement of the regular hunting season
he had a splendid run in the Monday country, of which the
following is an account : —

'November 7th, 1853. Met at Aldwark Bridge, A very thick
' morning, but cleared away about eleven o'clock. Trotted
' away to Aldwark Wood, drew it blank, went on for the covert
' where a fox of the right sort was unkenelled, who went
' away with hounds at his brush for Linton village, left
' it on the right, turned short to the left for Linton Spring,
'which he skirted, then through Linton Whin and Linton
' Ings, turned short to the right over ToUerton brook.

90 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

'left ToUerton village on the left, went away over the
' York and Easingwold road pointing for New Parks,
' turned to the left, away up to Spring Wood, through
' which he ran, and they pulled him down in the next
' field, after as quick a thing as has been seen, without
' a check. Time, thirty-five minutes. Distance from point
' to point, about six miles and a half. Amongst the
' number that went well was the gallant master. Sir
' Charles Slingsby. This is his first season as master
' of these hounds, and he led the van throughout. Mr.
' Bateman, j\Ir. Robinson, Sir Warwick Moyser, Mr. Brown,
' Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Batty, the huntsman, William Orvis,
' who is thoroughly up to his work and a very quick
' hand over a country, and rides well to his hounds,
' followed. The two whips, Shepherd and Boxhall, came
' next, the rest of the field widely scattered.'

Other good runs during Sir Charles Shngsby's first
season are taken from Mr. York's diary : —

'Thursday, November loth. Skip Bridge. Tried Widdington
' and Nun Monkton and Thorp Woods, Shipton Rash
' and Thorp Green. Found at Kirby Hall and lost him.
' Tried Lylands. Found in Shepherd's Wood, ran by
' Lylands, Broadfield, Little Ouseburn, Thorp Green,
' Shipton Rash, and down to Widdington Wood, where
' we ran till dark, but could not get hold of the fox.'

' Thursday, February gth. Providence Green. Tried all the
' Cattal coverts. Found in Ribston plantation, ran to
' Langshaw, Flaxby, Hopperton, almost to Whixley, back
' to Hopperton and to ground opposite the house at
'Allerton. Dug and killed him. Found in Flaxby
' plantation, ran to Goldsborough Moor, Langshaw,
' Ribston Park, Walshford, Hunsingore, back over Walsh-
' ford Bridge, Matson's, Geldart's coverts, Ingmanthorpe
' Whin, Sandbeck Wood, and stopped the hounds near
' Swinnow.'

'Tuesday, February 21st. Red House. Tried Red House
'Wood and Hessay Whin. Found in Grange Wood,
' ran to Rufforth and lost him. Found in .Swann's Whin,
' ran to Grange Wood and lost him. Found in Askham

SEASONS 1841-1869. 91

' Bogs, ran hy the two Askhams, Swann's Whin, Angram,
' Hutton Hall, Hutton Thorns, and killed him in the open
' field at Hessay Moor side. Very good day.'

' Thursday, February 23rd. Farnham. Tried Lofthouse Hill
' Whin and Farnham Mires. Found in Preston bottoms,
' ran by Farnham, Gibbets, Ferrensby, Lofthouse Hill,
' Arkendale, crossed the North road near Nineveh, Marton
■■ and Grafton, leaving Lylands on the right, and killed
' him in the open field between Whixley and Broadfield.
' Two hours. Very good hunting run.'

Unfortunately Sir Charles did not keep a hunting diary
of any kind, and record of the sport which he showed during
the next few seasons is very scanty. Indeed, from 1853 to
1859 I have been able to find no record of runs, though
there is no doubt that during the period many good runs
took place.

The next run I have to record took place in the early
part of 1859, an account of it appearing in The Field for
March 5th of that year. The writer, however, has been too
eager to tell us of a conversation with an imaginary Major
Bostock, and to treat of a great deal more irrelevant matter,
to remember to tell us the exact date. The fixture was Pilmoor,
whence Sir Charles at once proceeded to Sessay Wood.
Here they found at once, and in a short time they had their
fox in the open, and Sir Charles had the pack on his line.
They were running top pace as they crossed the Sun Beck,
which, as it usually does in these later days, held a gentleman
and his horse. First they ran to Thormanby, and crossed
the grass bottoms at a racing pace. The railway bridge
saved a good few falls in the Thormanby Beck. They rose
the hill to Carlton Husthwaite, whence they turned a little
to the right, and ran by Angram and Thornton into Newburgh
Park. Here the pace slackened considerably, but hounds
still stuck to their fox, hunting him over a very rough country
to Gilling Park, where they rolled him over not far from the

92 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

Temple. Time, one hour and twenty minutes. This run,
the writer of the narrative says, was the run of the season,
and it was certainly good enouoh to be the run of any
season, if the distance, pace, and variety of country crossed
are considered. Such being the case, it is a pity that the
writer did not take pains to give us a more detailed account
of the run, instead of interlarding his brief account with
' Major Bostock,' and a whole string of superfluous exclama-
tions, such as ' Yoicks ! ' ' Tallyho ! ' It should be remarked
that the morning when this fine run took place was mild and
springlike, and the ground was very dry.

The next run of which I have any account comes from
the same pen, and curiously enough it took place in the
same country. I give the account verbatim : —

'The York and Ainsty met on the 7th (January 7th, i860)
' at Sessay Station. A more unpropitious morning never
' dawned for hunting. If your readers will remember
' that last year when I penned you a run, I prefaced it
' by saying everyone voted " the day more fitted for
' primrosing than hunting." I am sure everyone said
'the 7th was more fitted for skating or arctic voyagers.
' No York men came to the scratch. For two hours we
' cooled our heels at Sessay Station, when Sir Charles —
' pluck to the backbone — at noon determined to throw
' his hounds into Sessay Spring. The bound in was
' electrifying, a joyous sound increasing in the clear air,
' a whimper, and then a full chorus. Away we go, never
' heeding danger, though it was a case of hammering the
'hard fields — a lady on a clipped dun to the fore, shaming
' the pink-coated masculines, who held reins already
' and said " Oh, it was too hard." Away to Thirkleby.
' Here he turned to Carlton, thence to Thornton, and by
' Newburgh Park to Gilling Castle and back to Gilling
' Wood, and we ran him to ground under the temple of
' this well-known wood. Up to Newburgh Park from
' Sessay Spring the distance was twelve miles. Time :
' one hour and three minutes, after a good old-fashioned
' run. Twelve miles in an hour and three minutes, in

SEASO^rS 1S41 - T86g. 93

' a very severe frost, and without a single casualty, is a
' feat almost unparalleled in hunting. Though many
' availed themselves of the excuse of danger and went
' home, too early by far for British volunteers, many
' called for their second horses in vain during the run ;
' the pace was too quick. That week was good for
' scent, for the York had a clipper from Whixley and
' the Bedale from Bamlett's Whin. — Eboracum.'

' Eboracum,' whose style is not so Horicl as in his earHer
letter, still shows that he is not a keen observer. For
instance, he says that after cooling their heels for tivo hours,
Sir Charles threw off at noon. Now hounds met in those
days at 10 30 a.m., so that they only waited an hour and a
half. From Sessay Wood to Gilling is a ten-mile point, and
the run was undoubtedly a fine one. It would probably be
about twelve or thirteen miles as hounds ran, and the pace
seems to have been something like that in the famous
Melbourne run of later years. With the going as it was,
there seems no reason to dispute the time.

Sir Charles Slingsby, like other masters of hounds, had
his own troubles, and there were some grumblers amongst
his supporters. These seem to have been amongst those
who lived in York, or close by, men who complained that
so many of the fixtures were made far away from them.
The complaint appeared in the public prints, but there seems
to have been nothing more about it ; and it is only an
instance of how difficult it is to make the rank and file of
hunting men understand that a master of hounds has to hunt
his country according to the circumstances which prevail at
the time.

Again there is a period of a couple of years without
record, and then our friend ' Eboracum ' takes up his parable
again. As there are several items of interest in his account,
I give part of it verbatim : —

M

94 HISTORY OF 7 HE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

'The York and Ainsty.

' I generally, year by year, give you a good run with the ould
' York and Ainsty, and their heaven-born huntsman. Sir
' Charles ; and though I wish it otherwise, because my
'enemies cry out that "it is all partiality, favour, and
' affection," it must needs be from Pilmoor. The morning
'of Saturday last broke a rare scenting one, — "a southerly
' wind and a cloudy sky " with a vengeance, for a heavy
' curtain of mist seemed to enshroud all things. We had
' a fair sprinkling of all colours, pinks, blacks, and all hues.
' The meet was at Thirkleby Park, the seat of Lady Frank-
' land Russell. Few better sportsmen than the late Sir
' Robert ever rode to hounds in Leicestershire, " when
* George the Third was king." His apt pencil has pourtrayed
' those scenes in the well-known sketches published. His
' widow, I believe, is as anxious as ever tyro first fledged
' with the Pytchley was to show sport, but yet it is a
' curious coincidence that though plenty of foxes are tally-
' hoed away at the beginning of the season, there are none
' at the end. It is no fault of her son-in-law, Sir William
' Galwey, the respected member for Thirsk, who has the
' shooting, for he has a plentiful supply of old Caesars at
' Brafferton Spring Wood, which is the piece dc resistance
' for all these parts. However, Thirkleby was blank, and
' so was Lady Down's plantation, called, I believe. Spring
' Wood, and the field looked blank, for many had come a
' long mile to do honour to this once-famed meet.'

But this is quite enough of 'Eboracum,' whose high-
falutin nonsense, erratic English, and plentiful repetition of
holloas (there are some seventeen of them in about as many
lines), make very sorry reading. They found a fox in Sessay
Wood, and after running a couple of rings round it, they
were out in the open with the fox, according to ' Eboracum,'
five minutes ahead, a statement which requires to be taken
cum graiw sails. But which way the fox took at first it is
impossible to say. ' Eboracum ' devotes that part of the
space allotted to him to hyperbole instead of to history, and
the first place we are landed at is Thirkleby Beck. Then

SEASONS 1S41 - iS6g. 95

they crossed some badly-drained land, ' narrowly escaping
some infernal wire fencing', and ran by the hall and across
Thirkleby Park, pointing for Hood Hill. Thence they turned
left handed by Bagby, and crossed the Felix church road,
pointing for Upsall Whin, and ran into their fox at Butter-
combe plantation.

This was a good run, and ' Eboracum' seems certainly to
have been lucky with the sport he saw from Pilmoor and
Sessay. No time is given, but it is a far cry from Sessay
Wood to Upsall. It will be about a nine-mile point, and
the line is a very stiff one, so that it is easy to imagine that
there would be a squandered field.

This same season of 1861-62 was a remarkably good
one, perhaps one of the best that Sir Charles had. It seems
to have been a good scenting season all over, and the
following account of the last day but one of the season
shows that the York and Ainsty had their share of its good
things : —

' The York and Ainsty.
' These hounds have had what may be termed a brilliant season.
' Sir Charles Slingsby, the master, hunts them himself, to
'the admiration and satisfaction of all who follow him.
' His urbanity in the field to both high and low has become
' a household word through the part of the county he hunts.
' His men are civil to all, and persevering beyond all praise,
' and do their utmost to show sport. Of the hounds I need
' only say they have killed about forty brace of foxes,
' besides running many to ground. On the Thursday (the
'last day but one of the season), they met at Burnt Gates,
' a few miles west of Ripley. The weather was thick and
' hazy, and the surrounding hills were covered with snow.
' Drew all the coverts in that district blank. Trotted down
' to Farnham Mires, two miles east of Ripley. On the
' shortest notice found reynard at home. Went away with
' a burning scent in a northerly direction for that far-famed
' covert, Walkingham Warren. (En passant, allow us to
' say a word or two of it, as well as of its worthy proprietor,

96 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A IN STY HUNT.

James Brown, Esq., M.P., Copgrove. As a country gentle-
man, landlord, and a preserver of foxes, he is one of the
ornaments of his class ; and this covert has been drawn
eigliteen times during the season, and al'ivays held ofje or more
foxes.) From Walkingham Warren, reynard being hardly
pressed, broke away to the west in a direction for South
Stainley, but being headed, doubled, ran eastward via
Copgrove, bearing for Staveley; skirted Staveley Carrs,
and made for the river Ure opposite Newby Hall ; finding
it much swollen, he bent east towards Boroughbridge,
rather slow over the heavy fallows, but scent good, and
onward they pursued him ; the Boroughbridge road was
crossed near Roecliffe, where there is more grass land.
Those who had any steam left in their horses were obliged
to put it on, for the pace was increased, and Fallacy,
heading the lady pack a few lengtlis, drove the varmint
before her at railway speed. Oh, Fallacy, Fallacy ! what
a libel is thy name, for never hound ran more true to the
line of a fox ! On nearing Copgrove, and in view of those
who were forward, for nearly a mile Fallacy coursing poor
reynard like a greyhound within a yard of his brush, fore-
told his speedy death. Within a mile of the place from
whence he came, he was pulled down in the centre of a
large field of wheat. The baronet and his men were
where they alwavs are at the finish. The field were also
well up, including a certain "fair ladye" who graces the
Thursday meets, and whose management of her noble
steed is the admiration of those who have the opportunity
of seeing her. Time, one hour and twenty minutes, almost
without check. Distance, eleven to twelve miles, and
ground very heavy '

It is to be regretted that this correspondent, who does
not give his name did not take the trouble to preserve some
more records of this fine season. The run which he relates
was a fine one for the time of year, or for the matter of that,
for any time ; for though it was a ring, it was a very wide
one, and over a fine and varied country.

Of the following season there is no account worth
naming, and of the sport little remains on record ; but they

SEASONS i84i-iS6g. 97

had one day in the early part ot the season when mishaps
were extremely plentiful, even in the York and Ainsty country,
which generally has its share of them.

They met at Skelton on November 17th, the morning
very frosty and the ground very hard. It is stated that
during the day a brace of foxes was found, but that there
was little done with them. The Hon. Captain Lawley got
a very serious fall, and had so bad a concussion that he had
to be removed to Mr. H.S.Thompson's house. His brother,
Lord Wenlock, also got a very nasty fall, his horse treading
on him in the scramble, and inflicting a nasty wound on his
neck and a laceration on the flap of the ear. He, however,
was able to get up and go on again. Mrs. Walker, of
Hawkhills, also took a fall, but was little the worse. Then
two gallant officers of the loth, Mr. Fife and Mr. Ponsonby,
came down, the former twice, and the latter three times, but
were happily not much worse. Major Wombwell was
also amono-st those who came to orief but he sustained no
injury beyond the shaking. Altogether it was a day of
disaster, and it may be remarked that such days are not
quite unknown in the country in the present day.

Then comes a hiatus in the history of the hunt, and
but little remains of an interesting time, when the country
was well stocked with stout foxes, and when sport was of
the best. We are indebted to Colonel Meysey-Thompson
for preserving two or three incidents which took place
between the season of 1862-63 and Sir Charles Slingsby's
last season. One anecdote of the curious loss of a fox
near Sheriff Hutton shows what a fox will submit to when
thoroughly exhausted. They had run a fox hard from
Stillington to Sheriff Hutton, and they lost him mysteriously
in a road, out of which there are some very high banks,
and they could never hit off the line again. Nor was it
likely that they would do so, for all the time the fox was

98 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

snugly resting in a travelling tinker's bag, that worthy having
caught him as he was climbing the bank out of the road.
I may add that this is not the only instance of a fox being-
handled in this manner, as Mr. John Andrew, the first
master of the Cleveland Hounds, relates in his diary, how,
after a very hard run, a member of his hunt got off his
horse and took the fox up, presumably for another day.

During this period the Whixley fox used to show them
a lot of sport, and at the same place he beat them for three
years in succession. They found him in various places, for
a good old fox by no means always frequents the same
quarters ; but wherever they found him, to Whixley Park
he took them, and at Whixley Park he beat them. One can
almost imagine a clever 'old customer' like this enjoying
being hunted. But like many another hero of history, from
Csesar and Napoleon downwards, he played the game once
too often, — his secret was found out, and he was killed.
What he did was this. He jumped the wall into Whixley
Park, and ran through a little drain that ran under the wall
and into the road. Then, crossing the road, he went into
the middle of a field which is behind Whixley Manor House.
He then slipped back to the wall which surrounds the
grounds at the Manor House, and ran along side it to the
flagged footpath between the Manor House and the church-
yard. This flagged footpath was handy, and was, of course,
utilised by the fox, who returned to the little drain under
Whixley Park wall, a drain just large enough to hold him.
Of course, hounds ran him into the middle of the field, and
then checked. A forward cast to Thorpe Green was naturally
the first cast to make, and by the time that that was un-
successful, there was little chance of hitting off his line
backward on account oi the steaming horses. It may be
said, how was it that he was never seen on the footpath ?
He was seen, and his secret was known by many, but it was

SEASONS i84i'i86g. 99

never divulged till his end came. And his end came by a
hound or two dropping on to his hiding place, as it were,
almost by accident.

Another fox which gave them many a good run was the
famous white fox. He was a native of Thorpe Green, and
was one of a litter which were all well marked with white.
This one, however, appeared to be quite white, and
Sir Charles tried to save him, as some gentlemen try to
save an odd white pheasant which has got into their
preserves, and would never hunt him if he could help it.
But one day the end came. They found him at Lylands,
and ran with a breast-high scent by the Moor Farm, and
over the Moor lane and past Grass Gills, leaving High
Dunsforth to the right, and down to Aldwark Bridge, and
into Hawthorn Bank, where they killed him. It was not
till Sir Charles got to them that he knew it was the white
fox he had been running, as he was never viewed in the run.

There was a white fox, or nearly a white one, some
years ago in the Cleveland country, which showed a lot of
sport, and which was finally killed at Carlton Grove, after
a very good run from Eston Lighthouse. Mr. Priestman,
too, the master of the Braes of Derwent, had a very curious
coloured fox a year or two ago. It was most like a sandy
tortoise-shell cat in its markings. The rest of the litter
were all of the normal colour. This was a vixen, and
Mr. Priestman was in hopes of getting a litter from her,
but unfortunately she died.

Colonel Meysey-Thompson tells us that Sir Charles
always considered a run from Red House, in which hounds
went right away from their field and killed in the park at
Nun Appleton, as the best run he ever had during his
mastership It is a capital point, and over some of the
best country in the Ainsty, and it is a pity that there is
no accurate account of it extant.

lOo HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

Nothing remains now but for me to tell what is known
of Sir Charles Slingsby's last season, — the season of 1868-
69, — which was fraught with such tragic consequences. Of
the latter part of this season there is a plentiful record, for
the Special Commissioner of the Field paid a visit to the
country in the fore part of the year 1869, and has left a
very interesting account of his experiences. These I am
enabled to give through the courtesy of the editor : —

'The York and Ainsty Hounds and Country, by "Cecil."

' . . . . On Wednesday night the county ball was held, and the
' attendance was large. The following morning the hounds
' met at Acaster, which is about four miles from York, and
' although the rain fell copiously all the day, there was an
'extensive muster, including Lord Wenlock, Lord Downe,
' Sir Lionel Pilkington, Sir Georg'e Wombwell, Mr. George
' Lane Fox, Mr. Read, Mr. Johnstone, and very many others.
' Stub Wood held a fox, but the hounds did not get away
'on good terms with him. They then ran nearly to Nun
' Appleton, from thence in the direction of Copmanthorpe,
'when he turned pointing for Askham Bogs, which, how-
' ever, he did not enter, but making his way back towards
' Copmanthorpe, after running upwards of two hours, they
' killed him in the open.'

' The York and Ainsty' in the Field.
' It may be fairly c^uestioned whether the man who sticks to
' one particular pack, knows each hound in it, can trace
' each one's ancestry, and has a mental catalogue t)f their
' good and bad deeds, — or he who ranges from pack to pack,
' from country to country, noting the different styles and
' characters of hunting that are brought into play by various
' accidental circumstances, — most enjoys the pleasure of the
' chase. There is much to be said on both sides; but giving
' the stay-at-homes every credit for loyalty to their pack
' and their country, I must confess that the Bohemian
' element is sb strong in my nature, that continually finding
' in the same coverts, running- over the same country (were
' it the finest in the world), and jumping the same fences,
' would, in time, begin to pall.

SEASONS 1S41 - /S6i;. iot

' Entertaining these notions, it will readily be understood
that a tour on unknown ground, and hunting with strange
packs, known to me only by the fame they have acquired,
would be to me perhaps the next best thing to receiving
a handsome legacy. I confess it was with high antici-
pations of pleasure that, at the commencement of the
present week, I found myself at York, with the prospect
of a campaign amongst the neighbouring packs. At the
same time I cannot help expressing my surprise that, in
a town like York, where hounds can be reached nearly
every day in the week, there should be so little horse
accommodation for strangers. In nearly all hunting
countries decent mounts are to be obtained, and though
not valuable ones, still fair rideable hunters are let. As
far as my own experience goes, and from all I can hear,
an influx of half a dozen strangers would take up every
nag that is here to be procured ; and as to cjuality, perhaps
the less we say about them the better. I speak feelingly,
from being obliged to meet Sir Charles Slingsby at Blue
Bridge on Monday last, on an animal that, I am certain,
though let as a hunter, would not have kept within hail of
the pack half a dozen fields over that country if there was
anything of a scent. She was, however, equal, as it
proved, to the occasion. But let all intending visitors
take my advice, and not trust to York for finding them in
horseflesh. Monday opened damp and mild, with very
little air and less sun — quite like a hunting morning, in
fact — and long ere breakfast was over, the sight of horses
passing Marker's on their road to covert would have told
even the uninitiated that such it really was. Half an hour
later the occasional glimpses of pink, as the wearers
crossed the road, quieted all doubt as to the finding the
way to covert, and many miles of the road had not been
traversed ere I found myself in pleasant chat with one
or two others bound for the fixture. Our road lay by
Rawcliffe and Fairfield, which we passed not without
a thought of sorrow that the late owner, who so gallantly
held his own in this very country on the big jumping
Barney by Barnton, was even then awaiting his last sad
journey. Brighter thoughts, however, resumed theii
swav when Mr. G. Thompson came cantering up, and,

102

HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A IX STY HUNT.

' turning his thorough-bred out of the road over a bit
' of timber, did some very useful schooling on him for
' a field or two ; then we reached Blue Bridge, on each
' side of which the brook was so flooded and swollen
'as to quite counteract any idea of facing water for that
' day at least, unless boats were called into requisition.

' The meet was rather select than large, most present
•being well mounted — all of course strangers to me; so,
' until I have had a little more time in the country, I
' will not pretend to give the names of those present.
'In a field just off the road sat Sir C. Slingsby with
'the dog pack round him, and wonderfullv well I thought
' they looked. We were not, however, indulged with a
'long view, as the handsome bay he rode was quickly
' put in motion, and we trotted away to New Park coverts,
' a fine wild-looking string of woods. Anything more
' foxy in appearance I have not seen for a long time,
' but we drew through a great extent of them in vain.
' Not a whimper was heard, nor the slightest sign of a
' drag. On from covert to covert we went, through the
' wpt heavv clays of this the roughest of the York and
' Ainstv country, still unsuccessful. Occasionallv crossing
' a field or two, where a little jumping could not be
' avoided, was our only amusement, and one or two
'scrambles enlivened us, and in no wise hurt those who
' performed. When, however, we trotted away to Sutton
' Park, Mr. Christopher .Sykes was near meeting with a
' ba 1 accident in the road, as a drain gave way under
' his horse and brought him down — a very nasty tumble
' indeed, and it was lucky no mischief ensued. All the
'plantations in the park were drawn blank, and then we
' made our way over a very fine piece of country to
' Stillington, and drew the woods there with as little
' success as before ; beyond this Sir G. Wombwell told
' me the country is still better, and carries a good scent
' right away to the hills. It really is a pity that foxes
' are not more plentiful in it. The farmers are said to
'be well inclined to hunting, and capital fellows; and
' Mr. Batty, one of the staunchest of them, was with
' us. He was riding a wonderfully good-looking chestnut,
' with a great appearance of blood about the fore

SEASOAS 1841- I S6(). 103

' quarters, and a back short enough and limbs good
' enough to carry any weight ; but a weedy one would
' not go far under Mr. Batty.

' After Mr. Walker's coverts had also been drawn
' blank, a tremendous storm forced us all to take shelter
' under his hospitable roof, and as the day was wearing
' late, many turned their horses' heads for home as soon
' as the weather gave them an opportunity. Sir Charles,
'however, persevered, and though 8 to i had been offered
' in the field against finding, stood the friend of the
'taker by getting on a fox in Oldham Wood, and running
' him about twenty minutes. Scent proved very bad
'however, and night and darkness coming on, they had
' to give him up. This is, I hear, the second time that
'part of the country has been drawn unsuccessfullv,
' though the pack have not actually had a blank day
' for seven seasons. It is a great pity foxes are so scarce
' here, as it is open and wild, thinly inhabited, and there
' appears very little to turn a fox from his line ; it is
' said also to carry a capital scent. There can be no
' doubt that at the present moment there is unusual
' difficulty in finding, from foxes lying so much out in
' fields, drains, and hedges ; still they must be very
' scarce for such an extent of country to be drawn blank.

'Tuesday saw us at Copmanthorpe, with a much better
' prospect of a find, for the celebrated Askham Bogs hold an
' apparently unlimited supply, though, strange to say, cubs
' are never bred there. A main earth within a short distance
' however keeps up the supply, and as soon as the corn
' is cut the}^ betake themselves to its shelter. This is a
'large covert, principally of Ijirch wood, nearly two
' hundred acres in extent, long- and narrow, and not at
' the present time just the best in the world to get away
'from, owing to a causeway through it being out of repair
' and impassable. You are sure of a large and good field
' at Copmanthorpe, as the Tuesdays in the Ainsty country
' have become quite a proverb ; and week after week has
' shown such a succession of brilliant things, that no one
' who hunts at all thinks of missing them. Tuesday last,
' though cold and rainy, with every appearance of a regular
' walking day, was no exception. Amongst a field

104 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

'numbering 150 at the least, I was enabled to make
'out the following: — Mr. G. Lane Fox (Master of the
' Bramham Moor), Hon. Egremont Lascelles, Lord Nevill,
' Col. Thompson, Mr. Bateman, Lord Wenlock, Major
'Preston, Aliss Eveline Milner (who goes in magnificent
'style), Mr. W. Craik, Mr. Robinson (a v-ery hard one),
' J\Ir. E. Lloyd, Mr. Fenwick, Sir G. and Lady Wonibwell,
' Capt. Oliver, Capt. Gunter, Capt. Irving, and several
'officers of the 15th Hussars, now quartered at York.

' Our first move was, of course, to Askham Bogs, but
' the water was so much out that it proved nearly
' impossible for hounds to draw the covert, and only a
' portion was tried. Just as Sir Charles had got the
'pack out and was leaving, there was a 'holloa away'
'on the other side; but if the hounds had gone to it,
' in all probability no one could have got to them. It
' was, with some little hesitation, disregarded, and a long
' trot brought us to Copton Gorse.^ Here we heard that
' a single hound had brought away a fo.K from the Bogs,
' and was running him beautifully in the direction of
' the kennels, and that was the cause of the holloa.
' Copton Gorse was nearly drawn through, when ' gone
'away' was the cry, a fox breaking in the direction
' from which we had come — men, as usual, when they
' can do so, scarcely waiting for the hounds, but getting
'forward on the line. Little time was lost, however,
' ere the ladies were streaming away from covert, and
' over a grass field or two they seemed as though they
' meant running. When they got on plough the scent
' proved scarcely a holding one, and horses being fresh
' and men anxious, gave them but little room. Having
'worked him up to the turnpike road to York, near
' Simson's Cross — which was wonderfully patronised, and
' as full as it could liold of horsemen, who had
' got forward up the lanes, as well as carriages — •
' they came to a check, and Sir Charles, judging rightly
' that he was headed, made a wide cast back towards
' Copmanthorpe, and again got on the line of his fox,
' who had gone to the right of that place. Still continuing
' on the right, they now hunted prettily to Brees" Farm —

(0 ? Colton. (2) 'i Breek's.

SEASONS iS4f - iSSg. 105

a noted breeding place — and from thence turned over
the railway, where the hounds were with some little
difficulty stopped to avoid a passing train. No damage
was done, however, and once across the}^ settled down
to hunt, picking the line out inch by inch across a very
nice country, and one that would take a little doing
when the pace was strong. Thus, sometimes hunting,
at others held forward quietly on the line, they made
it out to Appleton Mill, working beautifully, and their
huntsman displaying great patience. Besides want of
scent, not a few difficulties in the shape of sheep and
cattle beset them, and the slightest wildness would have
been fatal. From the Mill they worked in the same
style to Nun Appleton, and when the grass land of
the park was reached, set to and ran as though they
meant killing. The fox, however, who could not go
ahead from the water being so much out, dodged
backwards and forwards through the hedges and planta-
tions, and at last contrived to beat them after a hunting
run of some duration, never going very fast, but displaying
the working powers of the pack to perfection. All agreed
that the land was so wet, and with so much surface water
about from the drains and ditches being full and unable
to carry it off, that there was little chance of sport until
we had a few dry days.

' Many went home at this point, the rest crossed the
river, which was literally over the bridge, and saw the
coverts and plantations about the park drawn blank.
" Where do we go next r " was the query. " Stubb Wood "
"And then?" "Home, if we don't find; and it is an
even chance against it, as the place has been so much
disturbed lately." "There will be no scent if we should
find ; but it is as well to go on, and see what they do."
A lucky resolve. .Scarcely were they over the boundary
ere a hound spoke, then another, then a chorus that made
the trees rattle again. "Good scent in covert," remarks
one. "There is a chance yet," says a lady who is ever in
the first flight, and everybody is on the look out for a
view. " By Jove, they are away ! " is the simultaneous
exclamation, as the bitches swing out of covert without
a word, and mute as a dream, race across the pasture.

A.

io6 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A/XSTY HUNT.

'The fox had broken within two hundred yards of us, and
'not a soul saw him. There is no mistake about it this
' time. Those who know they have blood and condition fit
'to cross land up to their knees and hocks, take hold of
' their nags and go straight at the boundary fence, a rough
' hedge and wide drain on the landing side. Those who
' doubt their capability (much the larger portion, by the
' way), make for the gate in the corner, and race up a field
' road that would be called heavy going in any other
' country. There is a line of gates, but no time to open
' them, for not a hound has spoken, and they are streaming
'away as though tied to their fox, so there is nothing for it
' but to pull out on 'the land, and charge the fences by the
' side. A man on a chestnut wants the fence, his mare
' prefers the gate, so they compromise the matter by taking
' the post in their stride, luckily without a spill. By Brocket
' Hagg we speed, the pace still faster and faster. The fences
' don't look very large, but, unaccountably, men come down
' at them, and falls are as plentiful as blackberries in
'autumn. Riding to the hounds — except for a very few of
'the best mounted — is out of the question. Every one
' takes the firmest line he can find, and those who attempt
' to cross wheat land are lucky if they can raise a trot.
' Copmanthorpe Wood is reached, passed, and on to Colton
' Hagg they sail, luckily hanging there a little — a very
' little — but just enough to let a few, who could not quite
' live in the first flight, get with them again. It was said
' afterwards they here divided, another fox being seen, and
' despite our drawing it in the morning, I am inclined to
' think so, for it appeared a short pack came away. Out
' they are, however, and pointing as though he meant
' Askham Bogs ; but, like the first fox, he is headed, and
' turns to the right for Copmanthorpe, down a green lane,
' which even the best are glad to take advantage of A
'moment they waver; but ere the horses are pulled from
' their stride, three couple top the fence, drop their sterns,
' and are racing once more for Copmanthorpe Wood. A
' green lane luckily again serves us for a few hundred
' yards, and a loose horse or two are to be seen amongst
' the division that will ride the direct line. One horse,
' unable to get his forelegs out of the deep ground, comes

SEASONS T84T-i86g. 107

' down in galloping, and gives his rider an awful crasher.
' At Copmanthorpe Wood our fox dares not linger, but with
' the pace still as hot as ever, they press him towards the
' railway, on which everyone is glad to get firm galloping.
' For a mile or more they rattle him, and then, in the
' open, and within twenty yards of the line there is a
'snap, a tumble, and all is over. " Thirty-three minutes,"
'says Sir George Wombwell, after having taken time with
' Orvis ; and the heaving flanks and distended nostrils tell
' what a clinker it has been. The very fastidious may say
' we had a check just after leaving Colton Hagg, but it was
'scarcely worth calling such; and had not the railway
' given the nags a chance, I firmly believe the bitches
'■ would have run into their fox and eaten him ere any one
'got near them. A more dashing, brilliant performance I
' never saw, and in such a country (deep plough) I scarcely
' ever knew hounds go so fast. For a man to see the quality
' of hounds, no better day could have been selected, as they
' worked through difficulties with great patience and perse-
' verance in the first run, and proved they could race as
' well as hunt in the second. We know that the hand^.omest
' hounds are not always the best in work, but I am pleased
' to hear that the youngsters with which Sir Charles
' Slingsby was so successful at the great Yorkshire Show
' are amongst the best of the entry. One bitch was un-
' fortunately ridden over or jumped upon during the scurry,
' and appeared as though seriously hurt in her loins. To
' say that the whole turn-out is in the best style is needless,
' and when I tell my south-country friends that Sir Charles
' more resembles the late Robert Cockburn, as a huntsman,
' than any man I ever saw, they will not be surprised at the
' sport he has shown. Orvis, the first whip, though his
' head is becoming frosted, seems wonderfully hard and
' active, and as fond of jumping as a boy of sixteen.

' Now for the country. What I have seen of it (I
' hope to see a good deal more yet) strikes me as being
' thoroughly adapted to fox hunting, and when in a firmer
' state it must be a very nice one to ride over. The
' coverts are not too large and a good distance apart,
' the fences mostly jumpable, yet still enough to show
' what a hunter is made of; in parts, I hear, there is

io8 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' much more grass, which of course makes it still better,
' but for plough, what I saw carries a wonderful scent.
' I should here state there was a brace of foxes in Stub
' Wood, notwithstanding its being so recently disturbed.
' This covert is the property of Lord Wenlock, but it
'is shot over by the Hon. Egremont Lascelles, who looks
' well after the vulpine interest.

' The glorious sport I witnessed has, I fear, led me
' to such a length that I must conclude, still hoping that,
' while engaged with neighbouring packs, I may yet find
' time to send my readers an account of man)- such a
' scurry with the York and Ainsty.' H. H.

It was on Tuesday, the 2nd of February, that Sir Charles
Slingsby handled his last fox. Hounds met at Stub Wood,
and found at once. Scent served as it had done in the
Tuesday country all the season, and hounds ran a cracker
to Copmanthorpe village, and then twisted back to Copman-
thorpe Wood, finally running into their fox on Mr. George
Simpson's farm, at Colton Bridge Mr. Simpson has or
had the brush of that fox, than which there is no more
melancholy relic.

For fifteen years did Sir Charles hunt the York and
Ainsty, and though that hunt has always been particularly
happy in the masters who have ruled over its destinies,
it may perhaps be said that the period of Sir Charles's
mastership formed the halcyon days of the York and Ainsty
hunt. A blank day was seldom it ever known, and though
in some districts there was a scarcity of foxes, yet we have
it on record that for seven seasons they had not a blank
day. Then the country was not so thickly populated, and
it was altogether wilder, foxes were stout, and old foxes seem
to have been plentiful. I wonder how many old foxes —
foxes three and four years old — there are now, not in the
York and Ainsty country alone, but throughout the length
and breadth of the land. Certainly there are not so many

SEASONS 1841 -1869.

1 09

as there were in the fifties and sixties, before the breech-
loader became a fetich. Then there was not such a thine
as a cycle in the land, and barbed wire was unknown ; and
though happily the York and Ainsty are not much troubled
with that pest at the present time, yet none is surely better
than a little. Yes, we may endeavour to disguise the fact
as we may, but it will obtrude itself for all that, — in spite of
the popularity which hunting enjoys at the present day, and
of the strong hold which it undoubtedly has acquired as
our leading winter sport, the fo.x is an animal not held in
such respect as he was when Sir Charles Slingsby carried
the horn in the York and Ainsty country.

(yfc^>«-^0'^y^.

CHAPTER IV.

The Accident at Newby Ferry.

' Eleven good men in the laden boat.
Eleven good steeds o'er the ferry float ;
Alas ! e'er their ferryman's task was done,
Two widows were weeping o'er father and son !

' Let Yorkshire, while England re-echoes her wail.
Bereft of her bravest, record the sad tale ;
How Slingsby, of Scriven, at Newby fell.
In the heat of the chase that he loved so well.' —

Egerton Warburi'on.

Those who were livino- at the time will never forget the
thrill of horror which ran through the whole of the country
when the sad accident on the Ure deprived Yorkshire of
some of her best and bravest sons. From one end of the
land to the other, in all classes of society, nothing was talked
of but the upsetting of the ferry-boat on a river, of which
most of those in whose mouth its name was almost hourly,
had scarcely even heard. Perhaps it would not be too much
to say that no social calamity of recent years has caused so
great a shock as did this fearful accident.

Bramham Moor and neighbouring packs did not hunt
till after the funeral, whilst the day of the funeral was kept
as a day of mourning almost throughout hunting England.

THE ACCIDENT AT NEIVBY FERRY. m

The accident itself has been so frequently and so well
described that it has been thouo-ht advisable not to eive
another and at best a garbled description of what has already
been so well done; and thanks to the courtesy of the editor of
the Field, I am enabled to produce the contemporary reports,
which, next to the narrative of an eye-witness and participator
in the tragedy, seems to be the best thing to do. Those
who wish to read a graphic and thrilling description of the
accident I would refer to Colonel Meysey- Thompson's
account of it in his recently-published book. Reminiscences
of the Court, the Camp, and the Chase. Colonel Meysey-
Thompson greatly distinguished himself by his gallant
efforts to save life, and with Sir George Wombwell and
Captain Key, makes up the three men now living who were
actually on the boat.

' The Fearful Accident with the York and Ainsty.

' Sir.— Believing that facts, incidents, and records attending
' the dire calamity with the York and Ainsty Hunt will
' be read throughout the country with interest, and being
' an eye-witness of the whole proceedings of this eventful
' day, I will endeavour, to the best of my ability, to unfold
' the tale, though the result is enough to "harrow up
' your soul."

' The morning was glorious and summer-like when
'the meet took place here (Stainley). At 10-30, to a
' miimte, the hounds appeared, headed by the lamented
' master, on his old horse Saltfish (a twelve-season hunter),
' and accompanied by a number of his most intimate
' friends, who had been staying at Scriven overnight.

' Punctuality was a leading motto with the York and
' Ainsty. It was the dog pack ; the writer said, " I
'expected the bitches;" and in reply Sir Charles Slingsby
' observed, " a by-day last Friday had thrown them out
' of their regular turn."

' After this I asked him what I could offer him, when he
' said, " Just one thimbleful of your home-brewed cherry
' brandy." This I handed him; therefore I have the

HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' melancholy reflection of thinking that I was his last
' cupbearer. After a few minutes of the usual greetings
' by the assemblage — a very numerous one, containing
' representatives from the leading families of the county —
' we started to draw a small covert close to the house.
' I may be allowed to say that of the field a very large
' proportion were, without the least exaggeration, the
'finest and bravest horsemen in Yorkshire. I mention a
'few: — Mr. J. Brown, Mr. Shiffner, Sir Geo. Wombwell,
' Major Stapylton, Lord Downe, Lord Lascelles, two of the
' Molyneuxes, two of the Vyners, with a goodly number
' of the fairer portion of creation.

' Finding this home covert blank, we went to Cayton
' Gill, a short mile from hence, west. Found and chopped,
'on which I said to Sir Charles, "Foxes are not over
'plentiful here; how does it happen?" To which he
' remarked, " The fox was fast asleep; I had to crack my
' whip over him twice before he would move."

' From there we came down eastward, and on crossing
' the bridge over the North-Eastern Railway here. Sir
' Charles changed horses, from the ill-fated Saltfish to
' a new roan one, had from Darby of Rugby — I believe
' his first mount.

' During this short interval, and while on the bridge,
' Sir Charles, Mr. Brown, and myself had a conversation
' as to what covert should be drawn next. Farnham
'Myers was named, but Mr. Brown thought Burton Whin
' would be nearest, and that we possibly might find. I
' supported it, saying that going round that way would
' not cause a delay of ten minutes.

' We decided to go, drew it blank, and, expecting
' Walkingham Warren or Farnham Myers would be our
' destination, were surprised to find that Greenwood's
' Whin, near Bishop Monkton, had been fixed upon, con-
' trary to the consultation before alluded to.

' Greenwood's Whin lies about a mile north-east of
' Burton Whin. Almost before the hounds had entered
' the covert, the fox went away, bearing- for Bishop
' Monkton. Being advantageously placed, he came near
' me, crossing a lane, and, doing my best to keep the
' people back, I got some five or six couple of the hounds

>^^^

■ -xaJriifftSK**'

THE ACCIDENT AT NEW BY FERRY.

"3

' well over before the huntsman or Sir Charles came up.
' The fields being small, with some impracticable fences,
' the leading hounds had every advantage of getting
' well to work.

' After going a few fields further, the hounds made a
' pause, and were out of sight in a little valley. Sir
' Charles came up to me at the moment, and, thinking
' the fox had doubled back, he gave just two blasts with
' his horn to stop them. Looking ahead at that instant,
' I espied one or two hounds leading at some distance,
' and called his attention to them, when horses and hounds
' went straight to Burton Wood as fast as hounds and
' horses can go.

' The scent was good, and he was soon obliged to
' depart; he pointed for Roecliffe Whin, but, being hard
'pressed, only got in that direction as far as the Borough-
' bridge Lodge in Copgrove Park. He now turned west,
' pointing for Walkingham Warren, still closely pressed,
' when he doubled, and got into a plantation on the west
' side of Copgrove Park called the Black Walk. Here
' the baronet again changed his horse from the roan to
' the ill-starred old Saltfish ; the hounds going up this
' Black Walk — I believe with the fox in view. There
' is a small wicket gate at the west end, where I assisted
' Sir Charles through, the hounds breaking covert at the
' same moment. Just below there is a ford over Stainley
' Beck ; part of the pack flashed across the stream, and
' I believe Sir Charles had viewed, as he with his usual
'authoritative "Here!" "Here!" had them back in an
' instant, showing the tractability of this unrivalled pack.

' They ran on the south side of this beck, a few fields
' to the west, towards Stainley ; then turned north,
' skirting Burton Leonard on the east, and thence again
' direct to Burton Wood. The writer, with the second
' whip, going to the down wind side, viewed him away,
' the hounds close upon him, when he took his line as
' direct as possible to the fatal river Ure, for the third
' or fourth time during this season.

' Being from Burton Wood, and knowing the country,
' I was very forward ; but before reaching the river, Sir
' Geo. Wombwell, Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Robinson, Capt. Key,

114 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' and others passed me as well as the huntsman Orvis,
'in doing which the latter touched me, remarking, "This
' is a run. Sir!"

' In going on I spoke to Mr. Lloyd and also Mr.
' Robinson, all full of health and jollity; and in five
' minutes afterwards this band of brothers were sent "to
' that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveller
' returns." I did not make to the place where the hounds
' crossed, but direct to the ferry, being there amongst
' the very first.

'I had noted the time on finding, 12-40, and while
' the fatal craft was being unmoored and brought over,
'I looked at my watch, 1-40, and said to those around
' me, " The run was one hour to a second." It was a
' sort of double ring, but the last two miles straight,
' and according to the map, as near as I can calculate,
' eleven or twelve miles distance. Possibly you may say,
'"something too much of this;" but, the belief that the
' smallest incident that can be recorded of Sir Charles
' during that eventful day will be read with the greatest
' interest by high and low throughout the country, is, I
' trust, a sufficient apology.

' In order to give those unacquainted with the locality
' an idea, I will endeavour to describe it. Opposite
' Newby Hall, the seat of Lady Mary Vyner, the river
' Ure runs from west to east ; the width is about sixty
' yards ; the edge of the west bank very precipitous, the
' depth on that day in the centre perhaps four or five
' fathoms, the stream then going at a fearful rate ; the
' opposite or east bank, where the boat was moored, not
' being so steep. Some 300 or 400 j^ards below there is
' a weir, and below that a ford, say 200 yards, then
' impassable with safety. The hounds crossed between
' the ferry and the weir ; over the latter every one was
' washed like so many herrings, but they soon recovered,
' and, true to their kind, picked up the scent on the
' opposite bank, and were in full cry during the time
' of the catastrophe.

'Immediately the boat came to the. western shore it
' began to fill ; and, seeing Sir Charles and Orvis coming
' down the field, I said, " make way for huntsmen, and

THE ACCIDENT AT NEWBY FERRY. 115

' for God's sake don't overload.'' They made way, and
' the two, with their horses, were allowed the prow of
' the vessel. In a moment it was again crammed full.
' I again remonstrated, and probably was one means of
' helping young Mr. Thompson to make up his mind to
' come off at the last moment.

' Eventually the boat was freighted with eleven horses
'and thirteen men, including Sir Charles Slingsby, his
' huntsman Orvis, Sir George Wombwell, Mr. Lloyd,
' Mr. Robinson, Capt. Key, Mr. Clare Vyner, the two
' boatmen, and some others.

' The next I saw of Sir Charles was his hauling up the
'flap at the end of the vessel, used as a landing, and I
' heard him call out for the same to be done at the other
' end. She was pushed off, and at first, from being over-
' weighted, dragged the ground, but soon floated, when
' almost in the twinkling of an eye the dreadful catastrophe
' occurred.

'Now the causes. In the first place overloading, the
' stowage and tonnage not being over the capacity of three
'horses. Next, the chain of the boat was fixed "down
' stream "; when too late, it was found that it should be
' "up stream."

' Sir Charles, with his horse, was at the east corner.
' Immediately the boat began to lean, Saltfish jumped
' over, but one of his hind legs became entangled with
' the chains.

' The next thing I saw was Sir Charles about the
' horse's head, both struggling for life, and in a few seconds
' I saw him buffeting in the boiling gulf. He turned on
' his back, and seemed to be making for some overhanging
'trees on the north shore. I called to him to "cheer up,"
' and to an upgrown fellow on land to throw a rail or
' hedge-stake from an adjoining fence ; still he stood
' inanimate, and did nothing, though Sir Charles was
' within ten yards of the north shore. The current was
'taking him down at a rapid rate, and he soon got into
' the middle of the stream. Up to this time I had not
' taken my eyes off him. Glancing up the river, I saw the
' overwhelming of the barque, and old Saltfish break from
' it ; then, seeing his master with his red coat in the water,

ii6 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

/the horse sailed like a dog direct to him. I thought
'Sir Charles was hoping to be saved by him, and on the
'two getting together he made a last grasp at the horse
' on the near side, when (the writer thinks) he got hold of
'the bridle, and pulled his head underwater. Be that as
' it may, they both instantly sank, the honoured master to
'rise no more alive! Peace to his remains!

' My next move was back to the ferry. The first objects
' in sight were ]\Ir. Clare Vyner, Sir George Wombwell,
' and, 1 think, Capt. Key ; Sir George being in the centre,
' standing on the boat, which was keel upwards. How
' they had escaped from the boiling cauldron, and the
' life-and-death fight with horses and men underneath,
' goodness only knows.

' They stood erect, but gaunt, hag'gard, and like statues.
' Then I learned the worst of this sad affair — the number
' of men and horses missing, and the time occupied from
'the beginning of the tragedy to the end, not more than
' two or three minutes — a vivid illustration of sacred writ,
' that " in the midst of life we are in death."

'Thinking the bodies would soon be over the roaring
'weir at Boroughbridge, I galloped off, and fortunately
' found the police at their office, and gave them instructions
' to start all the boats up the river. They did so, and
' assisted in securing three bodies that afternoon. The
' next touching incident was the hounds coming through
' Boroughbridge en route for kennels, with the second whip,
' William Powter, there being only one dog missing. I
'gave him some little refreshment, and sent him on his
'way, charged with the most melancholy intelligence to
' Mrs. Orvis of her husband and the master being drowned
' in the fatal Ure.

' I then started for home, dark and dreary all the way,
' and, thanks to my horse, arrived safe ; but how I got
'there, and with what feelings, may be imagined, but
' cannot be described.

' On the following day an inquest was held over five
'of the recovered bodies, one boatman being still missing
' (but afterwards found). The jury sat in the dining-room
'at the hall, and a verdict of accidental death was given.
' The scene of the accident was visited by large numbers.

THE ACCIDENT AT NEWBY FERRY. uy

' and for twenty miles round, sorrow, if not distraction, was
' visible on the face of every inhabitant.

' As to the Messrs. Vyner, all praise is due to their
' fortitude and tact shown under these direful circumstances.

'Thomas Clayton.
' Stainley House, Ripley, Yorkshire, Feb. 8.'

The following, from the pen of a gentleman well known
in Yorkshire, and a friend of the deceased men, will also be
found interesting : —

' .Sir, — As there will probably be an account in The Field next
' week of the sad event, I should like to give you a few
'particulars which have not appeared in the papers at
' present. ]\Iy information is chiefly obtained from Capt.
' Key, who was in the boat. The general particulars, as
'regards the number in the boat and their names, are
'quite correct. The first thing that happened was this :
' Capt. Key had no sooner got into the boat than he began
' to feel sure that something was going wrong, so without
' further thought he jumped out of the boat and swam to
'shore. He had nearly got to land, being a good swimmer,
'before anything occurred ; and when he reached the land,
'and was able to look about him, one or two had gone
'down. The first man to climb out of the boat was
'Mr. Clare Vyner, who assisted to pull in Sir G. Wombwell,
'Capt. C. Molyneux, Mr. White, of the 15th Hussars, and
'Major Mussenden, 8th Hussars. The latter had one of
'the most extraordinary escapes ever man had. Twice he
' sank right among the horses, and twice rose. His head
' was kicked, and his coat nearly torn off his back ; but he
'was the second time pulled into the boat. No one can
' quite tell whether Sir Charles Slingsby's horse pulled
'him in, or whether he jumped in after him. That, how-
' ever, was the origin, if you may call it so, of the accident,
' for a lot of fellows rushed to that side of the boat, hoping
'to pull him in again, and, naturally enough, it turned over.
'They said it was a touching sight to see poor Slingsby's
'old horse, Saltfish, following him about in the water. He
'was the only man who tried to reach the opposite side,
'and if he could have got hold of a stirrup- iron would

ii8 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

'possibly have done so, as old Saltfish got out himself
' eventually.

' Poor old Robinson was on his horse's back, and went
'under with him, and came up again apparently quite
'calm and collected, without any fear whatever. He could
' not swim, and had always said that in a river he should
'stick to his horse. When, however, his horse began to
'sink, and he felt himself going, they said his screams
' were terrible. My idea is that the horse was blown with
' the previous gallop, which prevented him from struggling
' in the water.

' The men who deserved all credit were Robert Vyner,
' W. Ingilby (of Ripley), and Richard Thompson (of Kirby
' Hall). The two first jumped into the river at the peril of
'their own lives, and tried to save poor Lloyd. They got
'him within a few yards of the bank, and then had to
'leave him. In fact, Ingilby was nearly drowned himself.
' R. Thompson jumped in, and tried to swim across to
'save Slingsby, who was making for the opposite bank;
' but when he had got halfway across, the water was so
' cold that he began to think he should be no use, so he
' turned back, and was with difficulty pulled out. We can
'fairly say of all three deceased men (slightly paraphrasing
' one of Warburton's hunting-songs) : —

' " Few sportsmen so gallant, if any.

Did Yorkshire e'er send to the chase,
Each dingle for them had a cranny,

Each river a fordable place ;
Each knew the best line from each cover,

Each knew vv-here to stand for a start ;
They have perished, regretted all over

The country each loved in his heart."

' I may add that two out of the three were good
'swimmers — Sir C. Slingsby and Lloyd; poor Robinson
' could not swim.

' John H. Legard.'

' The Fearful Accident with the York and Ainsty.
[From an Eye-witness.]

' It was a beautiful morning on Thursday, February 4th,
' when the York and Ainsty met at Stainley House.

THE ACCIDENT AT NEWBY FERRY. ng

' We chopped the first fox in Cayton Gill, but found
' again in Monkton Whin, at 12-40. There was a splendid
' scent, but the fox twisted about a good deal, and, though
' the pace was tremendous, yet, after an hour's running,
' the fox crossed the river at Newby, just in front of the
' hounds, and only about two miles and a half from where
' he was found.

' The river was very high from the floods, and a very
' strong stream was running, in consequence of which
'the fox was carried over Newby weir, and the whole
' of the hounds also ; but they all got out safely, and
' took up the scent immediately on the opposite side.
' There is a ford just below, with posts marked with
' different distances up to the height of five feet, so as
' to show when the river is fordable ; but on that day
' the river was so high that not even the posts were
' visible. We were all, therefore, obliged to make for
' the ferry.

' The ferry-boat was overloaded, and no sooner did it
' get into the stream than the water began to rush in
' over the sides. Sir Charles Slingsby's horse, old Saltfish
' (whom he bought the first year he took the hounds,
'fifteen years ago), finding there was something wrong,
'jumped into the water. Sir Charles held on to the
' reins to induce him to swim alongside, but, not calcu-
' lating sufficiently the force of the stream and the weight
' of the horse, he was overbalanced and fell in. (I have
' seen several papers state that there was then a rush
' made to one side ; but the horses were so closely packed
' on board, like bullocks in a bullock-truck, that they
' could not have moved from any cause.) The boat
' then swayed once or twice, and finally turned completely
' over, for several seconds leaving nothing to the view
'but the bottom of the boat. It seemed impossible that
' any could be saved, but by degrees heads began to
' appear ; and Mr. Clare Vyner, having scrambled on
' to the upturned boat, gallantly assisted all he could
' reach to gain the same haven. The boat, being still
' held by the chain, acted as a breakwater, and therefore
' all those that came up near the boat had no stream to
' contend against. Unfortunately, Sir Charles Slingsby

HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A IN STY HUNT

was some way down the stream, in the full force of
the current. He struggled gamely to reach the boat,
but it was hopeless. If he had only turned and swum
with the stream, in all human probability he would
have been saved ; for when he was finally exhausted
he sank (still struggling to reach the boat) close to the
north shore, whither he had been carried by the stream,
but where, unfortunately, there was no one to help.
Old Saltfish followed his master like a dog to the very
end, and at last swam past him, unfortunately with the
near side next to Sir Charles, who with his last effort
tried to grasp the horse's neck ; but the mane being
on the opposite side, he only succeeded in catching the
bridle. Both immediately sank — Sir Charles never to
be seen again alive, but the old horse rose again to
the surface, and then swam ashore.

' Mr. Robinson — who was always extremely nervous
in crossing ferries, as he was unable to swim, and
always entertained a horror of being drowned — according
to his usual custom, never got off his horse on entering
the boat, and when it upset he rose several yards down
stream, still sitting on his horse. He looked calmly
round, as if to choose the best landing-place, when his
horse suddenly sank, either from being exhausted before
he came to the top, or from the reins being touched
to guide him ashore. After two fearful shrieks, Mr.
Robinson went down.

' Captain Key, being the last on board, succeeded in
jumping clear of the boat as it turned over, and
fortunately being carried against the chain, was able,
by making use of it, to reach the shore in safety. Sir
George Wombwell, who may consider this as the most
fortunate of his many narrow escapes from death, came
to the surface on the up-stream side of the boat, against
which he was carried, and was promptly rescued by Mr.
Clare Vyner, though he himself was too far gone to
make the slightest effort to save himself, and was even
unaware by what means he was saved.

' In the meantime those on shore had promptly done
all in their power. Whips were knotted together; but,
as the river was at least eighty yards from bank to

THE ACCIDENT AT NEWBY FERRY. 121

' bank, and those in the water were more than half-way
' across, every endeavour to cast them within reach failed.
' Every pole that could be found was thrown, but to no
' purpose. Four strong swimmers tried their best in vain.
' (3ne, Mr. Preston, of Moreby, had not waited to take
' off his boots, and it was with difficulty he was rescued
' by those on shore. Mr. Ingilby, of Ripley Castle, and
' Captain Vyner, of Linton Spring, succeeded in reaching
' Mr. Lloyd, who was doing his best to gain the south
' shore. They had brought him almost in reach of those
' on the bank, when he suddenly sank ; and they, exhausted
' by the long run, the extreme coldness of the water, and
' the force of the current, were unable to make another
' effort to recover him. They were obliged to receive
' assistance from the shore to save themselves.

' Mr. Richard Thompson, of Kirby, swam off to the
'help of Sir Charles; but the latter being carried further
' away from him by the current, Mr. Thompson was
' obliged to give up all hope of reaching him, and was
' himself helped out by getting hold of two whips tied
' together, one end being thrown to him from the bank.
' As soon as he was a little recovered he ran down the
' bank and swam across a canal to an island, where the
' river makes a bend, in hopes that the body of Orvis,
' the huntsman, which was being carried down by the
' current, might be washed within reach. Unfortunately,
' Orvis was carried to the other shore, and the weir being
' only fifty yards below, he could make no further effort.
' The two Gardeners were never seen alive after the boat
' was upset.

' Thus, Yorkshire has lost by this unprecedented catas-
' trophe Sir Charles .Slingsby, perhaps the best gentleman
' huntsman that has ever lived — one whose genial manners
' and kind disposition endeared him to all who had the
' good fortune to come in contact with him ; Mr. Robinson,
' who was not only the finest horseman and best rider
' to hounds I have ever known, but the least jealous
'person that ever followed hounds over the country; Mr.
' Lloyd, the best man of his weight (he rode fully 16 stone)
' that ever crossed this deep plough — one whom no fence
' was too strong for ; and lastly, poor old Orvis, the

122 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' cheeriest of huntsmen and the most civil of servants.
' Four better-known men, and whose loss would be more
' deeply mourned for, could not be found anywhere.
' Requiescat in pace. The days of the York are numbered
' for the present — never, I am afraid, again to equal the
' last few years.'

The foregoing extracts are from The Field of February
13th, 1869. A curious incident with respect to the accident,
which is referred to by Col. Meysey-Thompson, should be
mentioned here. His father, who was attending a Board
/ Meeting of the Directors of the North Eastern Railway
Company, was informed of the catastrophe at exactly
2-30 p.m., which was twenty-five minutes after the capsizing
of the boat, as shown by the watches ot those who were
drowned.

A subscription was got up at once for the widows and
families of the drowned ferrymen, and within a month of
the accident, the handsome sum of ^265 was collected
for them.

It was also very rightly considered that a memorial
should be erected to the memory of Sir Charles Slingsby,
and the Vicar of Knaresborough made an appeal that a
stained-glass window should be placed in the parish church.
This suggestion was heartily approved, and a window was
placed in the church at a cost of some ^,400. Messrs.
Clayton & Bell, of London, designed the window, the
subjects being taken trom the lessons ot the day on which
the accident took place. There are two from the Old
Testament and two from the New, the former being 'The
deliverance of Israel,' with inscription, ' Seeing the salvation
of the Lord'; and 'Healing the bitter waters of Marah,'
inscription, ' I am the Lord that healeth thee.' The New-
Testament subjects are 'Jesus asleep in the storm,'
inscription, 'Master, carest Thou not that we perish.'^' and

^

THE ACCIDENT AT N'EWBY FERRY. 123

'Jesus rebuking the wind and the sea,' inscription, 'Peace,
be still.'

There was also a memorial window placed in the Royal
Pump Room, at Harrogate, but this was to commemorate
the discovery of the mineral Spring at Harrogate some
two hundred years previously by Sir William Slingsby,
as well as the untimely fate of his successor.

It goes without saying that a subscription was also
commenced for the widow and family of Orvis, and in a
very few weeks, — within a month indeed of the accident, —
close upon ^600 was raised.

Another memorial of the accident is Sir Charles
Slingsby 's hunting cap, which was petrified in the Dripping
Well, at Knaresboroueh.

The York and Ainsty did not hunt any more that
season, but the Bramham Moor and the Holderness each
had a day in the country by invitation, when enormous
crowds turned out. The Bramham Moor had their day
on March 9th, when they met at Buckle's inn. They
found in Askham Bogs, and ran hard in covert for forty
minutes, and then drove their fox out into the open and
killed him near Grange Wood. A second fo.x from Colton
Hagg beat them after running to Catterton, and then
they had a sharp burst with a third from Steeton Whin,
killing him at Oxton.

The Holderness came down the next week, the following
account of their doings being taken from The Field of
March 20th : —

' The Holderness in the York and Ainsty Country.
[From our Special Commissioner.]

' Some few weeks ago I intimated that, as the York and
' Ainsty hounds would not hunt again this season, the
' neighbouring packs would be invited to come and have
' an occasional day in their coverts. This arrangement

124 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND ATNSTY HUNT.

' has been so far carried out that the Bedale have met in
' the northern part, and Mr. G. Lane Fox last week brought
' his hounds into the Ainsty side, and, I hear, had a very
' capital day, though, from being away in Holderness, I
' was unable to meet either his or the Bedale. It is a
' curious thing that on the day Mr. Fox's hounds were
' here, and able to race into their foxes with a burning
' scent, we in the Holderness country could not run a yard.
' But such is the uncertainty of hunting ; and there are
' places over which hounds will run, let the day be good,
' bad, or indifferent.

' As had been arranged, Mr. Hall brought his pack to
' York on Tuesday last, and Dringhouses, about a mile
' from the city, and just beyond Knavesmire, was selected
' for the fixture, the time being twelve o'clock, to allow of
' their coming by train that morning. From about eleven
' York looked as though it had been taken possession of
' by a besieging army, who in their scarlet uniforms had
' scattered themselves entirely throughout the city. The
' station was crowded by horse-boxes from all parts —
' sixteen or over, I believe, coming by the Hull and
' Beverley line, and every one of them full ; while not a
' few of the inhabitants, who did not venture to the meet,
' patronised the station to see the arrival of the scarlet
' crowd. From the time I have named a continuous stream
' of horsemen — mounted on every description of nag, from
' the slashing three-hundred-guinea hunter to the unpre-
' tending pony — poured along Micklegate, and through the
' bar into the more open suburbs ; and when the hill
'beyond the racecourse was reached, and the contingent
' from Bramham Moor and the southern side met us, the
' crowd was immense. Long lines of carriages, with all
' the principal families of the neighbourhood, were inter-
' spersed with the humbler flies, gigs, and carts from the
' town ; and amongst the latter class many a fair damsel
'looked all the brighter for the pleasure derived from
' seeing a meet of hounds for the first time, while in the
' carriage company the brilliant toilets of the ladies caused
' a pleasing relief to the "pink" of the men. How many
' could have been present it is impossible to say, and I
' heard it variously estimated at from three up to six

THE ACCIDENT AT NEWBY FERRY. 125

' hundred horsemen. My own impression is that five
' hundred would be about the mark. The carriages
' extended nearly from Dringhouses to the hill opposite
' Copmanthorpe ; and as to the foot-people, their name
' was legion, every hill or point of vantage within sight
' being occupied by a dark mass, with a chain of skirmishers
' extending from one group to the other. It almost made
' one tremble for Mr. Hall's beautiful bitches, as they
' trotted gently up through the dense crowd of carriages
' and horses ; and Mr. Hall must have been pleased at
' the reception given them. In the crowd it was not very
' easy to make out who was present, and greetings were
' going on for nearly the whole of the day between friends
' who had never run against each other until that moment.
' One veteran sportsman from Holderness said to me :
' "This beats everything I have seen, even in Leicestershire."
' Besides Mr. Hall and Misses Emily and Frances Hall,
' we had Mr. and Miss York, Mr. Brown and his two
' nieces, and another lady, whose name I could not learn.
' Mr. G. L. Fox was there from the Bramham ; Sir G.
' Wombwell, Major Wombwell, the Hon. Egremont Las-
' celles, INIr. Rudstone Read, Mr. Bateman, Capt. Oliver,
' Capt. Gunter, Capt. Telford, Mr. Whitehead, i\Ir. Pease,
' Mr. Lambert, Capt. Lawson, ]\Ir. Grimston of Kneswick,
' Mr. Lightfoot, Mr. S. Key, Mr. A. Walker, Mr. Holliday,
' and Mr. G. Crawshaw. I also noticed Major Dusker, well
' known with hounds in the South of England, amongst
' the infantry division.

' It was decided that we should not draw the famed
' Askham Bogs, but trot away to Swan's Whin, some three
' or four miles distant beyond Acomb. When we had
' nearly reached this. Sir G. Wombwell got forward, and
' stopping the crowd in a road, left Backhouse free to
' draw the Whin with his pack. There is some capital lying
' here, and it took them a long time to work through ; so
' that ere a note was heard, the crowd had edged up to
' the covert. The hand-gates by the side being very much
' crowded, a great many tried their hands over the fences,
' and no small amusement was caused by a lad whose
' horse jumped higher than he expected, and put him
' down. Of course the horse was soon caught, and when

126

HrsrORY OF THE YORK AND A/A'STV HUNT.

his owner walked up and saluted him with a crack over
the head, which the steed seemed to take quite as a
matter of course, there were roars of laughter.

'"There he is!" said Sir George, as a fox just looked
out of the gorse, and again retired ; but, though he was
on foot, not a hound spoke, and grave doubts were
entertained regarding the scent. Presently a note or two
told us they had at last hit on the line, but still very
little was done with it. Then the fox made a small circle
round the crowd, and again entering the gorse, picked
up a companion, and breaking close under our noses,
they went away across a couple of fields. In company
with such a crowd there is nothing for it but to make
the most of the time at starting, if you do not wish to
be ridden down and killed ; consequently Backhouse and
his flying ladies had but little chance given them. Our
foxes had divided after a field or two, and one went away
to the left, with, I fancy, three couple of hounds on his
line ; but the other bore down some deep wet meadow
lands into the rough country below Rufforth and Marston,
threading the deep Marston drain se\'eral times in the
course of his journey. This formed a very nasty obstacle,
and to make matters better, I, in company with several
others, chanced to encounter three good-sized fields in
succession that had been turned up very deeply with the
steam-plough, and, as they were also strongly fenced, had
we gone quick across them it would have left its mark.
.■\s may be imagined, the riding was somewhat of the
wildest ; and one fellow, on a rushing young one, was
dashing at the fences as though he meant to knock every
one out of his road. How many more of the same
character they had in other parts of the field I know not
— a good supply I should say, judging by the number
of spills. .Scent served us but indifferently ; and as the
fox ran dodging about, those who would not have done
wrong on any account, at times found themselves before
the hounds. Luckily, the country traversed is one of the
stiffest pieces in the Ainsty hunt, and the fences certainly
relieved a little of the pressure. The bitches worked
industriously and well, and kept picking it out, inch by
inch, by the right of Hutton Thorns, and away by Wilstrop

THE ACCIDENT AT NEWBY FERRY. 127

'Wood, after having skirted the village of Alarston, nearly
'to Hessay, and then he turned on the right to Knapton,
' and ringed round again towards RuiTorth, and we finally
' gave him up between Rufforth and Knapton. The scent
' was very cold, and though Backhouse and his pack tried
' all they knew to bring him to hand, it was of no avail.
' So many falls and so many loose horses I never saw
' anywhere with hounds going slowl\' ; at one part of the
' drain seven men were floundering about side by side, and
' one man I saw catch a couple of horses and restore them
' to their owners in the same field. Several got badly
' stubbed — one, I was sorry to hear, so much so that
' veterinary aid had to be called in. There was no one
' charged these rough fences in better form than a
' Mr. Johnson, I believe from Durham, who is such a
' welter weight as you do not often see ; and powerful as
' his grey is, it is astonishing how he goes in such style
' under him. I hear that on Tuesday week he cut out all
' the work in a very quick thing.

' We then tried Grange Wood blank, and once more
' back to Swan's Whin, which has often afforded two or
' three good foxes in a day. On the present occasion,
' however, it only held the brace seen in the morning ; and
' though everyone thought Colton Hagg was the next
'draw, as it was said the Bogs were missed in the morning
' on account of vixens, the hounds on reaching the York
' and Tadcaster road were turned away on the left, and
' thrown into Askham Bogs. This covert takes some little
' time to draw, especially by hounds that are not used to
'it, and we stood chatting, for a considerable time in the
' road ere a challenge was heard. Luckily, from falls and
' other causes, the immense field of the morning had now
' been considerably reduced, and there was some little
' chance, if we got away, of a man being able to ride
' without being knocked heels over head. Some few
' minutes, very possibly ten, had been chatted through, when
' one of those sudden impulses that seize us was observable,
' and each man got his horse by the head and edged his
' way through the crowd, prepared for a start. I never
' heard of anyone who saw the fox break, but the magic
'signal, "he's away," was passed from one to the other.

HISTORY OF IHE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' " Then cigars were thrown down in a hurry,
And bridle-reins gathered up tight ;
Each thought we were in for a scurry,
And each resolved to be right."

Just as we reached the level meadow by the Bogs,
out they flashed. There was no mistake about it. He
' was away, and with a fair start too ; still the bitches
' chime along merrily, and, despite a man on a big brown
'horse who will ride right in the centre of them, and
' the whole field being a little eager, they settle well
' down, and as we rise the hill for Askham Bryan, get
' more room. Here is a stiffish hill to climb, and half-
' way up is a newly-cut and plashed fence on a very
' high bank, and every probability of a good ditch beyond.
' Those who keep their eyes ahead twig the stopper,
' and turn short to the right, through a gate and up the
' hill, where there is a much more negotiable place;
' while, what is termed in "Ask Mamma," "the honorary
' obligation division," keep straight on. Just as the first
' flight are getting well over the easier obstacle, there is
' a thundering crash on the left, that tells the newly-
' plashed one has performed its inission, and a man on
' a brown horse is splendidly grassed. Then they held
' it well over the road, and across a long pasture bending
'a little to the right; and as we juinp a couple of very
' respectable ones, the bitches throw up in a fallow just
' before us. But they are iiot pressed to hunt, and, ere
'the warning "Hold hard" of the first whip is scarcely
' uttered, they have hit it off in a twinkling, and are
' once more holding their own across some nice large
' fields, slightly on the incline, and with fences that it
' is by no means safe to tamper with. The field is now
' scattered, every man who means business nursing his
'horse and riding his own line wide of the hounds; and
' as they stream away we feel that we are at last in for
' a good thing. Thus we run all across the Grange
' Farm and by the Grange Wood, and, as we come to
' a piece of teasels and a thin plantation, are very glad
' to get a moment's "puff" as they check for an instant.
' But little time is, however, allowed, and they are soon
' at work again, though not quite so fast as before, and

THE ACCIDENT AT NEWBY FERRY. 129

' some nasty drains are crossed and a pretty piece of
' country passed over, until we reach the Knaresborough
' and Harrogate rail, where another check occurs. Over
' this they are cast by a bridge on the right, and away
' down some coldish grass fields, with fences lighter than
' in the first burst, for which we are especially thankful,
■ as the pace, though not racing, has told its tale in a
' most unmistakable manner, and lots of grief has
' occurred — some of it, I am sorry to say, falling to the
' share of a lady. A lot of the field are making free
' use of a green lane which runs parallel with the line,
' when those who are riding to hounds, descending a
' hill, are suddenly brought short up by a wide impracticable
' beck or drain, with a stiff bullfinch on the landing side.
' The lane riders now have a great deal the best of it,
'and nearly all those in the fields — myself, unfortunatel}^,
' amongst them — -have to go back a considerable distance
'into the lane; and thus by the time we are over the
' Hop Beck, by Scagglethorpe Bridge, the pack are far
' ahead of us. Some few, 1 believe, got over or through
' the beck, more to the right, but those who had hugged
'the lane all along had decidedly the advantage. Of
' the hunting from here I saw but little, and it was only
' as they were working him through a fir plantation,
' just short of Red House, that I got to them again ;
' and then in a field or two, and just as they were entering
' Red House Woods, the order was given to whip off,
' as the late Sir Charles Slingsl)y's sister, Mrs. Leslie,
' was residing there.

' All must approve the motive which caused the hounds
' to be stopped, but none can help regretting that they
' did not run into their fox ere such a cause became
' necessary, for never did a pack of hounds hunt truer
' or better ; and though the pace was, I believe, quite
' as fast as any one wished it, they had to hunt as well,
' and their noses were in continual request during the
' run. In fact, it was just such a gallop as a lover of
' hounds enjoys, quite fast enough to keep man and horse
' going (it proved a great deal too fast for many — one,
' I hear, died in the field), and yet the hounds had to
'hunt as well as run. The distance by the ordnance

13°

HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

map is as near as possible eight miles, and the time
occupied exactly forty. five minutes ; that will prove,
v^rith a stiff deep country to cross, that there was but
little loitering. Our fox was a real straight-backed
good one; for though he passed within a short distance
ot Knapton Whin and another covert, he disdained to
turn from his line for either. This I attribute in some
measure to his getting a really fair start. There is no
doubt that, had the order to whip off not been given,
he must have died before going much further.

' Of course, with all the bruisers, or nearly all, of
two different hunts, and a strong contingent from almost
every pack in Yorkshire thrown in, there was a little
cutting down ; but I can only say that each party met
foemen worthy of their steel. Perhaps from their horses
being more up to the blind ditches (they don't farm so
well here as in Holderness), had one taken an average
number of the best men of each lot, the hats of the
Yorkites would have commanded a trifle the best price
as they returned ; but the hatters from here to Hull
must have a brisk time of it for the next few days, I
am certain. All jealousy with ladies is, of course, out
of the question, and I may say that the Misses Hall went
brilliantly throughout, and Miss Frances' brown horse,
Braggadocio, performed a merveiUc with her. Mr. Hall
was again on my favourite Stomach Ache, and, as he
always is, despite his weight, in a good place throughout.

' In conclusion, I may say that the Ainsty is one of the
finest hunting countries in the world, and the Holderness
hounds in every way worthy to contend with its game
foxes; and, should they ever visit it again, may i be
there to see. H. H.'

Mr. Robinson's and Mr. Lloyd's horses were sold on
Thursday, March 4th, and the space in front of the Club,
in Blake street, where the horses were then sold, was so
crowded that those who were on foot had small chance of
seeing what was going on unless they had come early and
never left their point of vantage. The reputation of the
studs brought a representative gathering of hunting men

THE ACCIDENT AT NEWBY FERRY. 131

together, amongst those present being Lord Henry Bentinck,
Lord Middleton, Sir George Wombwell, Lord Wenlock,
Mr. Vyner, Mr. Wickham, the Hon. Egremont Lascelles,
Mr. Hope, Captain Leslie SHngsby, Mr. G. S. Thompson,
and Mr. Rudstone Read.

The following are the prices realised : —

Mr. Lloyd's Horses.

Guineas.
Cayenne, chestnut gelding, 8 yrs.- Lord Wenlock - 30

Harold, bay gelding, 8 years - Mr. G. Turner - 275

Woodbine, bay mare, 8 years - Mr. Fenwick - 250

Topthorn, brown gelding, 8 years Mr. Gascoigne - 290

Gipsy, brown mare, 10 years - Mr. Gascoigne - 260

Bay gelding, 8 years - - - Mr. Younger 300

The last horse was the last one which Mr. Lloyd ever
bought, and he had only had him a very short time, and had
never ridden him to hounds. He made just a hundred
pounds more than he had cost.

Mr. Robinson's Horses.

Guineas.
Brunow, chestnut gelding, aged- Capt. Leslie - - 280

Kildare, chestnut gelding, 6 years Sir G. Wombwell - 210

The Evening Star, bay mare, 8 yrs. Lord H. Bentinck - 1 70

Tipperary, bay gelding, 8 years - ,Sir G. Wombwell - 240

Domingo, cliestnut gelding, 5 yrs. Mr. Hope - - iqo

Laddie, brown gelding, 7 years - Mr. G. S.Thompson 360

Cock Robin, chestnut gelding - Lord H. Bentinck- 340

Laddie was a purchase from Lord Combermere.

Sir Charles Slingsby's horses were sold at Scriven Park
the following week, in a blinding snowstorm. Again was
there a large attendance, and good prices were realised on
the whole. Some of the servants' horses were stale and a
little worn, which, of course, materially interfered with the
average, and the young stock, being only in a healthy
growing state and not at all made up for sale, did not bring

132 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AIKSTY HUNT.

big prices. The brood mares made bad prices, and were

not a very fashionable lot. The following is a list of the

prices and purchasers : —

Guineas.

Pony, d., aged - - - - Mr. Rhodes - - 8

Sir Arthur, chestnut gelding, aged Mr. Nelson - - i8

The Vet, bay gelding, aged - Mr. Barston - 23

Breastplate, brown mare, aged - Sir G. Womb well- 32

The Knave, bay gelding, aged - Mr. Barker - - 36

Rosalind, brown mare, aged - Mr. Cradock - 65

Fenian, brown gelding, a,ged - Mr. Oliver - - \\

Bay yearling colt, by Valentine,

dam half-bred - - - Mr. Richardson - 10^

Brown ^ earling filly, by Carbineer,

dam by Wild Dayrell - - Mr. Croft - - 23
Bay yearling colt, by Whirlwind,

dam by Barnton - - . - Mr. Fenton - - 35

Brown gelding, by Scandal, dam

by Barnton, 3 years - - Mr. Mulgrave - 100
Grey mare, by Voltigeur — The

Maid of Derwent, 4 years - Mr. Brown - - 40

Bay gelding, by Fugleman, 4 years Mr. Uatley - - 32
Brown gelding, by Elcot, dam by

Barnton, 4 years - - - Mr. Jessop - - 65

Quadroon, brown mare, aged - Mr. Monk - - ih

Opalj bay mare, aged - - Mr. Brown - - 60

Spaniard, bay gelding, aged - Mr. Atkinson - 20
Brown gelding, 6 years, by Elcot,

dam by Barnton - - - Capt. Benyon - 105
Sultan, brown gelding, 7 years,

by The Hadji - . - Mr. Holliday - 50

The Dane, brown gelding, 5 years Major Mussenden lOo

Rugby, brown gelding, 6 years - Capt. Gunter - 200

Merryman, bay gelding, 6 years- Capt. Benyon - 160

The Robber, brown gelding, aged Mr. Lloyd - - go
Daddy Longlegs, brown gelding,

aged . - - - - jMr. Vyner - - 200

Snowball, grey gelding, aged - Mr. Brown - - 310

Cascade, brown mare, aged - Mr. C. Vyner - 90

Conjuror, bay gelding, aged - Mr. Vyner - - 160

Rosamond, bay mare, aged - Mr. Cannon - - 430

THE ACCIDENT AT NEWBY FERRY

Brood Mares.

Bay mare, by Barnton, dam by

133

Guineas.

Sheet Anchor

- Mr. Davis -

- 22

Bay mare, by Wild Dayrell

- Mr. Davis -

- 26

Grey mare - - - -

- Mr. Walker -

- 26

Bay mare - - - -

- Mr. Goodall -

- 17

Kelso, brown mare

- Mr. Rouse -

- 20i

Bay mare, by Kettledrum, 5 yt

3ars Mr. Lodge -

- 46

I I ■

CHAPTER V.

Sir George O. Wombwell and the Hon. Egremont

Lascelles.

Sir George Wombwell began his mastership with Peter
Collinson as huntsman and Will Powter as first whipper-in.
The season began inauspiciously, and a dread fatality
seemed to have come over the country, for before the
cub-hunting season was fairly in swing, poor Will Powter
met with a fatal accident. Hounds were at Askham Bogs,
and had been rimning abotit the coverts all the morning,
l)ut though there was a large field out, no one saw the
.accident happen, and the first intimation that anything
was wrong was the horse galloping riderless. Powter's
body was found near a gap, with a half open hurdle stuck
in it, and a rather blind ditch. He had been over the
place, which was nothing of a jump, several times in the
course of the morning, and it is surmised that the horse,
a nervous, irritable animal, had been caught by something
and had kicked his rider off, dislocating his neck, as there
was nothing to lead to the supposition that the horse had
ever been down. An account in a newspaper of the time
says that Powter's cap was delved, and a bruise was on
the left side of his head, and intimates that he died shortly

SEASOJVS iS6g-i873. 135

after he was found, without recovering consciousness. My
information was received from a gentleman who was hunting
on the day of the accident, and I give the two accounts,
which, however, do not chffer in any essential detail.

With Collinson a stranger to the country, and with
whippers-in who were also strange to it, Sir George
Wombwell was heavily handicapped in his first season,
and it was not distinguished by any succeision of great
sport. In it, however, a historical run took place, the
best that took place during Sir George's mastership. The
exact date, unfortunately, I am unable to give. They
found in Ribston Park and killed in Bardsey village in
the Bramham Moor country. They crossed the river twice,
the canal and two railways, and killed their fo.x in a
cottage garden where a woman was dying, so they took
him to the other end of the village to break up. They
never changed foxes, and every hound was up at the
finish. The late Mr. George Lane Fox was out, and
said it was a historical run, and one of the best he had
ever seen.

The ne.xt season began well and they had a very
successful cub-hunting, killing twenty-three and a halt brace,
and having some good sport with them. Their opening
day was at Strensall, on Monday, October 31st. They
found a litter of cubs which had not been disturbed before
in one of the .Strensall coverts, and soon had hold of a
brace of them. Then they went to the Oak Wood, where
they found, and went away at once for Haxby. Turning
to the right, close to the village, they ran in a northerly
direction to Sutton-on-the-Forest, and ran into their fo.x
in the hall gardens after racing fifty-five minutes. They
then went on to Stillington, where they found a fourth
fox, and killed him after a sharp spin. On the following
day they had a good gallop from Skip Bridge, ending

136 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

with a kill, but there are no particulars forthcoming, nor
can I learn anything more of their doinys whilst CoUinson
carried the horn.

Collinson retired at the end of his second season, and
was succeeded by Tom Squires, who showed brilliant
sport. Four days which he had in his first season must
be produced from The Field, almost in their entirety.

' Brilliant Week with the York and Ainsty.

' On Tuesday (December 28th, 1871), the hounds met at Aldvvark
' Bridge, and a fox was found at Aldwark Wood, which
' g'ave a short run for forty minutes, when he was lost about
' the village. Ordered back to the wood, where another
' fox was found, which made in the direction of Linton,
'passing through several small coverts, and swinging rcund
' to Aldwark Moor, along the low country between Aldwark
' and Youlton, crossing the Aldwark road towards the
' Grange, where he was headed back, and crossed the river
' Ouse a little above Aldwark village. The only point of
' crossing being the bridge, about a mile and a half lower
' down, the field immediately made their way thither.
' Soon after crossing the bridge a few of the laggards had
' the good luck to be in advance, and viewed a fox taking
' a line for Ouseburn, which they " holloaed " immediately,
'bringing up some of the hounds; but the huntsman,
' perceiving that this was a juvenile portion of his pack,
'felt assured that the more experienced hounds were on the
' right track, and his judgment was confirmed bv his shortly
'afterwards coming up with them, showing indisputable
' marks of a "kill." The truth was, that the gallant hounds
' ran into their fox whilst the field was making its way by
' Aldwark Bridge, and must have killed him whilst the
' second one was viewed, as a man in a cart had taken
' possession of the remains. Being on the west side of the
' river, near Kirby Hall, the seat of Mr. H. S. Thompson,
' orders were given to try the coverts in the park. A fox
' was found in one of the plantations, and after passing
' through several small plantings, he took a circle and went
' to ground in a flood bank. Time now being of some

/

SEASONS TS6g- rSjj. 137

' consequence, it was suggested that a covert not far from
' Ouseburn should be tried, instead of digging- out a fox,
' and a thoroughly successful draw was the result. The
' hounds burst into full cry instantly, and away they rattled
' towards Thorpe Green to Poole Spring, hanging to the
' lett through Widdington Woods. Here they turned, and
' taking a straight line through Kirby Hall plantations,
' within a short distance of Aldwark Bridge, where he
' crossed the river, when the hounds w^ere stopped. The
' speed was racing for forty-five minutes, and only the river
' and the evening setting in saved the fox for another day.
' It was a heavy day for hounds, horses and men, and very
' few witnessed the termination of it.

' On Thursday, the 28th, the meet was at Ripley Castle.
' The morning was very wet. A fox was found in the park.
' Little was done with him, however, in consequence of the
' wildness of the morning. The hounds then went on to
' Cayton Gills, where they got on to a real wild fox, and
' ran him very fast up to Sawley and on for the moors.
' Found again at Monkton Whin. Away directly. Ran at
' a clinking pace for twenty-three minutes up to the Dark
' Walk, at Copgrove, where foxes were changed, and getting
'on the line of a fox that had been gone some time, they
' ran him slowly up to the village and lost him.

' On Friday the hounds met at Nun Appleton. There
' was a large^ field, including the Master of the Badsworth,
' Mr. J. Hope Barton, and his huntsman, though we regret
' to say they did not see the finish of this splendid day,
' owing to a slight accident to Mr. Barton, near Rufforth.
' In his pursuit of Squires, Mr. Barton found the York and
' Ainsty a somewhat different country from the Badsworth.
'The word was given to try Stonebridge plantation, and
' without delay a fox broke away. After taking a circuit
' round to Appleton, he succeeded, near to the village, in
' evading- his pursuers. In Stub Wood the hounds spoke
' to a fox immediately, and in a short time he broke away
' towards the river opposite Moreby Hall, and after running
' on the banks, made a straight cut across the Ings land,
'and the hounds, racing on his line, made one of the
' prettiest sights conceivable. The old phrase of a sheet
' covering the pack is somewhat trite, but it is literally true

138 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A INST Y HUNT.

' in this instance, for all of them were in a body, and
' running like racehorses. Unfortunately, the fox was
'headed at Acaster Mill, and went straight back to covert
' in an opposite direction, and after ringing about, the
' word was given to try another — Brocket Hagg, which
' proved a blank. Then to the noted Colton Hagg, where
'one of the very best sort was found. Unhesitatingly he
' went away for the fox-earths opposite Buckle's inn ; but
' being disappointed, he crossed the hill, past Mr. Craw-
' shaw's farm, in the direction of Askham, keeping in the
' low ground straight to the Bogs farm. Here he wheeled
' quickly to the right and into the Bog's. Luckily for the
' success of the run, a man holloaed on the other side of the
' covert, which drew away the field, and gave reynard a
' chance of going off. He availed himself of the offer, and
' went away past the Bogs farm, crossing Moor lane to
' Acomb Wood, within a field of the kennels. Taking a
' direct line for the farmhouse of the genuine sportsman,
' Mr. T. Ellis, and within a field or two of Acomb Green he
' crossed the turnpike road to Rufforth, to Knapton lane.
' The hounds here flashed across the road, causing a timely
'check, and enabling stragglers to come up; but Squires,
' seeing the hounds in slight difficulties, drew them back
' on to the road, where they immediately picked up the
' scent, and continued on the road to Knapton village end,
' which was skirted on the west side. Taking the line to
' Rufforth Whin, he disdained to enter it, but continued in
' the open, and made in the direction of Rufforth Mill, near
' to a new house, the residence of Mr. Middlewood; but after
' struggling gamely on for about a mile farther, he took
' refuge under a gateway, where he was unhoused and
' killed, after a splendid run of about an hour and seven
' minutes, the last thirty-five minutes being racing pace.

'Saturday, December 30th. Met at Raskelf Mill.
' Sir G. Wombwell decided to draw the covert of that well-
' known sportsman, Mr. Coates, which is significantly
' designated " Peep o' Day." Found directly, and went
' away at a racing pace in the direction of Newburgh, the
' seat of the M.F.H. Before the hounds had gone two
' miles the field was scattered in all directions, but turning
' to the left, a friendly road permitted many of the stragglers

SEASONS i86g-i873. 139

' to join the front ranks. The fox from this point ran a
' ring back to the Whin, and got to ground in a rabbit-hole.
' Sir George, thinking it might injure the covert to have
' the fox dug out, decided to draw off the hounds ; but the
' hounds had their triumph, nevertheless (saving the masti-
' cation), for, on the earth being subsequently opened to
' allow the fox to escape, he was found dead at the mouth
' of it. Found again in the brick^'ard (over at Sessay
' station), but storms coming on, could do very little with
' him. Found again at Sessay Wood. Ran him at a
' tremendous pace up to Brafferton Moor, where the scent
' entirely changed, and Sir George ordered the hounds
' home.

'This closed the year 187 1 with the York and Ainsty,
' and a finer week's sport has never been enjoyed either
' in Yorkshire or in any other county.'

At the end of his third season Sir George Wombwell
resigned, and he was succeeded by the Hon. Egremont
Lascelles, who was well fitted for the post, having had
a "ood trainino- when his father was at the head of affairs
in the Bramham Moor hunt. The stables had got into
rather a dilapidated condition, at any rate improvements
were necessary, and Mr. Lascelles at once built new ones,
makinsf another of those masters, of whom there have
been so many, who have spent their money freely in
improving the kennels and its surroundings. He kept
Squires on and shewed excellent sport.

His only season began on September 6th, at Lylands,
where they found a fair show of cubs, and, notwithstanding
the bad scent, they killed. It was not long before Squires
shewed what he was made of, for on the 24th they had
a very hard day in Askham Whin, killing a leash of
foxes, no small feat to do in that thick covert, especially
when there was a soaking rain to contend with. It was,
however, an unlucky season for poor Squires, who was to
lose his life before it closed, and who began early on with

I40 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

misfortune. In October he was so badly bitten in the hand
by Commodore, that on the following day (October 9th), he
suffered so severely that he could scarcely ride. On the
same day Mr. Lascelles states that hounds " found a bagman
fresh turned down, and killed him." On November 2nd,
when the cub-hunting was brought to a close, they had
a good day, but again Squires had a very bad fall, and
hounds went home early on account of it.

The regular season opened on Monday, November
4th, at Aldwark Bridge, but they did not do much, and
scent served badly. They had a good day from Skelton
on the 1 8th, killing two brace of foxes, with one of which
they had a good twenty-five minutes, and with another,
after hunting slowly with a cold scent from Overton Wood
to Court House Wood, they began to race, and rolled
him over at the end of forty-five minutes from Court
House. But the best day in November is as follows : —

'Thursday, November 28th. Buckle's inn. Threw off at 11-20,
' on account of York ball. Drew Askham Whin blank, the
' earths not being properly stopped. Found at Colton
' Hagg. Away directly, with a good scent. Ran fast to
' the railway, past Colton village, Steeton Hall, Pickering
' Wood, over the road to Catterton (twenty-eight minutes),
'where a slight check; hunted on to Angram Bottoms,
' and turned back to Shire Oaks, and back to Catterton,
' Duce Wood, and Nova Scotia, where the fox was viewed
' close before hounds, and they ran fast over Marston Hill
' to ground in an earth on the Tockwith side of Marston
' Whin. Two hours twenty minutes in all. Probably
' changed foxes at Catterton.'

' Monday, December 2nd. Sutton Hall. Drew Sutton Park
' and Suet Carr blank. Found a brace in the Whin,
' apparently both turned-down foxes, and from the manner
' of the hounds, aniseeded. Killed one, and took the hounds
' away. Stillington blank. Found a good fox at Hawk
' Hills, but got a bad start with him. Ran well by Easing-
' wokl, turned to the right under Crayke, back through
' Stillington, left New Parks on the left nearly to Alne

SEASONS i86g-i8yj. 141

' Whin, bent away to the left by Launde Farm, and lost
' him going to Court House, having been delayed by the
' railway. Two hours and five minutes, over a very heavy
' line.'

On December 26th they met at Scotton Bar and had
only a moderate day's sport. It was, however, distinguished
by a very interesting incident. There was a great crowd
out, and there were several foxes in Scotton Banks,
hounds running there for an hour or more, and it was
the opinion of Squires that they killed one. Then they
went away with one and ran him a short ring into the
country and back again. The fox was then holloaed in
Scriven Park, was pretty well mobbed by the crowd, and
finally got up and on to the low roof of an out-hotise
and dropped down into the enclosed duck pond, where he
was killed by Sultan and Barmaid. Tuff, who was on
the bank, made an ineffectual attempt to get hold of the
fox, and his carcase floated out into the middle of the
pond and looked like sinking, when Tuff drew the attention
of Barmaid, who was swimming in the pond, to it, and
she immediately swam to it and brought it to bank like
a retriever. I should add that this was my first day
with the York and Ainsty, and the pad of that fox, in
the form of a paper-knife, is on my desk as a memento. ^

February was a good month, and they had some fine
sport on the 13th in the Ripley country. They found a fox
in Bishop Monkton Whin, and ran him smartly by Burton
Leonard to the Warren, where three foxes went away with
the hunted one. They then ran a ring by Staveley and
Copgrove nearly to Roecliffe, and got up to their hunted

(i) It is not a little singular that three hunt seivants out that day died a
violent death : Squires being killed a few weeks later, whilst Truman Tuff fell
downstairs and broke his neck, and Jim Trivick, who developed into a good
huntsman, and who carried the horn in the Cleveland, Hurworth, and Ledbury
countries, was killed just as his hounds were killing their fox at Malvern, his
horse catching the tram lines and falling heavily, throwing Jim on to his head on
the kerbstone.
S

142 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

fox in the covert. They soon got him away, but were
disappointed at the finish, as the earths were open, and they
ran him to grround in the breed-earths between Roecliffe and

o

Minskip, just when they had worked up to him. Then on
the 1 8th they had a good day from Skip Bridge, kilHng a
brace of foxes, with the first of which they had a very smart
forty-minutes from Skip Bridge Whin, killing him, after a
rather ringing gallop, close to Knapton. On March ist there
is the first mention I find of mange in the York and Ainsty
country, hounds having found a mangy fox in Simpson s Wood.

It was on March 13th that Squires met with his fatal
accident. Hounds met at Grafton, and went away from the
Whin with a good scent. There had been a hard frost in
the morning, and it was rather slippery in places, though it
was considered quite safe to hunt. In jumping an awkward
stile into the road, Squires' horse fell with him, and rolled on
to him, breaking his shoulder blade and three ribs, and from
the effects of the accident he died a few clays after, to the
regret of everyone, for he was a popular man in the country.

Truman Tuff hunted the hounds to the end of the
season, and one good day of his must be given : —

' Monday, March 24th. Aldwark Bridge. Found a brace of
' foxes in Aldwark Wood, ran a short ring and back to the
' wood ; got away on the other side, and ran a fair hunting-
' pace towards Tholthorpe, and turning to the left, killed
' between there and the Haddocks. One hour twenty
' minutes. Dog fox. Found again in Court House, a brace.
' Ran well by Newton-on-Ouse, turned to the left and along
' the grass near the river to Aldwark Wood, where hounds
' divided, and did nothing. One hour. On turning to go
' home a fox was seen in the Ings. Put the hounds on, and
'ran him well for forty minutes to ground near Linton.
' A good day.'

The season was brought to a close on April loth. They
hunted one hundred and ten days, killed forty-six brace of
foxes, ran twenty-one brace to ground, and dug one out,

CHAPTER VI.

Colonel Fairfax's Master^^iiip.

The mastership of Colonel Fairfax, which lasted for five
seasons, marked an important epoch in the history of the
York and Ainsty pack. After the sad death of Sir Charles
Slingsby, hounds changed masters and huntsmen frequently,
and under such circumstances the pack could not but suffer.
Colonel Fairfax was just the man to put things straight.
He began with the kennels, which had got into a somewhat
dilapidated condition, as those who remember them in the
early seventies scarcely require reminding. Patching was
not at all to the Colonel's mind, and he determined to pull
down and rebuild. So that, as the new stables for the
servants' horses remain as a memento of Mr. Egremont
Lascelles, so are the new kennels a memento of that love
of order which was one of the distinguishing characteristics
of his successor. Mr. Charles Hornsey, of York, at that
time the agent for the Bilbrough estate, prepared the plans,
and the work was proceeded with without delay, most of the
expense being defrayed by the master himself

Nor were Colonel Fairfax's energies confined to providing
a comfortable and fitting home for the pack of which he had
assumed the mastership. The pack itself was the constant
object of his solicitude, and he set to work to improve it

144 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

with characteristic energy and marked abiHty. For Colonel
Fairfax was not without experience as a master of hounds.
At Newton Kyme he had kept a pack of harriers with which
he had shown good sport, and as a breeder of hounds he had
already had some practice. He was a great believer in the
Belvoir blood, and was the first man who introduced it largely
into the ^'ork and Ainsty kennels, thus commencing that good
work which has been since carried out by Mr. Lycett Green
and Arthur Wilson. Colonel Fairfax was amongst the first
to recognise the merits of the Belvoir Fallible as a stud
hound, a fact which deserves to be put on record as showing
his fine judgment. He was, however, very bad to please
with hounds, and on occasion he drafted without mercy,
getting rid of hounds which many a master would be loth to
part with. Yet, after all, this is the only way to get a pack
of high-class foxhounds together, equally good on the flags
and in the field. On one occasion Mr. Hornsey begged
a couple of draft hounds for a friend who had a pack of
harriers, and to his great surprise Colonel Fairfax sent him
three couples, their only fault being that they were scarcely
up to his standard for height. It was a very different looking
pack that he left to his successor to what he had taken over,
a fact which was chiefly due to the introduction of Belvoir
blood, and the courage with which drafting operations were
carried out ; and it is perhaps not too much to repeat what
I have said on a former occasion, that during the time he
was master he did more to improve the character of the
pack than anyone else who had held the reins of office.

Colonel Fairfax hunted his own hounds, which were
turned to him by Truman Tuff and Jim Trivick, the former
of whom was kennel huntsman. As a huntsman he was
remarkably quick, and few could beat him at getting away
on the back of his fox. Fine horsemen have been conspicuous
amongst the masters of the York and Ainsty, and Colonel

COLONEL FAIRFAX'S AfASTERSHIF. i4<;

Fairfax was a fine horseman, always with his hounds. It
was a loss to the country when failing health called upon
him to resign, and his resignation and his death, which took
place a few years afterwards,^ were regretted by everyone
who had come in contact with him, and by many whose only
knowledge of him was his reputation as one of those fine
sportsmen of whom Yorkshire has had so many, and of
whom her sons are so justly proud.

Of the sport which Colonel Fairfa.x showed let his
diary speak.

1873-74. — His first day as master and huntsman of the
York and Ainsty was Friday, September 5th, when they
met at Overton Wood, at 6 a.m. The following is an
account of the day's sport given in the diary : —

' Took out the young pack. Found plenty of cub.s in wood,
' ran hard but could not kill, owing to having too few
' old hounds. Young ones did well e.Kcepting Fancy.
' A lot of old ones condemned. Went to Moorlands,
' found one old fox instead of three litters as reported.
' Went to Court House Wood, found some cubs but could
' do nothing. Scent poor. Radical, a good dog from
' Middleton's. Hall's, no use. Booth's Rallywood, a useful
' dog, but riotous. Layman, no use. .Self, Cardinal ;
' Truman, Durando ; Jim, Bachelor.'

It will be seen from this account of the first day's
cubbing that there was a difficult task set the new master,
and it cannot be said that he had a very encouraging
beoinnincr. The beCTlnnintj of the season was characterised
by bad scenting weather, and though hounds found plenty
of foxes, the dog pack were very unlucky in not killing their
fo.'ces at first. The drafting had to go on, however, but
Colonel Fairfax was getting matters more to his mind, as
is evidenced by the following quotation from the diary : —

(i) Colonel Fairfa.x died February 8th, 1884.

146 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

'Tuesday, i6th September. Red House. Lots of foxes. Poor
' scent. Killed one in Skip Bridge. Dogs. All did well
' but Pirate, Falstaff, Fanatic. Drafted these.'

They had a useful day's cub-hunting in the Tuesday
country on the 23rd, when they were at Rufforth. There
was only an old fo.\ at Rufforth Whin, but in Grange
Wood there were several foxes, and after a lot of work
they ran one to ground, bolted, and killed him. This was
a famous day for the dog pack, and no doubt they profited
considerably by it.

Notwithstanding all the difficulties which had to be
contended with in the shape of bad scenting days, the record
for September was a good one, for they killed ten-and-a-
half brace in the fifteen days that they were out.

October began well, for they got hold of two brace in
the first three days, and besides had a very nice gallop to
ground from Hay Park. During the middle and latter
part of the month some good runs took place: —

'Tuesday, 14th October. Nun Appleton. Plenty of foxes.
' Ran one to ground near river from Sickle Pit. Found
' in Stub Wood, short ring to ground in wood. On to
' Colton, went away as if for Bilbrough, round by Colton
' House, down to Askham'Bogs, which he would not have,
' and we lost him or he went to ground in a turnip field
'near Holiday's farm. Good gallop, thirty minute.s.
' Waterford, etc., out. Carnival, Vulcan, Cardinal.'

'Saturday, i8th. Fawdington Whin. One old fox, one cub in,
' killed the cub. Went on to Clark's Wood, found a good
' show. No scent. On to Galway's, found, away to
' BrafFerton. Hounds divided, some went away for Hel-
' perby, saw no more of them. Whips no use. Came
' home by the 5-49 train. Did not get to the kennel till
' 8 p.m.'

'Monday, 27th. Hawk Hills. Killed a cub after some good
' work. Found an old fox in Stillington, had a capital

COLONEL FAIRFAX'S MASTERSHIP. 147

' hour and ten minutes with him, killing him at Moorlands.
' Poor scent. Hounds worked well. Dogs. Best day we
' have had.'

It is pretty evident that by this time the dog pack had
got into good form, and their record for the cub-hunting
season is a creditable one, especially when the complaints
of their unsteadiness early in the season are taken into
consideration. Hounds were out thirty-one days during
the cub-hunting season, killing twenty brace of foxes and
marking three and-a-half brace to ground (not dug). The
dog pack, which was out fifteen days, killed ten-and-a-half
brace.

The regular season commenced at Alclwark, on Monday,
November 3rd, but they did not have a very good day
though they found plenty of foxes, and killed one and
marked other two to ground. Rain had been much wanted,
but at last it came heavily, and on November 5th, when
they met at Whixley, it rained in torrents. They had in
consequence the best scent of the season so far and had a
capital gallop from Lylands, never leaving their fox for
an instant till he crossed the river at Boroughbridge On
the following Tuesday they had a good day. The fixture
was Bishop INIonkton, and in Monkton Whin they found a
good fox that took them over a fine line to Hob Green,
where he beat them. A second fox was found at Bishop
Burton, and was marked to ground at the end of a very
fast twenty minutes, bolted and lost : —

'Monday, 17th November. Met at Shires Bar. Whin blank.
' Found in Flawk Hills, ran smartly to Huby to drain,
' bolted, and killed. Found again in Hawk Hills, away to
' Creyke and Easingwold, where we lost him. Fair scent.
' Found and went to ground in Carr, Stillington.'

'Tuesday, i8th. Met at Skip Bridge. Did not find in the
' whin. Found in wood, ran hard round it, crossed the
' river twice, lost near Marston station. Trotted off to Hare-

148 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' wood's Whin. Found. Away towards Knapton headed by
' some steam ploughs, lost him. Found in Grange Wood,
' ran a very smart thirty minutes to Fearby House, where
' he disappeared. Good line by RufForth, Angram Bot-
' toms. Collier Hagg, Bilbrough village. Very fast, good
' gallop. Our fox got into granary, was let out by a
'workman afterwards.'

On Monday the 24th, when they met at Aldwark
Bridge, what would have been a very satisfactory day was
spoiled by the foot people of whom we read, that owing to
them the hounds lost their fox, just when they should have
been killing him. A fair average of sport was had to the
end of the month, and December opened well with a
typical Ainsty day, in which there was a lot of hard work
and a satisfactory finish : —

'Tuesday, December 2nd. Met at Nun Appleton. Did not
' find till we got to Acaster plantation, ran hard to Stub
' Wood, lots of foxes on foot, ran slowly towards Askham
'Bogs. Lost before we got there. Got on to a fox in
' Bog, ran him hard in covert, and after a deal of hunting
' killed him at the back of York, near Backhouse's gardens.
' Bitches worked well.'

On the Sth, when they met at Strensall, they had a
long hard day. They did not find till they got to Hawk
Hills, and then they had a long hunting run to Stearsby.
This entailed a long ride home, and they did not reach
the kennels till half-past seven o'clock. There was a fair
average of sport for the rest of the month, and they were
only stopped once or twice by frost. The month wound up
with a good day, the good scent on which was followed by
a frost : —

' Saturday, December 27th. Met at Sessay. Clark's Wood
' blank. Found in Sessay Wood, nice run forty-five
' minutes, killing him in Peep o' Day. Found in Brafferton
' at three p.m., away to Myton, crossed the river, through
' Broadfield, to ground at Cattal. One hour, forty minutes.
' Good day. Dogs.'

COLONEL FAIRFAX'S MASTERSHIP. 149

The frost did not last long, but it was frosty off and on
till January Sth. Still hounds stole a day or two between the
frosty spells, though it was somewhat slippery work ridino-.
On Tuesday the 13th, they had a hard day, and for the
master an unlucky day, of which I give the history in his
own words : —

'Tuesday, January 13th. Oxton. Found in covert, ran to
' river, back through grounds towards Shire Oaks, and
' stopped hounds crossing at Newton. Found near Steeton
' Hall an outlying fox, ran hard through Steeton to Bolton
' station, where we lost him. Pallethorpe, Steeton, blank.
' Found in Colton, lost in Bog. Unlucky day. Bogged
' Cardinal, cut Beatrice's head, knocked off by a bough
' myself.'

On the following Monday, however, they had a famous
hunting run, though it was something of a ring. Still
hounds covered a lot of ground, and if it was a ring, it
was a very wide one, and such a one as would take a good
horse all his- time to go through in a forward place :—

' Monday, January 19th. Stillington. Never found till we got
' to Hawk Hills. Found there a good fo.x., away towards
' Creyke, to left to Easingwold Town end, back to Hawk
' Hills House, on towards New Parks, through a gorsy
' field, very fast to Sutton, on towards Suet Carr, over the
' road to New Parks, where he was seen, on to Stillington
' earths, where we killed him. Two hours, fifteen minutes.
' Real good hunting run.'

Thursday, February 19th, is a day which calls for notice,
not on account of any brilliant sport that took place,
though they had a sharp twenty minutes from Lylands,
marking their fox to ground at Marton. But on that day
they found at four p.m., at Thorpe Green, a mangy fox,
which beat them, an incident which is interesting when
viewed in connection with the recent experiences in the
York and Ainsty country. March came in well, and the
first week in that month was the best in Colonel Fairfax's
first season, so I give it in full from the diary : —
T

150 HISTORY OF THE YORK AAW AINSTY HUNT.

'Monday, March ist. Strensall. Found in moor, ran up to
' Lining, headed back and killed him. Went to Overton
' Wood, found, ran to ground near Court House brick
' kiln.'

' Tuesday, March 2nd. Skip Bridge. Whin blank. Found in
' Red House, raced to Skip Bridge Whin, stopped hounds
' crossing river. Found in Grange Wood, rattled him
' through Rufforth to Marston Hill and killed. Forty
' minutes. Found in Colton, raced to Catterton and Shire
' Oaks, lost. Best scent of season. Bob Swann went hard.'

' Thursday, March 4th. Goldsbrough. Found in wood. Lost
' near Cattal. Returned to moor, found, away through
' Green Dick to Kirk Hammerton, over railway to
' Widdington Wood, killed him near Kirby. One hour,
' forty minutes. Good scent.'

' Saturday, RLirch 7th. Pilmoor. Brafferton. Found. Lost
' near Clark's Wood. Found in Sessay Wood, raced
' towards Raskelf, back over the railway near Sessay
' village, on to near Fawdington, viewed our fox. He
' went on through Elmire to Cod Beck. Killed just over
' the beck near Topcliffe. One hour, forty minutes. Good
' scent, good week.'

The remainder of the month was wild and stormy.
Big winds and heavy rains alternately caused scent to be
but moderate, and nothing much in the way of sport took
place. The season ended on April 2nd : —

' April 2nd. Last day of the season. Little Ouseburn. High
' wind. Found in Marton Whin, to ground near Aldborough.
' Found in Lylands four foxes. Killed one after a scurry
' round the wood. Got headed. Found brace in Golds-
' brough Wood. No scent. Lost in Dent's Wood. Drew
' Hammerton Whin blank. Tremendous wind.'

Taken on the whole the season had been a satisfactory
one, though there are not many runs which stand out as
great ones to be recorded. Hounds were out 1 1 1 days
and were stopped eight days, once from fog in November,

COLONEL FAIRFAX'S MASTERSHIP. 151

five times from frost in December, and once in January
and Marcli from the same cause. They killed forty-three
brace of foxes and ran seventeen-and-a-half brace to ground ;
a very good record.

1874-75. — The next season was a much shorter one, for
frost interfered considerably with sport. Still it must be looked
upon as a very good one, as some excellent runs took
place, one at least deserving a prominent place in history,
whilst hounds still continued to account well for their foxes.
They commenced the cub-hunting season on September
3rd, at Overton Wood. The morning was not a very
favourable one, bright sunshine and storm alternating. In
Overton Wood they coulci do nothing, though they found a
small litter, so they went on to Court House Wood where
they found another small litter, and after a good deal of
work they killed one. It was the bitch pack that was out
on this day, but the dogs were not so lucky at their first
attempt, which was on Saturday, the 5th, at Escrick.
They fell in for a bad scenting day, but we read that
"they would have got blood had not Truman holloaed a
fox away just as we were on our beaten cub." The dogs,
however, were soon to have their turn, and on the
following Saturday they had a remarkably good day for the
time of year, as the following account shows : —

' Saturday, September 13th. Stub Wood. Good show of foxes.
'Fair scent, ran hard for forty minutes, then lost him.
'Went to Willey's Brockett ; found; lost him. Went back
'to Stub Wood, found and rattled him to the earth at
' Acaster ,and back, and killed. Went to Middlethorpe
' Wood, found a good litter, rattled them about the
' Archbi.shop's garden, and killed in a mangold field.
' Dogs worked well.'

Two more days in the month of September, and three
in October, stand out as good days in an exceptionally good
cub-hunting season.

152 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' Monday, September 14th. Stillington Hall. Found good
'show of cubs in Hawk Hills and Stillington. Got one
' into small covert near keeper's house at Hawk Hills.
' He took a turn in the open and they pulled him down.
' Bitches. Take two hours, fifteen minutes to get to
' Stillington. Started at 5 a.m.'

'Tuesday, September 22nd. Street Plouses. Found lots of
' cubs in vSteeton Whin, away by Bramber House to
' Pallethorpe earths, stopped hounds. Came back to
' Steeton where we killed a cub. Went to Pallethorpe,
' found a cub, away over the brook, killed in a hedgerow
' near Swindel's House. Good scurry for hounds. Found
' four foxes in Pickering Wood, took one away towards
' Wild Man, stopped the hounds at York road. Good day
' for hounds. Bolton Willow Garth blank.'

' Tuesday, October 20th. Acomb village. Found lots of foxes
' in Bog, ran one to Askham village, lost. Found in
' Colton, ran to Bog, and out, to ground in Copmanthorpe,
' bolted him, he beat us. We went on with him to Colton,
' through the whin, and he went to ground under the road
' near Copmanthorpe. Swann's terrier bolted him, and we
' killed at 4-30. Dogs. Good day.'

' Thursday, October 22nd. Scriven Bar. Went straight to
' Lofthouse Whin, found and killed a cub. Away with
' another over Hay Park, killed him near Arkendale after
• a nice hunt of forty minutes. Good thing for hounds.
' Bitches.'

'Saturday, October 31st. Thicket Priory. No foxes. Never
' found until we got to Skipwith Common, away to
' Osgodby, Cliff Woods, to ground on common in rabbit
' hole. Forty minutes, very fast. Dug him out. Dogs.'

This was the last day of the cub-hunting season, in which
hounds had been out thirty-four times, and killed thirteen-
and-a-half brace of foxes ; not quite such a good score as
the first season, but sport is not to be reckoned by the
number of noses on the kennel door, and on the whole it
was superior to its predecessor. The honours were pretty
evenly divided, the dogs killing seven brace.

COLONEL FAIRFAX'S MASTER SHIP. 153

The season opened on Monday, November 2nd, when
they met, as in the previous year, at Aldwark. There is
nothing- much to record, for though scent was good, circum-
stances were untoward, and only a poor day's sport was the
result. Their first fox from Aldwark Wood crossed the river
at Linton Lock, and hounds had to be stopped. Then a fox
which had been got out of a drain that morning only ran
some four fields before he was killed ; and they had not
much of a gallop from Court House Wood, where they found
the last fox of the day, who beat them. On the following
Monday they met at Strensall, where an incident took place
which points a moral for a certain class of people who need
not be further particularised. ' Found on the common ;
bagman, I think,' says Colonel Fairfax. It may be as well
to point out here that it is impossible to deceive experts with
a bag fox. Hounds cannot be deceived, and they have a
way of communicating their knowledge to those who under-
stand their ways. Many a man who wants it to be thought
that he preserves foxes, when he does nothing of the sort,
provides the Hungerford market variety, and Hatters himself
that no one is any the wiser. It would enlighten gentlemen
of this class considerably were they to be behind the door
where hunting men congregate, and to hear the comments
upon their conduct. Later on in the day a lady's horse
threw her, and galloping off amongst the hounds, caused
them to lose their fox, so that on the whole there was a
chapter of accidents on this day at Strensall. It was, how-
ever, made up for by the sport on the next day, which was
very satisfactory to a huntsman, though it was not productive
of very much incident. After a lot ot hound work, they
killed a brace of foxes. On the 14th they met at Crockey
Hill, where they only found two foxes, and Colonel Fairfax
remarks that the outlook for the season is not very cheering
in that locality. There was a fair average of sj^ort throughout

154 HISTORV OF THE YORK AND AINSTY BUNT.

November, that is, when hounds were able to hunt, as there
was a heavy snowstorm in the last week, and hounds were
kept in the kennel four days. The frost brought an improve-
ment in scent, however, and there was a good day to finish
the month : —

'Monday, November 30th. Myton. Found in gardens at
' Myton, nearly chopped him, got away at last bv
' Helperby, through Brafferton Spring, along the railway,
' over the moor to Sessay Wood, out at east side to
' within a field of Raskelf Whin, where we pulled him
' down. Fifty minutes' good hunting. Then went back
' to Alne Whin, found, away by village up to beck, Sam
' House Wood, turned over the beck back by Alne, beck
• flooded, so lost time in getting over and lost our fox.
' Good day's sport.'

' Tuesday, December ist. Bolton Percy. Scotland Wood blank.
' Beck flooded. Pallethorpe blank. Steeton full of foxes,
' got away with one towards Harper's, up to Matthews',
' back and on to Bolton village. Poor scent. Drew
' Colton Whin, went away well up to Appleton and
' Colton road (here the fox was headed), hit him off' again,
' by Steeton Hall, on to Pickering. Here a fresh fox got
' up and took us back to Colton, out towards Brocket,
' and lost him near Stub Wood. Hard day for hounds.
' No blood. It seems inclined to freeze, very cold showers,
' with piercing north wind. No scent whatever in the
' afternoon.'

The forebodings as to the weather were realised, for
hounds were unable to hunt on the Thursday, and though
they hunted a day or two on and off in the early part of
December, they were practically kept in the kennel till
January 6th, when they were able to take the field again,
though it was very bad riding. They had a tair day's sport
considering. They met at Acaster, and found in Stub Wood,
running by Copmanthorpe and Bishopthorpe to Backhouse's
gardens, and killed their fox in Mr. Richardson's garden
on the Mount.

COLONEL FAIRFAX'S MASTERSHIP. 155

Soon there was to come a good run, which I give in the
Colonel's own words : —

'Monday, January nth. Hawk Hills. Found at once, killed
' him after twelve minutes. Found in Fox Covert,
' Stillington, returned to Hawk Hills, away for Huby, left
' Sutton Whin on his right, one field over the Foss river,
' turned north to the hills, by Stearsby, Whenby, to Colton
' near Hovingham, where we killed him. Thick fog, all
' the hounds there but Racket. The best run I ever took
' part in. Time two hours, no check, hounds never cast.
' Graves, of Sutton, two farmers, young Hotham (Artillery),
' Captain Wardrop (3rd Dragoon Guards), York, servants
' and self saw the run. Robinson, of Easingwold got
' into Foss and blew his horse.'

There were several useful days' sport in January, one
more of which must be noticed : —

' Monday, January 25th. Alne Mill. Found in whin, killed
' him near Tholthorpe. Found in Aldwark Wood, ran fast
' by Linton Wood, Alne Whin to Aldwark village, lost.
' Found in Overton Wood, away by Skelton .Spring,
' Moorlands, Launde House, back to Moorlands, killed
' after a good hour. Castlereagh, Godman, etc. out.
' Good day's sport.'

They had a o-ood day from Roecliffe on February 4th,
and then they were again troubled with frost. They were,
however, able to hunt again on the 12th, when they had a
capital day for hounds, killing their first fox, and running
their second to ground. The latter was from Askham Bogs
to Stub Wood, twenty minutes without a check, and we read
that ' Dawnay led the way.' On the iSth they had a good
hunt of an hour and fifty minutes from Lylands, killing in
Flaxby Wood ; but scent did not serve well, and hounds had
to work hard for their fox.

' Tuesday, February 23rd. Red House. Found, away at once
' to Wilstrop, out at end, over river, Skip Bridge, all

-^ T

156 HISTORY OF THE YORK AiVD ATNSTY HUyT.

' through Nun Monkton country, back by Green Hammerton,
' killed him at Skewkirk. One hour, thirty minutes good
' run. Got on ta a disturbed fox at Harewood's Whin,
'took him through Grange Wood, Askham, Normans,
' Ingrish, lost near Ingrish House. Good day.'

The scarcity of foxes on the north side of York was the
subject of comment more than once during the early part of
March. The month was a fairly good one, but during the
latter part of it the ground was dry and hard, and scent was
moderate. They had one good day at the latter end of the
month, though it was rather an unlucky one : —

' Thursday, March 25th. Scriven Bar. Drew Scotton Bank,
' found, fox went over water, stopped hounds. On to
' Mires, found, ran into Warren, where we killed her,
'vixen in cub. On to Burton Whin, found brace, away
' by village, bending towards brook, over it, away to
' Brearton, Nidd railway bridge, down wood and killed
'him. A good hunting run. Racket worked well. On
' to Loftus, killed a dog, mangy. Hay Park, Gibbett's
' blank, so home. Fair day for hounds.'

It may interest readers to learn that, two days later, when
Colonel Fairfax was unable to be out himself, Truman took
the hounds to Thirkleby, and found a wonderful show of
foxes. There was a vixen in Thirkleby, and a brace of
foxes each in Sessay Wood, Clark's Wood, Raskelf Wood,
and Brafferton Spring.

Hounds were out ninety-nine days^ were stopped by frost
twenty-four days, killed thirty-three brace of foxes, and ran
eighteen-and-a-half brace of foxes to ground.

At the end of the season an enquiry was held which will
be given in full, as it touches upon an important subject.
During the season the scarcity of foxes in some of the
coverts north of York had been the occasion of considerable
comment, and the enquiry had to do with this scarcity.

COLOXEL FAIRFAX'S MASTERSHIP. ,57

' On Tuesday, April 27th, the following gentlemen met cat
' Mr. Wilkinson's farm, to investigate a charge brought by
' Herring, Mr. Haxby's keeper, against Skipper, Sessay
' keeper, of setting traps in the boundary-hedge.

' Present : — Colonel Fairfax, Mr. G. Buncombe, Mr. Pierson
' (agent to Lord Downel, Mr. Daw (sub-agent), Mr. Robinson.
'Thormanby; Mr. Wilkinson, Cold Harbour.

' Herring states : — " I have seen trapping going on all the
' winter. Six weeks ago I saw a place where traps had
' been just taken up. I also saw a man dressed as a keeper
' setting two traps in the boundary-field. I could identify
' the man. He is not now here." (Herring points out the
' field on an estate-plan shown him by Mr. Pierson.)

'■Question by the Court: "Were these traps set on the level?"

'Answer: "Yes."

'Question: "In your opinion, were they dangerous to foxes?"

'Answer: "Yes, very."

' Question by Mr. Pierson : " Have you ever struck any traps
in the boundary-fence between Mr. Webb's and Lord
Downe's ? "

' Anszver : " Yes, often."

' Skipper, keeper, Sessay, being called in, denies trapping
' on the boundary, and states that, having heard reports of
' trapping on the boundary, he ordered one of his men on
' last Sunday week to look over the ground on the boundary,
' to go into Raskelf Whin and look for cubs. He went on
' Saturday night, and whilst he was concealed in the whin
' he saw a man with a trap in his hand coming towards
' him. The man walked up to where he was concealed, and
' on his asking him what he was doing, said he was going
' to catch a rabbit. On Sunday morning he saw the same
' man and two others digging rabbits in the covert at about
' nine a.m.

' Barnard, the under-keeper, being called, tells the same story,
' and identifies the farm servant, who acknowledges his
' fault, and is reprimanded by his master.

' The Court are of opinion that trapping dangerous to foxes,
' has undoubtedly been going on, and beg that Skipper
' will be most careful with his traps for the future, also that
' he will caution his men to be very careful.

U

158 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' Mr. Wilkinson is much annoyed at his men, and will see that

' they trespass in the whin no more.
' The Court thank Herring for his evidence, and also hope that

' he will keep a sharp look out that no persons trespass in

' the covert on any pretence whatever.
' 28th April, 1875. ' T. F. Fairfax.'

The season of 1875-76 commenced on September 6th,
and sport during the month was not very good, though
hounds accounted satisfactorily for their foxes. As a rule,
though, scent was bad, the ground was very hard, and there
were considerable difficulties to contend with. Still fourteen
foxes in as many days was no bad record, and we read that
the bitches had the most luck. They had twenty-nine days'
cubbing, and got hold of fifteen-and-a-half brace of foxes,
so that they may be said to have begun the season well.

They opened the regular season at Hawk Hills on
November ist, and found a good show of foxes in all the
coverts there, but had not much sport. But they had not
long to wait for a really first-rate day : —

' Thursday, November 1 1 th. Street Houses. Ball day. Trotted
' off to Colton. Found, away to Copmanthorpe, Bishop-
' thorpe, back to Copmanthorpe Wood, over the earth
' there, very fast over Appleton Beck to Low Acaster,
' where he crossed the river for Long Rush, ]\Ioreby.
' Luckily we got the hounds back. Hounds ran hard
' and fast and would soon have killed him. Monkton,
'Johnstone, Fox, C. Molyneux, Leeman, etc., went well.
' Most of field choked off by the drains. Went to
' Swann's Whin, found, away to Rufford and back to
' whin to ground. So ended a good day's sport. Three
' horses killed.'

Mr. Fairfax^ died on November 24th, after a comparatively
short illness, and Yorkshire lost one of her most notable
sportsmen. Hounds did not hunt for a few days, and as

(i) The Master's father.

COLONEL FAIRFAX'S MASTERSHIP.

159

soon as they jjot to work again they were bothered by frost
and snow, and it was not till the end of the year that there
was anything great to record. Then came two good days
indeed : —

' Monda}^ December 27th. Skelton. Fine hunting day, but
' scent not so good as expected. Crowds of foot people.
' Drew Skelton small coverts blank, on to New Parks.
' Found, away to Huby, turned to his right and pointed
' for Moorlands, came round by beck to New Parks
' again, through Dodholme, to ground in a rabbit hole
' on Mr. Layton's land. One hour. Dug him out. Bitches
' worked well. Went on to Court House, found, but
' killed him in covert. Overton full of fo.xes, but it was
' getting late, so we did no more. Good day for hounds,
'just put the pack in good heart, getting blood after so
' many hard days without it. Horses carried us well.'

' Tuesday, December 28th. Acaster. Did not find in Stub
'Wood, but a fox was holloaed just outside. He went
' away as if for Nun Appleton, but turned to his right
' towards Appleton, was headed at the common, turned
' to Brocket Hagg, through it, away towards Copmanthorpe,
' turned to the left to railway crossing near Colton Hagg,
' did not cross, went parallel with line by Colton Brecks,
' on to Appleton Mill, very fast. Here there was a check
' in road. Forester took line up road. Two hares had
'just gone that way, the old hounds did not seem to
' like it. Fox had turned short to right behind us, got
' on to him, hunted him to Kilby, owing to sheep, etc.,
' we lost all trace. Went to New Wood on spec of
' getting up to him, got on to him at once, away by
' Wright's house, over park, through Bridge plantation,
' raced along Ings to Scotland Wood, and away to Bolton
' station. One hour, forty minutes. Got D. Oliver's
' gardener's dog, who bolted him, so the hounds got him
' after a deal of work. Went to Steeton, found at once,
' away by Harper's nearly to Colton House, turned to
' the left and ran to ground at cottages. Street Houses.
' Fifteen minutes, good scent, good sport. Best scent of
' this year. Romper worked well.'

i6o HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A IN STY HUNT.

It was an amiable trait in Colonel Fairfax's character
that 'he loved a run best when a friend saw it too'; and
frequently in his diary does he express his regret when his
field, or some of them, have inadvertently missed a run.
Of this, the following- extract affords an instance : — •

'Tuesday, P'ebruary 8th. Reel House. Found in wood,
' stopped hounds crossing river. Went to whin, found
' brace, got away with one over bridge to station. Some
' three couples of hounds took another fox over river
' to Wilstrop on to Harewood Wliin, where we found
' them. Found in whin, away to Rufforth village, through
' farm buildings, away over marshes by Collier Hagg,
' Chapel Hill to Healaugh village, on to Nova Scotia,
' where I think he went to ground in the main earths.
' However, the hounds got on to a stale drag and we
' gave it up. A very good burst, forty-five minutes
'without check. Francis Johnstone, Bob Swann, etc.,
' were the leading men. If we had killed our fox it
' would have been the best burst of season. Slingsby,
' Sir George Wombwell, and others were out of it I am
' sorry to say. Smith of Aldborough went well and got
' a cropper.'

Another good day in February must end the extracts
from the diary for this season : —

' Tuesday, February 28th. Nun Appleton. Found in Bridge
' plantation. Took him round of park, and away by
' Appleton, Kilby, Colton Brecks, Brocket Hagg, and killed
' him near Stub Wood. One hour ; good hunt. Went to
' Colton Whin. Just as we got to whin a fox came away,
' pointing for Copmanthorpe. Laid on hounds at once, and
' away over railway througli Copmanthorpe Wood, leaving
'Greenland on the right, pointed for Acaster ; left it on
' left to Stub Wood, through it down to river, where he
' was prevented crossing by a barge. However, he doubled
' back into wood, and made his point, and crossed opposite
' Moreby. We went round by Naburn, and came up with
' the hounds at Naburn Wood corner, having killed their
* fox. One hour twenty minutes. One of the best days I

COLONEL FAIRFAX'S MASTERSHIP. i6i

' ever have seen in the Ainsty for hounds. Ground very
' deep, scent excellent. Rode a mare of vSir George's in
' first run ; well carried. Dog pack worked well."

Frost bothered them in the early part of March, and we
find Colonel Fairfax expressing his regret at the disappoint-
ment of the many who had drawn up at Skip Bridge on the
loth of that month, in the hope that hunting might be
possible. ' There were many at meet disappointed, for which
I was very sorry,' he writes, and then adds: 'N.B. Always
go to meet.'

The season finished on April 20th, when they ran a good
fox from Askham Boy's, and marked him to ground at Red
House. Altogether they hunted one hundred and seven
days, were stopped by frost eleven days, killed forty-three-
and-a-half brace, marked twenty-one brace to ground, and
had two blank days. The dogs killed twenty-four-and-a-half
brace and ran seven brace to ground, and the bitches killed
nineteen brace and ran fourteen brace to ground, so that
the honours were pretty evenly divided, the bitches accounting
for a brace and a half more than the dogs, who had the best
luck in killing their foxes.

1876-77. The following season opened early in Sep-
tember, but after hunting a few days they had to stop on
account of the late harvest. On Saturday the second, they
commenced at Goldsbrough, but there was so much corn
uncut round the moor that they had to go to the wood, and
after working the wood well with no scent, they went home
without blood. They had, however, the satisfaction of
knowing that there was an excellent show of foxes. Sep-
tember was a fairly satisfactory month, as they were out
fifteen days, and killed twelve brace of foxes, but there is
nothing much to note about the sport. On October 19th,
we read that Colonel Fairfax took the dog hounds to Scriven
Bar for a change, the note in the diary stating, ' They have

1 62 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AIN'^TY HUNT.

had enough of Escrick side ; will give the bitches a turn
there.' And here it may be remarked that it is a very
judicious plan to change hounds sometimes, especially when
they have had a long run of ill luck. The dog hounds had
a good day in their fresh country, for they killed a brace of
foxes, and ran another to ground, and the entry acquitted
themselves well and to the satisfaction of the master.

On the following Tuesday there was a somewhat unusual
occurrence, which should not pass unnoticed. They met at
Nun Appleton, and after killing a brace of cubs there, they
went on to Askham Bogs, where they found and killed a cub.
' Nalton got him out,' writes the master; 'a most unusual
thino- to kill a fox in the Boys.' I mav remark that durino-
the time I have hunted with the York and Ainsty I never
saw a fox killed in the Bog^s, nor have I heard of one being
killed there during the last few seasons.

The cub-hunting season was a fairly good one ; foxes
had turned up well in most parts of the country, and they
had killed twenty-one brace of foxes, the bitches killing the
most, and they did their work the best. The condition of
the hounds at the end of the ctib-hunting season was by no
means satisfactory, and is a subject of complaint on more
than one occasion.

The regular season began on Monday, October 30th, at
StrensaJl, when hounds had a fairly good and very hard day,
not getting home till six o'clock. The weather in November
was unsettled, scent was catchy, and early in the month there
was snow, which, however, did not interfere much with sport,
and as not infrequently happens when there is an early trost,
the season was an open one : —

' Monday, November 13th. Alne Mill. Dog hounds. Snow all
' gone, country heavy. Felt seedy myself, but soon warmed
'up. Found a fox in whin very soon. Away very fast
' towards Myton. Lost him, most unaccountably, at Cass

COLONEL FA LR FAX'S MASTERSHIP. 163

' farm, near IMyton Moor ; whether he went down road or
' not, can't say. Scent fair; hounds raced. On to Aldvvark
'Wood; found, ran round wood, and killed him. On
' inspection, found to have some toes off from trapping.
' On to Linton Woods. Found at once three or four
' foxes ; got on to one who took us a short ring towards
' Tollerton, back to Linton Wood, out Ahie side, and we
' killed him near Youlton farm. Good for hounds. On to
' Court House ; found. Away to Newton-on-Ouse, through
' the village, and stopped the hounds crossing the river.
' On to park, where we had a fox sitting in a tree ; put
' him out, coursed him all along Ings, nearly to Overton
' Wood, turned and dodged, and getting on to fresh foxes,
' we missed him. So home. Fair day's sport. Dogs
' worked well.'

'Tuesday, November 21st. Dringhouses. Fine hunting day.
' Found in Bog, but fox got headed and came back to
' Bog. So many foot people out that I would not go
' back, but went on to Swann's Whin, where we were a
' very long time before we found. At last away he went to
' Hell Hole, Healaugh, Catterton Bottoms, up to Bilbrough,
' down nearly to Colton ; here he turned for Askham, was
' viewed at road, and went to ground in earth near Catterton
' lane. Good gallop. Changed our horses, went back to
'Grange Wood; found. Away; tremendous pace to Rufforth
' village, over marshes to Collier Hagg, on by Chapel Hill,
' where we changed ; on to Healaugh village, to Duce
' Wood, where we changed ; on to Wighill village, where
' we stopped the hounds. Bitches, twenty-four couples, ran
' stout and well. Charles and I both well carried.'

From this it would appear that the unsatisfactory condition
in which hounds had been early in the season, had disappeared.

December was not a very good month ; the country was
much flooded, and this, of course, interfered with scent. Still
there was some fair sport, and there were several good
scenting days when the floods did not interfere : —

'Tuesday, December 19th. Acaster. Found in wood, and
'killed him. Away with another towards Nun Appleton,
' bent round and back to Brocket^ out at end, away to

Ik

164 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' Middlethorpe, to ground. Never found again. Bogs
' blank, Swann's Whin blank. So home. Good day ;
' country terribly deep. Bitches ran well ; Rocket rather
' wild. vScent good on ground not flooded. Maxwell and
' other Holderness men out. Gamecock carried me well, so
' did Magpie, Charles. William got a bad fall over timber,
' near Brocket Hagg, — his own fault. No foxes about
' Swann's Whin. Can't understand it; they don't like it.'

From the last entry it would seem that foxes had taken
one of those strange dislikes to a covert which are so difficult
to account for, and which may probably have their origin in
hounds killing a fox in the covert, and leaving him to run
another.

The new year began well, and they had a fair day's sport
on New Year's Day, when they met at Skelton, and found
plenty of foxes in Overton Wood. They ran hard a series of
rings for a couple of hours, and then killed a fox near Fair-
field. The following week came two great days, the latter
probably one of the best and most satisfactory ever seen over
the Ainsty, and one, moreover, which conveys an important
lesson : —

' Monday, January 8th. Melbourne Hall. Found fo.Kes, but
' they were either bagmen or had very recently been turned
' down. Ran all round the place, but could not catch one.
' lierries and some Holderness men out. Christie, of Mel-
' bourne, very keen, and means foxes. On to Elvington,
' blank. Wheldrake, blank. Found at three in Yarbrough
' covert. Away at once, with burnijig scent, to Telmire ;
' back to Wheldrake, and away to Escrick park, to gardens
' without check. Never saw hounds run faster or better.
' Here we lost our fox, getting on to fresh one either in
' park or in small covert outside. So home at six p.m.
' Excellent gallop ; just wanted blood to make it perfect.
' Morris C. Molyneux, Starkej', B. Lawley, Whitehead, went
'well; Charles and I rather out of it, our horses having
' done a deal in the morning ; got to the end, though, very
'successfully. Wonderful evening scent.'

COLONEL FAIRFAX'S MASTERSHIP.

i6-.

' Tuesday, January gth. Skip Bridge inn. Found at once.
Away to Red House, out at end without pause, through
park, over brook to Hessay, through orchards on to
Rufforth Hall, over brook as if for Marston, over road
(York and Wetherby), Marston side of Thorns. Here
B. Lawley viewed him. On nearly to Hutton Hall, turned

' to left over rushy grass fields back to Thorns. Here we
had our first pause. Bob Swann viewed him in covert.
He came out near Strangwayes, and Ellis vowed he
was a fresh fox. However, I just got a view of him,
and thought otherwise. Got the hounds on to his line,
and ran into him in the open, three fields on in our own
country. Time, fifty minutes, without check. Scent bril-
liant. Dogs worked well. Much pleased they went on so
well. On to Swann's Whin. Some time before we could

■ get a fox that had been seen to go in to move. At last
away he went, as if for Collier Hagg, turned to his right
away by Nat's house, back of Askham Bryan, Acomb
Wood, to ground in brick-kiln near Dringhouses. Hounds
ran as if tied to him. We sent for Robert's terrier, but
he could not bolt him, so home at two o'clock, well pleased
with the day. G. Fox, Lowther, Gunter, and others out.
Young dogs worked well, so did old Fickle. Hounds in
rare order for going. All we want is settled weather.
Lamed my chestnut horse. Charles's horse, Magpie, did
not go so well as usual. Pepper and N. Grey for second
run. Never had a better day in Ainsty. C. Molyneu.x
went well.'

The latter was indeed a remarkably good day, and one
that the Master might well love to linger over. The month
was distinguished for tine runs, of which another must be
given :^

' Tuesday, January 23rd. .Skip Bridge. Frosty day. Found
' at once in whin, away to Wilstrop, through Rash, down
' to .Skewkirk, along river bank to Cattal, over there,
' on through Dent's belts, Scaithe Moor, over railway,
' forward for Whixley, turned to his left and ran him
' into belt near Stourton. Here a fresh fox jumped up,
' but luckily I had seen our fox enter the covert, so
' recalled the hounds, and going with Gunter and Moorsom

V

1 66 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' back, the hounds hit upon their fox, Frantic pulling
' him out from under the ditch bank where he had
' squatted, so they bowled him over. Good run. One hour,
' twenty minutes. Seven and a half miles. Dick Oliver
'pleased. Drew Dent, Selcarrs, found, away to Cattal, but
' getting on to foiled ground did no more, so home. Dogs
' worked well. Forester and Frantic especially.'

There was fair sport in February, but the most interesting
fact recorded in the diary is the great improvement made in
a hound Colonel Fairfax had obtained from Mr. Piatt. On
his first appearance he says of him that he ' is a failure,
noisy, and tires.' Three weeks later we read that ' Gameboy,
from Mr. Piatt, is a most excellent dog ; shall use him, most
certainly.' It would look as if Gameboy had been rather
strange to the country at first, and probably his delinquencies
on his first appearance were due to his shyness. No hounds
by him, however, appear to have been entered.

The season ended on Saturday, April 15th, with a bye-
day at Acaster, and a good day it was for the time of year.
They began with a smart run from Stub Wood by Askham
Bogs to Askham Mill, where they killed ; and they had other
two runs, marking both their foxes to ground after nice
gallops, a good record for the middle of April. During the
season they hunted one hundred and twenty-four days, were
stopped by frost four days, and by fog one. They killed
forty-eight-and-a-half brace of foxes, and ran fifteen brace to
ground, and they had never a blank day.

1877-78. — A very late start was made this season, and it
was not till September 15th that they were able to begin
with the cubs. Even then all the barley was standing, and
the standing corn interfered with operations for some weeks.
They did some useful work on their opening morning, and
got hold of a cub. Stub Wood being the venue. The young
entry framed well, and Colonel F'airfax was now getting a
very good pack of hounds together, the Belvoir Fallible

COLONEL FALR FAX'S MASTERSHLP. 167

blood showing to great advantage ; and frequently in his
diary does the Colonel refer to the stoutness of the Belvoir
and Milton blood. It will be remembered that this same
season of 1877-78 was famous for some good runs in Sep-
tember, and many packs had runs during the early days of
the cub-huntinof which would not have disgraced Februarv.
The York and Ainsty were amongst these, and on the 20th
they had a famous gallop from the Holly Carrs, by Simpson's
Wood, Riccall, and over the common to Skipwith village,
of which no one saw anything except Mr. C. Molyneu.x and
the Master. They had another good day on the following
Tuesday (25th), killing a fox from Askham Bogs, where the
Colonel says he ' never saw so much water at any time of
the year,' and he relates that when drawing, hounds were
generally swimming.

Early on in the season there was quite a chapter of
accidents, which, indeed, was not to be wondered at when
the state of the ground and the blindness of the fences are
taken into consideration ; and on October 9th, when they
met at Oxton Hall, we find that, amongst other casualties.
Sir William Milner had a very bad fall, and Mr. Bateman was
severely kicked. A note in the diary will be read with
interest: — -'Smith out; useful man; great assistance.' In
the twenty-eight days' cubbing they killed twelve brace and
ran four brace to ground.

The regular season commenced on Thursday, November
1st, at Scriven Bar, where they had a fair day's sport. They
found a fox in Walkingham 'Warren, and killed him after a
lot of knocking about, and then they had a nice gallop from
Burton Wood to Bishop Monkton, and finally stopped hounds
at dark. The field all got to the wrong side of the beck in
this run, and though the Master got over all right on .Skelton,
others were not so successful, and there was a wet jacket
or two.

1 68 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

On November 19th (Monday), they had a capital run
with their afternoon fox, finding- at Linton, and rolhng him
over at Myton Bridge, after a racing fifty minutes ; and on
Saturday the week finished well with a gallop from Osgodby
to Skipwith Common, ending with a kill.

'Thursday, November 2Qth. Bishop Alonkton. Bitch pack.
'Carry their condition better than dogs. Terrible wet
' day. Found in whin, tremendous big fox, but he soon
' succumbed. On to Burton Wood, found, away up
' marshes, fox laid down, got up out of some rushes,
'ran back to Burton, Dark Walk, on to big warren fields;
' here we viewed him, but he slipped back, and we changed
'foxes in Copgrove garden, and did no more with him.
' Scent good. On to Roecliffe Whin, found three foxes,
' away with one towards river, and killed. Lawson's
'coverts blank. Viewed a fox on our way to Loftus,
' ran him to river by back of Roecliffe village, over line
' to Boroughbridge, through town on to Aldborough, where
' we lost him amongst houses. Four p.m., so we rode home.
' Hard day for bitches. Dairymaid and Rocket rather
'slack at end. Rocket a strain. A puppy followed us
' home from Copgrove. Got home at 8-30 p.m.'

' Tuesday, December 4th. Acaster. Lots of foxes in Stub
'Wood. Found a good one in Copmanthorpe Wood,
'straight to New Wood earths,. Nun Appleton, on through
' Bridge plantation, Sickle Pit, Wharfe mouth, back to
' keeper's house, killed in Belt. One hour, fortv minutes.
' On to Colton, where we did not find.'

' Tuesday, December 1 8th. Copmanthorpe. Fine day. Found at
' once in Bog, but lost him at back of Askham Bryan. Got
' on to him again near Brest's and hunted down to Colton
' Hagg. Here we gave him up. On to Copmanthorpe
' Wood, blank. Two foxes in Bean's Brocket, away towards
' Nun Appleton, turned at Green Lane and went fast to
' Acaster Malbis, viewed him at Naburn Ferry, ran him
' into Dawson's Willow Garth, and killed. Away with
' another fast to Copmanthorpe station, wood, to Simpson's
' farm, Colton Brecks, on to Appleton village, through
' village towards Holme Green, on to Green lane ; left

COLONEL FAIRFAX'S MASTERSHIP. 169

' Kennel Wood on right and belts, straight down to
' Wharfe mouth. Crossed here. I got into a small boat
' with my horse, Sir Walter. He took fright, knocking
' me over, broke my collar bone, and very nearly got
' drowned. However, a bargeman took him out, and going
' on I stopped the hounds at Cawood. So home. Good
' day's sport.'

Colonel Fairfax was laid up for some few days, and the
hounds were hunted by Charles Haggar, who performed his
new duties very satisfactorily ; and on January 3rd, which
was the first day that the master was out after his accident,
we read that he was thoroughly satisfied with the way in
which 'Charles did his work.' Colonel Fairfax was soon at
work again, and showed a fair average of sport till the latter
end of January, when he had a day which was rather out of
the common : —

' Tuesday, January 29th. Copmanthorpe. Hard frost in night.
' No moving out of kennel till twelve noon. Doubtful
' then. Could not draw Bogs owing to ice. Found Bean's
' Brocket, raced to Colton Hagg, back over railway on
' to Colton Brecks farm, R. Kilby's, back by Appleton
' village to Brocket, through Brocket to ground near
' Holme Green in rabbit hole, on old moat. Dug him
' out. On to Stub Wood, found, raced into him near
' Brocket. Good day for hounds. Scent good. Ground
' hard ; freezing. Bitches do well in Ainsty ; quite as
' well as dogs.'

There was a fair average of sport during the next month,
though it began with a few days' stoppage from frost. There
was not much inconvenience in this respect, however, and
after being kept in kennel four days, hounds went on un-
interruptedly till March 25th, when there was a sudden storm
of snow and frost, which Colonel Fairfax characterises as
' very remarkable.' Hounds were only stopped one day, and
a few days after they had a very good day : —

I70 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' Thursday, March 28th. Roecliffe. Frost and cold snow
' showers. Found in whin at once, away to river, stopped
' hounds. On to Burton Wood, found, away to Bishop
' Monkton Whin, out of whin to ground in quarry near
' Stainley. On to Warren, found, did no good. Back
' to Warren. On to Mires. Found, ran hard to Scriven,
' on to Gibbet's and I.oftus Whin, out of Loftus, and
' killed. Found again in Loftus, away by Farnham,
' Warren, Copgrove, Burton Wood, over Ings to opposite
' Newby, crossed Ure, and lost near Milby Whin, (xood
' day's sport. Home by road through Boroughbridge.
' Did not get home till 8-30. The young IMinisters don't
' seem to relish a very severe day so much as the Milton
' sort or Belvoir.'

An account of a good run in April must conclude the
history of this season : —

' Monday, A.pril 8th. Dringhouses. A very blowy, cold, east
' windy day, as dry and hard as possible. All York on
' foot and carriages out, also A. Pennington and several
' Holderness men. Drew the Bogs, found a brace, went
' away with one towards Oldfield's, over railway ; stopped
' hounds and trotted off to Acomb to Harewood's Whin.
' Found, away at west end to Rufiforth church earths,
' through village, hit it off near drain side, away like
' mad to Clavton earths, and Nova Scotia. Here we
'came up with him, took him away through Duce Wood
' to Healaugh Manor, on to Shire (Jaks, out at end, over
' grass to near Tadcaster town end, by river, into Healaugh
' Park, where they pulled him down in pond. Time,
' fifty minutes, a very good run. Bitches worked well.
' Went to Pallethorpe, Steeton, Colton blank. Found in
' Bogs, but did no more.'

Hounds were out one hundred and nineteen days. They
killed forty-one brace of fo.xes, and ran seventeen brace to
ground. They were stopped ten days by frost, and fog
in,terfered with them half a day. Happily there was not a
blank day.

1878-79. — An early start was made the following season,

COLONEL FAIRFAX'S MASTERSHLP.

171

the campaign against the cubs commencing at 4-45 a.m. on
Saturday, August 31st, at the Common Wood, Escrick. A
very wet morning and a bad scent prevented them getting
blood, and the sport was nothing to speak of, though the
young hounds did as well as could have been looked for
under such circumstances. The early part of the cubbing
season was not distinguished by very good sport ; foxes were
fairly plentiful in most parts of the country, and hounds got
plenty of blood. The record of the following day is well
worth reading", more perhaps as showing the care and attention
which the writer bestowed upon every minute detail connected
with hounds in the kennel and in the field, than for sport
which it describes. It will be noticed that if there was a
scarcity of foxes in some places, Grafton was evidently not
one of them : —

' Thursday, October 24th. Grafton Whin. Good show of foxes.
' Ran rings round whin, and killed one in open. Drew
' all Croft's coverts blank. Found in Dale, ran towards
' Lylands, and lost near Croft's coverts. Very heavy rain.
' Trotted off to Thorpe Green. Found two cubs, and after
' some good work ran into one in the open, near earths.
' Found near Farrer's. Ran up on to hill, Whixley way.
' Here he was headed, and retraced his steps ; swam the
' pond at Kirb}^ and we lost him in road by lodge. Bitches
' rather tired. Is Fallible, after all, a good stallion ? We
' shall see. Young hounds require patience and careful
' handling in the field just now, or they may soon be tired
' if galloped about after fresh foxes. Very wet day.'

Events showed that Colonel Fairfax need not have had
a moment's uneasiness respecting the hound whose merits he
was one of the first to recognise. In 1881 five-and-a-half
couples of hounds, descended from his sons or daughters,
were put forward, and of these a couple-and-a-half were from
the bitches who had tired a little on the day in question ;
whilst in the following year, ten out of the twelve couples

172 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

entered were by Fleecer, Fencer, or Latimer, sons of the
Belvoir Fallible.

The regular season opened well at Sutton Hall, where
there was an excellent show of foxes, and hounds kept
changing all day. The result was a very hard day without
blood, and as the country rode very deep, there were more
than the usual number of falls. The next day is worthy of
notice, inasmuch as hounds met out of their regular country
at the request of the Archbishop : —

' Tuesday, November 5th. Bishop Monkton — not Ainsty, — at
' request of Archbishop, as he had a meeting in York.
' How powerful are the attractions of hunting ! Found in
' whin ; ran to ground in quarry. G. Wickham viewed
' another fox. Laid them on ; carried him through Burton
'Whin to Brearton village, where we lost. On to Warren.
' Found. Raced through Mires, over grass fields by
' Brearton to Bilton Banks, and on to a quarry of Miss
' Rawson's, beyond Nidd. Here we made no more of him ;
' lost. Some hounds crossed river, so we went back to look
' for them. Found all but Forester. Mason met with an
' accident, and is laid up.'

The season was a very broken one, and snow came early,

hounds being stopped by it from November nth to the

1 8th, and when they were able to hunt there was not much

sport. Colonel Fairfax speaking of it as the very worst month

for scent he ever knew. December was one long frost, and

from the 6th to the 30th hounds were kept in kennel. Then

came a good day's sport, all the more welcome after such a

long stoppage : —

' Tuesday, December 31st. Buckle's inn. Though the "bone"
' was scarcely out of the ground, we hunted with turned-up
'horses at Buckle's inn. Monro, two Newtons, Mills,
' Nalton, Dykes, AUonby, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver, my wife and
' children, composed the field. We trotted off to Pickering
' Wood. Found at once. Ran up to Kilby's, through
' Willow Garth, Stank Hill, nearly to Colton House, over to

COLONEL FAIRFAX'S MASTERSHIP. ,73

' Marshall's, into Street lane, down it back to Pickering,
' where we killed him. The beck so full, we had to go over
' bridge. Drew Pallethorpe; found. Raced to Bolton Willow
' Garth, back by Upton's house on to Oxton, where he got
' to ground in the earth. Drew up coverts at Nun Appleton
' blank. On to Brocket. Found. Ran hard to Stub Wood.
* Here Forester got away alone, and we had some dfficulty
' in bringing the others up. However, we carried him over
' Copmanthorpe Beck, over line at station, on to Colton,
' back over line to Copmanthorpe Wood, on towards Nun
' Appleton. Coming on dark, so we stopped hounds.
' Hard day.'

Then came frost on January 2nd, and thouorh they tried
to hunt on that day they could do no good ; and with the
exception of a stolen day on January 15th, they were not out
again until February 7th, when the dog-hounds had a bye-
day at Acaster, and killed a fo.x.

' Monday, February loth. Hawk Hills. Dogs. Chopped a fox.
' Another went away at same time. Wadsley, instead
' of putting on the hounds, must needs throw him up for
'hounds, &:c., so we lost time. Laid them on at last,
'settled to scent after a bit, carrying him through Little
' Ings Wood, then at best pace towards Crayke, round by
' Brandsby side of Crayke, over the whin covert, turned to left
' back to Hawk Hills House, on fast to brick-kiln near New
' Parks, back to Hawk Hills, to ground in earths. Capital
' run ; horses about tired. New Parks, blank. On 10 Court
' House. Found brace of foxes. Got on to one that took
' us by Josey W^ood, round by back of Shipton to Skelton
' .Spring, on to Overton Wood, where we ran foxes till dark.
' So home. Scent fair.'

' Tuesday, February 1 8th. Copmanthorpe. Snow an inch deep.
' However, by eleven it was all gone, and we put into
' Askham Bogs. Found at once. Away over railway as if
' for Acaster. He ran to ground, though, on farm near
' Bishopthorpe. Dug, bolted, and eat him. Back to Bogs.
' Found. Away fast to Acomb Woods, turned to brick-
' kilns, over railway, down to Bishopthorpe Wood, through
' Middlethorpe, and into Mr. Wilson's house close to York,

W

174 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

■'where we killed him. G. Leatham, on Jorrocks, got a
' nasty fall ; Bates, Mrs. Wardle, Monro, went well. Having
' had enough of Bogs foxes, who, owing to the wind, dared
' not go the good line towards Grange Wood, we trotted
' straight off towards Harewood's Whin ; blank. Grange
' Wood, blank. Swann's Whin, found. Away towards
' Collier Hagg. Young hounds pushed on to the Hagg,
' Blameless having g'one on through Angram, with fox.
' Soon set this mistake straight, though we never caught
' her till Healaugh village. Here we got on fair terms with
' our fox, raced him past Fairy Carr, Clayton earths, past
' east end of Marston Whin, nearly to Tockwith ; bent to
' our left back by Bilton Hall, through wood, and missed
' him in Nova Scotia owing to fresh scents of disturbed
' foxes. Good day's sport ; ground very deep ; horses all
' done ; Telford, &c., all going well.'

Two days later came more frost, and hounds were confined
to the kennel till February 27th, when they met at Stourton,
and though there was still a orood deal of snow about, they
had a very satisfactory day, killing a leash of foxes. In the
beginning of the following month they had one of the best
days of the season, the country and the sport being all that
could be wished : —

' Monday, March 3rd. Strensall. Found on Common. Away
'over Foss to raihvav, along line side to Flaxton station,
' turned to the left, leaving .Stittenham Wood on left,
' through Foston, and lost at Barton Hill. Fine run.
' Grimston carried me well. Back to .Sutton Whin. Found.
' Away fast, as if for Strensall, turned over the Foss, up
'through Sheriff Hutton Park to Stittenham Wood corner;
' here he was headed, turned over the Carrs, and we pulled
' him down at foot of hill. Fifty minutes' good work. The
' second run, W. Smith, Swann, Lascelles, and others were
' thrown out by Foss, but caught them at a check by
' Stittenham Wood, caused by Telford jumping into the
' pack at a road. Soon put it right. The ditches on the
' Carrs were very deep and broad. -Shepherd carried me
' well. Lee, of Gardham, and Botterill, of Holderness,
' were out, and went well. A very good day's sport.'

COLONEL FAIRFAX'S UFASTERSHIP.

175

The last day on which Colonel Fairfax hunted hounds, of
which an account remains, was April loth, though in the
diary it appears that they hunted on the 12th at Stillingfleet.
No account of the latter day's sport is given, but only the
bare announcement that hounds met there, and probably
there was not much to do : —

'Thursday, April loth. Bishop Monkton. Very cold. East
'wind, dry. Whin blank; Burton ditto. Cayton Gill blank,
'till Ingleby's end. Found, and killed him. On to Park.
'Found in Fir.s. Soon lost, near Clint. Clint blank. Back
' to Nidd, blank ; Mires and Warren ditto. On to Roecliffe.
'Brace in whin. Away with a vixen, and stopped hounds.
' So home, 4-55 p.m. Hunting over, though cold enough
' for November.'

This was Colonel Fairfax's last season as Master. He
had sent in his resignation early in January, and his successor.
Captain Slingsby, was unanimously elected at a meeting held
on F'ebruary 19th. During his mastership, which was all too
short, the best traditions of the hunt were preserved, and
the sport shown was of a high order. He seemed to know
instinctively the run of a fox, and he was one of that band
of brilliant oentlemen-huntsmen to which Yorkshire has
contributed so largely. In the kennel he was as good as
he was in the field, and a careful study of the kennel-book
shows what a mark his judgment had made in the pack
during the short time in which he presided over its destinies.
Indeed, it may be said that he initiated the policy which is
followed in the kennel to the present day, and which has
made the York and Ainsty the level and handsome pack
that it is.

..C.-^ Z'-"'^'-"...^'-- ■'■J,;/^^Cl.^''.

?-;^--„^2^^.-

CHAPTER VII.

Captain Slingsby, Captain Brocklehurst, and
Colonel York.

Captain Slingsby commenced his mastership with John
HoUidge as huntsman, and after three years of service
George Gillson came in his place, HolHdge retiring from
the profession. It is to be regretted that there is not
much forthcoming concerning the sport which was shown
by Captain Slingsby during his four years of mastership.
He kept no diary, and information from other sources is
scanty. I have only been able to get an account of one
run, but it was a run of exceptional excellence, one that
will live amongst the great runs for which the country has
been famous since its earliest days. It took place on
January 6th, iSSi, when Hollidge carried the horn. The
fixture would probably be Burton Leonard, for they found
their first fox at Burton Wood, and ran by Copgrove
Hall, through Burton Leonard village, leaving South
Stainley on the right and through the top of Cayton Gill,
marking their fox to ground within a field of Clint. This
was a good run over a fine wild country, and by itself
would have made a good day's sport. Indeed, Captain

SEASONS 1880 -1 88 5. 177

SliniTsby thought of not drawing again, but some one
suggested that they should draw CHnt. Captain SHngsby
agreed, and the moment hounds were in covert they found
and went away smartly over the river Nidd. leaving
Birstwith Hall on the right, and over Kettlesing Head
and bv Fewston reservoir, and finally they marked their
fox to ground at West End, near the Rocking Stones, on
the edge of Pock Stone Moor. The run was over a very
severe line of country, as those who have ridden over
Blubberhouses Moor do not need telling, and the field was
well thinned out before the end came. It was about ten
o'clock when Mr. Wilmot Smith, to whom 1 am indebted
for an account of this run, arrived home. He was riding
the late Mr. Clare Vyner's Mausoleum, a high class steeple-
chase horse in his day. Another incident in connection
with the run was that it took place before a very hard
frost, and hounds were not out of the kennel again till
February 3rd. Indeed, it froze very hard as they were
returning home that night, and there was some difficulty with
the slippery road in places.

During the time he hunted the country. Captain
SHngsby showed good sport, and it was to the general
regret of the hunt that he felt himself obliged to retire on
account of failing health at the end of his fourth season.
A good successor was found for him in Captain Brockle-
hurst, who retained Gillson as his huntsman.

1883-84. — Captain Brocklehurst's first season's cub-
hunting was a satisfactory one, hounds killing nineteen
brace of foxes. The regular season opened on Monday,
November 5th, at Sutton Hall, but they had only a
moderate day's sport, scent being very bad and the morning
a wild one. It was not long before there was a change for
the better, and a fortnight later they had a good hunting
run of two hours forty-five minutes from Linton Spring,

1 78 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

whilst three days after that they had a run in which the
bitches distinguished themselves. They found in Thorpe
Green and ran hard for an hour, a ringing kind ot run,
and killed in a small spinney near Widdington Wood, the
hounds scratching him out oi a small rabbit burrow in
which he had taken shelter.

There was a fair average of sport to the end of the
year, and on St. Stephen's day, they had one ot those
provoking occurrences which crop up at times to the
disappointment of all concerned. They met at Marston
station, the morning thick with fog. However, they made
a start, and found at once in Red House Wood a straight
necked fox, who went away without pressing. The fog,
however, was so thick, that hounds had to be stopped at
Deighton plantation, and this on the best scenting day they
had had so far.

The new year began well, and January was a good
month, two eood runs in which must be oiven: —

'Tuesday, January ist. Drew Nun Appleton coverts blank.
' Found in Willow Bed at Bolton Percy, ran to Oxton
' Hall, through the park to Catterton, from there he made
' to Bilbrough, but turning short of Bilbrough Whin he
' came to Steeton, as if for Pallethorpe, but turned short
' after crossing drain and ran through Oxton Park again
' to Shire Oaks, and we ran him to ground at Bilton in
' main earths. One hour, forty-five minutes, running all
' the time, and a very good run.

' Thursday, January loth. Ripley Castle. Drew Ripley coverts
' blank. Went to Scotton Banks. A fox was seen, but
' hounds could not own to it. Went to Coney Gorse. A
' fox was seen between there and Cote Gill, through which
' she ran to Gibbet's Wood, over the hill, and we checked
' on the other side of the railway, where she lay down,
' but jumped up close to the hounds, and they ran her
'very fast for about ten minutes, through Lofthouse Whin,
' where she made by Spellow Hill, through Gratton Whin,

SEASONS iSSo i88s. i79

' and we ran into her about a mile from Aldbrough, a
' couple of fields beyond the Boroughbridge road. A
' very good run of one hour, twenty-five minutes. Play-
'mate, Ferryman, Contest, Musjid did most work.'

February was a good month, especially towards the end

of it, when one good run followed another. On the 5th

they hati a smart hour and twenty minutes from Askham

Whin, killing their fox in the middle ride of Askham

Bogs, a most unusual occurrence, this being only the

second time I have found mention of a fox being killed in

the Bogs : —

'Tuesday, February 26th. Nun Appleton. Found close to the
' keeper's house, ran a fast ring by new plantation and
' back again to keeper's house, and ran him through
' Sickle Pits, past Nun Appleton House, and to ground in
' earths at Appleton Roebuck ; fox only a minute before
' hounds. Found in Bolton Percy Willow Beds, ran
' through Nun Appleton Park, by keeper's house, and
' down to river above Acaster, where he crossed. We got
' over Acaster ferry, ran through Long Rush to Moreby
' Wood, back to Stillingfleet Wood where I think we
' changed, and ran hard through Moreby Wood to Escrick
' Park gates, turned short to the right and through
' Kelfield, to ground in drain at farmhouse at Stillingfleet.
' Got him out and killed. Very good run.'

This was indeed a good run for the country, and the
deep plough would take some crossing. The country was
very deep this season, and at times it was almost unrideable,
and on March 8th, when they had a good day from Alne
station, there was quite a chapter of accidents. The
Master got into a beck near Helperby, and Mr. Leatham
got in up to his chin, whilst Mr. Lycett Green also ' took
a toss ' at a drain, and the awkwardness of the places
may be gauged by the fact that the horses were in for a
couple of hours. The season finished on March 29th, at
Sessay station, the score of foxes killed being thirty-nine
brace.

I So HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

1884-85. — Captain Brocklehurst's second and last season
commenced on Monday, September 8th, at Street Houses,
where they had a very good morning amongst the cubs, of
which there was an excellent show, and the. young hounds
went home well blooded, having killed a brace. In most
parts of the country foxes were plentiful, and the cub-hunting
season was a very good one, some capital sport taking
place in the latter part of October, and November started
brilliantly. The opening days of the regular season were
as follows : —

' Monday, November 3rd. Shires Bar. Found in Alne Whin
' a brace, and ran one for Hawk Hills, but he turned to the
' left, and we lost him pointing for Crayke. Came back to
' Folly Wood, where fox pointed for Stillington Carr, and
' we lost him close to Huby Whin ; bad scent. Did not
' find in Stillington Carr, but found three or four in Hawk
' Hills. Got away close on the back of one who pointed for
' New Parks. We bListled him along at a good pace, when
' he turned back to Folly Wood, which he went straight
' through, and went straight for Crayke village, which he
' left on the left, and we lost him close to Peel Wood
' between Brandsby and Newburgh. Good fox. One hour
'forty minutes; going all the time; first part very fast.
' Good run, and thoug'h we lost him he was seen dead beat
' about five minutes before hounds. Hard day.'

'Tuesday, November 4th. Buckle's inn. Found in Askham
' Bogs, and ran straight for the kennels, leaving them on the
' right, and to ground a few fields beyond. Found again
' in Grange Wood. Ran a sharp ring of fifteen minutes to
' ground. Found in Askham Whin. Found in Collier Hagg,
' but turned to the right ; passed Rufforth village on the
' left, and then turned short to the left for Alarston village,
' leaving Hutton Thorns on the right, and through Marston
' village as if for Bilton, where he turned to the right past
' Marston Whin, leaving it on the left, and then turned to
' the right, leaving Tockwith village on the left as if for
' Wilstrop, but turned to the left, and we ran into him in
' an orchard on a farm on the river bank near Cattal Bridge.

SEASONS t8So-i88s. i8i

' Fifty-five minutes ; a clinker, and going all the time a
' splitter. Good six-mile point ; hounds must have gone
' eight miles.'

On November 9th they had some bad luck, for at
the end of a good day's sport Gillson jumped into a pond
and was a good deal hurt, whilst his horse was so badly
injured that it had to be destroyed. But sport was good
all along, and the early days of December brought plenty
of hard work for hounds and horses. They had a very
good gallop on the iith from a little covert below Spellow
Hill, the first twenty-six minutes being all over grass,
and at a first-rate pace. Then came rather a long check,
but they got on the line again, and eventually killed on
the river bank at Roecliffe. Then on the following Monday
they had a good hour and forty-five minutes from Folly
Wood, and though it was a ring it was a wide one, and
they finally marked their fox to ground in the main earths
in the covert in which they found, than which there can
scarcely be a more annoying circumstance for a huntsman.
The year went out well, and one of the concluding days
was notable for the way in which hounds hunted up to their
fox after scent had changed at the end of a fast burst : —

' Monday, December 2gth. Blue Bridge. Found in Blue Bridge
' Whin, and ran as if for Newton-on-Ouse, but lost after
' crossing railway. Drew Dodholme Wood, but fox slipped
' away, and did nothing with him. Found in New Parks,
' and ran very fast twenty-four minutes straight to within a
' couple of fields of Crayke Whin, where he turned short to
' the right down wind, and we hunted slowly by Plainville
' and through Moorlands to Skelton Spring. He came
' away from there, leaving Shipton village on the left, and
' ran into him between there and Launde Wood. One hour
' fifty minutes. First twenty-four minutes we raced without
' check, when fox turned down wind, and we only hunted
' slowly. Gillson hunted hounds very patiently."

X

1 82 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

The season wore on and sport continued to be good,
scent generally serving well, and day after day there was
something to talk about. Nor was the sport confined to
one district as sometimes is the case. North, south, east,
and west the sport came, and there seemed little to choose
between the various districts either for a show of foxes or
for an average of sport. The following was, perhaps, the
best day which took place during Captain Brocklehurst's
mastership ; unfortunately he was unable to be out : —

' Tuesday, January 20th. Skip Bridge inn. Cold and hazy.
' Did not find in Skip Bridge Whin. Directly hounds were
' put into Red House Wood there was a holloa the far
' side, and hounds ran at racing pace nearly up to Poppleton
' village, but fox was headed close to the Red Lion inn,
' where he turned to the right and crossed the railway to
' the left of Hessay, and ran to within a field of Harewood's
' Whin, where he turned to the right, and ran leaving
' Hutton Thorns a few fields on the left to Wilstrop Wood,
' which he left on the right, and got to ground in river bank
' by Skewkirk. One hour ten minutes ; very fast and very
' good run. Drew Harewood's Whin, when a fox was
' holloaed on the far side entering it. Hounds ran with
' screaming scent through Grange Wood to Askham Bryan,
' and over the road and on to Askham Richard, where he
' turned short to the right, and back through Grange Wood,
' and killed him in the open at Clark's farm close to Acomb
'Grange. Thirty-seven minutes ; raced all the way. Very
' good day, the best the York and Ainsty have had for
' j'ears.'

Captain Brocklehurst was prevented from being out by
a bad fall he had had the day before, his mare having put
her foot in a rabbit-hole and given him a severe shaking.
It was hard luck to miss such a good day, a day such as
has seldom been surpassed in the Ainsty district. It is,
however, open to question whether it was a better day's
sport than that with an account of which this chapter
commences. Captain Brocklehurst's second season and his

SEASON'S 1SS0-1SS3. 183

mastership came to a close on March 26th, when hounds
met at Copgrove and had a fair day's sport for the time
of year, kilHng a brace of foxes.

Captain Brocklehurst was succeeded by Colonel York,
whose reign was all too short. The new Master kept
Gillson as huntsman, and during the short time that he
held the reins of office, he showed that the hounds were
once more in good liands. Of his cub-hunting there is no
account forthcoming, but from Captain Brocklehurst's diary
I have been able to gather a little information about the
sport after the regular season commenced on November
2nd. The season opened at Hawk Hills, but they had not
a very good day's sport, though hounds ran hard at night
and had to be stopped in the dark. The best day of
which there is a record took place early in December : —

' Saturday, December 5th. Thirkleby Park. Found a dead fox
' trapped inThirkleby Whin. Ran into another in a few fields
' which had also been trapped. Found a brace in covert
' close to Thirkleby House, and ran by Bagby mill, through
' Balk to Hood Hill, and over the Hambleton Plain straight
' to Duncombe Park, in the middle of which they ran into
' him in the open, about a quarter of a mile from the house.
' An hour and forty minutes, and nine-mile point. After
' Hood Hill we saw our fox several times just in front of
' hounds ; he just ran through a bit of the top end of Wass
' Bank, and came out about a hundred yards in front of
' hounds. A very fine run.'

Colonel York had been ill for some weeks, and on the
Monday following this good run he died, much regretted.
He was a good sportsman, but during his short mastership
he had little opportunity of showing his ability as a master
of hounds in the field. After his death the country carried
on the hounds to the end of the season, a committee
consisting of Lord Wenlock, Captain Slingsby, and Captain
Brocklehurst managing. There was quite a good average

1 84 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A/NSTY HUNT.

of sport, though frost interfered a little with hunting
operations at times. The best run which took place during
the rule of the committee must conclude this chapter : —

' Tuesday, February 22nd. Marston station. Fine and warm,
' after a rather heavy fall of snow. Did not find at Deighton,
' but I viewed a long fox going away from south-west
' corner of Red House Wood, and we ran very fast by the
' church^ and over the railway as if for Wilstrop, but ran
' through small covert and straight on just about half way
' between Hutton Thorns and Marston village, where he
' bore a bit to his left, and ran to drain side just before
' reaching Collier Hagg, where hounds turned short to the
' left, and leaving Rufforth on left and Grange Wood close
' on right, he ran as if for Acomb Grange, and we lost not
' far from Poppleton railway bridge, b>it went to a holloa
' at Knapton, but did no good. R. Parker- saw our hunted
'fox at Collier Hagg pointing for Angram, and it is there
' where we must have got on the line of a disturbed fox. It
' was a very fast fifty-five minutes up to Poppleton railway
' bridge. Best run I have seen in Ainsty.'

(i) Moor Monkton church. (2) The Hon. R. Parker.

^r-y^ ' , ^<i!A '-A-^^ S^<^^^

CHAPTER VIII.
The Rule of Mr. E. Lvcett Green.

1886-87. — With the end of the season 1885-86 the Committee
which had managed the hunt after the death of Colonel York
went out of office, and Mr. E. Lycett Green was appointed
Master, the services of Gillson being still retained as huntsman.
The year 1886 was not a very early one, and it was not until
September was well advanced that the new Master was able
to take the field. On the 1 7th of that month a start was
made at Rufforth W^hin, and a good start it was, for there
was a good show of foxes, and hounds killed a brace. The
cub-hunting season was a successful one, fo.xes turning up
well all over the country, and hounds accounted for twenty-
three brace, nineteen brace of which they killed, before they
had their opening day at Hawk Hills on Monday, November
1st. The opening day was only a moderate one, for though
there were plenty of fo.xes scent was wretched, and little
could be done with any of them.

There was soon to be a change for the better, and in
November and the early days in December they showed
excellent sport. On December i6th frost set in and lasted
for five weeks, hounds not being out of the kennel again till

1 86 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

January 2 2iicl. They came out very fresh and full of go
after their long rest, and again, scent serving, they had a
succession of good runs, the best of vi^hich came in February,
and the following is probably as good a day as ever was
seen in the Escrick country : — •

' Saturday, February 5th. Escrick. Found a good show in the
' Holly Carrs. Rattled one round for some time, and
' getting away, ran up to the Hackings. Could make
' nothing out there, so went back into the park and got on
' our fox again, the delay in going to the Hackings being
' caused by hounds getting heel-way on the line. Ran
' through the Sheep Walk Plantation and up to the Riccall
' and York road. Turned back into the Holly Carrs, and
' after some good work, killed. Thirty minutes. Found in
' Gilberson's Wood or Grey Reins, and ran fast up to the
' Thicket Priory coverts. Leaving .Simpson's Wood on our
' left, ran past Scruton Wood up to the back common at
' Skipwith. Worked him slowly round the common with a
'very poor scent, but getting on better terms with him,
' owing to a view, ran him back nearly to Scruton Wood,
' and killed in the open. One hour's good hunting, hounds
' going very fast at times, and working very well. Found
' at Lacey Bottoms, and went a cracker up to Richardson's
'plantation ^Deighton covert), and Gold Looking. Getting
' away with him (hounds chopped another fox as they went
' through the covert), ran very fast, leaving Wigman Wood
' on our left, up to near the York and Wheldrake road.
' After a check of a moment there, hit off the line and ran
' a cracker on to Wheldrake Common. Took a sharp turn
' to the right through Langwith, and after running three
' fields, killed him in the plantation near Wheldrake
' Common, at the Brinkworth end of it. Forty-five minutes;
' very fast indeed.'

There was a week's stoppage from irost two days after,
this good day's sport, and then the game went on merrily,
and a good hunting run took place four or five days after
they were at work again : —

THE RULE OF Ah-. E. LYCETT GREEN. 187

' Saturday, February 19th. Melbourne. After drawing the
' fields and a good many of the coverts about Melbourne,
' found at last at Ross Moor (Storthwaite) a fox without a
' brush that went away at once. After running through the
' first covert, changed on to a fox with a brush, and ran him
' for three fields, and killed. Got the hounds quickly on the
' line of the first fox, and ran hard to Foggathorpe, nearly
' up to Laytham, and after running by Aughton Ruddings,
' turned short back to the right and hunted slowly back to
' Melbourne. Getting within a mile of Melbourne, scent
' improved for a time, and hounds ran hard up to the covert ;
' came to a check in one of the Melbourne coverts. Got on
' the line again, and pointing straight through, made for
' the canal ; turning to the left, ran the bank of the canal ;
' turned again to the left, and owing to a view, got on better
' terms with our fox. Hunted back through Storthwaite
' and up to Melbourne Hall, where Seamstress (1886J rolled
' the fox over in a lane near the park single-handed. A
' run of two hours and fifteen minutes ; wonderfully good
' hunting. It was not a fast run, but the fox (a vixen without
' a brush) was fairly hunted to death by hounds keeping
' their heads down and overcoming difficulties.'

The season ended on April 4th, hounds having killed
thirty-four brace of foxes and ran eighteen brace to ground.

1887-88. — The next season Arthur Wilson, who had been
hrst whipper-in under Gillard, came from the Belvoir to fill the
place ot Gillson, who went to the Durham. A start was
made amongst the cubs on September roth, Wilson taking
fifty-two couples of hounds to Red House Wood. The
morning was dry and hot, and scent was wretched, but there
was a good show of foxes, and after a couple of hours' hard
work they got hold of a cub. Unsettled weather prevailed
during the early part of the season, and in November there
were some heavy gales. On November 14th they were like
having a good day, but an accident spoiled it. They met at
Huby, and did not do much in the morning with a twisting

1 88 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

fox from Haxby Whin. In the afternoon they found at
Skelton Spring, and ran very last to the left of Skelton
village and over the Skelton and Moorlands road. In
jumping into this road Wilson got a bad fall over some wire,
and was so much hurt that hounds were stopped. It was on
this dav that the late Duke of Clarence first hunted with the
York and Ainsty.

Wilson was unable to hunt the next day, and then there
came a week's frost. Hounds took the field again on the
22nd, but the weather was still unsettled, and on at least
one day in the week hunting was only just possible. Then
came a really good day, though a somewhat unlucky one : —

'Monday, November 28th. Alne Station. Found in the Old
'Wood at Hawk Hills. The fox was up a tree, a small wiry
' fox, with a big white tag to his brush. Ran fast at first,
' leaving Crayke just on our left ; hounds hunted him on to
'Peel Wood, Moonshine {i836] getting a bit forward with
' the line after we left the wood ; hunted him up to Yearsley
' Moor and up to Gilling, got a nick at him there owing to
' a holloa ; got away from Gilling Wood and ran straight
' up the avenue, leaving the castle just on our left hand ;
' turned short to the right, and leaving Gilling village on
' our left, ran him up past Cavvton Heights on to Stonegrave ;
' turned to the left and went down into the low country,
' crossing the Pickering railway ; hounds dwelt a moment
' at a drain before crossing the railway, but quickly hit off
' the line and pointed for Oswaldkirk ; came to very slow
' hunting, but a holloa on the left got them on better terms
' with their fox ; leaving Oswaldkirk on our right, ran past
' Ampleforth College and on to Ampleforth village, and
' came to our first really long check. Time up to then, one
' hour fifty-five minutes. Got on the line of what turned
' out to be a fresh fox, and turning to the left, ran over the
' railway, leaving Gilling Wood on our left and Ampleforth
' station on our right, and hunted him through the Newburgh
' coverts ; took a line through them, and worked him slowly
' on to Crayklands Wood, where we stopped hounds after
' running three hours. From Hawk Hills to Ampleforth the

m:

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. 189

' point was ten miles. We should, but for bad luck, have
' killed our fox, as he was seen to come out of a drain in
' the road at Ampleforth, where we changed foxes, dead
' beat. Had not the second whipper-in been there the
' villagers would have killed him with sticks. The fox
' was knocked over by one.'

Frost soon caused another stoppage, and from the eighth
to the thirteenth of December hounds were kept in kennel.
The thaw was a rapid one. On the night of Saturday,
December loth, there were fourteen degrees of frost, and on
Sunday there were twelve degrees. The thaw set in on
Monday night, and was so rapid that hounds could hunt on
Tuesday at noon, when they had a nice hunting run of forty
minutes from Stub Wood. On January 7th they had a
typical Escrick day, running from morning till night with a
holding scent, but they failed to kill.

The north side of the country did well this season, and
excellent was the average of sport in that part of the country,
foxes being bold and stout, and making gaod points. The
two following days, added to the one already given, are
certainly sufficient to stamp a season as a good one : —

' Monday, February 6th. Stillington. Found at Stillington
' Carr, and ran fast for three fields towards Huby Old
' Whin ; came to a long check ; got on the line at length
' and ran to Sutton village ; turning to the left, showed a
' line towards Farlington, and lost. Found at Haxby Whin
' and ran fast within a field of the York and Sutton road ;
' turned short to the left and ran back to Haxby lane, over
' it, and pointed as if for Strensall ; going through the small
' covert next the Oak plantation, and leaving Strensall
' village on our right, ran through the old fo.x covert ; here
'hounds came to a slight check. Sportsman (1883) and
'Seaman (1882) hit off the line, and the body of the pack
'joining them, they swung to the right over the Farlington
' Beck and crossed the railway (Scarborough line] on to
' Strensall Common. Hunted him very well over it, and
' pointed for the Averhams. Turning short to the left, and

V

igo HISTORY OF THE YORK A .VD AINSTY HUNT

' leaving Smith's Whin three fields to our right, he ran up
' the road as if for Flaxton ; turning again off the road, ran
' him over the railway near Flaxton station, passed Lilling
' Hall on our left, pointed as if for Stittenham ; turning to
' the right, ran down the hill and up to within a field of
' Foston covert, and ran into him in the open — a field to the
' left and within half a mile of Bulmer Hagg. One hour
' and fifteen minutes ; ten-mile point ; really g-ood hunting,
' fast at times and slow at others.'

' Monday.March 26th. .Sutton-on-the-F'orest. Found in Hundred
' Acre Farm Covert at Haxby. Ran up to Suet Carr, turned
' short to the left and then worked on to Haxby Whin ;
' showed a line into Haxby Whin, got away with the fox
' from there, ran fast as if for Sutton, but turning to the
' right ran through Suet Carr on to the Oak plantation ;
'checked there, worked the line on into Strensall village
' end and down to Foss Beck, where the fox had crossed
' and recrossed ; took a sort of line on to the old fox covert,
'held them forward to the left, and in the end worked
' round to the little covert near Strensall and Sheriff Hutton.
'A fox had gone away from tliere without being seen.
' Hounds settled down on his line and ran through the old
'fox covert, and worked him over Sheriff Hutton beck;
' turned short to the right, ran down the bank, and pointed
' as if for Smith's Whin ; after going within two fields of
' that covert, turned to the left over the lane and pointed
' for Sheriff Hutton ; after checking slightly, turned to the
' left and ran up just to the left of Sheriff Hutton, over the
' hill, and pointed for Stittenham Wood ; after a slight
' check, hunted the line on into Stittenham Wood and over
' into the Oxclose pasture-garth ; checked between the
' covert and Castle Howard Park ; getting information
' there, ran him into the park and nearly up to the Castle,
' and checked ; after a wide cast, hit off the line into the
'woods on the left; hunted him slowly on, till, getting up
' to him, killed in the open, on the edge of Sutton Wood,
' near Castle Howard. Two hours thirteen minutes; hounds
' worked wonderfully well. Some people were inclined to
' think it was the same fox all through from Haxby Whin,
' in which case hounds would have run over fifteen miles.'

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. igi

It was Wilson's opinion that it was all one run, and in
the account he gives of the run he says that the fox waited
for them in a small covert near Strensall, and he gives the
time as over four hours. It was nine o'clock when hounds
got home. Sir Edward Green got a bad fall in the run and
was rather hurt, and this prevented Mr. Lycett Green from
seeing the whole of it.

The season was brought to a close on Thursday, April
I 2th, at Ribston, where, owing to Wilson's illness, Mr. 1 ycett
Green carried the horn. It was a good day's sport for the
time of year, though the fallows were dry and dusty. They
found in Ribston Great Wood, and ran through Langshaw
and Goldsbrough Moor, and finally marked their fo.x to
ground on the river banks after a very pretty ring of about
twenty-seven minutes. The record for the season was thirty
brace killed and twenty-three and a half brace run to ground.

1888-89.— The bad harvest, which did so much to
accentuate the difficult position in which farmers found them-
selves in the summer of 1888, had also its effect upon the
hunting world, and it was not till September was nearly over
that hounds were able to make a start amongst the cubs.
A new departure was made this season, the master hunting
the bitches, whilst Wilson still continued to hunt the dogs.
The opening morning was at Moreby, and was a fairly
satisfactory one. Wilson took twenty-five couples of the dog
hounds out, and after a lot of work got hold of a cub.
Three days later, on Friday, September 28th, Mr. Lycett
Green hunted the bitch pack for the first time. The fixture
was the kennels, and a useful morning's sport took place.
They found in Knavesmire Wood, and ran for fifty minutes
about Middlethorpe and Bishopthorpe, finally getting hold
of their fox in Knavesmire Wood. Scent changed for the
worse in the after part of the day, and a fox from Askham

192 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

Bogs beat them after a short ring. On October 15th
Mr. Lycett Green had a very good day, particulars of which
must be given, as it is seldom such a good run is seen early
in the season : —

' Wigginton Bar. Holding scent, not good over plough. Haxby
' Whin and Wood blank. Found at Haxby Carr, but did
' not get away with this fox, wishing to find cubs. Found
' at Suet Carr. Ran down to Strensall and .Sheriff Hutton
■ road ; checked at the brickj'ards ; got on the line, and
' taking a turn over the Sheriff Hutton road, recrossed it,
' and leaving the village just on the right, turned to the
'left; came to a check, but hit it off again and ran up to
' Farlington and Sheriff Hutton road, over it, and leaving
' Farlington high covert on our left, hunted him beautifully
' over a fine country pointing for Stearsby Hagg ; came to
' a slight check, but getting a view at a distance got on
' better terms with him. Unfortunately, owing to some
' rough places at the bottom of the hill, hounds got ahead
' of us, and coming to a check, lost a bit of time. Hunted
' it on again up to Brow Wood, the fox entering the covert
' fifty yards before the hounds. The Master cast well
' forward for his fox, and held them well round to the left
' by Stearsby Hagg, but failed to hit on him again. The
' impression of Mr. H. Preston was that he went to ground
' in Brow Wood, two earths being open. Time, about fifty
' minutes ; about eight miles as hounds ran.'

This was a really good run, and it is to be regretted that
hounds did not account for their fox.

On the last day of the cubbing season Mr. Lycett Green
met with a nasty accident, his horse rolling over his foot and
doing considerable damage. He was not long before he was
in the saddle again, but he did not get a top boot on again
the whole of the season, and for most of it he rode with only
one stirrup. The season, which was a good one, opened on
November 5th at Skelton, and all through November there
was a fair average of sport. In December hounds also did
well, and in that month some of the best runs took place : —

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. 193

' Tuesday, December 4th. Marston station. Good holding
' scent, day fine, wind south-west, glass rising. Found at
' Skip Bridge Whin, and after running round the covert,
' killed inside. Found at Red House Wood, and ran a
' ring round the Deighton side, back to the river, up to near
' Nun Monkton Ferry, when the fox turned into Red House
' Wood ; got away a second time, ran up by the river side,
' worked slowly up to Poppleton plantations, and crossed
' Poppleton Green lane. A fox jumped up in front of
' hounds, and they ran him nicely to Poppleton railway
' bridge ; crossed the railway there, and ran into Rufforth
'Whin; got away immediately (some hounds sounded as
' if they had got hold of a fox at the same time as the body
' brought the line out), and turning a bit to the left and
' then slightly to the right, ran over York and Rufforth
' road, leaving Grange Wood on the right ; ran up to
' Clapper earths, on over Acomb and Askham road ; turned
' short to the right, and rolled the fox over, dead beat, in
' Wilson (the huntsman's) garden at the kennels. Time,
' forty minutes from Red House Wood ; good hunting.
' Found at Askham Bogs. Ran over York and Tadcaster
' road, leaving Bond Hill Ash on our left, Bishopthorpe
' village also ; turned to the right over the Copmanthorpe
' drain twice, and pointed as if for Acaster plantations ;
' turned short back to the right, recrossed the drain and
' Acaster road, ran straight on to below Bond Hill Ash,
' and to ground. Time, twenty minutes; a nice little gallop.
' Drew the Askham end of the Bog blank. Found at
' Askham Whin, and ran to near Askham Hall ; checked,
' hit off line on Collier Hagg side of the whin ; ran towards
' the Hagg, turned short to the right, went close to the
' covert and ran up to the Askham and Rufforth and
'Askham lane; two lines; the body went on with theirs
' up to near Askham Whin ; Wilson stopped them in the
' park, it being late ; six couples took a line towards
' Rufforth. Time, about forty minutes.'

'Saturday, December 22nd. Melbourne. Scent good, day fine,
' glass rising. All Melbourne coverts blank; Thicket Priory
' Whin blank. A fox going away from Simpson's just as
' we were going to put into it ; got a flying start with him.
' Ran fast up to Wheldrake and Escrick road, across it

194 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' between Gilbertson's Wood and Wheldrake, ran down the
' hill, and turning to the left, leaving Lacey Bottoms on our
' left, ran into Deighton plantations. Hounds were rather
' bothered there by holloas, two or three fresh foxes being
' on foot. Rattled the hunted fox round the covert, Wolds-
' man (18861 nearly catching him; marked him to ground
' in Richardson's Whin (the first Deighton covert). Time,
' fifteen minutes up to Deighton's plantations. Found at
' Wheldrake at once (a brace) in the rhododendrons, and
' after rattling round the covert, got away at the Crockey
' Hill end. The bod}' of the pack got a heel-line and took
' it into the covert, the leading couples going on with the
'fox; ran over the Deighton road, turned again to the left,
' and ran nearly up to Wheldrake ; recrossed the road, and
' leaving Wheldrake village on our right ran round into
' the Langwith end of Wheldrake Common ; ran the whole
' length of the covert and through Mr. Bateson's covert, at
'the end of that came to a check; Stately (1887) and
'Saffron (1888) showed a line to the left, Woodman (1885)
' coming up and speaking to the line ; the body came up,
' ran into another small covert, got on a fresh fox here, ran
' fast over Telmire Common into Peel Bridge covert, lost
' some time there owing to a short turn our fox made.
' Time up to there, one hour thirty minutes. Got away and
' hunted him beautifully through Deighton plantations, past
' the Court House at Escrick, into the park, and stopped
' hounds at dark when pointing for Sheep Walk plantation.
' Time, two hours ; beautiful hunting.'

The year wound up with a bye-day at Moreby on
Wednesday, December 26th, when the dogs showed to great
advantage on a not very first-rate scentuig day. They found
a leash of foxes in Kelfield Wood, and one of these they
hunted beautifully for two hours. Once or twice they looked
as if they had lost him, but they got on to his line again
in Kelfield Wood, and hunted with remarkable steadiness
through a lot of riot, and finally killed on Gamble's farm.
Falstaff, Gulliver, Silence and Tomboy distinguished them-
selves very much, both by their steadiness in hunting through

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. 195

a lot of hares and their perseverance, and I remember being-
very much struck with the close working of the hounds all
through the day. The first run might have been a good one
had the fox not crossed the river, and the last was nothing
but a ring round the Holly Carrs.

Then came frost, and hounds were kept in kennel for
nearly a fortnight, missing seven days' hunting. They got
to work again on January loth, and had some excellent sport
all tlirough the month. An afternoon gallop with the bitches
from Overton Wood to the drain bank at the far side of
Gaping Goose lane, where a good fox saved his life by going
to ground, was a cracker as far as pace was concerned, for
they ran the five miles nearly straight in twenty-five minutes,
and over that severe country horses would have quite plenty
to do to keep with them. A few days later they had a good
day in the same neighbourhood, but it must be admitted that
fortune favoured them : — •

' Monday, January 2 I St. Skelton. Holding scent ; glass high ;
' day still. Overton Wood blank. Trotted off to a tree
' two fields beyond Blue Bridge Whin. Found the fox at
' home. Ran slowly up to New Parks, got on terms there,
' ran fast up to the left of Huby village, turned a bit to the
' left, and then raced away up to Hawk Hills, and killed
' our fox dead beat in the Old Wood. Twenty minutes with-
' out a check, hounds racing all the way. .Scornful {1S87)
' got a view just before Hawk Hills. Got on to another fox
' just before drawing Folly Wood, ran fast through the
' covert, and getting away on his back, ran up to Stillington
' Park on the Huby side. Ran through the belt and over
' the Stillington beck. Leaving Marton vicarage on our left,
' Farlington on our right, ran over the parish of Whenby,
' turned slightly to the left as if for Brandsby Dale, but
' leaving Brow Wood on our left, ran into Dalby Bush and
' lost after a good hunting run of fifty-five minutes. A
' singular thing in the gallop of the morning and the run
' of the afternoon was that both were up wind. Evidently
' the fox in the afternoon was the same fox that had run

196 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

'nearly the same line on October (5th, when the Master
' hunted him from Suet Carr to Brow Wood. The best
' runs, taking both together, we have had this season.
' Those who spoke of the good scent forgot that both runs
' being up wind, we could not judge what it really was.'

It is seldom that two foxes in one day take up wind,
and it was doubtless due to this circumstance that there was
such exceptional sport. Wilson speaks of the scent as fair,
and thinks that the second fox must have got to ground
somewhere, a surmise which was probably correct.

If fortune favoured hounds on this particular day, they
had a turn of bad luck a month later, when they had a
regular series of untoward circumstances to contend against.
Still, with all the bad luck, the sport was good : —

'Thursday, February 21st. Green Hammerton. Scent good;
' glass high and steady. Wind north, day cold. Divil
' Wood and Thorpe Green coverts all blank. Found a
' brace at the Long Covert at Kirby, and ran one with five
' couple of hounds for two fields, and lost our fox owing
' to hounds making a short turn and no one seeing where
' they threw up. The body of the pack took the other fox
' a cracker up to Green Hammerton, and Wilson was
' unable to stop them until just above Providence Green,
' when meeting with the remainder of the pack, the Master
' took them on to where the fox was last seen. Moonshine
' (1886) having nearly rolled him over before being stopped.
' Got on him nearly in view, and ran into him in the clump
' of trees where Old Hammerton Whin used to be — about
' twenty-five minutes. Found at Cranberry Carr, and ran
' fast up to the river between Hunsingore and Cattal Bridge.
' Forded the river at the place hounds crossed, and ran fast
' up to Cowthorpe and up to near Bickerton Bar. Hounds
' checked slightly there. Got on the line and ran over
' Bilton Park, and on to Nova Scotia. Hounds divided
' here. The hunted fox turned round to Wighill, and with
'the remainder of the pack we hunted him through the
' Loft at Wighill. Came to an unfortunate check below
' the Loft, which caused some delay, and though hounds

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEA^. 197

' worked him through on to Bickerton Spring, could make
' nothing more out. About thirty minutes up to Nova
' Scotia. Pace good. The couples that divided from the
' body in Nova Scotia slipped away at the top end of that
' covert and ran over the Ainsty, and were seen by the
' huntsman's second horseman with their fox close in front
' of them just before they ran into Grange Wood, Moon-
• shine (1886) leading them.'

From Cranberry Carr to Grange Wood would have been
a great run if all the hounds had got away together, and it
is within the range of probability that, as it was, Moonshine
and her comrades accounted for their fox.

A good season was brought to a close on April i6th at
Birstwith station, where they had a moderate day's sport.
During the season they killed twenty-nine brace of foxes and
ran seventeen-and-a-half brace to ground.

1889-90. — The following season started early, and on
August 31st Wilson took twenty-eight couples and a half
into Stub Wood and had a good morning's work, killing one
cub and running another to ground. The cub-hunting season
was a satisfactory one, foxes turning up well nearly all over
the country, and they killed nineteen brace and ran eight
brace to ground.

The regular season opened brilliantly, and with a little
more scent the run would have been a historic one, for there
was a good fox, and hounds did all that could be expected
of them, working beautifully : —

' Monday, November 4th. Hawk Hills. Scent very moderate
'indeed in morning; good holding scent in afternoon.
' Glass rising. Found a good show in Hawk Hills Old
' Wood and got on a cub. Ran a ring slowly towards
' Crayke and back into the same covert. Getting away
' again, ran through Folly Wood on to Stillington Carr.
' Got away to the right, worked on to Stillington beck ;
' checked, hit off the line ; hunted very slowly, leaving

Z

198 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND ATNSTY HUNT

' Marton vicarage on our left, up to Farlington low covert.
' Leaving that on our right, worked him up to the left of
' Sheriff Hutton. The fox was said to be only three
' minutes ahead of us there. Scent improved slightly, but
' only for two fields. Hunted up to near Stittenham Wood.
' Did not mark the line in, though the fox was seen to go
' into the wood. Gave up after a beautiful hunt of an
' hour and forty-five minutes, nearly straight. Found at
' Sutton Whin, ran over Sheriff Hutton, and Strensall and
' York road and Farlington beck. Turned to the right,
' pointed straight for Smith's Whin — hounds crossing over
' beck again — on to the York and Ainsty side of Strensall.
' Then straight up to the railway, leaving Smith's Whin
' on our immediate left. Slight check, but viewed the fox
' on the common. Got hounds off the railway just in time,
' a train being close behind us. Ran fast up to the edge of
' the common, and turning to the left pointed for Claxton
' village, and went into the Averhams. Came out at the
' Claxton end of the wood. Ran through the small covert
' by the roadside, coming out near Harton Lodges. Turned
' to the right and pointed as if for Bossall. Swung round
' to the left, crossed over into Willow Bridge covert, and
' the plantation adjoining it. Here we had two foxes
' ahead of us. There was a holloa over the river, which
, ' was taken advantage of, and hounds took tlie line up on

' the other side. We got over Howsham Bridge. Hounds
' re-crossed the river, got on to a fresh fox, ran for two
' fields, when they crossed the river for the third time, and
' were stopped. About an hour. Nine mile point — ten
' miles as hounds ran.'

There was a good average of sport during November,
but towards the end of the month there was some frost ;
all through December the weather was threatening, and
hounds were kept in kennel five days in that month. Just
before their last stoppage they had a day which gave those
who saw it something to talk about: —

' Saturday, December 28th. Thirkleby. Good holding scent;
' day cold ; wind east ; glass high. Found at once behind
' the house at Thirkleby, and got away with a brace of

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN.

199

' foxes in front of us, running slowly for the first half-mile.
' The fox we were hunting- then we viewed just in front of
' hounds — a fine long fox of bright dark red colour.
' Hounds checked rather after crossing the road. Unfortu-
' nately, the other fox that had been in front of us previously,
'jumped up behind. Some of the field in the rear holloaed
' him, got hounds' heads up, and sent the fox right into
'them. There was a great stake-wound in the fox's
' shoulder. After breaking him up, hounds were quickly
' let on the line of the other fox, and settling well down,
' they ran nicely, straight up to Kirby Knowle and up to
' the hills by Cowesby Wood. Changed foxes after going
' up the hill, and ran the fresh fox right on to the moors.
' Ran on to beyond Kepwick (after having passed Mount
' St. John's and Upsall Castle previous to Cowesby Wood)
' and in the end gave up on Mr. Warner's moor. Time,
' one hour up to the foot of the hills, over one of the finest
' bits of country imaginable. When we got there, a couple
' of hounds — Fencer (1887) and Gainly (1887) — got ahead
' of the body of the pack, and we had some difficulty in
' getting up to them over the hills, as they could not hear
' the cry. On the hill tops scent was wretched, and the
' thirty minutes spent in working on after a fresh fox over
' frozen ground was of no use, in spite of him being
' viewed just in front of them. Time from find to finish,
' one hour thirty minutes — nine miles as the crow flies,
' about twelve miles as hounds ran. We were said to have
' run through three hunts, namely, -Sinnington, Bilsdale,
' and Hurworth. The fine country before reaching the
' hills was for the most part the Bilsdale, near where it
'joins the Hurworth and Bedale.'

There was a week's frost after this, and then hounds got
to work again, and the remainder of the season was very
open. Indeed, there were only two stoppages from frost
from January 6th till the season closed on April ist. There
was nothing exceptional about the sport in January and
February, though hounds had some very good hunting runs.
March was stormy and wild, and scent, as a natural conse-
quence, was only moderate. They had, however, a good day

200 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

oil the 6th, when they met at Allertoii station. They found
their fox at Cranberry Carr, and ran him to ground in Skip
Bridge Whin after a very fine hunt of two hours. They
finished at Goldsbrough Hall, whence they had a fair day's
sport, but without adding to the noses on the kennel door.
During the season they killed forty-one-and-a-half brace and
ran thirty-and-a-half brace to ground.

1S90-91. — Again was a good start made with the cub-
hunting, and with the ground in good order and a plentiful
supply of foxes everything went on briskly. September ist
was the first morning, and a very foggy morning it was and
cold withal, whilst there was a wretched scent. Still they
managed to get hold of a cub after some work, but they
found him in a turnip field of Mr. Smallwood's, and ran him
over a few fields into a potato field, and he never got out of
it. They were not long before they had a scent. On the
20th they went to hunt the Deighton coverts, and after a lot
of work, hounds running hard in covert for four hours, they
killed. A curious circumstance with respect to this day is
that it rained hard when they started to hunt, and so long as
rain kept falling scent was good. The monient, however,
that it ceased, scent began to fail. The young hounds had
entered well, there was a good show of fo.xes, and as yet
manage had not be^un to show itself Durino- the cubbino-
they killed sixteen-and-a-half brace and ran four brace to
ground. The following was probably their best day up to
the commencement of the regular season : — •

' Friday, October 24th. Nun Appleton. Good scent in open; glass
' falling. Found in Sickle Pit (Nun Appleton), and killed a
' cub at once. Found a good show at Kennel Wood, and
' after running round the covert, got away and ran up to
' Appleton Common lane, and on to Brocket Hagg. Got
' away from there and made a short ring, and back into
' the covert. Went away a second time and lost in three

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. 201

' fields. Came back to Brocket Hagg and got hold of a
' tired cub. Found at Stub Wood and ran up to York end
' of Acaster village. Turned to the left over Bishopthorpe
' and Appleton road and Copmanthorpe lane, and turning
' to the right, ran hard, straight over the railway up to
' Askham Bogs, down by the middle ride ; turned to the
' right up to Chaloner's Whin. Slight check owing to a
' drain ; went to a holloa on the Dringhouses railway
'bridge. Got on the line and ran parallel with the railway.
' Crossed it, and ran down the other side to Backhouse's
' gardens, and killed in the far gardens near the waterworks.
' One hour ten minutes. The first twenty minutes were fast,
'and the point was straight. Singularly enough it was a
' cub that gave us this quick gallop.'

The opening day, Monday, November 3rd, was at Hawk
Hills, where they found a sufficiency of fo.xes, but there is
nothing much to record till November 8th, when they had
a capital day from Escrick, the cream of which was a clipping
twenty-seven minutes from Cliffe Wood, ending with a kill
at the North and South Duffield cross roads. So fast was
the pace that the fo.x laid down in a ditch just before they
killed him. Unfortunately, very few saw the good thing, as
hounds had slipped away without their huntsman.

They were soon to have a good hunting run, and, indeed,
all through November sport was above an average : — •

'Tuesday, November i8th. Askham Bryan. Good holding
' scent ; day very hot and bright ; glass rising. Found in
'Askham Whin and ran as if for Grange Wood. Turned
' to the left, ran round Askham Bryan, worked back
' towards Askham Richard. .Some wrong information took
' us to Askham Hall stables, where a fox had been seen,
' but hounds could make nothing more of him. Found at
' Grange Wood, ran to Rufforth Whin, skirted the covert,
' leaving it just on the right, and then ran up to the right
' of Rufforth village, and up to Hutton Thorn.s — just twenty
' minutes ; hounds ran fast. The hunted fox broke on the
' Wilstrop side and went straight up the Marston and
' Rufforth road. Instead of crossing it he laid down

202 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' amongst some brickyard rubbish. Jumping up in view,
' hounds coursed him back into Hutton Thorns, through
' the covert, up to Rufforth. Came to a check. Leaving
' RufForth on our right, we turned back to the left, and
' took the line of a fresh fox up to Rufforth and Hessay
' line, over it, and Hutton Thorns drain, up to the small
' plantation on Hessay and Marston road. Checked there.
' Hit off the line, and leaving Marston village on our right,
• worked back into Hutton Thorns. Hounds worked round
' the covert for some time, and at length got away and
' pointed for Collier Hagg. Got on the line of a bob-
' tailed fox, and ran him up to Askham Richard and
' Rufforth lane ; crossed it and worked round the Askham
' side of Grange Wood. Turned to the left, leaving Grange
' Wood on the left, over Mr. .Smith's lane and the Knapton
' and Rufforth road, and killed at the Moor End Farm at
' the parish of Poppleton. The fox was so beat that he
' laid in a turnip field, and hounds worked right up to him.
' A really good hunt at times, but mostly slow hunting.
' Time, two hours. The fox had a bob-tail. Drew Rufforth
' and killed an unfortunate fox with a trap on his leg.'

There was a succession of good sport, and then, as
frequently happens after a spell of good sport, there came
a long frost. After some preliminary warnings it came in
earnest on December 15th, and though at times the hopes
of hunting men were flattered, and there were signs of a
change, there was not even the chance of stealing a day
till January 25th, when Mr. Lycett Green took the bitches
out to exercise, and as he passed the Holly Carrs he ran
them through the covert, and after some very good work
they marked a fox to ground, and dug him out and killed
him. It was a lucky circumstance that the fo.x stuck to
the covert, as the country was quite unrideable, the land
being full of 'bone,' and, indeed, in some places the
frost had not gone. On the following Monday it was
impossible to hunt at .Stillington, but they went on to
Aldwark and had a fair day's sport, killing a fox in the

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. 203

morning, and winding up with a good thirty minutes from
Aldwark to Ahie Hall. In February sport was excellent: —

' Monday, February 2nd. Skelton. Holding scent, except on
'plough, which carried; glass falling; wind south-west.
' Found in Skelton Spring, ran over the road, leaving
' Shipton on our left. Turned to the right and ran up to
' the York and Moorlands roads ; pointed as if for Nova
' Scotia ; crossed over the road and turned short to the
' right ; recrossed the road at Skelton and ran for Skelton
' Park ; worked up to Aloorlands ; got on better terms with
' their fox, and after crossing the Moorlands and Skelton
'road, turned to the left, and ran nearly up to Plainville ;
' turned to the right, and worked up to the York and
' Sutton road, over it, and leaving Ha.x.by Whin on our
' right, ran through Haxby Wood and Carr. Leaving

* Hundred Acre Farm on our left, pointed for Oak
' plantation. Turned to the right, worked up to the York
' and Scarborough line above Haxby station ; crossed over
' the river Foss near Towthorpe, and turning to the left
' ran up to the river side ; recrossed the river at Strensall ;
' came to a long check here ; hit off the line near the
' village, and worked up to near the Oak plantation,
' where we had again another long check. Took the line
' down by the river Foss, and ran on into Strensall covert
•' side, and though hounds showed a stale line, made
' nothing more of it. One hour and thirty minutes — good
' hunting run. Sutton Whin, Suet Carr, Haxby Carr and
' Nova Scotia blank. Found in Overton Wood, ran for
' three fields and lost.'

Though this was not a very brilliant run it was a very
satisfactory one, and showed that the ground was getting
into better order, and that when the plough had "saddened"
a little there would be something to talk about. Nor was
the good sport long in coming, for three days later they had
a clipper : —

' Thursday, February 5th. Green Hammerton. Good scent,
' especially in the morning ; glass very high indeed.

* Widdington Wood and all Widdington coverts blank.

204 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' Found at Bog covert, Thorpe Green. Ran fast to Divil
' Wood, and through it. Three couples of hounds got a
' view at the fox as he crossed Widdington beck. Got
' the body up to them, and leaving the Widdington coverts
' on the left, ran through Carlton Wood and up to Nun
' Monkton, down towards the river. Hounds got a view of
' their fox opposite to Moor Monkton. They ran straight
' up to him and rolled him over after a good twenty-five
' minutes. Found at the Long covert, Kirby, and ran as
' if for Widdington Wood, but turning to the left he went
' over the river above Linton Lock. Another fox had been
' in front of us as well. Got on his line at Fish Wood,
' and ran hard to Divil Wood, through it and the Bog
' covert at Thorpe Green. He was viewed from there dead
' beat. Toiler (1889) got rather ahead of the body. Got
' her stopped, and ran back nearly to Kirby long covert,
' where a check took place. The fox was believed to have
' gone over the river, and to ground in the opposite bank,
' — about forty minutes. Found in Bog covert, below
' Great Ouseburn. Ran fast through Kirby Park, and ran
' up alongside Widdington Beck. Turned over it to the
' right, and pointed straight for York and Boroughbridge
' road. Turned slightly to the left, and ran up to Skip
' Bridge ; checked ; took a line over the road, and to the
' railway below Hammerton station. Went to ground
' in a hedge between the railway and Skewkirk Mill.
' Dug him out and killed. Bitches very keen, having
'pulled him out of the earth. Time, one hour; good
' hunting run.'

March came in with wild blustering winds, and it was
pretty evident to those with weather wisdom that the storms
were not yet done with, and on the 9th a keen north-east
wind was blowing through snow. The following morning
found the country covered, and on Tuesday and Thursday
hounds were confined to the kennel. Then the game went
on merrily again, and till the finish of the season sport was
good : —

'Monday, March i6th. Aldwark Bridge. Very good scent;
' glass rising ; wind north. The following coverts blank :

THE RULE OF Mr. E. I.YCETT GREEN. 205

' Reilly plantation, new gorse on Mr. Hawking's farm,
' Aldwark Aloor, and the gorse covert on it, Aldvvark
' Wood and the Fox Covert next it, Youlton Whin and
'Alne Whin. The coverts belonging to Aldvvark were
' only stopped that morning ; vixens had begun drawing
' out the earths. Got on a line in Hawk Hills old covert,
' and worked it up to the Crayke end of the covert. As
' soon as they were outside, scent improved, and they ran
' fast until just below Easingwold. Turned short to the
' right, leaving Easingwold to the left ; Peep o' Day also
'on the left. Slight check; hit off the line; run up to
' Newburgh (thirty- three minutes). Ran through the
' covert above the Crow Wood ; came to a check. Hounds
'were cast over the park. Streamlet (1890) and P>enzy
' (1890) struck a line across the park which the old
' hounds did not seem to fancy. It turned out to be
' right, however, and the body of the pack worked it up to
' Heronsew Gill. Ran down to Ampleforth station, but
' hounds never spoke to it after crossing the railway.
' Drew the other Newburgh coverts and got on our hunted
'fox in the one just below the keeper's house, ran through
' Pond Head Wood, over Yearsley Moor, down to the
' plantations near Ampleforth station. Fox dead beat !
' hounds close at him. Raced him nearly in view into
' Gilling Wood. There he beat us owing to hounds
' getting on a fresh fox. The pace was good for thirty-
' three minutes, and the line one of the best. The best
' day we have had (if they had only got him) this season.
' A six-and-a-half mile point ; as hounds ran, about nine
' miles up to Newburgh.'

' Thursday, March 19th. Sawley Hall. Holding scent on grass,
' but none on plough. Found on low covert at .Sawley,
' and ran to ground at low end of Butterton Gill. Another
' fox went away from the same place, past the white farm-
' house on the top of the hill, as if for Bishop Thornton,
' but being chased by a sheep-dog, turned short to the
' right, and was hunted slowly down to Sawley Moor. The
'line was picked out by inches down by Mr. Greenwood's
' keeper's house, Warsill, through Swales' Wood up to
' Brimham Rocks, when pace improved a little. Leaving
' the main earth at Brimham Rocks on his right, ran

A 2

2o6 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' through the Braisby Woods to the large covert just
' above Summer Bridge, near Dacre Banks. Here we
' probably changed. Ran for three fields pretty straight
' to Hartwith, leaving the church on our right, to Spring
' House Wood, which we skirted. Turned over the old
' Pateley road to Broomhill Wood, through Cryers' Wood
' to ground in a drain in Warsill. Bolted him, ran fast
' up to the top of Butterton Gill, to the far end of Sawley
' Woods. He was viewed making back, and ran almost
' straight back the same line, when we killed. C. Green-
' wood made the Summer Bridge plantation and far end
' of Sawley about five miles as the crow flies.- This was
' one of the best days we have had for hounds all through
' the season, and the bitches worked wonderfully, the run
'being about three hours. Waitress (1890) and Streamlet
' (1890) doing extremely well.'

They hunted on till April iith, when they again met at
Sawley to finish the season, and again had an excellent day's
sport. They found the first fox in Sawley Wood, and ran
him hard, with a good scent, for some time, and lost him
just as they seemed certain to kill. Then came another run
from Sir Henry's Wood up to Kettlesing, where the fox
went to ground. But better was to come. Rather late in
the day they found in the Park Wood at Ripley, and ran
very hard over a fine country to Winstanley Hurst After
the first twenty minutes they hunted on nicely to Scotch
Moor above Bewerley, the stone walls giving them a lot of
trouble, as they were quite unjumpable. Hounds were finally
stopped, and it was after ten o'clock when the special arrived
at York.

They were, however, to have one more last day, and on
the following Saturday they met at Suffield by invitation from
Captain Johnstone. They had a good moorland day, and
killed one of the stout foxes for which Captain Johnstone's
country is so celebrated, this making up the complement to
forty brace. They ran fifteen-and-a-half brace to ground.

THE RULE OF Mr. E LYCETT GREEN. 207

1 89 1 -92. — Arthur Wilson left at the end of the season,
and went to the Atherstone, Will Gray succeeding him ; and
during- this season he hunted the dog pack. The season
began on Friday, September iith, at Deighton plantations,
and after some good work they killed a cub. The cub
hunting was especially good this year; day after day scent
served well, and there were some runs in October which
would not have disgraced December. Early on in the month
there was a run which was long talked of as the cub-hunting
day, and there were few better days on the AInsty side
during the season : —

' Wednesday, October 7th. Street Houses, nine o'clock. Good
'scent in morning-; bad in afternoon. Found in Pickering-
' Wood and ran up to Steeton Hall. Turned to the left
' and ran up to Street Houses. Turned to the left again
' and ran through Steeton Whin, round by Steeton Hall,
' nearly up to Colton. Turned back and went to ground
' near Steeton Hall. Got on another fox in a pond place, and
' ran him round towards Steeton Whin. Turned to the left,
' ran through Pallethorpe and on to Bolton Percy Willow
' Garth, back to Steeton and away to the York and
' Tadcaster road, (iot wrong information here, fox. having-
' turned to the right. Went back to a holloa behind
' Steeton, but made nothing out. Got away from Steeton
' Whin, ran through Pallethorpe, on to the Willow Garth,
' dusted a cub about there ; took him over to Steeton
' Whin, and killed.'

The first run was a very good one, and as the country
was naturally very blind and the pace was great, there was
a great deal of disaster. During the cub-hunting season
they accounted for thirty-and-a-half brace of fo.xes, twenty-
two brace of which they killed : a very good record for so
difficult a country as the York and Ainsty.

The season opened on Monday, Novenvber 2nd, at
Aldwark Bridge. They had a fairly good day's sport, but it
was rather spoilt by hounds changing, and some of them

2o8 HISTOR Y OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

crossed the river. However, they managed to kill a fox in
the afternoon. On the following day they met at Knavesmire
Lod?je, when all York turned out to see them. Knavesmire
Wood held a fo.x, and after a smart scurry he was killed in
Mr. Lofthouse's cart shed at Bishopthorpe. Scent then
changed for the worse, and though there were more foxes
found, not much was done with any of them. Sport continued
to be fairly good till the middle of the month, when they
had a real old-fashioned day, which some of the horses did
not forget in a hurry : —

'Monday, November i6th. .Stillinirton. Good scent; glass
' rising. Found in .Stillington Whin, and after a good cry
' in covert, fox was .supposed to have gone to ground.
' Found in Stillington Carr, and after running hard in
' covert, fox (headed twice) at length got away, and ran
' hard up to Folly Wood. Here we viewed the hunted fox
' very beat. A couple of hounds got ahead of the body.
' Got the body of the pack up to them in two fields.
' Hounds ran hard, leaving Huby Burn to the right, across
' Huby and Tollerton lane ; turned slightly to the right,
' and then to the left ; went through the west end of
' Dodholme Wood and west end of New Parks straight up
' to Blue Beck, below Blue Bridge Whin. Ran slowly
'down Shipton road, Gainsay (i88g) doing good work,
' also Twinkle (1890). Hunted beautifully behind .Shipton
' village and into Skelton Spring. Got on a fresh fox
' there, but they got stopped. Time to then, one hour
' and thirty minutes from Stillington Carr. Getting away
' on our hunted fox, ran into Overton Wood. Here we
' changed, and going away with a fresh fox, ran by the
' river back into Overton, away to Skelton Spring and on
' to Overton village ; down by the river, up to Beningbrough
' and killed in the park. Hounds were running from
' 12-17 to three o'clock, off and on. Bitches never worked
' better.'

The month went out with frost, and hounds were confined
to the kennel for two or three days, but they got to work
again in the beginning of December, and a fair average of

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. 209

sport was enjoyed till the middle of the month, when there
was an exceptionally good day, the best day of the season
so far : —

'Monday, December 14th. Sutton-on-the-Forest. Holding
' scent ; better in afternoon. Found in a hedgerow between
' St. John's Well Wood and Sutton Whin. Leaving the
'whin to our right, ran round it, and going to the left of
' Suet Carr, pointed for the Hundred Acre Farm covert.
' Turned to the left, and after a slight check ran over to
' the Strensall fox. covert. The fox was seen about a field
' ahead of hounds. Ran down to the Foss Beck, and
' turning to the right, ran over the common to the left of
' the new covert at Lilling Green. Turned to the right
' and came to a long check. Hit off the line of a fresh
' fox and ran up to Sheriff Hutton bridge. Crossed over
' it and took a line in the direction of Sheriff Hutton
' village and lost. No doubt our hunted fox went to
'ground near the new covert at Lilling Green, two earths
'being open. Found in Haxby Carr, ran to Hundred
'Acre Farm covert and to ground six fields beyond.
' Found in Haxby Whin, ran over York and Sutton road,
' leaving Plainville just on our left. Turned to the right
' and ran straight as if for New Parks, keeping the Huby
'lane on our right hand. When within two fields of New
' Parks, turned to the right over the lane, and ran up to
' Sutton, over the park and on to .Suet Carr. through that
' covert, on to Hundred Acre Farm covert, through it and
' straight away to Strensall, crossed the Foss Beck and
' worked him slowly up towards .Sheriff Hutton Park.
' When two fields from .Sheriff Hutton Park, fox was
' headed by a dog. Hounds worked him to the right, over
' the York and .Scarborough line to the right of Flaxton
' station. Turned to the left, and crossing Flaxton, worked
' up the lane leading to Foston Whin covert. Here they
' ran into their fox dead beat in a ditch, after a good
' hunting run of one hour and thirty-five minutes. Wanton
'(1891) made a very good hit just before we killed the fox,
' taking a line by herself over the railway.'

This was probably the run of the season.

2 TO HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

Frost set in on the i8th, and there was no hunting till

Wednesday, December 30th, when they had a bye-day at

Moreby. Scent was bad, as it frequently is after a spell of

frost, and though they had a lot of knocking- about there is

not much to record. On the following day the; glass began

to rise, and they had a moderate day's sport, and on Saturday

the frost set in again, and though they managed to steal a

day, it was a hopeless case from the beginning. Hounds

were kept in kennel till January 25th. On that day they

met at the kennels for Naburn. and a very doubtful day it

was. There was a good deal of 'bone' in the ground from the

old frost ; and then, as had been usual whenever a thaw had

set in this winter, there were a few degrees of frost on the

top to improve matters. However, .Mr. Lycett Green elected

to take it as it was, and a fairly good day's sport was the

result, hounds getting hold of a brace. On the 27th it is

recorded that they left a mangy fox in Overton, and it was

about this time that the dreadful scourge was first beginning

to show itself, though no one anticipated at the time that

it would prove so serious a matter as it did. Scent did

not favour hounds greatly in February, but though there were

occasional frosty days, they were not much stopped. They

had a rare day for hounds on the 25th, when they met at

Goldsbroucfh Hall, and killed a brace of toxes after some

good running. Long hunting runs frequently took place in

March, and hounds hunted most perseveringly, killing their

foxes well. The following is one of the best days of this

kind that they had : —

' Monday, March 21st. Ahie. Good scent in morning, not so
' good later on ; glass rising ; day fine. Youlton Whin and
' Aldwark Moor blank. Found at Aldwark Wood and ran
' fast through small coverts near Burton's farm. Turned
' to the left and ran nearly up to the keeper's house at
' Aldwark, past the hall and up to near the bridge. After
' a check skirted the right-hand side of the wood, and ran

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. 211

' over the small coverts near Fall Gates, through them up
' to Linton Spring, through the top end of the spring (the
' fox close in front of them), on up to Alne Mill dam, over
' the park at Alne, leaving Youlton Whin on the left,
'worked up to llavvking's Farm near Cass Moor. After
' a check there ran round to the right, leaving Flawith on
' the left. Came to a check, but getting on better terms
' with our fox at Aldwark Moor, ran into Aldwark Wood.
' Got away from there, ran through the fox covert up to
' Youlton, round by Youlton Whin, leaving that on the
' right, past the keeper's house at Aldwark, and killed our
' fox dead beat in Aldwark and Cass Moor lane, opposite
' Reilly plantation. Hounds worked wonderfully well.
' They were running about three hours. The first twenty-
' five minutes were fast, without a check. A really good
' hunt. A brace of foxes in front of us several times.'

There was some CTood sport in April, and on the 4th
and 9th they had very good runs for the time of year. On
the former day they haci a yood hunt of an hour from Nun
Appleton, finally losing- their fox at Bilbrough, and on the
latter they had a good ringing nin from the Holly Carrs,
killing their fox at the Temple Walk. The season finished
on April i6th, at Wheldrake. The season, notwithstanding
its broken character, was a good one, and hounds accounted
well for their foxes, killing forty-six-and-a-half brace and run-
ning twenty-eight brace to ground.

1892-93. — For the history of the next two seasons I
have to depend on my own notes, and the record will
necessarily be a brief one. The harvest of 1892 was late, and
it was not until September r5th that a start was made at
Steeton, where, after a hard morning's work, they killed a cub.
On the 27th they had a good day at Nun Appleton, running
one fox and another for an hour and three-quarters before
they got hold of one. Late as it was there were several
fields of beans to cut, and this interfered considerably with

212 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A IN STY HUNT.

cub-hunting operations. The weather during the opening
weeks was wet and stormy, but nevertheless hounds showed
good sport, and accounted well for their foxes. September,
taken on the whole, was a good month after a start was
once made, and all through October hounds did well, and
brought a fair lot of foxes to hand. On October 22nd they
had a good day at Thicket Priory. The country was in a
dreadful state, the ground up to the hocks, and the Derwent
had overflowed its banks to such an extent that it looked
like an inland sea of some seven or eight miles in length
and from three-quarters of a mile to a mile and a quarter
in breadth. There was just a holding scent, the wet state
of the ground causing some trouble. Nevertheless hounds
hunted with great steadiness, and stuck well to their work,
killing their first fox after thirty minutes' very pretty hunting.
There was a good show of foxes, and a lot of slow hunting
afterwards, but the country was so blind and deep that the
pace was quite fast enough.

There was frost as well as wet weather to contend with
during the cub-hunting season, and on the 25th the pools of
water on the roads were a mass of ice, and there was a strong
suspicion that the keen north wind was bringing snow with
it. Hounds could hunt, however, and they had a fair day's
sport, eight minutes at top pace from Rufforth Whin (after
seventeen minutes' hard running in covert), to ground at
Hessay, putting everyone in good humour with the prospects
of the season. The cub-hunting season was brought to a
close brilliantly on Monday, October 31st, when they met at
Strensall. They found in the Oak Wood and ran with a
burnine scent over the grass to Strensall village. Here
they made a sharp turn to the right, and leaving Oak Wood
on the right, they ran over a big country to Suet Carr.
That grief was plentiful over such a country so early in the
season it is needless to say, and many a good man was

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN.

213

brouo-ht down by the blind drains which come so frequently
in that country. Between the Low Carr and the Hij;h
Carr there was a risk of hounds dividing, but Mr. Lycett
Green kept them together, and in doing so he was charged
and knocked over by one of the reckless division who had
distinguished themselves earlier in the run by riding on the
top of hounds. They ran hard to Sutton Whin, and then
bearing right-handed up to Sheriff Hutton bridge, where
they were close to their fox. A holloa in the lane told that
the end was near, but the fox managed to struggle into a
rabbit-hole at the end of a very fine run of thirty-nine
minutes. A fast seventeen minutes from High Suet Carr,
round by Sheriff Hutton and nearly back to the covert,
made up a good day. Short as the cub-hunting season
had been, hounds did well, killing fifteen brace.

The regular season opened at Oxton Hall on Tuesday,
November ist. There was a strong frost, a forecast of what
the weather was to be during the season, as it happened,
and scent served none too well. Still there was plenty of
fun, for hounds were never long without a fox, and a hard
day was the result, though they failed to kill. Sport
continued to be fairly good till November 24th, when they
had a capital day from Allerton station. They did not
find in the park, but just when they had finished drawing
it a fox was viewed over the park wall. Mr. Lycett Green
soon had the birches on the line, and carrying a rare head
they raced past Spring Bank and turned to the left past
Flaxby village and through Flaxby covert. So quickly were
they through the covert that those of the field who did not
look sharp were hopelessly left. They then pointed for
Kirby Hall, running between Whixley and Allerton villages.
Kirby Hall, however, was never reached, for the fox made
a short turn through the Dale plantation and ran on to the
main earth at Grassgills, which he tried. It was well stopped,

B 2

2 14 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

and hounds ran on hard through the Twelve Acre and
Gallabars. Then turning to the left they crossed behind
Grafton and Marton and over Nineveh, running by Grass-
gills into the Dale, where they rolled their fox over after a
capital run of an hour and a half Foxes were plentiful in
Lylands, which they went to draw, for as they chopped a fox
almost as soon as they were put into the covert, another lot
of hounds were running hard. Losing no time over ' funeral
ceremonies,' Mr. Lycett Green soon got the lot together,
and with as good a scent as had obtained in the morning,
they ran through Broadfield and Shepherd's Wood and to
within a field of Spelloe Hill. Turning sharp to the right
over the Wetherby and Boroughbridge road, they ran by
Grafton, and turned to the left to Ornham's Hall, where
they checked for the first time. It was a brilliant gallop of
forty minutes up to this point. They were soon going
again, and ran hard behind Grafton and Marton to Nineveh,
and thence through Shepherd's Wood to Lylands, and past
Rabbit Hill and Ramshaw into Hopperton plantation The
fox was no dweller in covert, for he ran straio'ht throuofh
the plantation, to the discomfort of those whose horses
now wanted a 'pull' badly. He had, however, had about
plenty, and was beginning to run short, and they ran a ring
round by Hunsingore and back to Hopperton, and thence
to Goldsbrough Moor, where hounds were stopped in the
dark. The run lasted two hours and a quarter, and the
pace was very fast at times. Only darkness saved the fox's
life, but it is probable that they changed at least once, for
foxes were very plentiful, and they ran through several coverts.
Frost set in at the end of the month, and for a fortnight
men were watching the barometer and grumbling at the
early stoppage. It was a strong frost, too, one of those
which made it necessary to advertise ' the first open day.'
So in the papers appeared the fixture ' First open day at

THE RDLE OF Mr. E. LVCETT GREEAK 2,5

Naburn.' That open day was anxiously awaited, and when
rain began to fall on Saturday, December loth, hopes beat
high. But it will be remembered that durino- all that
tantalisiny; winter, no sooner had the weather changed and
a thaw seemed imminent, than it incontinently began to
freeze again, and- this was the case on the morning of
Monday, December 12th. However, Mr. Lycett Green took
it as it was, and notwithstanding the fact that it froze all
day, they had a hard day and plenty of sport, though they
did not kill a fox. Indeed, they changed several times,
and finally were stopped at dark between Thorganby and
Skipwith. The ride home on the slippery roads is an
incident to be remembered.

Then came the frost in earnest, and hounds were unable
to hunt again until January iSth, when they went on to
Copmanthorpe Wood in an intormal way, and had a very
hard day, their fox saving his life by going to ground in
the Bramham Moor country after three hours' hard running.
Scent served well on the following day, when they met at
Naburn, but the country was still in an unrideable state,
and after a woodland hunt ending with a kill, they had to
go home. It was not till Monday 23rd that the ground
was at all fit to ride over, and even then it was full of
' bone ' in places. They met at Ha.\by and had a capital
day's sport. Eighteen minutes at racing pace from Haxby
Whin, ending with a kill within h;ilf a mile of St. John's
Well plantation, made a good beginning. Then they found
in Suet Carr, and ran by Flaxton, West Lilling and Sheriff
Hutton, pointing for Thornton-le-Clay. After running a few
fields in this direction, they turned to the right and crossed
a fine country by Lilling Hall and Lilling Green, and
through Strensall Old Wood, two fields from which they
rolled their fox over, after a fast fifty minutes. They found
another fox, or rather other foxes, for foxes were running

2i6 HISTORY OF 7 HE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

about in all directions, in Overton Wood. They settled
down with one and ran him smart'y to Newton, where they
marked him to ground. They soon got on the line of
another fox and ran him sharply down to the Poppleton
railway-bridge, where they checked. The fox had crossed
the bridge, and as soon as hounds were held over it they
began to run hard again, and were finally stopped at
Poppleton village in the dark.

The good sport which was shown in the later days of
January did not continue in the following month. Dry
winds prevailed during the early part of the month, and
scent was only moderate. On the 13th they had a sporting
fifty minutes from New Parks, and on the following day
they had a very good hunting run of an hour and forty
minutes in the Ainsty, finding their fox in the open between
Stub Wood and Brocket Hao-o-, and running; \\\x.o him close
to Brocket Hagg after a ringing run, the first half of which
was distinguished by some very fine hound woric, whilst the
last forty minutes was quick enough for anyone. The
weather continued to be changeable during February, and
' hail, rain, snow and vapour ' succeeded each other, whilst
every now and again there was frost, but not sufficient to
stop hunting. Early in March there were a couple of very
good days. On the 6th they met at Strensall. They found
at once in Low Suet Carr, and ran hard for half an hour to
Sheriff Hutton bridge. Here they checked, and when they
hit off the line again scent had changed for the worse.
They hunted very prettily for another hour and finally lost
their fox not far from Whenby. They found again in a field
close to Haxby Whin, and after a brilliant gallop of thirty
minutes, marked their fox to ground on Strensall Common.
On the following day they had a smart gallop from Askham
Whin, finally losing their fox not far from Marston station.
The season was brought to a close on Thursday, March 30th,

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEX. 217

at Thorpe Green, where they had a very good hunting run,
ending with a kill. Though this was the last day so far as
their own country was concerned, they were to be out once
again before they retired into summer quarters. The Bilsdale
sent them an invitation to go to Kirby Knowle, and a very
good day's sport they had, finding a fox somewhere between
Weston and Boltby, and after running for two hours and
fifteen minutes, he beat them at Byland Old Abbey.

This was the first season that Mr Lycett Green hunted
both packs.

1893-94. — They got an early start ne.\t season. The
harvest had been got in good time, the rubs were well
grown and forward, and on Tuesday, August 29th, they
went to Steeton at five in the morning, and though scent
was bad enough, they had a good deal of e.Kcellent hound
work, and killed a brace of cubs. On Thursday they met at
Hob Green at five a.m , but though rain had fallen, there
was not much improvement in scent. Notwithstanding
this, however, they had a satisfactory morning, and again
they got blood. On the following day they were at Clint,
and the dog pack had a long, tiring day, running a brace
of cubs to ground, and unfortunately they had to go home
without blood.

Monday, September 4th, found them at Morcby, five
a.m. being still the hour of meeting. They found a good
show of foxes, and after a good morning's work they killed
a leash of cubs The weather was hot and dry, but in
the afternoon a heavy dew began to fall, so Mr. Lycett
Green, bearing in mind what a disappointing day the dog
pack had had on the Friday, took them to Rufforth Whin.
Scent was much better than it had been in the morning,
foxes were there in plenty, and after a lot of good work
they killed a brace.

2i8 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

The cub-hunting season had certainly started auspiciously,
and sport continued to be satisfactory. On the 20th they
had their first spin in the open. They met at Allerton
station, and after killing a cub in a small plantation near
Allerton Park, they went away with either an old fox or a
very enterprising younj; one, and after running him nicely
fur fifty minutes, they were stopped near Kirby Hall. They
had another pretty gallop from Wheldrake Wood, running
their fox to ground, after a wide ring, at Gipsy Corner.
This run took place on October 3rd, and during the whole
of the month there was a fair average of sport.

The regular season commenced on Monday, October 30th,
at Alne Hall, when they had a capital day's sport. There
were plenty of foxes in Hawk Hills, and no sooner had
hounds found them than they divided, one lot going away
in the direction of Alne Forest, whilst the body of the pack
pointed first for Crayke. Then swinging round by Folly
Wood, they got together again, and they hunted very nicely
over a stiff country up to Huby village. The dry fallows
brought them to their noses, and ultimately caused them to
check, but they were soon at work again. Still they did not
get away very well, for there was a good deal of fallow to
contend with, and after crossing the Huby lane they checked
again. They soon hit off the line, and scent improving,
they ran at a better pace in the direction of Sutton-on-the-
Forest, but turning to the right, they ran by New Parks to
Launde House, where they ran into a very tired fox after
an hour and five minutes' good hunting. There was at least
a leash of foxes in New Parks, and after forty-five minutes'
rather slow hunting, they marked one fox to ground between
Hull Lane and New Buildings. Will Gray was unfortunately
liors dc coiubat for the opening day. He had been with the
Bramham on the preceding Friday, and got a nasty fall, in
which he fractured his jaw, and he was laid up for a
considerable period.

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. 219

When the rain came there was plenty of sport, and a
fortnight later they had a good day's sport in the same
country. The fixture was Hawk Hills, and they found at
once in the far Old Wood. The fox went away like a shot,
and as the wind was against the bulk of the field, but few
got away on anything like terms with hounds. The pace
was a cracker to New Parks, and there they checked ; and
as Mr. Lycett Green had to go round to avoid some wire,
some little time was lost, and they did no more good with
this fox. There was another on foot as soon as they were
fairly in the New Parks coverts, and they ran hard for
twenty-eight minutes, marking their fo.x to ground in a
culvert between Shires House and Hawk Hills. Later in the
day, when drawing St. John's Well plantation, Mr. Lycett
Green's horse went up to the shoulder in a rabbit-hole,
with the result that he lamed his ankle, and was unable to
hunt for some weeks.

In the absence of the Master and Gray the duty of
hunting hounds devolved upon Harry Chandler, who shaped
well, and showed good sport, his best run probably being
from Court House Wood, over the Ouse, by Red House
Wood, and across the Nidd to Nun Monkton, where they
killed.

The weather was threatening in the later days of
November and the beginning of December, but there was
no stoppage to speak of On November 30th Mr. Lycett
Green again resumed the horn, and there was a succession
of good sport, which culminated with the Melbourne Hall
day on December 23rd. This day was such an exceptional
one that it deserves a chapter to itself

On St. Stephen's day the fixture was the kennels, and a
footman's day was enjoyed by the large crowds of holiday-
makers from York, who, it should be said, behaved admirably.
A smart gallop from Grange Wood to Hutton Thorns, where

2 20 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

they eventually marked their fox to ground, warmed us up
after the somewhat dodging run of the morning.

In the early part of January Mr. Lycett Green found it
necessary to approach the Hunt Committee on the subject
of the increasing scarcity of foxes in the country, the
following being a quotation from his letter : —

' For the first time during' the eight years I have liad the
' hounds, I am sorry to report a scarcity of foxes in the
' country.

' I did not find tlie litters of cubs I expected during
' tlie cub-liunting, nor liave they turned up since.

'At the same time I feel sure I have only to make an
' appeal to the land-owners and covert-owners, by whom
' I have been so well supported, to be sure that they will
'do all in their power to remedy this, however gloomy the
' prospect may be at present. We have had mange now
' for three years, and no doubt this must partly account
' for the dearth of foxes. Various means have been tried
' to stamp it out, without avail. It is fto use going into the
' causes as to why mange is with us ; it is here, and we
' must get rid of it. The only plan left I can now think
' of is for all land-owners, covert-owners and others, to
' co-operate, and permanently stop all their earths before
' the breeding season.

' In cases where mangy foxes have been known to use
' the earths, to destroy, and disinfect the soil with lime.
' By this I hope the healthy foxes will make new earths,
' and the mangy ones will be easily killed.'*

* Mange in foxes is not got rid of in a hurry ; and it is as well to note
that it springs from various causes, and there are apparently several kinds of
the disease. The means adopted by IVIr. Lycett Green undoubtedly did good,
but no amount of stamping out will eradicate the disease in a season or two.
It is worth while to point out that every fox that is void of hair is by no means
irrecoverably mangy ; and I have seen foxes myself with short hair all over
their bodies, or over parts of their bodies, which showed conclusively that they
had been suffernig from some sort of skin disease from which recovery was
possible. Mr. Tom Smith, who hunted the Craven hounds so successfully for
many years, tells of foxes recovering from mange, but he says it takes them
quite two years to get their fur up again. So it is necessary for people to be
very careful when putting down mangy foxes, as it is possible that they may
destroy a fox that is only suffering from some mild form of eczema, or has
even recovered from the disease,

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. 221

The frost which had been threatening for some time
came in earnest in January, and there was a week's stoppage.
Then came a fair average of sport, hounds accounting well
for their foxes. On the 15th and i6th they had fair sport,
but the country was in a bad state for riding, and then there
was a little more trouble with frost. Still hounds did fairly
well, and in the early days of February they did very well.

On the 5th they met at Skelton, and after drawing
Skelton Spring blank, they found an outlying fox between
Skelton and Shipton. Leaving Josey Wood to the right,
they crossed the York road and ran on to Haxby station,
leaving the whin on the left. From Haxby station they ran
down to the Foss and thence to Huntington, where they
killed in a garden after a very fast run of an hour. Better
wa.s to come. They found again in Suet Carr and ran at
top pace, pointing first for Strensall. They soon turned to
the right, and crossed the York and Sutton road, and then
turned left-handed as if for New Parks. They twisted about
a little, crossino- and recrossino; the road, and then leaving
Launde House to the left, they ran by Plainville to Moorlands,
and thence nearly to Skelton village, finally running into their
fox not far from Fairfield. It was a brilliant gallop of forty
minutes. Grass or plough, it was all the same, hounds raced
as if tied to their fox, and the field was very select when the
end came. It was the best scent they had had since the
Melbourne day, but they had not such a good fox.

There was a lot of wild weather and some heavy gales
in February, and on the 1 7th there came a sudden spell of
frost. The frost, however, went away as suddenly as it had
come, and on the 24th they hunted at Moreby, and had a
very sharp scurry of eighteen minutes from Heron Wood,
killing in Moreby Wood. They had a fair day's sport on
March 13th, beginning with fifty-three minutes from Colton
Hagg to Dringhouses, where they marked their fox to ground,
c 2

222 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

bolted and killed. The second fox was found in Askham
Bogs, and after a rather curious ringing run, was killed close
into York, after a run of fifty minutes.

An incident which took place this season is worthy of
record. On March 19th and 20th hounds went by invitation
to hunt in the Holderness country, and though they were
not favoured with the best of scenting days, they showed
some good sport. On the 19th they met at Beeford.
They found in the famous Dringhoe Whin, and it may be
imagined that there was a 'wild charge' when they got away.
They could only hunt, however, and hunt they did with the
greatest perseverance, and finally they killed between Lisset
Drain and the Manor House. They did better with their
second fo.x, an outlying one which jumped up in Sandsfield,
and as they got a flying start with him, they ran hard for
a few minutes and finally killed him in the garden at
Brandesburton rectory, after a run of twenty-three minutes.
They found one or two more fo.\es, but scent had entirely
failed by that time, and they ciid little more good. It was
a long, hard day, hounds finished eight miles from the
special train, and it was nine o'clock when it arrived in York.
On the following day they met at Everingham, but did not
do very much, scent being worse than on the preceding day,
and foxes, though plentiful, were inclined to ring. At night
they found a fox in Leak Wood, and tor about a quarter of
an hour they ran nicely over a good country, pointing for
Beilby, but the fun was soon over, and after working out a
line slowly to Everingham Park, they were beaten, and went
home. It should be added that they had killed a fox in
the morning, but had no sport with him.

1894-95. — No one that hunted is likely to forget this
season, especially if they cast in their lot with the York
and Ainsty. In the first place it was a season in which
that dread disease, the mange, made its presence known in

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. 223

an unmistakeable manner, and caused great anxiety to the
Master and all connected with the management of the hunt.
Then once again did one of the hunt staff happen a
serious accident. The season itself, too, was one to be long
remembered. The fore part of it was very open, and sport
was of the best ; then came eight weeks of idleness, but
notwithstandincf the lonof frost, I am inclined to think that
it was one of the best seasons I ever saw with the York
and Ainsty.

The cub-hunting began on Thursday, September 20th, at
Naburn Ferry, where they had a long, hard and disappointing
day, failing to get blood. After that the cub-hunting pro-
gressed favourably until .Saturday, October 6th, when they
had a most satisfactory day from Hagg Bridge. All the
Melbourne coverts were well supplied with foxes, and after
some capital work, in which the young hounds showed to
great advantage, they got hold of a brace. The cub-hunting
season was a fairly successful one, but just at the close
Charles Brown, the second whipper-in, was kicked by a
young horse, and sustained a compound fracture of the leg.
It was hard luck, and he missed most of his first season
in consequence.

The regular season commenced on Monday, November
5th, at Hawk Hills, but they only had a moderate day, and
nothing took place worth recording. On the 13th they had a
nice hunting run from Askham Boys, killincr in Backhouse's
gardens at the end of an hour and ten minutes ; and better
was soon to come : —

' Monday, November 19th. Beningbrough Dogs. Fair scent ;
' glass rising ; day fine. Found at Court House Wood.
' Ran fast over Newton and Cross Lanes road. Turned to
' the left and ran up to Newton and ToUerton road, and
' killed. Eight minutes, very fast. Got heel way on the
' line of a fox from Blue Bridge Whin, and worked up to
'Hawthorn Bank (Blue Bridge plantations). Killed a fox

2 24 HISTORY OF THE YORK: AND A IN STY HUNT.

' in New Parks. Found in Sutton end of New Parks, ran
' through Dodholme Wood, and back into New Parks, and
'killed. Skelton Spring blank. Found in Overton, ran up
' to York and Newton road, crossed it, turned to the right,
' took a line up to Josey Wood, checked, got on the line,
•* ran past Court House, leaving that on the left, up to Cross
' lanes ; hunted slowly up to Blue Bridge Whin, and there
' got up to our fox. Ran up to Hawthorn Bank and on to
'New Parks. Got away on the Moorlands side, and ran
' up the drain side as if for Launde Farm, turned to the
' left, and crossing the drain, lost on the Haxby and
' Moorlands drain between Plainville and Haxby. About
' one hour ; hounds worked well.'

On Friday, November 23rd, the Holderness came into
the York and Ainsty country by invitation, and four day.s
later there was a famous day's sport in the Ainsty : —

'Tuesday, November 27th. Skip Bridge. Bitches. Day cold
' and still ; glass rising. Skip Bridge Whin blank. Found
' at Red House Wood, a brace. Got away and ran up to
' Hagg Hill. Fox was headed here, and crossed to Moor
' Monkton and Marston lane ; turned to the left, and went
' over the York and Boroughbridge road and over the rail-
' way, leaving Marston station just on the left ; came to a
' check four fields beyond ; hit off the line, ran up to
' Wilstrop Wood and touched the corner of it. Cautious
' (i8go) brought the line out, and pointed as if for Wilstrop
' crossing, but turned to the left, and ran up to the Tockwith
' and Skewkirk lane. Leaving Skewkirk on the right, ran
' up to Cattal Bridge and Tockwith road ; leaving Cattal
' Bridge on the right, turned up the Cowthorpe road, and
'leaving the coverts on the left — -(here two couples of
' hounds got forward, and the body never caught them till
' Lingcroft covert at Ingmanthorpe) — took a line on from
' Lingcroft into Fleetwood, and went to ground. Fifty-one
' minutes ; nine-mile point. Hounds ran hard, with two
' slight checks. Rufforth Whin, Grange Wood, blank.
' Found on our way to draw the Bogs, ran to the left of
' the kennels, and leaving Acomb Wood on the right,
'ran up to Backhouse's gardens; came away from there
' and ran to the left of the kennels, crossed over the Acomb

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. 225

'and Askham road and on up to the stables at Askham
' Richard Hall ; turned to the right, and ran as if for
• Grange Wood, but turned again to the left, and crossing
' Rufforth and Askham lane, and leaving Askham Whin
' on our left and Angram village on the right, crossed the
' Askham road ; turned to the right, leaving Hell Holes on
'the left, and ran up to Healaugh village; leaving that
' on our right, went to ground in a tree on the Catterton
' side of Healaugh. Good hunt of one hour.'

Saturday, December 8th. Sessay station. Bitches. Bad scent
'in morning, good in afternoon. Dalton Whin blank.
' Found in Lord Downe's new whin covert below Thor-
' manby, hunted over to Sessay Wood, and came to a
' check ; leaving that covert on the right, ran over the York
' and Gilling railway and up to Raskelf Old Whin ; turned
' to the right, and pointed as if for Raskelf village, but
' turned again to the right, and hunted back into Sessay
' Wood. Got our hunted fox very beat in the covert,
' and after some good work got away on the Thormanby
' side, and ran to ground in the big sand drain between
' Thormanby and Sessay Wood. About one hour; bitches
' worked well. Clark's Wood blank, also Pilmoor. Found
' at Brafferton Spring and ran fast over the York and
' Thirsk railway and up to the York and Gilling branch ;
' came to a check ; got on the line of the fox (a horse in
' a plough dropped down dead here) and hunted slowly up
' to Raskelf Moor plantation ; turned to the right as if for
' Raskelf village, and then to the left ; crossed over Raskelf
' and Thormanby road, pointed for Peep o'Day Whin, but
' turning to the right, leaving the whin on the right hand,
' ran up the hill, leaving Husthwaite on the left and Acaster
'Hill on the right, to Beacon Banks ; two lines here, but
' hounds stuck to their hunted fox, and pointed at first as
' if for Coxwold, but turning to the right ran into the back
' of the kitchen garden at Newburgh Priory. As it was
' getting dark we had to stop hounds, though we thought
' the fox was in a stick-heap by the wall. Seven-and-a-
' half-mile point, about nine as hounds ran ; one and a
'quarter hours. The hunted fox was seen to go down to
' near Coxwold station and up the railway, dead beat.'

226

HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINS7Y HUN7.

'Tuesday, December iith. .Street Houses. Bitches. Scent
good as a rule till the end of the last run. Found at
Pickering Wood, a fox with a slight touch of mange.
Ran through Steeton on to Oxton ; leaving that on the
left and Catterton Spring on the right, came to a check ;
got on the fox again, and went back to Oxton, and turning
to the right, ran over to the river Wharfe ; hunted up the
river bank in the Tadcaster direction, and the fox crossing
over, hounds were stopped. About forty minutes. Got
on the line of another fox at once. Hunted past Oxton,
leaving it on the left, up to the Steeton drain, and turning
to the left, crossed the York and Tadcaster road at Bow
Bridge, and on to the left of Catterton .Spring, but did not
go on with the line into the covert. Found at Pallethorpe,
ran through Steeton and up to Oxton, and crossed the
York road at the end of Tadcaster ; turned to the right,
leaving Catterton Spring just on the right, over the
Catterton drain ; leaving the whin covert on the left, ran
on to Duce Wood ; came to a short check ; hounds got
away, and ran to the left over Healaugh and Wighill
village road and on to Nova Scotia ; checked again ; took
a line on the Bilton side ; after going three fields beyond
Bilton and Healaugh lane, came to a check ; hit the line
off back to the left and pointed for Wetherby and York
road ; hunted slowly past Wilstrop Whin (White Sike
Whin) ; leaving that on our right, ran on into Wilstrop
Wood ; hounds had a good cry in covert and got away on
west side close to their fox, who made a turn back up a
■ hedgerow out of which they pushed him, and getting a
view, rolled him over in the middle of a ploughed field.
One hour and fifty-five minutes. Seven-and-three-quarter-
mile point, about eleven miles as hounds ran. The bitches
hunted closely and well, and with great patience under
difficulties of bad scent and a fox sinking the wind when
dead beat.'

There was a continuance of good sport throughout
December, but on the 22nd there was such a strong wind
that, though hounds went on to the fixture, they were
unable to hunt. During the next week they had a good
day or two, and with the end of the year the frost came, —

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. 227

and it was a frost. The Ouse was frozen over from
Naburn lock to Ripon, and for two months fox-hunters had
nothing but ' stable inspection ' with which to occupy them-
selves. On one night there were as many as thirty-five
degrees of frost. During the eight weeks, four days were
stolen, but the ground was never really fit to ride over.

The long frost made February practically a non-hunting
month, but March fully made up for all deficiencies, and it
is seldom such a continuance of good sport is seen so late
in the season. There was a touch of frost again early in
March, and there was no hunting on the 4th and 5th.
Then came a lot of excellent sport, of which two days only
can be given : —

' Wednesday, March 6th. Naburn Ferry, at two o'clock. Bitches.
' Scent good on the whole; ground hard in places. Naburn
' Wood blank, Moreby Wood ditto. Found in Parson's
' Wood, a fox slipping away very quick, getting a good
' start of hounds. They ran him hard past Moon's plantation
' and into the Holly Carrs, half way down the covert. Got
' away at the Skipwith end and ran through Common Wood
'and Hacking Wood, pointed as if for Harrop's plantation;
' turning to the right, ran straight to Gilberson's Wood ;
' turned to the left, and ran to Wheldrake and Escrick road,
'pointing for the former village, hounds going a cracker,
' and no one within fields of them ; after going nearly to
' Wheldrake and York road they came to a check; hit off
' the line to the left, and ran down to the Lacey Bottoms
'drain; turned to the right, and hunted over York and
' Wheldrake road, and up to within twenty yards of Whel-
' drake Wood, when the fox jumped up dead beat, and
' hounds pulled him down. Fifty-five minutes ; a good
'hunt. Gloomy (1893) doing wonderfully, and throwing
' her tongue well. Wheldrake Wood and Gipsy Corner
' blank.'

'Tuesday, March 26th. Skip Bridge. Bitches. Scent good.
' Skip Bridge Whin blank. Found in Red House Wood
' and ran through the park, some hounds getting ahead of
' the body. Then ran down to the river and along the

228

HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

bank, turned to the right, and ran up to one of the
Poppleton plantations. Hounds got together here, as
there was a check. Got on the line of our fox, and ran up
to Deighton Whin. Just as hounds went in at one side
the fox that we had been hunting went away at the
Poppleton end. This fox had a patch of mange on one
of his quarters. He was a big fox, and very red, and was
noticed to be the same in these respects as the one that
had left Red House. Hounds were held down to the Red
House drain, and as soon as the first few couples got over
to the other side they started to run very hard, and soon
got ahead — a good deal— of the pack. Leaving' Poppleton
lane two fields to the left, they turned right handed a bit,
crossed the York and Boroughbridge road, leaving the
Boot and Shoe on the right and Poppleton railway bridge
on the left; over the York and Poppleton railway, through
the corner of Rufforth Whin, on over the York and
Rufforth road ; here we could see the leading hounds
driving along a field ahead, Grange Wood a quarter of a
mile to their right hand ; turned slightly to the right, and
came to a very slight check when pointing for Askham
Bryan (time up to there from Deighton Whin, twenty-five
minutes), but hit off the line again and ran to within a
field of Askham Bryan, and came to a check again ; hit
off the line, got on a stale one near Askham Richard
Lodge gates for a few minutes; some information put us
right, and hounds struck the line to the right of Askham
Farm, and leaving that on the left, worked over the York
and Tadcaster road and on to Colton Hagg and Copman-
thorpe lane ; hounds got on the line after going through
Copmanthorpe village, and crossing the railway there, ran
on over the Copmanthorpe drain and into one end of
Brocket Hagg; came away and worked on to the river
just above Acaster Selby, through Acaster Selby plantation
and nearly up to Kennel Wood at Nun Appleton ; the fox
had turned short back and gone back on his old line, and
hounds worked him most patiently up to Stub Wood ;
scent improved here, and they ran nicely up to opposite
Naburn Mill, and killed their hunted fox in Mr. Raimes'
field near his garden at Acaster Malbis. Three hours and
ten minutes. As hounds ran, nineteen miles ; point,
eleven miles.'

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. 229

Hounds hunted on until April 9th, when a brilliant season,
albeit a short one, was brought to a close at Goldsbrough.
They killed thirty brace of foxes and ran fourteen brace to
ground, — a good record under the circumstances.

1895-96. — This, like the last, was a short season, though
from other causes. The mange, notwithstanding all the
efforts which had been made to stamp it out, was still very
much in evidence, and though in some parts of the country
there was a marked improvement, in others foxes were still
scarce. A start was made on Saturday, September 12th, at
Moreby, where they found a nice show of cubs, and got
hold of one after some good work. On the 19th they had
a long, hard morning at Thorpe Green, and a disappointing
one to boot, for though they found plenty of cubs, they had
to go home without blood. September, indeed, was a good
month taken on the whole, and it wound up with a nice
forty minutes' spin from one of the Hunsingore plantations,
by Northlands and back to another of the Hunsingore
plantations, where they killed. On October 14th they had a
nice gallop from Strensall, and by the time the season
opened the ground was in a very soft state, for during
October there had been some heavy rains.

The season opened at Hawk Hills on Monday, Novem-
ber 4th, hwX. though there was a fair show of foxes there
was not much scent, and sport was only indifferent. Nor
was there much improvement on the following day when
hounds met at Nun Appleton, but an incident took place
which is worthy of record. During the run a pony bolted
with its rider and took off in the direction of the railway
gates at Colton. It would have been natural to suppose
that the gates would bring a pony to his senses, and that
he would stop. But such was by no means the case. The
pony charged the gate boldly, and got over all right with
t> 2

230 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

his forelegs. But his hindlei^s hung on the top bar, which
was unyielding, and the natural result was that pony and
rider parted company. There was an express train coming
along at the time, and fortunately the rider stepped back
instead of forward, otherwise he must have been killed.
Meanwhile the pony galloped down the line, and when
caught was found to have sustained no damage. It was a
thrilling incident whilst it lasted, and one which those who
were present are not likely to forget.

On December 3rd they had a good hunting run from
Nun Appleton. They found in the brickyard plantation
and coursed their fox to the Dog Kennel Wood, where he
managed to get clear of their attentions, and they were soon
brought to their noses. They hunted on to Acaster Selby,
and then the fox began to ring about the Appleton coverts
and Bolton Percy. Notwithstanding that scent was only
indifferent and the ground was foiled, they hunted with the
greatest perseverance, and getting up to their fox at last
they rolled him over after a good hunt of two hours and a half

There was a touch of frost on Friday night, but not
sufficient to prevent them from hunting at Melbourne Hall
on Saturday, and once more did the south-east side of the
country provide a good run. They found in Laytham Whin
and ran at a great pace by Seaton Ross, Seaton Mains,
and the Dog Kennel Wood at Everingham, and ran into
their fox at Holme-on-Spalding moor. Time, forty minutes.
Mr. Boast's covert provided a second fox, and again they
had a good run by Seaton Ross, Horsewell, and Thorpe
Whin, to Londesborough avenue gates, where hounds were
stopped at the end of a very sporting hour and fifteen
minutes. There was frost for a day or two, but hounds soon
resumed work.

The scarcity of foxes was now causing some trouble, and
hounds frequently had a very long draw before they found.

THE RULE OF Mr. E. LYCETT GREEN. 231

Indeed, the season under notice was the one in which the
effects of the mange were most severely felt ; and since then
there has been a gradual improvement. It was, however,
deemed expedient to curtail the number of hunting days,
and towards the latter end of the season this was done.

On Monday, January 6th, they had another good run in
the south-east part of the country. They met at Bubwith
and found in Mr. Stephenson's thorns. They got a capital
start with their fox and raced him over the grass for seven
or eight minutes, and then a lot of sheep caused a check.
Mr. Lycett Green made a good cast, and hounds were soon
at work again, running at a good holding pace by Melbourne
down to the Pocklington canal. Here they made a short
turn back past Melbourne, and ran by Storthwaite and
Jefferson's covert to Ellerton. Thence they swung back to
Melbourne, and hunted on slowly to Seaton Ross. Scent
now improved, and they ran at a good pace by Laytham
and Auo;hton to Ellerton villao;e, where the fo.\ ran the road
for a considerable distance and beat them. It was a very
good hunting run of two hours and thirty minutes.

On January i6th a sad accident happened. Hounds met
at Sawley, and as they were proceeding from one covert to
another, Mr. David Kirk put his horse at a big, strong-
fence. The horse was raw and did not know his work well,
and the result was a fearful fall, Mr. Kirk breaking his neck.
Mr. Kirk, who was a bold and fine horseman, was within
three weeks of completing his seventy-seventh year. He
was much respected, and was one of the oldest members of
the hunt. Hounds of course were taken home immediately
the sad result of the accident became known.

Perhaps the run of the season took place on February ist,
when hounds met at Ellerton Hall. Several coverts were
drawn blank, and then Mr. Lycett Green proceeJed to
Breighton Common. Hounds began to be 'busy' in a big-
rushy field about half a mile from the common, and as a

232 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

hare had jumped up out of a grass tussock in front of
them, some people talked of riot. But there had evidently
been a fox there not so very long before, and the drag
became hotter and hotter, till after crossingf three fields the
fox jumped up in view. Then the fun was fast and furious
as they ran by Breighton village and then turned right-
handed to Gunby, whence they ran back nearly to where
they had found Then taking a straight line, they crossed
the Howden road, and ran over the cream of the country to
Willitoft. Thence they bore south-easterly for Spaldington,
and checked for half a minute at Lord Londesborough's
covert. Horses, however, were scarcely pulled up when
Mr. Lycett Green's horn and holloa at the far side told
that hounds had gone on, and they raced over the Gribthorpe
pasture down to the Foulness, which they crossed about
half a mile from Wetham Bridge. In the Common Wood
there was at least a brace of fresh foxes, but they stuck to
their hunted one, and shortly after leaving the wood, checked
for the second time. The Master soon had them going
again, pointing for Holme-on-Spalding moor. On they ran
through Daubbottom Wood, and ran into their fox at Holme
Water End. From first touching on the drag it was an
hour and seventeen minutes ; from the fox jumping up in
view, an hour and ten minutes ; and an eight mile point.

The season came to an early close at Summer Bridge
on Monday, March 23rd.

With this season the York and Ainsty Hunt history
must be brought to a close. During the three seasons that
followed there were many good runs, though nothing that
goes to the making of history like, for example, the Melbourne
run, and everything that happened is within the recollection
of those interested. The mange, though it has not quite
disappeared, is at any rate got under, and the prospect of
sport in one of the most sporting countries in England is
cheerinir.

CHAPJER IX.
The Melbourne Hall Run.

Historic runs are of rare occurrence, and it does not fall
to the lot of a man to see more than one or two, unless,
like the ' monks who live under the hill,' it is his business
to hunt every day ; and even in the latter case, the historic
runs he will see are few and far between. The comparative
merits of different runs often afford matter for keen areument
when hunting men foregather ; but those whose good luck
it was to be out with the York and Ainsty on Saturday,
December 23rd, 1893, are unanimous in expressing the
opinion that they never saw a run to equal that which took
place over the fine wild Howdenshire country.

The morning was a fine one, there was scarcely a
breath of air stirring, the wind was in the south-west, and
as Mr. Lycett Green drove up to the meet the question as
to whether it was a typical hunting morning was discussed,
and the Master prophesied a run. There was, however, one
weather sign which was not very favourable, and that was
that on the horizon there hung the faintest suspicion of a
blue fog, that bete noir to the huntsman. There was not a

234 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

very large field ; indeed, at that time, for some unexplained
reason, Melbourne Hall did not find favour with the
majority of the York and Ainsty men, — but still it was a
fairly representative one, and the numbers were swelled by
a few good men and true from the Holderness country,
amongst whom was David Dalby, the first whipper-in.
Mr. Lycett Green first proceeded to draw the Brickyard
Plantation, having sent Gray on in the meantime to crack
some big hedgerows. The plantation was drawn blank, and
hounds were beinsf taken to draw down one of the big
hedgerows in the neighbourhood, when Gray came galloping
up with intelligence. He had seen a fo.x; wandering about
in the fields about half a mile away, and evidently quite
contented with himself and the world at large, to judge from
his leisurely movements. At first Gray took him for a dog,
so big was he, and he rightly thought that it would be a pity
to disturb his equanimity sooner than was absolutely necessary.
Mr. Lycett Green trotted on sharply to the place where Gray
had seen the fox, and the moment hounds crossed the line
they flew together with that ' angry ' cry which means so
much to the experienced ear. What a rush there was for
the first fence ! for everyone seemed intuitively to know that
there was a great run toward. No time to look out for the
thin place in the corner ; the man who hesitated for half a
moment was lost literally, and saw hounds no more. For a
field or two hounds pointed tor Laytham Whin, which they
left a couple of fields to the left, and then bearing to the
right they crossed the Laytham road to the right of Laytham
village. A straight-necked fox was before them, and though
he was running up wind all the time, he kept to the middle
of the fields and never skirted hedgerow or turned from his
point. Scant time was there to open gates, and few gates
were there to open, as hounds streamed along over the big
wild pastures by Aughton Ruddings and Harlthorpe, which

THE MELBOURNE HALL RUN. 235

village they left on the right They crossed the Market
Weightoii and Selby railway at the level crossing to the right
of Foggathorpe station and ran on by Willitoft, just missing
the small covert there, to Lord Londesborough's covert at
Spaldington. Time up to this point, thirty-five minutes, all
on grass. A momentary check took place here, and a couple
of wheat fields caused horses to sob after so severe a burst.

Hounds were going and on the grass again before horses
fairly got a blow, and there was no frilling off in the pace
as they skirted the Spaldington new covert and ran over Fir
Tree farm, where for a second or two they hovered ; they
cannot be said to have checked. They then pointed for
McNeill's covert, and ran down to the river Foulness, crossinuf
the Holme road at Wetham bridge. Thence they ran along
the river side to the Bishopsoil drain, an awkward enough
place to tackle at any time, and more especially after such a
gallop. But those who were in the wake of hounds were not
to be denied, and it woukl have taken something bigger and
more formidable than the Bishopsoil drain to have turned
them when hounds were runnino- as thev did on this memorable
day. So a place was soon found, but whilst it was being
looked for hounds had overshot the line and five couples of
them had got forward ; so that when Mr. Lycett Green came
up to the body of the pack he had to hunt his hounds as it
were. But scent was so good that even under such disadvan-
tageous circumstances the pace was good as they ran past
Bloom Hill and Yokefleet Grange to Sandholme, where they
caught up the leading hounds, who had checked for a moment.
Hounds were going again at once, but there were two lines,
owing to the fox having tried a couple of drains. Mr. Lycett
Green sent Chandler to one of them and David Dalby to
the other, and by this means disaster was averted, and hounds
got together without loss of time. They ran on at a good
pace by Gilberdyke to Newport station, the time up to this

%

236 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

point one hour, and the distance, ' as the crow flies,' ten
miles, whilst as hounds ran it would be about thirteen.

At Newport station hounds made rather a sharp turn for
the Market Weighton canal, and then bearing left handed
ran down to the Foulness, which they crossed at Wolsea
farm, where, luckily, a ford was handy, and the field lost no
ground, as indeed they could scarcely afford to do now.
Harder than ever they ran past Throlam and Tollingham
and on to the Market Weighton canal and the Land of Nod.
At the Land of Nod they heard of their fox just in front of
them, the first time that he had been seen during the run ;
and cheering was it to hear the worthy farmer sing out,
' You'll kill him before long ! ' for horses had had plenty, and
there were but few men with hounds now. Crossing the
high road close to the Land of Nod, they ran parallel to it
for some distance in the direction of Highgate. Then Mr.
Lycett Green viewed the fox as he jumped a fence, hounds
viewing him as he crawled through the next one. Still he
seemed to have plenty of 'go' in him. Holme Wood, with
its open earths, was close at hand, and the Master had an
anxious minute or two. But there was no cause for anxiety.
Good as the fox was, hounds were not to be denied, and two
fields further on they rolled him over in the open, within a
field of Holme Wood and safety.

The time from the find was one hour and forty- five
minutes, the point from Melbourne to Newport ten miles,
and from Newport to Holme five miles. In the contemporary
accounts which were written of the run, the distance covered
by hounds was put at eighteen miles, but when the run was
carefully traced on the map it was found to be over nineteen
miles.

That the Melbourne Hall run ranks with the Billesdon
Coplow run, the great Waterloo run with the Pytchley, and
the Poolfields Osiers run with the Warwickshire, is undoubted.

THE MELBOURNE HALL RUN. 237

Curiously enough comparisons have been made between the
Warwickshire and Melbourne Hall runs, and the latter has
been put down as second best. In the interesting History of
the IVarivickshire Hunt, we read, ' Major Chambers adds
that after the great run with the York and Ainsty of
December 23rd, 1893, he rode up to Mr. Lycett Green,
congratulating him, and remarking that it was the finest run
that he or anyone else out that clay had ever seen, and that
he is bound to say that though Mr. Green hunted the hounds
himself and killed his fox handsomely in the open, his reply
was at once, " The second best ; that run we talked of with
the Warwickshire was a greater run." '

Mr. Lycett Green has probably modified his opinion on
the subject since then, and there can be no doubt, if the
two runs are compared, that the York and Ainsty run comes
out first. To begin with, the Poolfield Osiers run, which
was at top pace and over a fine country, lasted two hours and
twenty minutes, so it was a longer run than the Melbourne
run by thirty-five minutes ; but there was a check of
quite a quarter of an hour in it, it was something of a ring,
and the line was intersected once and nearly touched a
second time. Then, undoubtedly, the Warwickshire changed
foxes once, if not oftener, and therefore it may be looked
upon as two runs. With the York and Ainsty there was no
change, for an hour hounds ran straight on end, making a
ten-mile point ; then they turned, and ran another five-mile
point. They only once touched a covert, and though they
certainly did check, the checks were only nominal. Then
they ran straight into their fox instead of dropping upon him
after a long check, as the Warwickshire did ; and taken on
the whole it would be safe to say that a better fox never
stood before hounds than the ' old customer ' that Will Gray
viewed that dull December morning, and that, even in sporting
Yorkshire, a better run was never seen.
E 2

-'38

HISTORY OF THE YORK AhW A IN STY HUNT.

The pace in the two runs was about identical, something
over twelve miles an hour, and the country crossed in each
run was all that could be wished for. In the York and
Ainsty run but one hound was missing, a fact which must
have given great satisfaction to the Master and his men. In
making the foregoing comparison between the Warwickshire
and York and Ainsty runs I have had no wish to detract from
the former, which was undoubtedly a fine run, and one, more-
over, which is worthy of a foremost place in hunting history,
but judged from the standard of 'one run one fox,' I think it
must be admitted that the Melbourne Hall run takes pride of
place. Never but once in my life have I seen hounds run
as they ran on that day, and that was when the Cleveland
met at Marton on F"riday, February 13th, 1869. They ran
for three hours and a quarter, finally killing their fox. The
run was something like the Warwickshire run, inasmuch as
hounds changed twice, if not oftener, and it was also some-
thing of a ring.

"f^i^^/'^ ', ■ ■'■'v^^/''-' J .. '^k^-HS^-

CHAPTER X.

On the Flags and in the Show Yard.

Yorkshire has always been famous for its hounds. The
old chronicles are full of long runs which have taken place
over half a score of parishes, and which have given the bard
a subject for his ingenuity. In Yorkshire dales are still to
be heard, when occasion serves, songs of almost interminable
length, in which the stoutness of the foxes, the drive and
perseverance of the hounds, and the prowess of their
followers are expatiated upon in more or less happy terms,
but always to the delight of an appreciative audience, who
are never tired of listening, and who are ever ready to
prompt the singer if he shows signs of missing a verse.
And the old pictures show that make and shape were kept
in view as well as nose and hunting qualities ; and though,
perhaps, Colonel Thornton's hounds would not have cut a
very great figure at Peterborough, we know they showed
plenty of sport, whilst the portrait of Modish shows them
to have been good looking according to the standard of
their time.

Of famous hunting matches in which Colonel Thornton's
hounds took part I have already spoken, but an incident
relating to one of them should certainly be referred to.

240 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

Hounds were drawing a thick covert, and one bitch
persistently spoke. The huntsman rated her, and the
whipper-in, in attempting to put her over to him, hit her,
and accidentally cut out her eye. But she stuck to her fox,
worked him out of the covert, and finally killed him single-
handed. I wonder was this Modish ? She is varmint-lookino-
enough for such a performance.

Hound-breeding has always been a study with masters
and huntsmen ot the York and Ainsty, and within a very
few years of the formation of the pack they met with the
approval of distinguished judges. Writing of them in 1826,
just about ten years after the establishment of the country,
Nimrod says, ' I think the York and Ainsty, as a pack,
particularly clever, and possessing, individually, as great a
share of beauty as is to be found in most kennels. They
have size and power ; and size and power without lumber or
incumbrance, which, as far as the eye carries us in a kennel,
is all we can desire to see.' This is high praise indeed,
coming from such a judge, and when it is taken into con-
sideration that they had only had a very few years to work
in, the greatest credit was due to Mr. Lloyd and Naylor for
the enterprise and judgment displayed by them.

For, as has been the general policy of York and Ainsty
masters and huntsmen ab initio, the best kennels were
resorted to, though it was for a later generation to import
the 'bright Belvoir tan.' Early in the century there was
no pack of hounds which had a higher reputation than the
Raby, and we find the Raby, the Pytchley, Lord Lonsdale,
and the Badsworth continually resorted to, whilst Bramham
Moor hounds were also largely used. Nimrod refers to
Boisterous by Lord Darlington's Brusher, a famous sire —
their Countess, who was one of the old Pytchley sort ; and
to Tuneful by Lord Lonsdale's Roman — Badsworth Tempest,
as being especially taking.

ON THE FLAGS AND IN THE SHOW YARD. 241

Barmaid (1869) was a hound that was especially service-
able in the field. She was by Lord Portsmouth's Barnabas —
Wishful, by Lord Poltimore's Warrior, her dam, Vestal, by
Belvoir Alfred. Vestal traces her descent from Mr. Drake's
Bachelor, and she also strains back to Sir Tatton Sykes'
Warrior and Mr. Hill's Pliant. Barmaid was a lioht coloured
hare-pied hound, a wonderfully clever worker, and full of
drive. ^ She was not much bred from, but the blood of her
sire was a good deal used in the kennel, and a daughter of
hers, Frantic (1874), was a useful bitch and a famous worker.

When Colonel Fairfax assumed the mastership, one of
the best hounds in the pack was Duchess (1869) by Archer
(1865) — Dexterous (1861), by Cardinal (1855), a son of
Mr. Foljambe's Clasher (1847) and his Bravery (1849). She
was black and white in colour, with great ribs, and she had
wonderful drive and resolution. It is said of her that when
casting to recover the line, she would have her hackles up
as if going to fight, and Colonel Fairfax said that he had
never seen a better hound. The name of Duchess appears
on the mask of a fox at Bilbrough Hall, with the name of
several other bitches that distinguished themselves in a
famous run on the north side of the country, one of the
best that took place during Colonel Fairfax's mastership.
Another bitch that was a very brilliant performer was Lottery
(1873) by Brocklesby Bachelor (1S63) — Lovely (1863), by
Lord Portsmouth's Lincoln (1859).

Though the Belvoir blood had occasionally been used in
the kennel, Colonel Fairfax was the first to use it largely or
systematically, and he was a great believer in Fallible by
Milton Furrier — Prophetess, by Rally wood — Prodigy, by
Stormer — Precious, by Pilot, and used him largely. The
cross was a judicious one, and the descendants of Colonel

(i) For a performance of Barmaid's see page 141.

242 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A IN STY HUNT.

Fairfax's favourite sire did well in the York and Ainsty
country, and his stamp is still to be found in the kennel. In
1877 his name first appears in the kennel book, when four-
and-a-half couples by him were put forward, a number which
was increased to seven couples in the following year. It is
interesting to note the history of some of these sons and
daughters of his. Layman and Latimer were used, the
former in his third and the latter in his second season, and
Fleecer and Fencer, also sons of his, were used extensively
in 1 88 1. Indeed, out of the twelve-and-a-half couples put
forward in 1882, ten couples were grandsons or grand-
daughters of the Belvoir Fallible, and there were four couples
of them in the following year.

Latimer, Fencer, Fleecer and Layman were much used,
and did much good in the kennel. From Fleecer came some
especially good hounds, and the blood is still to the fore.
In 1883 was entered, amongst others of his progeny. Fashion,
whose dam. Vengeance, was by Vagrant (1871) — Buxom
(1875). Vagrant was a son of the Brocklesby Royal, and
Buxom was by Damper by Grove Druid. In 1888 Fashion
had a good litter to Falstaff, amongst whom was Fluent, a
bitch that was good in her work and a remarkably fine line-
hunter. One occasion occurs to the memory on which she
greatly distinguished herself It was the opening day of the
season : the ground was dry and the sun was hot, yet at
first there was a scent. After a smart burst of about a
quarter of an hour hounds came to the dry moderate-scenting
fallows about Huby. Then it was that Fluent was seen to
such advantage, and it was entirely due to her fine nose and
patient hunting that they worked up to their fox and killed
him.

Mention has been made of Falstaff, who was, take him
all round, one of the best foxhounds I ever saw. He was
by Belvoir Fencer (1880) — Glory (18S1), by Bramham Moor

ON THE FLAGS AND IN THE SHOW YARD. 243

Gambler, her dam, Fugitive (1873), by Grove Dreadnought
— Fairmaid, by Grove Furrier, the sire of the Belvoir
FalHble — Dahh'a, by Lord Poltimore's Archer. Here is a
combination of good blood, and no higher praise can be
given to Falstaff than to say that he was a foxhound in
appearance and a foxhoiutd in his work. In a large kennel
like the York and Ainsty it is rare indeed that a hound is
used at the stud in his first season, but so excellent a hound
was Falstaff that Wilson did not hesitate to adopt this
unusual course, and Fluent was one of his earliest puppies.
He was much used in the leading kennels, and deserves a
place with Bramham Moor Sailor and Holderness GafTer
amongst the leading hound-sires of the latter part of the
century.

From Falstaff's dam there also comes Gaily, a daughter
of the Belvoir Gordon, and the dam of Gameboy, a useful
hound that has been used at the stud. Giddy, a litter-sister
of Gaily, was also a very smart bitch.

One of the best hounds at present in the kennel is
Warwick by Belvoir Treasurer — Wedlock, by Belvoir
Weathergauge, her dam, Vanish, by Fencer. Here again the
Belvoir Fallible blood comes in on the dam's side. Warwick
has great substance and power as well as quality ; he is an
excellent hound in his work, with perseverance on a cold
scent, and drive and resolution when scent serves. He has
also that most desirable quality, a good cry. He has been
used a great deal both at home and abroad, and amongst his
sons that have been put to the stud in their second season
may be mentioned two very promising young hounds in
Dreamer and Lucifer. The former is from Destitute, who
was by Belvoir Dryden, a son of their Gambler, from
Watchful, who was a daughter of Falstaff's dam. He is a
remarkably fine hound in his work, with all the dash and
perseverance of his family. Lucifer is from Holderness
Lilac by their Bondsman, a son of their Solomon.

244 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

Sufficient has been said to show the lines on which the
present York and Ainsty pack have been bred, and it now
remains to trace their history in the Yorkshire show yards.

At the Cleveland show at Yarm in 1861 Orvis showed
Lapidist by Bramham Moor Layman^Telltale, and Gaiety
by Remus — Graceful, for the best couple of unentered
hounds, but they were unplaced to Lord Middleton's Singer
and Bauble and the Bramham Moor Charon and Cronv.
Five years went by before the York and Ainsty again put
in an appearance in the show yard, and this time they met
with better fortune. The venue was York, where the hound
show of 1866 was held in connection with the Yorkshire
Agricultural Society's Show. They showed largely, having
Racer, Champion, Regent and Albion, in the class for the
best two couples of entered hounds ; Duster in the class for
unentered dog-hounds. Dahlia in the class for unentered
bitches, and Racer in the class for stallion-hounds. Dahlia
took second prize to Lord Yarborough's Ranger. She was
by Lord Poltimore's Archer — Dauntless by Ranger.

In the following year at Thirsk, Careful, Comely, Lovely
and Dahlia were shown in the class for entered bitch-hounds ;
and in a very strong class which was much admired, they
failed to get a place. Better luck attended the York and
Ainsty in the class for unentered dog-hounds ; for Rallywood
by Racer — Lovely, by Lord Portsmouth's Lincoln, was a
good second to Sir John Trollope's Seaman by Grove
Furrier — Stately, by Belvoir Stormer. The sire and dam
of Rallywood were shown, one in the stallion class and the
other in the class for brood-bitches, but neither of them got
mentioned ; and the unentered bitch-hound, Famous, by
Albion, also failed to get into the prize-list.

At Wetherby, in 1868, Sir Charles Slingsby was a
successful exhibitor, winning in the class for unentered dog-
hounds with Nestor by Lord Yarborough's Nelson — Comedy,

»

WMkim

ON THE FLAGS AND IN THE SHOW YARD. 245

who descended on her sire's side from Lord Henry Bentinck's
Champion, and on her dam's side from the Bramham Moor
Ringwood. A rare Htter must this have been, for not only
do we find the winning dog in it, but it also contained the
first and second prize takers in the bitch class, the handsome
Nosegay and Novelty being placed at the head of a good
class. Nosegay was a light lemon and white, and her sister
a deep lemon in colour, so that colour was scarcely so much
thought of then as now. Nestor was much admired in the
kennel by one of the judges who happened to visit it, and
he was consequently sent instead of his brother Nimrod,
whose name appears in the catalogue. They were very well
bred ones, but Nestor is described as being a plain hound,
and he does not seem to have been used, though his brother
Nimrod was the sire of a litter.

The show of 1869 was held at Beverley, and again did
the York and Ainsty meet with a good measure of success.
They were to the fore in the class for the best two couples
of entered bitches with Nosegay, Novelty, their litter-sister
Niobe, and Timely by Bramham Moor Rocket — Tuneful ;
the Brocklesby on this occasion occupying second place.
Rallywood by Racer (1863) — Lovely ('1863), Nimrod^ Nestor,
and Vauker by Lord Yarborough's Vaulter — Lovely, were
shown in the class for the best couple of entered dog-hounds,
but they failed to get a place. They had better luck in the
class for stallion-hounds, in which the veteran Racer, a six-
season hunter by Racer (1855), a son of the Bramham Moor
Ringwood^Dowager by Bramham Moor Rasselas, was the
winner. Ringwood was by Lord Yarborough's Ruler, and
Rasselas was by the Belvoir Rifier, so that Racer was a well-
bred hound, and as well as being a prize taker he was a
successful sire.

Sir G. O. Wombwell sent two couples of good-looking
dog-hounds to the Yorkshire at Wakefield in 1S70, in
F 2

^46 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

Rally wood, Nimrod, Nestor and Duster, but the judges said
Burton first and Brocklesby second. The bitches fared
better, howev^er. These were Novelty and Nosegay by
Brocklesby Nelson —Comedy, and litter-sisters to Nimrod
and Nestor; Timely by Bramham Moor Rocket — Tuneful,
and Liberty by Racer — Lovely, a sister to Rallywood but
two years younger. It will be seen that the bitches were
bred on the same lines as the dogs, for Duster was by
the Brocklesby Nelson. There was no getting away
from the Burton at this time, and again the red ribbon
went their way, the York and Ainsty taking second
honours. In the next class for unentered dog-hounds
they did better, and Peter Collison walked off with both
ribbons. The winner, Beadsman, was by Blue Cap — ■
Dauntless by Ranger, and Blue Cap was a son of that good
hound the Grove Barrister. Damper, who was second, also
went back to the best Grove blood, being by Grove Druid
—Comedy by Comus, a son of Lord Henry Bentinck's
Champion. The York and Ainsty were not to be denied
this year, for in the class for unentered bitches they
were to the fore with Fairmaid by Grove Furrier — Dahlia,
by Lord Poltimore's Archer. Nor did their triumphs end
here, for Racer by Racer — Dowager won in a good class of
stallion-hounds. After such a succession of victories, the
defeat of Novelty and Nosegay in the class for brood-bitches,
in which the Brocklesby Gaiety was to the fore, was almost
unnoticed.

In 1 87 1, at York, the York and Ainsty were largely
exhibited. In the class for old dog-hounds Damper, Dori-
mont, Bedford and Finder were shown, but it was a case of
Brocklesby first and Bramham Moor second. They were
also unplaced in the class for entered bitches with Fairmaid,
Frisky, Nosegay and Damsel, the Bramham Moor taking
first prize and the Brocklesby second. Neither Lightning

ON THE FLAGS AND /N THE SHOW YARD. 247

nor Merrylass could get into a place in the cLiss fur un-
entered bitches, and Racer was not good enough for the
stallion class, whilst Dahlia was ' out of it ' in the class for
brood-bitches. But in the class for unentered dog-hounds
they were to the fore, winning with Conqueror by Belvoir
Contest — Columbine by Racer — Comedy, second to whom
was placed that good hound the Bramham Moor Diver.
Conqueror, however, did not do much good in the pack, and
his name does not ^ippear in the hound-list for 1873, but his
litter-sisters Crafty and Countess both did well and were
bred from.

At the Malton show in 1S72 the York and Ainsty did not
score, though they showed in three classes. In the class for
stallion hounds, Dorimont, a very well-bred hound by the
Grove Druid — Comedy by Comus, her dam. Vengeance, by
Bramham Moor Ring-wood, whose maternal trrandsire was a
son of Lord Henry Bentinck's Champion, encountered very
strong opposition, the Bramham Moor Statesman and Gainer
taking both prizes. In the class for entered bitches, Famous,
Stately, Milliner and Dowager were shown, but it was a case
of Brocklesby first and Bramham second ; and in the class
tor brood-bitches the Brocklesby Gaiety won, Damsel, a
litter-sister to Dorimont, failing to get a place.

In 1873 the show was held at Harrogate, and the York
and Ainsty entered largely, but they did not show for some
reason ; and they had not an entry at Sheffield, Driffield, or
Skipton. In 1877, when the last Yorkshire Hound Show
was held in York, they showed largely again, but did not
succeed in winning any prizes. Lictor and Listener, two of
the Belvoir Fallible hounds, were unplaced in the class for
unentered doo-hounds. Lictor was afterwards used as a

o

stud-hound, but not so much as his litter-brother Layman.
They showed a very level lot of working dog-hounds in
Bluecap and Boniface by Damper, a litter-brother of Dori-

248 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

mont — Lord Portsmouth's Brimstone ; Forester by Fairplay
— Lavender, and Vagrant by Lord Yarborough's Royal —
Victory. The latter was six years old, and perhaps this had
something to do with the defeat of the lot in a very strong
class. They were, however, favourably commented upon by
the judges and by the critics surrounding the ring. Daunter
by Damper (by Grove Druid) — Milton Dimity, and his son
Boniface, were two good stallion-hounds to show, but they
were not good enough ; and neither were Famous, Trinket,
Dairymaid and Barmaid good enough to win in a strong
class of entered bitches ; but Dairymaid ultimately made a
good hound and bred some usetul puppies. Lictor and
Listener were shown for Mr. Parrington's Farewell Cup, but
of course did not get placed.

Since the hound show migrated to Peterborough the
York and Ainsty have not been seen in the show yard, in
this respect following the example of the Bramham Moor.

Before taking leave of them on the flags, however, it
would perhaps be of interest to notice a few of the best
hounds of recent years, hounds that have distinguished
themselves by excellence in their work.

A son of Falstaff's that should be noticed is Gayman,
whose dam, Gossip, was by Bramham Moor Contest —
Holderness Gadfly, by Belvoir Gainer. He has been a very
good hound in his work, is a close worker on a bad scent,
and has a lot of drive, and he is also the sire of some
useful puppies. Twinkle by Belvoir Sapphire — Trinket, by
Brocklesby Tapster, her dam. Welcome, by Belvoir Weather-
gauge, is a rare bred one for work, and is a very good bitch,
the dam of a useful hound in Drover by the Belvoir Druid.

Sontag by Belvoir Glancer — Snowdrop, by Milton
Solomon, has been of great use in the kennel. She is a
rare worker, and has been bred from, three couples trom her
having been put forward. Another good bitch in the same

ON THE FLAGS AND IN THE SHOW YARD. 249

year is Genuine by Belvoir Student — Garnet, by Milton
Remus, her dam, Gossamer, by Bramham Moor Gambler.
She is very grood on a cold scent, having remarkable perse-
verance, and she has been bred from.

Quite at the top of the tree is Woeful (1892) by Streamer
— Whimper, by Falstaff, her dam. Wishful, by Oakley
Warbler. Streamer was by Belvoir Gordon, a grandson of
Weathergauge, and F'alstaff strains back to Senator, of
whom there are two crosses in Weathergauge's pedigree.
Of him we read, ' Streamer was doing good work the whole
day ; a very good dog ! ' Of Woeful there is much mention
made in Mr Lycett Green's diary. One entry reads, ' Woeful
doing A I as usual;' and another states, ' Woeful doing no end
of work, as usual, working steady on a bad scent over plough
and driving ahead on good scenting ground ; steady through
riot.' Than this there can be no higher praise.

Treasurer by Belvoir Treasurer — Thrifty, by Belvoir
Grappler, her dam. Testy, by Brocklesby Tapster, is a
capital hound on a cold scent, and is the sire of some good
hounds in the Morpeth kennel, hounds which are always at
hand to help a huntsman out of a difficulty. Honesty by
Belvoir Hermit — Glory, the dam of Falstaff made a hard-
working and industrious hound when he steadied down, his
nose and drive being all that could be desired. Dorothy by
Belvoir Dryden — Watchful, by Wanderer, her dam. Glory,
also distinguished herself by her drive and perseverance.

Amongst home-bred hounds that have been used as sires
during the last few years must be named Steadfast, Marplot,
Saffron and Talent. Steadfast was by Belvoir Gambler —
Snowdrop, by Milton Solomon, her dam. Vanish, by Fencer,
a son of Belvoir Fallible who has been previously alluded to.
This is a rare combination of hunting and running blood,
and Steadfast, who was a capital hound in his work, was a
good deal thought of in other kennels as well as his own.

250 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

Marplot was by Belvoir Nominal — Muslin, by Milton Solo-
mon, her dam, Mermaid, by Bramham Moor Minister who
was a son of that great hound Mountebank. A good-looking
hound himself, he is the sire of some good-looking ones,
amongst which may be named Marvellous, the winning bitch
at the puppy show in 1894. A handsome bitch she is too,
always busy and full of drive, Saffron was by Holderness
Solomon — Sylvia, by Bramham Moor Smoker, and comes of
a rare hunting strain, for Holderness Solomon, who made
himself a good name, was a son of that fine hound Milton
Solomon. Saffron was a capital hound himself and has
been a great deal used in other kennels. Talent by Belvoir
Gordon — Toilet, by Belvoir Grappler, her dam. Testy, by
Brocklesby Tapster, is a well-bred hound that has not been
much used at home, a sufficient reason being that there is
already so much of the blood in the kennel.

Hound pedigrees afford a fascinating study to the lover
of the foxhound, and the breeding of the York and Ainsty
hounds could be pursued to an almost indefinite length.
Enough has been said, however, to show that the hounds
have been consistently bred from the time the pack was
established, and that, lor the last twenty-five years especially,
the very best blood in the kingdom has been resorted to.
What Colonel Fairtax initiated, Wilson carried on and in a
manner perfected ; his long residence at Belvoir, where he
was a favourite pupil of Frank Gillard, giving him exceptional
advantages for knowing the best Belvoir strains. And since
Wilson left there has been no falling off. The system of
breeding, once adopted, has been carefully adhered to with
satislactory results. And not the least .satisfactory subject
for reflection is that the blood of the Belvoir P'allible, whose
merits Colonel Fairfax was one of the first to recognise, is
still found in abundance in the York and Ainstv kennel.

CHAPTER XI.

York and Ainsty Huntsmen.

Of the huntino- establishment of Colonel Thornton nothine
much is known, save that it was conducted in that extrava-
gant style which characterised everything which he did.
But one thing we do know about it, and that is that it
tin-ned out at least one good huntsman. This was George
Barwick, who entered under Colonel Thornton, and who was
huntsman to the Hertfordshire in 1823, when, so far as I
can gather, Mr. Broad was Master. Barwick did credit to
his early training, for he was a remarkably able and pains-
taking huntsman, very patient on a cold scent, and he showed
excellent sport in rather a difficult country. Contemporaries
speak well of him as a good man in the kennel as well as in
the field .About the greater part of his career, however,
history is silent, and nothing is known save that he
commenced his professional career at Thornville Royal, and
attained distinction in his calling.

Who was the huntsman when the York and Ainsty
pack was first formed history does not relate, but we have
it, on the authority of Nimrod, that when Mr. Clough and

252 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND ATNSTY HUNT.

Mr. Chaloner were at the head of affairs, Mr. George
Treacher hunted the hounds for a season, and that gentle-
man was Master for a couple of seasons, during which time
he probably hunted the hounds himself.

When Nimrod paid his visit to the country in 1826,
Mr. Lloyd was Master, and his huntsman was Naylor, who,
in his early days, whipped-in for Sir Thomas Mostyn in
Oxfordshire, so he would be trained in a good school under
Tom Wingfield. According to Nimrod, he came to the
York and Ainsty as huntsman in 1820, but according to
another account Mr. George Treacher was hunting them
then. The dates about this particular time are very
conflicting, and there does not seem to have been any strict
record kept, whilst the sporting newspapers and magazines
of the time are barren ground indeed. Naylor, however,
was evidently with the York and Ainsty some years, and
that he was a capital man in the kennel Nimrod testifies, and
Nimrod was a gentleman who rarely saw anything worthy
of praise out of the Shires. He was especially good as a
feeder, and as Nimrod refers to the great pains he took in
feeding his hounds in small lots, it seems that that was not
a prevalent custom in those days. In the field he was said
to be slow, but we have only the travelling critic's authority
for that, and it must be remembered that in his time most
of the York and Ainsty country was under plough, and
under those circumstances ' galloping casts ' were not likely
to account for fo.xes, and ' fcstina Icnte ' was a good motto
for a huntsman.

Naylor was succeeded by Jack Wilson, a hard-bitten
man, if we may judge from his portrait. He was in olifice
several years and showed excellent sport, but where he got
his early training I am unable to say.

Jack Wilson was succeeded by that famous sportsman
and hunt servant Will Danby, than whom a keener hand

YORK AND AINSTY HUNTSMEN. 253

never buckled on a spur. ' Lord, sir,' said Will, on one
occasion, to Mr. Tom Hodgson, when that gentleman told
him that he hoped to raise his wages the following year,
' I want no more wages. I am as happy as a man can be.
' Only let me be with the hounds, and I luish for nothing
more /' It is to be wished that there was more of old Will
Danby's spirit astir at the present day, and in other ranks
of life than that of the hunt servant.

Will Danby's first introduction to hounds was at Hornby
Castle, where the Duke of Leeds kept a pack of hounds
which showed rare sport in the country extending thence to
the west moors. Danby's father was a farmer under the
duke, but like another farmer's son^ who made himself a
distinguished name as a hunt servant, Will loved hounds,
and was never happy when away from them. So he speedily
became a favourite with Kit Scaife, a famous man for kennel
discipline, who was the duke's huntsman, and who, when the
hounds were given up, was private trainer and manager of
the racing stud. It was a good school for a youngster to
be in, and during the seven years that he was under Scaife
Will learnt many a useful lesson.

When the hounds were given up he brought eighteen
couples to the kennels opposite Knavesmire Gate, but taking
alarm at the strength of language of one of his new masters,
when the benches gave way under the weight of the hounds,
he went off in the night, and after a few seasons with the
Badsworth and Lord Scarborough's, took service with
Mr. Tom Hodgson of the Holderness, to whom he whipped-
in for several seasons. How Mr. Hodgson managed to hunt
four days a week with such a small establishment as he did

(i) John Dale, the father of Will Dale of the Badminton. He was the son
of a Hampshire farmer, and when the Craven were once in low water he
whipped them in to them for nothing. He was subsequently huntsman to the
Earl of Glasgow, the Old Surrey, and other packs.

c; 2

254 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

Is one of those mysteries which are difficult to unravel. But
manage it he did, though it would have been well nigh
impossible had he had a whipper-in with less energy, per-
severance and love of sport than Will Danby. Wiry and
tough as whalebone, Will seemed not to know what fatigue
was, and so great was his love of hounds and hunting that
nothing was a trouble to him that was connected with them.

Danby went from Mr. Hodgson to hunt the York and
Ainsty, in which country he carried the horn for sixteen
seasons. He was an excellent huntsman and a keen judge
of a hound, but he preferred a close-hunting to a hard-driving
hound, and hounds that were dashing and flinging forward
were his abomination. On one occasion a gentleman had
got him a draft of good hounds from the Milton, but they
were not to Will's mind at all. Some time after he asked
how the draft was doing. Will's laconic reply was, ' I hanged
'em all. I know that sort ; would be over Knavesmire
before I got through the gate.' What excellent sport Will
showed during the time he was huntsman has already been
shown, and he was a capital man over the stiff York and
Ainsty country, which did take some getting across in those
days. A bold rider such as Will was, riding over such deep
countries as the Holderness and York and Ainsty when
second horses were not so much in evidence as they are
now, was sure to meet with plenty of accidents, and he
certainly had his share. ' Flesh rents,' the Druid tells us,
' were innumerable. He has had three thigh wrenches, and
all his ribs laid bare on his right side up to the breast bone.
His left arm has been broken once, his collar-bone twice ;
his right shoulder has been put out ; he has had a slight
fracture of the skull above his left eye, in consequence of
his horse catching in a sheep-net ; and he also lay for three
weeks in a state of coma, the result of a rheumatic fever
from swimming a river.' Such an array of accidents was

YORK AND AINSTY HUNTSMEN. 255

enough to daunt any ordinary man, but Will Danby was not
an ordinary man, and nothing daunted him. When Sir
Charles Slingsby took the hounds Danby retired, and a
testimonial was presented to him, but his retirement was
not for long, and he soon went to hunt the Hurworth for
Mr. Wilkinson. After he had been there a season or two
Mr. Thomas Parrington hunted them, but still Will stuck to
the hounds and was kennel-huntsman for a year or two, and
then he finally retired full of years and honours. He was,
I believe, upwards of ninety when he died.

An anecdote is told of Will, which is worth relating,
though I have been unable to verify it. It seems that he
was not very partial to hunting parsons, and especially was
one of them an object of his aversion, for he was constantly
seeking his advice on matters connected with the stable.
On one occasion he began to ask Will what he should give
his horse, at the same time explaining the symptoms minutely.
Will eyed the horse, who had a very ragged coat, carefully,

and said, ' / think, Air. , yoti must keep your horses

on chopped sarmons.'

When Sir Charles Slingsby took hold of the hounds he
engaged as his kennel-huntsman and first whipper-in Will
Orvis, who had been in a good school under Mr. Conyers in
Essex. Where Orvis first commenced his hunting career
I am not able to say, but he was for some seasons first
whipper-in to that fine huntsman, Jim Morgan, and when
the latter left the Essex country to hunt the Essex Union,
he was promoted to the huntsman's place. This was in
1848, and for five seasons he showed excellent sport in
a country which tries the skill and perseverance of a hunts-
man no little. He then went to the York and Ainsty, where
he won golden opinions from all who came in contact with
him. He was a capital man in the kennel, as indeed he
could scarcely fail to be ; a quick man to hounds, with a

2s6 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

thorough knowledge of what they were doint^r, and as keen
as Will Danby himself. Indeed, he would not have been
so long- with Mr. Conyers unless he had been, for keenness
was a sine qua non with that enthusiast.

As an instance of Mr. Conyer's keenness I may perhaps
be pardoned for quoting- the following anecdote from
Mr. Tresham Gilbey's interesting History of the Essex
Hunt. It was during Mr. Conyer's last illness, and Will
went to his bedside on his return from hunting to give an
account of the day's sport. One evening, when Mr. Conyers
was failing fast, Orvis related how, after a remarkable run,
the fox had entered the covert of Canfield Hart with hounds
close at his brush, and not a hound could own the line
afterwards. Mr. Conyers had listened with much attention
and in silence, and when Will came to this part of his
narrative, said, ' Will, why didn't you hold them on to
Canfield Thrift ? ' A man who served under such a Master
could scarcely fail to be keen.

Peter Collison succeeded to the post of huntsman, coming
with a high reputation from the Cheshire. Collison's career
was a unique one, and it is seldom a hunt servant has so
few places. His father was a publican at Dalkeith, but
hounds were his only thought, and he was lucky enough
to attract the attention of Mr. Williamson, the Duke of
Buccleuch's huntsman, and under this famous sportsman he
made his start in life. After spending some time at
St. Boswells he went to the North Warwickshire, whence
he proceeded to the Bicester. After a season or two there
he returned to the Duke of Buccleuch's, where he was for
some seasons first whipper-in. His first huntsman's place
was with the Cheshire, where he did very well, winning
golden opinions ; but he did not do so well in the York and
Ainsty country, and after three seasons he retired altogether.
Tom Squires was the next huntsman, but he carried the

YORK AND AINST\ HUNTSMEN. 257

horn but a few short months, durino- which time he eained
the good opinion of all who cast in their lot with the York
and Ainsty. The whole of his career I have been unable
to trace, but he was, I believe, at one time with the
V. W. H., and thence he went to Lord Coventry. He left
Lord Coventry's service, and was, for a year or two, in
business as a publican, and then he came to hunt the York
and Ainsty, this being his first huntsman's place. From the
beginning he did well. He was very quick, a famous horse-
man, though perhaps rather a hard man on his horse, and
he was a capital all-round sportsman. Indeed, he took to
everything in the shape of sport as naturally as a duck to
water. He was a quick-witted man, with considerable powers
of sarcasm, as may be gathered from the following anecdote.
Hounds were going along the road to draw, and one of the
field got in amongst them, with the result that his horse
kicked a good hound and sent him sprawling. Before he
could speak Squires said, ' Never mind, sir ; don't apologise.
We've plenty more at home.' Squires left a wide circle of
friends and admirers behind him, and his untimely fate was
much regretted.

When Captain Slingsby took the reins of office he
engaged J. Hollidge as his huntsman. Hollidge had had
considerable experience in Yorkshire, having whipped-in to
both the Bramham Moor and the Badsworth. He was then
with the Chiddingfold for a time, and after hunting the York
and Ainsty for a season he retired from the profession. His
place was taken by George Gillson, who had commenced his
professional career at the York and Ainsty kennels. He
was afterwards whipper-in at Brocklesby, and thence he
went to be first whipper-in to the Quorn, under Tom F"irr.
After that he was with Lord Ferrers, who hunted part ot
the Ouorn and Atherstone countries, and then he went to
the York and Ainsty. After seven years' service in that

258 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

country he had a season with the South Durham, and then
he went to the Cottesmore, where he has been ever since.
Gillson showed good sport during his term of office, and
is a capable man in the kennel and in the field.

Arthur G. Wilson was the next to carry the horn. He
is one of those who leave the racino- stables for the huntine
field, for he was at Newmarket under Joseph Dawson, and
rode in several trials in which Fred Archer and Wood took
part. His father not liking the racing, Wilson left, and
went as second horseman to the late Marquis of Waterford,
and afterwards as second whipper-in to him when he hunted
the Curraghmore. This was in 1872. In 1874 he was
promoted to first whipper-in and stayed till 1879, when he
returned to England, and went for one season to Colonel
Anstruther Thomson in Fife. He had two offers of first
whipper-in's place at the end of that season, but preferred to
go to the Belvoir as second whipper-in. After a couple of
seasons' service he was promoted to the first whipper-in's
place, which he held five years, and then he went to hunt
the York and Ainsty. After four years' service there he
went to hunt the Atherstone, in which place he remained
four years, but on Mr. Inge's retirement he left, and he is
now hunting the Essex and Suffolk.

In the kennel Wilson is excellent, and as a breeder of
hounds and an expert in hounds' pedigrees he is an apt
pupil of Frank Gillard. In the field he is quick and patient,
and he has shown good sport wherever he has gone.

His successor is Will Gray, who commenced as second
horseman to Jack Backhouse when that fine huntsman
hunted the Holderness, so that he had a good training to
begin with. When Ash succeeded to the place of huntsman
to the Holderness, Gray was promoted to second whipper-in,
and in that capacity he served eight years. He then went
to .Sir Harcourt Johnstone's for a season, when Mr. Hill

YORK AND ATNSTY HUNTSMEN.

259

was huntsman. His next place was with the Badsworth,
where he was second whipper-in for four seasons, and then
he came to the York and Ainsty, where he was first whipper-
in till Wilson left. He then succeeded to the place of
kennel-huntsman, and he hunted the dog pack one season,
showing excellent sport.

It is not necessary to say much of Gray's qualifications
to those who hunt with the York and Ainsty. For fifteen
seasons he has been with the pack, and during that period
he has made many friends by his unfailing courtesy and
sportsmanlike conduct. He has his hounds in first-rate
condition, and in the field he is always there when he is
wanted.

/::'.<c

- ^A-^^

CHAPTER XII.

Some Old Supporters.

By soldier and civilian has the York and Ainsty Hunt been
loyally supported ever since the White House became the
home of the pack. To write a history of all their gallant
deeds woukl fill a small library ; in the space at command
it is impossible to do justice to the subject.

Prominent amongst the early supporters of the hunt, as
indeed he was amongst the sportsmen of his generation, was
Sir Bellingham Graham, of Norton Conyers. Sir Bellingham
Graham soon took the reins of office, and was alternately
master of the Badsworth, the Atherstone, the Pytchley, the
Ouorn, the Hambledon and the Shropshire. Sir Bellingham
also patronised racing a little, and in 1816 he won the
St. Leger with Duchess, beating a large field.

It is, however, as a hunting man that Sir Bellingham
will be remembered, and perhaps no better heavy weight
ever rode over Leicestershire. He always hunted his own
hounds, and was a eood huntsman as well as a fine horseman.
Nimrod writes of him that 'he was intent and earnest in his
pursuit, and without unnecessary harshness ; but the result
of his sportsmanlike conduct was that no man kept his field

A

SOME OLD SUPPORTERS. 261

in sucli order. And this was not effected, as Dryden says,
by

" Rage and storm, and blasphemously loud,
As Stentor bellowing to a Grecian crowd,"

but, as I have said, by the natural influence which a man
acquires when he has attained excellence in his calling, be
that calling- what it may.'

The only instance on record of Sir Bellingham giving
his field or any member of it a ' blowing up ' was a matter
of arrangement. They had been a little unruly and foxes
had been headed, an immense field giving a fox but small
chance of breaking. So Sir Bellingham went to Captain
Berkeley of the T/iundcrcr, and asked him to post himself
at the likeliest place for a fox to break, and he would give
him a ' thundering good blowing up.' The Captain carried
out his instructions and got the 'blowing up' in accordance
with the programme, and it is to be hoped that the field
profited by the lesson, though that may be open to question.
When Sir Bellingham retired from the mastership of the
Shropshire, in 1826, he came to reside on his Yorkshire
estates, and subscribed liberally to the York and Ainsty
Hunt, besides taking an active interest in its welfare. It
should be added of him that, like the late Lord Macclesfield,
he turned out a lot of excellent hunt servants, amongst whom
may be named Will Staples and Jack Wrigglesworth, both
of whom became famous huntsmen. ^

Mr. Richard York, of Wighill, though he was a resident
in the Bramham Moor country, may be looked upon as a
supporter of the neighbouring pack, the more especially as
if it had not been for his carefully-kept diaries, much valuable
information respecting the early history of the hunt would
have been lost. That he hunted regularly with the York

(i) His son, Sir Reginald Graham, has been master of the Cotsvvold, the
Tedworth, the New Forest and the Hurworth, so that father and son were
masters of ten packs of hounds between them.
H 2

262 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

and Ainsty the diaries show, and there is no necessity to
enlarge upon the fact that he was a careful observer and a
first rate sportsman. He was not a hard rider, but he saw
what was going on better than many a hard rider does, and
it is evident that he was as keen as any of them, for he
went out in all weathers and rode long distances.

Of Archbishop Harcourt and Mr. T. F. Fairfax I have
already spoken in the History of the Bramham Hunt, but
to what is said there may be added that the Archbishop,
when rector of Bolton Percy, kept hounds there and hunted
a part of the York and Ainsty country. Of Mr. Fairfax a
characteristic story is told. He hunted six days in one week
with six different packs of hounds, and slept every night in
his own house. On Monday he met the Bramham Moor at
Paper Mill Bar, on Tuesday he hunted with the York and
Ainsty at Street Houses, on Wednesday he met Lord
Middleton's at Lobster House, Thursday found him with the
Badsworth at some place between Ferrybridge and Stapylton
Park, on Friday he was with the Bedale at Leeming Lane,
and he wound up the week with the Holderness at Holme-
on-Spalding Moor. He was living at Newton Kyme at the
time, so he would have some early starts and late arrivals
home, for there was nothing for it but hacking in those days.
In all probability this is a record, and as such is deserving
of being preserved.

Sir William Milner was a famous sportsman in his day
and hunted a good deal, but his name is more associated
with racing than with hunting, most likely on account of the
sportsmanlike manner in which he came to the rescue when
there was some doubt as to Voltigeur's starting for the
Derby. It is an old story, but it is one on which Yorkshire-
men love to dwell, for it is typical of the sporting feeling
which pervades the country. Just before the Derby Lord
Zetland was applied to for some forfeits due from the

SOME OLD SUPPORTERS. 263

nominator of Voltigeur, and he was so annoyed that he
refused to pay them, and there was talk of scratching the
horse. Sir William Milner, however, slipped away to
Weatherby's and paid the forfeits, with the result that there
was nothing to prevent the horse running, and his victory
set all Yorkshire wild with delight.

Racing men, especially Yorkshire racing men, have often
been very keen foxhunters, and a trio ot names which made
a great mark on Turf history also occupy a conspicuous place
in the annals of hunting. These are Ridsdale, Bill Scott
and John Jackson. Ridsdale was born at Skelton-in-Cleve-
land, and entered gentleman's service. The late Alec Taylor,
who lived with him when he was in the height ot his
prosperity, and when he kept such a brilliant establishment
at Merton, used to say that he got his start in life by
' borrowing ' seven and sixpence from a fellow servant and
putting it on a horse that won at a good price. He soon
became a leading bettor in the ring, and when in partnership
with Gully made an immense fortune. Gully and Ridsdale
were the leviathans of the ring in their day, and each of
them had some good horses. Ridsdale's star, however,
began to set when he quarrelled with the ex-prize-fighting
member for Pontefract, and though he won immense sums
at times he was also a heavy loser. He was also a very
expensive man, and his establishment at Merton, where he
at one time had a hundred horses, took some keeping up.
The money which he won over St. Giles' Derby soon went,
and he happened to incur the enmity of Lord George
Bentinck as well as that of his old partner Gully. Things
grew from bad to worse, and with the victory of Queen of
Trumps in the St. Leger the beginning of the end came.
The Merton establishment was sold, the horses went to the
hammer, and after paying a substantial dividend Ridsdale
retired to London, where he lived obscurely, never coming

264 HISTOR V OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

amongst his old associates, and barely recognising them when
they chanced to come across him. But curiously enough fate
had one chance more for him. At the Merton sale there
was a colt foal by Mulatto — Arcot Lass by Ardrossan which
did not attract a bid, and he was left over for the unfortunate
owner to do what he liked with. And he sent him to
Newmarket and won the Derby with him, his name being
Bloomsbury. Even when he had won the Derby he was
subjected to annoyances and troubles, for Mr. Fulwar Craven,
who was second with Deception, objected on the score of
wrong description, and when the Stewards decided in favour
of the winner, he commenced an action at law. It was,
however, generally believed that Lord George Bentinck was
the moving spirit in both objection and action, and his
interference in the matter has been the subject of much
comment. The defeat of Bloomsbury in the St. Leger was
another blow to Ridsdale's fortunes, and thouoh he managed to
keep his head above water for a time, he was ever afterwards
getting gradually behind with the world. There might have
been a chance had Bloomsbury won the Cesarewitch, in
which Sam Chifney rode one of the finest races in his life,
and always insisted that he did win But the judge said
otherwise, and Ridsdale gradually sank till he died in a
stable in Newmarket with a halfpenny in his pocket.

As a hunting man Ridsdale had a deservedly high repu-
tation. He was a fine horseman and a light weight, and
always rode the best of horses, thoroughbred ones of course.
It was his luck to pound the York and Ainsty field on one
occasion, a feat not very easy of attainment then any more
than it is now. The only way out of a strongly-fenced
paddock was over a wide drain and a high stake and bound
fence into a deep weed-covered watering pool on the landing
side. Ridsdale, who was riding Sedan, never hesitated, but
to use the words of Sylvanus, he 'amphibiated to his work

SOME OLD SUPPORTERS. 265

at the tail of hounds as unconcernedly as if taking a canter
up a grass field.' Of course, he had hounds to himself for
some time.

No harder man or better sportsman ever buckled on a
spur than Bill Scott, and there is no man whose name is
engraved more deeply on the memory of sporting Yorkshire
than the jockey who lived so long at Knavesmire Gate, and
whose record in the St. Leger has never yet been lowered.
The history ot his life is the history of the Turf in the
twenties and thirties, and until he won the St. Leger on his
own horse. Sir Tatton Sykes, in 1846, on which occasion he
rode his ninth winner in Doncaster's great race. Sir Tatton
Sykes was bred, trained and ridden by his owner, and he
narrowly missed being the first horse to win the treble
event ; for .Sir Tatton Sykes was only beaten a neck in the
Derby after having been almost left at the post, and there
is no doubt but that Scott was the victim of a conspiracy,
for he certainly did not ride with his usual judgment, and it
was always stated that he was drugged just as he was
leaving the paddock. We have the Druid's authority for
saying that Ben Morgan rode in something like the same
style over a country as Bill Scott, and no one was harder
than Ben. One of Scott's hunters was the famous Ainderby,
once the property of his friend Captain Frank Gordon of
the 13th, the horse on which, with the assistance of the
historic dog, he beat Queen of Trumps in the Scarborough
Stakes at Doncaster. Scott once rode and won a steeple-
chase match for a thousand pounds, but 1 can get no
particulars of it save that it came off in the neighbourhood
of Castle Howard.

Equally hard and as keen a sportsman as any of them
was Mr. John Jackson, 'Jock of Oran ' as he was called by
his familiar friends. Before he came to Fairfield he was a
hard and very jealous rider with the Bedale, and he fully

266 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

bore out his reputation when he cast in his lot with the
York and Ainsty. The late Mr. Thomas Walker once
pointed out to me a place where he pounded the field. It
was a very wide drain not far from the road between
Deighton lane end and Wheldrake. Jackson was a bold
rather than a fine horseman, though he was probably above
the average all round. He had some good race horses, the
best being probably Tim Whiffler, who won the Chester
Cup, the Goodwood Cup and the Doncaster Cup when he
was a three-year-old, and ran a dead heat with Buckstone in
the Ascot Cup the following year, no very mean performance
even if he was beaten in the deciding heat.

Amono-st the most regular followers of the York and
Ainsty hounds was Mr. H. S. Thompson, of Fairfield, a good
all-round sportsman, whose name is closely associated with
horse-breedincr in Yorkshire. At one time he had a great deal
to do with the Rawcliffe stud, which was formed under such
favourable auspices but which did not prove a very profitable
investment to its shareholders. Mr. Thompson was a fine
judge of the thoroughbred horse and also of racing, and no
harder man ever got on to a horse. He had a liberal idea
of the jumping powers of the horse, and no place seemed
too big for him. Mr. G. S. Thompson, his son, whose fame
as a gentleman rider it is not necessary to say was the pride
of his county as long as he wore silk, relates that he was
once out on a pony, a rather hard puller for a small boy, and
that immediately hounds found, his father set off at score
and put his horse at a gate. The pony would follow his
stable companion and got a little out of hand, but fortunately
the horse hit the gate as he rose at it, and it flew open and
thus simplified matters.

Mr. Lumley Hodgson was also a keen sportsman and a
good man to hounds. He was a very fine judge of a horse,
and bred many good ones in his time, his yearlings often
bringing big prices.

-^

#

SOME OLD SUPPORTERS. 267

Mr. James Brown, of Rossington, who owned some coverts
in the Thursday country about Copgrove, was one of the
staunchest supporters the hunt ever had. His purse and his
influence were always at the service of the good cause, and
for many years he took a leading part in the internal
management of the hunt. Sir Charles Slingsby and he
were great friends, and Sir Charles only had to make a
suggestion and it was carried out.

A familiar figure with the York and Ainsty for many
years was the late Colonel Telford, who was not only a
liberal subscriber, but who, in other ways, rendered effective
service to the hunt. The hunt partly owes the fine gorse
covert at Colton to him, Lord Downe sharing the expense
of planting it with him. No man ever rode a finer class of
horses than did Colonel Telford, and in his younger days
he went well. Indeed, till late in life he was a good
performer, and he deserves a foremost place amongst that
galaxy of sportsmen who have done so much to bring the
York and Ainsty to that eminent position they now occupy.

A few words must be added about the farmers. Ever
since the establishment of the hunt the farmers have been
amongst its staunchest supporters, and that fine sporting
spirit which was so prominent in their predecessors is still to
be found amongst the farmers of the present day, many of
whom take their place in the first flight, — and keep it.

Amongst them may be named Mr. John Nalton, of Cop-
manthorpe, a genial comrade and a fine horseman. Few
men were Mr. Nalton's equal at showing a horse in a ring
or at making a raw one, and all horses went kindly with
him. Although he went well to the front Mr. Nalton could
scarcely be called a bruiser, and his nice quiet style of
crossing a country was a treat to witness. His untimely
death cast a gloom over the country, and no man was more
deeply regretted. His horse fell with him when hunting

2 68 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

with the Bramham Moor on March 2nd, 1889, and he died
ten days after of inflammation of the lungs. His ribs were
crushed by the fall, and no doubt his chance of recovery was
affected by his being taken home in a conveyance.

Mr. John Henry Graves, of Sutton-on-the-Forest, was
another keen sportsman. In his younger days he was a very
hard man, and he went well till his health began to fail.
He was rather a bruising rider, and was always well mounted.
He took a great and active interest in the sport, and was a
strict fox preserver, whilst he possessed a great influence
over others and kept many a waverer in the right path.

Mr. David Kirk was another typical York and Ainsty
farmer. He was a bold horseman, and liked a raw unmade
horse. He never gave great prices for his horses, but he
soon made them clever. He was a light weight and a hard
man. He was killed near Wensley, as has been already
related, when within a few weeks of his seventy-seventh
birthday.

The history of the York and Ainsty Hunt shows how,
notwithstanding that difficulties have arisen now and again,
as for instance with the serious attack of mange, the country
has always presented a united face to those difficulties, and
that masters and hunt servants, landowners and farmers have
had but one end in view, and that end the showing of good
sport. So long as this spirit remains in the country — and it
is a subject for congratulation that, in these days of change,
it does remain in the country — so long will the high standard
of sport for which the York and Ainsty has ever been
famous be maintained.

,..V ' .1

I',

APPENDIX.

The Duke of Cleveland's Hounds in the York and
AiNSTY Country.

Since the book went to press Mr. Frank Green sent me
an old hunting diary of the Duke of Cleveland's, in which
are records of some of the sport his hounds showed in the
York and Ainsty country in the season 1807-8. A few
extracts may prove of interest : —

' Monday, October 24th. Threw off at half-past ten at
' Goldsbrough Moor, soon found, ran various foxes in
' those woods for several hours, and the hounds hunted
' and stopped remarkably well when the foxes ran short.
' Killed; an old dog fox, and a young fox. A very
' stormy day with keavy showers of rain and hail, and
' very indifferent scenting. Had twenty-six couples and
'a half of old pack out; rode Flora; James, Hinton; and
' Bob, the Puleston mare.'

'Tuesday, October 25th. Met at Newton-upon-Ouse at half-
' past ten. Tried Beningbrough Whin and Cote House
' Spring, blank; then tried Overton Scrogs, found, ran
' some time in the wood, and at last lost him. Tried
' Aldwark Wood, found again, but lost directly. ]\Iiserable
' bad scenting, stormy, cold and damp. Had thirty
'couples of the young pack out; rode the Woolley mare;
'James, Silvertop; and Bob, Cavendish.'

I 2

2 70 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND A IN STY HUNT.

'Wednesday, October 26th. Threw off at half-past ten at
' Brafferton Spring, tried it, blank; then Sessay Wood,
' where we found, and after one ring- in the wood, crossed
' Pilmoor, through Brafferton Spring, and about two miles
' towards Haddock warren, and lost him on Derrin's
'moor, near to Mr. Armstrong's. A bad day's sport;
' very stormy, wild day, cold, and bad scenting. Had
' twenty-three couples of old hounds out which behaved
' uncommonly ill, and were wilder than the weather; rode
'Lady Killer; James, Gabriel; Bob, Bumper; Mrs. Russell
' on Brighton, and Will on Headlam.'

' Saturday, October 29th. Threw off at half-past ten at
' Farnham Bottom, tried it, Scriven Whin, Mr. Trapp's
' coverts, all blank ; then Scaro Gyll, where we killed last
' spring, found a brace, hounds divided, Bob stopped four
' couples soon and joined us up Cayton Gyll, turned
' away west of Ripley, through HoUin bank, down past
' Ripley bridge, to Mr. Trapp's earths, turned over the
' Knaresborough road near to Crag Wood, headed back to
' Scaro Gyll, crossed Cayton Gyll, when the scent died
' away. A tolerable run but never pressed hard, though
' we lost the hounds some time in a thick mist. A damp,
' raw, misty day, tolerable scenting. Had twenty-six
' couples and a half of the old pack out.'

'Monday, October 31st. Met at Aldwark Bridge at half-past
' ten, but on account of the thick mist I did not throw
' off till twelve, when I tried Aldwark Wood and Mr.
' Robinson's plantations, blank ; then tried Lylands,
' where I immediately found several foxes, and soon
' killed one, a cub dog fox, and went away with another
' straight to Marton village, where he was headed and we
' lost him. Tried Broadfield, found instantly, and ran
' through Lylands, towards Marton village, and lost. An
' indifferent day's sport, very frosty, and thick misty
' morning ; afterwards cleared, with bright sun, cold air,
* and indifferent scenting. Had twenty-eight couples and
' a half of young pack out.'

They had another day or two in November, and then
they did not visit the country again till March, when they

APPEND rx. 271

had much better sport than they had in the earlier part of
the season. The following three days are the best, and are
all good ones : —

'Saturday, March nth. Threw off at half-past ten at
' Brafferton Spring, tried it, blank; then Sessay Wood,
' where we found a brace or leash of foxes, and after
' running some time in covert, we followed one which had
' broke away some time before, and ran him about four
' miles straight forward to Thirkleby, and earthed in a
'drain, bolted and killed in view in two fields; an old
' bitch fox. Tried Sessay Wood and Brafferton Spring
' again, blank. Had twenty-four couples of the young
' pack out.'

'Tuesday, March 14th. Threw off at half-past ten at the
' fourth milestone from Ripon to Ripley, tried Barsnip,
' Cayton Gyll, and Crag Wood, all blank; then Newton
' Hall plantation, where a fox and one hound, Dorset,
'stole away; ran to Scaro plantations, over Kettlesing,
'past Burton Yates (r Burnt Gates), over to Bransty
' Woods, right up Nidderdale, past all Brimham Crags,
' and at last lost him, going right west up to the moors,
' after a good run of one hour and forty minutes, never
' very quick, but beautiful hunting, in which Villager,
' Crowner, Flourisher, Dorset, Dorking, Rally, Dragon,
'Darter, Simon, and many others greatly distinguished
' themselves. A cold clear dry day, tolerable scenting.
' Had twenty-five couples of the young pack out.'

'Thursday, March i6th. Threw off at half-past ten at Lord
' Stourton's park gate, tried some plantations east of the
' park, Lylands, Broadfield, and Mrs. Robinson's bank,
'all blank; then tried Aldwark Wood, found handsomely,
' ran to Linton Wood and earths, turned over Aldwark
' Moor, right away to within one mile and a half of
' Brafferton Spring, turned away for Alne, through
' Tollerton village, and pointed for Cote House Whin,
' headed short of Newton-upon-Ouse, down to Linton,
' through Linton Woods, short of Aldwark Wood, and
' earthed in a short drain near Aldwark village, where I
' dug him, as Laura had got into the drain and had

272 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT.

' bitten him, and we bolted and killed him in a field ; an
' old dog fox. An exceeding good run of an hour and
' fifty-five minutes, very complete, as we chased hard at
' first, surpassed many difficulties, recovered beautifully
' and chased hard the last three miles; the chase computed
'to be eighteen miles; Coroner, Broker, Baronet, Rich-
' mond, Selaby, Tartar, and more especially young
' Tichfield ran and distinguished themselves most
' conspicuously. Had twenty couples of the old hounds
'and young Tichfield. A very dry, cold, windy day; but
' miraculously a good scenting da}', when the hounds
' chased with clouds of dust flying from them.'

APPENDIX II.

Will Clark.

Will Clark was an old earthstopper of the Bramham
Moor and York and Ainsty Hunts, who resided at Tadcaster.
He was interred at the expense of Mr. George Lane Fox,
and the following epitaph on him was written by Mr. Thomp-
son, of Tadcaster, the author of the poem on page 238 of
the History of the Bramham Moor Hunt. Mr. Thompson
was ' Calcaria's lawyer,' mentioned in the poem.

Epitaph.

' Stop, gentle reader, drop a tear !
For poor Will Clark lies buried here ;
So great his craft, and such his skill,
Foxes by scores he'd helped to kill ;
And now (how strange the paradox).
He's run to ground here by a Fox !
Like him to fate we all must stoop.
And life resign at death's whoo-whoop.'

INDEX.

Accident at Xewby Kerry :—

Mr. Clayton's Account, ill

]\rr. J. H. Legard's „ n?
An Eye Witness's ,, Ii8

Albion, 244

Alne Beck, 7

Apperley, Mr. C G. (sec Nimrod)

Askham Bogs, 10 ; fox killed in, 180

Bag fo.ves, 154

Barmaid, 141, 241, 248

Bateman, Mr. S., 76, 77: retirement of,

87, 90, 168
Beadsman, 246
Bedford. 246
Berkeley, Captain, 261
Belvoir Fallible, 172, 241
Belvoir blood, 168, 171
Bishopthorpe, kill at, 53
Blue Beck, 7
Bluecap, 247
Boisterous, 240
Boniface, 247

Bramham Moor at Buckle's Inn, 123
Broad, Mr., 251
Brocklehurst, Captain, 9; Master, 178;

resigns, 183, 184
Brown, C, accident to, 223
Brown, Mr. James, 267
Butler, Hon. Captain, 30

Careful, 244

'Cecil': Account of the York and Ainsty,

100
Chaloner, Mr., 32
Champion, 244
Clark, -Will, 38, 272

Cleveland, Duke of, 31 : his diary, 269
Clough, Mr., 31

Committee of Management, The, 31
Comely, 244

Constable, Sir Clifford, 63
Conqueror, 247
Conyers, Mr., 255
Creyke, Mr. Ralph, 70

Dahlia, 244, 246, 247

Dairymaid, 248

Damper, 246, 247

Damsel, 246, 247

Darlington, Earl of, 18 (see Duke of

Cleveland)
Daunter, 248
Dimity, 245

Dorimont, 245, 246, 247
Dowager, 247
Dreamer, 243
Duchess, 241
Duster, 244, 246

Egg-sauce, 89

Ellerton, Will, swims Der.went, 64

274

INDEX.

Kaii-faN, Mr. T. F., death of, 158, 262

Fairfax, Colonel, 87 ; Master, 144 ; as
Master of Harriers, 145 ; as Hunts-
man, 145 ; as horseman, 146 ; resigns,
176

Fairmaiil, 546

Fall, Curious, 229

Falstaff, 242

Famous, 247, 248

Fashion, 242

Fencer, 242

Finder, 246

Fleecer, 242

Fluent, 242

Forester, 248

Fox, Mr. Jan>es Lane, 30

Fox in cellar, 43 ; killed on the Mount, 155

Foxes, Old, 8l

Fox, Mr. Priestman's, 99.

Foxhunting, Attractions of, 173

Frisky, 246

Gaily, 243

Gaiety, 244

Galtres, Forest of, 9

Gameboy, Mr. Plaits', 107

Gayman, 248

Genuine, 249

Gilbert, Mr. R., 77

Goldsborough foxes, 51, 55, 70, 71, 85

Graham, Sir Bellingham, 35, 260

Graves, Mr. John Henry, 156, 258

(jreen. Sir Edward, 191

Green, Mr. E. Lycett, Master, 1S5 • first

hunted hounds, 191 ; accident to, 192 ;

hunts both packs, 217 ; bad fall, 219 ;

letter to Committee, 229, 233
Green, Mr. Frank, 14

Hall, The Mis,es, 130

Hall, Miss Frances, 130

Harcourt, .Archbishop, 262

Hawke, The Hon. Martin, Poem, 23

Hell Dyke, 16

H. H. on York and Ainsty Hounds and

Country, 100-108
Hodgson, Mr. Lumley, 266
Hodgson, Mr. T., 31
Holden, Sir Angus, 12
Holderness country, York and Ainsly

hounds in, 222
Holderness, The, at Askham Bogs, 123

Honesty, 249

Hornsey, Mr. Charles, 144

Hotham, Mr. (Royal Artilleiy), 156

Hounds over-ridden, 46

Hound Show, 244-248

Huby drain, 7

Huntsmen : liarwick, Cieorge, 251

Collison, Peter, 134, 256
Chandler, H., hunts hounds,

219
Danby, Will, 68 ; retires, 87 ;
goes to Hurworlh, 87, 252,

253
Gillson, G. , 177; accident to,

182, 184, 257
Gray, Will, 207, 258
Haggar, Charles, 170
HoUidge, John, 177, 257
Morgan, Jim, 255
Naylor, t^t^ ; anecdote of, 36,

251
Orvis, death of, 116; subscrip-
tion for family, 123, 255
.Scaife, Kit, 253
Smith, Tom (Braraham), 168
Squires, Tom, 136 ; bitten,

140 ; bad fall, 140; killed,

142, 256
Wilson, Jack, 252
Wilson, Arthur (}., 186 ; bad

fall, 188, 191, 193, 196;

leaves, 207, 25S

Incident, Curious, 43, 54

Jackson, John, 263, 265
James I., hunting lodge of, 9
Johnson, Rev. R., 127
Johnstone, Hon. Captain, 161
Jordan, The, 12

Kennels, New, 87 ; improvetl by Colonel

Fairfax and Mr. Lycett Green, 87
Key, Captain, i u
Kirk, Mr. David, fatal accident to, 231, 258

Lapidist, 244

Lascelles, Hon. Egremonl, 139

Latimer, 242

Lawley, Hon. Captain, 97

Layman, 242, 247

Liberty, 246

INDEX.

275

Licter, 247

Lightning, 246

Listener, 247

Lloyd, Mr. G., 32, 36, 37, 67, 6S, 69

Lloyd, Mr. E., 90

Lloyd's horses, Mr. Edward, 130

Lottery, 241

Lovely, 244, 245

Lucifer, 243

Mange, outbreak of, 210, 220, 222
Markham, Mr., foxes lost in his garden,

38, 39
Marplot, 250
Marvellous, 250
Melbourne Hall run, The, 233 ; compared

with the Warwickshire Pool Osier

run, 237
Melbourne country, The, 16; wildness

of, 17
Mellish, Colonel, 29
Merrylass, 247

Meysey-Thonipson, Colonel, 101, 122
Middleton, Si.xth Lord, 20
Milliner, 247
Milner, Sir W., 16S, 262
Milton blood, 168, 171
Modish, Colonel Thornton's, 239, 240
Monday country. The, 7
Mousetra|i, Sg

Nalton, John, 163, 267

Nestor, 245, 246

Nimiod, 3;; extracts from tour, 34, 35, 37:

on York and Ainsty hounds, 240, 245,

246
Niobe, 245
Nosegay, 245, 246
Novelty, 245, 246

Parrington, Mr. Thomas, 87
Powter, Will, 134; death of, 134
Priestman, Mr., 99

Racer, 244, 245, 246, 247

Rallywood, 244, 245

Read, Mr. Rudstone, 77

Red House Drain, 10

Red House, Sport from, 44, 46, 49, 50, 52,
53. 55. 56. 58, 63. 67, 90, 14S, 151,
156, 161, 166, 183, 193, 224, 22S

Regent, 244
Ridsdale, R., 263
Robinson, Mr. O. , 156
Robinson's horses, Mr. Edward, 131
Rufforth drain, 10
Runs, Historic, 236-238
Run, in the suburbs, 52 ; great, in Sir
George Womhwell's Mastership, 135

Saffron, 250

Saturday country. The, 14

Sawley country. The, 13

Scott, William, 263, 265

Sessay Wood run. The great, 21 ; run

from, 92
Slingsby, Sir Thomas, 29, 30
Slingsby, Sir Charles, 77; appointed Master,

87 : as Huntsman, 88 ; as gentleman

rider, 89 ; his last fox, loS ; death of,

116, 117 ; sale, 131
Slingsby, Captain, 161 ; Master, 176, 177;

resigns, 178, 184
Sontag, 248

Staghounds, Visit of, 63
Stately, 247
Steadfast, 249
Streamer, 249

Sykes, Sir Tatton, 18, 64; dinner to, 77
.Sykes, Sir Mark Masterman, 14, 18
Sykes, Mr. Christopher, 102
Swann, Mr. R., 1 1, 161

Talent, 250

Telford, Colonel, 267

Thompson, Mr. IL S., 266

Thompson, Mr. G. .S., 266

Thornton, Colonel, 14, 19

Thursday country, 12

Thirkleby, great show of foxes at, 157

Timely, 245, 246

Trapping foxes, enquiry about, 157

Treacher, Mr. G., 32, 251

Treasurer, 249

Trinket, 248

Tuesday country, 9

Tuneful, 240

Twinkle, 248

\'agrant, 248
\'aulter, 245

276

INDEX.

Wanton (iSgi), 209 -'

Wardrop, Captain (3rd D.G.), 156

Warwick, 243

Wenlock, Lord, 1S4

Wliite fox, The, 99

Wliixley fox, The, 98

Wllloiighby, Mr. Henry, run with his

hounds, 20
Wire, 17
WombwelI,SirGeorge 0.,lii, 134; resigns,

139. i^i
Woeful, 249

York and Ainsty, boundaries of, 6 ; change
of character of, 7 ; formation of
Hunt, 18

York City Harriers, 19

York, Mr. R., 37, 261

York, Mr. E., 37

York, Colonel, Master, 184; illness and
death of, 184

#

RlCHAKl) IaCKSON, PuINIEK and PUIILISHER, CO.MMERCIAI, STREET, LEEDS.

Webster Family Library of Veterinary Medicine

Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at

Tufts University

200 Wesiboro Road

Northf Grafton. MA 01536

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