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THE

PYTCHLEY HUNT

PAST AND PRESENT

ITS HISTORY FROM ITS FOUNDATION TO THE FRFSE.VT

DAY; WITH FERSONAL ANECDOTES, AND MEMOIRS

OF THE MASTERS AND PRINCIPAL MEMBERS-,

INCLUDING THE WOODLANDS; ALSO

UNPUBLISHED LETTERS OF

SIR F. B. HEAD, Bart.,

BY THE LATE

H. O. NETHERCOTE, Esq.

FIFTY XEAE6 A MEIIBEK OF THIS FAMOIS HUNT.

WITH PORTRAITS OF EARL SPENCER, SIR CHARLES KNIGHTLEY, COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON,
MR, GEORGE PAYNE, AND THE AUTHOR; AND A VIEW OF OLD PYTCHLEY HALL.

EDITED BY

CHARLES EDMONDS,

EDITOR OF THE " ISHiM " SHAKESPEAKE ; " BASILICON DORON " OF KING JAMES I. ;
"the POETRY OP THE ANTI-JACOBIN," ETC.

SECOND EDITION.

LONDON :

SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIYIXGTON,

Limited,
§t. Sunstan's goxtsc,

Fetter Lane, Fleet Steeet.

1888.
[^All rights reserved^

In four volumes, Imperial 8vo, 31J. ^d. each.

Portraits of Celebrated Raceliorses,

Past and Present, from 1702.

Containing over 400 plates, reproduced in fac-simile from
the best pictures.

London:

SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON, Ld.,

St. Dunstan's House, Fettee Lane, E.G.

IBeaitation*

Dear Lord Spencer,

To whom could a history of the Pytchley Hunt be more
fittingly dedicated than to a member of that illustrious family
which has, not only from tlie earliest days of its institution
been its main pillar and support_, but which has furnished four
of its most efficient and notable Masters ?

Not aiming at writing a work that is likely to reach the
dignity of ''Criticism," I ask you to accept, for what it is worth,
this effort of a "'prentice hand;" which is to give a record of
hunting scenes and of hunting friends — many of the latter no
longer to be found amongst us — many, happily, still remaining,
to think of the past and hope for future joys. Though it would
please me to think that within the pages of this work something
will be found to interest those who live outside the " Pytchley
Hunt," — ^and not them otAj, but even the " Sporting World "
generally, — it iS; nevertheless, written by a "Pytchley man" for
"Pytchley men;" and its biographical notices refer mainly, if
not entirely, to certain of those who have, from time to time,
during the last hundred years, been Masters or followers of this
famous Hunt.

A fifty years' experience in the latter category enables me
to speak with some authority of the persons and events alluded
to in these pages; and I would fain hope that as "Naught has
been set down in malice," so from "Neither fear, favour, nor
afiection " has anything been portrayed in any other light than
that of

TRUTH.

TO THE EEADER.

The past and present History of tlie Pytchley Hunt was
prepared for publication by its lamented Author^ with
great care and wifcli no slight pleasure_, in the hope that it
might interest and amuse not the Hunting- world alone,
but also a more extended circle of readers. Owing to
the sad fact that the manuscript was completed only
one day before his unexpected death, there was no
opportunity for giving any finishing touches, or correct-
ing any oversights.

The whole work has been superintended during its
progress through the press, and the index, &c., compiled,
by the Author s old friend and bookseller, Mr. Charles
Edmonds, who had been previously solicited by him
to perform these duties, at the appointed time.

C. F. K

CONTENTS.

HISTORY OF THE PYTCHLEY HUNT ; TO THE DEATH
OF MR. GEOEGE PAYNE.

Chapter I.

PAGE

Preliminary — John Bright and the Pjtchley Hunt — Mr. B.
Disraeli as a hunting-man — Sir Walter Scott, Dandie
Dinmont's and the Pytchley packs — Alwin the hunter at
Pytchley village, temp. "William I. — Old Hall at Pytchley
— Abhot of Peterborough a fox-hunter, temp. Richard II.
— First pack of hounds ; Lord Arundel's, 1670-1700 ; Hugo
MeynelFs, 1782; Earl Snencer's, 1750 — The hounds and
CMub at Pytchley— " Order of the White Collar"— Eael
Spenceb, Master, 1783-1796 — Members of the Hunt in
1782— Mr. BuLLER of Maidwell, Master, 1796— Diary of
Thomas Isham, of Lamport — Mr. John Waede, Master,
1797-1808 — Lane Family — Various dispositions of hounds —
Lord Althoep, Master, 1808-1817 — Letters to his father
— Club at Pytchley re-established — "Rapping'' — Three and
four-bottle men — J era Wood — Mr. Ehves and Mr. Small,
great dandies — Mr. Davy — Mr. Nethercote of Moulton — Mr.
Cook of Hothorp — Lords Jersey and Plymouth — Mr. Peter
and Colonel C. Allix — Mr. Lucas — Mr. Bouverie of Delapre
— Colonel Bouverie — Mr. Curwen — Mx. John Stevenson of
Northampton — The Rev. John AVhalley — Lord Waterford —
Mr. Elmore — Mr, Andrew of Harleston — Charles King and
his hunting-diary — Hunting better in old days — Sport-
spoilers — Excellence of Sywell Wood — Lord Althorp resigns
the Mastership ......... 1

vlli Contents,

Chapter II.

PAGE

Character of Lord Althorp ; an Agriculturist and Breeder of Short-
horns ; a boxer and supporter of pugilism ; with anecdotes
of Parson Ambrose ; Lord Byron, and Jackson the prize-
fighter; Gullj', Cribb, and others — The prize-ring — Fee-
DEEiCK, fourth Eael Spencee — The Althorp District —
Sandars Gorse — Sie Chaeles Knightley, Master, 1817-
18 ; a fine horseman, and breeder of Shorthorns — an ardent
Horticulturist — his house at Fawsley, and secret chamber —
Lord Sondes, Master, 1818-19— Sie Bellingham Geaham,
Master, 1819 — Notices of some of the usual visitors to a
Pytchley Meet : Dick Gurney ; Squire Wood of Brixworth ;
Matthew Oldacre; Sir R. Murchison ; Captain Blunt ; Admiral
Sir W. Pell ; Rev. Vere Isham ; Rev. John Whalley ; Rev.
W. Dickens ; Rev. J. 0. Humphrey; Rev. J. Wickes; and
Rev. Loraine Smith — Henry Couch, a military deserter and
felon ; his singular career and extraordinary letters . . 31

Chapter III.

Me. John Chawoeth Musters, Master, 1821 — Opinions on
his hounds — Troublesome foxes — Attachment of his hounds
— His qualifications for the Mastership — Me. Osbaldeston,
Master, 1827 — His appearance, manners and abilities —
Excellence of his hounds — The best riders at Melton, 1820-30
— Osbaldeston's excellence as a steeplechase rider — Race on
' Grimaldi ' against 'Moonraker' — Celebrity of his bitch-
pack — Run from Misterton to Laughton Mills — Match to
ride 200 miles in ten hours, with the horses used — Chal-
lenges all the world for 20,OOOL — As a shot, a cricketer, a
boxer, an M.P., and a turfite — Mr. Wilkins, blaster, 1834
— Jack Stevens, Huntsman, his early death — "Billy"
Russell — Mr, George Payne, Master, 1835 — The Earl
of Chesterfield, Master, 1838 — Lords Cardigan, Maid-
stone, and Macdonald — Old times and manners — Perfec-
tion of Lord Chesterfield's arrangements — His resignation
in 1840— The Hon. Wilbraham Tollemache—" Ginger "
Stubbs, and other hunters — Dick Christian and Matty
Milton — Old horses not so safe as young ones — Daniel
Lambert — Mr, T, Assheton Smith — Dick Christian and Bill
Wright 78

Chapter IV.

Mb. T. " Gentleman " Smith, Master, 1840— Sir Francis H,
Goodricze, Master, 1842-44 — The Brixworth Sporting-

Contents, ix

Pauper — Mb. Geoege Patne, Master, 1844-48— Mr.
Bouverie and Mr. C. C. F. Greville, his turf-confederates —
"Alarm," "Speed the Plough," and "West Australian" —
"Whist playing, 1836 — Lord De Eos accused of cheating ;
and his action for slander^ — Mr. Payne a witness ; his cross-
examination — Sir W. Ingilhy, a witness — Lord Alvanley's
bon-mot — Mr. Payne's avidity for speculation — One in
tallow — " Dirty Dick '' — Fatal accidents in the hunting-field
to Mr. Sawhridge and Lord Inverurie — Mr. Payne, a good
host — His iron constitution- — Waim affection for his sisters
and brother — Letter to Mr. Nethercote on the latter's death
— A regular church-attendant — A good "whip" — Sam
Daniel, J. Harris, J. Meecher, Davis, and Jim Pearson,
popular coachmen, till ruined by railways — An inebriated
horse — Mr. Payne and his brother, bad cricketers — Excel-
lence of the ^Northamptonshire Cricket Club — Mr. Payne a
skilful pugilist, and a patron of the P.P. — Presentation of a
silver Epergne — Eesigns the Mastership, 1848, and retires
from the hunting-field — His death — Song in his honour by
a Northamptonshire farmer . . . . . . .112

MEMOIES OF THE FOLLOWING MASTEES
(Continuing the History to the Present Time).

Lord Alford, the Earl of Hopetoun. the Hon. F. Yilliers, the
Hon. C. Cust, Col. Anstruther Thomson, Mr. J. A. Craven,
Earl Spencer, Mr. Herbert Langham (the present Master) . 149

3Part fe.

MEMOIES OF MEMBEES.

Mr. A. A. Young, Capt. G. Ashby Ashby, Mr. Ambrose Isted,
Mr. E. Lee Bevan, Mr. W. Angerstein, Capt. " Bay " Middle!
ton, Capt. Mildmav Clerk, Major Whyte Melville, Hon. H.
Liddell (Lord Eavensworth), Eev. H. Eokeby, Mr. W. H.
Foster, Mr. and Mrs. Simson, the late Capt. Gist, Mr. Pender,

a

Contents.

PAGE

Mr. Jcame?on, Mr. Hazelhurst, Mr. Daniel, Mr. P. A. Miintz,
Lord Bra JO, the late Rev. J. T. Drake, Lord Erskine, Mr. C.
Wroughton, IMr. F. and Miss Lans^ham, Sir Rainald Knight-
ley, Bart., Mr. Drurj Wake, Mr. J. Nethercote, Major
Newland, Mr. Stirling Crawfurd, Lord Henley, Mr. J. Lovell,
Sir Francis Bond Head, Bart., Capb. Riddell, Miss Alder son,
Sir Charles Isham, Bart., Mr. J. Gilbert, Mr. John Bennett,
Mr. Mills, Mr. J. Entwisle, Mr. J. Gough . . . .233

Mehoirs of the Northampton Brigade .... 330
Memoirs of Farmer Members 333

Memoirs of Woodland Members.

The Duke of Buccleuch, the Earl of Cardigan, Mr. Tryon, Lord

Lilford, Lord Lyveden, Mr. Clarke Thornhili . . . 348

"The Pytchley : " a Hunting-Poem 358

Letter of a Young Lady- Naturalist 360

Unpublished Letters of Sir Francis Bond Head, Bart.,

on Hunting Subjects (including his last) .... 362

LIST OF PLATES.

PAGE

V^iEW OF Old Pytchley Kall .... Frontispiece

POKTEAIT OF EaEL SpENCER 188

For the use of this portrait (on a reduced scale), the
publishers are indebted to the courtesy of the proprietors o£
the " County Gentleman " Sporting Gazette.

Portrait of Sir Charles Kxightley, Bart. ... 45

Portrait of Mr. George Payne . . . . . .9!^

Portrait of Colonel Anstruther Tho:mson . . .166

THE PYTCHLEY HUNT,
PAST AND PEESENT.

CHAPTER I.

Preliminary — John Bright and the Pytchlpy Hunt — X\r. B. Disraeli
as a hunting-man — Sir Walter Scott, Dandie Dinijiont's and the
Pvtchley packs — Alwin the hunter at Pytchley village, tem^J.
William I.— Old Hall at Pytchley— Abbot of Peterborough a
fox-hunter, temp. Richard II. — First pack of hounds ; Lord
Arundel's, 1670-1700; Hugo Meynell's, 1782; Earl Spencer's,
1750.— The hounds and Club at Pytchley— " Order of the White
Collar" — Earl Spencer, J/a^z'er, 1783-1796 — Members of the
Hunt in 1782.— Mr. Buller of Maidwell, Master, 1796
— Diary of Thomas Isham, of Lamport — Mr. John Waede,
Master^ 1797-1808 — Lan& Family— Various dispositions of
hounds — Lord Althorp, Master, 1808-1817 — Letters to his
father — Club at Pytchley re-established — " Rapping " — Three
and four-bottle men — Jem Wood — Mr. Elwes and Mr. Small,
great dandies — Mr. Davy — Mr. Nethercote of Moulton — Mr.
Cook of Hothorp — Lords Jersey and Plymouth — Mr. Peter and
Colonel C. AUix — Mr. Lucas — Mr. Bouverie of Delapre — Colonel
Bouverie — Mr. Curwen — Mr. John Stevenson of Northampton
—The Rev. John Whalley— Lord Waterford— Mr. Elmore—
Mr. Andrew of Harleston — Charles King and his hunting-diary
— Hunting better in old da3's — Sport-spoilers — Excellence of
Sywell Wood — Lord Althorp resigns the Mastership.

It may be safe to assert that no institution, sporting or
otherwise, ever received a more unintentional and
marked tribute to its popularity, than in the laughter
which greeted the ears of Mr. John Bright when one
night in the House of Commons he called " the Pytchley
Hunt '^ " the Pitchley.'^ Honourable Members seemed

B

2 The Pytchley Himt, Past and Present, [chap. i.

astonished that one of tlieir number, and that so distin-
gaished a one as the senior member for Birmiaghara,
should be ignorant of the proper mode of pronouncing
the name of this well-known hunt, and received the
" lapsus linguae ^^ with shouts of amusement. Often
before had the great orator moved the august occupants
of the benches around him to laughter, but on no
previous occasion, perhaps, had he so fairly '^ brought
down the House" as on this. Unlike his great political
opponent. Lord Beaconsfield, who, at least on one
occasion, seems to have distinguished himself on the
" Pigskin,'^ Mr. Bright had probably never seen a pack
of hounds in the field. To him " the Quorn," " the
Pytchley," and " the Cottesmore," are institutions un-
worthy the notice of any rightly thinking man, and
great must have been his surprise at finding that so
small an error had raised so great a laugh. His illus-
trious rival, on the occasion just referred to, seems, by
his own account, to have accomplished a feat in the
saddle quite equal to any that he performed on the floor
of the " House.^' Writing to his sister in 1834, he
says, " I hunted the other day w4th Sir Henry Smith's
hounds, and, although not in pink, was the best-
mounted man in the field ; riding an Arabian mare,
which I nearly killed, a run of thirty miles; and I
stopped at nothing." A run of thirty miles on an
Arabian mare, and stopping, at nothing ! The reader of
such a performance may well borrow the exclamation of
Duminie Sampson, and exclaim " Prodigious. '^ "Of all
pleasure cometh satiety at last," says the moralist; and
whatever the sensations of the rider may have been
during the last three or four of the thirty miles, it is

CHAP. I.] Scott — Disraeli — Pytchley Hall. 3

clear that the Arabian mare had had enough of it. But as
the " Dizzy '^ of old could, according to this statement,
have given the great demagogue any amount of weight
across a country, so he, on his part, would have been
"lost^' by his opponent across the waters of a salmon
river. Had the unpretentious stream dividing the Lord-
ships of Pytchley and Isham been a rapid torrent, the
home of speckled trout or lordly salmon, instead of
only that of the pugnacious minnow and lowly " miller^s
thumb," a residence in the village for fishing purposes
might have taught the great piscator the correct pro-
nunciation of its name. Even in this respect Mr.
Bright was in good company, as Sir Walter Scott, in
describing the fox-hunting with Dandie Dinmont's
heterogeneous pack, says that a member of the '^^Pychley^^
(leaving out the ^' t ") Hunt might have cast a super-
cilious look both on the equipment of the horsemen, and
the queer admixture of the hounds ! It is somewhat
singular that in the records of the village from whence
the Pytchley Hunt derives its title there is to be found,
in the times prior to those of William the Conqueror
the name of one ^^ Alwin the huntsman;" evidently a
personage of some importance, whose duty it was to
destroy the wild animals frequenting the adjacent
forests. Those who are fortunate enough to possess the
clever pen-and-ink sketch of the " Old Hall at Pytchley,'^ ^
done by the late George Clark, schoolmaster of Scald-
well, will see that it was built in the reign of Queen
Elizabeth by Sir Euseby Isham, and that the ancient
Lords of the Manor held it of the King on the condition

^ A reduoed cony of tLis sketch forms one o£ the illustrations to the
present volume. — Ed.

B 2

4 The PytcJiley Hinit, Past and Present, [chap. i.

" to furnish dogs at their own cost to destroy the wolves,
foxes, polecats, and other vermin in the counties of
^Northampton, Rutland, Oxford, Essex, and Buckingham.''
The house and estate passed successively through the
families of Isham, Lane, Washbourne, and Knightley. It
then became the property of Mr. George Payne, who
pulled the house down in 1829, and afterwards sold the
estate to Mr. Jones Loyd, father to the late Lord Over-
stone, who left it to his daughter and her husband,
Lord and Lady Wantage, whose property it now is (1886).
The conditions upon which the Lords of the Manor of
Pytchley held their possessions seem to have been
sufficiently onerous ; but it must not be forgotten that
hunting in those days and hunting in the present differ
from each other in a far greater degree than hunting
with the Quorn or Pytchley, and hunting with trencher-
fed packs on the Cumberland Hills, do now.

At the period when wolves and other beasts of prey
inhabited the forests which covered the greater surface
of the island, the one object of the hunter was to kill and
destroy in the interest of the occupant of the land.
The wolf of that day had not been educated up to lying
down with the lamb, unless he was inside him ; and the
ravages among flocks and herds by wild animals greatly
added to the difficulties of the agriculturist. He who
now kills a fox, otherwise than by the aid of hounds
(unless indeed by accident), earns for himself the oppro-
brious name of ^^ Vulpicide,'^ and is likely to become a
*^ Pariah '' in society and a ^' Boycottee.'^ In the far-off
days of which we are speaking, the Lupicide and the
fox-killer were looked upon as public benefactors, and
^Torthy of all commendation. An ^^ unsportsmanlike "

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CHAP. I.] First Pack of Hotmds. 5

action could not, at that period, be committed, as the
meaning now attached to the word " sport " was then
unknown. ^^ Crossbow " and " net ^^ first, and " gun "
afterwards, were the legitimate allies of hounds and
terrier, nor was it easy, even with this assistance, to keep
down the number of the destroyers. In the days of
Alwin, the Pytchley huntsman, who has been referred to
above, the fox was not even included in the list of
animals of the chase. The stag and hare are constantly
mentioned as being hunted by the Anglo-Norman sports-
men, but the first notice we have of the fox occurs in
the reign of Richard the Second, when the Abbot of
Peterborough becomes entitled by charter to pursue that
wily animal.

It is not easy to say when the first regularly appointed
pack of hounds was established, but this could not have
been until the beginning of the last century at soonest.
So long as the country remained disafforested, the hart,
the wolf, the wild boar, and the hare were the principal
objects of the chase : and the harrier long had the pre-
cedence of the foxhound. At first the neighbouring
farmers kept a hound or two each (as is still the .custom
in Cumberland and some of the neighbouring counties),
and joined together occasionally to kill a fox that had
waxed fat upon their lambs and poultry. Next a few
couples were kept by small Squires who could afford the
expense ; and they joined packs : and so by slow degrees,
as riding in "the open ^' became more feasible, the
present system was elaborated. It is known, however,
that Lord Arundel kept a pack of foxhounds between
the years 1670 and 1700, which hunted in Wiltshire and
Hampshire ; and it is from the descendants of those

6 The Pytchley Html, Past and Present, [chap. i.

hounds that the famous Hugo Meynell formed his pack
at Quornden in 1782.

About thirty years before this, John George, Earl
Spencer, the first of the four Masters furnished by this
noble house, formed a club at the old Hall in the little
village of Pytchley, and removed the hounds from Althorp
to kennels erected at that place. Lord Spencer now
introduced the system of dividing the country into two,
and hunting the woodlands and that part of the open
lying east of the Northampton and Market Harbro^ road,
during certain months of the season ; the part lying
west of the dividing-line being reserved for the remain-
ing months. The system of not drawing any covert
over the allotted boundary was so rigidly adhered to,
that, even in the event of a kill, the hounds were always
taken back to the side on which the fox was found.
This so circumscribed the country that the same coverts
were being constantly disturbed, with the result that
blank days were of frequent occurrence ; an event un-
known in the present time.

The county gentlemen and strangers who were
members of the Club made the old Hall their residence
for just as long as suited their convenience ; the apart-
ments, as they became vacant, being eagerly taken up
by candidates for the " Order of the White Collar.^^ It
is somewhat singular that it is uncertain to what cause
this badge of distinction owes its origin ; nor is any
allusion to it to be found in any of the records of the
hunt kept at Althorp.

Lord Spencer, the founder of the Pytchley Club, died
in 1783; and his son, also named *^ John George," who
took a prominent part in politics, and became Firsfc Lord

CHAP. I.] Second Lord Spencer — Mr. Bnller. 7

of tlie Admiralty, assumed tlie Mastership of tbe
country, and held it thirteen years. He was a very fine
horseman, and his stud was formed of animals of the
highest class only. So different were the customs of
that time from what they happily are now, that it was
held to be contrary to etiquette for any one to pass his
lordship in the field, except the huntsman. During
these years, the Pytchley Hunt attained a high degree of
popularity, many of the magnates of the land being
desirous of becoming members of it. To what an extent
this was the case may be learned from the subjoined list
of the names on the books at the Club in 1782 : —

Earl Spencer. Mr. Powis.

Earl of Jersey. Mr. Conyers.

Earl of Westmoreland. Mr. C. Finch.

]\larquis of Graham. Mr. Raynsford.

Viscount Althorp- Earl of Lincoln.

l)uke of Devonshire. Viscount Eairbord.

Viscount Torrington. Sir Horace Mann.

Earl of Winchels a. H(m. P. Granville.

Lord R. Cavendish. Mr. Bouverie.

Erirl of Aylesford. Mr. Poyntz.

Earl of Powis. Mr. Fleming.

Hon. G. St. John. Mr. Hatton.

Mr. Knightle3% Mr. Doughty.

Mr. Scaweu. . Mr. Assneton Smith.

To the great regret of all connected with the Pytchley
Hunt, political duties necessitated Lord Spencer, in
1796, to relinquish the post he had filled with so much
distinction for thirteen years ; and for one season, Mr.
BuLLEK, of Maid well Hall, undertook the management
of affairs. Lord Spencer's celebrated huntsman, " Dick
Knight,^' has left a name which will ever be remembered
in the records of not only the Pytchley Hunt, but also

8 The PytcJiley Himt, Past and Present, [chap. i.

of the huntsmen-heroes of the past. Born at Courteen-
hall, of parents in whose eyes there was '^ nothing like
leather," he was brought up to make rather than wear a
top-boot ; but a natural love for all things pertaining to
sport soon got him among hounds and horses ; and
advancing step by step he succeeded in attaining the
pinnacle of his ambition by becoming Huntsman to the
famous Pytchley Hounds. In the well-known picture by
Mr. Loraine Smith, of Enderby Hall, Knight is portrayed
as finishing a run on a cart-horse taken out of a plough
team, his own animal being completely knocked u"p. In
a second picture by the same skilful hand, he is depicted
jumping a fence beneath the overhanging bough of a
tree, with head bowed downwards and both legs over his
horse's neck. The reason of his appearing in this some-
what unusual attitude was, that one day at the Meet a
stranger said to him, '' Knight, I've heard a good deal of
your riding, but if you beat me to-day, I will give you
the horse I am on.^' '^ All right, sir,^' said Knight, " we
shall see." During the run they came to a fence, the
only jumpable place in which w^as under a tree, the
branches of which overhung, and scarcely left space
sufficient for a man and horse to get through. Bending
his head and throwing his legs over his animal's neck, Dick
went through the opening like a clow^n through a drum.
This w^as too much for the stranger, who preferred losing
his horse to risking his neck by following, and honourably
carried out what he had undertaken to do, by sending
his steed to the more plucky horseman on the following
morning. Knight was famous for possessing a voice so
powerful that a well-known sportsman used to declare
that from his house at Wellingborough he could on a

CHAP. I.] Dick Knight,

clear frosty morning hear Dick^s '^ holloa'^ in Sywell
Wood^ a distance of, at least, three miles as the crow
flies. This speaks well for the acoustic properties of the
atmosphere between the respective points spoken of, as
well as for the strength of Dick's lungs. Bnt a still
more remarkable instance of the far-reaching power of
sound is given in the interesting diary, written in Latin
in the seventeenth century (admirably translated by the
Rev. Robert Isham), of Mr. Thomas Isham of Lamport
Hall. It is there stated that durina* the naval ensraa-e-
ment between the Eno-lish and French combined fleets
on the one hand, and the Dutch on the other, in 1672,
the report of the guns was distinctly heard at Brixworth.
It was in this action that Lord Sandwich, the admiral,
was blown up in his ship, with eight hundred of his men,
though the Dutch were defeated, and were pursued to
the coast of Holland by the English fleet. If this story
be correct, and some may be tempted to say ^'' Credat
Judgeus,^' the voice of the cannon must have travelled a
distance of over 120 miles, Southwold being at the mouth
of the Ely the, twenty-eight miles north-east of Ipswich.
In 1827, during the battle of Navarino, Mr. John Yere
Isham, then quartered at Corfu, distinctly heard the
firing at a distance of, at least, 200 miles ; and on the
naval reception of the Sultan by the Queen at Portsmouth,
the sound of guns discharged on the Welsh coast was
plainly distinguished at Portsmouth.

Knight was so highly esteemed by his master that the
latter overlooked a freedom of speech in him which
certainly would have been ventured upon by no
other man, be his position what it might. It was said
that on one occasion, seeing Lord Spencer taking a

lo The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. i.

longisli look at a fence^ he called out to him *'' Come
along, my lord, the longer you look afc it, the less yoa will
like it/' The line of hills facing Marston and Thed ding-
worth village being neutral, a good deal of jealousy arose
between the '^ thrasters ^' of the respective hunts ; and
Mr. Assheton Smith (father of Tom A. Smith) used to
try and cut down Dick Knight. Hence the motif of
the picture, by the same talented hand as the others before
spoken of, in which the Pytchley Huntsman, mounted
on his famous horse "Contract,^' is supposed to be
saying that " he would show these d — d Quornites a
trick. ''

In the following year, 1797, the country was taken by
the well-known sportsman and M.F.H., Mr. John WARof;
a gentleman, who at the termination of his hunting career
was able to boast that he had been a Master of Hounds
for fifty-seven years. Not approving the system of
dividing the country into two parts, he established
himself in the old Hall at Boughton, near Northampton,
built kennels there, and made that village his place of
residence. During the eleven years of his Mastership,
the Club at Pytchley was closed, and it seemed as if
" Ichabod ^^ were written on the portals of this fashion-
able seat of hunting. Another member of the Spencer
family, however, as will shortly appear, restored it to all
its pristine glory. For three generations, the care and
management of the Club in all its domestic arrangements
were in the. hands of the family of Lane, a member of
which, himself born in the old Hall, still survives to tell
the tale of other days. Nearly fourscore years having
constituted him the oldest tenant on the Wantage
estate, he w^as called upon at the audit dinner of 1886,

CHAP. I.] Air. Warde, Maste)' — Lane Fa77tily. 1 1

to propose tlie health of the new landlord, Lord
Wantage. Few then present will forget the impressive
manner in which the venerable and much respected
gentleman performed this duty, the feeling of his being
a link with the phase of the county history now passed
away adding in no slight degree to the interest of his
words and appearance. May the name that he bears
long survive to uphold the high character of the
Northamptonshire tenant-farmer, and remind future
generations of the old Pvtchley days.

Mr. Warde, who from a photograph in the possession
of the writer (taken, of course, from a picture) in which
he is represented mounted on a well-bred horse, with
a favourite hound looking up in his face, must have
been a man of enormous bulk, and in every respect
one of the old-fashioned sort. He was remarkable for
the bone, size, and power of the hounds he bred ; which
he did on the principle that you may at pleasure
diminish the size and power of the animal you wish to
breed, but it is not easv to increase or even maintain a
standard that it has taken years to attain. It was
thought that his hounds always carried too much flesh ;
but he defended this on the score that it was essential
in a country where big woodlands had to be hunted.
In this view he was supported by the celebrated Tom
Rose, Huntsman to the grandfather of the present Duke
of Grafton. Such hounds would hardly be suited to the
present style of riding, when the ^' ladies ^^ are kept for
the '*big^' Meets, because tliey are smaller, more active
and more capable of escaping danger from the mob of
horsemen than the less wieldy " gentlemen.^'' The
former, too, have another advantage over the rival sex.

1 2 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present, [chap. i.

When ridden over tliey forget it sooner, and do not
take tlie injury so much to heart as tlieir ^' big brothers '^
are in the habit of doing. These will frequently resent
the offence for an entire day, skulking about and doing
no work; whilst one of his "little sisters ''' will forgive
and forget a few minutes after having received an injury.
In more points than people are aware of, are hounds of
like passions with human beings. Like their masters, not
only are they loving, grateful or industrious, but they
form high opinions of their own abilities and give them-
selves airs so ridiculous as to be highly amusing to those
who are conversant with their habits. All who are
accustomed to hounds are often struck with the opposite
characters of those of one and the same litter. Mr.
Warde bred two puppies in 1787, Alfred and Audrey ;
the former was the wildest and most difficult hound to
break he ever had ; the latter was steady from the first
and gave no trouble, and her master used to say of
her, '' When the rest are of no use, Audrey is my best
friend." During a fair hunting-run, one day, from
Sandars Covert to Holcot Bridge, a puppy was observed
by one of the field to be following on the line when some
of the older ones had failed to acknowledsfe it. " That
will make a good hound, some day. Will," said the gentle-
man who had noticed the performance, to the Huntsman.
"Yes, sir," was the reply, " if what he has just done
doesn't make him too conceited/' At the time when
hard riding first came into vogue, and Mr. Warde's big
hounds began to be voted "slow," the Meltonians were
in the habit of speaking of them as " Warde's jack-
asses ;" but they never brayed without reason, and were
so much better on cold-scenting days than the smaller

CFTAP. I.] Lord AltJiorp^ Master, 1808. 13

and faster hounds^ tliat they were in lai^h favour with all
who enjoyed hunting' for hunting's sake. One of the
great runs of Mr. Wardens time was from Marston Wood
to Skeffington in Leicestershire. It would seem from
the subjoined letter of Lord Althorp to his father, dated
May 28th, 1804, that there must have been some
difficulties between Mr. Warde and certain members of
the hunt, on the withdrawal of the hounds from Pytchley
to Boughton. In it he writes: ^^At the Pytchley
meeting on Saturday, Doughty, Carter, Cartwright and
Thornton, desired to take their names out of the list ; but
we agreed not to do it until they had heard what we settled
about the hounds going to Pytchley. We agreed that
the first meeting should begin the first Monday in
November, and last four weeks : and that the second
should begin the second week in February, and last six
weeks. John Warde said that the hounds should hunt
from the Pytchley kennels during the whole of bof h these
m.eetings, though I confess that I do not think that he is
pledged to it so completely as I could wish. I hope^
however, that you will be able to settle the arrange-
ment completely when you see him.'^

Four years afterwards, writing from Delapi-e Abbey to
his father. Lord Althorp says : " Feb. 12th, 1808. Dear
Father, — I have to tell you that I have concluded the
bargain with John Warde, and am to give him a
thousand pounds for the hounds, and not to have any-
thing to do with the horses. I have done this because
I should not have felt comfortable if, after all the
civilities he has all along shown me, he had any excuse
whatever to complain of my conduct towards him." A
fortnight after this we read in a letter dated ^^ Pytchley,

1 4 The Pytchley Hitnt^ Past and Present, [chap. i.

March 2nrl, 1808. Dear Fatlier,— Jolin Warde has put the
hounds entirely into my management, and never comes
out himself ; so that at present I am answerable for all
the merit and the reverse of the pack that comes out.
My luck has as yet been extreme. Monday was the
first day I took them out in the open. It was a bad
scent, but the old pack hunted quite perfectly, and we
ran from Sywell Wood to Drayton Park, but did not
kill. I took the young hounds out yesterday, who are
as bad a pack as anybody ever saw ; but fortunately we
had a good scent, and got a tolerable run. We found a
second fox in Harrington Dales and went away with him
at best pace to Shortwood. We then hunted at a
forward hunting-scent over Lamport earths to Maidwell,
where we again set to very hard running over Harring-
ton and Rothwell fields, through Thorpe Underwood
over the brook by Gaultney Wood; got a view of him
near Dob Hall, and killed him near Gaultney Wood, in
an hour and twenty minutes. From Maidwell to killing
was a decided burst without a check ; and every horse
was tired except my ' Poacher ^ and Felton Hervey's
horse. I do not often give you an account of a run, but
I think you will be pleased to hear of my beginning so
well, as it will make people sanguine about my system
(though it has nothing to do with it), and will keep up
the subscriptions." Then follows a postscript, not with-
out its interest: "I have gained some credit for not
hunting on Ash Wednesday, when every pack in the
neighbourhood did."

We have now, John, Viscount Althorp, afterwards
Chancellor of the Exchequer, one of the most distinguished
statesmen of the day, established as Master of the Pytchley

CHAP. I.] Pytchley Club — '' Rapping y 15

Hunt. The hounds were again taken back to Pytchley for
a part of tlie season, as of old ; and the Club so long left
out in tlie cold^ recovered all its former attractions.
Writing of this period^ ^^ the Druid '^ says : " Pytchley
was at that time in the zenith of its glory. The
mornings afforded unmixed pleasure, and nectar crowned
the night." Among the names of members of the Club
at that time, those of Kuightley, Elwes, Payne (father
of George Payne), Nethercote, Lord Sondes, Davy, Rose,
Cook, Hanbury, Isham, were all of the county — whilst
among the strangers were those of Hugo Meynell,
Gurney (Dick), Sir David and James Baird, Allix, Lucas,
Bowen, Frank Forester, Sefton, Hervey, &c., &c. The
studs were of the first order, and the riders were
worthy of them. Jealousy was unknown, and sport
alone was the object of all." In asserting thus much
the author of ^' Silk and Scarlet" contemplates a state
of things which probably never existed at any time or in
any place where men and horses were jointly concerned ;
but it is likely that jealous riding was not nearly so
common then as now. There were '^ bruisers" in those
days, but they were not so frequent as they became
when, wealth getting more generally diffused, the number
of hunting-men increased twenty fold. A somewhat
peculiar custom at the Club was, that any member after
dinner, on depositing half-a-crown in a wine-glass, might
name and put up to auction the horse of any other
member, the owner being entitled to one bid on his
own behest. This custom was called "^ rapping," from
the raps on the table which accompanied each bid.
It -was on one of these occasions that Mr. Nether-
cote sold '' Lancet " to Mr. John Cook, of Hothorp, for

1 6 TJie Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. i.

the then unprecedented sum of 620/. To judge
of him from a painting at Moulton Grange, he was a
chestnut horse, standing about 15.3^ with good shoulders,
strong quarters, a sensible head, and a hunter all over
in appearance. Sir Charles Knightley, than whom there
was no better judge, used to say that barring a little
lack of quality, he was as nice a horse as could be
seen. By the advice of his friend, the Rev. Loraine
Smith, Mr. Nethercote bought him from a doctor at
Leicester for 120 guineas, and so highly did he him-
self esteem him as a performer in the field, that
his own bid for him was 400 guineas. On the follow-
ing morning, the vendor, thinking it likely that his
old college-friend had bid under the influences more
common after dinner than at an earlier hour, proposed
that the bargain should be off. Mr. Cook, however,
declared his determination to retain the horse ; and many
years afterwards assured the writer of these lines that he
only wished that at that moment he could find another
'' Lancet ^' at the same price. The incident created some
sensation at the time, and is referred to in a history of
Northamptonshire, by the Rev. W. James, of Thedding-
worth. The amount, large as it was, was exceeded
soon after by Lord Plymouth giving Mr. Peter Allix
of Swaffham House, near Newmarket^ 700/. for a mare
not fit to carry more than twelve stone ; and this pur-
chase was not an after-dinner one, when things are
apt to be somewhat in favour of the vendor. When the
wine is in, the wit is said to be elsewhere ; and at a period
which may be called the " three-bottle one,'' it must have
been incumbent on every prudent man not to take part
in the post-prandial '' rap."" In the days now spoken of,

CHAP. I.] Lord Alt Jiorp's Master shijb. 17

the man wlio could not quietly dispose of three bottles of
old port was not held in much esteem as a boon com-
panion ; nor did the seasoned soaker see any necessity
for drawing a line at three bottles^ as we learn from an
anecdote of the times, in which it is stated that a lady,
hearing a gentleman say that '^ he had finished his third
bottle '^ of port after dinner, asked in some surprise :
'^ What^ sir ! unassisted ? ^^ ^^ Oh, no^ ma'am/' was the
answer, " I was assisted by a bottle of Madeira ! '^ In
these days we can scarcely believe that the greatest
statesman of his own and perhaps of any time, as he
entered the House of Commons one night, declared to
the friend by his side that "he saw two Speakers ! '' and
that he did this sans peur et sans reproche !

Never did country have a more efficient Master than
John, Viscount Althorp, who, politics notwithstanding,
devoted himself heart and soul to his new duties. For
eight months out of the twelve he was constantly with his
hounds; and he spared no expense nor trouble in the
improvement of the pack, the size of which he thought it
wise to reduce. A bold and determined rider, heedless
of the convenient gate, and with no sort of knowledge of
the whereabouts of " Shuffler's bottom,'"' his song to his
hounds ever was, " Where thou goest I will go.'' Posting
horses at convenient distances on the road, he would
frequently ride from Spencer House, St. James's, to
Pytchley, for the next day's hunting. Though a cou-
rageous, he was by no means a polished, horseman ; and
a loose seat brought with it many a fall that might have
been avoided. So frequently did he dislocate his shoulder
that he sent one of his whips to the Northampton Infir-
mary to be instructed how to put it in. So liable did

c

1 8 The PytcJiley Hunt^ Past and Pi^esent. [chap. i.

tbe limb become to dislocation that it would occasionally
get displaced if he chanced to throw up his arm in going
over a fence. In the cub-hnuting season he usually took
a cottage at Brigstock with Sir Charles Knightley, so
that he might watch the conduct of the new entries ; and
he thus acquired a thorough knowledge of hunting.
His stud usually consisted of about thirty horses, all of
high character, and the cost of his establishment was
seldom less than from 4500Z. to 5000/. per annum. In
the summer of 1810, writing from Ryde to his father,
with his thoughts, as usual, ever full of hunting, he says :
" Since you have been gone, I have been learning to
draw horses and hounds, in order to increase the number
of my Brigstock amusements ; and for the furtherance of
this purpose I have ordered George Bentley to show you
some studies of horses by Stubbs and Gilpin, and bring
them here with you. I was surprised and rather disap-
pointed at putting my shoulder out in opening a window,
but am somewhat comforted at finding it is a very likely
thing to do ; for in opening the same window with my
left arm, I perceived that the whole strain came from
the shoulder.''

After Lord Althorp's marriage with Miss Acklom,
heiress to the Wiseton estate in Nottinghamshire (who
died in her confinement in the following' year), he lived
for one year at Dallington Hall, but Spratton being
vacant he wished to move there, the position being more
favourable for hunting. In the spring of 1814, he thus
writes on this matter to his father : ^"^ I do not quite
agree with you on the relative merits of Dallington and
Spratton. I allow that the house at Dallington is the
best of tbe two, but Spratton is quite good enough.

CHAP. I,] Good Riders and Runs — Dandies. 1 9

The neiglibourhood at Spratton is better tlian the other,-
the roads better, and the country, if anything, rather
prettier. The distance to ride from Althorp is nothing,
and Esther (Lady Althorp) will not want to go back-
wards and forwards often in a carriage. When to these
considerations I add that it is in nearly the best pos-
sible situation for hunting both the Pytchley and
Althorp countries, I cannot help preferring it. to the
other," In a letter dated Spratton, March 31st, 1815,
he says : *^ We have had the most extraordinary sport
I ever saw in my life. On Tuesday, after a burst from
Blueberries of forty minutes to ground beyond Brix-
worth, we found at three o'clock at Pursers Hills, and
after a ring by Maidwell and Scotland Wood, went
straight away and killed our fox beyond Little Harrow-
den in two hours. Yesterday we ran from Sywell Wood
to Pip well, and killed there in an hour and a half '^ The
shoulder-trouble continued, for we find in a letter
written from Ecton to his father, two years after the
above : ^' I had a severe fall yesterday and put my
shoulder out again, I was copiously blooded and am
rather weak and stiff to-day," One of Lord Althorp^ s
best runs was from Pursers Hills, by Hothorp, to
Wistow in Leicestershire, where the fox was killed ; the
first fifty minutes being without a check. Twice in one
year a fox found at Crick was killed in Badby Wood ;
and on another occasion, after a brilliant hour and
seventeen minutes from the same covert, by Lilbourne,
Hempton, Naseby and Sibbertoft, the death took place
at Marston village. Besides the Master himself, amongst
the many who rode well to hounds, were Sir Charles
Knightley, who will be referred to later on ; Mr. Elwcs

c 2

20 The PytcJiley Hitnt^ Past and Present, [chap. i.

of Billing — light as a feather, and so great a dandy that
he had his hunting-boots made by three different
artists, the tops by the well-known Tom Marshall of
Northampton, and the centres and feet by two separate
professors. In point of dandyism, however, the Sqnire
of Billing was not '^ in the hunt '^ with a Mr. Small,
whose great object in life seems to have been to act the
" Beau.^^ He wore a round-crowned hat, fitting him like
a hunting-cap ; a pepper-and-salt coat ; leather breeches,
beautifully cleaned, buttoning high above the boot; boots
like polished ebony, very short tops ; and narrow leather
garters with small silver buckles. He was no less
particular about the appearance of his horses, his bits
and stirrups being most highly polished. He had two
black mares exactly alike ; both had their ears cropped
and he rode each in a martingale. His saddle was old-
i'ashioned, the pommel low and back, and the panels of
plush. Whenever his horses travelled, he had stuffed pads
to hang on the pillar of the stall, to prevent any chafing
of the hips. Sir Charles Knightley's only rival in point of
horsemanship and sporting-appearance when 7nou7ited, was
Mr. Davy, who resided alternately at Spratton, Pitsford,
and Duston. Tall, sHm, and exceedingly neat in his attire,
he possessed the advantage of good hands and seat ;
and was so active that he would jump into the saddle
with his horse at full gallop. Mr. Nethercote, noted for
his eye to hounds, and his quiet and determined style of
ridiug, was always in a good place when hounds were
running, and made an excellent pilot for any stranger
who wished to see what was going on. This gentle-
man is referred to by a writer in the Sporting Magazine
of 184G, who, quoting from one who was present on

CHAP. I.] Mr, Nethercote — -Jem Wood, 2 1

the occasion, and gave a description of tlie day's sport,
thus writes : " One day at Sywell Wood we were not able
to throw off till 12.30 for the snow: at that time it had
sufficiently melted, and an immediate find was followed
by a very sharp burst ; and in the bustle the snowballs
from the horses' feet were anything but sport. We
soon came upon an ox-fence — a very liigh flight of rails
— a sort of a hedge and a deep, wet, broad ditch on the
other side. The leading man, Mr. Nethercote, a deter-
mined rider, charged it on a well-known hunter, whose
four legs, however, the snow took from under him on
taking-off, and he went through into the next field ; as
ugly a fall as need be, where he lay, horse and all,
doubled up like a hedgehog. I made use of the fallen
man's clearance, and hearing from himself that, as the
Irishman says, he was not kilt eutirely, I made play as I
was best able." The writer continues, '^ We had a trying
sharp burst of iSve miles, to a drain, whence our fox
was bolted in about five minutes, and thence a very
severe chivy by Orlingbury and Isham to a large home-
stead near Barton Seagrave where King (huntsman)
seeing that Pug was likely to prove tricky, gave the
hounds a lift and turned up Charley in a ditch. Jem
Wood, the first whip, than whom no more brilliant
rider ever lived, not excepting Dick Christian himself,
went extraordinarily well in this run, on a raw five-year-
old of Mr. Elwes of Billing. All the time Wood seemed
going at his ease, and the mare at hers apparently, and
made no bones about it. I have seen him on all sorts,
and once on a coach-horse, to which he was reduced
by an accident; and it was all the same. They all
went brilliantly, but how was probably as much known

2 2 The PytcJiley Htnit, Past and Present, [chap, i.

to Wood as to themselves. His stjle^ in every sense of
tlie word, was * impressive/ He put them at any things
generally fastish. That he had them at his will in an
extraordinary way, I infer, as I can safely say that I
never saw a horse refuse with him. He had a fine voice^
knew his business to a T^ and was one of the civilest
beings living."

Mr. Cook of Hothorp, the purchaser of the high-
priced '^Lancet/' without being a great horseman, w^as
always well in the front and did not know what it was
to let another man pound him at any place. Lords
Jersey and Plymouth were both first-rate men to
hounds, and hunting from Market Harbro' did not
w^aut for opportunities to try and cut down either
Quorn or Pytchley thrusters as occasion offered. Mr.
Peter Allix, afterwards M.P. for Cambridgeshire, was
one of the rough-and-ready school, who meant going,
and never failed to carry out his purpose. Not at
any time having the fear of a bullfinch before his
eyes, be it ever so thrusty, he earned for himself the
nickname of '^ Scratchface." He afterwards kept a
pack of harriers in the neighbourhood of Newmarket,
and showed a g-reat deal of such sport as may be got
out of the pursuit of '^ poor puss." His brother.
Colonel Allix of the Grenadier Guards, who, like his
brother, hunted from Brixworth, was noted for being
one of the three handsomest men in London. Anxious
to see as much as he could with a stud not overlarge^
his maxim was, never to keep the horse out long who
was expected to come out often. His return home,
therefore, was usually at an earlier hour than most of the
field; but should there have been a run during the time

CHAP. I.] Col. Allix — Mr. Lucas — Col. Bouverie. 23

he was out, no man was more sure to Lave seen it. In
after years, a guest at Moulton Grange for a few weeks'
hunting in the old country, he was to be seen on a
thorough-bred chestnut horse by '^ Economist ^' called
^^ Rhino '^ — the vf'riest slug that ever went into a
hunting-field. With the aid of a stout cutting whip and
a sharp pair of spurs, the still-handsome old Guardsman
was not to be denied ; and many a younger man was
not too proud to wait until the Colonel had made a hole
in the big place through which he might find a way into
the field beyond. All too soon he received his summons
to " join the majority \^ but his connection with the
Pytchley is still kept up by his son having married a
daughter of Mr. Richard Lee Bevan of Brixworth Hall.
Mr. Lucas, at that time one of the wearers of the White
Collar, had good reason to remember a dark evening on
a cold December day, when on his return to Pytchley
after a distant kill, the darkness became so intense that
he lost his way in attempting to find a gate out of a
grass-field. Happily he stumbled on a barn, where he
and his horse passed the weary hours of a winter's night
as best they could, causing no little anxiety to the more
fortunate members of the Club, seated safe and sound
around the dinner-table. For many years the place of
shelter was known as Lucas's barn.

The Squire of Delapre, though never an enthusiastic
sportsman or much of a performer in the field, was a
frequent attendant at the Meets, where few excelled him
in the neat and dapper appearance of himself, horse or
groom. His son. Colonel Bouverie, for many years in
command of the Blues, like his father, was never remark-
able for his achievements across country, but on the flat

24 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present, [chap. i.

had scarcely a rival as a gentleman-jockey. In tlie
•*^old^^ Sporting Magazine for March, 1838^ an amusing
account is given of a match for 50^., which came off
at the Pytchley Hunt Eaces on March 28th of that
year, between Mr. Hungerford's " Brilliant '^ and Mr.
(Billy) Russell's " Valentine/' ten stone each. Colonel
Bouverie rode the former^ and the latter was steered by
a Mr. Curwen, an Irishman, who at that time was hunt-
ing from Abington Abbey. The betting on the race
seems to have fluctuated from 2bl. to Is. to lOOZ. to 2^. 6c?..
on the winner : a bet which was offered by Mr. George
Payne when the horses were within the distance.
''Valentine," who had been last for the Tally Ho stakes,
made the running, the mare hanging on his quarters and
scarcely being able to go slow enough. Thus they kept
to the distance-post, where all the wind seemed to have
left poor '' Valentine's '' body. His jockey, however,
appeared bent upon reaching the winning-post; but
not content with flogging him for 200 yards before
attaining the desired point, he gave him two or three,
just for friendship's sake, after passing the chair ! Bursts
of laughter greeted Mr. Cur wen on his return to the
winning-post, who explained his action by saying that
''he was actually obliged to whip him to keep him mov-
ing." A postscript is added to this effect : " N.B. — Mr.
Curwen would be a perfect treasure to any one in want
of a portable threshing-machine. "

" True Blue," a famous horse at that time as a steeple-
chaser— the property of a well-known liquor-merchant of
Northampton, Mr. John Stevenson — won the Farmers' Cup
of fifty sovereigns on the same day ; Mr. S. Harris of
Wootten being second with his bay mare "Adelaide."

CHAP. I.] Rev.JoJiJi Whalley — Lord Waterford. 25

Familiar in many a Northamptonshire ear will be the
names of the connty-gentlemen who were on the small
Stand on that occasion, well-nigh half a century ago.
Lords Southampton, Bateman, Compton, Lilford; the
Hon. P. Pierrepont, F. Villiers, H. AVatson, C. Forester,
R. Needham ; Sir F. H. Goodricke, C. Knightley, Nether-
cote, Loraine Smith, Peyton, Wellesley, Curzon, Cope-
land, Lambs. Of these one only survives, the Rev. John
Whalley, then Rector of Ecton,to call to mind the Pytchley
Hunt Meeting of nearly fifty years ago. On the day
following, a steeple-chase, in which many of the most
celebrated horses of the day were engaged, came off at
Little Honghton, over a course of such severity that the
complaints of its impracticability were numerous, and
Captain Phillipson — known as '^handsome Jack ^' — with-
drew his mare '^ Mirth ^^ on account of the size of the
fences. None of the jockeys, not even the famous Captain
Beecher, quite relished the formidable aspect of either the
timber or the water that had to be negotiated, except
Lord Waterford, who liked everything as big as possible.
His horse "Yellow Dwarf ^' started second favoui-ite to
Mr. Anderson^s (the horsedealer) ^' Jerry," who carried
twelve pounds extra, the prices respectively being live to
two, and seven to two. Captain Childe's " Conrad " and
^' Yellow Dwarf" made the running, and jumped the first
brook splendidly; afterwards taking the gate on the
towing-path to avoid the heavy ground. Lord Water-
ford now forged ahead, and at the second brook was
200 yards in advance of the nearest horse. At the
place where it was to be jumped an immense crowd of
Northampton snobs w^ere collected, who so closed in upon
the "Yellow Dwarf " that his rider had to take it almost

2 6 The Pytchley Himt, Past and Present, [chap. i.

at a walk. He contrived, notwithstanding, to reacli the
opposite side, but the bank giving way he fell backwards
into the water, and conld not be got out until all chance
was over. '' Conrad ^' cleared the brook in fine style,
and won the race easily ; " Jerry '' being second, and
Captain Beecher third, on Mr. Fairlie's grey horse
" Spicey.''^ Captain Childe being quartered at Northamp-
ton the result of the race gave great satisfaction to the
locals, though there is little doubt that Lord Waterford
would have won it had he had fair play at the second
brook.

From another steeple-chase, open to all England,
which came off in this locality, and which was won by
^' Cigar,^' Mr. Elmore's ^' Lottery " was barred ; the
greatest compliment, probably, that ever was paid to
a horse, and a striking testimony to his exceeding
merit.

Some few may still remember a race on the ISTorth-
ampton Course, in which a worthy mercer and citizen of
the town competed with H.M. King William lY. for the
Gold Cup. The names of only two horses figured on the
card for this race, and these were his Majesty's
" Hindostan '' and Mr. Whitworth's " Peon.'' The
latter, somewhat a commoner in appearance, was
troubled with the '' slows," and '^ Hindostan " appro-
priately carried off the piece of plate, which may
possibly still be found amongst the treasures of the
Empress of India.

This was prior to the days of the new Stand, and when
the little County Stand occupied a position opposite to
the winning-post on the north side of the course. In the
old Sporting Magazine of 1844 we learn that on the

CHAP. I.] Mr. Andrezv of Harleston — C/'ias. King. 27

29tli of July of tliat year, the first stone of a new Stand
was laid at Nortliampton by Mr. Jolin Stevenson
(owner of ''True Blue ^^ and '' Duenna/') accompanied
by tlie mayor of tlie borougli and the town council,
and other gentlemen favourable to racing. After the
ceremony the company retired to a marquee erected on
the ground, to partake of wine, the mayor presiding.
After the customary toasts, the healths of the Marquis
of Exeter, Earl Spencer, the Earl of Cardigan, the Hon.
Captain Spencer, George Payne, Esq., and Fox-hunting
were given ; and there appeared on the part of all
assembled a determination to use every endeavour to
make the Northampton Races second to none in the
kingdom.

Mr. Andrew of Harleston was a good man on a horse,
and like his friends and neighbours, Messrs. Elwes
and Bouverie, was short in stature and light in weight,
though scarcely so particular in the shape and cut of
his garments as either of these. This trio of country
squires were each fond of tbe turf; but the owner of
Harleston could not boast the prudence of either of the
others, and so seriously injured his fortune by his specu-
lations that, after a while, the property passed into the
hands of Lord Spencer, and became part of the Althorp
territory.

No name as a Huntsman is more familiar to old North-
amptonshire, or at all events to that portion of it hunted
by the Pytchley hounds, than that of Charles King.
Unknown to the present generation, in the time of Lord
Althorp it was to the hunting-man of that day what the
names of Charles Payne and Will Goodall have been
during the last thirty years. He was tall and slight,

2 8 The Pytchley Htnit, Past and Present, [chap. i.

riding considerably under twelve stone, and though a good
horseman he would always let an aspiring rider break the
binders for him, and would rather get his horse^s hind
legs into a fence and make him creep through than jump
it. He had a sharp eye for a gap, and could bore a
hole through a big fence as well as any man. King^s
hands and seat were as good as could be, and his fac3
was bright and intelligent. During a run, it lit up with
singular animation, and wore a look of such extreme
satisfaction as to give a beholder the feeling that he was
in the full fruition of the greatest happiness to be found
here below. To him, life might be a" wale ^' as Mrs.
Gamp declared ; but if it were taken in the '^ wale ^^ of
Cottesbrooke or that about Misterton or Crick, it was
not such a very bad place after all. Having had the
advantage of a good education, he could not only ride,
dance, play the fiddle, and hunt a pack of hounds better
than most men, but he kept a diary of each day's pro-
ceedings, which is remarkable for the minuteness and
accuracy with which the different incidents were recorded.
No day closed without his setting down the names of
those who were out, and the list of the hounds, with
observations on their behaviour, such as : " ' Plunder '
noisy at her fences." "* Glider^ ran a hare to Byfield
and back to Charwelton spinny." " The young hounds
ran a cur and two greyhounds half a mile down a lane.
Corn was standing (November 18th, 1816) as we went
through Kilsby Field." '^ Young F. dug out a fox, and
sold him in Kettering Market." Several volumes of
these records, full of interest to any hunting-man, are to
be found on a shelf of the Althorp library, and are open
for the perusal of all who find pleasure in the literature

CHAP. I.] Charles King — Sport-spoilers, 29

known as " ^otce Venaticce.'^ Wlien Lord Spencer gave
up the Mastership, Kino; resigned the horn, having
established for himself a reputation second to none in
the kingdom as a huntsman of the highest class. He
took a small farm under his old master at Bringtou, but
even in those ante-free-trade days, he soon discovered that
the "' cobbler who does not stick to his last " is apt to
find a new trade bad to live by.

It is see a by the journals so accurately kept by King,
that the sport during the years of his huntsmanship was
far better, day by day, than what is experienced at the
present time. It is not likely that scent has greatly
altered, the drain-pipes notwithstanding ; but flocks, and
herds, and shepherd-dogs, the three great antagonistic
forces to sport, have increased twentyfold siuce those
days, as have "hard ridiug,^^ "" spring- Cap tains," and
foot-folk of all descriptions. Game, too, being far more
plentiful than of old, and rabbits more abundant, the
fox's salle a manger is never far distant from his
chambre de nuit ; and except when he would " a-
wooing go,''' he has little chance of acquiring any know-
ledge of distant points. Even in that case, after having
made arrano-ements with his '' Vixena " to " meet him
by moonlight alone," the chances are that the trysting
place is only in some neighbouring wood, from whence,
being roused by an unsympathetic hound, he straightway
returns to a home which he is able to reach in the course
of ton or fifteen minutes. Eailways must not by any
means be left out of the category of sport-spoilers :
obstructionists with whom the huntsman of old had in
no way to deal. Apart from the danger attendant on
hounds running a mile or so down a line, the navvy is

30 TJie Pylchley Hiuit^ Past and Present, [chap. i.

ever at work, and heads tlie fox, probably unconsciously
to himself, or the animal disappears in some unexpected
drain at the very moment when the acquisition of his
brush seems assured. Though large coverts like Sywell
Wood and Wilma Park have been shorn of much of
their acreage within the last few years, plantations and
small spinnies have greatly increased ; and as they
mostly contain a few hares and rabbits, the scent of the
fox loses some of its aroma when mixed up with that of
other game, and tends to stop hounds and favour the
escape of the object of pursuit. Xo covert in the whole
of the Pytchley open country is looked upon with more
respect, and also with more dread, by the hahiiue, than
the well known " Sywell Wood.^' It has earned the first
from being a sure '^find" when all other places have
failed, as is sometimes the case during the latter part of
the season. The second arises from the adhesive nature
of the circumjacent soil, and from the fact that the foxes
frequenting it, when sent upon a journey by hounds,
almost invariably return after a short '^ outing/^ Many
a fine run has had its origin in Sywell Wood, but few
take a higher rank than that which, in 1816, ended in a
kill at Ashley by Welland, when Sir Justinian Isham
carried his knife in his hand for the last twenty minutes,
declaring, '*' that he and no other should cut off the brush,^'
which he did. This must have covered a distance of, as
the crow flies, about seventeen miles.

A bad fall in November, 1817, during a two hours'
run from Brampton Wood, so shook Lord Althorp, that
at the end of that season, to the great regret of every
Pytchley man, he resigned the Mastership into the hands
of his friend, Sir Charles Knightley.

i

CHAP. II.] CJiaractej' of Lord AltJiorp. 31

CHAPTER II.

ChaMcter of Lord Althorp ; becomes an Agriculturist and Breeder of
Shorthorns : a boxer and supporter of pugilism ; with anecdotes
of Parson Ami rose, Lord Byron, and Jackson the prize-tigliter ;
Gully, Cribb, and others — 'The prize-ring — Prize-fight at Acheres,
near Paris — Feederick, fourth EarlSpencee; a breeder of
racehorses ; an excellent shot, and patron of" cricket — The Althorp
Distiict — SandarsGorse — Sir Charles Knightley, Master,
1817-18 ; his fine horsemanship and deficient eloquence — Rivals
Lord Althorp in breeding Shorthorns — An ardent Horticulturist
— Resigns the Mastership — His house at Fawsley; its secret
chamber; a Martin Mar-prelate Tract covertly printed there
— Lord Sondes, J/a^^er, 1818-19 — Sir Bellingham Graham,
Master, 1819 — Notices of scmie of the usual visitors to a i^ytchley
Meet: Dick Gurney; Squire Wood of Brixworth ; Matthew
Oldacre ; Sir Roderick Murchison ; Capt. Blunt ; Admiral Sir
W. Pell ; The Rev. Vere Isham; The Rev. John Whalley ; The
Rev. W. Dickens ; The Rev. J. C. Humphrey ; The Rev. J.
Wickes ; and The Rev. Loraine Smith — Henry Couch, a military
deserter and felon ; his singular career and extraordinary letters —
John Dunt, a worthy old soldier, and his letter.

Among a long list of honoured names, thePytchley Hunt
can point to none more notable than that of John
Charles, Viscount Althorp. Like the great Duke himself,
the polar star of his life was duty, and his most marked
characteristic, ^"^ thoroughness.''^ Whatever he under-
took he did with all his might, and in the best possible
manner, without much regard to cost. By sheer force of
character, and a straightforwardness of conduct never
equalled in the tortuous paths of political life, the posi-
tion he attained in the House of Commons is almost
without a parallel. Entirely wanting in the great gift of

32 TJie PytcJiley Htcnt^ Past and Pj^esent. [chap. h.

oratory, without which it is usually impossible to gain
the ear of the House ; his words, loosely strung together
aud destitute of polish or arrangement, were listened to
with the deepest attention from their being the expres-
sion of a thoroughly honest man. So completely did the
country, at critical times, look to him for guidance, that
he was the ^^ Atlas ^' who upheld the Goverument of
Lord Grey, and his main support in passing the Reform
Bill of 1832. Although Chancellor of the Exchequer,
and the most important member of the Cabinet next to
the Prime Minister, he never was so happy as when away
from the turmoil of political life. A thorough country-
man, when in London his song' might have been at any
time: ^^My heart's in the Midlands, my heart is not
here ;" and long after he had given up huuting he used
to say that " he never should forget the beautiful music
of Sywell Wood.''^ After resigning the chase, agricul-
ture and the breeding of shorthorns became the great
passion of Lord Althorp's life. An interesting letter to
his father, dated Wiseton, October 3rd, 1818, shows how
thoroughly he had entered upon this new and fascinating
pursuit. He writes : *^ My expedition to the county of
Durham answered. I did not spend quite so much
money as I told you I was prepared to do, and I got
what I wanted, viz. three cows and a bull. When I saw
' Lancaster,' the bull for which Champion and I were to
enter into a confederacy, I did not like him or his pro-
duce sufficiently well to hazard a large sum of money on
him ; but Simpson and Smith, who live at BakewelPs
farm at Dishley, bought him for 621 guineas. I got the
two best cows, and had to pay for them handsomely,
giving 370 for one, and 300 for the other. I bought

CHAP. 11.] Lor^d AltJiorp ; a Breeder. -y^Z

another cow for 73 guineas, which, may turn oufc as
valuable as either of the others ; but she sold cheap
because she is a very great milker, and looked un-
commonly thin. A bull calf, not six months old, sold
for 278 guineas/' Such were some of the early plunges
of Lord Althorp, which if they did not prove a mine of
wealth, raised him into the first rank of shorthorns.
The annual loss upon the Wiseton farm, where the high-
bred shorthorns were kept, was about 3000Z. The best
year he ever experienced was one in which the balance
on the wrong side was 400Z. only. His farm in North-
amptonshire was almost always profitable, the grazing
being managed with a view to makiug it pay. Although
a farmer, and dependent on land for his income, he threw
himself heart and soul into the " Free Trade '' movement,
believing that the measure would be beneficial to the
country at large. Not foreseeing the gigantic growth
of the railway-system in the corn-growing countries, he
did not apprehend any material fall in the price of
cereals, and would have laughed had he been told that
within forty years after he had passed away, wheat
would be selling at 285. per quarter. Always fond of
shooting, as he was of all outdoor sports, in spite of
great practice he never became a good shot ; he amused
himself by keeping an account of every shot he fired in
the course of the year, whether he missed or killed,
makiug up his book periodically.

Long after he had given up hunting, and was leader
of the Opposition in the House of Commons, he went
with a party to Deville, the craniologist, or '^skull-
reader,'' to test his skill in telling character by the
bumps of the head. ^' The man knows nothing about it,'^

D

34 ^/^^ Pytchley Hunt, Past and Pi'esejtt, [chap. n.

he said on liis return ; ^^ he entirely missed my leading
passion/^ " What do you consider that to be ? ^' asked a
friend. ^^ To see sporting-dogs hunt/' was the reply,
'^ nothing in the world gives metlie same pleasure." Not
inheriting his father's (the great bibliophile of the day,
to whom the Althorp Library is indebted for its price-
less possessions) love for books, he patronized all athletic
exercises, and made a real stud}'- of boxing, taking
lessons from the best instructors. He had many a ^'set-
to" with his fellow-Harrovian, Lord Byron, — a very
handy man with his fists, — and so hard did he hit, that
it used to be commonly said of bim that he was a ^^ prize-
figbter thrown away.'' This was tlie halcyon era of the
prize-ring. The British public, from the Prince Eegent
to Jack the sweep, had imbibed the notion that a fight
was an English and a manly institution, and was an
antidote to the foreign^ practice of settling disputes with
the knife. All its roguery and its attendant black-
guardism were ignored, and the principal pugilists of
the time, men springing from the lowest dregs of society,
were treated as equals by the magnates of the land.
Jackson, Gully, Spring, and Cribb, were looked upon as
heroes cast in no ordinary mould; and the first was
treated on the most familiar terms by Lord Byron ;
whilst the Regent thought it no degradation to drive
about Brighton with the second by his side. Lord
Althorp used to say that his conviction of the advantages
of boxing was so strong that he had been seriously con-
sidering whether it was not his duty to attend every
prize-fight, so as to encourage the noble science to the
utmost of his power. He would tell his friends, with no
little animation, how he had seen Mendoza the Jew

CHAP II.] Lord Althorp^ a Patron of Boxing. 35

knocked down in tke first five or six rounds by Humphrey^
and seeming almost beat till his brethren got their
money on, when a hint being given him, he began in
earnest and soon turned the tables. He loved to de-
scribe the " great mill ^' between Gully and '^ the chicken/'
which came oS* at Brickhill in Bedfordshire ; how he
rode down and was loitering about the inn-door when a
barouche and four drove up with Lord Byron and a
party of friends and Jackson the trainer; how they all
dined together, and how pleasant it had been. Then
the fight the next day — a scene, says the describer,
^' worthy of Homer.'' We read in the Life of Lord.
Althorp by Sir Denis Le Marchant, that when the party
come together to witness this aifair had assembled over-
night at the '^ George Hotel,'' it was found that the beds
were not sufiicient in number ; so they tossed up, and
the winners turned in first. At a certain hour these
were called, and the losers took their places. Among
the company was the Rector of Blisworth, ^^ Parson
Ambrose," a man too well known in sporting-circles.
He disgraced a profession he might have adorned, as he
was clever and had a remarkably fine delivery. Macklin,
the actor, left him fifty pounds, to preach his funeral
sermon. Obliged at last to fly from his creditors, he
died abroad in misery and want. As a proof of the
intimate relations existing between Byron, the peer and
poet, and Jackson, the prize-fighter, we give a letter
from the former to the latter, bearing date September
18th, 1808.

^' Newstead Abbey.
"Dear Jack, — I wish you would inform me what has
been done by Jekyll about the pony I returned as

D 2

36 TJie Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. n.

unsound. £25 is a sound price for a pony; and by
lieavens, I will, if it costs me £500, make an example of
Mr. J. if the money be not returned at once.
'^ Believe me^ dear Jack,

'* Yours, &c.,

'' Byron.''

Of John Gully, pugilist, publican, liell-keeper, betting
man, country squire, and member of parliament, we read
as follows in '^ Riley's Itinerant:'' —

" One evening I accompanied honest Jack Emery (the
well-know^n actor), to a tavern in Carey Street kept by
John Gully. He unfortunately was from home, but Cribb,
the champion of England, was officiating as his locum-
tenenSj handing about pots of porter and grog with perse-
vering industry. Mrs. Gully, a neat little woman, civil
and attentive, superintended at the bar, where we obtained
leave to sit, Emery evidently being in great favour.
Cribb, who had obtained popularity by his prowess, was
originally a coalheaver, and has several brothers in the
same employment. He is sturdy and stout-built : stands
five feet eight, and is clumsy in appearance and hard-
featured. Having detained him a few minutes in
conversation, Emery said to me : ' Well, what do you
think of him ? The greatest man in his way, or perhaps
in any other, that England can boast.' In spite of
there being '' nothing like leather," we here see the
actor giving precedence to the '^ fighting-man " over
all of his own craft, and prepared to invest him with a
greater halo of renown than he would assign to a Kean
or a Kemble a Listen, or a Mathews ! The feeling
that the '' P.R." as it was termed, fostered public
courage, and on the whole was a praiseworthy institu-

CHAP. II.] Prize-fight near Paris, 37

tion, had got so firm a hold, on national sentiment, that
though contrary to law, it was something more than
winked at by judges and by magistrates too. On one
occasion, a Cabinet Council was postponed, so that its
members might be present at a much talked-of contest
between two well-known pugilists ; and even the clergy,
it was said, could not refrain from witnessing the exhila-
rating spectacle. The robberies, the dishonest part
taken by the principals who were always ready to sell the
fight, and the scenes of violence and tumult that usually
took place, gradually disgusted the patrons of the
" ring," and brought about its downfall. The sporting
papers, which had lavished on a fight, in a jargon
peculiar to themselves, minutiag of description similar to
those now bestowed on a cricket match or boat race, did
their best to restore vitality to a sinking cause ; but
" law " came to the aid of an improved state of feeling,
and the ^^ fisticufiian '^ candle guttered out. Driven from
pillar to post, and finding no rest for the sole of his foot
on his native soil, the puzzled pugilist, as a last resource,
betook himself to the land of the Gaul. It may truly be
said that wonders will never cease ; for in the London
morning papers of February 16, 1886, it was stated
that a ^^ fight for the Championship of England had
taken place the day before, between two men, Smith
and Greenfield, on ground in the neighbourhood of
Paris."

'* Coelum non auimum mutant qui trans mare currunt."
The change of soil and atmosphere, and the passage over
the sea, in no way changed the nature of the plunder-
seeking pugilist. As on this side of the Channel, the
mock battle ended in a riot, the backers of the man

o

8 TJie PytcJiley Htmt, Past and Present, [chap. u.

about to suffer defeat, as soon as they saw that tbeh'
money was in jeopardy, breaking into tbe ring and
putting an end to tbe contest. Tbe French journals
teemed with wrath at tbe brutal exhibition that had been
transferred from our shores to theirs ; and in this igno-
minious fashion, a hideous practice and national disgrace
have received, it is to be hoped, their death-blow. A
Paris correspondent of one of the London daily papers
sent the following account of the affair. " To-day there
was a real boxing-match at Acheres in the forest of St.
Germain, which horrified the representatives of the Paris
press who were invited to attend it. The combatants
were Smith and Greenfield, who, fearing police inter-
ference if they fought in England, came over here with a
party of about 250 amateurs of the ''noble art of self-
defence/' They were told by a member of the horsey
population at Maison-Lafitte that there was a clearing in
the forest at Acheres which was an ideal spot for a P.P.
fight. Twenty mail-coaches took the chief members of
the party out there in the afternoon ; the others went by
rail. Smith and his friend fought for forty minutes.
There were twenty-five rounds before the bottle-holder
of Greenfield threw up the sponge. Greenfield was fear-
fully punished, and seemed terribly exhausted while he
was being attended to. Smith Avas vociferously cheered
by his backers. The fight was for £500. A forester,
who was looking on, fainted when he saw how Greenfield
was being punished. I believe the Paris press will call
upon the ^Minister of the Interior to prevent this
peculiar kind of sport being acclimatized in France."
The above very inaccurate account of this example of
civilization, as understood on the English side of the

CHAP. II.] Death of Earl Spencer. 39

Channel, shows how little the French correspondent
comprehended the nature of the thing about which he
was writing.

During many years of his life, Lord Spencer suffered
much from his hereditary enemy, gout, which, in his
person, defied all the resources of medical science. A
rigid attention to diet and regular exercise, served to
scotch, but could not kill the foe ; and no one more than
he realized the unwisdom of the lady^s maid, who declared
that " health, after personal appearance, is the greatest
blessing as is.^^ So severe was the abstinence practised
by him in the matter of food, that it created great
depression both in mind and body. He used to weigh
his breakfast, and then, having eaten the small portion he
allowed himself, would rush from the room to avoid any
further temptation. In the autumn of 1845, he was,
with Lord G. Bentinck, steward of Doncaster races. On
the second day of the meeting, he was seized with sudden
indisposition, but he rallied sufficiently to be able to join
his guests at dinner. Gradually the attack assumed a
more serious aspect, and though he was able to return
to Wiseton, it w^as evident that his end was rapidly
approaching. He prepared himself for death in the
calmest possible manner, had his will read out to him by
his brother, said, " Don't feel for me, I'm perfectly
happy, and the happiness I have enjoyed in this life,
makes me hope that it will be granted me in the next."
Towards five o'clock in the morning of the first of
October, 1845, he breathed his last, and Northampton-
shire lost a '^ worthy," of whom it may well be proud for
all time.

Twenty masters of the Pytchley Hunt have come and

40 The Pytchley Hinit, Past and Present, [chap. n.

gone since Lord Althorp resigned its management; but
fondly as some of these are remembered, not one more
completely realized the idea of what a master of hounds
should be than John Charles, Viscount Althorp.

Sir Denis Le Marchant's "Life of Earl Spencer '^ has
suffered the usual fate of biographies, and been pro-
nounced "dull, feeble, and unsatisfactory.'' Criticism,
always more ready to find faults than merits, has set its
imyrimatiir on Boswell's " Life of Johnson — '^ " Yitarum
facile Princeps " — Southey's " Nelson," Lockhart's
'' Scott,'' Stanley's " Arnold," Trevelyan's '' Macaulay,"
Miss Marsh's " Hedley Vicars; " few, very few more. But,
however tempting the subject, the intending biographer
will do well to remember the commandment, " Thou
shalt not scribble thy neighbour's life." The fate await-
ing the neglect of this injunction may be that which
overtook Copleston's " Life of Lord Dudley," of which
the kindly critic says : —

"Than the first martyr's, Dudley's fate
Was harder must be owned ;
Stephen was only stoned to death,
Dudley was Coplestoned ! "

The Hon. Frederick Spencer, E.N.^ succeeded his
brother in the title and estates, but not in the desire to
become a master of hounds.

Having passed the early years of his life at sea, he
had little opportunity for developing the sporting
instincts which he shared with the other members of his
family, but there was nothing connected with out-door life
which had not all his sympathy. Without ever becoming
a regular *^ hunting-man," he usually appeared at the

CHAP. II.] Frederick, Earl Spencer. 41

meet when it was in tlie immediate neighbourhood of
Althorp, and for a few years kept a pack of harriers, with
which he hunted regularly. The sporting traditions of
the family w^ere adhered to with an interest which
almost amounted to enthusiasm in the cause of hunting,
and at no time were foxes more strictly preserved in the
Althorp district. To hear of and talk over the various
and varying incidents of a good day's sport, was a
thing in which the noble lord greatly delighted_, and
he held in special esteem those of his neighbours who
were known to go well with hounds. To him the
'^ Pytchley'^ are indebted for the covert so well known
as " Sandars Gorse.^' Believing that the picturesque
and popular ^^ Cank '^ had seen its best days, and was
losing its attraction for foxes, he established in 1853
a new covert in its immediate neighbourhood. This
he wished to call '^Balaclava/' in honour of the
famous charge which had recently occurred, but the
name never took root, and the place, after a while,
was known as ^' Sandars Gorse," from the excellent
sportsman upon whose farm it stood, and to whose
guardianship it was committed. Owing to the unre-
mitting care and attention of Mr. Henry Sandars and
his son, there are few coverts in the country, in which
a fox is more sure to be at home than this, and a hand-
some silver tankard, presented by gentlemen in the
neighbourhood, marks their appreciation of the services
he has rendered to the Hunt. Thouo^h no lonsrer to
be seen making the best of his way to the front, or
cramming his horse at a woolly place, years and rheuma-
tism are a heavier handicap than the dead weight so
sorely trying to horse and rider. No sooner has

42 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. h.

Goodall pat his liounds into the well-known covert
than

*'At the end of the gorse, the old farmer in brown

Is seen on his good little mare,
With a grin of delight and a jolly bald crown,

To hold up his hat in the air.
Though at heart he's as keen as if youth were still green.

Yet (a secret all sportsmen should know)
Not a word will he say till the fox is away,

Then he gives you a real ' Tally Ho ! ' "

Many a gallant fox has had his home in Lord
Spencer^s substitute for the sloping sides of the prettiest
covert in Northamptonshire ; but it was not until long
after his lordship's lamented death that " Cank the
beautiful " was improved from off the face of covert-
land.

A morning spent in scentless Harleston Heath and
Nobottle Wood is not usually an exhilarating amuse-
ment ; but so long as it is felt that ^* Sandars Gorse " is
looming in the future, despair finds no place in the
breast of the sanguine sportsman. On three separate
occasions in the season of 1883, in a snug piece lying
in the north-east corner of the covert, was found the
" friend in need/' who was a '^ friend indeed/' and who
always made his way to some undiscoverable " bourne/'
in the region about Naseby. Each time the gallop was
a good one, and a fourth attempt to elude his pursuers
would have again proved successful, had not a whip, sent
ahead to look about him — to take a mean advantage,
some call it — seen the nearly lost, weary one creeping
alongside a distant hedge, probably hugging himself in
the feeling that having saved his brush, he should now

CHAP. II.] Lord Spencer s Racers^ and SJiootiug. 4

J

say goodbye to his old home. A judge fuU on the
black cap before sentencing his victim to death, a whip
talies oj|f' his. Isaac's cap was seen to be raised aloft, the
end of as stout-hearted a fox as ever stood before hounds
was known to be near. In a few minutes little was left
of an animal who had fairly earned for himself the
monumental inscription, '^ In life respected_, in death
regretted.''^

It was in a gallop from this covert that H.R.H. the
Prince of Wales seemed on the point of sharing with
the roach and dace the secrets of the Spratton Brook ;
and from here_, late on a November afternoon, few re-
maining to share in the gallop, a '^ stranger '' from
Sywell Wood just got home in time to save his life
from Captain Austruther Thomson's hounds. For some
time before the end the song of all except the fox had
been :

" Shades of evening close not o'er us,
Leave us quite alone awhile."

and the way out of one field into another had been difficult
to find ; but it was not until the field adjoining the
wood had been reached that the master gave the
order to stop the hounds. It was fondly hoped that on
the next '' diawing '' of Sywell Wood, the same fox
might retrace his steps on a return journey to the covert
from whence he had so lately been driv:en; but he was
never found again.

Like others of his neighbours, Lord Spencer had a
decided leaning to the turf, and availed himself of the
beautiful paddocks at Harleston to make some experi-
ments in breeding. A mare, named " Wryneck,'' from
an accident in her stall which caused her neck to be

/

44 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present, [chai. h.

crooked, had suflficient merit to give him hopes of success;
and the famous " Cotherstone ^' for some time was *^ at
home '' at Althorp. Fond of shooting, and an excellent
shot, the " Rocketer ^^ might well crow with satisfaction,
who had escaped the dangers of the middle passage be-
tween Harleston Heath and Brampton fox-covert. Neither
height nor distance would avail him much if his line of
flight took him within range of the noble lord's unerring
weapon ; and he might get what satisfaction he liked out
of the fact that he was pretty sure to be dead before he
reached terra firma.

A great admirer and patron of cricket, Lord Spencer
was always ready, at the time when ^' gate-money
matches '' were almost unknown, to bear a portion of
the expense of an important contest ; and to him the
public were indebted, in a great measure, for the
interesting match at Leicester in 1838, between the
North and South of England, when Alfred Mynn got
126 runs, and so injured his left leg in attempting to
make a new hit, known then as the " Cambridge
Poke," that he was laid up for many weeks.

To the great sorrow of all the county, before he had
quite reached his sixtieth year, Lord Spencer succumbed
to a complaint which he had long known was incurable.

Without at any time laying himself out for popularity,
few men ever lived, who by his own intrinsic whole-
heartedness had so won the respect and affection of
those of whom he had himself formed a favourable
opinion. So great indeed was the confidence he
inspired in individuals, that in cases of difficulty, when
the advice of a soundly-judging mind was required,
he was the chosen one to whom the friend in trouble

"Bi*"

CHAP. II.] Sir Charles Knightley, Master. 45

was tlie first to go. His liospitality was of that genial
description which, while it included friends of his own
rank, did not leave out in the cold the neighbouring
squire or parson — indeed, he never seemed more happy
than when his guests were those of his own neighbour-
hood.

After the resignation of Lord Althorp in 1817, into no
hands more appropriate could the mastership of the
hounds have fallen than into those of his friend, Sir
Charles Knightley, who by virtue of his keenness,
knowledge of hunting, social position, and general
popularity, was in every way suited to the position.
A horseman of the highest class, Sir Charles at no
time had a superior in riding to hounds, and on
either of his famous thorough-breds, " Sir Mariner ''
or ^^ Benvolio," he was more than a match for tlie
" swells ^^ from Melton or Market Harbro\ A hedg-e
and brook between Brix worth and Cottesbrooke, just
to the left of the station, still known as " Sir
Charles's leap,^^ is sufficient evidence that he was nob
to be stopped by a fence, however formidable, when
the necessity arose for a little extra steam. Tall, thin,
with aquiline nose and high cheek-bones, the appear-
ance of the Fawsley baronet was such as to make him
remarkable among a multitude — an appearance en-
hanced as he advanced in years by a habit he had
acquired of carrying his head bent upon his chest. A
consistent inflexible Tory of the old school, he repre-
sented a division of his native county in Parliament
for several years, and fought many a contested election.
Not greatly blessed with the gift of eloquence, and
with a slight difficulty of utterance, his attempts to

46 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. h.

address tlie great "unwashed^' in the County Hal], or
from the balcony of the George Hotel at Northamp-
ton, were generally provocative of mach amusement.
Unable to remember what he wished to say without the
assistance of notes, his thoughts seemed to be evolved
from the depths of his hat rather than from his own
consciousness, a mode not at all times successful ; for
either from not being clearly written, or from not being
held at an angle suiting the vision, the " hatograph '^
occasionally refused to yield up its written treasures
without some coaxing and manipulation. This excited
the mirth of the "paid unruly" attached to the oppo-
sition, and gave rise to cries of, " Put on your hat,
Charley;'"' " What 'a you got a-looking at inside of that
hat ? '' and other irreverent remarks begotten of beer
and bribery and electioneering manners. It was not
until he had ceased, and his eloquent " Fidus Achates,"
the Eeverend Francis Litchfield, the well-known rector
of Farthinghoe, had taken up " the running," that the
mob fairly settled down into quietude. To the glib and
energetic utterances of this bulwark of the Tory faith,
all were content to listen.

A parliamentarian of the higher class thrown away,
the oratorical gifts of the Farthinghoe parson were of no
common order, and an ardent social though not political
reformer, his eloquent philippics, delivered before his
brother magistrates at Quarter Sessions against what he
termed the " drink-shops," would have sent Sir Wilfrid
Lawson into a frenzy of delight. Not a member of
the House of Commons possessed a more marked indivi-
duality of dress and address than Sir Charles Knightley ;
and though he rarely trusted himself to "give tongue"

CHAP. II.] Lord Sondes^ Maste7\ 47

before tlie critical audience,, Lis opinion was always
treated with, respect. With his friend and colleague.
Lord Althorp, he was at one in all matters except
politics ; and there they were as far asunder as the poles.
Their rivalry in the field of " shorthorn " breeding was
of the most amicable description, though the herd of
the noble lord, known to agriculturists as " Farmer
Jack," never touched the same point of excellence as
that of the Fawsley baronet. For many a year, the
three strains of blood most eagerly sought for and com-
manding the highest prices were those of Bates, Booth,
and Sir Charles Knightley ; and though shorthorns,
in sympathy with the collapse of British agriculture,
have fallen from the high position which they once
enjoyed, a scion from the stock of any of these magnates
of the herd-book is still looked upon as a valuable
possession. Wearying of the mastership all too soon, or
perhaps from not meeting with a sufiiciently liberal
support. Sir Charles retired at the close of his first
season.

The reins of office were then taken up by Lord
Sondes ; but he, finding that twelve months of power
were as much as he cared for, resigned at the end of
1819, in favour of Sir Bellingham Graham.

At this time, hunting from so distant a point as
Pytchley having been found very inconvenient. Sir
Charles Knightley and certain of the county gentlemen
determined to erect kennels at a more central point,
and Brixworth was 6xed upon as the most suitable spot
for the new hunting capital. The old Pytchley Club,
with all its glories, and all its old associations, was now
done away with ; and in a few more years the ancient

48 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap, h.

building itself was pulled down by order of its owner,
Mr. George Payne.

On -the retirement of Lord Sondes, tbere seems to bave
been a great difficulty in finding a successor. We read
in a letter of Lord Altborp's, dated Althorp, April, 1820,
" I tbink tbat tbe bounds will be entirely given up, and
tbat tbere will be no bunting at all in tbis county.
Jobn Warde offered bimself for fifteen hundred a year ;
but be was refused. Hanbury, afterwards Lord Bateman,
offered to take tbem if two tbousand a year could be
raised ; but tbis could not be done. I tbink Knigbtley
ougbt to subscribe largely; but be will not subscribe at
all unless be is paid for all tbe expense he has been at
at Brixwortb. He will lose more comfort by this, if he
intends to live in tbe county, than twice the sum be
wants will procure him."

After the hounds had been finally established at
Brixwortb, tbe most prominent members of the Hunt
appear, the one to have given up tbe chase entirely, the
other to have grown comparatively indifferent to its at-
tractions. Politics and agriculture, and the cares atten-
dant on a large estate, engrossed all Sir Charles
Knightley^s attention. Towards the end of bis days
another love sprang up to occupy bis time and thoughts,
viz. borticulture. Into tbis new bobby be entered
heart and soul ; and was never satisfied until he had
placed in his hothouse or greenhouse the latest produc-
tion from foreign lands. For two or three summers one
of his greatest pleasures was to take bis friends into the
garden to show them a row of a new and costly zonale
geranium, known as " Mrs. Pollock.'^ After his eightieth
year, be would think nothing of driving sixteen miles to

CHAP. II.] Sir C, Knightley, a^id Fawslty Hottse, 49

spend an liour in the garden of a brother floral fauatico,
and return home afterwards. Quick of temper aud kiud
of heart, the worthy old baronet on going into the stable-
yard after breakfast was wont to be approached by
sundry old women from the village_, each with her separate
tale of woe, and her humble prayer for pecuniary assist-
ance. Eight well did the cunning old suppliants know
their man ! Loud, sometimes strong words, threats and
accusations of imposition, only heralded the inevitable
shilling or half-crown ; and the scene never seemed to
weary either party by repetition.

Universal was the regret when it became known that
death had summoned, in his eighty-fifth year, this unique
specimen of the fine old country gentleman to join the
ancestors who for upwards of five hundred years had
been lords of the manor of Fawsley.

The stranger, whether attracted by a meet of the hounds
or in search of the picturesque, who sees Fawsley for the
first time, cannot but feel that he is looking at one of
the old historic mansions of England. Situated on a
lawn of gentle elevation, it commands an extensive and
beautiful prospect, and is surrounded by a well-timbered
park, which, inclusive of the well-kuown ^^ Badby AYood,^^
covers an area of upwards of six hundred acres. In 1416,
this property was purchased by Richard Knightley, the
descendant of an old Staffordshire family, deriving its
name from the manor of Knightley in that county.
During the Civil Wars the owner of the property was
a warm adherent of the Commonwealth, and married a
daughter of Hampden, thereby strengthening the tie
with the anti-royalist^s party. The common saying of
" under the rose ^^ is stated to have its origin from the

50 TJie Pytchley Hunt, Past and Prese^it. [chap. h.

councils which were held in a secret chamber above the
oriel window in the saloon in Fawsley House_, where
was placed a printing-press; and the papers there
printed were dropped through a rose in the ceiling *
to be despatched throughout the country.

Though he had long given up appearing at the meets,
Sir Charles was almost daily in the saddle to the last ;
his seat, dress, and appearance bearing ample testimony
to the fact th?«t in no place was he more at home than
on the back of a horse. To sit with an old friend over a
bottle of old port that for many a year had been mellow-
ing in the Fawsley cellars, and to talk over old Pytchley
days, was a treat in which the veteran sportsman
greatly delighted. To fight his battles with Tom
Assheton Smith, ^^ Jersey,'^ and ^' Plymouth ^' o^er again
— to recall the incidents of the '' Lancet ^^ sale — to
chuckle over the maiivaises heures of " Lucas '' in the
barn, or to dwell on the merits of favourite hunters,
were topics of which he never wearied.

Not able to brook contradiction, nor prone to see much
merit in parliamentary opponents, it was prudent for a
Whig guest to keep off the tender ground of politics,
and to leave delicate questions of state undiscussed.
Accustomed to have his own way, that of others was not
greatly respected, and if things were going *' contrary-
like,^^ either in garden or farm, the passer-by might have
cause to think that the language he heard issuing from
the lips of Fawsley^s lord was not that inculcated by his
own rector, or by any of the neighbouring clergy. Be
that as it may, few county magnates have left behind

* Here was secretly printed the second of the Martin Marprelate
Tracts, called the Epitome, 1588. — Ed.

CHAP. II.] Death of Sir Charles Knightley. 51

them a more honoured name, or one that will stand out
in bolder relief in a county's annals.

The following highly characteristic letter, written by
Sir Charles only a few days before his death, was received
by the author of this volume : —

^^ My DEAR Nethercote, — ^' The venison is very good,
and I shall be very happy to send you a haunch when-
ever you like it. How have you been lately ? I have
been rather fishy, and I thought that the old gentleman
who stalks about with a scythe and an hour-glass was
going to give me a punch ; but he has let me off for a
time, and I am quite fresh again.

" Yours ever sincerely,

C. Knightley."

*^ Sunday, 22nd August," — four days before his
death. •

In less than a week after the above was penned,
that '^ old gentleman with the scythe and the hour-glass '^
had repeated his '^ punch,'' and the heart, so full of
hospitable thought and kindly feelings, had ceased to beat
for ever.

With the transference from Pytchley to Brix worth of
the hunting establishment, the modern history of the
" P.H.'' may be said to commence. Old things passed
away. The Club, for some time on the wane, ceased to
exist ; and even the ^^ white collar,'' so long the
distinctive mark of the ^' Pytchley man," now disappeared
from sight.

Before discussing the incidents of the new era, it will
be well to pass in review some of those strangers as well
as natives, who from time to time had formed, and for

E 2

52 The PytcJiley H^int, Past and Present, [chap. n.

some years continued to form, the component parts of a
" Pytchley meet/^ Place aux ctrangers.

Remarkable for liis weight, and for his success
in riding to hounds, in spite of that disadvantage
was the well-known Norfolk squire, Dick Gurney.
Favouring, as it suited him, either Quorn or Pjtchley
with his company, good nerve and a thorough
knowledge of what hounds were doing, and a quick
eye for the right spot in a fence, enabled him to hold
at defiance the handicap of ^' too, too solid flesh/' The
fame of his leap over the Canal Bridge near Heyford, on
his famous horse '' Sober Robin,'' is still an incident of
note in Pytchley history; and old Quornites love to tell
how, after warning Tom Assheton Smith not to go
into a canal after a hunted fox, he plunged in himself,
fetched the animal out, and on reaching the sloping bank
laid with his head downward aiid his legs upturned to
allow the water to escape out of his boots ! Riding
nineteen stone, Mr. Gurney was fain to put up with
horses that could carry the weight, without being too
particular as to quality ; and the best animal he ever
possessed was, in his appearance, nothing less than a
cart-horse, — a brown bay with a blaze down his face, with
coarse vulgar quarters, and a rat-tail of a peculiarly
aggravating type. He could go alongside of ^' Benvolio ''
or " Sir Mariner," with Sir Charles Knightley on them;
and he greatly distinguished himself on the hardest and
best day that had been seen in the country for many
years. Another horse in his stud, totally lacking in
quality, and nothing but a machiner to look at (a bay
with black 'egs, and with plenty of hair about the fet-
locks), helped to falsity the notion that without blood no
horse could go the pace and last.

CHAP. II.] Pytchley Hunt Visitors, ^^i

Squire Wood of Brixworth Hall, about the same time,
rode a chestnut horse with white legs, who for five-and-
twenty minutes could carry his eighteen stone up to any
hounds in England. A brougham horse, and rather a
commoner than that, so far as appearance went, he was
a sufficiently good hunter for his owner to decliue part-
ing with him to Lord Jersey for five hundred pounds. In
our own day we have seen the welter, Matthew Oldacre
of Clipston, a rare specimen of the Northampton-
shire hunting-farmer, going well ahead on horses whose
fathers and mothers must have been well acquainted
with the operations necessary for seed-time and harvest.
The cases here mentioned are probably the exceptions
that form the rule, as to the advantages of quality in
horse as well as in man; but they serve to prove two
things : first, that a horse can go in auy shape and
almost of any birth; secondly, that well-nigh everything
depends upon the ^' man on the box.^'

An occasional attendant at the meets about this time
was a sportsman, who, in after years attained distinction
amounting to a world-wide celebrity in an arena very
different from that of the hunting-field.

When Mr. Murchison rode up to the covert side, not
one thea present could have supposed that he was greet-
ing one, who in a few short years would have established
the reputation of being the greatest geologist of his
time. Even then, however, the bacilli of earth-lore and
scientific knowledge had entered into his system, and on
every non-hunting day his time was passed in
examining the gravel-pits and stone- quarries of the
neighbourhood.

About this date a '^ craze '' had entered the heads of the

54 The PytcJiley Htmt, Past and Pi^esent, [chap. h.

good people of Northampton tbat coal was to be found at
Kingsthorpe. Asked for liis opinion on this iaiportant
question^ Mr. Murchison unhesitatingly affirmed that
'' no coal was to be found anywhere in Northampton-
shire/^ The stone, however, had been set rolling ; the
spirit of speculation was stalking abroad, and tbe opinion
of a geologist who had not a coaly mind was held of
little worth. A company was formed ; shares were
taken up by small tradesmen and domestic servants ; a
shaft was sunk at Kingsttorpe ; and loud were the
promises of the consulting engineer. For a time, all
went on merry as a marriage-bell. Hope played her
usual part and filled the air with flattering .tales. The
shareholders of moderate means felt assured that the
ship they had been so long dreaming of had come in at
last, and that they were about to be as well off as other
folk, if not better ! When one tine day it was noised
abroad ^^ that coal of good quality had been found in the
pit/^ the excitement was uncontrollable. Tlie bells of
the Northampton churcbes were set a-ringing ; flags
were displayed from the windows ; pedestrians in the
streets congratulated each other; and it was agreed on
all sides that the shoemakers' city was to become an im-
proved Birmingham. The rejoicings, however, were
but short-lived. On some of the exultant shareholders
wishing to hear all about the discovery from the
engineer himself, he was nowhere to be found ! But
he left a statement to the effect that the pieces of the
much desired mineral had been found in the pit, but —
that they were only what he had taken down himself !
He kindly added the information that " to the best of
his belief, there was no other coal within miles of where

CHAP. II.] Sir Rod. Mttrchison — Capt. Blunt, 55

they had been digging." Thus the bubble burst, and
many an honest, hardworking man lost the savings of a
lifetime. The chimney of the shaft still remains as a
monument of man's folly and credulity.

Mr. Murchison''s new pursuit speedily grew too en-
grossing, and took up too much of his time to allow of a
frequent visit to Brixworth. Science had not, at that
time, begun to teach that the Book of Genesis was all
wrong — that the world was millions of years old — that
man^s first parent was a bit of jelly, which, by process
of improvement called "evolution," first grew into an
^' ape," and then into being a '^ man." A body of
philosophical faddists — known as ^^Positivists '^ or ^^ Cock-
sureists" — had not then written books to prove that
seeing is not believing without touching and handling ;
and the unscientific and simple-minded poet had not
" chafi'ed " his philosophical friends with the lines : —

" An ape there was in the days that were earlier ;
Centuries passed and its hair it grew curlier ;
Centuries more gave a thumb to its wrist.
And then it was man and a Positivist."

After quitting Northamptonshire, Mr. Murchison
(afterwards Sir Roderick) never again pursued the
*' wily one," unless it was to dig out its fossilized
remains from the bowels of the earth, where he may
have fallen a victim to a Deinotherium or some other
Palaeozoic monster.

Another welcome visitor at Brixworth at this time was
Captain Blunt, of Crabbit Park, Sussex, father to Mr.
Wilfred Scawen Blunt, so well known as the friend of
Arabi, the Soudanese, the Parnellites, and all the enemies
of his country, and of the opposers of legitimate authority.

56 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. h.

Attractive in appearance and manner^ tlie handsome ex-
guardsman won for himself additional sympathy from
having lost a leg at the Battle of Corunna, where his
regiment greatly distinguished itself. The disadvantage
of having but one available leg, however, did not seem
greatly to affect his riding, for although a " monoped ^'
himself, there was scarcely a " biped ^^ in the field who
had greatly the advantage of him in a run. A frequent
and always a welcome guest wherever he went, he was
always accompanied by an old and faithful servant, who
was well known by his skill in playing the Jew's harp,
— a musical instrument now quite unknown. Summoned
into the dining-room after dinner, the modest but skilful
performer used to delight the company with the effect he
produced ; the children of the family, permitted to sit up
on purpose, being always the most appreciative portion
of the audience. How the little instrument, held between
the jaws, capable of only small thiugs at the deftest bands,
got its original and self-evident name of '^ Jaw's harp"*' con-
verted into ^''/e It; 'sharp,'' it is not easy to say. Another
producer of sweet sounds in vogue at the same time, and
known as the -^olian harp, like the Jew's harp, seems to
have gone out of favour. Fashioned like an elongated
zithern, it could lay claim to a certain weirdness from
the sounds it produced being elicited without the agency
of human hand. Resting in the sill of a window, the
breeze passing across the strings caused it to emit tones
so plaintive and soothing that for a time they were
pleasant to listen to ; a little of the '^ fairy-like music,"
however, went a long way, and the jaded ear a bit
wearied of the monotony.

Unconsciously following in the steps of Mr. Blunt, a

CHAP. II.] Adjuiral Sir Watkin Pell. 57

late Italian miaister, M. Negre, used to take into the
country with him, for the amusement of his hosts, a
chef, his cook, who was no less skilful in the conjuring
than he was in the culinary art.

Another one-legged man who had ^^ all his buttons on/'
as regarded hunting, as well as seafaring matters, was
Captain, afterwards Admiral, Sir Watkin Pell, E.N., of
Sywell Hall. Losing his leg when a midshipman, in an
attempt to cut out an enemy's gun-boat, he got so accus-
tomed to the ways of a cork leg, that it formed no im-
pediment to him in his profession, or in the enjoyment of
life, be he where he might. Fond of hunting, as of all
wild sports, he rode boldly, though in thorough sailor-like
fashion, and clinging on, ^^ fore and aft," took the fences
pretty much as they came. Having once come to grief
in jumping the brook under Pytchley, the " old salt,''
with pardonable exaggeration, was wont to boast that he
had made acquaintance with the bottom of every stream
in the county. His last command, before being ap-
pointed to the snug berth of the Deputy-Governorship of
Greenwich Hospital, was the fine old three-decker, Tiie
Howe. An excellent officer, a strict disciplinarian, and a
bit of a martinet, no ship in Malta Harbour was in such
trim as Tlie Howe. The night before leaving the island,
dining- with a friend to whom he had handed over his
Maltese cook, the performance of his late ^' chef" did
not at all come up to the high recommendations he had
given him. Begging that he might be sent for as soon
as the ladies had left the dining-room, the Admiral
informed him that '' had he sent up such a dinner on
board, he would have received three dozen there and
then ! "

58 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. it.

"Xext came the parson,
The parson, the parson,
Next came the parson,

The shortest way to seek.

" And like a phantom lost to view,
From point to point the parson flew.
The parish at a pinch can do
Without him for a week."

So sings Whyte-Melville, tlie Horace of hunting-poets,
who at all times had a rhyme to spare in favour of the
black coat and white tie that marked the clerical
sportsman. Of the four rectors now to pass before the
reader of these pages, not one was qualified to excuse
himself to his bishop for his hunting-ways, ^^ that he
never was in the same field with the hounds. ^^ Long
and fast must they have run before they out-stripped
that Eector of Lamport, who some sixty years since,
had no superior as a horseman, and who was -too thankful
to pick up at a reduced figure the animal that was " one
too many '^ for some less skilful rider. The father of
four sons, three of whom could find their way across
Northamptonshire rather better than most men, the Rev.
Vere Isham called no man master for nerve, and for
keeping a good place on a rough mount. Kind, courteous,
and pleasant with all^ not a member of the Hunt was
regarded with greater respect, and the " coarse-mouthed
Squire '^ (Osbaldeston) on one occasion received from
him a lesson in '' soft answers " which he would have
done well not to forget. " Where the h — are you coming
to, you d — d fool, you ? ^' exclaimed the Pytchley
master, when one day the Rector of Lamport had a diflfi-
culty in stopping a hard-pulling horse. From some, an
address couched in such language would have provoked

CHAP. II.] V ere I shanty J. Whalley, W, Dickens. 59

a reply iu correspondirig terms ; but tlie only remark of
the kindly minister was : ^* Fool, fool, am I ? I daresay
that you are no judge, Squire." In no respect is the
advance of refinement more marked than in the style of
speech common in the " twenties " and long after, and
that whick prevails in the present day. Then, one of the
objections raised to a clergyman's hunting was the coarse
language that would be sure to meet his ears in the field :
now, if every sportsman present were a parson, the tone
of conversation could not be more free from anything
that is objectionable.

No styles of riding could be more different from each
other than those of the Rector of Lamport and of the
Rev. John Whalley, Rector of the village of Ecton. Tall,
slim, and of a peculiarly graceful carriage when on
horseback, the latter seemed to glide rather than ride
across a country, and was a worthy rival of Sir Charles
Kniglitley and of Mr. Davy, though of a rather later
date.

Always riding horses of a good stamp and with, plenty
of quality, the man who found himself in front of the
Ecton parson might be sure that he was quite as near
hounds as he ought to be.

The Rev. William Dickens of Woollaston was a
^^ customer" of another school. Living on the Oakley
side of the country, it was only occasionally that he met
the Pytchley at Harrowden, Finedon, or Hardwicke
village ; but not a member of either hunt was more sure
to be ^' there or thereabouts " than Woollaston's some-
what irreverent reverend. Enjoying something of a re-
putation for '' smart sayings," as well as smart riding,
he one day proved his title to the first at the expense of

6o TJie Pytchley Himt, Past and Present, [chap. n.

bis brother-cleric, the Eev. Mr. Partridge. This gectle-
man, beginning to feel some qualms as to the propriety
of a clergyman hunting, but unable to forego his
favourite amusement, thought to ^^ hedge '^ by appearing
in trousers and shoes, intead of the usual breeches and
boots. Greatly tickled at this change in his friend^s
attire, " -BiUy '^ Dickens forthwith proceeded to christen
him '^ Perdrix aux choux.'''

For many a long year there was no more familiar figure
seen at certain of the Quorn and Pytchley meets than
that of the E-ev. John Cave Humphrey of Laughton.
The long, straight back, the " once-round ^^ white linen
scarf, and the raucous voice still dwell on the memory
of many a Pytchley man ; as does the form of the fair
niece who was said to be the heroine of Whyte-Melville^s
immortal " Market Harboro'.^^ For some time it seemed
in the eyes of niece as well as uncle, that there was
nothing more enjoyable in this world than the hunting-
field. " It is a very solemn thing being married," said a
parent to his daughter, on her announcing* her accept-
ance of a suitor. ^^Yes, father, I know it," said the
fiancee, " but it is a deal solemner thing being single ! "
So thought, too, the fair huntress of Laughton. Runs
with the hounds, however long, all of a sudden seemed
to her nothing worth compared with a lifelong run with
a husband, and the worthy old rector was left alone in
his glory. He, to whom a day with the hounds had
seemed for many a year to be the one great enjoyment
of life, was now no longer seen with Pytchley or with
Quorn ; and after a while, a strange name appeared
in the Clergy List as Rector of the parish of Laugh-
ton.

CHAP. II.] The Rev. J. Wickes. 6i

In this small clerical hunting'-pantheon a niclie must be
assigned to a reverend sportsmau, who, living at one
time of his life at Dodford, and afterwards at Boughton,
near Northampton, for many years got his twice-a-week
with hounds with commendable regularity. Without
any clerical duties to perform latterly, or to engage his
attention, to see a fox well hunted, aud to g*et a chat
with friends at the meet, was for several seasons a
legitimate source of pleasure to this true lover of the
chase. Jumping, with its attendant demands upon the
nervous system, and other drawbacks, was at no time a
part of the pastime he greatly affected ; but an accurate
knowledge of the geographical position of all gates and
gaps enabled him to see much of what was goiug on.
Living in close proximity, at Boughton, to the house
occupied by the author of ^^ Digby Grand,^' he greatly
enjoyed both his society and his abilities as a writer, and
was in the habit of telling his reverend brethren that " if
they would only read extracts from Whyte-Melville's
novels instead of preaching sermons of their own, it
would be to the advantage of their congregations as well
as of themselves.'^ The apt remarks and weather-beaten
visage of this reverend sportsman will long be kindly
borne in mind by those who esteemed him for his genial
nature, his willingness to assist a brother cleric in time
of need, and above all, perhaps, for his genuine love of
hunting. The unenlightened Esquimaux hopes that his
paradise will not be without plenty of whales; and
probably that of the old hunter just spoken of will not
suffer in his eyes by the possession of a nice sprinkling
of foxes.

Sixth, and last, on the present list of clergy, whose

62 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. n.

more or less spare time was given to hunting the fox,
comes one whose costume, habits, and general lack of
self-devotion to the things more immediately pertaining
to his walk in life, rendered him, for full half a century
a conspicuous member of society. The scion of an old
Leicestershire stock, noted for its love for sport of any
kind, Mr. Loraine Smith inherited a full share of the
'^ family failing." For such a one to take " holy orders "
is indeed to mistake one's profession. But humanum
est errare ; and at that time to be shovelled into the
Church was a provision for a son eagerly sought for by
puzzled and impecunious parents. By nature and edu-
cation more of a country squire than a country parson,
tbe Rector of Passenham, near Stony Stratford, a small
parish without exacting duties, made fox-hunting his
chief occupation and amusement. A brilliant horseman,
strong and determined, the Grafton Hunt had no finer
rider among its members, nor one whom a stranger
would so speedily pick out as '' the character " of the
party assembled at the meet. Barely tolerating the
black coat that was the index of his profession, his
hunting waistcoat had a broad scarlet binding, and the
colour that was forbidden to himself came out in bold
relief on the riding habits of the lady members of his
family. Present for once in a way at a " Visitation "
held at Northampton, the rigid sombreness of his clerical
attire attracted the attention of two hunting church-
wardens, who had never seen his reverence in black and
all black. " I'll bet you a bottle of wine there's some
scarlet about him somewhere," said one. " Done with
you," said tbe other, and lost his bet ; as on closer
investigation a scarlet uuder-waistcoat was discovered

CHAP. II.] The Rev. Loraine Sinith. 6

J

beneath the conventional '*" vest." Many of his intimate
friends being among the gentry of ISTorthamptonshire^ a
gallop with the " Py tchley " was always a red-letter day
to him ; and his favourite mount was kept for the
occasion. To many beyond^ as well as within, his own
neighbourhood_, he is known by an engraving in which
he is portrayed charging a formidable-looking " oxer/'
on his famous horse " Gatto." The attitude of both horse
and rider is given with much spirit and accuracy ; and
the resemblance to the latter merits a higher degree of
praise than was accorded to the portrait of an old and
esteemed coachman in the family of the writer taken
in livery. The old man's wife was requested to give her
opinion as to the amount of resemblance she saw in the
picture to her husband. " Very like/' she said, " but
particular the buttons ! " Devoted to flowers in general,
and the grow^th of roses in particular, he found in his
garden his greatest pleasure during the summer months ;
and the well-shaped pansy or picotee was to him almost
an object of worship. The delights of a garden, how-
ever, did not erase from his thoughts the recollection of
winter joys, and a '^ lick of red paint " upon pump, water-
pot, and flower-prop, served to remind him of the " good
time coming." A cricketer of the old school, his
favourite " get-up " of nankeen knee-breeches, silk
stockings, and a sock rolled over to protect the ankle,
gave his appearance a '' chic " which would in vain be
looked for now-a-days. Dressed as described, slowly
running to the wicket to bowl a ball destitute of pace,
curl, twist of any sort, he looked the model of an old-
fashioned, well-bred country cricketer. The details of a
singular experience met with by Mr. Loraine Smith in

64 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. h.

his capacity of a magistrate, cannot fail to interest tlie
reader of these pages.

A deserter from the 68th Regiment then stationed at
Canterbury, Henry Couch, on the false pretence of being
on furlough and unable to reach his home from having
been robbed of his money, induced Mr. L. Smith to
advance him ten shillings. Discovering the imposition,
the police were speedily on the track of the rogue
militant, who, ere many days had elapsed, found] himself
an occupant of a cell in Northampton gaol, on a charge
of defrauding the Rev. Loraine Smith of the sum of
ten shillings. A very short acquaintance with the new
comer was sufficient to show the governor of the gaol
that he had got hold of a " character," and that he was
not entertaining " an angel unawares." Whilst awaiting
his trial, Couch helped to pass away the time by writing
letters to the Rector of Passenham for pecuniary assist-
ance for his defence at the Quarter Sessions. These
letters, being without parallel in the annals of corre-
spondence, are here given for the amusement of the
reader, who will not fail to observe that each letter is
headed with a text from Scripture.

To account for a cleverness and a language that seem
inexplicable coming from a common soldier, it must be
stated that he had been in some way connected with the
press, and so was a man of good education, as well as of
unusual natural abilities.

Letter No. 2.
" Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you,
because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye
not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded ? " —
1 Cor. vi. 7.

CHAP, ir.] H. Coitch^ s Remarkable Letters. 65

^'June 10th, 1851.
"Eev. Sir, — Not to my knowledge having a friend
upon earth to whom I could apply for a favour in any
case of emergency, I have been prevailed upon to do
violence to that native modesty which has marked every
action of my life to apply to you to befriend me with a
copy of the depositions taken at Mr. Congreve's office
on Friday last. My situation in this establishment is
not a yery enviable one, being incarcerated within the
four walls of a small cell, with a six-inch door and
sundry bars of iron between myself and liberty.
Another walk from Stony Stratford to Passenham
would afford an agreeable relief. I heard related, at
Stony Stratford the other day, by a person of most
retentive memory, a part of a sermon delivered by your-
self, in which you stated, 'that it often struck you how
the devil must laugh when he sees so many thousands
posting hourly and momentarily the downward path to
perdition.^ I entirely agree with you j and it has
recently struck me that his mirth must have been
extreme when he saw me posting down the road from
Passenham to Panshanger, on the afternoon of the third
ultimo : he must have enjoyed, a double-barrelled laugh
then, one at me, the other at your Reverence. Pray,
Sir, take great care of yourself before the Sessions. I
am given to understand that you are partial to the noble
sport of fox-hunting. It is doubtless an invigorating
amusement ; but if in one of these excursions you should
happen to break your neck over a gate or hurdle,
though it would be consistent with my profession as a
Christian to forgive that gate, I certainly should never
forget it.'^

66 The PytcJiIey Hiint^ Past and Present, [chap. h.

In the next letter lie expresses liis gratitude for the
receipt of the required papers, and solicits assistance for
his defeuce.

Letter 3.

^^ Rev. Sir, — It is with a deep sense of gratitude that
I acknowledge your kindness in complying with the
request contained in my last letter relative to the deposi-
tions. Depend upon it if I can render you a similar
service I will not fail to do so. In order to facilitate my
defence, I have consulted a legal gentleman, who will
undertake it for four pounds. I shall have no difficulty
in obtaining the whole of this sum, with the trifling
exception of 8Z. 19s. W\d.) and this amount I see little
prospect of getting. Would it be too much to ask you,
who are a minister of that Gospel which aflSrms that ^ it
is more blessed to give than to receive;' and that ^ he
that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord/
who is a very punctual Paymaster, and wisbes to oblige
me ? Now I want tbe loan of that amount, for a very
short time, on my own personal security. I donH wish
vou to give it, merely lend it ; and to place it in your
ledger under the ten shillings you so obligingly lent me
at Passenham. I promise very faithfully that you shall
have the ten shillings again, and I refer you for the
payment of the 3Z. 19s. \\\db. to Proverbs, chapter xix.
verse 17, where you will find that the money is in very
safe hands. Nor are these the only terms on which I
wish to negotiate this loan with you. You wall remem-
ber that my regiment is stationed at Canterbury, and
that the barracks are within ten minutes^ walk of the
palace of the Archbishop. Although I am at present
in Northampton gaol, few know the extent of .my

CHAP. II.] H. CoiicJis Remarkable Letters. 67

influence out of it. It is just possible that may be tlie
means one day of getting your letters addressed to the
Very Rev. Loraine Smith, and of having your low-
crowned gossamer superseded by a best superfine
^' beaver/-' with upturned brims. There are two other
eminent ecclesiastics with whom I am intimately ac-
quainted, and who might have it in their power to help
you for my sake. Isqyj do reflect upon this. Consider
that it would be a very slight satisfaction for you to
deprive a widowed mother of an only son, by getting
him sent to some-penal settlement.

'^Mr. Loraine Smith_, allow me to inquire^ have you a
son ? an only son ? a wild reckless youth? I hope not;
but it is not an absurd proposition : if you have_, lend
me the money. Do not keep me in suspense ; it is a
very uncomfortable state of existence. Please to convey
my warmest thanks to Mr. Congreve (Clerk to the
Magistrates of the Stony Stratford bench), for sending
me a copy of the depositions : also my respects through
him to Mrs. Congreve, and to all the diminutive, juvenile
Congreves ; in short to the whole box of Congreves.
Tell Mr. Congreve that in the case of the next prisoner
brought to his office for examination, I trust he will not
ignite on so slight a friction, as he did in my case over
the warrant."

In the next letter, the last of this set, the reckless
impertinence of the writer reaches its culminating point.
As usual it commences with a text.

'' Whoso hath this world's goods, and seeth his
brother in need, and shutteth up his bowels of com-
passion ; how dwelleth the love of God in him ? ''

F 2

68 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. h.

Letter 4.

'•'Rev. Sir, — Intense anxiety caused by receiving no
reply to a letter I addressed to you on Friday last,
makes me fear that you must be unwell, perhaps
seriously unwell. This notion causes me infinite mental
ano-uish, considerins^ as I do, that illness alone could
have prevented you answering my former letter. Let
me entreat you then, if you are suffering from some
attack of illness, to avail yourself immediately of the
professional assistance of the most skilful medical
practitioner in the neighbourhood, so that you maybe
sufficiently recovered to attend at the Sessions, or pur-
chase of some respectable druggist an abundance of
Parr^s Life Pills, or Morrison^s, or those of some other
eminent physician, and keep them in a box of magnesia,
and take when required. Do not regard, either, the
vulgar prejudice entertained by the ignorant against
arsenic and prussic acid. They are as harmless in their
effects as castor oil. I have known numerous instances
of parties who have taken these invaluable remedies, and
never required medicine again for the rest of their lives.
Then take the advice of a friend, not merely a pro-
fessional friend, taking a deep interest in your welfare.
Procure an ounce of arsenic and an ounce of magnesia,
dissolve each in a pint of hot water, warm tea or
sherry, and drink while hot. Be careful to leave none ;
but after having swallowed the whole, take a lump of
su^ar to dispel the nauseous taste, and then placing your
feet in hot water (as hot as you can endure it), and
wrapping your head in a blanket, go to bed. Strictly
follow this advice, and I have but one opinion as to the
result. I have just seen my professional adviser, who

CHAP. II.] CoticJis T^'ial, and Rog7ies Diary. 6g

says he will not stir in my case until he receives the
four pounds. Please send the money as soon as possible
to allow the man of law to prepare his brief. With
many wishes for your welfare,

*' Your's very truly,

'^ Henry Couch.'^

The trial took place, and the sentence was one year's
imprisonment with hard labour. Throughout the pro-
ceedings, the demeanour of the accused was eccentric and
defiant, and on the foreman of the jury returning the verdict
of " guilty,^' the prisoner exclaimed, " Well, gentlemen of
the jury, you have fallen six feet in my estimation with-
in the last few seconds. '^ On Sergeant Miller resuming
his seat after closing the case for the prosecution,Couch
leant over the dock, and touching him on the shoulder,
said : " I say, lawyer, was that your first brief ? ^'
During his term of imprisonment, he was allowed to
write an account of his proceedings, from the time he
deserted from Canterbury, to the day of his apprehension
at Skipton in Lincolnshire. In this remarkable record of
a rogue's evil deeds. Couch gives a minute account of
each day's proceedings, with the names and personal de-
scriptions of the various people he cheated and deceived.
Having provided himself with a forged furlough, he went
from town to town, obtaining billets at the difierent
public-houses, and on plea of being a soldier in distress,
getting money from the magistrates whose residences he
happened to come across on his road to London. He
pursued the same tactics until he reached Thrapston,
when, finding that he was under suspicion, he changed
his mode of action and became a recruiting-serjeant, and

70 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Pi^esent. [chap. n.

possessing the " gift of the gab/^ and also the art of per-
suasion, many a yokel and young farmer, full of public-
house beer and swagger, was induced to pocket the
Queen's shilling, as he believed, and was afterwards
bought off by reproachful and indignant relations. The
sums demanded by the pseudo-serjeant for liberating his
victims from their supposed enlistment, ranged from
twenty to thirty shillings. Nemesis, in the guise of a
Northampton county-policeman, put an end to the
nefarious practices of this arch-rogue for some time : but
the spirit of evil was too strong within him to allow of
his becoming an honest citizen. Seven years after
quitting Northampton gaol, he again found himself one
of its inmates on the same description of charge as
before, obtaining money under false pretences. On his
way from Birmingham (where he had robbed his
employer) to London, he entered a cottage in a village
near Northampton, and told the good woman of the
house that her son had just been apprehended on a charge
of theft. After expressing his deep sympathy with her
in her serious trouble, he informed her that he was a
lawyer, and would take the delinquent's case i: hand
on a payment down of the customary legal fee of six and
eightpence. After many protestations on the part of
the unhappy mother as to her inability to pay such a sum,
she contrived to raise it amongst her friends, and hand-
ing it over to her shameless impostor, she entreated him
to enter at once upon her son's business. Yery soon
after his departure, the poor woman fell in with the rural
policeman, and at once opened her heart on the subject
of her sorrow. A few questions soon opened the eyes of
the policeman to the real state of the case, and off ho

CHAP II.] Cotick^s Second Trial, a7id Letters. 71

started in hot pursuit of the sham legal adviser. It was
not long before he ran into his fox. The first public-
house in the adjoining village was where be had gone to
ground, and soon after the name of ^^ Harry Couch '^ was
on the list of prisoners awaiting trial at the ensuing
Quarter Sessions for the county of Northampton.
Greatly to the surprise and disappointment of a crowded
court, the prisoner pleaded guilty, and he received the
sharp, but not too severe sentence of '^ seven years
transportation.'^ But even at this apparently final stage
in his career, the reader has not heard quite the last of liim.
As one of the county-magistrates, it was the duty of
the wricer of this history, in company with a brother
justice, to visit the convict in gaol, and to inform him
that he would shortly be transferred to the government
prison at Wakefield. Nothing occurred at the interview
beyond the fact that the writer remonstrated with his
companion on hearing him address the prisoner as *^ Mr.
Couch.''^ Not Ions: after this the mao-isterial remonstrant

o o

received a letter bearing on the outside the ofiicial mark
of *^ Wakefield Prison. ^^ On opening it, he proceeded to
read as follows : —

'' 168 C. Register 5558.
" My dear Harry, — ^^ I trust that you will not consider
that my neglect in not writing to give you the opportunity
of going to Northampton to take a farewell of me, in-
volved a breach of that friendship which for the last six:
years existed between us. The fact is, that it was not
until within two hours of the time that I found myself
speeding away by express train that I knew that the
hour of my departure was at hand. Had I, however, been
aware of the fact in time to have written, I do not know

72 TJie Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present, [chap. n.

that I could have done so^ as from the strength of your
aflfection^ a personal interview might have led to a scene ;
and that, of all things_, I mortally abhor. Let us then
look forward_, old boy, to our next merry meeting ; and if
it be true that absence makes the heart grow fonder, we
shall neither of us regret our prolonged separation.
Seven years, tliough, is beyond a joke, and it certainly
was far more than I had bargained for ; nor can I account
fur the severity of the sentence, except upon the presump-
tion that the court must have seen something in my
appearance that convinced them that it would be against
the interests of the community that I should be at large.
I had, however, taken every precaution to divest myself
of all those indications by which your double-distilled,
capped and jewelled rogue is usually known. I had been
to a hatter and had the brims of my tile pressed down,
and I had exchanged my doeskin gloves for black kid,
but it all proved ineffectual. It can't be helped now,
however; so we must each of us try to bear up against
it. But to come to the more immediate purport of this
letter. Our mutual friend, Hutton, as you know, has
resigned the chaplaincy of the Northampton gaol. I
verily believe that during the nine years that he has held
the office, with singleness of heart he has endeavoured to
do all the good in his power, and to discharge his duty
with credit to himself, and satisfaction to all concerned.
He deserves a testimonial, and ought to have one ; and I
ask you, my dear fellow, to set the thing a-going at once.
Give him some such thing as a silver inkstand ; and if it
be said that this suggestion comes with a bad grace from
one who sacrifices nothing but his time and trouble in
making it, I authorize you to advance on my account the

CHAP. II.] Henry CoitcJi^ s Last Letters. "j"^

sum of two pounds. Preserve tliis letter as a proof of
the debt, and I will either repay you when we meet, or
you can deduct the amount when you make your Avill.
In publishing the list of subscribers, I hope that the
names will be printed alphabetically, so that ^ Couch '
will come in just after Barton and Bevan [two county
magistrates]. It is very humiliating seeing one^s name at
the bottom of a list. I did not see you on Saturday last,
[probably a visiting-day]. How was it ? I was glad
Barton didn't come either. His addressing me as
*' Mister Couch ! ^ Do you recollect it ? As the virtuously-
indignant Mrs. Gamp exclaimed, ' The hidear ! ' I felt
truly grateful to you for checking him on that occasion.
AVell, I must now clo^e."

[Here follows a picture of an imaginary domestic circle.]
" Remember me kindly toMargaretand Charlotte, and to
the dear old lady, as well. I fancy I see her now, sitting
in the chimney-corner with the cat in her lap. Good-
bye, my dear Harry, and when you next hear me addressed
as ' Mister Couch,^ remind the person who thus forgets
himself, that he compromises his dignity in so doing.''

A letter written to the chaplain of the Northampton
gaol, giving a description of Wakefield Prison and its
management, is too graphic and amusing not to be given
at length ; after which this most remarkable example of
abilities thrown away will disappear from view_, his
ultimate fate being unknown.

Wakefield Prison. Eeg. 5558.

"Rev. and dear Sir, — My characteristic presumption
leads me to imagine that I may confer a pleasure upon you
by intimating that I am as comfortable here as the

74 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present, [chap. n.

circumstances of mj position will permit. This esta-
blishment is constructed on the same principle as that at
Northampton, but it is far more extensive, affording
accommodation for about four hundred government, and
as many county prisoners. The former remain, as a
general rule, subject to a different discipline, for about
nine months; and after being carefully taught such
lessons as are inculcated in the 1st Psalm, and 14tli
verse of Proverbs, chapter iv., are sent to associate with
about one thousand others similarly prepared. I con-
template making an effort to remain in a state of sepa-
ration, though I doubt not that I shall have to become
honest by the ordinary routine of the " system/' and so
remain a rogue. The principal employments here appear
to be tailoring and making shoes, and fancy and other
sorts of mats. The establishment, so far as the convict
department goes, must be little less than self-supporting ;
at any rate, all the labour is productive. There are none
of your hand-labour mills here. Strange infatuation !
miserable delusion ! that idleness, the chief characteristic
of criminals, is to be eradicated, and a love of industry
acquired by compelling a man to turn three hundred
revolutions per hour, for three hours in each day, of those
diabolical machines which disgrace the gaol of North-
ampton. This, too, under the penalty of loss of food for
non-performance of the task allotted out ! Tbe man sees
that he is doing no good; that a complicated machine
has been invented to torture his body, and he laughs at
the idea of acquiring industrious habits by such means ;
habits formed by compulsion ! ! Compel a man to work,
and his mind revolts from it ; but lock him up for three
or four days without work, then he will ask for work ;
which if it is not forced upon him as a punishment, he

CHAP. II] Henry CoticJi' s Last Letters. 75

will gratefully accept as a boon. I am employed as a
tailor. I am in a very comfortable cell, well supplied
witli books and writing materials. If sufficiently indus-
trious I shall be credited witli fourpence, sixpence^ or
eightpence a week out of my earnings ; I do not know
in what manner the remainder will be applied. I believe
that the present amount of the ISTational Debt is two
hundred and eighty millions ; but I have no doubt that
the lesson taught by the affair of Paul, Strahan and
Bates, will excite in the authorities a becoming caution
as to how they invest it. The chapel holds about 1000
persons. There are two full services on Sundays ; and
one every day from ten to eleven. The manifestations
of piety on the part of the congregation must be very
edifying to observers possessed of sufficient charity to
believe in their genuineness. The prisoners rise at six
o'clock^ and are supposed to work until half-past seven,
when each is supplied with eight ounces of bread (baked
about the time of the Norman Conquest), and half a pint
of very apocryphal milk. I know nothiug of the geo-
logical formation of this part of Yorkshire : about Scar-
borough there is a substratum of chalk. Dinner is
served at one. This meal is superior in quality to any-
thing to be found on the table of a working man, and of
many an artisan. It is better than that allowed in any
other of this sort of establishment, which, in general, is
such as a Grosvenor or Belgrave Square cat, anxious to
preserve caste among his peers, would not compromise
his dignity by coudescending to look at. At seven we
drop work, and read until nine, when we go to bed.
Some receive three or four hours' instruction in the course
of the Aveek, but for this privilege I am considered in-
eligible.

76 The Pytchley Htmt, Past and Present, [chap. h.

" Expressing my warmest and most grateful thanks for
tlie kindness you showed me at Northampton^
'* I am, dear and Rev. Sir,

'' Yours very truly,

'ai. Couch/'

Colonel W. Cartwright, to whom it fell, as Chairman
of Quarter Sessions, to pass sentence on Couch at each of
the trials at Northampton, about the same time received
from another soldier a letter so opposite in its character
to those given above, and yet so unique in its phraseology,
tlmt the reader of these pages must not be deprived of
the benefit of it. An old serjeant in the Rifle Brigade,
living at Weedon, wishing to fish in a small stream
which ran through one or two meadows occupied by the
gallant officer, thus addressed him : —

"Weedon Barracks, May 12th, 1856.

" HoNOUEABLE SiR, — A discharged serjeant of the Rifle
Brigade, and one who had the honour of serving in
the same company, and in more than one campaign under
the command of the gallant and much lamented Captain
Cartwright (killed in the Crimea), now makes bold to
solicit of his honoured and bereaved parent a written
permission to angle of an evening in that wealthy brook,
which, pursuing its way by Divine Will through your
honour's extensive domains, encourages and compensates
the fertilizing efforts of your Honour's tenants, adds a
cheerful vivacity to the face of nature, seasonably serene,
and furnishes of its finny population many impressive
convictions of the kind, unceasiog regard of our great
Creator in the various sustenance, delicate and in-
vigorating, for the more worthy portion of His laborious
creatures.

CHAP. Ti.] John Dttnf s Letter, jy

'' Trusting^ Sir, that indulgent time is reconciling you
to the fate of my kind, deceased officer^ your much-
beloved and lamented son, and that your Honour will
condescend to befriend the man whom that son so often
befriended, I remain, Honourable Sir, with all due
respect,

^^ Your Honour's most humble and devoted
servant and faithful soldier,

"John Dunt.

^' War Department, Weedon Barracks."

It may be asserted, without fear of contradiction, that
a parallel to the letter given above may be searched for
in vain in any language. It is, moreover, a matter for
wonder how a common-soldier's head could have con-
tained such a wealth of imagery, and such a rich abun-
dance of the gift of ^' high falutin'."

7 8 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present, [chap. m.

CHAPTER III.

Me. John Chawoeth Musters, Master^ 1821. — Opinions on his
hounds — Troublesome foxes — Attachment of his hounds — His
qualifications for the IMastership — Mr. Osbaldeston, Master,
1827 — His appearance, manners and abilities — Excellence of his
hounds — The best riders at Melton, 1820-30 — Osbaldeston's
excellence as a steeplechase rider — Race on'Grimaldi' against
' Moonraker ' — Celebrity of his bitch-pack — Run from Misterton
to Laughtun Mills — Match to ride 200 miles in ten hours, with
the horses used — Challenges all the world for 2O,OO0Z. — As a shot,
a cricketer, a boxer, an M.P,, and a Turfite — Mr. Wilkins,
Master, 183-i — Jack Stevens, huntsman ; his early death —
"Billy" Russell— Mr. George Payne, Master, 1835— The
Earl of Chesterfield, ilXa.^-^^er, 18^58 — Lords Cardigan, Maid-
stone, and Macdonald — Old Times and Manners — Perfection of
Lord Chesterfield's arrangements — His resignation in 1840 — The
Hon. Wilbraham Tollemarche — " Ginger " Stubbs, and other
hunters — Dick Christian and Matty Milton — Old horses not so
safe as young ones — Daniel Lambert — Mr. T. Assheton Smith —
Dick Christian and Bill Wright.

The modern history of the Pytchley Hunt may be said
to commence in 1821, when Mr. John Chaworth Musters,
of Colwick Hall, Notts, better known as " Jack Musters/'
moved with his own pack of hounds out of Nottingham-
shire, to take the Mastership of the Pytchley country.
The pleasant days and lively nights of the ^' old club "
had now passed away ; but, so far as hunting and con-
venience went, the removal of the hounds to a central
point, and the abolition of what may be called the
" alternate system, '^ was greatly in favour of sport. To
strangers the change was highly welcome; and Brix-

CHAP. III.] AIi\ John Chaworth Mttsters^ Master. 79

worth and Market Harbro' now became inucli frequented
by hunting-visitors. The country at that time is de-
scribed as being tremendously fenced, the posts and
raihng of other days having given way to hedges which
never used to be cut. ^^ Scarcely a horse,"" wrote
'' Acteon/^ " can go a season or so in this country with-
out injury to, or partial loss of, sight ; and the rider has
so much to do to take care of his own eyes, that he cannot
look out as he ought to do for those of his horse over
these tremendously high and stiff quicks. Bullock-fences
and all the variety necessary to keep in cattle, stiff stiles,
locked gates, and wide brooks, bedeck the grass-country
in great profusion.'^

Taking up his quarters at Pitsford Hall, recently
vacated by Colonel Corbet of the Blues, a veteran sports-
man, Mr. Musters entered upon his duties, which, according
to '' Nimrod,^^ were scarcely equal to the nature of the
country or the work expected of it. ^' Few packs of
hounds will stand a close examination,^' says this great
critic : '^ Mr. Musters certainly will not. The bitches
are handsome, and of good stamp ; but the dog-hounds
are many of them past their prime, and as a lot, not so
sightly as they should be. A liberal draught is wanted;
and a large supply of three and four-year-old hounds is
required.'^

About this time the country was unusuall}^ full of
badgers, both in the woodlands and elsewhere ; so much
so, that while digging for a hunted fox in Brampton
Wood, one day after a good run, five were found in the
same drain. This very poor relation of the bear, so dis-
tant as scarcely to have the claim of kinship allowed
by the latter, had grown so scarce in the Brocklesby

8o The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. m.

country, that a member of the family was sent from the
Kettering district into that part of Yorkshire to act as
an " earth -maker '* for the foxes. A great improvement
on the artificial earth, which too frequently fails in its
purpose.

Notwithstanding the depreciatory view taken by
" Nimrod ^^ of the hounds that had been brought out of
Nottinghamshire, another writer in the '^ Sporting
Magazine,^^ speaking of Mr. Musters, says : '^He remained
in the Pytchley country four or five seasons, showing
extraordinary sport, and convincing his numerous
admirers that, not only was he the most skilful hunts-
man that had ever appeared in that country, [shade of
Charles King ! where were you, when this was penned !]
but in any other.'" He goes on to say : " The stud-
hounds of Mr. Musters were much sought after by the
breeders of the day ; and the blood of that excellent dog,
' Collier,^ was second to none.'^ The two great sporting
critics of the day, '^Nimrod ^' and '^ Acteon,^^ do not seem
by this to have taken at all the same view of the merits
of a fox-hound in point of make and shape ; and on
many other points connected with hunting they appear
to have walked on the lines of '^ two of a trade never
aorreeino-.'^

o o

A fox at Hunsbury Hill afforded some excellent runs
at this time, and was so successful in evading his pursuers
that he was known as the *^ Hunsbury Hill Devil. ^^ On
the last occasion of his having been hunted by, and de-
feating the celebrated Jack Musters and his three merry
men. Saddler, Derry, and Wood, he took his usual line
through Wootton by Delapre, Brayfield Furze, and Yard-
ley Chase^ to near Olney Bridge, where he again sue-

cH.vp. III.] Mr. J. Chaworth Mzisters, Master. 8 1

ceeded in dodging the enemy, and sending them empty
away. It was supposed, however, that on the following
day the poor " demon,^^ still aweary and stiff from his
bucketting, fell a victim to George Carter and the
Grafton hounds, who came across him before he was
sufficiently recovered to find his way back to his ^'^ lares "
at Hunsbury Hill. Another fox, always at home at Sulby
Gorse when called upon, had often been '^ one too
many" for Mr. Musters; and Mr. Osbaldeston, at that
time Master of the Quorn, had frequently been treated
in like manner by a " customer ^^ at Gartree Hill. On
the last day of the season, each master determined to
finish up with a cut at his old foe, and Mr. Musters
backed himself for five pounds to bring his fox to hand
before the Squire had succeeded in catching his. No
sooner had the former put his hounds into cover than an
old hound challenged, and away went the "Flyer"
pointing for Bos worth, and on past Theddingworth, to
Laughton Hills. Here a man had been placed at the
^'earths," so he retraced his steps, running the same line
back. Near Theddingworth, he was viewed in a large
pasture, but Mr. Musters declined to lift his hounds a
yard, saying that he would not take an unhandsome
advantage of so good an animal. This over-chivalrous
spirit lost him his fox, and his five pounds as well. A
flock of sheep brought the hounds to a check, the scent
suffered from a passing storm, and though he was spoken
to on the Harbro' and Welford Road, nothing could
be made of it ; so that again the fortunate tenant of
Sulby Gorse saved his brush, and lived to fight another
day.

Amongst other qualifications rendering him pre-eminent

G

82 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present, [chap, m,

as a huntsman, Mr. Musters possessed_, in no ordinary
degree, that of attaching hounds to himself. In his
" Notitia Venatica/^ Mr. Vyner tells a curious instance
of this in the following interesting incident. When Mr.
]\Iusters hunted in Northamptonshire^ the hounds,
having to meet in that well-known cover, Badby Wood,
were taken on the day previous by his first whip, Smith,
to sleep at the '^ Bull's Head '^ at Weedon. On arriv-
ing at a place where the road from Northampton con-
verges into that by which they were travelling, suddenly
some of the most foremost of the hounds became rest-
less, and by their manner Smith concluded that a travel-
ling fox had passed near the spot. In a few moments,
the whole pack, who had been fed, and were jogging
listlessly along, seemed suddenly to be aroused from
their torpor, and in another moment were out of hand.
The Huntsman thought that the devil had seized them ; the
Whips rode after them and rated; but all to no purpose —
to stop them was impossible. At last in turning a corner
about a mile further on, who should appea"^ in sight but
Mr. Musters himself, who had come by a second road
and was going quietly on his way, on the hack he usually
rode to covert, to dine and sleep at a friend's house near
the next day's meet. The delight of the pack at so
unexpectedly coming across their beloved master was
indescribable. One hound actually jumped upon the
horse's quarters, and licked Mr. Musters's face, and it
was so difficult a matter to call them ofi", that he was
oblifi^ed to go out of his way to conduct them himself
to the inn where they were to lodge for the night.
A very spirited picture of this scene, with the hound
leaping upon the horse's back, was drawn by the cele-

CHAP. III.] Mr. G. Osbaldeston, Master. 8

J

brated artist Aiken, and decorates Mr. Vyner^s book.
Speaking of Mr. Musters, ^^ Nimrod " goes on to say :
^''No man was ever better qualified by nature for a
Master of hounds. His personal appearance and
engaging manners could not fail to establish his popu-
larity with all who hunted with him ; and the practical
science he displayed in the field delighted all true
sportsmen. So complete a master was he of all
athletic sports, that at one time of his life he would
have leaped, hopped, ridden, run, fought, danced,
fished, swum, shot, fenced, played cricket (a game in
which he considered he greatly excelled), tennis, and
skated, against any man in England ! ^'

After remaining six years in Northamptonshire, and
showing excellent sport, Mr. Musters returned to his
own county, and the famous '^ Squire Osbaldeston,""
leaving the Quorn country which he had hunted for
some years, became Master of the Pytchley in 1827.
The prenomen of " Squire " by which he was better
known in the sporting world than by his own patro-
nymic, arose from the fact that out of the four packs of
hounds hunting Leicestershire at that time, his was the
only one not having a nobleman for its Master. Short
in stature, not prepossessing in appearance even on
horseback, rough of speech, and uncouth in manner,
he excelled in every outdoor pursuit, and at a ball was
fond of displaying his skill in dancing a reel. The
chief event of the evening on the Eace-Ball night at
Northampton was when the ^'^ Squire," occupying the
centre of the room, was the cynosure of all eyes as ho
danced, and excellently well too, a Highland reel. Oii
these occasions, old Mr. Tattersall might be seen leaning

G 2

84 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Pi'esent. [chap. m.

against the wall with his lame leg slightly raised, watchiog
the performance, while an amused and half-envious smile
lit up his genial face.

Race ^'^ Ordinaries ^' were in vogue in those days, and
the Squire not being a Rechabite, the dancing followed
so immediately upon the dining that there was scarcely
time to put on the armour of sobriety before the fiddles
struck up. Take him altogether, it is probable that a
better ^' all-round '' man never lived, but in no one
thing did he appear to have been superlatively good.
\^ riding to hounds he had many superiors, as he
also had in hunting them ; at cricket he was not good
enough to figure in the eleven of England ; and as a shot
he was not the equal of Captain Ross or of the Hon. G.
Anson. Sprung from an old Yorkshire family, Mr.
Osbaldeston had all the education and advantages which
are the birthright of the children of wealthy parents,
and was sent to Eton, and afterwards to Brazenose
College; the latter, equally with the former, failing to
elicit any sigu of a predilection for classical learning.
At the earliest possible moment he shook from his feet
the dust of chapel and of lecture-room. Though not
quick in mastering the secrets of the Latin tongue,
nor in construing the metres of a Greek play, the
Yorkshire squire was far from lacking in ability. With
much natural acuteness, he speedily acquired a know-
ledge of anything upon which he cared to bestow his
attention; and hounds and horses were the earliest
objects of his interest. By strict adherence to the best
principles in breeding, by selecting as sires the choicest
blood of other kennels, and by rigidly rejecting every
puppy that did not seem likely to reach his standard, he

CHAP. III.] Mr. G. Osbaldeston, Master, 85

succeeded iu possessing himself of a pack of hounds
second to none in England. It was with such a pack
as this that he commenced to hnnfc a country, about
which he is reported to have said, ^^ I have been in search
of Paradise all my life, and have found it at last/' Had
they only been written at that time, he might well Lave
quoted Whyte-Melville's lines : —

" I will show you a country that none can surpass,

For a flyer to cross hke a bird on the winij,

We liave acres of woodland, and oceans of grass,

We have ^ame in the autumn, and cubs in the spring.
We have scores of good fellows hang out in these shires,

And the best of them all, are * the Pytchley Hunt Squires."

With such tackle, and witli such escellent A.D.C.'s
as Jack Stevens and Jem Shirley, the ^^ Squire " was
bound to show sport, which he undoubtedly did do ; but
as Horseman or Huntsman, he at no time reached the
same high, standard as his predecessor, Mr. Musters.
His nerve had been somewhat shaken by severe falls,
and he always made it pretty hot for the mau who did
not ^WQ him plenty of room at a fence. One great
drawback to Mr. Osbaldeston, as either Huntsman or
Master, was that a natural love of gossip bad grown iuto
such an inveterate habit of chattering", that his tongue
never seemed at rest ; and even in drawing a cover he
would let the men do the work whilst he talked with
some friend. In a book of Hunting-Songs collected by
Mr. S. C. Musters, and published in 1883, a classified
list of the best performers at Melton between 1820 and
1830, Osbaldeston is placed third in the second class.
Given with all the formality of a University class list,
the names stand as follows : —

86 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap, h .

First Class.

Tom Assheton Smith.

Lindon.

Rolleston.

Lord Jersey.

Chaworth (j\Iusters).

Cholmelev.

Hon. C. W. Forester.

Sir B e 1 1 i n g h a m

Graham.
Davy.
White
Ramsden.
Lowther.
Staiidish.
Lord Plymouth.
RanclifFe.
Lord Alvanley.

Second Class.

V. Maher.

jNlaxse.

Osbaldeston.

Lord E.. Manners.

Mills.

Pierrepoint.

Lucas.

F. Forrester.

Lord Dartmouth.

Brad sh aw.

Barnett.

Yane-Powlett.

Lord Tavistock.

Lord C. Manners.

Dottin.

Christie.

Third Class.

Sir F. Burdett.

C hester.

F. Bentinck.

M'Kenzie.

Lord Aylesford.

Megler.

Moore.

Petre.

Napier.

Walker.

Druramond.

Arnold.

Duke of Eiutliuid.

Lord Lonsdale.

In the above list the most notable in the first class are
the names of the following, the first and foremost being*
that of Tom Assheton Smith, Master of the Quorn, and
confessedly the straightest man across country that ever
rode to honnds. He it was who said that on coming to
a big fence, if a man only threw his heart over to the
other side his horse was sure to follow ; a dictum, the
truth of which few will care to deny. Lord Jersey,
father of the Hon. Frederick Yilliers (himself a first-
rate man to hounds, and twice Master of the Pytchley);
Sir Bellingham Graham and Mr. Cb a worth (Musters),
both heads of ihe same establishment; Messrs. Davy
and Ramsden, well-known with the Pytchley Hunt of
that time ; and of Lord Alvanley, Wit, and Welter
weig'ht. At the head of the third class appears the
name of Sir Francis Burdett, iu his early days the
most outspoken of Radical politicians. A Radical of the
Radicals, and an idol of the populace, for some time
there was no measure which Sir Francis seemed in-

CHAP, in.] J/r. Osbaldeston ; a Steeple-chaser. 87

capable of digesting, or to be at variance with opinions
which ultimately landed him a prisoner in the Tower.
With advancing years, however, the political camera
presented things in such a different aspect that the
worthy baronet turned a complete ^^ volteface/^ and
ended his days in the full sanctity of Toryism. Two
remarkable instances of a similar change of views came,
on one occasion, to the notice of the writer of these lines.
Dining at the table-d'hote of an hotel in Florence, he
found himself seated between two elderly gentlemen, 0]ie
an Englishman, the other a native of the sister isle. In
the course of conversation, the former stated that he
had been the friend and principal coadjutor of the arch-
chartist, Fergus O'Connor, whilst the other had been
the lieutenant of Smith O'Brien, and had just missed
being present at the capture of that patriot in the battle
of the ^^ Cabbage-garden."" Each had lived sufficiently
long to realize the fact that the colour of political views
formed in hot youth will not always endure when
exposed to the sunlight of time. The former adherent
of the irrepressible ** Fergus '' had become a strong anti-
O'Connorite, and the lieutenant of General Smith
O^Brien had subsided into being a strong advocate of
the English alliance.

._ Though not figuring in the first class as a rider to
hounds, " Squire Osbaldeston '' had few, if any, superiors
in a steeple-chase, either among professionals or
amateurs, his quick eye, powerful limbs, and un-
deniable nerve, when out of a crowd, being greatly in
his favour where he had to steer a difficult mount ; and
his services in the capacity of a cross-country jockey
were always greatly in request. The Harrovian of 1832

88 The Pylchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. m.

will not fail to recollect (especially if he shared the fate
of the narrator of the event, and came in for ^^ just a
taste" of the birch for not being present at the four
o'clock bill on that day) the great match for 100()
sovereigns between Mr. Elmore's ^' Moonraker " and
Mr. Adams's ^^ Grimaldi." The race, which excited
extraordinary interest from the celebrity of the animals,
and from the fact that a few days before, at St. Albans,
the two horses had run within a head of each other for
the steeple-chase at that place, came off over Mr.
Elmore's farm cear Harrow. Though " Grimaldi '' had
been defeated at St. Albans, Mr. Osbaldeston, who was
the umpire on that occasion, was so impressed with his
merit, that he gave the owner of " Moonraker " fifty
pounds to run him for a thousand sovereigns, on con-
dition that he himself should ride '^ Grimaldi." All
London was emptied to witness the race, and it being a
half-holiday, few indeed were the Harrow boys who did
not prefer to risk a '^ swishing " to being absent from so
great an event. Fate favoured the majority, but a few
had to make acquaintance with the swing of Dr.
Longley's arm for the breach of a fundamental law, and
old ^^ Gustos," time-honoured birch-provider to the
school, had a busy time in preparing the instruments of
torture. The course selected was from a field close to
the seventh milestone on the Edgware Road, and the
winning-post was in a meadow near a farmhouse at
Harrow Weald. The distance to be run was four miles,
and the course, though heavy from recent rains, was all
grass. " Grimaldi " started a good favourite, and won
easily; thus contirming the good opinion his rider had
formed of him at St. Albans.

CHAP. III.] ]\Ir. Osbaldestoii^s pack. 89

There were giant chasers and giant riders in these
days, and the former were mostly of a more gennine and
hunter-like stamp than the turf-failares of modern times.
The names of Lottery, Vivian, Seventy-four, Grimaldi,
Discount, Cigar, Yellow Dwarf, the Chandler, and many
another hippie hero, will come home to the memory
of countless frosty-powed sportsmen of to-day. Great
horses were each and all of these, but the greatest of all
was Lottery. Jem Mason on Lotterj^, in a steeple-chase
of forty years since, was what Archer on St. Gatien or
Ormonde is at the present time.^ No higher compliment
was ever paid to a horse than when Lottery was
barred out of a steeple-chase, open to all England,
which came off at Wootton, near JSTorthampton, in
1840, and which was won by Cigar, ridden by Allan
McDonough.

No hounds in England had gained a greater celebrity
than Mr. Osbaldeston's bitch-pack, one of their marked
features of excellence being that they never lost their
presence of mind when ridden over, or pressed upon by
an overwhelming field ; consequently their body never
became broken up or detached. Proverbially fast, a
more musical pack could scarcely be met with, which
would seem to militate against the theory that "" mute-
ness ^^ must needs accompany ^' fleetness.'" To the
genuine lover of hunting, there could be no greater treat
than to see these bitches swimming along the flat
between Stanford Hall and Winwick Warren, so close
together that the ground could scarcely be seen between
them. Among innumerable good runs, the ^' Squire ''

^ Since this was penned, the famous jockey, like the author, has
departed this life. — Ed.

90 The Pytchley Himt, Past and Present, [chap. m.

used to distingaisli one at the end of March, 1830, from
Misterton to the Laughton Hills, as one of the best he
had ever seen. Though apparently making direct for
the earths, the fox passed right over them, open as they
were, and was killed within 200 yards of the shelter
he had so unwisely rejected. One night after dinner at
Pitsford Hall, some chaff having taken place as to the
^^ Squire^s''^ powers of endurance on horseback, he
backed himself for 1000 guineas to ride 200 miles
ill ten hours — he to have as many horses as he pleased.
The match was to come off on the round course at New-
market, and thirty-two horses, chiefly the property of
himself and friends, and all of the highest class, having
been selected for the undertaking, Mr. Osbaldeston
went into training for a week. During this time he
took exercise of the severest description, and thought
nothing of riding to Newmarket, sixty miles from Pits-
ford, after hunting on a Wednesday, and returning for the
meet on the Friday following, after having galloped in
turn (on the Thursday) th.e different hor-es he was going
to ride in the match. In the accomplishment of his task,
each horse was changed at the end of the four-mile
circuit, some of them being ridden two and three times,
and one, Tranby — well-known for his speed and lasting
qualities — being pulled out a fourth time ! In conse-
quence of not being able to get several of the horses to
approach a wooden horse-block turfed over and erected
in front of the stand, the rider had to dismount on the
completion of each round, which not only was a loss of
time, but greatly increased the stress upon the muscles.
In spite, however, of this drawback, the ill-temper shown
by Ikey Solomon, and the ground not being in a favour-

CHAP. III.]

Osbaideston' s Match against time.

91

able condition, tlie distance was accomplished in eight
hours and thirty-nine minutes.

The match, therefore, was won with an hour and twenty
minutes to spare, without any apparent distress to the
winner, who had ridden at the rate of twenty-five miles
an hour for eight and a half successive hours. A list of
the horses engaged in the undertaking, with the time
occupied by each in accomplishing his four miles circuit,
will show that Tranby was far the best, and Ikey
Solomon far the worst of the party.

Emma

Paradox

Liberty

Coroner

Oberon

Don Juan .

Morgan Rattler

Paradox

Cannon Ball

Clasher

Ultima

Fairy

Coroner

Liberty

Emma

Don Juan .

Oberon

Cannon Ball

Ultima

Tranb}', 1st time

Fairy

Morgan Eattler

Tramp

Dolly

Acorn

From the above record it will be seen that Tranby
performed his four circuits in 8.10, 8.0, 8.50, and 8.15
minutes respectively ; that Skirmisher alone was used

M.

s.

9

0

9

20

9

25

9

15

9

40

9

0

9

13

9

6

9

23

9

25

9

10

9

5

8

40

9

0

9

21

9

8

8

20

9

45

9

0

8

10

8

8

9

28

8

58

8

58

9

2

M.

s.

Smolensko .

8

52

Tranby, 2nd time

8

0

Skirmisher, 1st time

9

25

Guildford .

8

25

Dolly .

8

45

Ikey Solomon

. 12

0

Tam 0' Shanter .

9

40

El Dorado .

9

2

Surprise

9

10

Tranby, 3rd time

8

50

Ipsala

9

0

Streamlet .

9

0

Coventry .

9

0

Ringleader .

8

42

Tranby, 4th time

8

15

Ipsala

8

20

Skirmisher, 2nd time

8

15

Guildford .

9

10

Streamlet .

8

50

Donegani .

9

12

Hassan

9

0

Ringleader.

9

30

Coventry .

9

30

Donegani .

10

15

Skirmisher, 3rd time .

9

40

92 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap m.

three times, occupying respectively 9.25, 8.15, and 9.40
minutes, and that Ikey Solomon occupied 12 minutes
in completing his journey, and proved himself the black
sheep of the lot. After the match, Mr. Osbaldeston gave
a plate of fifty pounds to be competed for by the horses
he had ridden, which was won by the Smolensko colt,
Donegani being second. No sooner had the task been
completed than people began to say any one conld per-
form the same feat with the same horses. Nettled at
this, the ^^ Squire ^^ wrote the following letter to the
editor of BelVs Life in London : —

" Sir, — There are many men, I have no doubt, who can do the dis-
tance in the time I did it, who ride seven stone, if they are to be
called men. Many foxhunters, and even jockeys, before the match
thousrht it impossible to accomplish it in nine hours, who now say that
any old woman could do it. It is the pace which a man is compelled to
maintain, with such short intervals between every four miles, that
distresses him, the muscles not having time to recover. I never was
afraid of anything except sudden indisposition. Having been much
chaffed about the match, and told that a jockey would do the distance
in ei<^ht hours, I send the following challenge to the whole world, and
I name a large sum, as I do not care to risk my health and stamina
for a trifle. If no one takes me up, I hope that I shall no longer be
bothered and told that ' any fool could do what I did.' A man of my
years challenging all the world to bring a man of any age against me
is unparalleled in. the history of sporting, and scarcely to be believed. I
now challenge any man in the world of any age, to ride from 200 to
500 miles, for 20,000Z. ; but if he will only ride 200 miles, I will stake
10,000^. Or, I will ride against a jockey of seven stone, 200 miles,
receiving 30 minutes for the difference between seven and eleven stone
odd ; or I will take 10,000Z. to 3000/. that I will ride 200 miles in
eight hours, which would be a wonderful performance for one of m}'"
weight, and as I think, almost impossible. At all events the smallest
accident would cast the match, and I should scarcely have time to
mount and remount. I am always to be heard of at Pitsford, near
Northampton. November 16th, 1832.''

Great exaggerations prevailed as to the money won by
the '* Squire '' over his match, some putting it at upwards

CHAP. 111.] Shooting Matches. 93

of 30_,000/.j but the real amount netted by the winner
after the payment of all expenses was 1800Z.

As shots, Mr. Osbaldeston and Captain Ross — the
latter the better man at cross-country — shared with the
Hon. G. Anson_, the honour of being- the three " cracks
of England." The three were constantly in competition,
and it was hard to say which of the trio was the better
man. In the match for 1000 sovereigns between
Captain Ross and the " Squire," which came off at
Battersea in the May of 1828, the latter suffered an easy
defeat. Each ^as to shoot at 250 birds at a thirty
yards' rise. Four days were taken up in completing the
match, Ross killing 175 birds, and the "Squire" 164.
On the first day the former missed only seven shots,
on the second twenty-two, on the third eighteen,
and on the last, when he was ill, twenty-eight. His
opponent's misses, on each of the four days
respectively, were tAventy-three, twenty-five, twenty-
three, and fifteen. In the November of the same year, a
very interesting match took place between Captain Ross
and the Hon. G. Anson, which should kill the most
partridges, walking side by side, on a manor in Norfolk
of Mr. Henry De Ros's. The amount of the wager was
500 guineas a side, shooting to commence at a quarter
past eight a.m., and to close at a quarter past four p.m.
Each party was to have three guns and as many loaders.
The day proved to be foggy and therefore unfavourable,
and the birds so wild, that at the end of the first hour
only four birds had been bagged, of which Colonel Anson
had secured three. Each shooter, hoping to fatigue the
other, commenced walking at the rate of five miles an
hour which they kept up for the two first hours. After that

94 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present, [chap. m.

tliey dropped to a little more than four, and kept up that
pace for the rest of the day, remaining all the time bare-
headed. At three p.m. each had killed ten brace^ and at
four the number was still even. A quarter of an hour
only now remained in which to decide the issue of the
match. About thirty-five miles had been walked^ mostly
through heavy wet turnips, and Colonel Anson was
beginning to fail in strength. At this juncture he killed
a bird^ which made him one ahead, but his walking power
had ceased, whilst his adversary was striding away as
fresh as ever. AYith a bird to the bad, and the time almost
up, Captain Ross consented that the match should be
considered a drawn one. The number of birds scored
was twenty- three brace and a half, but many more were
killed, the umpires (Mr. Osbaldeston being one) not
being able to decide to which party they belonged. So
fresh was Captain Ross at the close of the proceedings,
that he offered to walk any of the party then present
to London, for 500 guineas ! As a cricketer the
*^ Squire ^^ was a good useful man ; but here again he was
not in the same flight with such men as Lord Frederick
Beauclerk and Mr. Ward, and though he might have got
a place amongst the eleven gentlemen of his day, he would
not have figured, at any time, in the eleven of England.
In the records of the matches kept in the pavilion at
Lord's, good scores are often to be found attached to the
name of *^ George Osbaldeston,^' Esq., but his fast under-
hand bowliug seems to have been his strong point. In
the days when pads and gloves were only looming in the
future, and cricket-grounds were not the billiard-tables
they now are, the batsman might not be sure of a very
rosy time who found himself confronted with Brown of

CHAP. III.] Gsbaldeston^ a Cricketer. 95

Brigtiton at one end^ and the ^' Squire ^^ at tlie other. In
the Eton eleven^ however, of 1835, was a bowler whose
pace exceeded either of the above-named ^' rapid Jacks.^'
Neither Harrovian nor Wykehamist who played against
Eton in that year is likely to forget the Irish boy
*^ Whacky '^ Kirwan, whose bowling or rather jerking
created a perfect panic among his opponents. '^ Ducks ^'
were the order of the day, and on one poor crest-fallen
Harrow boy — Seeley by name — as he mounted the
pavilion steps, remarking to old Mr. Aislabie that he
^' could not make that fellow Kirwan out,'^ received
the comforting reply : " No, sir, but he seems to have
no difficulty in making you out." Fast underhand
bowling was almost entirely superseded by the newly-
invented round-arm of 1825 or thereabouts — Lillywhite,
S. Broadbridge, and Bailey — three of the earliest
professors of the new style, being all slow bowlers. Slow
underhand bowling for a while went quite out of vogue,
any muff being supposed to be able to knock it about,
but at last a giant appeared in the form of '' William
Clerk '^ of Nottingham. So effective were his slows that
he was little less dreaded than the best of the round-arm
bowlers, the " Nonpareil " (Lillywhite) himself being at
times less difficult to play. The style of his performance
has been thus commemorated by some sympathetic and
admiring rhymester : —

" When old Will Clerk was in the flesh,

He used to trundle slows ;
Kound bowling then was rather fresh, —

As every blockhead knows.
He didn't bowl to break 5'our leg.

Nor yet to smash your jaw.
But dropped them dead on the middle peg.

Like Southerton or Shaw,"

96 The Pytchley H^int. Past and Prese^it. [chap. m.

A devoted adherent uf the '^ Prize King/^ iew pugi-
listic encounters — which at that time were the alias for
fights — of any moment took place without the patronage
and support of the ^^ Squire/'' w^ho himself was a "cus-
tomer ^^ whose science and sledge-hammer blows were
calculated to leave an impression both on body and
mind of an adversary. Cast in- a mould of iron^ such
were his powers of endurance that although he hunted
his own hounds six days a week for several successive
seasons, he never was heard to complain of fatigue.
Born at Hutton Bushell^ in Yorkshire^ in 1787, he gave
good proof of the strength of his constitution by enduring
the chanores and chances of a life of hazard and exer-
tion for nearly eighty years, during a part of which
he sat in parliament as M.P. for Retford. That any
one with his tastes and mode of living should have
cared for a seat in the House of Commons is some-
what surprising, but his attendance probably was very
occasional, and the position was not one that he held
long. Commencing life with a fortune sufficient to
stand any ordinary wear and tear, the "animal,^' which
from his earliest days was his chief pride and delight,
ended by being his destruction socially and morally, as
well as pecuniarily.

Shrewd, and well able to look after his own interests
in most things, the " racehorse ^^ was to him as it has
been to myriads of others, moral and material ruin.
Long before his career had come to a close, pecuniary
difficulties overwhelmed him, and certain transactions
on the turf caused him to retire from public life. For
many years tbis oue-time ''hero of the sportiug world,^'
the companion of the highest in the land, lived in an

CHAP. III.] Mr, Wilkins, Master, 97

obscure part of London, associating only witli the stratum
of ^' hangers-on of the turf/^ lowered to their level day
by day; what was fine within him growing coarse to
sympathize with clay; and he died nnhonoured though
not unsung in 1866. On resigning the Mastership ol
the Pytchley country in 1834^ he sold his pack of hounds
to Mr. Harvey Coombe for 2000?.^ and never again
undertook the duties of an M.F.H. His retirement
was caused by a lack of support from the members of
the Hunt, the subscriptions to which at that time did
not reach 1600Z. per annum. The price ]ie obtained
for his hounds was somewhat in excess of that which
the famous Jack Mytton secured for a lot of his,
which selling for about the value of their skins elicited
from their Huntsman the remark that they " ought
to have made more, for they were a capital lot of
hounds and would hunt anythink, from a helephant to a
hearwig.'"

When sold in lots at TattersalFs in 1840, Mr. Osbal-
deston's hounds fetched 6440Z. ; five couple being sold
to Mr. Barclay for 930?.

On the country becoming vacant in 1834, it was taken
by Mr. Wilkins, M.P. for Radnorshire, a Welsh gentle-
man, who had hunted hounds in his own country, and
was at that time living at the Rectory at Pitsford. To
hounds of his own he added a quantity from the pack of
Mr. Grantley Berkeley, who was supposed to have some
share in the management, and who for some time took
up his quarters at Brixworth. Mr. Wilkins took *' Jack
Stevens^' for his Huntsman, and ''Jack Goddard " as
first Whip; but neither master, men, nor hounds could
be said to be a success ; and though the sport, consider-

H

98 The PyicJiley Hitnt^ Past and Present, [chap. m.

ing all things^ was better tliaii might have been expected^
the country again became vacant at the end of the same
season.

Though Jack Stevens's acquirements in the science of
hunting might have been said to touch the point of *^ un-
qualified nescience/' he was an excellent first Whip, a
brilliant rider, and much liked by everybody. The price
given for the kennel-horses at that particular period of
the P.H. annals, ranged between 25Z. and 30^. Mounted
one day on one of these costly animals, waiting for the
hounds to emerge from their kennel, Jack Stevens said to
a farmer near him, " They say that these horses can't
jump, let's try this one ;'^ and suiting the action to the
word, he popped him over the five-barred gate leading
into the little field adjoining the road, as if it had been
nothing more formidable than a sheep-tray. In 1824,
when first Whip to the Quorn Hunt, he broke a blood-
vessel, but only laid by for a few days, saying '' that it
was no use living if he could not ride to hounds.'^ Never
really strong after this, he died at Brixworth in 1837
at the early age of forty -two. The Northampton
Herald thus writes of him : ^' It has never been our lot
to record the demise of r man more sincerely regretted
than poor vStevens. He had numerous masters, and served
them all faithfully and well. We have our doubts about
his ever becoming a good Huntsman : as a Whipper-in
he was first-rate, indeed stood unrivalled. He had a
remarkably quick eye to hounds, and a fine hand and
seat on his horse. It was delightful to see him cross the
big grass-fields in the Harbro' country ; and the ease
with which he encountered the big fences that came in
his way. But great as Jack's pace was, the unerring

■••>s.-

CHAP. III.] G. Paynes First MastersJiip. 99

hand of Time outrode lilm, and he is gone. May the
turf which he adorued while living sit lightly over his
head when dead ! ^'

Pitsford Hall, usually the home of the Master of the
hounds, was at this time occupied by '^ Billy Russell '^ of
Brancepeth Castle, Durham, kaown to his friends from
his property in coal-mines, and equally from his atro-
rufous complexion, as the ^^ Black Diamond/^ With
" Ginger '^ Stubbs and Colonel Copeland as his guests,
the horses in his stables, all of the highest class, did not
stand idle. But he was not one of those who cared to
forge ahead on his own account ; and delicate health,
attributable principally to a total indifference to dietary
rules, soon led him to make his bow to the formidable
fences of Northamptonshire. On the resignation of Mr.
Wilkins, who afterwards assumed the name of " De
Winton,'' there was some difficulty in finding a successor,
but to the great delight, not only of his brother county-
squires but of all sportsmen, the man best suited for the
position in every way, George Payne of Sulby, consented
to undertake the Mastership. As he will be spoken of
at length at the time of his second assumption of the
reins of government, it will be sufficient here to say that
he held them for three years ; when, in 1838, he made
way for the Earl of Chesterfield. During this period —
one in which hard riding was much the fashion — the
three noble lords, Cardigan, Maidstone, and Macdonald
(Lord of the Isles), were a trio hard to catch and bad to
beat. The latter was only an occasional attendant attlio
Pytchley Meets; but, come when he might, he rarely
failed to leave his mark; and a bottom under Great
Harrowden, where his horse cleared thirty measured

H 2

f oo The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. m.

feet, is still shown as " the leap of the Lord of the
Isles/'

Lord Maidstone, hunting at that time as the guest of
his brother-member of the northern division of the
county, Colonel Maunsell of Thorpe Malsor, was a
brilliant rider, and one who did not easily brook having
to put up with a back seat in the huntiug- field, or else-
v/here. In the House of Commons, he undertook to
''^bell the wild Irish cat/' Dan O'Connell, though it is
doubtful if on that occasion his lordship had not the best
of the encounter. Endowed with more than ordinary
ability, boasting the possession of some poetical powers,
a good classic, and not without statesmanlike instinct,
few young men ever entered political life giviug greater
promise than this young lord. Changing the sex, it may
truly be said on his career : '^ Mulier formosa superne,
desinit in piscem/'

To the third noble lord, a true Northamptonshire
worthy, further reference will be made when the
'^ Woodlands " come for consideration. These were the
days when the country squire, however innocent of
racing proclivities, wore the coat known as a " Newmarket
cutaway ;" when sisters and mothers, and sometimes even
wives, embroidered the silk or velvet waistcoat for their
nearest and dearest. When the black satin *^ fall,'' set
off with two costly linked pins, adorned the manly bosom
of the dinner-swell, a blue coat with brass buttons and
velvet collar (a far more seemly garment than the " clero-
waiter " vestments that succeeded it) completed his
evening '^ get-up." The schoolboy in those days returned
to his books and his birch after the Christmas holidays
on the outside of a coach, with no further protection

CHAP. III.] Earl of Chesterfield, AI aster. roi

from the cold than could be got from a coat of "^ pilot ^'
cloth, and a little straw for his feet. Shortly prior to
this, the " Growler '' and the " Hansom ^' were alike un-
known; and a *^ one-horse-shay^^ of any sort, when used
by a gentleman, carried with it a taint of ^^ infradigish-
ness/' The coach-stand in the street was occupied from
end to end by dilapidated pair-horse vehicles ; the
*^ omnibus " system was just putting out its feelers ; and
the ^^ Charleys ^^ of old had only just made way for the
" New Police.'" The telegraphic-wire was still among the
hidden things of darkness, and letters from London to
Northampton cost eightpence for postage. The railway-
egg was only in course of incubation, and the London
and Birmingham line had not yet burst its shell. Hunters
for the distant Meets were sent on over-night, and there
was no way of escaping the twenty mile homeward-ride
with a tired horse. Such was the state of things when
Lord Chesterfield became Master of one of the crack
packs of hounds of England.

If a Hunt may bo said to be at its zenith when out-
lay is the predominant feature of its establishment, it
cannot be doubted that the P.H. touched that point
duriug the reign of the magnificent Lord of Bretby.
" Money no object'^ was the handwriting on every wall,
and in every stall ; and it is probable that a finer lot of
horses were never got together than were to be found at
Brixworth between the years 1838 and 1841. Himself
the glass of fashion, if not quite the mould of form, the
noble Master determined that everything should be
carried out in accordance with the usual style of his
expenditure at Bretby and elsewhere ; and nothing was
omitted to make the entourage perfect at every point.

1 02 1 he Pytcliley Htuit^ Past and Present, [chap. iti.

Riding full sixteen stone^ weight-carriers of the highest
class formed the stud of the Master; and rig'ht well did
he make his way across the big grass and through the
stiff bullfinches of the Pytchley coantry.

One dry afternoon in March^ the hounds ran fast from
Langborough to Stoke Wood. Four men had the best
of it throughout^ Lord Chesterfield upon his favourite
" Marmion " being one. Whilst " Derry '^ and " Ginger ^*
Stubbs were struggling in the Loatland brook, Marmion
was sailing away, and safely landed with his welter-
weight on the other side ; and when the fox was run
into after a capital fifty minutes, the Master was there,
but no Huntsmen. On another occasion, when riding
Claxton, his sixteen stone did not prevent the Master
being well up in a clipping forty minutes from Berrydale
to Moulton. Running through Cottesbrooke '''cow-
pastures,'^ leaving Spratton on the right and by '• Merry
Tom,^' the hounds quitted Pitsford on the left^ crossed
Boughton Green, and ran into their fox a little beyond
Moulton village. In crossing Ci'eaton brook, " Derry ^■'
left both his stirrups behind him, but was well up at the
finish. Two unusually long runs at this time occurred
with a fox from Long Hold, who, on the first occasion,
beat his pursuers in the shades of evening at Earls Bar-
ton ; and, on the second, fairly outran them at Kettering.
Mr. Smith, Lord Chesterfield's successor, had a cut at
the same gallant fox in the following season, but unsuc-
cessfully, looking at it from Ms point of view. He fancied
that he subsequently had the mit^fortune to chop him in
the Lamport shrubberies.

The secret of Lord Chesterfield beings able to live
with his hounds (bought from Mr. Rowland Errington

CHAP. III.] Earl of Chesterfield, Master

lo

on giving up the Quorn) when they ran fast^ con-
sisted in his knowing how to gallop, a far more diffi-
cult thing to do than most people imagine. The
general idea is that any fool can make his horse put his
best leg first. Hear what " Nimrod ^^ has to say on this
point : — ^^ I have known numbers of men/' writes he,
" who had plenty of nerve and who could ride well, who
never saw a run when the pace was really fast. The
reason of this was, that they were not quick themselves :
they lost time at their fences, and seemed afraid to
gallop. It requires more nerve and a finer finger to
put a horse along at his best pace over rough ground
and among grips, than to ride over big fences ; but
without doing this, no man will be able to ride up to
hounds in a real good scent."

Like his predecessor, Jack Stevens, and man}'' another
brilliant first Whip, '^Derry " lacked most of the essen-
tials that go to constitute a Huntsman ; and in an
establishment where everything was splendid, he, to use
the words of that excellent sportsman. Lord Charles
Russell, was '^ the splendid failure." During his first
season, Lord Chesterfield took up his quarters at the
George Hotel at Northampton ; after which he moved
to Abington Abbey — the old-fashioned seat of a family
who had long held an honoured name among the ancient
Squirearchy. The hearty cordial manner and ringing
laugh of Harvey, the last of the Thursby Squires, is still
fondly remembered by a few surviving- friends ; as
is that member of the family, who, as Rector of the
parish, won the hearts of all by his good looks, winning
address, love of sport, and attention to his duties.

Courteous and genial with all, Lord Chesterfield made

104 ^-^^ Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap.ih.

himself generally popular ; but his Mastership was far
from being a complete success. Surrounded by com-
panions who delighted to turn night into day^ and who
neither in manners nor habits suited the idiosyncrasies
of the country gentlemen, the hunting-atmosphere
absorbed a taint which soon began to make itself felt.
Late to bed meant " late to rise ;" and so great was
the unpunctuality at the Meets that a feeling of dis-
satisfaction grew to be universal. To be kept waiting
upwards of an hour for the Master was not unprovo-
cative of impatience, if not anger : but when the delay
was caused by the non-arrival of one, who, though
afterwards a lady of title, was at no time an ornament
to the social inorale, the burden was no longer to be
endnred.

At the close of the season of 1840, Lord Chesterfield
shook from oft* his feet the dust of Pytchley entangle-
ments, returning into his own county.

Noble as was the inheritance of the Lord of Bretby,
the winnings of a ^^ Priam" and a "Don John," an
"Industry" and a ^^ Lady Evelyn,'^ did not suffice to
fill the gaps made by rubbers and inordinate expenditure.
The vampire " hazard ^^ sucked the life-blood out of a
princely estate, and 20O,00OZ. disappeared within the
precincts of a Gehenna of St. James's Street, known as
Crockford's Club. The end was a mere matter of time.
The usual Nemesis awaited the lordly punter ; the wave
of ruin swept over fair Bretby and all its pleasant
associations ; and after a while, an unpropertied title
passed to a far distant kinsman. The Earl heading tbe
illustrious " trio ""^ will be referred to when the Woodland
potentates come under review.

CHAP. III.] '' Gmger^^ Stubbs. 105

Another of the good riders of these days — perhaps the
best of all — was the Hon. Wilbrahara Tollemache, a
member of Lord Chesterfield^s suite, who could not find
it in his heart to play second fiddle to any man when the
most harmonious of all music was filling the air. Any
one within hail of him had at all times the satisfaction
of feeling that he was as near the hounds as he ought to
be.

An individual much en evidence in a Pytchley field
at this date was the well-known '* Ginorer Stubbs." In
appearance_, manner, and habits, no one ever earned the
title of ^^ sporting-looking cove " more than this some-
what notorious gentleman. Dapper and neat as a new
pin from head to foot_, always wearing a faultless white
linen scarf, and with clothes fitting to perfection, he bore
with him that caveat emptor air which seemed to say
*' beware." A good horseman with plenty of nerve, Lis
chief delio-ht in huutino- seemed to consist in ridino- over
big places in cold blood. What hounds were doing was
to him a matter of comparative indifference, but a double
post and rail or a wide piece of water were temptations
not to be resisted with a " gallery '' looking on. The
vision of this gentleman riding at two rails with a young
'^ quick " between, on a horse of his friend Billy Russell,
comes before the writer as though it were yesterday.
The fence was in one of the big grass-fields between
Kelmarsh and Clipston, and though hounds were only
on their way to draw, the wide place and the large field
were impulses not to be withstood. The far rail brought
horse and rider to grief ; and though '^ the gallery " in-
dulged in uncomplimentary remarks as to the folly of
the " show-off,''' it was felt that the pluck of the attempt

io6 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and P^'esent. [chap.ih.

almost covered the amount of " swagger " that incited
it. To the friend who mounted him he had a habit of
saying, '^ Fll do your animal justice /^ and accordingly
takiug for hi-3 motto, " Fiatjustitia, mat Ginger/' he soon
made it clear to himself and to others whether or no the
horse of his friend was troubled with the '' jumps." He
rarely saw a run to its close, "grief ^' usually overtaking
him long before the journey was completed. Living much
in a society whose members did not on all occasions '^ take
the first turn to the right and go straight on/^ he him-
self began to tread the tortuous pathways of the turf.
A cloud arose under which this mighty " lepper '* dis-
appeared from view, and out of which he had not emerged,
when his name appeared on the list of those who hence-
forth were to be sought for under, rather than above, the
turf.

Amongst the county gentlemen hunting at this time
were Messrs. Charles aud Quintus Yivian, Mr. Bouverie,
Mr. W. C. Nethercote (Eoyal Horse Guards), Sir Jus-
tinian Isbam, Bart., Mr. Vere Isham, Mr. Harris of
Wootton, Mr. Wood of Brixworth, Mr. T. Wood of
Arthingworth, Mr. E. Knightley, Mr. G. Payne, Mr.
Hungerford, Lord Cardigan, Mr. Tryon, Mr. W. Neville :
the field being principally made up by strangers staying
at Brixworth and Market Harborough.

Occasionally appearing at a Meet near the last-
mentioned town was one who held the same high
position among professional horsemen that Assbeton
Smith did amoug gentlemen-riders — Dick Christian.

Powerful in the saddle, perfectly fearless, and ready to
undertake a mount which most men would decline
without thanks, he was in constant request to act as

CHAP. III.] Dick Christian. 107

scIlooI master to the young horses of the Meltonians, and
also to ride steeple-chases. Talkative and fond of
dilating, the '' Druid '^ has filled half a volume with
entertaining anecdotes of the exploits of himself and
others of the same persuasion. One of Dick's earliest feats
seems to have been to jump a flock of sheep. He thus
describes it in his own words : ^^ I once jumped a whole
flock of sheep near Gadesby in Mr. Osbaldeston's time.
I think we'd found at the Coplow. They had scuttled
into a corner. Hounds were running like mad. I sends
my horse at the rails and clears the sheep every one of 'em.
My horse he hits the top of the rail and goes clear baug
on his head. The shepherd he shouts, ' Now hang you,
that just sarves you right.'' I says, ' So it does, old
fellow,' and I gathers myself up and kills our fox at
Eagdale. Deary me ! horses has rolled on me times and
often ; squeezed me, bones broke, and all that sort of
thing. I was with Mat Milton for some time; got
five guineas a week, and lived as he did — meat and
drink best as was. He sold ninety-six horses to the
gentlemen the season I was with him. Poor little Matty !
I killed him. Old Matty would make him follow me. I
well nigh drownded him two or three times. My reglar
orders were ^ to go and ketchem,' and the little chap
(he was such a nice little boy !), only fourteen, was never
to leave me. At those very owdacious places, poor little
feller, he used to holler out, ^ Dick, where are yer ? '
He couldn't spy me for them bullfinches, and didn't
know if I were up or down. When I see those sort, I
says, ^ Matty, here's a rum un afore us, ketch hold, and
don't fear nothing.' "

Poor little Matty ! his experience of the " ups and
downs " of life did not last long, and consumption all too

io8 The Pytchlcy Flunt, Past and Present, [chap. m.

soon distracted his attention from those Christian lessons
which, were ill-adapted to a weakly constitution. From
the following incident it would seem that the worthy
tutor of poor Matty was quite equal to a " plant/^ and
by no means lived the " nescia fallere vita.'' '' I had
a queer go near here one day when I was with Mat
Milton. I had three horses out, all bays^ and so like,
you couldn't tell the three asunder. Two of 'em were
placed for me. The first horse stood still with me going
through those sheep-pens on the right yonder. The
second was close by, and then I tires it. Two farmers,
John Parker and Jack Perkins, them were two owdacious
boys at that time of day — had been riding against me
like fury, and never left me. I gets on to my third horse
and rides him to the end of the run. The swells didn't
know but what it was the same horse I had been riding
all the time, and Mat sold him for three hundred guineas :
he wasn't worth one hundred. He popped it on stiff;
but the gentlemen then would just as soon give three
hundred or two hundred as one. Blame me ! the more
you asked them the better they liked it."

In contravention of the prevailing idea, Christian did
not look upon the "confidential mount" as an especially
safe one. *' Gentlemen," he used to saj^, " gets falls very
bad ; you see they're generally on old horses, and the
old 'uns fall like a clot if they get into difficulties. Blame
me ! they won't try to get out ; they haven't the
animation of a young horse. Those young 'uns will try
to struggle themselves right ; and they'll not touch you
if they can help it. I'll be bound I'd be safer riding
twenty young horses than one old one." He also would
declaim acrainst what are well known in the horse-world

CHAP. III.] Dick Christia7t. 109

as '^ great natural jumpers." '''Great natural jumpers/'
Dick was wont to affirm, '' are desperate dangerous — they
won't collect themselves and get out of danger : if
people get killed, a hundred to one them great natural
jumpers does it. When they are a little pumped, down
we comes with a smasher, and you gets killed or goes on
by yourself into the next field/' Dick was dead against /
" larking ; " and vowed that many a good fencer had
been disgusted by it and utterly ruined. Speaking of
'^ Daniel Lambert/' the celebrated welter-weight then
living at Stamford, he says, '' I knew Dan, and he
knew me. He used to dress like a groom, and lived
quite private. There wasn't theu much more than forty
stone of him, but he got to be fifty latterly. He could
set a ^ cock ' uncommon well, for all he could hardly get
near the table for his bulk. He was a cheery man in
company, but shyish at being looked at." The too-solid
flesh that would not melt from off poor Daniel's huge frame
brought him to a comparatively early grave ; but his
clothes may still be inspected on payment of a trifling
sum ; and a painting of him as he appeared in the flesh
decorates the sign-post of a small inn in his native
town.

Christian's chief object of worship was Mr. Assheton
Smith ; and he used to say of him that ^' nothing ever
turned him /' and he was fond of pointing out a big
ravine near the " Coplow," jumped by his hero, which
lie described as '^ twelve feet perpendicular and twenty-
one across." " He got a many falls, and always
seemed to ride loose, and went slant ways at his jumps. 1
It's a capital plan ; the horse gets his measure better. !
If you put his head quite straight, it's measured for him ;

I lo TJie PyfcJiley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. m.

i£ you put liim slantish, lie measures it for himself.
When Mr. A. Smith rode at timber^ he always went slap
at the post, because he said it made the horse fancy that
he had more to do than he really had.''

One of the most remarkable occurrences of this rouo-h-
and-ready horse-breaker's long life must have been the
one described by himself as follows : " Yes, I remember
Bill Wright of Uppingham. He was a good-hearted
chap, but used such very vulgar language. Bill and me
were partick'lar friends ; boys together in the racing
stable. We once quarrelled out hunting with Lord
Lonsdale. If we didn't get to whipping each other !
for three miles straight across country, cut for cut. All
the gentlemen shouting, ^Well done, Dick! Well
done, Bill ! ' It pleased them uncommon. We took
our fences reg'lar. If he was first over, he waited for
me. If I had fell, he'd have jumped on me, and blamed
if I wouldn't have jumped smack on the top of him!
We fought back-hand \ any way we could cut. I was
as strong as an elephant then. We pulled our horses
slap bang against each other. He gives me such tinglers
on the back and shoulders, but I fetches him a clip
with the hook end of my whip on the side of the head,
such a settler, and gives him a black eye. Then I says,
' Bill, will you have any more ? ' We were like brothers
a'most after that. It was all a mistake. He thought
I'd 'a-been crabbing a grey horse he wanted to sell. We
were the biggest of friends after that, Bill and me."

It was not until after he had scored his eightieth year
that this hero of a thousand falls was laid beneath the
green grass over which he had galloped ten thousand thou-
sand times, and though in '^ Cap " Tomline and the well-

CHAP. III.]

Dick Christian.

1 1 1

known Dick Webstei' he had worthy successors in his pro-
fession^ never again can we expect to see a second Dick
Christian. To the man of sporting proclivities troubled
with ennui, to read the " Christian Lectures/' compiled
and arranged by the " Druid/' will be a means of causing
a heavy hour or two to pass more pleasantly than that
adopted by the bed-ridden old woman, who, when asked
how she contrived to get through the day, replied, '' Well,
you see, I prays a bit, and I coughs a bit, and I spits a
bit, and it all helps to pass the time.''

1 1 2 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. iv.

CHAPTER lY.

Me. T. "Gentleman" Smith, Master, 1840— Sir Feancis H.
G00DEICE.E, Masiei% 1842-44 — The Brixworth Sporting-Pauper
—Me. Geoege Payne, Master, 1844-48 — Mr. Bouverie and
Mr. C. C. P. Greville, his turf-confederates — '* Alarm," " Speed
the Plough," and "West Australian "—Whist-plajing, 1836—
Lord De Eos accused of cheating ; and his action for slander — Mr.
Payne a witness ; his cross-examination — Sir W. Ingilby, a
■witness — Lord Alvanley's bon-mot — Mr. Payne's avidity for
speculation ; one in tallow — " Dirty Dick " — Fatal accidents in
the hunting-field to Mr. Sawbridge and Lord Inverury — Mr.
Payne, a good host — His iron constitution — Warm affection for
his sisters and brother — Letter to Mr. ISTethercote on the latter 's
death — A regular church-attendant — A good " whip " — Sam
Daniel, J. Harris, J. Meecher, Davis, and Jem Pearson, popular
coachmen, till ruined by railways — An inebriated horse — Mr.
Payne and his brother, bad cricketers — Excellence of the Korth-
amptonshire Cricket Club — Mr. Payne a skilful pugilist, and a
patron of the P.R. — Presentation of a silver Epergne — Resigns
the Mastership, 1848, and retires from the hunting-field — His
death — Song in his honour by a Northamptonshire farmer.

After tlie resignation of Lord Chesterfield, the Pytchley
country went a-begging for several months, and it was
not until late in the season that Mr. T. " Gentleman ''
Smith of the Craven Hunt was induced by the liberality
of Lord Cardigan to assume the Mastership. It was no
light matter to follow such a prince as the Lord of Bretby
in such a country as the Pytchley ; but confident in his
ability to show sport, Mr. Smith ventured upon the
responsibility of getting an establishment together. The
new chief was preceded by a great reputation acquired

CHAP. IV.] T. ^'Gentleman ' Smithy Master. ii

o

in Berkshire and elsewhere, and in no way did he belie
it. A more thorough Master of the " noble science,"
or one whose thoughts were more completely engrossed
in the ways of ^^fox and hounds," probably never carried
a horn. Living en garqon in Brixworth, with the as-
sistance of Jack Goddard as first, and Jones as second
whip, he contrived to get a deal of successful work out of
the worst lot of hounds and horses that had ever been
seen in the Pytchley country. The former were a part
of Lord Chesterfield's pack, purchased by the Hunt for
four hundred pounds after twenty couple had been
selected by Derry and sent to Lord Ducie, which it was
said were all hanged from being so incorrigibly wild !
With hounds such as these, and horses varying in value
from sixty to twenty pounds, there was an amount of
sport during these two seasons which had not been
approached during the splendour of the reign of Mr-
Smithes predecessor. A fine and powerful horseman,
the animal he rode, however valueless in appearance, was
bound to be pretty near hounds, " pace not fences "
being the only real difficulty. So delighted was Lord
Cardigan said to be at the close of an excellent run, that
he is reported to have fairly embraced the skilful hunts-
man who had been the means of causing him so much
pleasure. The subscriptions not beicg sufficient to
enable Mr. Smith to hunt four days a week, and meet
the difficulties of a weak establishment, at the close of his
second season he resigned office ; and for the seventh
time in ten years, the Pytchley were seeking a new
Master.

Again Lord Cardigan came to the rescue with pecu>
niary aid, and Sir Francis Goodricke — brothor-in-law to

I

114 ^^^^ Pytchley Httnt, Past and Present, [chap. iv.

Mr. George Payne — with " Smith ^^ from the Brocklesby
country as his huntsman, andJohnson and Ned Kingsbury
for whips, assumed the direction of affairs. A more
absolutely unsuccessful or unpopular huntsman than
the one imported by Sir F. Goodricke never issued out
of the Brixworth kennels ; and the Master himself nob
having the knack of making himself liked, the new
management only just outlasted two seasons.

At this particular period, dropping for a brief space
like a meteor upon the Pytchley meets, appeared a figure
which might truthfully be said to have been the cynosure
of all eyes. Many a Hunt has had the honour of wel-
coming at its meet a mounted empress and a mounted
prince, but to the P.H. alone has it been granted to
number amongst its " field ^' a mounted pauper in the
actual receipt of out-door relief from the Guardians of a
County-Union !

Mounted on an aged and dilapidated-looking bay horse,
how procured no one knew, and wearing on the place
where his nose used to grow, a square of plaister, this
sporting item of impecuniosity became the observed of
all observers. The " get-up " of this attractive member
of the field was strictly in accord with his social monetary
position, and with the aspect and demeanour of his steed.
Booted and breeched, it would have been difficult to
assign a date for the original construction of either of
these garments, but their antiquity did not exceed that
of the tall and glistening hat. Literally as well as
metaphorically, this was the crowning feature of the
whole. To take a slight liberty with a popular song of
the day, it may be said that —

CHAP. IV.] The Brixworth Sp07'ting- Pauper. 115

" A hat so grim was on his head,
Methinks I see it now ;
So wan and thin, with hue of lead,
And grease upon its brow."

However effective might liave been the rest of the
attire, the hat would have spoilt the lot ; and is there any
portion of a man's dress so potent in its effects as a
'^ shockinsr bad hat " ? The comeliest features and the
most aristocratic bearing are alike at the mercy of a hat.
The American poet, Oliver Wendell Holmes, formed his
opinion of a bishop's character and fitness for his office
on seeing him hand over his umbrella to a lady during
a heavy shower, and walk off in a brand-new hat.

Having evidently formed a correct estimate of the
importance of this covering, Mr. Wendell Holmes in one
of his poems is found to say : —

*' Wear a g:ood hat ; the secret of your looks
Rests with the beaver in Canadian brooks.
Virtue may flourish in an old cravat,
But man and nature scorn the ' shocking hat.' "

The Meets near home were naturally those which
this unique specimen of the English citizen principally
affected; but on one occasion ^' Eatepayer ^^ (for by a
fine irony, that must have been the old ^^ crock's^'
name) was made to go as far as Misterton, some
seventeen miles from his stable-door. The historian of
these times tells us that after his long journey
he looked sorry for himself and as if he would
like to " lean against a wall, and think ; '^ but a
rally must have taken place, as we know that he
joined in the chase for a while, and ultimately slept
in his own stable. Hearing of this, his sixth or
seventh day with the hounds, the Guardians seem to

I 2

1 1 6 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. iv.

liave arrived at the conclusion that in the matter of
out-door relief a line should be drawn somewhere. A
proposal made by the chairman of the board that it
should be drawn at hunting, was put to the meeting
and carried, nem. con. From that time, such hunting
as fell to the lot of poor ^^ Nosey " was done upon
two legs instead of four, and he had to realize from
experience the bitter fact that —

" Them as is rich, they rides in chaises ;
Them as is poor must walk like blazes.''

Hat, boots, and breeches, were still retained as an appro-
priate costume for such hunting as might be had on foot,
but the gallant old " Ratepayer " was taken to the kennels
and converted into a dainty dish to set before the hounds.
Few will be found to deny that the remarkable individual
just referred to successfully accomplished a feat without
parallel in the history of his country. To hunt for ever
so short a time at the expense of the payer of rates
is an achievement of which any man may well be proud.
This story may arouse the incredulity of some who read
these pages, but fortunately for the narrator, many still
survive who remember the noseless and impecunious
sportsman, and can vouch for its accuracy.

Should it chance to meet the eye of the Rev. W. Bury,
the present energetic Chairman of the Brixworth Board,
or that of his ^' Fidus Achates," Mr. Albert Pell, they
will wonder of what material Guardians could have been
fashioned some five-and-forty years ago ; taking comfort
from the sure and certain feeling that in this our day the
pauper is as likely to get relief en horseback as he is on
foot, unless he walks into the '^ House.'^

Upon the relinquishment of the reins of office by Sir

CHAP. IV.] Mr. George Payne ^ Alaster. 1 1 j

F. Goodricke^ a fine horseman, but at no time very popu-
lar as an individualj tbey fell into tlie hands of one, who
not only was the idol of his county and of his neighbour-
hood, but also of society itself. For more than half a
century " George Payne ^^ has been a name to conjure
with, not only in Northamptonshire, but in the Avide
sporting-world ; and now that he has passed away for
ever ! its magic seems to have lost but little of its power.
Other districts have had and still have their names to
swear by. The West Riding of Yorkshire has its
Georgre Lane Fox, and Gloucestershire its Duke of Beau-
fort, but there never has been and never will be but one
" George Payne.''' A stalwart form, handsome counte-
nance, winning smile, and a charm of manner never
equalled, took captive all who came within the circle of
their attraction. It w^ould scarcely be going too far to
say that no man ever possessed in the same degree a
similar gift of making himself acceptable to all sorts of
persons. It seemed as though he could at all times reach
the soft spot in any one^s heart, be they of either sex, or
in any condition of life. Heir to a fine place and a
splendid fortune, and endowed with abilities of no
common order, it is no wonder that he entered public life
as a sort of '^ Prince Camaralzaman.""

Oxford was not more successful than Eton in causing
him to appreciate the beauties of Virgil or of Homer ;
and a Greek play was at no time ^* in it" with the
Racing Calendar or the Snorting Magazme. Differing from
the head of his college on matters touching its internal
discipline, he was recommended to seek a more congenial
sphere, and plunging forthwith into the ocean of tempta-
tion, he from that time commenced a career of unchecked

1 1 8 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present, [chap. iv.

extravagance and self-indulgence. Having lost his
father before lie had reached his seventh year^ and with
no one to look to for correction but a fond and too-
indulgent mother, it is not to be wondered at that his
early companions were not all that could be desired.
Inheriting a love for gambling in all its phases, he put
no sort of constraint upon the evil passion^ and before he
had attained his twenty-first year^ cards^ hazard^ and
the turf had begun to undermine his splendid patri-
mony.

It is recorded in the annals of the Doncaster St. Leger,
that in the year in which Mr. Gascoigne^s " Jerry *'
won that great race^ Mr. Payne lost upwards of thirty
thousand pounds^ and that^ before he had come of age.
Undaunted by his ill-success in 1824, in the following
year he followed the advice of Mr. Gully, and by backing
'^ Memnon^^^ for the same race, recouped himself for his
previous losses.

Earely fortunate with his own horses, considering
the number he had in trainings, he occasionally won large
sums backing those of his friends. When " Crucifix "
won the Oaks, his own mare " Welfare ^' ran second.
Her success which seemed imminent for a few seconds,
would have cost him thousands, as he had backed Lord
George Bentinck's famous mare for a large stake, not
dreaming that his own had a shadow of a chance. His
remarks upon his own feelings when it seemed as if he
were going to have the honour of being enrolled upon
the list of winners of the " Oaks,^^ greatly amused those
who heard them.

One of his earliest confederates upon the turf was Mr.
Bouverie of Delapre Abbey, near Northampton, a country

CHAP. IV.] G. Payne^s Tttrf 'Career, 119

squire of tbe old school, who loved to see a thorough-
bred mare with a foal at her side wanderiug under the
elms which throw their shadows up to one of good Queen
Eleanor's most lovely crosses. The colours of one of the
partners being all black, and the other all white, it was
agreed to mix the two, and hence the black and white
stripe so familiar to the race-goer on the back of that
excellent jockey ^''Flatman'^ (Nat the ^' incorruptible ").
To the same origin may be ascribed the colours of the
well-starched, twice- round linen tie, which invariably
encircled the neck of Mr. Payne. Except with ^^ Pyrrhus
the First^' and " War Eagle,'^ the confederacy of these
two Northamptonshire squires was not productive of
very great results. The first, however, when the
property of Mr. Gully, won the Derby of 184^6, and the
second carried off the Doncaster Cup of 1847, having
previously nearly won the great Epsom event in the
same year. As he ran by the side of his dam in Delaprti
Park, so greatly did he win the fancy of Mr. Spencer
Lytteltou, that he immediately backed him to win the
Derby, for which he was only defeated by a neck.

At another period of his turf career, Mr. Payne was
the confederate of Mr. Charles Greville, Clerk of the
Council, an ardent politician, and author of the most
interesting ^^ Memoirs of the Reign of Queen Victoria."
By a noble lord, whose powers of satire were of no mean
order, and who usually wrote with a pen sharply nibbed,
Mr. Payne's ally was described in a ^' Society '' poem of
the day not only as

'* Greville of a noble race,
With nose as long as Portland Place/'

but also as the possessor of qualities by no means of an

I20 TJie Pytchley Himty Past and Present, [chap, iv

endearing nature. How two men so opposite in dis-
position could have worked together so amicably was a
matter of surprise to the friends of each. One silent and
morose, and constantly regretting that he did not " shake
the straw of the racing-stable from off his feet_, and turn
his mind to more worthy objects ; '^ the other always
cheery, loving everything connected with the turf, and
apparently perfectly satisfied with the course he was pur-
suing. The first the least, the second the most popular
man in England ; and yet they got on together as though
they were made for each other. Mr. Greville owned many
a good horse during his career ; the best of which were
'^ Pussy,'' winner in 1834 of the ''Oaks/' '^ Mango " of
the '' St. Leger/' '' Ariosto," " Muscovite," and '' Alarm."
Had the latter proved successful in the Derby of 1852,
which he undoubtedlv would have been had he not been
kicked by another horse at the starting-post and rendered
hors-de-comhatj Mr. Payne would have been thirty
thousand pounds richer than he was before the race.
Undoubtedly the best horse of his year, "Alarm''
afterwards won the " Cambridgeshire " under a heavy
weight, thereby rendering the disappointment of tte
''Derby" all the keener. '^ Welfare," " Clementina,'^
''Ascot," " Glauca," " The Trapper," '' Glendower," all
ran in the ''black and white check" so familiar to the
eye of turfites ; and all lay claim to a certain amount
of merit ; but it was of the degree usually disastrous to
owners — good enough to back, but not good enough to
win when most wanted.

During an unusually long career on the turf, Mr.
Payne cannot be said to have possessed one horse of
first-rate powers, unless " Musket," a legacy from his

cKAr. IV.] Q, Payne, a Whist-Player. 121

friend Lord Glasgow_, may lay claim to that distinc-
tion.

It is not a little singular that as with a filly of second-
rate ability he seemed as though he were about to defeat
the best mare probably that ever was foaled, so with a
very inferior animal called *^ Speed the Plough ^^ he acci-
dentally beat '^ West Australian '^ — one of the greatest
horses of the turf — for the ^'Criterion" of 1852. This
astounding derangement of all racing form^ arose from a
mal-practice — to speak euphemistically — on the part of
the jockey who rode him. Wishing another horse,
^' Sittingbourne/' which was trained by his brother, to
win the race, the favourite was deliberately ^^ pulled/^
and '' Speed the Plough ^^ coming up with an unexpected
rush, the mighty West had to lower his colours to an
animal which two days afterwards he defeated out of
sight for the Glasgow Plate.

A constant attendant at race-meetings, anywhere and
everywhere, no form was more familiar at such places
than that of the wearer of the black frock coat, and the
black and white linen necktie. It used indeed to be said
of George Payne, that if all the money he had spent in
the hire of post-chaises in pre-railway days had been
capitalized, the interest would have formed a fair income
for a moderate man.

In addition to racing, cards and speculation of every
description contributed to dissipate the originally splendid
fortune of the owner of Sulby_, Pytchley, and other North-
amptonshire estates. At a time when whist took high rank
as a science, though George Payne might have been in-
chided among the *^ wranglers^^ he could at no time have
considered himself the equal of Lord Henry Bentinck, the

122 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. iv.

Hon. George Anson^ Sir Eainald Knightley, or Mr. Clay.
These too were not quite on tlie same level with three
or four of the French division, who w^ere considered to
play a somewhat more scientific game than the English-
men.

One of the most painful incidents in the life of the
subject of this memoir was connected with the whist-
table — an affair v/hich for a time may be said to have
fairly convulsed society. Amongst the most prominent
members of ^^ high life '^ at this time, 1836, and amongst
the most assiduous devotees of whist was Henry, Lord
De Ros, premier Baron of England. A long course of
success both at that game and ecarte, coupled with other
circumstances, had brought the noble gamester under
suspicion, and it was determined that he should be
watched while playiug at Graham^s Club in St. James's
Street. The first hint of foul play appeared in the
Satirist, a slanderous and disreputable precursor of
the society-papers of the present day. The allusion
sufiiciently denoting the party referred to, Lord De Ros
directed proceedings to be taken against that journal for
a libel. One of the members of the club, however — Mr.
Gumming — undertook himself to " bell the cat," and
justified the assertion that the noble lord had ^^ played
foully.'' Upon this Lord De Ros brought his action
against Mr. Gumming instead of against the newspaper,
and the trial came ofi" before Lord Chief Justice Den-
man, Sir John Campbell being counsel for the com-
plainant. There were two accusations against Sir John's
client, one that he practised the trick called " sauter
la coupe/' i.e. changing the turn-up card, the other
of marking the card so as to ensure an ace or king every

CHAP. IV.] G. Payne ^ a Whist-Player.

123

time he dealt. Several witnesses testified to the latter
fact_, and Sir William Ingilby declared that he had seen
the complainant do the " sauter la coupe/' if not a
hundred, more than fifty times. The jury found for the
defendant, "which virtually established the charge of
cheating against the plaintiff. Mr. Payne being
summoned for the defence, in cross-examination gave the
following evidence : —

Counsel. — You have been a good deal connected with
gambling transactions, I believe ?

Witness. — Yes, I have.

Counsel. — You have lost a great deal of money on the
race-course, and at cards ?

Witness. — Yes, I have.

Counsel. — In the early part of your -career you were
very unfortunate ?

Witness. — Very much so.

Counsel. — You lost, I believe, the whole of your patri-
mony ?

Witness. — I lost a considerable portion of it.

Counsel. — You have been more fortunate latterly ?

Witness. — No, my whole luck has continued pretty
much the same throughout.

The Solicitor-General, replying upon the whole case,
tried to make out that Mr. Payne had joined with Mr.
Brooke Greville and others in a conspiracy against Lord
De Eos, and stigmatized the former as a professional
gambler unworthy of credit. He went so far as to say
that the witness — Payne — having begun as a dupe,
ere long crystallized into something worse. This, the
last ounce of abuse, fairly broke the back of the
calumniated " camel," and so exasperated him that

124 TJie PytcJiley Hunt^ Past and Present, [chap. iv.

lie resolved to take personal vengeaDce upon his legal
traducer.

For this purpose he waited two or three afteruoons,
armed with a horsewhip^ in the neighbourhood of the
law courts^ but happily the opportunity he sought did
not present itself; and after a while, through the good
offices of Lord Althorp_, peace was restored between the
abuser and the abused.

Lord De Ros did not long survive the social ostracism
consequent upon the verdict of the jury, and sank into
an early and dishonoured grave. Lord Alvauley — the
wit and bon-vivant of the day — on being asked if Lord
De Ros had left a card upon him since the trial, replied,
^" Yes, and when I saw that it was not marked, I felt
sure he did not mean it for an honour.''^ He also con-
cocted a mock epitaph for the peccant victim to cards,
which he concluded with the words, ^^ In patient expec-
tation of the last trump."

A still more remarkable instance of cheating at cards
was that of the famous Lord Barrymore, the first of the
" Plungers," who whilst playing whist with C. J. Fox,
took advantage of the large metal buttons on his oppo-
nent's coat to see what cards his hand was composed of !
The career of this young nobleman, who was acciden-
tally shot by his own servant in his twenty-fourth year,
has never been equalled for recklessness, extravagance,
and dissipation.

Ready to play for stakes of any amount — the higher
the better — George Payne was of far too friendly a
nature to refuse to take a hand at shilling-whist in a
country house. On these occasions the interest he
evinced in the game was much the same as if the points

CHAP. IV.]

George Payne ^ Master.

125

had been five pounds, and twenty-five the rub. It was a
treat to hear him tell of how at one hotel at Hyeres he
once sat down with three Frenchmen after the table-
d'hote, and played for hours at ^'sou^' points, and a franc
the rub. But it was not by the turf, or " bits of paste-
board/^ or the " ivories ^' alone, that thousands melted
from his grasp. There was nothing from the " Three per
Cents " to Russian tallow in which he would not speculate.
The investment he made in the latter, during the early
days of the Crimean War, will not soon be forgotten by
those who witnessed the delivery of the article. A few
days subsequent to the completion of the purchase, while
still in bed at Long's Hotel, he was awoke by the porter
to be told ^^ that the people had brought the tallow,
and were waiting for orders.''^ Hurrying down stairs he
found to his dismay that Bond Street was so crowded
with carts laden with tallow to be delivered at his
address, that the street-traffic was seriously impeded.
No one was more amused at the absurdity of his posi-
tion than himself, and having extricated himself from it
as quickly as he could, he vowed that that should be
" his last speculation in that cursed stuff.^^

As Master of the Pytchley, George Payne was pre-
emiuently the right man in the right place. Devoted
to hunting, and popular with all, the announcement that
he was willing once more to be Master of the P.H. was
received with general satisfaction. Sulby Hall having by
this time passed into other hands, he made Pitsford Hall
his head-quarters, and became his own Huntsman, taking
Charles Payn and Ned Kingsbury ("Dirty Dick")
I'or his first and second Whips. Ned, formerly
rough-rider to Tilbury of Pinner, while acting strictly

126 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Prese^it, [chap. iv.

up to orders, did his master a bad turn on one occasion.
Four kennel-horses having been bought of an M.F.H.
selling off, for a hundred pounds, the worst of the lot, as
far as appearance went, was handed over to the second
whip. Falling in with a good thing, the despised one of the
quartett acquitted himself so well, that the owner was
asked whether he was disposed to sell ? ^^ Let us see
him perform once more,^' was the reply, and when his
turn came again, the orders his rider received were, ^' If
they run, put him along, and get all out of him you
can.^' They did run — he was put along — and all that was
in him was got out of him, never to return, as he died
soon after from being over-ridden.

Afraid of nothing, '^ Dirty Dick/^ civillest and most
untidy of whips, had the ugliest seat on horseback that
can well be imagined ; but an animal, bad to ride,
generally met his master when Ned Kingsbury had the
handling of him. Ned was a useful servant, but sadly
given to taking more than was goo.d for him. One day,
during early cub-hunting, he appeared at the meet,
evidently " disguised in liquor.^^ This so exasperated
his master, that he not only gave him a sound thrashing
there and then, but bade him ^^ never more be officer of
mine." The latter threat yielded to an earnest petition
offered by the wife of '^ Ebriosus," that rather than quit
Mr. Payne's service, he would prefer to remain as " boiler
or anything.^''

Riding some fifteen stone, he required wellbred power-
ful horses, and in '^ Field Marshal,^^ '^ John BulV^ and the
" Merry Shepherd," he obtained them. It is upon " Field
Marshal," that he was mounted in Barraud's well-known
picture of the ^^ Meet at Crick,^^ a somewhat ragged-

CHAP. IV.]

George Paynie, Master,

127

hipped grey, witli great power, and a hunter all over.
A powerful and determined horseman, and knowing well
how to make the best of his way over ridge and furrow,
he rarely failed to be with his hounds at the right
moment. The tones of his voice being especially rich
and vocal, it was a treat to hear him encouraging hounds
in cover ; and his cheer, when they set-to to run hard,
was a thing not easily to be forgotten. The echo of these
notes may still ring in the ears of a few who were present
at an unlooked-for gallop from Cottesbrooke to Harleston
Heath. The meet was at Stanford Hall, but the frost
was so severe that on arriving at Cold Ashby, where tLe
hounds were awaiting the Master, hunting was voted
impracticable. The second whip was sent on to proclaim
the fact of the return home of the hounds, and the
ground being less bard in the low parts about Stanford
Hall, the announcement was received with equal surprise
and disgust. Amongst those who rode homeward with
the hounds, were Lord Clifden, then living at Brixworth
Hall, Mr. Davenport Bromley, Lord Bateman, and Mr.
H. 0. Nethercote. Before reaching Cottesbrooke a
marked change in the weather had taken place, and
riding seemed to have become practicable. Attempts were
made to induce the Master to try for a fox, which he
refused to do, urging the scolding he should get from all
those who had gone home under the belief that there was
to be no hunting. On approaching the Hall, Mr. Daven-
port Bromley again assailed Mr. Payne with a petition
for ''just one try — only one — in that plantation opposite
the stables. '' Under the full belief that it did not hold
anything except a hare or a rabbit, the Master consented
to run the hounds through it. No sooner were they in

128 The Pyfchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. iv.

at oue end than out went a noble-looking fox at the
other, and Mr. Payne's cheer might have been heard at
Brixworth. Passing the lodges and sinking the hill
towards Hollowell, he bore to the left, and leaving Teeton
and Holdenby behind him, just contrived to reach
Harleston Heath, where he saved his brush by getting
to ground. "A proper row you fellows have got me
into/' was the Master's remark upon receiving the con-
gratulations of the half-dozen fortunate participants of
the gallop. ^^It's all very well for you to call it a d — d
good thing, but it's a d — d bad thing for me, and I shall
never hear the end of it.'' Nor was he far wrong in
feeling that his good-nature had got him into a scrape.
For many a succeeding post he kept receiving out-
pourings of heart from those who had had to turn away
from so favourite a meet as Stamford Hall ; and on its
becoming known that a capital run had taken place on
that same day, a perfect storm of reproaches set in.
They who were the cause of the offence did their " level
best " to bear their share of the blame, and after a while
another good run obliterated the recollection of the oue
that had been lost. During the whole of this time, the
average sport was far superior to what it is now that
surrounding circumstances are so different from what they
were. A run from " Naseby Covert " or ^^ Tally-ho^' to
the ^' Hermitage " or " Brampton Wood " was an event of
no infrequent occurrence in those days, and from the
stoutness of its foxes, Badby Wood became quite a
favourite draw. For two or three seasons ^^ Cank "
rivalled '^ Crick "" in popularity, and the Wednesday side
was looked upon as safe to produce a good day's sport.
The Badby foxes had acquired a habit, on being roused

CHAP. IV.] M7\ G. Payne. 129

from their lair, of making hard all for the Bicester
country, and on many a Saturday night, nine o^clock
had struck before the wearied hounds had reached their
kennels at Brixworth. ^^ Crick Goi'se," formed in 1817,
and "Waterloo/' which came into existence about the
same time, have from their relative merits been the most
popular of the Pytchley coverts ; while in point of anti-
quity " Yelvertof t Fieldside " lays claims to precedence
over all its fellows. For many a year, neither " Crick''
nor " Waterloo '^ was in higher favour than " Misterton
Gorse;'"' but latterly, either the virtue has gone out of
the foxes that frequent these strongholds, or the enor-
mous fields in the first part of the day prevent the possi-
bility of sport. Amid many fine runs with George Payne,
a fifty minutes from Crick Gorse to Naseby Keservoir
sticks tenaciously to the memory of the writer; as does
another, one dull November afternoon, from near No-
bottle Wood to Cottesbrooke village. This run retains
especial hold on the memory, from the fact that darkness
having begun to cover the earth, it was necessary to call
in the aid of a cottager's lantern to allow of the perform-
ance of the fox's obsequies. For some time before
the end it had been a case of touch and go — and
more of the first than the second — with the fences;
and had it not been for the friendly light, hounds
■would have enacted this final operation, heard but
unseen,

As Althorp House was passed, the present owner
then ten years old, stood watching the scene, and can
now tell from tradition every yard of the line.

Two unusually painful incidents occurred to leave
their mark upon the second period of Mr. Payne's

K

130 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present, [chap. iv.

Mastership — eacli ending in the death of a temporary
member of the Hunt. A singular coincidence attending
these melancholy occurrences, was that in either case
the same fence, and a post and rail under Winwick
Warren, brought about the fatal result. The first of
the two victims to timber was a Mr. Sawbridge, an
elderly gentleman hunting from the '^ Coacli and
Horses" at Brixworth. On a frosty morning, the
meet being Chilcoats (a name unknown to the modern
Pytchley Hunt), Mr. Sawbridge^s horse slipped in the
act of jumping a post and rail, and fell heavily upon
his rider. Scarcely alive, the unfortunate gentleman
was carried to Mr. LovelFs house at the Warren,
where, without a hope of recovery, he lingered for
some hours. Though a stranger, with the kindness
so characteristic of himself, Mr. Payne remained at
the bedside of the sufferer till all was over. Years
after the sad occurrence, in reply to a question on
the point, he said, ^^ I asked the poor fellow if he
would like to see a clergyman, and to my great sur-
prise he replied, ''' No, thank you, there's no necessity,
as I was at church last Sunday ! ''

The child who told the school-inspector that Adam
and Eve were turned out of Paradise because they had
displeased their parents and friends (!) showed little less
ignorance than did this septuagenarian sportsman of the
Christian scheme. That children, however, do not enjoy
a monopoly of lack of accuracy in Scripture-teachings is
clear from a ^letter of Canon Wilberforce, who writing
from Ryde to a friend, says : — '^ A lady here — a mother
of seven children, and a member of my Bible-instruction
class — told me the other day that '^ Jonah was thrown

CHAP. IV.] Mr. G. Payne, 1 3 1

out of tlie ark by Noali, and was snapped up by a whale
passing by ! '^

T. Oliver, the celebrated steeple-chase rider_, on his
death-bed was invited to summon some clergyman to see
him. " I only wish to see one/' he replied, " Parson
Eussell, out of Devonshire/' Mr. Kussell was written to,
and came immediately.

In the following season the same " post and rail/'
though not at the identical spot, caused the death of as
fine a young officer as ever entered her Majesty's service.
Lord Inverurie, heir to the earldom of Kintore, and a
lieutenant in the 17th Lancers, had for some weeks in
the season of 1843 been hunting from the ^' Coach and
Horses " at Brixworth.

In a fast twenty minutes from Hemplow Hills, nobody
had gone better than the young Scotch lord upon his
favourite mare, " Quatre Ace." Patting her approvingly
npon the neck when the gallop was over, he pronounced
her to be '^ as good a bit of stuff as man ever rode."
Within an hour after this expression, she had fallen upon
him and killed him ! Getting a bad start from the Yel-
vertoft cover, it was conjectured that he rode at the rails
referred to in Mr. Sawbridge's case, when his mare, a
famous timber-jumper, was somewhat '^ pumped." She
caught the top rail, and fell a complete somersault upon
her unfortunate rider. He gave one groan, threw his
arms upwards, and never spoke again. He was carried
to the house of Mr. Lovell, and Mr. Payne and the Duke
of Montrose, residing at Sulby, remained with him till
all was over !

On being referred to as to the disposal of the body,
Lord Kintore's reply was, '' Where the tree fell, let it lie/'

K 2

1 32 The Pytchley Httnt^ Past and Present, [chap. iv.

and a tablet in Brixworth churcli {tlie oldest church in
England) records the simple fact of his lying near that
spot. Rarely has a fatal accident in the hunting-field
created a greater gloom than this. Beloved in his regi-
ment— a universal favourite — a keen sportsman, and a
bold rider, brightness followed him wherever he went. It
was hard to realize the stern fact that such a one as he,
in full fruition of health, youth, position and popularity^
had passed from among us for ever. At Harrow with
him, though much his senior, the narrator of this sad
event well remembers the eagerness with which the
juvenile sportsman sought to become a member of the
" H.H.^' or " Harrow Hunt," for which his place in the
school had rendered him for a time ineligible. The
'' H.H.'^ here spoken of closely resembles a famous Hunt
in one respect only, namely its initials ; but it is doubt-
ful if the yoang Harrovians did not derive as much
pleasure in the illegitimate pursuit of the rarely- found
hare, as did the older Hambledonians in that of Reynard
himself. H. Roy ston_, afterwards a well-known cricketer
and bowler for the '^ M.C.C.,^^ was Huntsman to the
Harrow hounds ; whilst to his unbounded delight, the
young Scotch lord was appointed to the coveted office
of first (and only) Whip. As the thoughts of the past
arose before him, Charles Lamb's touching lines, —

" My sprightly schoolmate gone before
To that unknown and silent shore,
Shall we not meet as heretofore,
Some summer morning P "

knocked loudly at the heart of the sur\'iving Harrovian,
who, by a few minutes only, escaped witnessing the death
of his old schoolfellow.

*

Chap. IV.] Mr. G. Payne. 133

As a host^ George Payne had few or any equals.
Neither witty nor particularly well-read^ he knew every-
thing that was going on, and had the happy knack of mak-
ing each guest feel that he was an item of some importance
in the party at which he was present. Full of anecdote
and general information on the topics of the day, con-
versation could not flag, and the dinner ever seemed too
short. Those dinners in the little Northamptonshire
village, with George Payne at one end of the table, and
" Billy '' at the other, might well have been looked upon
as nodes ccenceqiie Deoriim ; aud that, in spite of an
occasional going to bed a poorer, if not a wiser man.
The three genii presiding over the little queer-shaped
room into which the guests betook themselves after
dinner, were whist, ecarte, and vingt-et-un. The
amount of the stakes was always tempered to the purse
of the (so far) unshorn lamb ; but a good many sove-
reigns were wont to change hands in the course of the
evening. In reply to a query from the writer of this
narrative to a noble lord who was a guest at Pitsford
Hall, on one of these occasions, he thus writes : —
'' Whist was not the game. We played vingt-et-un until
a very late hour. The party consisted of George and
Billy Payne, two Suttons, Bateman, F. Yilliers, Kooper,
and myself. F. V. lost two hundred and fifty in a very
short time, went to his room, and brought down the
money in new bank-notes, and retired from the contest.
I happened to have thirty-three pounds in my pocket,
my old bailiff having handed me thirty pounds (thi
produce of some trees sold), just as I was starting. I
soon lost this and borrowed some more from G. P. I had
a good deal of luck, and won a hundred ; but the balance

134 1^^^^ Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. .

gradually departed, and left me at the eud of tlie even-
ing with thirty pounds ; therefore only three pounds to
the bad/'

To be obliged to decline a dinner at Pitsford Hall in
those days must have caused much the same disappoint-
ment that Sydney Smith felt, when in refusing an
invitation from a friend, he wrote, " Very sorry can't
accept ; got some first cousins. Wish they were once-
removed ! ^'

Possessed of an iron constitution, the Pytchley Master
of 1844 knew not the meaning of the word fatigue, and
he rarely cared to eat the sandwich he carried with him,
the day of the small portmanteau (carried round the
second horseman''s waist) having then scarcely com-
menced. Quick and impetuous, of a naturally fine
temper, the trials and aggravations of a huntsman's life
rarely, if ever, elicited an unseemly outburst. In a time
of strong words, of which it is not denied that he had a
quiver-full, he rarely let out at individuals ; and of the
bitter sneer or sarcastic allusion, he absolutely knew
nothing. The most frequent recipient of certain words
that lurked on the other side of his tongue, was that
neatest, nicest-looking, most respectable of grooms, John
Cooper. Were he not at hand with the second horse at
the right moment, John Cooper might look out for
squalls, and mostly came in for one of more or less
severity. Always ready to furl sail at any moment, no
" old salt '' cared less for a storm at sea, than did this
faithful old servant for a land-breeze from his master's
mouth. On being sympathized with one day by a strange
groom, on having to put up with some expressions that
w^ere neither parliamentary nor complimentary, he only

CHAP. IV.] Mr. G. Paym. 135

lemarked, "Bless yer, lie don't mean notliing by it;
that's notliing to wliat I'm accustomed to.'''

The dispenser of these winged words is gone where
silence is the only language, but he who bore the
burden of them is still alive, and in the enjoyment of
sucli a competence as is the fruit of long and faithful
service.

One of the most marked characteristics of George
Payne's disposition was his warm affection for his
eisters, and his only brother — known to his intimates as
"Billy Payne.'''' .So greatly did the two brothers differ
in appearance, that nobody could have supposed them to
be in any way related. Thick-set and dumpy in figure,
so short was " brother Bill'" in the leg, that after nego-
tiating some fairly big fence, he would pat his right
thigh, and laughingly say, "Well done, little 'un, you
stuck to the pig's skin right well that time,'" To judge
by his make and shape, few would have given him credit
for great powers of endurance ; but on more than one
occasion when at college, he rode from Cambridge to
Sulby to meet the hounds ; hunted all day, and was back
in his rooms before twelve at night. This is a feat which
few would attempt to accomplish.

A college friend accompanied him on one occasion, but
fatigue overcame him on the homeward ride, and he had
to remain at Bedford for the night, leaving his com-
panion to pursue his way alone. Subject to gout from
his early days, the attacks of which he did not try to
parry by any attention to dietetic rules, he ultimately
fell a victim to it, and died at Pitsford Hall in the summer
of 1848. The grief of the surviving brother for a time
was piteous in the extreme. A letter to a neighbour

1 36 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap, iv.

one who truly lamented tlie loss of an old and kindly-
hearted friend, will show the depth of the affection that
existed between the brothers.

'* My dear , — I am well aware how deeply you would

all feel this awful visitation. I will not attempt to describe
to you my misery, although I hope it may please God to
mitigate the intense agony I now suffer. I have bid adieu
to happiness in this world. The most affectionate and best
of brothers, as well as the most amiable of human beings,
has been snatched away. We were scarcely ever separate
in life, and the future must be a blank to me.'^

Long after he had apparently recovered his spirits,
he loved to recall some speech or act of poor dear ^'^Bill.'^
From his sisters, Mrs. T. Paris and Lady Goodricke —
each holding strong views on religious matters — G. Payne
imbibed a marked distaste to hearing sacred subjects
treated with levity. Making a point of attending church
once on a Sunday, few there were more attentive to what
was going on, and an indifferent address from the pulpit
was not unlikely on his homeward walk to be character-
ized as a d — d bad performance ! Most truly might he
be said to be one of the many

" Who see and hail the better part,
But fail to take it to the heart."

By no means the equal of Messrs. Musters and Os-
baldeston in the number of his athletic successes, as a
coachman or with " the gloves/^ he was something more
than '^ bad to beat.*' At a day when " coaching '' was at
its zenith, and the names of Sir St. Vincent Cotton and
Sir Henry Peyton were as household words, G. Payne took
high rank as a " whip.''' To drive four-in-hand, town or
country, was his great delight; and he doubtless would

CHAP. IV.] Mr, G. Payne, 137

have taken much the same view of the position as the
swell,, who living in the West End, on being invited to
dine with a friend in Bloomsbnry, as if there were no other
mode of getting there except with a coach and four, re-
plied, '^ With pleasure, but where am I to change horses ?"
Exceedingly powerful both in arms and shoulders, Mr.
Payne with his double thong could get the last ounce
out of the wheeler inclined to make his companion do
most of the work, and the point of his lash rarely failed
to reach a leader on the desired spot. Frequently on
the road between London and Northampton, when the
Sulby Squire was on the box of the Northampton coach,
both horses and passengers quickly discovered that some
other hands than those of the accustomed driver held the
reins. Sure but slow were John Harris — most civil —
and S. Daniel — smartest and most polite of Jehus; but
when the turn into the Angel-yard at Northampton was
made without any change of pace, it was clear to the
spectators that a pilot of a higher order than usual was at
the helm. Poor Sam Daniel ! your good looks, engaging
manners, and fund of anecdote, sportiug and otherwise,
made the journey by your side always a pleasant one.
The lad schoolward-bound, forgot for a while Virgilian
and Homeric horrors, as he listened to your pleasant talk ;
and the glass of ale at Dunstable or Hocklifife looked all
the brighter and tasted all the sweeter for your words of
praise of it. The only act of yours, not quite to be for-
given, was, when you rode your inimitable little hack
against the "Telegraph" coach on the 17th October,
1837. To ask a horse to go sixty-six miles continuously
at the rate of ten miles an hour, seems to approach very
nearly the confines of cruelty ; but both horse and rider.

1 38 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. iv.

if the reports of the time are to be believed, completed
the task without suffering any serious fatigue. The
match was made between the rider and Lieutenant
Wellesley of the 12th Lancers, then quartered at
Northampton. The coach and the horse quitted the
Peacock, Islington, at a quarter before six, and Mr.
Daniel arrived at Northampton, amid the acclamations of
a large concourse of people, one minute and a half earlier
than his competitor. The hero of this feat did not
survive to share the fate that after the opening of the
London and Birmingham railway awaited many of his
brethren of the whij). ^^Ichabod^^ was indeed written
on the brows of J. Harris of the Northampton coach,
and J. Meecher of the '^ Nottingham Times/' when each
was reduced to driving a " one-horse bus ^' about the
streets of the town through which for many a year they
had tooled four well-shaped steeds. Nor could '^ Davis,''
driver of the ^' Manchester Telegraph '' — the fastest
coach out of London — entertain kindly thoughts of the
advance of science, when he found himself a " walking
postman '' on certain remote highways and byways of
Northamptonshire. It is scarcely a matter for surprise
that, in common with many a brother of the craft
of which he was so great a master, he strove to drown
his cares in that usual refuge of the destitute — alcohol.
Pindar, somewhat before the time of Sir W. Lawson,
assured his fi'iends that apiarov fxev vBcop, i.e. that water
is the bebt of all good tipple ; but the ex-coachman
didn't seem to see it, and so hastened the end of a life
out of which a great public benefit had filched all the
brightness. Some of my readers will not fail to
remember the sad end of Jem Pearson — the honest.

CHAP. IV.] Mr. G. Payne: 139

burly, fiery-faced partner of J. Meeclier — on the
^' Nottingham Times.^^ Making his last journey on the
day before the coach was to be taken off the road for
good, a wheel came off, the vehicle was upset_, and Jem^s
portly form and ruby-coloured visage were never seen
again on that or any other stage. In numerous cases,
well-conducted coachmen found comfortable berths on
the new railways ; but a hard fate awaited many a
worthy man who, shutting his eyes to the inevitable, had
failed to lay by for the rainy day.

A curious coaching-incident befell the Master of the
P.H. during' his residence at Pitsford Hall. Staying
for a few days at Leamington he drove some friends
to see a fight for the Championship of England, on a
four-horse coach. On the return home, one of the
leaders having knocked up, he was taken out of the
coach, made to swallow a bottle of sherry, and left on
the side of the road until further assistance could be
sent. On nearing the town the noise of a horse trotting
behind the coach was heard, and to the surprise and
amusement of the party on the roof, the animal, revived
by the wine, came up and took his place by the side of
the single leader as if nothing had happened.

As a cricketer, the Sulby squire^s pretensions were of
the humblest order ; but he was an ardent admirer of
the game, and a liberal subscriber to a formidable-
looking "red book," armed with which the Hon. Sec.
of the "M.C.C." used to traverse ''Lord's Ground,"
seeking whom he might induce to inscribe his name
upon its pages. In the days of old, the expenses of the
great matches played at Lord's were defrayed in part
by the voluntary contributions of the wealthier members

140 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap, iv

of the club, and tlie Hon. Sec/s (Mr. Roger Kynaston)
approach, armed with, book and seductive smile, was a
cause of frequent '^ shift of seat/^ and other mild tricks
of evasion. In the days now referred to, when ^'Will
Caldecourt/^ the well-known underhand bowler, was
invited to give an opinion as to the powers of Mr. " So
and So " as a cricketer, he would occasionally reply,
" Well, sir, as you ask me, I should say that he could
bat about as well as anybody's sister." This was
about the form of the brothers "George and Billy '^
Payne, respectively ; but it did not prevent the cricket
ground at Sulby from being frequently enlightened with
village matches. The one in which they themselves
occasionally took part was the annual one between Sulby
Hall and the " Town and County Club."

Always going in the two last wickets, the performance
was a ti^at to see, and scarcely less to hear. If by some
good chance the bat of either came in contact with the ball,
go where it might, both set off to run, bound to score or
die ! A collision usually took place about midway be-
tween the wickets; whereupon expletives forcible and
rapid were wont to fly from the elder brother, urging a
hasty retreat on the part of his fellow-batsman. His
legs being all too short for the emergency, he rarely got
home in time, and then followed loud self-reproaches from
the '^ not out " cause of the catastrophe. Should a catch
be held or a good hit accidentally be stopped by either
brother when out in the field, the congratulations from
each to the other were highly diverting.

For the County Club, almost entirely composed of
Northampton tradesmen, the match against Sulby was the
event of the season. The eleven with whom it had to

CHAP. IV.] Mr. G. Payne. 141

contend^ though weakened by its tail^ was by no means
a bad one. Its strongest elements consisted of Charles
Meyrick, a Wykehamist and college friend of W. Payne's
— a beautiful bat and fieldsman ; the Rev. W. Fox, rector
of Cottesbach — a good bat and thorough, cricketer, but
unable to run the hits he made, from heart-complaint. It
used to be said of this worthy parson, that like the cuckoo^
lie laid his own eggs, but could not hatch them, a view
more in accordance with the eccentric habits of that bird
than that taken by the schoolboy who, when asked by
an examiner in what respect the cuckoo differed from
other birds, replied " that he never laid his own eggs/'
Also two brothers from Leicester — W. and J. Davis —
the one a superior batsman and g'ood wicket-keeper, the
other a fair left-hand round bowler; Sir St. Vincent
Cotton, a well-known figure in sporting circles, who, if in
practice, was likely by his hard-hitting to keep the
fielders on the move ; the Rev. R. J sham — a useful man all
round ; and two Pells from Clipston, William and Walton,
with the two Paynes and members of the household,
usually made up the eleven. In the Northampton team,
Messrs. H. 0. Nethercote, Jefi'ery, Shaw, Hewlett, HoUis,
H. P. Markham, Emery, Wellneger-Davis, Dean, and
'^ Jack^^ Smith — the latter a stalwart "lad o' wax,'-* fully
believing that there was nothing like leather; but pre-
ferring it in the form of a cricket ball. Unaccustomed
to dining in marble halls, he on one of these occasions
caused much amusement to his host by emptying the
contents of a boat of lobster-sauce on to his cherry-
tart ! — a mixture that seemed to be highly palatable to
the omnivorous son of St. Crispin. Not content with
treating his opponents to a sumptuous repast in the

142 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. iv.

house, '^ the Squire " would order out in the cool of the
evening a lordly bowl of '^^ bishop/' a vinous compound
almost unknown in these degenerate days. Placed on a
side-table in the tent, the spiced mixture formed an eye-
opener for those about to wield the willow, and a solace
for those who had been constrained to lay it down.

Whether or no this old-fashioned mark of hospitality is
more honoured in the breach than the observance is a
matter of opinion, but it was much appreciated and never
abused, and is much to be preferred to the detestable
practice of treating professionals to champagne at the
mid-day (or any) dinner.

Since these days the Northamptonshire Cricket CI Lib
has risen into a higher and more complete stage of exist-
ence, and can now hold its own versus the ^^ M.C.C.,"
and counties of repute in the cricketing world. The
Sulby Club, sharing the fate of its founder, has passed
away — like himself ever to be remembered with
emotions of pleasure, gratitude, and regret.

Falling in with the spirit of the day, the subject of
this memoir by no means neglected the "science^' of:
self-defence.

In the healthy and muscular country gentleman from
the Midlands, the famous " Tom Spring ^' found a pupil
of whom he might well be proud. His uninstructed
arm, even in his Eton days, had been a formidable
weapon of offence, but when science and strength came to
act in combination, the ^' rough ^^ who cheeked him on
the race-course or in the street was pretty sure to come
in for a bad quarter of an hour. One day at a cri<c;ket-
dinner held in the Grand Stand at Northampton, having
been informed that some ^^ roughs '' had got into a side-

CHAP. IV.] Mr. G. Payne. 14^

room and were making free with the provisions, he
instantly took off his coat, and went for the lot. The
appearance only of the stalwart cricketer was sufficient
to scatter the thieves, and the captain of the Sulby side
resumed his seat regretting that the *'' curs ^^ would not
stop to be thrashed.

The unaccountable '^ glamour " of the " P. R," has al-
ready been referred to, and in George Payne it found one
of its most earnest advocates. An old sportsman living at
Brixworth, and now approaching his seventy-eighth year,
told the writer of these pages that he witnessed a great
fight that came off near Towcester many years ago
between two celebrated pugilists. Standing near him
was a neighbouring Duke, and hard by were other
county magnates and Justices of the Peace ! The day was
bitterly cold, but such was the excitement in seeing two
men knock each other out of all shape, that the narra-
tor never felt it for a moment, and described the spectacle
as being ^' one of the most interesting and enjoyable he
ever witnessed ! ^' He added the following corollary to
his proposition, namely, that on the same night three or
four of the houses round about were broken into, and that
the rioting and drunkenness that went on in Towcester
were disgraceful in the extreme. Such was Mr. Payne^s
influence with the ^' P.R.^' and its associates, that when
" Owen Swift ^' fought " Atkinson of Nottingham '' near
Horton, the contest was not allowed to commence until
he appeared upon the ground.

During his second Mastership of the Pytchley hounds,
ill-success upon the turf, and losses in other directions,
had produced their usual results, and Sulby Hall with
the property attached was doomed to pass into other

144 T^^*^ Pytchley Hunt, Past and Pi^csent. [chap.iv.

bauds. For two seasons it was hired by the Duke of
Montrose, and was afterwards purchased by the Hon.
Frederick and Lady Elizabeth Villiers, in whose posses-
sion it reuiained after the death of her husband. That
Sulby should be connected with any other name than
that of " Payne ^' did no little violence to the feelings of
the many worshippers of the late owner, and the rough-
handed villagers who had so joyfully picked up the
almost red-hot shillings and half-crowns that were
thrown about on the celebration of his '^ coming of age/^
could scarcely believe that the beloved squire had left
his old home for good and all. The name of a contem-
porary, well known in the annals of the county's bunting
and social life, ''^Mr. Hungerford/' has likewise passed
away, and the fine old Hall at Dingley, the one-time
hunting-seat of James the First, no longer recognizes a
Hungerford as its lord and master. Long connected by
ties of the most intimate friendship, the owners of Sulby
and Dingley were equally reckless in their expenditure,
and in the end the same fate awaited either property.
Happy is it for the interests of the '^ P.H.'' that the
latter should have fallen into the hands of so excellent
a sportsman, and so popular a nobleman, as Viscount
Downe.

In the March of 1846, Mr. Payne was presented with
a magnificent silver epergne, three feet six inches in
height, and five hundred ounces in weight, upon the base
of which he is portrayed under a tree, holding up over
his hounds the fox which tbey had just run into. The
following words were inscribed upon one of its sides:
" Presented to George Payne, Esq., of Sulby Hall, by six
hundred farmers, tradesmen and others, as a testimonial

CHAP. IV.] Pixsentation to Mr. G. Payne 145

of their high esteem for him^ and gratitude for his unceas-
ing efforts to promote the manly and health}^ sports of
the county/^ The ceremonial of the presentation took
place at the George Hotel at ISTorthampton^ where some
hundreds sat down to dinner : the members of the hunt
were in their red coats. The sun of the splendour of the
popular idol had long begun to wane ; but many of those
present knew nothing of this, and looked upon the guest of
the evening as the embodiment of sport, munificence, and
pleasant manners. As, pushing back his chair, he arose
to express his gratitude for the magnificent mark of the
goodwill of those around him, he looked the model of
a sportsman, and of an English country gentleman.

It was not without some difficulty that he repressed
feelings, that, at first, seemed likely to overcome him ;
but warming to his work, his audience soon became
aware that they were listening to a man gifted with
oratorical powers of no common order. At political and
other dinners he had previously given the public a taste
of his quality as a speaker, but on this occasion his
feelings gave such fire to his words, that the hearts of
his hearers were deeply touched. On resuming his seat
it seemed as though the roof of the old county ball-
room must needs collapse with the loud, long-continued
applause. It is sad to know that this splendid tribute of
gratitude and esteem was never destined to decorate the
table of him to whom it was presented. Too large for the
dinner-table of the house in which Mr. Payne passed
the latter years of his life, it remained under the care of
the silversmiths (Messrs. Smith of Long Acre) in whose
atelier it was produced. On the death of the owner it
was bequeathed to Lord Spencer as an heirloom, on

L

1 46 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present, [chap. iv.

condition tliat it never was allowed to leave the county^
or pass into other hands than those of the Lords of
Althorp.

To the great regret of all the county_, and indeed, of
all huntiig-men, Mr. Payne resigned the Mastership of
the " P.H.^^ in 1848, and having done so was scarcely
ever seen again at the cover-side. He would inquire
how things were going on in the old county, and liked
to hear of any notable run, but he never cared again to
join in the sport.

One of the greatest of speculators, he never tried the
grand speculation of all of entering a married life, and
whether he took warning from the man who declared
" that his wife had doubled the expenses of life,
and halved the pleasures,^^ or whether, like a Bishop
Whately, he looked upon women as '^ interesting
creatures who never reason, and poke the fire atop," it
does not seem that at any time of his life he seriously
contemplated matrimony.

AVhat he might have become had he been suitably
mated, who can tell ? To those who knew him best there
arise visions of a country gentleman, leader of society,
Master of hounds, Chairman of Quarter Sessions,
Member of Parliament, possessing everything that makes
life desirable, including a popularity probably un-
equalled. But it was not so to be. Left to float
alone on a sea never at rest ; tossed hither and thither
on the waves of never-ceasing excitement, he became
a noble derelict, rescued by friendly salvors from utter
shipwreck.

On the 10th of August, 1878, at Lewes Races, he was
attacked by a paralytic seizure, from which he never

CHAP. IV.] Death of Mr. G. Payne. 147

recovered, and he died on September 2nd, in bis honse in
Queen Street, May Fair, in his seventy-fifth year. In
the book entitled '^ Famous Racing-Men," this event is
thus spoken of : ^^ Mr. Payne's death was sincerely felt
and deplored by thousands, from the Queen herself to the
humblest Northamptonshire tradesman ; and the reason
is not far to seek. Gr. Payne was a sterling English
gentleman — sincere and unaffected in bearing — upright
in his dealings — the soul of honour, and as one of his
oldest friends said of him years ago, ' beloved by men,
and idolized by women, children and dogs.^'^ In the
volume " Racing" of the ^^ Badminton Library " — one of
the most delightful series of works on sporting subjects
ever published — this eidolon, before which everybody
seems to have bowed down, is thus referred to : ^' It
mattered not to whom he was talking — the gravest
statesman, the most matter-of-fact money-grubber, the
shyest girl ^ out ^ for the first time in her life — 'One and
all, old and young, left him with the unalterable convic-
tion that G. P. was the most delightful companion, he or
she had ever come across ; and this charm of manner
never left him to the day of his death.''

That the ex- Squire of Sulby must have been a man of
more than ordinary mark is proved by the fact that on the
occurrence of his death, though merely a '' Prince of the
Turf '' and of the ^' Gaming Table,'^ the obituary notices in
all the leading journals were little less complimentary than
if he had been a great statesman, a successful general,
or an eminent divine. In his own county and neigh-
bourhood, many a year will elapse ere in hall or under
more humble roof, George Payne will cease to be a name
regretted. A song composed by a Northamptonshire

L 2

148 The Pytchley Httnt, Past and Present, [chap. iv.

farmer in 1846^ well sliows the estimation in which the
Master of the '' RH/' was held :—

" A tumbler of punch to the health of George Payne ;

Come drink, my brave yeomen, the toast ;
We prefer it to Burgundy, claret, champagne,

For a man that's a whole county's boast !
Here's a glass for the high, and a 'go ' for the low,

Eich and poor will both bid him God speed ;
Bv.t we'll drink it in punch, for we very well know

Whose the foxhunter's friend at his need I
There's no brook that's too wide, and no buUliach too high

When he settles himself in his seat,
As he cheers on his hounds in a scent, in full cry.

And for pace, Sir, be cannot be beat.
When his musical notes through Vanderplank ring,

And Lilbourne resounds to his voice,
I care not what rivals old England may bring,

George Payne is the winner for choice.
In a county all grass, and where foxes abound.

And with farmers so fond of the sport,
'T would be sad not to hear the blythe cry of a hound.

Or forget one of such a good sort.
So we'll drink to the health of the man of first flight,

And the first in the flight is ' George Payne,'
And when wanting a sportsman to do what is I'ight,

We shall know where to find him again."

END OF THE HISTOEY.

PAET 11.

OF THE

HISTOEY OF THE PYTCHLEY HUNT,

IN

MEMOIES OP THE MASTEES

AFTEE THE RETIREMENT OF

MR. GEORGE PAYNE.

LORD ALFORD.

1848.

It was fortunate for the Pytchley Hunt and its
members^ that on the resignation of the Mastership of
Mr. Payne, a suitable successor should have been on the
spot, as it were, to fill the vacated situation. To follow
such a man as the ex-Squire of Sulby greatly enhanced
the responsibility attached to an office which of all others
required to be burdened with no extra weight. The
small boy who when desired by a school-inspector to give
him his idea of the meaning of "responsibility'^ replied,
" If I had only two buttons on my trousers, and one of
them was to come off, the whole responsibility would
rest on the other " must have been a lad " with all his
buttons on ; " no more just appreciation of the exact
significance of a term can well be imagined. To come
after a man like Mr. Payne, and to fail in any one of the
points which had made him so popular would have

1 50 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

exposed the new Master to those comparisons which do
not assist in bearing a newly-undertaken burden.
Happily in the case of the new '^ chef '^ there was no need
for comparison. Half a county-man^ from having
married the eldest daughter of the Marquis of North-
ampton— residing at Harleston House — devoted , to
hunting, and a brilliant rider, it was not possible to find
a man more acceptable to the farmers and landlords of
the ''^P.H.^' than Viscount Alford, eldest son of Earl
Brownlow. With charming manners and a remarkabl}^
aristocratic mien and appearance, the new Master
speedily found himself enjoying a popularity which is
only to be acquired by not allowing the wish to show
sport to engender a harassing policy in the field. No
greater mistake can be entertained by a master of hounds
than to be constantly ^^ nagging" at the horsemen who do
not do everything exactly "according to Cocker." A
strongly expressed monition, if hounds are being over-
ridden or some neglect of the evident necessity of the
moment is being put in practice, is always received as
deserved and opportune. The writer, however, after an
experience of more than half a century of Men and
Masters is convinced that in the interests of sport, even
the totally let-alone policy is preferable to the one of
constant remonstrance. " Fussiness " in a Master
produces irritation in those that hunt with him, and that
begets a spirit of " you-be-hangedness " which should
never exist between a M.F.H. and his field.

For some years, an over-keen Master (with a by no
means over-good temper) of a neighbouring pack, robbed
the day's hunting of more than half its enjoyment by his
frequent interference with innocent offenders, and the

Lord AlforcCs MastersJiip. 151

surliness of his Huntsman did not detract from the
general discomfort. There probably is no position in
which tact and a knowledge of human nature are more
necessary than that of a M.F.H., and woe betide both him
and the county where these are greatly lacking. Lord
Alford well knew when and to what extent the crack of
his whip should be heard ; but he never allowed it to get
beyond the confines of courtesy or to excite ill-will.

Mr. Payne, who had bought fifteen couple of hounds at
the sale of Mr. Green, when he gave up the Quorn
county, had very few hounds, being unwilling to spare
his best bitches, and the kennel was principally kept np
by drafts from Lord Heury Bentinck. Lord Alford
began with a large draft from the Belvoir kennel, since
which time for some years, Charles Payn principally used
the blood of Lord Fitzwilliam's and the Belvoir kennels.

If ever dog was the object of a man's idolatry, the
Belvoir hound ^' Pillager ^^ was the one before whom
Charles Payn was ready at any time to fall down and
worship. We read in the pages of " Silk and Scarlet ^'
that this paragon of fox-hounds ran for six seasons with-
out ever requiring a taste of the whip, and that in 1858
there were twenty couple of hounds — mostly tan — related
to him. " Pliant," one of his daughters, seems to have
distinguished herself in a run of thirty-five minutes from
Lord Spencer's cover to Sulby reservoir. The fox after
running along-side the reservoir for some distance, dashed
in midway; the pack followed, and on reaching the middle
cast themselves right and left, whereas Pliant went
straight across and got half a mile beyond Sulby Hall
before she was caught. The fox was so washed that the
hounds never " enjoyed it '' after emerging from the water,

152 The PytcJiley Htmt, Pa si and Present.

and made his escape. Pillager died somewhat suddenly
of inflammation of the liver in his sixth season, to the
great regret of his numerous admirers.

A case of wilful and genuine vulpecidism is usually
looked upon in a hunting-country as an act so base that
it never could have been perpetrated before. The offence,
possibly, may be considered co-eval with '^ original sin" !
At the time of which we are speaking a vulpecide — forget-
ful of the warning ^' be sure your sin will find you out ''
— attended a Meet two or three days after a well proven
case of fox-murder. He had scarcely shown his face when
an honest and indignant yeoman ^^ went for him," and
compelled him to hide his shame by a hasty and prudent
retreat.

Hoping to improve the breed of foxes, the new Master
turned down at Cottesbrooke six brace of the largest
Scotch ones he could procure. For two seasons not one
of these fresh importations was found, and Charles Payne
could never come across or even hear of more than half of
them. Nothing disappears more mysteriouslj^, or in every
way conduct themselves more disappointingly than foxes
imported from other districts. Shortly before giving up
the Pytchley country. Sir Bellingham Graham got a
quantity of foxes from Herring in the New Road, and
turned them down about Lamport, but they vanished to a
fox, and not one of them was found during the short
remainder of that season.

It was during the Mastership of Lord Alford, that
Mr. H. Barraud painted the well-known and popular
picture of the '^ Meet at Crick." Out of forty-three
figures there represented ten only remain to tell the tale
of a '^ Crick Meet " in the reign of John Hume, Viscount

Loi'd A Ifords M aster sh ip, 153

Alford (b. 1812^ d. 1851). These survivors are Lord Bate-
rnaiij Lord Henley_, Sir Eainald Knightiey, Sir T. Steele,
Messrs. Arkwright, H. 0. Netliercote/ the present Sir
F. Head, Mr. E. Lee Bevan, Charles Payne, and Ned
Kingsbury.

Of the group there represented, apart from the Master
himself, who, mounted on a beautiful chestnut, bought of
Sam Pell of Ecton, is talking to his predecessor in office,
Mr. George Payne, the names of Sir Francis Bond Head,
General Sir Thomas Steele, Sir Rainald Knightley and
Mr. Stirling Crawfurd are all more or less familiar to the
sportiug public. The welter weight on the ground,
holding his horse in his left hand, talking to Charles
Payn, is the one-time well known West of Dallington.
A Northamptonshire yeoman of the grand old sort, to
him hunting was the real enjoyment of life. Hiding
about seventeen stone, and usually having under him low
thick horses, lacking alike in pace and quality, he
possessed that within which enabled him to overcome the
drawbacks of the bones being lined over-well, and the
pocket too scantily. Occasional hints from a well-used
pair of persuaders and vocal monitions from some point
very low down in his "manly bosom," saw him safe
through or over many a fence, which had been met with
a " No, I thank you '^ from some better mounted men.
A good farmer, he made an indifferent occupation carry
him fairly well, ere prices began to wear a vanishing
figure ; but he had few equals in making an indifferent
mount carry hiui across a country.

Being one who, as far as in him lay, was deter-

^ Since the nbove was written, the author whose hand had traced
it has also, ahis ! *' joined the majority." — Ed.

1 54 ^/^^ PytcJiley Htmt, Past and Present.

mined to keep ou the line of the liounds, he was often
heard to say that ^' he could not understand why people
went out hunting if they did not mean to ride straight."
Whilst enunciatiDg this opinion, little did he remember
that out of the many who in the winter-time choose to
take their pleasuring in a hunting-country, not one in
twenty-five cares for anything but the sociability — the
spice of swagger — the air and exercise. Let a decree go
forth that all the (hunting) world shall be taxed accord-
ing to individual performance with hounds — that the
" Customer ^' should pay lightly — and the " Funker " be
mulcted in proportion to his funkiness, how many would
remain to send in a return to the tax-collector ? The
now too-thickly frequented Meets would be shorn of
three-fourths of their numbers, and the non-advertising
experiment would give way to extra publicity. Happily
it is given to few to believe that in their case ^' nerve ^'
is an unknown quantity. They see very plainly that
poor Shufiier is a terrible muff, and scarcely refrain from
uncomplimentary criticisms on his style of riding; but
they are more or less blind to the mote that is in their
own eye. After dinner, such as these, on the third or
fourth circular journey of the decanter of port or claret,
almost persuade themselves that they '^ will have a cut
at some big brook ^' on the morrow, and the feeling
" crescit bibendo ^' — but on the morrow^s advent the
distant bridge is irresistible. The ^' P.H."" has not been
without some remarkable examples of members troubled
with ^'' jumpophobia.^^ Many remember an ex-captain
of a distinguished infantry regiment, who, hunting from
Northampton for seven consecutive years, was never
seen to jump but once. On this occasion a line of

L ord Alfoi^d's Mastership, 155

hurdles barred furtlier progress, and no friendly rustic
beinpr near to remove one, there was nothing for it but
*^to do or die/^ The horse was willing, but the owner
weak. The unwonted call upon his energies induced the
surprised '^'^quad^'' to rise higher than was anticipated,
and the displaced rider found to his mortification that
the saddle is not always one of those things which stick
closer than a brother. The performance did not escape
the kind observations of sundry onlookers, and "laughter
rang around.^' It is not probable that the provider of
the merriment just recorded ever persuaded himself that
he would become a ^^ hard mau ; '"^ nor why should he ?
Let every man enjoy himself in the hunting-field or else-
where as best suits his own idiosynprasy. To do such
violence to his own feelings as to cause his heart to leave
its rightful spot and take up a position in the mouth is
not required of any man. Upon such as these, however,
the honest yeoman — a straight goer in the walks as well
as rides of life — looked with pity, not unmingled with a
spice of contempt. A true sportsman_, cheery and re-
spectful in manner, William West long enjoyed the good-
will and esteem of all his neighbours, but a cloud over-
shadowed him during the last few years of his life ; but
the hunting- da}' s he loved to recall when all things else
had well-nigh passed out of recollection.

A different stamp of horseman was Mr. Sam. Pell, a
farmer well known in those days, who standing some-
what at the back in the Crick picture, seems to be
looking at the rider of an animal which shortly before
had occupied a stall in his own stable. The P.H.
members of a quarter of a century ago will not soon
forget the tell-tale visage — the hat with brims of dean-

156 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

like curl — and the determined riding of another farmer
of the Pytchley Hunt, Sam Pell of Ecton. To see him
at the Meet, the men who knew him not would say that
he was no strict observer of the formularies of the
Rechabites and that it was evident that in his opinion it
was not required of any man " always to come home to
tea." The stranger who had gauged his habits thus, and
a little later had seen him go to hounds, must have
confessed that abstinence is not always the best policy,
where nerve is required. No one liked a big place better
or more quickly made up his mind where it was most
negotiable ; few farmers had a better class of horse or
more completely repudiated the "lardy dardy'"* style of
riding them : but his " form ^' across country was rather
that of valour than of its better part — discretion. Of
prudence he knew nothing or but very little, and before
the end of " a real good thing " he had but too often
come to grief over some all but impracticable place.

Bright and joyous in speech and manner, he ever
seemed, when at the cover-side, as if he had not a care
in the world; but *' post equitem sedet atra cura^^ and it
was not to be expected that even he had at all times the
saddle all to himself. In spite of air, exercise and a
healthful calling, when still in the prime of life he was
fain to obey the irresistible summons, and the P.H. lost
from amongst its followers one who was looked upon as
a good specimen of the hard-riding Farmer.

Hugging themselves under the anticipation of a long
continuance of a Mastership they thoroughly appreciated,
the members of the Hunt were struck with dismay and
regret when it became known that Lord Alford from
delicacy of health had become necessitated to discontinue

The Hon. Frederick Viltiers Mastership. 157

all active exercise^ and he was compelled to resign a
post the occupation of which he seemed thoroughly to
enjoy.

THE HON. FREDERICK VILLIERS.

The difficulty of finding a successor to Lord Alford
was soon happily overcome, the Hon. Frederick Yilliers
undertaking to fill the vacant office. The purchase of
Sulby Hall and the estate from Mr. George Payne
having given Mr. Villiers the position of a county
proprietor^ it would have been impossible to find a more
suitable Master for the P.H. An elegant, though not
powerful hoi^eman like his father. Lord Jersey, Mr.
Villiers rode well to hounds, and from invariably eschew-
ing horses with no manners, he was certain to form one
of the front rank during a good thing. Holdings his
field well in hand, he never failed to give the doer of
mischief " a bit of his mind/' but never exceeded the
rights of his position, nor made a too constant remon-
strance. An excellent man of business, the new owner
of Sulby threw himself thoroughly into all county mat-
ters, and never permitted pleasure to take the precedence
of duty. Two years, however, saw the completion of a
first term of office as M.F.H. ; and at the end of 1852,
the P.H. was once more filling the role of " flock without
a shepherd.'^

LORD HOPETOUN.

At a time when it seemed there would be some diffi-
culty in procuring a successor to Mr. F. Yilliers for the

158 The Pytchley Hunt, Past a7id Present.

" P.H/' Mastership, a youDg Scotch Earl stepped in to
fill the gap.

Having only recently left Oxford, where he may be
said to have first acquired his hunticg tastes^ Lord
Hopetoun found himself at a very early age without any
experience of mankind or " dogkind/'' occupying the
responsible post of a Master of Fox Hounds in a crack
country. Naturally shy^ and dislikiug any society except
that of a few old college-friends,, the position did not
appear to be such an one as would adapt itself to the
idiosyncrasies of the youug Scotch nobleman ; but he
held it nevertheless for four seasons, much to the satis-
faction of the members of the Hunt. Whether not
being called upon for the usual subscription or not being
called to order in the hunting-field for transgressions
ever so great, in any way influenced the hearts and
minds of those who hunted with him, it is certain that
Lord Hopetoun earned for himself a popularity that any
Master might covet. This is the more remarkable from
bis never laying himself out to please — from his marked
coldness to strangers — and his dislike to making new
acquaintances. That things went as well as they did
may be attributed in a great measure to his having
for his Huntsman a man so universally liked and esteemed
as Charles Payn.

From him he gladly picked up the rudiments of
hound-lore, and some knowledge of kennel-ways and
necessities, and so became in a measure to feel himself at
home in a position for which he was not naturally
adapted by habits or disposition. A natural judge of a
horse he required little assistance in the selection of his
own animals or those for the kennels : and probably at

Lord Hopetoun s Mastership, 159

no time have there been more good hunters in the Brix-
worth stables than during his Mastership.

Commenciug apparently without any nerve or even
desire for a forward place in a run^ he gradually trained
on into being an exceedingly hard man, and pretty sure to
be found amongst the first flight. For the first season
or two, his chief delight seemed to be to derive laughing-
material out of the falls and any ludicrous incident he
chanced to witness during the day ; any misadventure
a.t water being a source of especial and unlimited delight.
Naturally clever, and with a keen eye for the ridiculous,
nothing escaped his observation or remark. Seeing a
friend arrive at the Meet one day, riding a horse whose
tail was nearly hairless and stuck almost straight up, he
addressed him with: ^^Why, Yernon, what luck you
were in to pick up such a horse as that ; his tail will
serve as a capital hat-peg when you don't want to hunt
him." From that day to the last hour of his sojourn in
Northamptonshire, the owner of the animal with the
peculiar extremity was known as ^' Hat-peg Yernon,"
and is still spoken of as such when alluded to by any of
the older members of the Hunt.

Pitsford Hall, as usual, was hired by the noble lord as
his residence ; thus becoming for the fifth time since
1821 the hunting abode of the Master of the '^ P.H."

That Lord Hopetoun took the rough with the smooth,
and did not shirk the somewhat weary days in the
Woodlands, is shown in the pages of " Silk and Scarlet/^
where we find that he and his friend Captain Newland
remained with the hounds on one occasion from 5.15
a.m. to 3 p.m. It seems that the fox was found in a
plantation close to the road between Kettering and Stam-

1 6o The Pytckley Hunt, Past a7id Present,

ford, soon after five on a morning early in August, 1853.
After being at it for three hours the hounds changed on
to a shabby little vixen, who slipped like a witch through
the briars and sedge, and fairly defied the dog-pack to
make her break. During the whole day they threw up
only twice, and for four hours expected to kill every
minute. At 3 p.m. Lord Hopetoun and Captain JSTew-
land, quite tired out, went home. A sort of cordon of
country-people was drawn up in one corner, but the
little vixen slipped through them over and over again,
and even when the second Whip had been sent to Brig-
stocke for four couple of the best bitches, and had tried
their best for another hour, she was as lively and
inexhaustible in her dodges as ever. Every hound was
stripped bare in his breast and forelegs, and some dropped
beaten on the road on their way home. To the
enthusiastic admirer of the working of hounds this may
have been a day of unmitigated delight and enjoyment,
but to any ordinary mortal the scene must have been one
of intolerable fatigue, weariness and monotony, and a
warning' against a too frequent indulgence in the so-called
pleasures of hunting in the dog-days.

In the following season Lord Hopetoun had the good
fortune to be able to boast that his hounds had shown
the best run ever seen with the Pytchley up to that time,
and with which in the eyes of his huntsman, Charles
Payn, " the great Waterloo run '^ is in no way compa-
rable. The details of this excellent day's sport were as
follows : —

On November 21st, 1854, a stormy morning which
cleared off into a lovely day, a large field met the
Pytchley at North Kilworth, and in a coppice under Mr.

L 07' d Hope tote n ' ^ Masfersh ip, 1 6 1

Gougli's (than wkom no better preserver of foxes ever
lived) house^ a fox was found wlio went away by North
Kil worth House through Caldecott Spinney, nearly to
Misterton, where he turned to the left near Swinford,
left Stanford Hall on the right, South Kilworth on the
left, and crossing the Welland ran straight up to the
Pond Close at Hemplow. Entering none of the covers,
he made his way up to Welford toll-bar, the time up to
this point being fifty minutes almost without a check, and
the pace excellent. The hounds then swimming on by
Naseby Woollies, skirted Sulby Gorse, Naseby covert and
" Tally Ho," traversed Kelmarsh osier-bed and the
Church Spinney, and crossing the Harboro' road, made
for Johnson^s Furze. Headed here, the fox made for
Scotland Wood, but sticking to the siding he left it at
the middle gate on the road to Hazelbeach, passed
through Maid well Dales, skirted Berrydale, and leaving
Cottesbrooke on the right, also Creaton, Spratton and
Chapel Brampton villages on the same quarter, he ran
up to the Rev. G. Howard Vyse's garden at Boughton.
Here the hounds nearly caught their fox, but he
contrived to slip them, and making back through the
osier-bed, he got to ground in the main earths in
Boughton Clump, after running two hours and twenty-
five minutes. It was nearly an eighteen miles point, and
hounds must have run about twenty-six. Charles Payne,
after the manner of all Huntsmen, was satisfied, by his
peculiar mode of skirting all the covers, that it was the
same fox throughout ; and if so, a stouter animal never
lived before hounds. Out of a field of two hundred at
starting, not more than five or six lived to see the end,
amongst whom were Lord Hopetoun, who finished on his

1 62 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present,

hack^ wliich he fortunately came up witli on his way home,
Colonel Shirley, Mr. Edmunds of Gruilsboro^, Mr. El-
worthy of Brixworth, Charles Payne, and Jack Woodcock,
first Whip.

Up to the Spratton road no one had gone better than
Mr. Fred. Yilliers ; but at this point, with three shoes off,
and a horse completely done up, he was fain to cry
" hold, enono-h,'' and hope to hear of, if he could not
witness, a kill. C. Payn was fortunate in having two of
his best horses out, ISTobbler and Firefly, and came
across the second in the very nick of time. At the
close of a career of fifty years with hounds he maintains
that this was the finest run he ever saw, and that the
*^ Waterloo day ^' is not to be mentioned with it in any
way. To this statement, inasmuch as it was far the
better scenting-day of the two — that during the two hours
and twenty-five minutes occupied in accomplishing the
twenty-six miles, there were two separate forty minutes
of the highest character — that the country (except about
Naseby) was mostly grass — and that the going was
particularly sound and good — the writer, who was
present on each occasion, gives his unqualified sanction.

Two years subsequently to this, a letter to the Editor
of the Northamjpton Herald gives an admirable sketch
of the '' P.H/^ as it existed at that season — the last of
Lord Hopetoun^s Mastership. It ran as follows : —

"The Pytchley Hounds.

"Me. Editor, — Many a time during the present season
have I found myself at the cover side with the above-
named pack, an old and early love, to which I return
with all the greater zest from the long interval that has

Lord Hopefoim's Mastership. i6

J

occurred between the days of my first courtsliip and the
current year. Alas !

Many a lad I loved is dead,
And many a lass grown old,

and the only men I recognized as representing the men
of old time were those of Knightley, Isted, Nethercote,
Isham and the young heir of Althorp. In vain did I ask
to be shown a Cooke^ an Elwes^ a Hanbury, a Payne^ a
Hungerford — names that will stir the blood of many a
snowy head, and recall visions of the days from Dick
Knight to the ^ Squire/ and his glorious bitch-pack. But
though these be gone, their places are not unworthily
filled.

^^ Messrs. Yilliers, Oust, Sir G. Jenkiuson, Clerk,
Bevan, Franklin (Hazelbeach) and last, that brave old
sportsman with hair of snow and heart of oak, Sir Francis
B. Head, satisfactorily make up the gap which time has
worked. Nor should a ^ heavy weight ' be passed over,
who, hailing from Kelmarsh, finds few to beat him across
the Waterloo or any other country, and seems only too
forgetful of the fact that the human frame is made up of
separate limbs, and that each limb is liable to fracture.
Charles Payne, the Huntsman, is as fine a rider as ever
steered a horse over a fence — is quick and cheery with
his hounds — most anxious to show sport — and from his
civility and excellent conduct is a favourite with every-
body. One hint I would venture to oS'er him, namely,
that he should be more careful not to chop his foxes.
More than one have I seen this season snapped up for
lack of the awakening crack of the whip ; and foxes here
are no longer plentiful as blackberries ; indeed, in the

M 2

164 The Pytchley Httnt, Past and Present.

district about Overstone,. a fox is nearly as rare an animal
as a wolf. Though there has been no one run of espe-
cial brilliancy, the general sport has been above the
average^ and more foxes have been honestly killed after
good hunting-runs than has been the case for some
time.

" Badby Wood, TVelton Place, Braunston, Yanderplanks,
Buckby Folly ; even Harleston Heath, Loatland Wood,
Sulby Gorse, and Alford Thorns, have each contributed
a quota to the general sport, and a forty -seven minutes
from the first-mentioned place may perhaps be set down
as the best thing of the season.

" I must not conclude these remarks without referring
to the heavy blow the country has received in the retire-
ment of the noble Master. The magnificent liberality
displayed by the Earl during the four years of his Master-
8hip_, combined with his quiet and unaggTessive conduct,
will long be remembered with gratitude, and I doubt if
the Hopetoun and Charles Payne epoch will not be
looked back upon in after years as forming a very palmy
period in the annals of the Pytchley Hunt.^'

A-f ter giving up the country, Lord Hopetoun purchased
a small estate, Papillon Hall, near Lubenham, and
hunted for several years with Mr. Tailby and his old
pack which had fallen into the hands of Messrs. Yilliers
and Charles Cust, who shared the Mastership between
them for a brief period.

In the spring of 1875 the sad news reached England
that Lord Hopetoun had died suddenly at Florence of a
virulent fever, the seeds of which had been sown at Rome
or Naples. So universally known had the ex-Master of
the " P.H.'^ become amoogst hunting'-men, that the

Lord Hop etotcn^s Mastership, 165

intelligence of his deatli in the very prime of life created
a wide-spread feeling of sorrow and regret.

By nature clever enough to fill a position requiring
abilities above the average, he had no taste for public
life, and lacking ambition and habits af hard work, he
took no part in politics, and rarely entered the House of
Lords. Possessing a retentive memory, he delighted to
recount the amusing things he had both seen and heard ;
and among those with whom he was intimate, he was
ever a most entertaining companion. Few things used
to amuse him more than the descriptions of runs given
in local newspapers, the climax of his enjoyment having
been reached when one day, during his Mastership of the
" P.H.,^' in one of the Northampton papers he read an
nccount of a Meet at Great Harrowden, ending- with,
^^ after waiting for a considerable time for his lordship^s
appearance, the horn of the Huntsman was heard, and
the whole field was seen advancing to the place of
meeting at full cry.^' He would greatly have enjoyed
such deplorable announcements to sporting ears as are
now to be seen in the sporting contributions to our
county journals, where we read that ^^ ^ a red un ^ was
^ discovered ' in Overstone Park, and that after a while
the Mittle beggar' seemed much ^fatigued.''' "That a
fine ^ redskin ' left his ^ city of refuge ' and * scampered
up ' the hill at a brisk pace before his pursuers. That
^ puss rattled away ' for a considerable distance. That
Sywell Hayes was ^ scrutinized ' for a ^ sly un,^ but ^ pug '
was else where.'' Snch are a few of the " gems " of
sporting contributions to country journals, whose hunting
literature ought to be entirely free from such cockneyfied
absurdities.

1 66 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

THE HON. F. VILLIERS AND THE HON.
C. GUST.

In allying himself with Mr. Charles Gust in the Master-
ship of the P.H.^ which succeeded that of Lord Hopetoun
in 1856, Mr. Villiers had for his partner one of those who
by a natural geniality of disposition and winning manners
and countenance, seem throughout their career to have
at their command the wills and affections (especially the
latter) of all men. Beloved by his school-fellows at
Eton, as well as by his brother-officers in the Blues, he
was no less popular with ^' all sorts and conditions of
men '^ at his Northamptonshire home at Arthingworth,
and his accession to even a moiety of the Mastership of
the " P.H.^^ was hailed with universal satisfaction.
Ranking among the welter weights, and never riding
horses of the very highest class, he nearly touched
" customer " point, and when hounds were carrying
ahead, never failed to occupy a forward place. Gonsti-
tutionally delicate in health, he was compelled somewhat
suddenly to decline hunting soon after assuming a share
of the responsibilities of Mastership ; and on Mr. Villiers
objecting to continue in office by himself, the country
once more was compelled to look about for a Master.

GOL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON.

When the Chelsea Seer declared that the population ot
England numbered 30,000,000 "mostly fools/' he also
divided them into two classes, natural fools, and d — d
fools ; the former being fools who are such by no fault
of their own, fools congenital, so to say — the latter fools,
in spite of knowing that they are such. To no one be-

Col. Anstruthe7^ Thomsons Mastership. i6y

longing to either of these sections of the human race is
it possible to undertake the management of a pack of
hounds with any hope of success.

A knowledge of mankind, womankind^ and dogkind —
command of temper — graciousness of speech — and a
thorough knowledge of how to say '^ no ; " coupled with
a willingness to say " yes ; ^^ — ample means, united to a
good acquaintance with economic principles, are only
part of the qualifications necessary to form an ideal
M.F.H. No wonder that many of this pattern are not
to be found ; but one such sat in his study one February
morning of the year 1864, and perused the following
letter from an old and dear friend.

" Wootton Ball. Feb. 26th, 1864.

'^My dear Jack, — Under the influence of a ripping fifty
minutes over grass, up wind, and all just as it ought to be,
I write you a line as a feeler about our country. I have only
just heard that you have really given up the ^ Fife.^ I
know your habits so well that I am quite sure that you
will not be happy without a pack of hounds ; and indeed
the longer I live the more cause I have to agree with
Jorrocks, ^ that all time is wasted that is not spent in
hunting.^ Now do you think that you would like this
Pytchley country ? We shall have no Master after this
season, as Spencer has quite decided to give the hounds
up. You know the ^ pros ' and the ' cons ' of the Pytchley
as well as I do. It has the best woodlands in the world.
You can hunt from August to May, both inclusive as
they say. The disadvantage is the crowd on a Wednes-
day, which you also know from your experience with the
Atherstone does not do half the mischief it appears as if
it ought to do. If there is a scent, it is soon disposed of;

1 68 The Pytchley Httnt, Past and Present.

if not^ you have to feel your way. From what I see, I am
sure that if you care to take our country you will be well
supported. I am iiot_, however, writing under authority ;
only between ourselves. We have a capital pack of
hounds, although it is the fashion to abuse them. They
can hunt as well as race. I think that you would enjoy
riding over these grass fields, as much as the hunting in
the deep Woodlands on the Kettering side.

'^ Don't tell Mrs. Thomson that I am trying to tempt you
here, or I shall be in disgrace with her; and of course if you
did come to us, no one in Fife would ever speak to me
again. I should much like to see you here, but that of
course is as much from private and ' mahogany ' motives
as from my good opinion of your ratcatching quaUties.
I should like it if it could come off.

" Ever, my dear Jack,

*^ Yours very truly,

" Geoege Whtte Melville."

Anxious to secure the big fish that he knew to be lying
in the Fifeshire waters, the angler threw his line with all
the skill of which he was capable, and after awhile fairly
landed the object of his desire. Well knowing his man,
Whyte Melville felt assured that in his friend Jack Thom-
son, not only would the country have as its Master a
gentleman to whom not only the science of hunting and the
minutige of kennel-management were as familiar as his
A. B. C, but also one who would reach the hearts of the
Farmers almost as much as George Payne himself had done.
An inexpressible charm of manner — a smile peculiarly
winning in its brightness — and a seat in the saddle denot-
ing the perfect horseman, almost immediately won for the
new Master the goodwill of all his latest constituents.

Col. AnstrtUher Thomson^ s Maste^'ship. 169

With Charles Payne, Dick Eoake, and Tom Firr, as
assistants, the Pytchley team for 1864 presented a galaxy
of hunting talent such as few countries could boast ; and
it was clear tbat if sport were lacking, the fault could
only rest with absence of " scent/^

Accustomed to large fields when Master of the- Ather-
stone, Captain Thomson was little daunted by the
Pytchley " Wednesdays," a drawback to which, as Whyte
Melville shows in his letter, too much importance has
ever been attributed as a sport-spoiler. Griven a scent
— a real run-any- way scent — and in four minutes or less
after a fox has broken cover, five hundred horsemen
wdll in no way affect the character of a run. With a
bad scent or greatly-dodging fox, numbers undoubt-
edly tell injuriously. The less bold hounds are apt to
get kicked or ridden over, and the field persist in creep-
ing up to the Huntsman, and leave him little, if any,
room for his cast on either side. With a scent such as
here described, sport could not be expected, even if the
Huntsman, Whips and Master were the only people out ;
and I still cliug to the view that a large Field is no great
misfortune so far as sport is conoerned. The damage
done is quite another matter ; and so long as Thomas
CarlyWs two descriptions of fools continue to infest the
laud, nothing will avail to prevent it.

The open secret of the Pytchley Wednesday Meets
affects only the subscription-list, and a word of remon-
strance from the Master or any well-known member
of the Hunt, when injury is being committed unneces-
sarily, will be of more avail than any amount of non-
publicity and of non-advertising.

The entourage of a Midland Wednesday at a crack

170 The PytcJiley Hzmt, Past and Present.

Meet must needs wear a more or less formidable aspect in
the eyes of Master and Huntsman ; but " nothiug is so bad
as it seems ;^^ and it is to be doubted if an accurate
return could be made of spoit spoiled by the actual
crowd on these occasions, whether it would not be a very
humble one. To half a dozen irrepressible individuals,
actuated partly by jealousy, partly by an insane desire to
be almost on the backs of the hounds, is to be attributed
all the harm that one hears so much of, as the conse-
quence of '^ the enormous crowd — -"

" Vexation sore ofttimes he bore,
Strong language was in vain,"

miglit be inscribed on the head-stone of many a defunct
Huntsman ; but after all, the sum total of what he ^^ had
to go through," in getting a living was a small matter
compared to the heavy sloughs of trouble through which
nine out of ten in the same situation of life probably bad
to struggle.

Occupying at first a temporary residence close to the
kennels, Captain Thomson soon after moved to Pitsford
Hall, the chosen abode, as has already appeared, of many
a Pytchley Master. Afterwards returning to Brixworth,
he made a home at the " Rookery," now tenanted by
Captain Carden. For one season he contented himself
with leaving the open country to be hunted by Charles
Payne, whilst he himself undertook the Woodlands ; but
this arrangement not proving satisfactory, Payne accepted
an offer to transfer his services to Sir Watkin W. Wynn,
and his master alone carried the horn.

To hunt hounds and manage the Field at the same
time in such a country as the Pytchley is by no means a

Col. Anstrtithei^ Thomsons Mastership, i 7 1

task to be undertaken by the man of ordinary acquire-
ments ; nor should it, if possible, ever fall to the lot of
one individual. At no time, however, did the task seem
too much for Captain Thomson's shoulders, and by put-
ting the same principle in practice in either case, that is
to say letting alone as much as possible, he secured sport
for his followers, and won the goodwill of all who hunted
with him.

The average daily sport was probably never higher than
during the first five seasons of Mr. Thomson^s Master-
ship; but the great Waterloo run of February 2nd, 1866,.
so completely threw every other into the shade, that no
other will be referred to in this brief memoir of the hero
of a day which has earned for itself a reputation
only to be equalled by that of the famous Billesden
Coplow day.

The moroing had been wet, and the wind was south-
west, when a goodly field appeared at Arthingworth
just as the weather began to improve and look well for
scent. For an hour or so little was done with two or
three short-running foxes in Loatland, and soon after two
o^clock the word was given for Waterloo. With a word
and a wave of the hand from the Captain, in went seven-
teen and a half couple of hounds, eager to find, and little
dreaming of the day's work before them. It soon be-
came clear that the animal was at home ; but he lay so
close in a heap of dead sticks that the hounds had to be
taken all round the cover and back to the top before he
could be persuaded to move. Old Morris, the second
horseman, then " viewed " him away towards the tunnel ;
when swinging to the left he went over the brook and
spinney at Arthingworth, and made for Langboro.

1/2 The Pytchley Htint, Past and Present.

Quitting this on the opposite side, he crossed the Har-
boro' road, traversed Shipley Spinney, and on up the hill
towards Clipston. Here the pace began greatly to im-
prove, but Dick Roake, having viewed what he thought to
be the hunted fox going another way, blew his horn, and
for awhile some of the field were here thrown out. Two
fields further on, Mr. Thomson fell at a bullfinch, and
losing a spur, stopped to pick it up : this lost him a
place which he did not recover for some time. Running
on without a pause, the hounds passed the spinney be-
tween Oxenden and Clipston, leaving the former village
on the right. A slight hesitation took place opposite Mr.
Kirkman's house, but the scent was soon hit off, and
crossing the bottom at Farndon, the hounds sank the
hill towards Lubenham into the Harboro' road : they then
raced down the big field, and crossed the Welland at the
Harboro' corner. At the Harboro' and Lubenham road
they turned their heads towards Bowden Inn, running
hard, with the result that "grief was spread around."
Birch Reynardson here fell at a nasty fence and was
left in the ditch, and the Master was reduced to a trot.
A whistle behind denoted the approach of Dick Roake,
who, on coming up on ^' Usurper," said " Take my horse.
Sir; he has about ten minutes left;" but a regular
'' buster" at the succeeding fence proved that his late
rider had not laid his account with the difference of weight
between himself and his Master. Mr. Thomson, however,
caught the hounds again at Bowden Inn, where they
paused for a bit on a ploughed field. The rail was
crossed to the right of the Langton Road, and from
thence the hounds made down for the brook, pointing to
Langton Caudle. Custance, the jockey, who had had

Col. AnstriUhe}' Thomson'' s A faster ship, lyi^

about tlie best of it tbrongliout, got well over tbe brook,
into which Mi'. Frank Langham and several others fell.
On the top of the next hill the fox was headed, and turn-
ing along the valley, crossed the road between Thorpe
Langton and Great Bowden, quitting the Caudle on the
left. Rising the hill, ^^ Usurper" shot his last bolt, and
Mr. Hay kindly lent his rider a brown thorough-bred
horse to go on with, from whom two falls were obtained
in pretty quick succession. He galloped so well, how-
ever, that Mr. Thomson did not lose his place, and was
well with his hounds between Stanton \Yy vill and Cranko.
Carrying on well past Glooston village and through
Glooston Wood, Mr. Hay's animal found that he had had
enough, and Mr. Walter De Winton came to the rescue
with a comparatively fresh second horse. Happily, when
in difficulties with his fresh mount, ^' Rainbow " suddenly
turned up, as if from the skies, and the Master now felt
himself in paradise.

The Harboro^ road had let in several horsemen who
had borne little of the burden and heat of the day, and
there was now little danger of the hounds being left to
themselves. Reduced at this point to thirteen couples
and a half, they ran through Keythorpe Wood towards
Ram^s Head, where there were two lines of scent. At
this time it was about four o'clock, one hour and fifty
minutes having elapsed, and eighteen miles of country
having been crossed since leaving Waterloo Gorse.
Getting a view, they ran on to Fallow Closes, past Mr.
Stud's house down to Slawston Cover, and pressed on
through the meadows to the Welland, the fox being one
field before them. Here they turned aloug the bank of the
riveras far as the road leading to Medbourne Station, where

1/4 TJie Pytchley Hitnt^ Past and Present.

the fox liad been chased by a dog^ and with a failing scent
and light, at half-past five Mr. Thomson stopped further
proceedings ; the last hound to own the scent, ^^ Graceful/^
having been the first to speak to it in Waterloo Gorse.
Thus ended, somewhat unsatisfactorily, one of the
grandest runs ever recorded in the annals of fox-
hunting.

It was over the finest part of the Pytchley and Tailby
countries, and for one hour and fifty minutes only three
ploughed fields were crossed. For one hour and forty
minutes Mr. Thomson was without a Whipper-in, nor once
had the hounds turned to him. Assisted only by Captain
Clerk, of Spratton, who, having lost the first, came in for
the second part of the run on a comparatively fresh
horse, he got the hounds safely home to Brixworth, a
distance of eighteen or nineteen miles, about ten o^clock.
At ten minutes to eleven he sat down to dinner, after
which he drove eleven miles to the Hunt Ball at Harboro',
where he received an ovation worthy of the day^s per-
formance. That this was a grand day's sport, no one
who knows anything of hunting will deny ; that it ^^ was
the best ever known,'' as has been asserted, is simply
claiming for it far more than its due. That a change of
foxes must have taken place two or three times is evi-
dent, and only during the earlier portion of the run was
the pace really severe. To Captain Thomson himself,
the day must ever stand out by itself as the most re-
markable one of a long and successful hunting-career.

To keep hounds on one line, if not always on the sam6
fox, for three hours and a half, and half of that time un-
assisted by either Whip — to have ridden four or five
different horses during the run — to have fallen several

Col. Anstrttther Thomsoris Mastership. 175

times — and yet never to be out of tlie way when required
— is a feat which very few huntsmen are able to boast of
having achieved. That the hounds should have shown
no signs of especial fatigue, spoke well for the kennel
management ; and all the missing lot made their way
home within twenty-four hours.

With a kill at Hallaton, or even a fair run to ground
somewhere in the ^' Tailby ^^ country, and the Waterloo
run need have no fear of being eclipsed in all time to
come.

It was on this day that Captain Thomson first dis-
covered what a valuable horse he had got in his five-
year-old '^ Rainbow ; " an animal before whom the
prize-winning *^ Iris ^' had afterwards to play second
fiddle at TattersalFs rostrum. Though not his turn, on
that famous Friday morning, after two hours' exercise
and his water. Rainbow was unexpectedly called upon to
take the place of a lame horse, and do the longest day
he had ever known. Beginning upon his favourite mare
"Valeria,^' from whom he changed to "Usurper," then
to a horse of Mr. W. Hay's ; and after him to an animal
of Mr. De Winton's ; it was not until Grlooston Wood was
reached that Rainbow appeared upon the scene. From
that time until the close, i.e., for an hour and forty-five
minutes, he did his work without making a mistake ;
and reached his stable at half-past ten, having been out
about thirteen hours.

He was a rich dark brown, standing sixteen-two, very
powerful, with fair pace, and most charming temper.
Bold as a lion at a big place, he would either creep or
jump as required, and could go on for ever and ever. Of
the innumerable hunters that have necessarily passed

176 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present,

througli the hands of Colonel Anstrutlier Thomson, he
would probably award the palm to Eainbow as the most
accomplished animal of the lot. Many a " P.H/' man
of to-day, remembers the wall-ejred Iris — Valeria, most
confidential of mounts — Borderer — Harold — Hypothec —
Wanderer — Man of the Age — and Rainbow ; but the
greatest of these was Rainbow.

..." every sportsman, they say,
In his lifetime has one that outrivals the rest ;
So the pearl of my casket I've shown you to-day ;
The gentlest, the gamest, the boldest, the best."

His owner thought ^^Iris ^^ badly sold at three hundred
and seventy guineas, but he was not every man's horse
out of the show-ring, and his purchaser, Mr. Padwick,
soon found that in his latest acquisition to his hunting-
stud he had furnished himself with a master and some-
thing to spare. When Iris again went to the hammer
he fetched exactly the same sum as before, viz., 370
guineas ; though at a later date he again became the
property of his original owner at 500L In point of
money-value, no horse of Mr. Thomson's ever equalled
his famous '^ Maximus," for whom, after his performance
in the memorable run from Claydon Woods, Lord Stam-
ford gave 680 guineas.. This took place during his
Mastership of the Bicester Hounds, and was full six-
teen mil-es from point to point over the heavy Marsh
Gibbon country, up Brill Hill to '"'^ the Quarters^' in
Oxfordshire. The Master and five others saw the best of
it, but no one was up at the finish.

Standing six feet three in his shoes, and riding rather
over than under sixteen stone, Mr. Thomson found it
ex23edient to crash through, rather than fly, the big

Col. Anstruther Tko7nsons Maste7'ship. 177

Xorthamptoushire fences ; and though this took time, his
hounds were seldom long without his assistance. His
nerve in plunging into a brook, chancing the bottom,
and struggling on to the opposite bank, was a sight to
watch, rather than a tempting example to follow ; but
he never failed in surmounting the difiSculty.

After five years' good service rendered to the " P.H."
Mr. Thomson, to the great regret of both gentlemen and
farmers of the Hunt, signified his intention of resigning
the Mastership at the close of 1868-9. The reasons he
assigned for taking this course were, a growing family all
wanting to hunt — a balance at his banker's getting
fine by degrees — and the illness of Mrs. Thomson.

A requisition numerously signed, urging him to revoke
his determination, was of no avail ; and the ^' P.H. ^
country again became in need of a Master. Mr. J. A.
Craven, of Whilton Lodge, a keen sportsman, and de-
votedly fond of hunting, happily came to the rescue ; so
the Hunt was scarcely ^^ off with the old love before it
was on with a new,^' Before his horses were sent to
Tattersall's, Mr. Thomson invited a large party of ladies,
members of the hunt, farmers, and others, to a luncheon
of inspection. A tent of considerable size was pitched
in the little field opposite the Brixworth stables, and
never was canvas more tastefully decorated with bits,
bridles, brushes, whips, horns, and all the equipment of a
hunting-establishment. At little tables scattered here
and there, guests of high and low degree met with a
hearty welcome from their hospitable host, and had no
cause to find fault with a want of abundance in the
provisions, or with the quality of the champagne. Ram
somewhat marred the parade of the horses, but the

N

lyH TJie Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

entertainment guve unfeigned satisfaction-, and forged
anotlier link of union between guest and parting host.
So deeply indeed had the " Captain ^' made his way into
the hearts of all connected with the " P.H.,"' that it was
resolved as a parting gift to present him with his portrait,
painted by Sir Francis Grant, the greatest artist of the
day. On the completion of the picture, a work of art
worthy of the painter^ in which Captain Thomson is
depicted on the back of "Iris/^ surrounded by five
favourite hounds — all admirable likenesses — it was de-
termined to follow the precedent of Mr. George Payne's
ceremonial, and present it at a dinner to be held at
the George Hotel. Colonel Loyd Lindsay (now Lord
Wantage) presided, having on his right and left the late
and present Master, whilst the vice-chair was occupied
by Mr. Matthew Oldacre of Clipston.

Amongst a company too numerous to individualize,
were the Earl of Rosslyn, the Hon. H. Liddell, the
Eight Hon. G. Ward Hunt, M.P., Mr. Sackville Stopford,
M.P., Major Fairfax Cartwright, M.P., Albert Pell Esq.,
M.P., Major G. Whyte Melville, the Hon. Fitzpatrick
Vernon, Sir F. Horn, Sir C. Isham, Bart., Sir Algernon
Peyton, Bart., Messrs. E,. Lee Bevan, H. 0. Nethercote,
A. A. Young, H. H. Hungerford, Col. Arthur, Col.
Maddocks, W. G. Duncan, L. Thursby, John Oliver,
J. Bennett, the Eev. C. F. Watkins, &c., &c. The latter,
in virtue of his office as Vicar of Brixworth, returned
thanks for the Bishop and Clergy of the diocese, and
remarked that, *^ though no sportsman himself, he came
there that ©•cuing, not only innocently but imperatively,
as the clergyman ol the parish in which the kennels were
situated, to pay respect to the gentleman whom they had

Col. AnstrtUher Thomsons M aster sJiip. 179

assembled to honour. The duty of a clergyman was not
only not to sanction but to blame what was positively
wrong; but at the same time not to be too severe with
those things which had not been positively forbidden by
Divine command. (Cheers.) He was about to say some-
thing which might create a smile, but he felt that there
was a connection between Natural Theology and Fox-
hunting-. {Laughter.) Did they expect that certain
instincts would be given to certain animals unless they
were designed to be exercised ? {Laughter and cheers.)
For instance^ there were the characteristics of the
retriever^ the pointer^ the St. Bernard dog, and the
foxhound, the latter of which brought to condign punish-
ment master Reynard the thief-, thereby giving them a
lesson in retributive justice.'' (^Laughter.) The remarks
of the rev. gentleman, being somewhat '^out of the
common/' caused considerable amusement.

In a speech full of pertinent remarks and happy allu-
sions, the Chairman gave the health of the guest of the
evening. Alluding to the picture, he said, '^ It is a time-
tried tribute of respect, carrying with it the best wishes
of no fewer than three hundred and seventy-five gentle-
men, who have subscribed for it. It is a testimonial from
neighbours and friends in return for unceasing efforts to
promote the sport of fox-hunting, and it is as right for
me to say, as it will be gratifying to the recipient to
know, that the compliment originated among the large
class of Farmers whom he has done so much to make his
friends," &c. The picture, which had been veiled during
dinner, was exposed at the appropriate moment during
the Chairman's speech, and was received with loud and
vehement cheering,

N 2

I So The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

In a speecli thoroughly characteristic of the speaker —
manly — straightforward — and fairly free from the con-
ventional platitudes^ Mr. Thomson gave utterance to his
gratitude for the high compliment that had just been
conferred upon him — referred to the requisition that he
had received requesting him to reconsider his determina-
tion— and expressed his deep regret that circumstances
prevented him from complying with the flattering re-
quest. He also spoke of the many happy days he had
spent with his Pytchley friends^ and sat down amid
tumultuous cheering.

In proposing the House of Lords^ Mr. Young of Orling-
bury pronounced Captain Thomson to be ^' one of the
finest sportsmen — one of the most gallant horsemen — one
of the most kind, urbane and courteous gentlemen that
ever galloped over the grass fields of Northamptonshire."
Tom Firr, late second Whip to the ^^ P.H./' and at this
time Huntsman to the North Warwickshire, sang an ex-
cellent song of his own composing, a poem upon Captain
Thomson and Iris, to the tune of the '^ Fine old English
Gentleman," which proved one of the features of the
evening.

In response to the ^' Members for the County," Mr.
George Ward Hunt, M.P., and Chancellor of the Exche-
quer— a keen lover of fox-hunting, but from a superabun-
dant vitality requiring a dray-horse to carry him — made a
very entertaining speech. " When I came here, to-night,"
he said, *^ I did not feel as if I were coming in my
capacity as a member for the county, but as an admirer
of the science of which our guest is so great a master. I
was anxious to pay a tribute of respect to him for the
Sport he has given myself and my neighbours for the last

CoL Anstruther Thomso7is AI aster ship. i8i

five years. I have not^ I regret to say^ been able to ap-
pear personally in the hunting-field of late j that, however,
is my misfortune rather than my fault, as it has been the
pleasure of some part of this company to send me to a
distant country, where I have been hunting with a very
different pack from that of the Pytchley ; and one which,
to my feelings, is not nearly so pleasant a one. It is a
stiff country though, and I have seen some very ugly
falls in it. (Laughter.) It has some attractions, however,
which no other pack can boast of. It never fails to
meet, be the weather what it may, and there are never
any blank days. (Zanghter.) Like you, we too have
lately had a change of Mastership ; and we not only
had a new Master, but an entirely new pack of hounds.
{Much laughter.) You know that it is a very different
thing taking up an old pack and getting a lot of
old scratch-dogs together ; and last season we had the
pleasure of seeing at our first Meet a pack consisting
of hounds of all sizes, and of all sorts of colours.
(Great laughter.) In fact I heard some ill-natared
people remark that a good many of the pack were pretty
well used to the ratting-business ; which didn^t sound
nice, at all events. {Laughter.) I, unfortunately, have got
to such a weight [the Right Hon. Gentleman rode about
twenty-three stone'], that I ride to hunt, not hunt to ride ;
and I must say that I prefer the style of hunting in
which the hounds and not the Huntsman hunt the fox.
At the first Meet the other day of the St. Stephen^s pack,
I saw some new hounds, more extraordinary than any
which appeared last season. They were importations
from the Tipperary kennel [great laughter) , 'which. I don't
think any Master of Hounds would like to see hunting ;

1 8 2 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

but I hoge that some of tliem will be drafted after a bit.
I used to say that there was no ill of mind or body that
a good gallop across country could not cure; but that
was when I could get something to carry me. With the
pack with which I shall have to hunt for the rest of the
season, the hunting is of a kind that is apt to produce
many ills both to body and mind; but I shall have
pleasure in thinking that in pursuing the arduous labours
of the hunting at St. Stephen^s, I shall have the
sympathy and good wishes of the Members of the
Pytchley Hunt." (Loud cheers.)

Mr. H. 0. Nethercote gave the health of the Chairman ;
and after speeches from Major Whyte Melville, Sir
Charles Isham, the Hon. H. Liddell and others, a
memorable evening came to a happy conclusion.

Thus was snapped, after five years of satisfactory
wear, the last link that had united the Pytchley Hunt
with the " long Scotch Gentleman," whom the Warwick-
shire yokel advised should be sent for again, when on
one occasion a fox could not be persuaded to leave one
of the Atherstone covers.

A writer in Society says, '^No man ever crossed
the formidably-fenced Pytchley pastures with more
determination than Captain Thomson; and though
hardly pretending, like Assheton Smith, always to be
in the same field with the hounds, he rarely allowed
them to get far away from him."

Aided rather than stopped by weight, he would make
his horses crash through thick fences, and high timber
that others could not get over, and he was therefore a
very good man to follow, until a brook barred the way.
Into that he would plunge boldly, trusting to chance for

Col. Ansh^zitker Thomsons Mastership. 1 8

o

getting out on the far side ; so that those who had
constitutional objections to a bath at fresco, seldom
cared to accept his lead when they saw the gleam of
water ahead. His wonderfully quick eye for a country,
and his constant habit of taking advantage of every
good bit of ground, enabled him to save his horse in a
way that men of less bulk seldom think of. When thei^e
is time to draw rein he never rem_ains a moment in the
saddle.__ Dismounting quickly, he gives his horse all the
relief possible, however brief the breathing-space may
be. Few know how much is gained by a simple act of
this kind, and very few of those who do know ever
practise it.

For one winter after leaving Northamptonshire, 1870,
Mr. Anstruther Thomson hunted the Atherstone, but
the following season he was obliged to pass at Torquay,
on account of the illness of his eldest son. In 1872 he
again undertook the management of the Fife Hounds,
and has continued to hunt them from that time to the
present, this being the fortieth year he has occupied the
position of a Master of Fox-hounds. Just at the close
of Mr. Thomson's career with the Pytchley, an event
occurred in the hunting-field of Yorkshire unparalleled
in its tragical circumstances, and which cast a gloom
throughout the breadth and length of the land.

The York and Ainsty hounds, whilst running between
Copgrove and Newby Hall, crossed the River Ure, which
was greatly swollen after the recent heavy rains. Several
of the field attempted the ford, which was some distance
up the stream ; but Sir Charles Slingsby and others made
for the ferry, which is just opposite the Hall, and sig-
nalled for the boat to be sent across. The river was

1 84 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

sweeping along, swollen and angry_, witli a strong, deep
current^ and much diverted from its usual cliannel. The
stream was about sixty yards broad at this spot, and the
feriy was under the charge of the Newby Hall gardener
and his son. Sir Charles Slingsby was the first to enter,
and was followed by fourteen or fifteen gentlemen with
their horses, there being accommodation for only about
half that number. Those in the boat were the Master,
Sir C. Slingsby, Sir G. Wombwell, Ovis (the Whip),
Captain Vyner, Mr. C. Yyner, Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Robinson,
Major Mussenden (8th Hussars), Captain Molyneux, the
Hon. H. Molyneux, and some other officers stationed at
York. Lord Downe, Lord Lascelles, and others, not
being able to find room in the boat, awaited its return on
the bank. Ere one- third the distance had been traversed,
the Master's horse became restive, and kicked the animal
belonging to Sir G. Wombwell. The latter returned it,
and a sort of panic set in amongst the horses. The boat
swayed from side to side in a most alarming manner, and
finally fairly turned bottom upwards. The scene that
ensued is reported by a witness to have been heartrending
in the extreme. Heads began to appear in difierent parts
of the stream to sink again, and arms and hands were
flung up in mute despair. Horses were seen to battle
with the current, striking out with all their energy, but,
unable to resist the impetuosity of the stream, they were
carried away and sank. Lines formed of whips were tied
together and thrown within reach of the drowning men,
and several beams of wood were launched on the surface
of the water. Captain Vyner saved himself by clinging
to the upturned boat, and, reaching the top of it, was
able to save Sir G. Wombwell, and afterwards one of the

Col. Anst7^zither Jhomson^s Mastership. 185

York ofl&cers. Mr. White got ashore by means of the
ferry-chain^ and others were rescued from the banks.
When all was over, and the roll was called, six were
wanting ; namely, Sir Charles Slingsby, Bart., of Scriven
Park ; Mr. E. Lloyd, of Lingcroft, near York ; Mr. E.
Robinson ; William Ovis (first Whip) ; and the two gar-
deners at ISTewby Hall, the ferrymen. Such were some
of the incidents of a catastrophe, the memory of which
still hangs like a heavy cloud over tbe entire district in
which the terrible tragedy was enacted.

Among the countless canine incidents which have
crossed the path of Mr. Anstruther Thomson, not the
least amusing must have been one which occurred in com-
pany with the present writer. Driving together near
BuxtOD, they were encountered by the length and breadth
of so unsavoury an odour as only to be attributed to
horse-flesh slightly tainted. '^ Hounds, by Jove,'^ ex-
claimed the ex-M.F.H. " Let us get out and bave a look.'^
No sooner said than done. Crossing an orchard, among
the boughs of which were hung the joints which had so
robbed the circumambient air of its natural sweetness, a
kennel was soon espied.

Addressing a light, neat-looking man who was digging
in his garden close to the kennel, he was asked whether
we could be permitted to see the hounds ? *' Certainly,
gentlemen," was the reply in rich Irish brogue. " I^m
the Huntsman, and will show you them with pleasure.^'
Laying down his spade and putting on his coat, he opened
the kennel-door, and let out about as miscellaneous a
looking lot of dwarf foxhounds as might be found in a
long day's march. " You will be pleased to know,'' said
I, " that you are showing your pack to the best judge

1 86 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

of hounds in England — a gentleman of whom you
have probably often heard — Colonel Anstruther Thom-
son/'

'^ Oh, indeed have I," was the answer, " Colonel
Athersfone Thomson ! Why, of course I have, and being
it's he, I don't mind telling him that he is now looking
at the worst pack of hounds in England ! They're called
the Lyme harriers, and there's scarce a decent hound in
the lot. When I take them out of a morning, they'll
suddenly start off in full cry, and run for three or four
miles after nothing at all.'"'

Greatly amused at this candid confession of the short-
comings of his pack, one of the better-looking members
w^as pointed out, and he was subjected to the question,
"That's a good hound to judge by appearances. What
about him, eh ? "

" Well, gentlemen, I'll just tell you. He'll go ten
times round the same field doing nothiug; and then
he'll stop and scratch, and the worst of it is, that
some of the gentlemen who belong to the Hunt,
though they're devils to ride, call it beautiful
questing ! ■"

'^ But why don't you get another situation ? "

*^ Indeed, and I must, gentlemen, for I cannot stand it
any longer ; but a place is hard to find nowadays. I was
some years Huntsman to a pack of hounds in County
Carlow, but I can't go back there, for Ireland's a lost
country. If you can help me in finding a new situation,
I shall take it as a kindness." Promising to help if it
were possible, we took leave of our ill-suited friend —
as clean, nice, and well-mannered a servant as any
Master of harriers might wish to have for a Huntsman.

Mr. J. A. Cravens Mastership, 187

MR J. A. CRAVEN.

With Dick Eoake for Ms Huntsman, Mr. J. A. Craven
assumed the Mastership vacated by Colonel Anstruther
Thomson, and straightway buckled into his new position
as if he were to the manner born. An excellent judge
of a horse, and sparing no expense in getting the right
sort of animal, both master and men were mounted in a
manner befitting the Hunt over which he presided. That
he was himself capable of handling hounds at a pinch no
one for a moment suspected, but on the occasion unex-
pectedly presenting itself, the new Master proved fully
equal to it. An accident having incapacitated E-oake^
Mr. Craven at once assumed the horn, and for some time
drove the coach with such success, that on giving the
health of ^^ the Master of the Pytchley hounds " on the
presentation-night, Captain Thomson said, " Mr. Craven
has many of the qualifications necessary for a Master of
Hounds ; keenness, determination, and a power of endur-
ing fatigue such as he had rarely seen equalled. In
punctuality he gave himself and other Masters a lesson
they would do well to follow, for he well knew that they
had of tea blessed him for keeping them waiting. Mr.
Craven had been obliged to take the horn under very
trying circumstances, and had acquitted himself exceed-
ingly well. He had proved himself patient and steady,
had shown some good sport, and with experience would
undoubtedly take high rank as a huntsman.^^

Such words from such a judge could not but be
pleasant to hear, and were some reward for undertaking
an arduous and thankless duty at a critical moment. On
the reappearance of Roake, which was not long delayed,

1 88 The Pytchley Hunt, Past arid Present.

Mr. Craven again fell into the ranks, and in spite of the
nine long miles between his own house and Brixworth,
never failed in keeping time at the Meets or in attending
to his duties at the kennels. After a while the distance
from his work, the wear and tear of long rides to cover,
and the longer journeys home, proved more than he
cared to encounter ; and after three years of office he
signified his intention of giving up his post. Few persons
in the course of three years, by unfailing courtesy to all,
and a determination to carry out every arrangement in a
spirit of thoroughness and liberality, had more raised
himself in the good opinion of all hunting-men, and it
was with no little regret that the news of his resignation
was received.

LOED SPENCER.

On the Mastership of the Pytchley Hunt again
becoming vacant, nothing could be more in accordance
with the fitness of things, than that the post should be
filled by a member of that noble house which had already
occupied it three times, and whose name was sufficient to
impart to it an eclat scarcely to be expected from any
other quarter. ''The hour''' had arrived, and happily
not without " the man.'' A fourth Lord Spencer was
ready and willing to undertake an office which had been
held by three of his ancestors, and which seemed as if it
ought to constitute a part of the appanage of the Althorp
establishment. Universal was the satisfaction caused by
the announcement that Lord Spencer was willing to take

f^r^lf*"-^

^^^^;^^^v^^^2<l.

Lord spencer s Mastership. 189

up the reins let drop by Mr. Najlor. Not the least among
other advantages to be anticipated from, his so doing was
that it gave rise to a hope of that fixity and permanence
which is one of the chief glories of an old-established
pack of foxhounds ; one which has been so marked a
feature in the Badminton^ the Grafton, the Berkeley_, and
the Fitzwilliam Hunts, and which has been so sadly
lacking with two crack packs of England, the Pytchley
and the Quorn. But as in the case of Man himself, a
Hunt ^' never is but always to be blessed ;'^ and it was
decreed that the ^' P.H/^ was not to escape the common
lot. After the lapse of three short years, Lord Spencer's
constitution not fairly settled down in the saddle of
endurance, had placed its veto upon further experiments
with the physical power, and the edict went forth that
there must be a cessation from anxiety and over- exertion,
and that rest must be found in a more temperate climate
than was to be met with, during the trying months of an
English winter.

Looking back upon the infantile days of the " P.H/'
Master of 1868, he who witnessed the blooding of
'^ Master Jack Spencer " by Charles Payne in Harleston
Park, little thought that the frightened shrinking' child
of four years old on the pony so carefully led by a
groom, and sedulously watched by a governess, was to
develop into the ''Ked Earl,"" one of Ireland's greatest
Viceroys, and one of England's most determined riders.
Six years after this, while standing near Althorp House
on a November afternoon, ^^ Master Jack " watched with
no little excitement the hounds careering: across the
Park in the early part of a run memorable for its
termination by candle-light. But it was not until he

190 TJie Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

had left Harrow that the spirit of the old ancestral love
of huntiDg began to move within him.

The small pony^ the fourteen-hands cob, the depend-
able full-sized hunter J the three first rungs of the
hunting-ladder were all mounted in turn ; and then came
the reaching of the top round. Every man has his own
idiosyncrasies, hidden possibly from himself, but very
apparent to those able to see the beams of light as well
as the mote in their neighbour's eyes. Should the subject
of this memoir not have escaped the fate of every public
character — making enemies — his greatest opponent will
be loth to deny that Thoroughness, Duty, and Justice,
are the three principles by which he is governed in all
his actions. To no one living are the words jiatjustitiaf
mat coelum, more applicable. With him the best day's
hunting has ever had to give way to a duty, however
unpleasant, and easily to be shirked, and whatever he
takes up is carried out with all the completeness that
his strong and thoughtful mind enables him to bring to
bear upon it.

The first of the above triplet of virtues was exemplified
on each of the occasions upon which he became a
" Master of Hounds,' ' by the thoroughness with which
he at once commenced various reforms in kennel and
stables, not the least being the improvement of the
hounds in every respect, and by the introduction of new
blood. The importation of the Duhallow pack from Lord
Doneraile's country, in 1874, did not prove altogether
satisfactory; but on assuming the Mastership in that
year, the hounds belonging to the " P.H." had reached
so low an ebb, that fresh blood from any quarter was an
object of the greatest importance. In the same spirit,

L ord Spencer' s Mastership. 191

the noble Master^ to the injury of his health, spent many
a laborious hour in the woodlands with the young hounds,
returning to Al thorp in the late evening, fairly exhausted
with the day's work. A constitution not over strong for
some time resisted the demands upon its powers, but the
machinery gave way at last, and a warmer climate was
called upon to undertake the repairs which could not
have been looked for from an English winter. As in
other things, the characteristic of " thoroughness " in
Lord Spencer comes out strongly in the determination
with which, from the very jBrst day he commenced his
hunting career, he has been accustomed to forge his way
across a country. It is probable that except after a fall,
nobody has ever seen him in the ruck when hounds are
running, with or without a scent : his sine qua non
in hunting being, apparently, to keep at all times
as close to the Huntsman as pace and propriety will
permit.

The style in which the one object is carried out does
not appear to be a matter for any consideration. The
'' big pill '' in the shape of a hedge, with ditch on either
side, which would be swallowed by a Foster or a Middle-
ton at one gulp, the noble Lord is usually seen with the
aid of spurs, heels, whip and words, to " do '' at intervals.
Nothing, however, is refused as being over-nasty ; and be
the obstacle what it may, the other side, sooner or later,
is sure to be reached. The desire to ensure sport, and
be thorough in doing this, carried the noble Lord at
times too far — as he himself now admits — and he inter-
fered with the movements of the Field more than they
always liked. No regiment of dragoons was kept under
stricter discipline than a Pytchley field at the time of

192 TJie PytcJiley Htmi, Past and Pi^esent.

whicli we are speaking. Woe betide the adventurous
wisrbt who risked a short cut to the next ^' draw," or in
any way seemed out of the place which in the eyes of the
Master was his proper one. Even the homeward-bound
horseman, far on his road, met with a bad time if the
fox, chancing to cross his path^ altered his course,
and caused a momentary check. Turning round upon
one occasion in a Holdenby pasture to rebuke some
horsemen, who, as he thought, were following too
closely upon the hounds, the Master found himself
reproaching a small band of shorthorn brothers, who,
with whisk of tail and downward motion of the head,
seemed to treat with defiance the half-uttered remark of
the noble, but incensed huntsman.

An experience of fifty years with Masters of all sorts
and conditions of temper, has taught the writer of these
pages that nothing is more conducive to sport as well as
to enjoyment in hunting than a thorough sympathy
between a Master of Foxhounds and his Field. When
in fault, the true sportsman, conscious of it, meekly
accepts the mouthful of winged words — eirewv irrepoevTcov
— in a different sense from that used by Home Tooke,
from the privileged quarter ; but the sneer and the scorn-
ful expression, when there is little occasion for them,
rankle in the memory, and sow the seeds of a future
collision.

Lord Spencer, in his eagerness to omit nothing to
secure spurt, may occasionally have said what some may
have thought too much, but he studiously avoided the
use of bad language, and would have felt the greatest
regret if his words were unjustly applied, or if they
rankled in any one's mind.

Lord Spencer's Mastership. 193

So much for the seamy side of the spirit of ^' thorough-
ness^' which leaves no stone uiiturned to produce a desired
result. It will not be denied by any one conversant with
the habits and practice of Lord Spencer here being
referred to, that " duty/^ the second on the list of attri-
butes most justly apportioned to him in the commencing
lines of this memoir, has ever been the guiding star of
his life, and of his actions. To no one has it come more
home that property has its duties as well as its privileges
and it is asserted without fear of contradiction that no
pubUc man, statesman or otherwise, has more consistently
acted upon this principle. Many a day^s hunting has
been sacrificed to the performance of some insignificant
magisterial duty : many a horse posted in some likely
spot, on the chance, after work was over, of coming in
for the residuum of a run. But the spirits of ^^ thorough-
ness " and " duty,'^ conspicuous as they be as motive
principles in the character of one of Ireland's most famous
Lord-Lieutenants, scarcely hold their own with the third-
named influence, ^' justice.'^ Whether it be in governing
a people, or in weighing the conduct, or deciding upon the
treatment of an individual, the one and only goal arrived
at by the representative of the great house of Spencer is
■' Justice.''^ With that for a weapon, he believes that all
the rugged places will be made smooth, and all difiiculties
overcome.

The following letter, written in the winter of December,
1869, is peculiarly interesting at the present time — the
summer of 1886: ''We are comparatively quiet just
now. Irish affairs are undergoing a crisis, as must
always be the case where great changes are taking place.
They who are benefited are too accustomed to their old

0

1 94 ^-^^ Pytchley Hunty Past and Present,

^ievances to become champions of order, and the
agitators do not distinguish between real and iSctitious
evils. I am satisfied, however, that patience and per-
severance in doing justice and acting with impartiality
will eventually bear their fruit. Those who have to deal
with all this have their equanimity sorely tried, and must
wear a thick sMn/^ The writer then g-oes on to say : '^ I
have had some gallops with the Ward Stag'-hounds to
keep me going. A sharp ride to covert and a good
thirty minutes have saved me from collapsing. There is
nothing like a good gallop across country, even to stag-
hounds, to drive dull care away. Three hours^ for-
getfulness of a worry gives one a new start. We had a
very good run two days ago, fifteen miles from start to
take. I had the satisfaction of being" in first ; only five
others up at all.^^

Here we see what hunting can eff*ect for the care-worn
and thoughtful statesman, and may learn to pity the
Viceroy, to whom the pleasure and excitement of a
gallop after hounds are unknown.

On a later occasion the Lord-Lieutenant was quite
alone when the stag was captured after a good run. The
Dublin journals loudly proclaim the feat of one man, and
that man no other than the Viceroy himself, beating the
whole Field, and that Field a '' Ward Union '' one. The
news of this performance having elicited some inquiries
from a Pytchley friend. Lord Spencer replied as follows :
" My stag-hunting adventure was very funny. After carry-
ing me well up to the hounds for about twelve minutes or so,
my horse fell into a blind ditch attached to a fence, which
would have staggered any field unaccustomed to Irish
^ obstacles.^ I lost a little time in getting my horse out.

L ord Spencer' s M aster sh ip, 195

also my place among the first few. Wlien I got up to
tlie road where I lost sight of the leading men^ I fell in
with the Huntsman heading the second flight. He made
me gallop a particular way, but finding that that was
wrong, he turned back, knowing that it would be of no
use. I persevered and made a dash down some lanes as
a speculation. After going about twenty minutes I saw
what is called ^ the hunt,' and expected to catch it over
a hill just in front of me. To my surprise, up came the
stag right to me, and presently three couple of hounds,
and then five couple more, but no one in sight. Of
course I followed this lot, and had about three miles of
splendid country all to myself. When the stag was
taken not a soul was to be seen, nor did a horseman
appear in sight until I had got to a road five fields off with
the hounds, not one of whom knew me. Some labourers
drove them to me ; but when they disappeared, as they
soon did, off went my reluctant followers. In about
twenty minutes a stray man appeared, and ten minutes
later the Whip, but not a soul beside. It was no great
feat, but it was very amusing.^'' Mr. Green, in page 78
of his very interesting volume, after describing an attack
of a kestrel on a rook, goes on to say : " Another
curious thing which I saw during my visit to Ireland,
was a stag, hounds, and horses all run to a stand-still, or
at least to such a state of exhaustion that none of them
could move so fast as I could walk. I was sitting by
myself one afternoon, when I heard the cry of hounds as
if crossing the park. I ran out, came up with them, and
had no difficulty in keeping up with them. Only five or
six horsemen were near, and their animals looked as if
they had not a leg to stand upon, and could scarcely

0 2

1 96 The Pytchley Hitnt, Past and Present.

raise a walk. We all went down to the river, and from
one of its pools out jumped the stag, all amongst the
hounds. He just managed to hobble along for a few
yards up the slope of the green meadow with the dogs
lopping along heavily beside him, and just behind, when
he came to a few very low hurdles. He could only just
get his fore-legs over them and then fell right among the
leading hounds. He kicked out right and left with his
hind-legs, scattered his pursuers, turned down again
toward the river, tumbled over the hurdles once more,
shook himself free from his enemies, and again sought
the water. The hounds were now whipped off, and some
rustics plunging into the water, the leg-weary animal
was secured. Though quite unable to run, it was sur-
prising to see the courage and strength h« still retained.
He fought and struggled with head and neck, and it
required the efforts of some strong men to make him go in
the direction they required. I was afterwards shown a
place in the park where he had fallen through being
unable to jump a ditch not above two or three feet wide,
with a fence about a foot high. I never ascertained for
certain what the length of the run had been, but though
I had often been out hunting and greatly enjoyed it, it
was very painful to me on that occasion to see all the
animals so thoroughly exhausted. I suppose the hounds
were the ' Ward Union ^ pack, and I was informed that
the stag bore the euphonious name of the ' Devil.'
This scene took place in the neighbourhood of Mullah ud-
dart Bridge."

That the above narrative is absolutely a truthful one
cannot be doubted ; but after half a century^s experience
with foxhounds, the writer has not only never witnessed,
but has never heard of a similar incident.

L ord Spencer s Mastersh ip. 197

Daring the period of liis first Viceroyalty, Lord Spencer
was desirous that Mr. Craven, Master of the ^^P.H.'^ at
that time, should bring the Pjtchley pack to Dublin for
a few days^ hunting in the Meath country. All was ar-
ranged for this sporting event to come off, but an accident
to Dick Roake, the^P.H.^' huntsman, necessitated the
giving up of the project. Determined, however, to intro-
duce a hunting-element other than that by which he was
surrounded, the Lord-Lieutenant invited six of his tenants
from Northamptonshire and other counties to be his
guests for a week^s hunting, he undertaking to mount
each of them twice, and to pay all expenses.

The following six gentlemen, tenant-farmers all, re-
sponded to the invitation, and passed such a time as has
rarely fallen to the lot of the unfortunate agriculturist.
Treated with a hospitality and a consideration which far
exceeded all their preconceived ideas of what was likely
to happen, it seemed as though Paradise had opened its
portals to do them honour. From Northamptonshire
came Messrs. Henry Sandars of Brampton, George Gee
of Welford Lodge, W. Wykes, and F. Elliott of Brington.
Hertfordshire sent Mr. L. Cox; Warwickshire, Mr. F.
Fabling; and from out of Norfolk appeared that con-
summate horseman, Mr. Everett. Mounted on the picks
of the basket in the Viceregal stable, each and all did
credit to the different localities from which they came,
and somewhat surprised the ^^ bruisers ^' of Meath by
the facility with which they found their way across an
unaccustomed and difficult country. Messrs. Sandars
and Cox alone came to grief, and all went merry as a
marriage-bell from morn to night. Happy the tenant to
have such a landlord ; fortunate the country to have such
a Yiceroy !

198 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present,

Though something of a cricketer^ and fond of shooting,
it is horse and hound which really occupy the warm
corners in the affections of the Pytchley Master of 1861
and 1874; and in no heart does the love of hunting burn
more strongly. Be he where he may, abroad_, in Ireland^
or elsewhere, the thought of what he may be missing
with the Pytchley is constantly present with him during
the winter months. Making a personal friend of the
horses who carry him well, to part with a favourite for
any cause is a bereavement of no ordinary character. In
a letter to a friend, bearing date February, 1858, he says :
"I was out riding on Friday, and knew by old Sir
George's excitement that hounds were near. I am glad
to hear of the death of one of the many Nobottle foxes.
The one you tell me of came, 1 presume, from Dodford
Holt ; if so, that is not a bad line if you keep the Weeden
and Brington road sufficiently to the left, and so cross
those fine grass meadows. I should indeed have enjoyed
the Saturday gallop you speak of, with Wizard or Meteor
in their old form.^ I hope that the time may come when I
shall drop in for a few such runs. I can count on my fingers
every good day I have had with the Pytchley so far ; so
much have I been prevented by one cause or another
from hunting regularly. I had a very sad parting with
my dear old horses on Thursday last. I made up my
mind to clear my stables, which were filled with a multi-
tude of animals : many useless to me, and several nearly
worn out. Reserving the two old favourites and my
sister's horse, I sent eighteen to TattersalFs. 1 had no
idea until the time arrived, how attached one can become
to horses. I confess that I shed tears over Wizard and

' Both these horses returned to Althorp, and died there at a ripe
old age.

Lord spencer^ s Mastership, 199

one or two others tliat neiglied whenever they heard my
footsteps, and whose every movement I knew exactly.
Poor things ! I long to hear that they have fallen into
good hands/'

Three years after penning this epistle, the writer taking
up the reins lately held by Messrs. Villiers and Cust,
was Master of the Pytchley hounds, being, as has been
stated elsewhere, the fourth member of his family who
had filled that post. Though young and inexperienced,
that aptitude for becoming master of any position taken
up, which falls to the lot of a fortunate few, served him
in good stead ; and it quickly seemed as though he were
" to the manner born/' Few better proofs of the advan-
tage of not feeling " squandered at a crucial moment," or
in other words of being " master of the position,'* can be
found than in the case of the Rev. Dr. Mountain, who,
when consulted by Charles II. as to whom he should ap-
point to a vacant bishopric, replied : '^^ If your Majesty
had faith as a grain of mustard- seed, you would say to
this Mountain, ' Be thou moved into that See.' " Filled
with the aptness of this response, the king took the hint,
and the Mountain forthwith was moved into the coveted
position. That artists as well as clergy are occasionally,
at all events, equal to the occasion, may be inferred from
the following anecdote of Sir Francis Chantrey, the grea
sculptor. Whilst engaged on a bust of Lord Melbourne
— eminent for his learning as well as for his statesman-
ship— the artist found himself getting somewhat out of
his depth in discussing a scientific subject. Not willing
to expose his lack of knowledge, he at once became master
of the position by requesting his lordship, " to turn his
head a little to the right, and 'kee'p his mouth closed ! "

The then beardless face of the new chief betokened an

200 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

easy-going time for evil-doers with hounds as well as for
'^ dodgers ^^ and "short-cutters;^^ but all such rapidly
discovered that they had reckoned without their host^ or
rather without their Master. Captain Bruiser was
speedily admonished to modulate his bruising, and the
sly shirker was warned of the possible consequences of
his shirkiness. Whilst drawing a cover, the whole field
was directed to be gathered together in one place, and
few who hunted in those now distant days will forget
the grip in the field under Yelvertoft Field-side, beyond
which — no, not for the matter of an inch — was any
horseman allowed to pass until the fox was away.
Excellent in theory and full of promise was this edict of
the grip, but it ever seemed to fail in its performance.
A mistaken '^ view-holloa^' or a false line out of cover at
once scattered the impatient host of horsemen, and it
was then useless to try and reform the line and bring it
under subjection.

Having the great advantage of commencing his career
as M.F.H. under the tuition of Charles Payn — the most
pleasant and keenest of Huntsmen — Lord Spencer
quickly mastered the details of kennel-management, and
so prepared himself for his second term of ofl&ce, when
he found much that required undoing, and still more that
wanted doing in the " P.H.^' surroundings. It was during
the period of his first Mastership — in 1863 — that Lord
Spencer was honoured with a visit from his Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales, who was pleased to seize
an opportunity of proving that England's future King
could hold his own after hounds over the big fences of
the Pytchley country. That he was able to do so was
shown in an afternoon gallop from Vanderplanks to

Lord spencer s Mastership. 201

Purser's Hills, when, in spite of a pace that was not
well adapted to a welter weight, H.R.H. occupied am
excellent place until choked off by the hill leadiug" from
Blueberries up to Mr. Pell's house at Hazelbeach Hill,
when he was fain to dismount, and like any ordinary
mortal led his horse to the summit of the ascent. The
hounds at this point being out of sight, H.R.FL seemed
to think that next to being present at the kill, a " drop o'
good beer '^ was the most desirable object at that moment,
so pulling up at Mr. PelFs house, he quickly slaked a
" hill-born^' thirst in a flagon of Burton ale. A cigar
about the size of a sausage-roll was quickly transferred
to his lips, and the late formidable ascent soon formed
the downward path on his road back to Althorp.

Few there present will forget the scene that offered
itself when the Meet on the occasion of his Poyal
Highnesses appearance for the first time with the
Pytchley hounds was held at Holdenby House. The
cortege of ladies and horsemen, headed by the Prince with
Lady Spencer, was seen to issue from the lodge-gates at
Althorp, and cross the pastures leading to this, one of the
most interesting spots in English history. It seemed
as though thousands had assembled to welcome the heir
to the throne, the descendant of that king who had laid
down his life on the scaffold, a victim to the unbridled
hatred of his enemies.

On the following day, his Royal Highness being mounted
on a clever dun-coloured horse — somewhat slow — from the
Althorp stables, " Pale Ale " by name, a fox from Sandars
Cover crossed the Spratton Brook, not far from '' M^rry
Tom." Riding at the water " like a man," the Prince met
with the sad experience that royalty does not always have

202 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

it all its own way, and tliat when the ways of a horse and
those of the first gentleman in the kingdom come into
collision, it is not the former that usually has to give in.
" Pale Ale '^ declined the brook, whip and spur notwith-
standing, and the passage across the stream was finally
effected by means of a friendly ford.

After the completion of a decade and a half from
this time — namely in January, 1878, — another Royalty^
different alike in sex, rank, and nationality, honoured the
Pytchley Hunt during Lord Spencer's second Mastership.

Occupying the very highest rung on the social ladder,
her lofty position did not prevent the Empress of Austria
from freely indulging in her ruling passion, horses and
hunting. At home, hours were spent in the riding-
school, where she acquired a perfection of seat and
hands, and a mastery over her animal which served her
in good stead when a big fence intervened between
herself and the hounds she was following. Attended by
a suite bearing names illustrious in Austrian history, her
Majesty took up her quarters in Cottesbrooke Park,
where for six weeks she *^ witched the (Pytchley) world
with noble horsemanship."" Buh duce '^ Bay Middleton,''
the task she had set herself of seeing all that there was to
be seen, was performed in a fashion that excited the
admiration of a critical field, and aroused the envy of
many a rival horsewoman. The custom of carrying a
fan as well as a whip attracted much observation at first,
but foreign ways are not always as English ways, and
everything is good taste in an Empress. Courteous and
affable, her Majesty was pleased to have any Members
of the Hunt presented to her, and would converse freely
on all topics connected with hunting. Selected for their

Lord Spencer s Mastership. 203

powers rather than for their appearance_, her horses all wore
the hunting rather than the parky cut, and few of them
looked worth the money that had been given for them.
No sooner was it known that a horse was being looked at
for the Empress, than up went its price, fifty per cent, if
not more.

Not naturally of a robust constitution, her Majesty
hoped to find in good English malt and hops an antidote
to a feeling of exhaustion which at times sorely beset
her. Calling at the house of the writer one evening on
her way home from hunting, she smilingly rejected the
preferred tea, saying, " Please let me have some beer, it
will do me so much more good." It is to be hoped that the
anticipated benefit followed upon the modicum of John
Barleycorn absorbed on that occasion by her Imperial
Majesty.

Few events in the annals of the '^ P.H." will stand out
for all time to come in higher relief than the Empress's
steeple-chase at Hopping Hill, which was got up by her
own desire, and carried out entirely at her own expense,
as a memento of her sojourn at Cottesbrooke.

This memorable event took place on the day of her
Majesty's final departure from the neighbourhood, when
she entertained at luncheon in a marquee erected on the
crest of the hill a large number of royal and noble guests.
Amongst the company there assembled were to be seen
H.E.H. the Princess of Wales, H.R.H. the Duchess
of Teck, the Duchess of Manchester, the Countess
Spencer, the Countess M. Festetics, the Prince Imperial
of Austria, Prince Lichtenstein, Earl Spencer, and many
another bearing a name of European celebrity. Seated
in her carriage, with the Princess of Wales on her left^

204 TJie Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present,

and Lady Spencer opposite, she closely watched the
competition for the prizes she had offered, and in one
race, at least, had the satisfaction of seeing her pilot.
Captain Middleton, arrive an easy winner. Before quit-
ting for the railway station, she begged Lord Spencer to
bring to the carriage any Member of the Hunt he could
find, so that she might personally take leave of him — an
act of royal courtesy and condescension that will not
easily be forgotten by the recipients of the honour. The
cheers that greeted her Majesty on leaving the field were
loud and long, and seemed to afford her much gratifica-
tion ; and thus ended a memorable incident in the history
of the Pytchley Hunt.

After an accident which occurred to Goodall early in
1877, Lord Spencer hunted the hounds himself, and
continued to do so twice a week in the open ; and was
doing this during the Empress's visit. On many an occa-
sion he had shown his aptitude for the difiicult post, but
on the day succeeding that of her Majesty's departure he
hunted a fox from Naseby cover to Wilby, near Welling-
borough, in a manner that would have done credit to
'^ Gentleman ^' vSmith himself. The distance from point to
point cannot be less than fifteen miles ; and the scent at
no time being anything more than a ^' holding one,'' but
for the exercise of great patience and perseverance, the
run might have collapsed at any moment.

At another time, with a very catchy scent. Lord Spencer
hunted a fox from Rockingham across the railway,
twice, killing him in the open near Uppingham. On each
of the occasions above referred to, his Lordship exhibited
the true instincts of a huntsman, patience and self-posses-
sion, proving thereby that in the diflacult art of

Lord Spencer s Mastership. 205

hunting a fox, tlie amateur is not a wliit behind tlie
professional.

The dislike to the gentleman-Huntsman that prevailed
so strongly for a while, seems to have yielded to the feel-
ing- that in the matter of handling hounds in the field he
is little, if at all, inferior to the '*" regular dustman/'

The main advantage that the Professional has over the
Amateur, living as he often does away from the kennels,
is his constant presence among the hounds. No skill will
compensate for that lack of sympathy between a pack
of hounds and their huntsman, which is the inevitable
consequence of leaving them over-much to the care
and society of some other person. An hour or so spent
occasionally in the kennel will scarcely be sufficient to
generate that passionate attachment which leads the
hound to rejoice in his Master's scent and presence, and
causes him to come at once to the sound of his voice or
the blast of his horn. A fox is already half killed when
his pursuers come quickly out of cover, and this is rarely
the case unless the scent be good, and they be pretty
close upon his back. The cracking thong and the " ger
away to him " of the angry Whip, will have little efiect
if the scent be bad, and he who is " blowing away '' out-
side the cover has failed to endear himself to his hounds
by being constantly with and amongst them. On the
other hand, a few words in the customary '^ lingua canina "
from their own familiar friend, will cause every rightly-
thinking hound to hurry to the well-known voice. In
drawing a comparison between the amateur and the pro-
fessional Huntsman, it would seem that if the former be
willing to make a slave of himself and undertake the
carrying out his duties in a similar manner to the

2o6 TJie Pytchley Hunt, Past and Prese^it,

latter, there is little to choose between them in the
matter of proficiency in the field. That a Huntsman
should always be with his hounds seems an indisput-
able axiom. It has been said that ^' mediocrity at the
tail of the pack is infinitely to be preferred to the
embodiment of science half a mile behind.'^ To the
Professional, want of nerve, save under peculiar cir-
cumstances, meaus loss of situation. To the Amateur
much is forgiven in this respect if he be popular, and
especially if he pays the piper. How Squire Lowndes
and the late Lord Southampton, neither of whom ever
^'"jumped," met with even the modicum of success they
could fairly lay claim to as huntsmen, was a thing
which "no feller could understand.^^ Few who have
ever carried the horn could compete with either of
these well-known sportsmen in the art of " half-a-mile-
behinding ;'^ yet many a better man has been unable to
show an equally favourable record of foxes killed.

The cuckoo-cry is often raised that '^ any fool can kill a
fox with a scent ;^' the answer to which is " let the fool
try." That he will not perform this much-desired feat
without one is certain, but few take into consideration
the " aliquid amari," '^the always a something," that is
pretty sure to turn up when least expected.

The old Scotch lady did not speak without an experience
in disappointment, when in reply to a query from a friend,
as to whether she might congratulate her on her daughter's
approaching marriage, she said, " Oh, yes, I have nothing
to say against it. It's true that Janie hates the man, but
then there's always a something." So in hunting a fox,
be the scent ever so good — the kill apparently ever so
certain — the unexpected suddenly turns up in the form of

Lord Spencer's Mastership. 207

a storm — a flock of sheep — a change in the atmosphere —
a shepherd dog — or an unknown drain. In short ^^ there^s
always a something ;" and nowhere more than in the
pursuit of the ^' wily animal.'^

It is a singular but indisputable fact^ that however good
a man may be as first or second Whip, he is by no means
sure to succeed in the more important position of Hunts-
man.

Tom Ranee, formerly with the Cheshire Hounds, feeling
that he was in his right place as first Whip, always
refused promotion ; and the well-known Will Derry,
huntsman to Lord Chesterfield, was little else than a
brilliant failure.

Jack Stevens may be placed on the same list, as also
many another, who so far as their reputation went would
have been wise to have followed Tom Ranee's example,
and have remained content with the subordinate position.
To him, skilled as he was in whipping in to hounds, the
profession of stone-breaking would have been preferable
to that of Huntsman, and this because he was conscious
of lacking the necessary qualifications for the ofiice.

Of all the pastimes common to Englishmen, to redress
thebalanceofits manifold pleasures, there is none so fraught
with disappointments as " the Chase."" Be it stag, fox, or
hare, everything hinges upon scent, and the number of
really good scenting-days in a season may usually be
reckoned on the fingers of either hand. In an able
article on '^ Things pertaining to Sport '' which appeared
in a Field of January, 1886, it is maintained tliat a
long course of weather, uniform in temperature, mild and
equable, is favourable to sport. A fifty years' experience
has taught the writer that in the Pytchley country, at all
events, the truth is to be found in the converse of this

2o8 The PytcJiley Hunty Past and Present,

proposition. There, a uniformly dry or mild winter is
never productive of sport, and the cry of the Huntsman
invariably is, *' We mustn^t look for any good scents until
we have a change of weather."

In a letter from Lord Spencer, written long, long ago,
and from a far distant spot, he says : ^^ You must not
expect many runs until you exchange your mild weather
for some frost and snow to sweeten the ground;" and
this used to be stoutly maintained by Charles Payne, as it
still is by Will Goodall.

That ^^ scent transcendeth all Huntsmen," and is as true
now as it was when uttered by Edmund de Laiigley, one
of the sons of Edward III., there is no disputing. But
what is that ^'mystery of mysteries" which we call by
the name of scent ? Who can unravel the impalpable
puzzle ? Who interpret the riddle that has baffled gene-
ration after generation ? ^'^ The world is growing old ! "
Those who know, or say they do, declare that it has long
passed its six thousandth birthday, and yet neither
physicists nor men of science have been able to tell
whence it cometh or whither it goeth ; or where or when
it may be looked for. Things alike in their nature
produce and destroy it — things totally dissimilar work
with the same result.

One sporting rhymster tells us of a great run that
came oJBf when " the wind was north-east, forbiddingly-
keen,'^ whilst another bids us be of good cheer with a
^' Soutberly wind and a cloudy sky, which proclaims a
hunting morning." Some sporting pundits affirm that
the rolling hound and the drop-laden hedge are each
ominous of evil, and as regards the latter, all Hunts-
men seem of one mind. No sooner, however, has the

Lord Spencer s Mastership. 209

glistening liquid-atom been dissolved into thin air, than
" Hope begins to tell its flattering tale/' and a run is
pronounced to be imminent by the sanguine believer in
atmospheric effects. In hunting, however, nothing is
sure, nothing is certain. Experience shows that over
ground ever so parched or ever so sodden with wet,
hounds will sometimes fly; others be scarcely able to own
the line. Happily, however, for the sportsman, it may be
said that the motto, Nulla dies sine linea — there is " no
day without a line ^' — is strictly applicable to hunting,
since no condition of soil or atmosphere can render
scent absolutely non-existent. For lack of it the pace
may be exasperatingly slow ; but many a stout fox has
been " walked '' to death, and many a mile of grass, with
fences to match, been crossed during the operation. As
" half a loaf is better than no bread," so is a pottering
run better than no sport. The evening before a frost is
looked upon by many as a sure harbinger of good things
to come; but it too often fails in performance to render
the promise much to be depended upon. The same may
be said of falling snow — a time of much hope with certain
observers, and likewise of much disappointment. What
is sauce on one day for the hunter, is poison on another;
and the explanation thereof baffles the experienced
sportsman, who learns to attach little credit to all out-
ward and visible signs, be they of weatlier or aught else.
Does the mystery lie in the wind, the state of the atmo-
sphere, the nature of the soil, the hound, or in the fox
himself? We know that scent consists of particles of
extreme fineness, which when given off float lightly in
the air for a time, and then vanish ; whilst some coming
in contact with the ground are united with the exhala-

F

2IO The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

tions left by the foot of the hunted animal^ and exist for
a longer period. These odorous particles are subject to
the condition of the air^ and ascend or descend according
as it is light or heavy^ dry or moist. When arrested
a few inches above the soil^ the scent is neither out of
the reach of the hound^ nor has he to stoop for it,
whereby he ^^ feels" it at the point most favourable to
himself, and which is commonly known as ^' breast-
high/^

Scent also varies by difference of motion. The faster
the animal goes the less of it he leaves behind ; and if
pursued by a dog not belonging to the pack, the chances
are that every particle of it will have disappeared. Fogs
are sometimes favourable for a run^ whilst at others they
seem to annihilate scent altogether. In like manner
white frosts, influenced by some mysterious atmospheric
law, on one day improve sport, on the next render it
hopeless. A bright sun is usually fatal, but a warm
morning without it is often productive of a red-letter
day. It is said that scent lies best on the richest soils,
and that good pastures are more retentive of effluvia
than cold ones. On the other hand, the undrained lands
of former days are said to have been in favour of sport ;
the lack of it, at the present time, being frequently
attributed to the improvements in the science of farming.
Be this as it may, it is certain that in some particular
spots in every country, hounds cannot push a fox, even
though the atmospheric conditions are all that can be
desired.

In the Pytchley country, Harleston Heath may be
said to be one of these ill-favoured spots. Be it the
peaty soil or the withered 'Spins'' of ^^Pinus'^ and of

Lord Spencer s Mastership, 2 r i

" Picea/' it is certain tliat a fox is '^ bad " to catch within
the circuit of this well-known cover. As if aware of his
comparative safety, Reynard is ever loth to quit this
haven of security, and if he does so, is only too ready to
return. He seems to think that a journey to the
pheasantry or to Dallington village and back is as much
as can be reasonably expectecl of him ; and he moreover
has become painfully aware that "' to be or not to be ''
hinges upon his regaining the heath he left so im-
prudently. He well knows that there are others of the
same complexion with himself, who should ta.ke their
share of the danger impending over him, and he is also
well aware that there is that within his ancient haunts
which baffles his pursuers and impedes their course. But
if on some March morning a stranger from a distant cover
be disturbed in his love-making, and incontinently makes
tracks for his far-off home, a gallop may be looked for
with some degree of confideuce. With one circuit round
the bowers of bliss, he bids farewell to the abode of his
lady-love and is off, maybe for Cottesbrooke, or for Sywell
Wood. Better for him had he never forsaken the spot,
where his footfall left little or no sig-n. With Brampton
village well behind him, he stops for a moment to look
and listen, and to catch his breath. He sees nothing
but the flock of sheep, through which he had purposely
passed, clustering under a hedge, and some white-faced
bullocks excitedly cantering oif in the same direction.
All is silent for a brief while, and he begins to think that
the danger is over. Suddenly the well-known sound of
the horn again fills the air, and his heart seems to thump
against his sides. He feels that at no great distance off
his pursuers are thirsting for his blood, and that he must

p 2

2 1 2 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present.

hurry on or leave his brusli behind. Sandars Gorse —
his usual " house of call ^' — is safely reached ; but it is too
hot to hold him ; so skirting a familiar corner, he sinks
the hill and pushes on, still hopeful of eluding his enemies.
But the chorus of voices ceases not, and knowing that the
soft grass, so pleasant to his feet, is adding to his peril,
he turns upward to the ploughs, hoping thus to bafi9.e his
pursuers. Alas, for him ! no rain has fallen to make the
brown earth ^' carry,^^ and plough and grass seem to have
conspired together to take away his life. All too late
he changes his intention, and makes for Boughton
Clumps, but the earths are closed, and there is nothing
for it but on, on, on, for Sywell Wood. A minute^s rest
in Moulton bushes gives him strength and hope, but the
fatal clamour reaches his ear as he crouches in some
dampish sedge, and he feels that the end is near. One
more effort, but in vain. Another plough is crossed, but
there is no escape. A single hound, ^^ Changeling,^' child
of " Changeful," coming out from among the pack, rolls
him on the ground, and in another moment, the muffled
growl is heard which speaks the knell of poor Reynard.
Ill-luck has dogged his footsteps all the way, and he has
fallen a victim to the impalpable essence called scent,
which for once and away has remained constant over
grass and plough without variableness or shadow of
changing. On the morrow, over the same ground, with
the wind in the same quarter, and the atmospheric con-
ditions apparently in no way different, he might have
left his pursuers far behind, and so deferred the fatal
scrunch to a future day.

Such is scent ! AVe all fancy that we know something
about it and can give a pretty good guess as to what is.

Lord Spe7tcers Mastership. 2 1 3

and what is not, a hunting morning ; and so deceive our-
selves. Captain Bruiser arrives at the Meet rejoicing
in the southerly wind and the cloudy sky, or maybe in
the clear but sunless surroundings of a December day.
He at once jumps to the conclusion that a clinking scent
is sure and certain ; and he hails the presiding deity
in cap and boots with ^' Morning, Will, sure to be a
rattling scent to-day ; " but the too sanguine Captain has
missed the cobwebs in the hedge, and has looked upon
the rolling of the hounds as possibly a happy thought for
passing the time. Not so the Huntsman ; nothing has
escaped his vigilant eye, and he cautiously replies, " I
hope so, sir, but I don't like saying much beforehand
about good scents or bad scents : the more I see of hunt-
ing the less I know, it seems to me, about that article.'^
Sensible huntsman ! He has learnt the virtue of the
Yankee advice, '^ Never prophesy unless yer know.'' A.
glance having passed between the Master and Huntsman,
away trot the hounds, headed by the first Whip, rejoicing
in the knowledge that their fun is soon to begin. In less
than eighteen minutes every bush in the neighbouring
gorse seems suddenly alive, and hound leaps over hound,
jealous lest his brother of the kennel should be the first
to fling his tongue. A ringing " view " proclaims the
departure of the fox, and being close upon his back
the pack have no difficulty in making him feel that he
must put his best foot first. ^' Just as I though t,''
says Captain Bruiser to himself; ^'there's a rattling
scent, and no mistake."" But the words have scarcely
escaped his lips when there is a sudden slackening in
the pace, the leading hounds half-stopping throw them-
selves to right and left, whilst the duffers commence to

214 ^^^^ Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

stare about and look for tlie Huntsman's help. He casts
round the field where the hounds have thrown up ; then
tries forward with a bold and increasing sweep^ and
then backward, and at last a well-known roadster
** feathers '^ on the line. The chorus^ but in greatly
diminished volume, recommences, and hearts once more
beat high. But though a mile or two are traversed, the
pace never exceeds the conventional " donkey's-gallop /'
and it becomes only too clear that the virtue has gone
out of the whole thing. But why so ? and for what
reason was there this unlooked-for disappointment ?
Because the cobwebs and the rollers at the Meet were
right after all, and there was that in the atmosphere —
nescio quid — which prevented the scent from being at
any time really a good one. So long as they were close
at him, hounds could almost fly, but no sooner was
he chivied by a shepherd^s dog, than having shaken
off this new enemy, he felt that he had done with the old
ones ; at least for the time being. Discontentedly riding
home after a bad day, our friend *^ Bruiser'^ mournfully
meditates over the uncertainty of things in general; but
more especially of scent. Eemembering his prophecy of
the morning, he vows that never again will he venture
to give an opinion on so ticklish a subject as a scenting
day ; and for a time keeps his word. But '^ guesses at
truth " do not always tell against the question.

"Too blustering to draw the Gorse to-day,^' once said
Mr. Langham to Will Goodall on one Wednesday
morning, as each took shelter from a hurricane of wind
under the lee of Crick Church. " Take the hounds home,
and we will come to-morrow instead."

** Begging your pardon, sir," said Will, " we shall

Lord Spencer s Mastership, 2 1 5

disappoint a great many if we don^t do something ; and
we slian^t liurt the cover by running the hounds through
it/' '^ If we do find, they won't be able to run a yard/'
said the Master^ ^' but I don't mind having a try^ so
move on at once." A fox was soon afoot and quickly
^' away," and such a forty minutes followed as will not
soon be forgotten by those who saw it. The more it
blew, the more hounds flew, and it seemed as if the scent
could be almost cut with a knife. Of course it was ^' up
wind,'^ which points to the fact that foxes, like men,
must, as Carlyle cynically declared of his own country-
men, be mostly fools ! Tons of ink may be shed, reams
of foolscap used in writing disquisitions upon scent ; but
the outcome of it all will be that ^^ it is a thing that no
fellow can understand."

With the single exception of Sir Francis Head, who
will be spoken of at length elsewhere, and in whom the
love of hunting continued in his eighty-fourth as strong
as it was in his eighteenth year, it may be affirmed that
no man has ever looked forward to the next day's hunting
with greater eagerness than the noble Lord, who possibly
will not care to deny that the most halcyon days of a
somewhat troublous life have been connected with the
chase. A series of beautiful pictures by Charlton serves
to illustrate the period when, with his own pack, and
Tom Goddard as first Whip, he thought it no drudgery
to hunt the Woodland country. In an engraving from
one of these, mounted on " Misrule," with Lady Spencer
by his side, he is represented as surrounded by the pack
just loosed from their Althorp kennels, and is passing
the keeper's house on his way to rouse some too inactive
cubs, and give his young hounds a lesson. The grey

2 1 6 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present,

mare lie is riding is not without her interest, though only
a nominal one, at the particular date (July, 1886) at
which these lines are being written. On seeing a friend
upon her_, soon after his first Yiceroyalty, he inquired
how she was bred ; and on hearing that she was by
'^ Irish Statesman/' demanded her name. " Home Rule/'
was the owner's reply. '^ Not at all a good one, either,''
said Ireland's late Lord- Lieutenant : " no Irish Statesman
would have anything to do with Home Rule." " I have
changed the mare's name, as you didn't like the old one,"
said Mr. N. a little later on. ^^ And what do you call her
now ? " " Misrule " was the answer. *^ That is a much
more appropriate title," was the remark of the ex-
Yiceroy. And soon after the animal passed into the
Althorp stables, where she still is a standing memento
how teiYi'pwa mutanUirj nos et mutamur in illis.

Most interesting some day will it be to read the letters
of one of L'eland's most efiicient Lord-Lieutenants,
written in one of her most stormy periods. In an epistle
bearing date October, 1882, the writer, referring to some
gallops he has heard of with his old hounds, says, ^^ Alas I
those pleasant times seem past and gone, when a deep
ride in Loatland Wood did not repress one's keen
anticipation of a burst over those grass-fields alongside
the brook. But they are pleasant to think and talk
about, and will be so as long as one lives. We hope for
a quiet winter, but I have plenty of trouble and worry
still. The question among gentlemen now is *^Will
hunting be possible where it was stopped last winter?
It hangs in the balance, but I fancy that with judicious
treatment the chase will win. It goes on capitally in
Meath, and with the Ward Union, but I dare not

Lord Spencer'' s Mastership. 2 1 7

go out, as they miglit, to spite me, make an eflfort to
stop it."

In tlie year 1864, Lord Spencer completed his first
term of service as Master of the P.H., to be succeeded
by Captain Anstruther Thomson, whose reputation as a
scientist in hunting-matters was at that time second to
none. Compelled by warnings which brooked no delay,
he successfully sought in Egypt the health which was
denied him at home ; the wear and tear connected with
hounds having sapped a constitution at no time equal to
continuous physical exertion. Always full of hunting
thoughts, he thus writes from Suez in the spring of 1864 :
" Not having for some time received Charles Payne's
reports, your hunting-news was most acceptable. The
details you give of hunting-incidents and county-life
made me somewhat sad and home-sick ; but the sadness
was only that which we all feel on hearing of things one
loves so well, and which one hopes to see and enjoy
again. •'■' A striking notice of the Suez Canal, at that
time in its earliest stage of existence, then follows : " I
have just completed one of the most instructive journeys
I have ever made, having gone from Suez to Port Said
by the far-famed French canal. I am immensely
struck by the gigantic scale of the work, and by the
marvellous energy and power shown by the French
engineers. I travelled with the English Consul at Cairo
and a party of scientifics and visitors for six days, and
we ate and drank Suez Canal mentally and physi-
cally.

" The enthusiasm and energy of these men would alone
convince any one that the work can be carried out, and
money seems to be the only real difficulty. Where is

2 i8 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

this to come from? for the mere canal, as a commercial
specuhition, coax never pay the original outlay. The whole
place is a French colony. There are four or five villages,
two of which are becoming towns rapidly, with fine houses,
hotels, &c. This alone is marvellous, considering the
whole isthmus is in mid- desert, without a drop of fresh
water or blade of green grass near it. The administration
is perfect, and made me admire the French immensely.
It has become a question of the greatest international
importance. The French are doing a world of good, but
are they to remain ? No politician outside France can
allow that, but if they would hold and irrigate the desert
they pass through, the speculation might eventually prove
remunerative one. We sailed the whole way from Suez
to the Mediterranean, a notable achievement in the
teeth of the great Stephenson, who declared that ib was
an impossibility. The fresh-water canal, necessary for
supplying the staff on the maritime one with drinkable
water, and for the transport of materials, brings the
Nile water to Ismaila in a stream six feet deep by
twenty wide.''

That the climate of Egypt did all that was expected of
it for the ex-Master of the " P.H.'^ — was proved by a
P.S. to the above letter, which contains the statement :
*' We are all well ; I never so strong since I remember
anything,'^ Ten years after this the writer of the above
letter was again Master of the Pytchley Hounds ; the
interregnum of Mastership, 1864 — 1874, having been
filled up by Messrs. K. Thomson, Craven, and Naylor, re-
spectively. During this time, Lord Spencer had passed
through the ordeal of an Irish Viceroyalty — a period
during which, though the clouds were gathering which

Lord Spencei's Mastership, 219

afterwards discharged themselves with such terrific force,
the political atraosphere was comparatively serene and
undisturbed.

In a letter from Ziirich in the June of 1874, the writer
says : " I am on my way to Ragatz^ which I hope will
strengthen the system, and enable me to carry out effi-
ciently next winter my duties in county affairs, as well
as those of M.F.H. I feel desperately eager to get back to
superintend kennel-matters. The fact is that I have had to
go into so many more details of management than I had
when there was Charles Payne to lean upon, that I have
got more interest, if more trouble, in my M.F.H duties.
I like what I see of Goodall. He is keen as mustard,
very active and sharp ; and I breathe much more freely
than when in the atmosphere of Squires, from whom
breezes occasionally emanated other than those of
milk, which was his usual outward and visible beverage.
My regard for Tom Goddard made me very extrava-
gant in my bid for " Newport;" but it is well perhaps
that I missed him. I should have liked ^* Optimist "
for Goodall, but I stopped after two hundred and thirty
guineas. I hope that my purchase of the Duhallow
Hounds will be useful. The dog-lot is rather too tall ;
but to my fancy they are very good-looking, and I have
a wonderful report of them in the field. These and
some Fitzwilliam reduced-establishment drafts, and the
Holderness lot, ought to make our pack up to a state
of efficiency."

During the four years that followed, there was nothing
omitted by the noble Master to ensure that amount of
sport which was the one great object of his desire, and
which^ more or less, occupied his thoughts by day and

2 20 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and P^^esent.

by niglit. The accident to his Huntsman having forced
upon him the welcome necessity of carrying the horn^ he
increased the responsibihty at the same time that he
enhanced the enjoyment of his position ; the only draw-
back to which was his too great anxiety to show sport.
Never sparing himself, his horses or his hounds, he got
into the habit of making longer days than was good for
either^ and the '' one more draw," when it was really time
to go home, eventually told its tale upon all three. Nor
did long frosts and heavy snows serve to keep the esta-
blishment undisturbed. " Out you go ! " was the cry on
the slightest apparent change in the weather ; and many
an hour had been spent in Sywell Wood and Holcot
Cover, in the vain hope of catching a fox iu the snow,
and of keeping the hounds in condition. The vision of
a brave old Field-Marshal — one of England^s most
accomplished soldiers — now deceased, rises before the
writer, as with the collar of his coat well up to his ears,
and his thin grey silky hair peeping' from under his hat,
he beat his hands against his thighs and wished himself
well out of the wood, and sitting over the fire, safe and
snug, at Althorp.

Even under these depressing conditions, no '^ Mark
Tapley ^' could look happier than the Master who carried
the horn ; the very fact of the difficulties seeming to
inspire him with fresh energy. Besides the old warrior
just referred to, Lord Granville — a genuine lover of sport
in any shape — would occasionally appear at the Meet
during Lord Spencer's Mastership ; and one day falling
in love with a slashing four-year-old of Mr. John Drage's
— a regular Leicestershire galloper — made him his own
at three hundred guineas, to ride with his harriers about

Lord spencer^ s Mastership. 221

the Dover cliffs. " Love at first sight/^ according to ttie
Yankees, is '^ tlie greatest labour-saving machine in the
world," but in this case it did not prove a mo7iei/-saving
one to the purchaser^ inasmuch as it was not long before
the animal in question found his way back into North-
amptonshire— a present to Lord Spencer — his only
fault being that he was ^^not weak enough for the
place/^

But a greater even than the noble Warden of the
Cinque Ports gave by his presence quite a fillip to the
Meet at Althorp, one fine spring morning. It was known
that the " G.O.M." was staying in the house, and it was
expected that he would appear — not exactly in scarlet
and tops, but in '^ highlows " and jacket to match, just
to say that he had been present at a Meet with the
Pytchley. This did not, however, appear to be a great
object of desire with the Premier of England.

Anticipating the irreverent sneers of Lord Randolph
Churchill, he even then enacted the part of ^^ an old man
in a hurry,^' and after a brief survey of the scene, and
without stopping to address the Field, the Huntsman, or
even the second horseman, he hastily retreated to the
more suitable surroundings of the famous Library. But
his eyes were not closed during the few brief minutes of
his attendance at the Meet. When invited by one of the
guests after dinner to say how the farmers were to meet
the distressful times which had then just commenced, the
acute observer remarked, " They cannot be so badly off,
or they would not ride such beautiful horses as I saw
this morning; " adding — ^^ And what do you think they
really want ? " "A slight duty on corn/' was the reply.
" They will never get it ; and if they did, it would do

2 22 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

them more harm than good/' was the hopeful answer of
the great Apostle of Free Trade ; whilst a smile at the
audacity of the suggestion played across his face.

*' But can nothing be done by which landlord and
tenant may each be saved ? '"' was the next inquiry of the
evidently interested interrogator. " Reduce the size of
your holdings, and alter your system of farming/' was
the response of one, who without having closely studied
the subject, saw where the weak points lay. Since then
this advice has been acted npon to an immense extent,
especially in the increased use of ^^ silos '^ and ^^ binders."
But the black cloud still hovers over farming in all its
branches ; nor does even a glint of the sun peep out from
the darkness to impart a ray of hope to the despairing
agriculturist.

" Jam," for a time, was held out by the Prime Minister
as a panacea for all rustic evils, but the remedy scarcely
seemed suited to the complaint ; and ^^ Thou shalt be
saved by jam," was never adopted as an article of belief
into the creed of the British farmer.

At the close of his fourth season. Lord Spencer again
becoming aware that his health was not equal to the wear
and tear of the duties required of him, and also that he
was neglectiug the higher functions of political life, once
more placed his name on the list of retired M.F.H's,
and determined to pass the winter in the genial climate
of Algiers.

Writing from "Mustapha Superieur," in the autumn
of 1879, he says, '^ Thanks for your account of the run
fi'om " Gib." How delighted Will Goodall must have
been with it ! It reminds me of one I had on the last
day of the season of 1878. 'Valentia' was out. I rode

Lord Spencer s Mastership. 22

3

' Marvel ^ for tlie last time, and I am sorry to say that I
lost my fox near Overstone. I love to hear of a good
run ; but as I ought to be curbing my hunting propensi-
ties, a slight pang will come across me when I feel that I
ought not again to carry the horn or hunt as much as I
have hitherto done. On reading an account like yours,
I become conscious of the difficulty I shall have in break-
ing myself of the passion. If I could be satisfied with a
moderate enjoyment of it, I might allow myself some
rein ; but I so easily become greedy for more, when once
in the swing of it, that I scarcely know when to pull up.^^
Acting upon these feelings, and conscious that there
was that within him which might be of more service to
his country than the management of a pack of fox-
hounds, ever so distinguished. Lord Spencer now laid
down the horn of the huntsman, and took up the port-
folio of the statesman in its stead. As President of the
Council, the new Highway Act and other important
matters connected with county business came under his
supervision. The same ^' thoroughness " which in all
that he undertook seemed to be his moving principle,
was brought to bear upon his new sphere of labour, with
the result that the efficiency of his work has not been
exceeded by that of many of his predecessors in office.
Sore trouble awaited him in Ireland ; but he met it in a
spirit so gallant, and yet so gentle, that it may be said of
him that in every Irish heart save that of the murderer
and the dynamitard " exegit monumeiitum cere perenniusJ'
As he has said in a letter quoted elsewhere, " many a
time he was saved from collapsing by a gallop with the
' Meath ' or the ' Ward Union ' staghounds" — a hint
that should not be lost upon future Irish Viceroys.

2 24 The PytcJiley Hunt^ Past and Present.

MR. HERBERT LANGHAM.

In Mr. Herbert Langham of Cottesbrooke^the ^'^P.H." were
fortunate enough to find another country gentleman, the
fourth in succession, ready to undertake the office of
M.F.H. In social position, locality of residence, loTe of
hunting, and general popularity, a more fitting successor
could not have been found ; and a liberal subscription
enabled him to look forward to a happy and successful
reign.

It was now arranged that the Woodland Country — a
long-standing difficulty with the '^ P.H.'^ — should, under
the title of the "^ North Pytchley," be hunted by a
separate pack of hounds and Master, thereby greatly
lessening the labours of the establishment at Brixworth.
Happily for the new experiment, Mr. Watson of Rock-
ingham Castle — the keenest sportsman and the most
popular man in the whole country-side — was willing to
become Master of the " N.P.H.", and for two years con-
trived to instil life and animation into the proceedings ;
after which he retired into private life. Mr. Pennel
Elmhirst succeeded Mr. Watson, himself carrying the
horn ; but being an entire stranger in the land, and un-
used to handling hounds in a strong country, the measure
of his success was not very remarkable.

Lord Lonsdale next took up the running, or rather
the hunting, and fairly astonished the land of Brigstock
with the lavish munificence of his expenditure. Mount-
ing his men as men never before were mounted; himself
riding horses more fitted for the Waterloo than a Wood-
laud country, and sparing no expense on either the
kennel or stables, it seemed as though " Monte Cristo "

Mr. Herbe7't Langham^s Mastership. 225

himself was holding liigli jinks at the little hunting-centre
known as ^' Brigstock."

A fine^ powerful^ fearless rider, his costly horses fre-
quently had their jumping powers put to the test, the
fences between the different woods being thick and
hairy, and well furnished with strong posts and
rails.

A " chestnutomania " having at one time got the
better of the noble Lord, it was said that for a short
period he had seventy horses of that colour standing
in his stable. The craze, however, proving as extrava-
gant as it was unwise, did not continue long, and the
stud of one colour became, as of yore, one of infinite
variety.

At the close of his third season, Lord Lonsdale trans-
ferred his establishment into Lincolnshire ; and was
succeeded in 1885 by Mr. M'^Kenzie, late Master of the
" old Berkeley ^^ hounds, who by his unceasing endeavours
to show sport in a district where few care to appear at
the Meets and support him by their presence, has won
the good opinion of the neighbourhood,

Succeeding to a somewhat masterful Mastership (1878),
and having himself ofttimes had to suffer rebuke, Mr.
Langham has gone on opposite lines to those of his pre-
decessor in respect to the management of his Field;
and, except in cases of flagrant misbehaviour, refrains
from active interference. He has broken the custom
that change of Masters is to take place every three
or four years; and every one hopes that the Hounds
will long remain under the guidance of the owner of
Cottesbrooke.

Well mounted and always in a forward place when

Q

2 26 The Pytchley Htpit, Past and Present.

hounds run, tlie Master is mostly at hand to restrain any
" young man in a hurry ; ^^ and when necessary^ can ad-
minister a suitable amount of verbal correction — always
well received, from not being over-frequent.

In one of his letters. Lord Spencer speaks of the
great comfort he experiences in having such a Hunts-
man as Charles Payne to " lean upon ; '^ whereby he
is saved much trouble and many anxieties. All who
remember that accomplished harseman, great artist, and
trusty servant, will be able to appreciate his lordship's
feelings in this respect. To no- one, however, will they
come more home than to his successor, who in William
Goodall possesses a Huntsman and servaurt who leaves
nothing for a Master to require. Springing from a
family to whom ^' hunting a pack of hounds '' comes as
naturally as finding game does to a setter, in him we
have an instance of the brilliant Whip — losing none of
his brilliancy when called on to carry the horn. The
son of one who for nearly twenty years hunted the Bel-
voir hounds, and who met his death by falling upon his
own horn, which he bad thrust into the side-pocket of
his coat, his first experience in stable-work was with
Sir Thomas Whiehcote, Bart., of Aswarby House, near
Sleaford. He then " entered '^ to hounds as second
Whip to Carter, who had succeeded to the post
held by his (Goodall's) father, and for one year
(1866) served with Roake and Firr, under Captain A.
Thomson.

After a spell of four years with Lord Henry Bentinck,
he returned to the " Belvoir,'' from whence he was selected
by Lord Spencer, in 1874^ to be Huntsman to the ^' P.H.^'
Twelve years have elapsed since he first occupied the

Mr, Herbert Langhams Mastership, 227

Huntsman's cottage at Brixwortli, and eacli succeeding
year has afforded a fresli proof of the wisdom of Lord
Spencer's choice. By the skill he has displayed in the
exercise of his profession — by a trustworthiness never ex-
ceeded— by good conduct and a civility which have won
the hearts of all, William Goodall has now earned for
himself a place on the short list of those whose names
have become household- words in the little world comprised
in that part of the county of Northampton known as the
^^ Pytchley country/^ With him on the list of Hunts-
man-worthies may be included those giants of old time,
Dick Knight and Charles King; whilst in modern days
we feel reluctant to add any other save that of Charles
Payne '^ the inimitable.'^

In social life few things are more striking than the
position occupied by a popular Huntsman. Belonging to
a class from whence spring jockeys, professional cricketers,
pedestrians, and such like, it is to their integrity, skill,
good manners and conduct, that they are indebted for the
consideration they meet with from their equals, and the
almost familiarity with which they are treated by their
superiors.

Look at the long roll of Jockeys from F. Archer down-
wards, and see how many there are, who for rectitude
and honesty stand in the eyes of other men in the
same light as do the well-known Northamptonshire
Huntsmen, as Charles King, Charles Payne, William
Goodall, Frank Beers, and old Tom Sebright. Honour
to each and all respectively, at having attained by their
own merits a position among their fellows of which they
and their families may well be proud.

Neither time nor space would serve to narrate the

Q 2

22 8 The Pytchley Hitnt^ Past and Present.

particulars of the many good runs tliat have taken place
since the Whip from the '^Belvoir ^' assumed the horn of
the " P.H. ;" but during that time none is more worthy
of notice than one on the 12th of March^ 1878, when a
fox found at Yanderplanks, after crossing the cream of
the country by Watford, Crick, Yelvertoft, Clay Coton,
Swinford Cover, Stanford Hall, was finally run into at
Clifton Mill, close to Rugby. Unpromising at its com-
mencement, after leaving Crick village, the hounds began
to run in earnest, and it seemed as though the fox
was determined to make things pleasant all round by
selecting the finest line in the Midlands to traverse.

Goodall, Major Curtis, the Hon. F. Henley, and Cap-
tain Soames went about the best ; and the former still
looks upon it as the crack run of his time. A run from
Sywell Wood in 1877 to Whishton village was memo-
rable from Goodall having swum the Nene just before
killing his fox. Accoutred as he was, he plunged in, and
bade bold riders follow ; but these declining the invitation
galloped right and left, determined to praise the bridge
that carried them safely and quickly over.

Happily fortune in this case favoured the brave, and,
instead of losing the fox, as usually happens after the
performance of some notable feat by which an entire field
is shaken off, the dripping fugitive from the depths of
Sywell Wood was brought handsomely to hand. With a
little whisky poured down his throat, and a larger supply
into his boots (a hint for river-swimmers), Goodall
escaped all cold, and had no reason to repent for self or
horse their somewhat hazardous immersion.

Aged thirty-eight, and riding under twelve stone,
bringing to bear upon his duties a zeal and conscientious-

Mr. Herbert Langham's Mastership, 229

ness that must needs have tlieir reward^ it is to be hoped
that many a year may elapse before the " P.H." is
divorced from its present Huntsman, and a stranger be
seen in his place.

The same wish may well include Master as well as
servant. The official life of the former has already ex-
ceeded the span allotted to the Masters of the ^^ P.H.^'
of modern days ; and few will be found to deny that the
path he has chosen to follow has been one of pleasantness
to those who have hunted with him. On first trying his
"prentis hand" at the duties entailed by ruling over a
hunting-establishment, his knowledge of the kennel-part
of it probably touched that point known as ^' unqualified
nescience.^^ Bringing natural aptitude to bear upon a
determination to master a subject full of interest as well
as of importance, he has now acquired the reputation of
being one of the best " hound-men " of the present day.
That this should be of great advantage to a Hunt need
not be expatiated upon ; the make, shape, blood, and
quality of the constituents of a pack being nearly all that
success requires.

For instance ; to breed for speed alone would be to
reduce the number of good days in a season to a very
limited quantity. The fineness of limb and general for-
mation necessary to produce extra swiftness would neces-
sarily affect the parts where the scent-organs lie, and
contract the space requisite for their full development.
The familiar ^' howl ^^ about each succeeding winter being
the worst hunting-season on record may in a measure be
laid at the door of the M.F.H. and Huntsman going in
for galloping rather than scenting-power ; a subject ujDon
which Lord Charles Russell, in one of his admirable little

230 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

brocliures upon hunting-matters strongly animadverts.
His lordship — prop and pillar of the Oakley Hunt through
many a season — and now in his eighty-first year, both
able and willing to give a lead at a " yawner,^^ thus speaks
of hound-breeding at the present day : " The modern
system of farming, less rough country, fewer grass-baulks
and headlands, fences neatly trimmed, early ploughing^
steam- cultivation, artificial manures, and more stock —
all tends to lessen the hold of scent. Game-preserving
produces a quantity of bad fat foxes, and a fat bad fox is
less easy to kill than a lean wild one. These new diffi-
culties should be encountered by more hunting-power ;
more attention should be paid to the faculty of scent. At
Hound- Shows there are prizes for make and shape, but
none for merit. No notice is taken of the all-important
and indispensable nose. Everything is sacrificed to fashion
and quality : only one type is recognized, and that the
one best adapted to the small minority of hunting-coun-
tries— the flying grass ones. Any special provision for
a class of hounds suitable for an enclosed, hilly, wood-
land, plough, or moorland country is not taken into con-
sideration, everything being sacrificed to the craves for
speed. ^ Most haste, less speed.^ The pack that stops
the least goes the quickest ; and the one that carries
most head and has the greatest number of line-hunters
will be gaining on their fox; while the one that might
shine for a short time in a catchy scent will be getting
farther and farther behind, after the first check. '^ Such
are the words of one of the most acute, observant, and
experienced judges of hunting now existing; the moral
of them being that the one thing needful in a hound is
Nose.

Mr. Herbert Langham^ s MastersJiip, 2

J

Were it not for the " glorious uncertainty " of all
things connected with the ^^ Chase " as well as with the
'' Turf," the " P.H/' might confidently look forward to
a long continuance under its present Master, whose
record already beats that of all his predecessors since
1818,

A few years ago, when the dire trouble of all connected
with " dirtj acres " first set in, it was prophesied that
hunting was tottering to its fall, and had but a short time
to live. It was said that one pack of hounds after
another would die out for the lack of the necessary
aliment, and that their place would know them no more.
There is nothing, however, so safe to back as the un-
expected. While these lines are being written, the
number of packs in England and Scotland is much the
same as it was in 1880. Captain (^' Bobby'') Soames,
secretary to the ^^ P,H.,'' and lord of the little paradise in
the unelysianic village of Scaldwell, bad to beat when
hounds run hard, and mounted as so good a sportsman
should be, can testify that the financial position of the
Pytchley never wore a more promising aspect than it
does at the present moment (July, 1886).

How this is so, considering the portentous falling off
in the amounts contributed by the old local Subscribers,
it is hard to say -, but the fact of its being so is a gleam
of sunshine in the midst of the gloom surrounding many
an old sportsman ; a gloom through which he is unable
to see his way to farther enjoyment of the sport which,
through many a year, has formed the chief one of his life.
Happily the prices given for yearlings, books, pictures,
china, and bric-a-brac of all sorts, prove that thero is
plenty of money somewhere. The coflfers of the ^' Beer-

232 The Pytchley Hitnt^ Past and Present,

Lord '^ and tLe " Share-Lord " still retain* their rich
linings of L.S.D. ; and if the " Ploughshare-Lord ^^ be
constrained to turn a narrower f urrow^ capital will always
be forthcoming to maintain and keep alive the '' Sport of
Kings/'

The poet Campbell has sung the song of the " Last
Man/' If the "^ Last Hunt ^' is ever to be commemorated
in verse, may it be the one whose history has been so
imperfectly sketched in these pages.

PAET III.
MEMOIES OF MEMBEES,

MR. A. A. YOUKG.

Enthusiasm, even in a doubtful cause, lias that witMn it
whicli commands respect : how much more then will this
be the case when the object is something more than
praiseworthy ? In the man fashioned in the ordinary
mould the love of fox-huntings however strong in the prime
of life_, will wax faint as years roll on^ and his seventieth
year will probably find him indifferent to his former
love.

Fourscore years have passed over the head of Orling-
bury^s venerated " Squire ; " but the passion for the
chase that burned so strongly within him seems to have
lost little of its intensity, though he can no longer gratify
it as of yore. A fall from his horse, rather than lapse of
time, brought about the result which compelled Mr.
Young to follow hounds on wheels instead of in the saddle
— a change deeply felt by the fine old sportsman.
Accompanied by a lady whose love for everything con-
nected with hunting fully equals that of her father, the
old Squire never fails to appear in his little " Dagmar ^'

2 34 ^^^^ Fytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

when hounds are drawing Wilmer Park or any of the
well-known covers round about. No sooner have the
hounds given notice that a fox is a-foot^ than the excite-
ment of father^ daughter_, and cob (an animal of exceed-
ing beauty) rises to summer-heat, and the latter can
scarcely be restrained from following in hot pursuit
where there is no " pathway of safety/^

Should a fox not be ^'^ at home ^^ in the Orlingbury
plantations it will be no fault of the worthy Squire^s, who
will not have left a stone unturned, no dodge untried,
to obviate such a result.

If a run worthy of the name takes place with an animal
found in any of his covers, his heart is gladdened for
many a day, and he never tires of going over the line and
hearing of the incidents attending it. Then it is that
the lady previously referred to recalls with a sigh the
" Chestnut son of Thormanby," whom she rode so
gallantly, in spite of a disinclination on his part to face
the prickly fences that, sooner or later, he was forced to
jump. With a lack of gallantry unbecoming a steed of
such noble lineage, this child of a Derby-winner would
think it no scorn to deposit his fair burden in a ditch,
and to gallop off, apparently well satisfied with the per-
formance— very unworthy of his illustrious sire.

Who is there that hunts with the Pytchley on the
Monday-side of the country who is unacquainted with
that " right little, tight little thicket, ''' known as " Cock-
a-roost '^ ? Formed by Mr. Young some five-and-twenty
years ago, by enclosing the patches of gorse growing
naturally on the hillside opposite the Isham road, and
scarcely exceeding an acre in extent, it has acquired a
reputation that might be envied by many a more preten-

Mr, A. A. Young. 235

tious cover. Growing so thickly as to require two dis-
mounted horsemen as well as the hounds to complete an
effective draw, an hour is often cut to waste before a fox
is induced to quit his snug' surroundings. When well
away, nothing but an absence of scent can prevent a
g'allop of more or less enjoyment, according to its pace
and duration. To hear of a " forty minutes and a kill ^'
from the ^^ bantling '^ of his heart is gladdest of glad
tidings in the ears of the worthy old Squire, of whom it is
said in relation to this little spot of ground, that '^ after
his death the word ' Cock-a-roost ' will be found imprinted
on his heart/*

With him time seems to deepen rather than to weaken
recollections of old hunting'-days. Speak to him of
^^ Clarion ^^ or '^ De Grey,''"' and the glistening eye and
reflective look speedily show into what region of the
irrevocable past his thoughts are wandering. The last-
named, bought as a four-year-old at Boughton Fair,
occupies perhaps in the heart of his master a warmer
place than any horse he ever possessed, but to him who
was not *"' in the secret/^ the other appeared greatly the
superior animal. Troubled with a bit of temper, the
first was not always to be depended upon at his fences,
and in the last stride would whip suddenly round ;
whereas the second was, if anything, in too great a hurry
to arrive on the other side of the hedge and ditch. No
man need wish to have two better hunters in his stable
at the same time, but to the outsider, " Clarion " with
his pace, quality, and jumping power, was the one to take
for choice. Not given to award praise or blame in a
niggardly fashion, it may be asserted without fear of
contradiction that no two animals were ever made the

236 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present,

subjects of so mucli laudation by an appreciative owner as
these two.

Fond of seeing a mare and foal roaming within range
of his study-window^ Mr. Young ventured upon the ex-
periment of breeding a few thoroughbreds, and many is
the cigar that has been smoked whilst contemplating the
beauties, imaginary or otherwise, of a placid-eyed mother
and long-legged child. Commencing with selling a filly
by '^^ Fisherman ^' out of " Durbar ''^ to Lord Stamford at
a price something more than remunerative, it seemed to
the fortunate vendor as if he had hit the secret of
successful breeding at the first attempt. But fickle
Fortune, content with bestowing a single favour on the
hopeful country gentleman, soon shook her wings and
fled. Each youngster after this that was born into the
world seemed only a vehicle for fresh worries and mishaps,
and it became evident to Mr. Young that he was not to
escape the common lot of breeders of horses. Disappoint-
ment followed disappointment ; but the ^^ most un-
kindest cut of all " came one day, when on being asked
by Mr. Bevan, what might be the price of a good-looking
four-year-old then being ridden by Mr. Young, he replied,
^^ Four hundred guineas." " Ah, I see,^' said the other,
" a hundred a leg, and three of them veiy good ones ! "
It was only too true. The quick and practised eye had
fallen upon a weak-looking spot, and a little work soon
proved the truth of Mr. Bevan's discovery that all four
legs were not equally good. Suffering a considerable
shriukage in value, the promising young one passed into
other hands ; and his late owner made no further experi-
ments in the diSicult science of breediug for profit.

In his sixtieth year a singular incident revealed to

Mr. A. A, Young. 237

Mr, Young the fact that his eyesight had undergone a
sudden deterioration. In the full belief that it was
impossible for him to mistake a hare for a fox under any
circumstances, he one day ""tallied '■' a hare crossing a ride
in Sywell Wood. Chaffed by a friend upon his mistake,
he offered to bet ten pounds that he had not been
wrong. The bet was at once accepted, and the hounds
were left to decide the issue. On being brought to the
spot, not a hound spoke or showed any sign that a fox
'''had passed that way."" The next morning's post
brought to the winner of the wager a cheque for ten
pounds, and on the following the loser received back his
cheque torn into ten separate pieces. On a loose piece
of paper was inscribed the legend, ^' Bets on certainties
go for nothing.^'

The cause of the mistake in one hitherto peculiarly
long-sighted now became apparent ; a limited but un-
noticed failure of vision had taken place, which from
that time necessitated the use of glasses. Singular to
relate, from that date, some thirty years ago, no further
alteration of the eyesight has occurred ; and the passage
of poor puss across the ride still marks the moment when
the discovery was made that time had robbed the optic
of some of its power.

To such an extent did this true sportsnian carry his
love of hunting, that he was always delighted at seeing
the remains of poultry in the neighbourhood of any of
his covers. Turning over with his stick '^ disjecta
membra " of some late inmate of his own poultry-
house, he would say with a grin of satisfaction, "Well
done, Charlie, my boy ; you got hold of a fat one that
time ! "

238 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

In speaking of his old Northamptonshire days, Charles
Payne still delights to tell how one afternoon, when hounds
were running hard under Great Harrowden, he fell into
a ditch, out of which he was with difficulty rescued by
Mr. Young, who chanced to be near at hand, whilst his
horse remained inextricably fixed between either bank.
A boot, full to the brim of mud and water, came off in the
struggle, " and there was I," says Payne, " with hounds
running like mad, on the ground with no horse and only
one boot." But the " Squire," as usual, was equal to
the occasion. Whipping off one of his own boots he
insisted upon its taking the place of the disabled one,
and mounting the horseless Huntsman upon his own
steed, he dismissed him in search of his hounds, by this
time well out both of sight and hearing. ^' No man in
England would have ' been and gone and done ' such a
thing as that except Mr. Young," is the no less grateful
than truthful comment of the veteran who loves to
narrate this sporting incident of the Squire of Orliugbury.

Another incident is still green in the memory of the
ex- Pytchley huntsman ; when in running a fox from
"Long Hold," Mr. Young plunged into a canal, and
emerging safely on the other side was followed by Sir G.
Wombwell — afterwards so nearly drowned on the fatal
day with the York and Ainsty, Dick Eoake and
" Cherry " Angel — the latter of whom contrived to turn
over in mid-stream, and was with some difficulty rescued
from a " false," if not dangerous position. The same
keenness which induced a (by no means juvenile) sports-
man to entrust himself to the cold embrace of the " Union
Canal," led him into occasional developments of eagerness
which were not without their amusius^ side. Colonel

i

Mr, A. A. Yotmg. 239

Anstrutlier Thomson will not fail to remembei* how^ when
having brought a beaten fox into a field of high white
turnips near Sywell Wood, the hounds threw up their
heads and bea^an to look about for assistance. Nor was
it long in coming. With a full confidence in his olfactory
organs, Mr. Young at once constituted himself a member
of the pack, dismounted from his horse, and began
sniffing about with all the intensity of an old hound. In
a few moments up jumped the ^' missing one," and away
went " bipeds " and ''' quadrupeds,'' to the great amuse-
ment of the Field, in hot pursuit of the doomed and leg-
weary animal. Not a little elated at the success of his
interpositions, Mr. Young's only reply to the '' chaff*"
with which he was assailed was, *' Weil, never mind ; let
those laugh thaty^nd" The ghost of poor Pug is said to
be seen on winter nights, prowling round the precincts of
Orlingbury village, bent upon avenging himself upon
the cocks and hens of his destroyer.

For a friend to pass his door, homeward-bound,
without looking in for a cub at the cold beef and ripe old
^' stilton " which are always awaiting the sportsman on
hunting-days, is one of the things which would almost
amount to an insult in the eyes of one, quick to take, if
not to give offence. As in hunting, so in politics or
aught beside, the worthy Squire is prone to express
himself strongly, should the subject run counter to his
own opinions. To mention the name, even, of a certain
eminent statesman in his presence is not likely to
increase the prevailing harmony ; and to him who under
his roof chanced to speak favourably of the ^' Pope,'^
there will not be a very '' gaudy time." Lord Byron, in
his poetical creed, says, —

240 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present,

" Thou shalt believe in Milton, Dry den, Pope,
Thou shalt not set up Coleridge, Wordsworth, Southey."

In his political belief our grand old sportsman will
teach us that

" Thou shalt believe in Dizzy, Cecil, Eandy,
Thou shalt not set up Gladstone, Parnell, Morley ;"

and long may he live to cling to his fine old-crusted
opinions^ and retain his love for the chase, and preserve
foxes for the Hunt, his support of which for many a year
past has been fully appreciated by every member of it.
To him the words of Whyte Melville will some day be no
less applicable than they are to the imaginary hero of
his song: —

" The labourer at work and the lord in his hall

Would smile when they spoke of his passion for sport ;
In ale or in claret he's toasted by all.

For they never expect to see more of the sort.
And long may it be e'er he's forced to retire,
For we breed very few like this worthy old Squire."

ME. GEOEGE ASHBY ASHBY.

Haek ! a holloa, away ! Whose are the ringing tones
proclaiming to all whom it may concern that the fox has
quitted ^^ the Woollies/' and is making the best of his
way for ^' Long Hold '^ or Naseby Cover ? The voice is
that of George Ashby Ashby, eke a captain in her
Majesty's Eleventh Hussars, and now part proprietor of
the well-known Lordship over whose surface swarmed,
more than 240 years ago, the serried hosts of Eoyalist
and Eoundhead. Where Eupert vainly strove against
forces still more determined than his own, and CromwelFs
military geaius made itself assured, is now to be found

Mr. George Ashby Ashby, 241

the peaceful "Naseby Thorns/^ the quiet home of many
a gallant fox, the starting-point of many a noble run.
Since the day of *^ Naseby Fight," no other cavalry save
that attached to the Pytchley Hunt^ or interloping Quorn,
has galloped across the tenacious clay surrounding the
above-named covert. No tones more warlike than a
huntsman^s horn has roused the cattle in the adjacent
fields.

" Anything is fun in the country," said some one who
evidently took the same view of rural, and possibly of
matrimonial life, as that Duke of Buckingham, who,
being bitten by a spaniel of King Charles's, exclaimed, in
his wrath : " Oh ! you little brute, I wish you were
married and lived in the country," and who had assuredly
never found himself in the middle of Naseby Field at the
close of a November afternoon, a stranger, on a tired horse,
and with the hounds fast disappearing from his view.
Unconscious perhaps of his position, with little help to
be got from his pocket -map, he would then realize the
want of truth in the assertion above referred to. To the
native sportsman the situation would not be nearly so
depressing. With him would rest the sure and certain
knowledge that behind that group of fir-trees, dimly
looming through the fog, was to be found excellent ac-
commodation for man and horse. Fortunate indeed is
the belated and tired hunter, who on his homeward way
has to pass those tall fir-trees ! A turn to the right and
a hearty welcome and good refreshment will not only rob
the remainder of the journey of all its weariness, but will
leave upon the mind of the recipient the feeling that the
house he has just quitted is the very temple of hospi-
tality. Than in its high priest it would be hard to find a

242 The Pytchley Hnnt, Past und P^xsent,

more devoted worsliipper at tlie shrine of *^ all sorts and
descriptions of sport ! '' Bold as a lion across a country,
the fence is hard to find at which the lord of the Woollies
will not have " a cnt f and if pace is not his horse's
forte he makes it up in jumping powers. With him,
however, as with many a brother Squire, things are not
as they used to be. Wheat at 30s. per quarter and
New Zealand mutton mean " empty stalls and an absence
from the covert side ;'' and on the principle of " eating
a hair from the dog that bit you,'' the gallant Captain
has substituted shorthorns with a pedigree, for hunters
without one. Exchanging the Scylla of the chase for
the Charybdis of the farm. Agriculture is not to be de-
spaired of by this sanguine owner of many an acre of
ungrateful clay ; and taking for his motto " never say
die," he vows that with the aid of the " midden " and the
draining-pipe, he will force Madam Earth to repay some
of the money that has been lavished upon her. Not
being one of those who would try to '^ catch the wind in
a net," or " empty the sea with a pie-dish," it may be
looked upon as certain that he is not without good reason
for the faith that is in him ; and that he will eventually
win for himself the proud distinction of being pointed
out as ^* the pilot that has weathered the storm."

A keen and eager shooter, woe betide the " bunny "
that crosses the ride within forty yards of the muzzle of
his gun. In his eyes the rabbit has not the same fault
that it possesses in those of Lord Granville and many
another, namely, of being ''^a little too short." Yide
Speech on '' Hares and Rabbits Bill " at an agricultural
dinner in the Isle of Thanet, on which occasion his lord-
ship is -reported to have saidj '^For my own part, I have

Mr. George AsJiby Ashby. 243

nothing to complain of in the matter of rabbits, except
that I frequently find them a little too short ;" a remark
that was followed by much laughter.

Accurate, however, as may be the aim of the gallant
Captain of whom we are speaking, it can hardly exceed
that of that other gallant officer, who in 1645 led the
battue against the hosts of Fairfax and Cromwell. Stand-
ing in a garden at Stafford one day about this time, Prince
Rupert, in the presence of Charles I, took a shot with his
horse-pistol at the weathercock on the top of the church.
The bullet pierced the tail of the gilded fowl, whereupon
his Majesty pronounced the feat to be " casualty only,"
otherwise ^^ nothing but a fluke/^ Aggrieved at this
suggestion, the Prince, taking a second aim, again struck
the bird, thereby causing Charles to recall the remark he
had made on witnessing the success of the first attempt
of his great cavalry-general. Proud of being able to
affirm that a good round dozen of young people, two of
whom have already done good service to their country,
have the privilege of calling him *' father," to the worthy
parent there is no greater pleasure than to see any of
these'in the hunting-field. One fair member of the group,
strong in the desire to be " well with hounds," never
scruples to go whithersoever her father leads before ; and
it is a moot point with some whether she will come to an
untimely end by attempting to follow her sire over some
impracticable place, or if his hairs will be brought with
sorrow to the grave by his daughter jumping upon his
prostrate form. To Captain Ashby the village of Naseby
is entirely indebted for the beautiful spire which now,
with uplifted finger, marks the spot where was fought
one of England's most memorable and bloody battles.

R 2

244 ^^^^ Pytchley Himt, Past and Present,

Begging with the pertinacity of a professional mendicant,
and with an energy all his own, the Squire of the parish,
like the leeches daughter, ceased not to cry " give, give,"
until he had carried the object so dear to his heart, and
so desirable in every respect. Times may fail to improve ;
the cloud now overhanging the landed interest may
grow darker and more dark ; the old country Squire
may go under socially and pecuniously, but the good that
he has done will live after him. To the owner of " The
Woollies," come what may, there will always be the
comfort to take to heart, namely, that in all the
changes of the mortal life of the little village of Kaseby,
the name of ^^ Ashby " will ever be remembered and
identified with that of its most kindly neighbour, friend,
and benefactor.

MR. AMBROSE ISTED.

For upwards of sixty years few figures were better
known at a Meet of the Pytchley Hounds than that of
*^ Squire Isted " of Ecton. Possessing a striking presence
and peculiarly pleasing and aristocratic features, few
strangers would fail to inquire who the well-mounted man,
^all over a sportsman " and " every inch a gentleman/'
might be.

Born deaf and dumb, unable as he was wont to say of
himself to hear the report of a cannon if let off close to
his ear, so cheerful was he in manner and aspect, that
none could tell how much or how little he was affected by
loss of speech and hearing.

Twice happily married ; possessed of a good estate,

Mr. Ambrose Is ted. 245

fond of society, and noted for his beautiful dancing,
also liis clever drawing; few country squires bad esta-
blished for themselves a more distiDguished position
than this gentleman who could neither speak nor
hear.

Though quite unable to catch a note of the music, he
had few greater enjoyments than that of dancing ; and so
keen were his eye and sense of touch that if his partner
chanced to get out of time he would almost make a
grievance of it, and speedily show that he was aware of it
That partner, be she who she might, was never invited
to dance with him a second time.

Considerable pains having been taken with his edu-
cation, he was always well-informed on the current topics
of the day. His skill in drawing was very remarkable.
Rarely did he return from hunting without making
sketches of some ludicrous or otherwise striking inci-
dents that may have occurred during the day ; and many
a page is filled with valuable memorials of events which
but for his graphic pencil would have passed into
oblivion.

Mr. Isted's efforts at articulation were apparently
painful to himself and not pleasant to hear, but to a great
extent were intelligible to those with whom he was in
constant intercourse.

By no means averse to exercising his speaking powers
upon perfect strangers, it was amusing to observe the
nervous effect his efforts at speech had upon these unfor-
tunates. By nineteen out of twenty of those he addressed
not one word was understood, and all that there was to
fall back upon was a vacant smile and a nod of apparent
comprehension. The usual resource of the nervous and

246 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

uninitiated was to cry 'Wes " in a very loud voice^ or to
say sometliiug in broken English, but on one occasion a
victim was heard to reply ^' o\x\, o\n/' as if that amount
of a language other than English would meet the
difl&culty. In addition to the ready fingers,, pencil and
paper were always at hand to assist those who were not
well instructed in finger- talking. So forgetful did ner-
vousness make many people of the deficiencies of their
lively neighbour, that they would write upon his tablets
questions of the most absurd description. A lady whom
he had taken in to dinner on one occasion at Overstone
Hall confessed to having written " Have you heard Jenny
Lind ? '' and received the harrowing reply, '' I cannot
hear anything at all.''^ This was paralleled by a friend
of Mr. Folj ambers of Osberton, who, long after he
had lost his sight, offered him a candle on going to
bed.

During all his early life it would have taken a very
good man across country to beat the Ecton Squire.
Between him and the parson of his village, the Rev. J.
Whalley, there was not much to choose in this respect ;
and it was a moot point which was the better man of the
two. The Squire, however, had always this advantage
over the parson, that knowing he should not be wanted
on the following Sunday, he had no fear of a congre-
gation before his eyes. Always well mounted — on nothing
did he go better than on a one-eyed grey horse, which he
purchased from the well-known " Dick Garratt,"*' of Great
Harrowden.

His three ^' RV' ''Reindeer,'' "Rejoicer,'' and ^^ Re-
former,'^ all children of his favourite *' Rosebud," are
fcftill green in the memory of some who love to think of

Mr. Ambrose Isted. 247

hippie heroes of the past j and the ''Maid of Orleans/'
bought from Lord William Compton on his quitting*
Harleston, still occupies a warm corner in the heart of
the present Marquis of Northampton.

A great breeder of hunters, Mr. Isted was never so
happy as when mounted on the produce of some valued
mare, the last named being one of the most prolific of his
much-cherished mothers. Inheriting sporting instincts
from a long line of ancestors, no one more thoroughly
enjoyed hunting with all its pleasant adjuncts. In all
manly sports, however, he took great delight, and rare
bird, beast, or plant never escaped his attention and
remark.

The sporting magazines and the daily journals found in
him a very constant reader ; but the rare volumes with
which the shelves of the Ecton Library are so abundantly
stored had no especial charms in his eyes. Tailing off in
his riding as he advanced in years (fences seem to grow
less and less negotiable as the hair gets thinner), Mr. Isted
began to give up the distant Meets, and to commence upon
the " currant jelly ^^ business, into which he entered with
much spirit.

Getting together a tolerably level and useful- looking
lot of small harriers, he assumed the horn himself,
utilizing as his Whip his old keeper Daniel Tassell. The
latter, a thorough original, did not at all appreciate his
elevation to the pigskin, and for many a day would com-
plain greatly of cuticular abrasion, and of his master's
want of feeling in not supplying him with sticking-
plaster, bees-wax, or some still more adhesive compound,
for the more satisfactory performance of the fencing part
of the business. Mr. Isted naturally had some difficulty

248 The Pytchley Httnt, Past and Present.

in finding servants able and willing to adapt themselves
to his condition. To h.im it was of great importance to
have quick and intelligent second horsemen. In William
Pridmore — now dead — and in the well-known Tom Jolly,
still to be seen delicately handling an impulsive young-
ster of Mr. Earl of Earl's Barton, he found all that he
could desire.

Many a time during the day's hunting would it devolve
upon one of these to reduce into the vernacular the
words issuing from his mouth, or to interpret the myste-
rious language of the fingers. Each, when accompanying
his master in the hunting-field, formed a sort of " Refuge
for strangers in distress/' and was the means of reliev-
ing many a poor applicant for help. The survivor of
these two much-valued and useful followers still is to be
found at the Pytchley Monday Meets, and has no greater
pleasure than in recalling the events of forty years of
faithful service. He can tell of many a noble run of
which he has himself been an eye-witness, and of others of
which he has heard from his master^s mouth. Of the
latter none come up to a run with the Oakley in the time
of Grantley Berkeley, when a fox, found in Odell Wood,
was killed near Braybrooke, in the Market Harborough
country.

Every Hunt rejoices in being able to record a run to
which may fairly be attached the title of ^'historical,"
and the Oakley may well lay claim to that dignity for
this performance.

The distance as the crow flies cannot be less than
sixteen miles, the greater part of it being through a strange
country and every hunting-man knows how greatly this
adds to the enjoyment of a run.

It is often said that " the days of long-service are

Mr. R. Lee Bevan, 249

things heard of l)nt not seen in this our time/^ The
forty years passed by Pridmore and Jolly in the stables
of the Ecton Squire point to the fact that the race of
attached followers is not altogether extinct. As confirma-
tory of this, a neighbouring squire, distant only a few
mileSj can boast of having eight servants in his establish-
ment^ who have lived with him on an average of thirty-
four years each. This case is probably without parallel,
and is a matter of unqualified pride alike to master and
servant.

Dying at the ripe age of eighty-five years, Mr. Isted
left no direct heir ; and his successor not having assumed
the name with the property, it has become extinct, save
in the memory of the many friends who will ever hold it
in esteem.

It may be truly said of this remarkable specimen of the
" English country squire '"^ that, " take him for all in all,
we ne'er shall look upon his like again."

MR. E. LEE BEVAN.

If jealous of the powers of an outsider, some resident
member of the Hunt had been commissioned to " smash,^'
" pulverize " (to use the phraseology of the Prime
Minister), and lower the crest of the tenant of Kelmarsh,
to no one could the feat have been confided with a greater
likelihood of success than to Mr. R. L. Bevan of Brix-
worth Hall.

Born with a love for animals, and especially for horses,
he took to hard riding as naturally as a duck takes to
the water ; and to give a lead to a semi-willing friend in
cold blood over a stiff bit of country was a gratification

250 The Pytchley Httnt, Past and Present.

lie could never deny himself. However much importance
he may have attached to the injunction *' Thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself/' it is likel^^that he never felt so
kindly disposed towards him as when he saw him declin-
ing to follow him over a big fence.

To pound any notable " customer ^' would have been to
him a matter of much self-congratulation, but to have Mr.
Angerstein taking *^ two bites at a cherry/^ which he him-
self had swallowed without difficulty, would have been
an event in his life ever to be cherished with pride and
satisfaction. The second son of the head of the eminent
banking house, Barclay, Bevan and Co., the subject
of this memoir never cared to throw in his lot with the
money-changers. Hunting having greater charms in his
eyes than banking, he quitted Lombard Street for
Leicestershire, and reversed the well-known line : —
" He lived delights, and scorned laborious days."

To no class of those who come under the title of busi-
ness men is hunting more indebted for support than to the
lords of finance. The names of Glyn, Gosling, Lubbock,
Hoare, Bevan, Robarts and Fuller, will ever mark the
fact that the science of money-making and that of fox-
hunting may be successfully combined; and the name of
many a banker-prince is to be found on the list of Masters
of Hounds. The present chief of the great house of
Barclay, Bevan and Co., would probably doubt his
own identity were he to be told that at one time there
was no one except himself who could beat his brother
''Dick" across Leicestershire or Northamptonshire.
That it was so, however, no one is more wilHng to allow
than the younger of the two brothers.

It is probable that few men now living have hunted a

Mr. R, Lee Bevan. 251

greater number of times tlian Mr. R. Lee Bevan; have
had horses of higher quality, or ridden them in a more
workmanlike manner. Having studied the animal with
an earnest desire of becoming acquainted with its struc-
ture and peculiarities of disposition^ it would not be easy
to find any non-professional with a better knowledge of
what to look for in a hunter, and with a more assured
feeling of the ease with which the most knowing are
occasionally taken in. Possessed of perfect hands,
abundant nerve_, and a strong seat^ until time and
tumbles robbed him of it, he ever loved to school a
"young one,''^ and teach him such manners as are re-
quired in a hunter.

Combining persuasiveness with a modicum of coercion^,
the " four-year-old "" in his hands was not long in finding-
out that refractory ways were not " those of pleasant-
ness/^ nor led to the ^'^ paths of peace."" Not greatly
caring for an animal that required no riding, he at no
time laid himself out for the purchase of a made
hunter, and the hotter the mount, the more he seemed
to relish his position.

For many a year, " Tomblin," the well-known dealer
of Lye Lodge, near Oakham — the only horse-dealer
who has ever filled the office of High Sheriff of a
county — furnished Mr. Bevan with his entire stud. That
a man occupying the position of Mr. Tomblin should
have been required to undertake a duty of so much
dignity and importance, points to the fact that Eutland-
shire at that time must have been sadly deficient in
gentlemen properly qualified for the office.

Although there are not many dealers of repute with
whom Mr. Bevan has not had negotiations since those

252 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present.

days ; witli few exceptions, tlie horses from the Rut-
landshire stables well maintained the credit of their
vendor's reputation.

For many a year there might have been seen by the
side of the Squire of Brixworth a lady, no less
remarkable for her beauty than she was for her skill
in the management of the animal she rode ; one whose
love for the chase equalled, if it did not exceed, that
of her husband, -and whose opinion of a horse was
deferred to by him, as of almost unerring correctness.
Twice a week, if not oftener during the winter months,
two ladies in w^ell- fitting habits and dress quite en
regie, may be seen mounting their hunters at the steps
of Brixworth Hall. Half way down the flight, watching
the operation with an eye ready to detect anything that
may not be quite as it should be, there stands one who
betrays by every word and look that there is a warm
corner in his heart for each fair huntress. There is
many a little thing " to be set right '^ — a side-saddle is
not in its right place, a curb has to be let down, and
the groom is not unlikely to be inquired of whether
there has not been a mistake, and if he is not the gar-
dener ? But at length all becomes ship-shape. ^' Pater
Anchises " gets upon his horse, and the impatient steeds
feel that the day's fun has commenced at last. Hands
seat and nerve must all be brought into use before the
highly-bred, amply-fed animals *^ settle down." But
each of these requisites is ready on demand, and is used
to reduce the too-excellent spirit into subjection.

In the eyes of either sister, " the young one that needs
a little managing " is preferred to the more safe and
''' hum-drum ^^ style of mount, and the horse that has had

Mr. R. Lee JBevan, 253

the teaching of either of these fair horsewomen is likely
to be a quiet and pleasant hunter for some less coura-
geous daughter of Nimrod.. Though tempted at times
to inquire of his groom whether or no the garden rather
than the stable were not his more suitable vocation^ Mr.
Bevan little imagined that the smart-looking, oily-man-
nered individual he had just accepted as his stud-groom
had recently been an officer in a crack infantry regi-
ment ! No less surprised at the small modicum of know-
ledge displayed by his new chef than by the courtesy of
his demeanour, an inquiry into antecedents led to the
disclosure of his having been a captain in H.M's — th
regiment, reduced by circumstances over which he had
no control to the position he then held. The relation
between the ex-officer and his new master or rather
employer having speedily saifered collapse, the former
was invited to say what remuneration he would consider
sufficient to repay him for his brief service ? " Give me
what you please,^' was the reply ; '^ I shall return it you
all again."" After a lengthy and incoherent epistle to a
member of the family other than its head, this somewhat
singular incident terminated.

Though well on his way to the confines of octogena-
rianism, Mr. Bevan finds that the old love of a gallop
after hounds is by no means extinct within him.

The flesh may denote its weakness by an early return
to the comforts at home, but that the spirit is still willing
is shown by an occasional display of the recklessness
which marked his younger days. A promising four-year-
old continues to be an almost irresistible attraction, and
though the years of the purchased and the purchaser
may not be quite in accord, the former is speedily made

2 54 ^^^^ Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present.

to learn that it is not he that is master of the situa-
tion.

A new generation springs up, and the heroes of old
sooner or later pass out of remembrance. Many a
summer and winter, however, must pass awaj ere it will
be forcfotten that among: the huntinsf notables of a former
day there were few more conspicuous names than that
of " Richard Lee/^ otherwise " Dick, Bevan."

MR. WILLIAM ANGERSTEIN.

If any one hunting with the ^^ P.H.''^ some five-and-thirty
years since had entertained a desire to dislocate a shoulder,
fracture an arm, or suffer some still more serious bodily
injury, he could scarcely have adopted a course more full
of promise than by following over the ^' Waterloo country "
a member of the Hunt who was in the habit of wearing
in his button-hole a posy about the size of an ordinary
dinner-plate. This was Mr. Angerstein, then residiug at
Kelmarsh Hall, the seat of the old county family of
Hanbury, the head of which is now known under the title
of Lord Bateman of Shobdon Court in the county of
Hereford, an ancient possession of the family to which
he belongs. Possessed of nerves in sufficient quantity
for his own use as well as for that of any friend who
had left his at home, Mr. Angerstein^s chief delight was
riding at formidable-looking places. The stiffer the rail,
the thicker the bullfinch, and the wider the bit of water,
the more it seemed to suit the taste of this reckless horse-
man. Never having taken to heart or appraised at its
rightful value the old sayiug of '^ discretion being the
better part of valour," danger when in the hunting-field

M}\ William Ange7^ stein. 255

seemed to be the element most courted by tliis somewhat
eccentric Norfolk Squire. Not having occasion to deny
himself the possession of any horse he fancied by the
price demanded for him_, he rode nothing but weight-
carrying animals of high quality. Mostly a trifle " on the
leg " (and none the worse for that), with a bit of temper of
their own, they invariably were or became magnificent
fencers, the result of the schooling they had to undergo.
The soothing tones and endearing language in which Mr.
Angerstein was wont to address a young one on approach-
ing a fence, with a deep diapason and changed vocabulary
which greeted the ears of the animal if he fell, were
highly amusing, if not edifying. To the moralist it
afforded food for reflection upon the imperfection of
human nature, the outcome of the fall of man. Here, a
Saint on one side of a " post and rail '^ became a Sinner
on the other, and it was made painfully olear that the line
dividing virtue from its opposite was no thicker than a
slip of wood. In spite of constant apparent efforts to the
contrary, the tenant of Kelmarsh Hall was only occa-
sionally detained at home by accidents in the field, and
'^ the arm in a sling '^ and the " bound-up shoulder,^^
were far less frequent objects for sympathy than might
have been expected.

On leaving Northamptonshire, the late member of the
" P.H.^' established, on the principle probably of ^^ half a
loaf being better than no bread,^' a pack of stag-hounds
in Norfolk ; but he was not long in making the discovery
that the pursuit of the deer in an essentially non-hunting
country, and that of the fox over the big pastures in the
neighbourhood of Crick or Market Harborough are enjoy-
ments as distinct in their character as light from darkness.

256 The PytcJiley Htmt, Past and Present,

Many years have come and gone since lie of whom we
have been speaking formed a no less conspicuous than
popular member of a Pytchley Meet. It may, however^
be confidently affirmed that neither time nor the cares
and troubles of political struggles have erased from his
memory the many happy hours that he has passed amid
the broad acres of Northamptonshire and in the company
of Charles Payn and his " famous little bitches."

CAPTAIN "BAY'^ MIDDLETON.

On five days out of six^ weather permitting, there may be
seen issuing from his enviable quarters at Hazelbeach on
his way to the Meet, one of the most widely known of the
hunting-heroes of the day. Whether Captain Middleton
owes his sobriquet of " Bay ^^ to the colouring assigned
to him by nature, or to the celebrated Derby winner of
1836, is immaterial, but from either of these sources it
may well derive its origin. A prominent member of the
noble army of " bruisers,^ ^ the subject of this memoir is
not attached to the battalion which can see no good in
fighting or hunting unless it be always carried on at
^^ fever-heat.'^ Thankful for all the plums that may fall
in his path in the way of '' brilliant " gallops, the day of
small things is gratefully accepted by him for what it
may be worth. Possessing the instincts of a true sports-
man, to him the big fence and the " rattling " forty
minutes are not all in all. Failing the quicker '^ mercy,''
the slow hunting-run is, in his estimation, by no means
to be treated with contempt ; nor is a season stigmatized
as " the worst ever known," because every day has not
produced its clipping forty minutes. He may truthfully

Captain " Bay^^ Middle ton, 257

say of himself as regards runs with hounds, " Video meliora
2)roboque/' but failing these, I am content '^ Deteriora
sequiJ' Owning a stud second to none — the result of
much care in selection — and of great experience, be the
country ever so big, or the pace ever so fast, bar the
usual accidents of a hunting-field, he is sure to see the
cream of every good thing.

Selected to 'Head^' the Empress of Austria during
her six weeks' residence at Cottesbrooke, in the winter of
1878, no one could have performed a delicate and diflBcult
duty more efficiently. To ensure her Majesty ^s seeing
the sport without incurring unnecessary risk was a task
requiring decision, nerve, and experience, and in each of
these the '^ pilotage'^ of Captain Middleton was con-
spicuous. The history of England points to a day when
one of her most famous kings, noted for his love of the
chase, might have come to an untimely end by following
out hunting an adherent of the monarch he had supplanted.
One " Cherry,'^ a famous rider, a loyal adherent of the
exiled James II., one day when out with the stag-hounds,
seeing that William III. followed him wherever he went,
thought that by jumping down a steep bank into the
Thames, he might perchance break the usurper's neck or
drown him in the stream. The king, however, possibly
'^smelling a rat," turned away, and so escaped the trap
into which the loyal but malevolent Cherry hoped to
lead him. The beautiful lady who so gallantly followed
the English officer across the fences of Northamptonshire,
incurred no other dangers than those incident to every
hunting-field, and even escaped these, thanks to the skill
of her pilot, without mishap of any sort. Nor are the
Chase aud the Turf the only arenas upon which Captain

s

258 The PytcJiley Httnt, Past and Present.

Middleton has distinguished himself. In the cricket-field
his services with bat and ball alike are such as to be
highly valued by the side on which he plays ; and when
"I Zingari " require a change of bowling, a ^^ head''
ball from his hand is more likely than not to fall into the
grasp of some much expecting fieldsman, and so prove
fatal to the batter. As a judge of the game, he has few
superiors, and the management of a match could not well
be placed in better hands.

On the list of its members the Pytchley Hunt may
be well satisfied to see the name of so fine a rider and
so good a sportsman as that of " Bay '^ Middleton, of
whom it may truthfully be said, —

*' That the pace cannot stop, or the fences defeat
This rum 'un to follow, this bad 'un to beat."

CAPTAIN MILDMAY CLERK.
We read in history of many a " man in a mask " — one
worn compulsorily, and much to the moral and physical
discomfort of the wearer. Rare, however, are the
instances in which it has been assumed voluntarily, and
for the sake of humouring a whim. Such, however, was
the case when Captain Clerk of Spratton Hall, one of
the kindest-hearted and most amiable of men, thought fit
to hide his good qualities under a cloak of apparent
moroseness and want of geniality. For twenty j-ears or
more, from 1847, no fig'ure was more familiar, no name
better known in mid-Northamptonshire than that of
" Clerk of Spratton." The associations of a cavalry
regiment having fostered a strong natural love for
horses and everything connected with hunting, he no
sooner obtained his troop than he severed the link which

Captain Mildviay Clerk, 259

liad united Lini to military life — drew a prize in the
matrimonial lottery — bought a house and small property
in a well-situated village near the Brixworth kennels —
and mounted the white collar of the " P.H." The eccen-
tricity which led him to conceal rather than expose his
good qualities earned for him a sobriquet by which he
became universally known, and by which he will ever be
remembered, in spite of its being a libel on his true
character. For this title he was indebted to a habit
of estimating men and things at a considerably lower
value than that at which they had been appraised by
the parties themselves. In one respect, however, he
greatly differed from his brother '^ crabbists/' namely,
that he was not a whit more merciful to things belonging
to himself than he was to those of others.

His wine, for example, than which nobody had better,
was dubbed by him ^^ paraffin '^ or ^^ petroleum ;'' — his
cook was bound to make those who had been so rash as
to accept an invitation to dinner " ill for a week ;'^ —
the horse upon which he, probably, had cut down a
whole field, was only ^^ an old screw/' — a quick tliirty
minutes would be " about as fast as a cripple could kick
his wide-awake ;^^ — and it was a fortunate hound which,
according to him, possessed any of the qualifications
requisite for an efficient member of a pack.

Possessed of too much amiability to give outward
expression to his dislike of another, he would not lose
an opportunity of indulging in a sly poke at any one who
was not altogether to his fancy. Not being quite in
accord with a Huntsman, who was nearly perfection in
the eyes of every one else, he got his cut at him one day
in the following manner. Taking a non-hunting friend

s 2

26o The PytcJiley Htmt, Past a7id Present,

to see the kennels at Brixworth^ the bounds^ as their
manner is, began to fawn upon the stranger instead of
on their Huntsman. Surprised at this, the unknowing
friend sought an explanation, and inquired if the hounds
did not like their Huntsman ? ^' Like him ? " was the
reply, " Why they hate him ! " Up to this moment the
idea of hounds hating their Huntsman had probably never
entered the mind of any man_, and the spirit of fun, which
was always strong within the utterer of this novel accu-
sation, must have had a " high old time " as the words fell
from his lips.

A friend having congratulated him upon the coming
into his neighbourhood of a very pretty woman, his only
comment was, " She'll be as ugly as the rest if she only
lives a few years longer." At another time when
authority rested with a Master who governed with a
somewhat over-tight hand. Clerk was seen on a very cold
morning, whilst hounds were drawing, to take up his
position in the middle of a shallow pond.

" What are you doing that for ? " asked an amused
but puzzled friend.

^* Trying not to head the fox," was the grave and caustic
reply.

For the Christmas-holiday boy there was always a kind
and encouraging word from the Spratton cynic. One,
long since " married and done for," still recalls the pride
he felt, when one day after a smart gallop, as he was
washing his pony's mouth out with some water from- a
ditch, on hearing the words, " Well done, youngster,
you've a better head on your shoulders than many an
old one." Looking up, he saw that he was being
addressed by a Member of the Hunt he had always

Captain Mildmay Clerk. 261

held in a sort of awe, and liked him ever after-
wards.

To a; friend who, on his way home from hunting, had
praised a glass of fine old Madeira brought to the door of
his hospitable house, he sent on the following day six
bottles of the same bin, with a card on which was the
legend, " Petroleum for your hunting-flask/'

Though it never lay in his power to give high prices
for his horses, so complete a master was he of the art of
getting across a country and of riding to hounds, that he
never failed to hold a good place in any run ; nor did he
ever lose a start by giving way to the snare of " Coffee-
housing." His motto was ^' pauca verba ;" and the man
caught up by him on the way to cover, or on the return
home after hunting, stood little chance of being *' jawed
to death.^'

Whatever else might have been laid to his charge, he
never could have shared the fate of Miss Jex Blake, who,
at the close of one of her somewhat tedious harangues,
heard a wearied listener say, that he had long known that
" Le^o" was the Latin for " Xaw," but never knew till
that moment that " Jex " was Latin for ^' Jaw J'

Not strong constitutionally, he never cared to spare
himself, and be the distance ever so far, or the weather
ever so bad, the '^ uncheery one " never failed to be at
the Meet on every hunting-day. Ill-health overtook him
when little past his prime, and when he finally succumbed
to an enemy, against whose attacks he had many a time
unsuccessfully grappled, not only was the feeling that the
Pytchley Hunt had lost a notable and much appreciated
member generally recognized, but the regret was uni-
versal and profound.

262 The Pytchley Httnt, Past a7td Present.

COLONEL AETHUR.

As surely as " every bean lias its black, and every path
its puddle/^ so certainly must members of a hunt, as of
every other social circle^ drop out of their places one by
one, victims of time or else of circumstances. In these
days of agricultural depression the latter has had more
to do than the former in thinning out from the hunting-
ranks the old County Squires, but the former still
remains the greater and more inevitable evil of the two.
From the clutches of time there is no real escape, though
upon some favoured few he lays his hand so lightly that
it would seem as though he had winked at being cheated
of his rights. Though the capillary barometer may not
indicate "much snow/' and may have shown indeed for
years past neither variableness nor shadow of turniug,
there is no escaping the ravages of Chronos. There is
no rule, however, without its exception. Who that has
hunted with the "P.H.^' anytime during the last quarter
of a century does not now still see at its Meets, on wheels
instead of on horseback, a gallant Officer, the senior of
most there present ; in aspect the junior of half the field.
Genial, courteous, gentlemanlike, his raison d'etre in the
hunting-field seemed to be to make things pleasant all
round. To run the risk of imperilling his neck or frac-
turing a limb was with him at no time an object of
ambition ; but there was no one so ready to help in the
capture of an escaped horse or to assist a brother-sports-
man in distress. The very opposite of the other member
of the hunt, whose taciturnity has been referred to else-
where— the gallant Colonel here spoken of was the chief
priest of that item of hunting-ordinances known as the

Major Whyte Melville. 26

J

" coffee-house department." By him nothing going on
in the world, social or political, was unknown ; nor did
he think it a friendly or necessary act to keep his
knowledge to himself. For some time in command of a
distinguished cavalry regiment, he worked unremittingly
and successfully to maintain its reputation for smartness,
and under him the sloven soon learnt that it had become
incumbent upon him to change his ways. Upon leaving
the service the gallant Colonel changed his sword into
a hunting-crop ; and settling down in one of the best
hunting-districts in England with one to whom " the
pleasures of the chase " were as great as to himself, they
together shared all the enjoyments of ^^ a life in the
Midlands.''

That the familiar form of the kindly old Officer should
no longer be seen at the cover-side, mounted as of yore,
is a matter of no little regret to those who miss each
dropped link of the chain uniting the present with the
past ; and the figure of the gallant occupant of Misterton
and Desborough Halls must ever be connected with
recollections of the pleasant Tailby and Pytchley Meets,
when a neat-looking horse instead of a well-appointed
trap was his mode of conveyance.

MAJOR WHYTE MELVILLE.
On the long list of those who have been members of the
Pytchley Hunt, no name stands out in bolder relief than
that of ^^ George Whyte Melville,^' soldier, novelist, poet,
and sportsman by birth and natural instincts. Son of a
M.F.H., himself an " Admirable Crichton " in all things
pertaining to sport, hunting came as naturally to the

264 The Pytchley Httnt, Past and Present,

future author of " Market Harborough ^' as his daily food.
A few years at Eton or Harrow, to be followed by a terra
of service in some ^^ crack " regiment is the usual lot of
the elder son, and the young Scotch scion of an ancient
race followed the routine chalked out for a majority of
those in the same position with, himself. Entering* the
Guards as soon as he quitted school, the ex-Etonian
evinced a more than ordinary aptitude for military life»
and devoted himself with ardour to hia regimental
duties, as also to the attractions of a London life,
where he rapidly established a reputation for repartee
and conversational power, which caused the brilliancy
of his writings a little later on to be received by those
who knew him without any feelings of surprise.

Marrying the second daughter of Lord Bateman of
Kelmarsh Hall in the county of Northampton, he quitted
the army and settled down at Boughton, a little village
three miles from the Pytchley kennels, and about as
many from the county town. In the pages of " Holm-
by House," Boughton is often referred to as the
seat of Lord Strafford, to which Charles I. would fre-
quently ride of an afternoon from Holdenby \aUas
Holmby], stopping on his road to fish in the Nene at
Brampton ; and it was here that the author drew his
inspiration for the various scenes and characters of the
most popular of all his novels.

The two great objects of his life at this time being as
he said of himself, *'the pig-skin and the pen," his days
were devoted to hunting, and his evenings to literary
work. The evening's employment in no way interfered
with the full enjoyment of the sport to which he was so
ardently attached ; though later on, after the " Argosy "

Major Whyte Melville. 265

had come in_, lie made it a rule never to lay out upon liis
own personal gratification the money he earned by his
pen. What he must have spent in his desire to benefit
others may be inferred from the fact that a three-
volume novel from him came to be worth fifteen
hundred pounds. His gifts were ever of the most
munificent description ; the motto he adopted being,
" Do the thing handsomely or let it alone."

One of the earliest uses to which he put a lately-inhe-
rited fortune was to establish a '' Working-man^s Ckib
and Reading-Eoom ^^ at Northampton, which he started
with a present of five hundred pounds ; a sum he supple-
mented with further gifts. Known as the " Melville
Institute/' after some infantile struggles it is now in a
highly satisfactory condition, and is in every way worthy
of its generous founder and benefactor. Not being in a
position for some years after settling in Northampton-
shire to ride horses of any great value, so long as he had
quality all other requisites were a matter of secondary
importance to a sportsman who knew that the impecu-
nious had no right to be too particular. To him it
mattered not whether his mount was easy or difficult to
ride — whether it was good-looking or a bit three-cornered
in appearance. So long as it could gallop and jump he
ever went upon the old saw that "handsome is that
handsome does." To Mr. John Clarke, the well-known
fishmonger of Northampton — still to be seen in his
seventy-fifth year at every near Meet on the back of a
skybald cob — he was indebted for two or three excellent
animals of an inexpensive sort, one of them a small, ex-
citable, well-bred bay, being a hunter of unusual merit.
A black mare of less pretensions that remained in the

266 The PytcJiley Htmt, Past and Pi^esent,

neighbourliood after her owner had quitted it, was long
looked upon as an object of interest as having once
belonged to the author of ^^ General Bounce " and ^^ Digby
Grand/^ Many of his horseswere notof the ^'"confidential^'
sort j and if asked how many animals he was master of
this season, a favourite reply with him was, ^' Not one ;
but I have four brutes in the stable that are masters of
me."

With a fine temper, nice hands, and a sympathy
between himself and his horse that rarely has been
equalled, he never irritated the animal he was riding by
jagging its mouth or knocking it about the head with
his ^^ crop,'' after the manner of some, but would coax it
into more seemly behaviour by addressing it in terms on
the lines of, "Are you not a horse and a brother?"
Jealous with the jealousy of a wholesome ambition, he
cared not to go where others had gone before, preferring a
line of his own, and on being overtaken one day by afriend
he hoped he had just pounded, he said with a beaming
smile, *^ I thought I had you in that corner, old chap, but
I see that I have no right to my risus in ancjuloP Always
quick to see the ludicrous side of anything, and full of
anecdote, happy the man who had George Melville for
his companion on the homeward ride after a day's hunt-
ing. It was easy to draw him out on the events of his
bachelor-days, their vicissitudes, excitement, and extrava-
gancies ; and the usual moral he drew from his own
experiences was, "What d — d fools men are." Scenes
at Crockford's and other haunts of the gamblesome,
card-loving club-man, coloured by his rich fancy, and
told in words of the happiest choice, derived an interest
which very few besides himself could have imparted to

Major Whyte Melville. 267

them. From oufc the great palace of iniquity in St.
Jameses Street he had himself on more than one occasion
retired a poorer if not a wiser man, a fellow-countryman
and brother-sportsman having forwarded him sums to
extricate him from difficulties that at the time seemed
absolutely overwhelming. With him by your side, though
it might be that

" The way was lon^, the wind, too, cold,
Your hunter both infirm and old,"

but you little recked of the gloom of a November after-
noon, or of the ^' peck ^^ of your wearied horse. ^' Another
of those and down you come/^ was the usual encouraging
comment on a step that had brought the heart into your
mouth ; and this would be followed by some amusing
moralizing on the ups and downs of life. No one, however,
met these with greater philosophy than himself; and on
two of the most trying disasters that can happen to a hunt-
ing-man— one when his horse died in the field — and on
another when a favourite mare was seriously injured by
wire — he displayed a resignation to the inevitable which
Socrates himself might have envied.

In his eyes the greatest evil in life, next to a failure
of health, was Wire ; and the greatest miscreant, the
man who put it up. The spirited Ode he called " Ware
Wire; a Protest," was breathed out from the very
depths of his heart; and when he wrote the lines : —

" And bitter the curses you launch in your ire.
At the villain who fenced his enclosure with wire,"

he gave utterance to emotions that nothing else could
have aroused in his kindly nature. Whilst penning
these lines, his feelings probably were of much the

268 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present.

same sort as those of the woman, who, having brought
a neighbour before the magistrates on a charge of
assault, on failing in her case, addressed her enemy
thus : " Fm a Christian woman and so bear no malice ;
I don^t wish you no harm of any sort; but if any one
was to tell me that you had got a wasp's nest inside
your breeches, I should be very glad to hear it." A
more suitable punishment for the merciless user of
the wire-fence in a hunting country could scarcely be
devised.

By no means given to the evil habit of punning, the
opportunity of saying a smart thing was seldom thrown
away. Hearing an artist-friend complain of his liver
being out of order, he remarked, "Liver, my good
fellow ! Why I thought you painters never thought of
anything but lights." And to a friend who on a hot
dusty day had replied to his genial greeting of " How
are you, old boy ?" with " Oh, pretty tidy, thank you;"
he laughingly said, " I'm glad you feel it, you don't look
it." Unable to repress a little mild sarcasm, the writer
will not easily forget the amused smile that lit up his
face when, on being introduced one day as the author of
" Holmby House " to Miss Strickland, the historian,
she addressed him with the somewhat startling inquiry,
*^ Did your publisher find that the work paid him ? "
" Alas, madam, he dates the commencement of his ruin
from the hour that he undertook my unfortunate novel,"
was the prompt response to the unexpected query. The
compiler of facts, incompetent to interpret the twinkle in
the eye of the writer of fiction, accepted the statement
with a conventional expression of regret, little thinking
that not one of her own works had met with so many

Major Wliyte Melville. 269

readers as the novel, the very title of which slie herself
was ignorant of up to that moment. To have heard
from the learned authoress of the ^^ Queens of England ^'
that she knew nothing- of a book bearing the title of
" Tilbury Nogo " would not have surprised any one ; but
that the fame of " Holmby House " should not have
reached her ears argued on her part but little know-
ledge of what was going on in the world of light litera-
ture. The first-mentioned work — his earliest venture — at
once gained for Whyte Melv^ille a foothold on the plat-
form of sporting novelists ; but the reading public was
scarcely prepared for the advance to be met with in the
pages of ^^ Holmby House " — a work that has taken its
place with the most popular historical romances in the
language. " Digby Grand ^' and " General Bounce "
confirmed the impression that in Whyte Melville^ a
writer of no ordinary ability had appeared upon the
literary horizon — a rival, in his power of description and
his treatment of character, to the author of the great
'^ Jorrocks '"' himself. While some of his novels fell short
of the reputation he had so rapidly gained, **" The Gladi-
ators,^' " The Interpreter," and ^' Katerfelto '^ raised him
to a level attained by very few of the writers of the
day, and caused his publications to be eagerly sought
for. That he was in any way really a rival of the
author of the inimitable '^ Jorrocks '* and ^^ Soapey
Sponge,'^ cannot be asserted by any one conversant with
the styles of the respective authors. The one indulges
in broad farce — non-natural situations — and is always
treading outside the line of things as they are; the
other deals only with human nature in its more refined
phase — portrays character in its garment of every-day

2 yo The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present,

wear — and never ventures upon caricature. As one
could not have written ^^ Good-bye/' ''The Place where
the old Horse died/' or the " Clipper that stands in the
stall at the top/' so the other could not have created
*^ Jorrocks/' a favourite equally with Mr. Pickwick
himself in the affections of the hunting world. The
'' Handley Hunt " series will still be in demand when
the " New Zealander " is contemplating the ruins of St.
Paul's from London Bridge; but should the worthy
Islander ask for a copy of ^' Market Harborough " he
will probably be told that the name of such a book is
quite unknown. Emanations of intellect, however telling
at the time of their birth, should they be deficient in
certain attributes, especially those of dramatic presenta-
tion, will needs be crowded out of immortality. It was
an ill wind for the little Northamptonshire village that
blew wealth into the lap of its most distinguished and
popular resident. The little white hunting-box, upon
the face of which is now engraved in deeply-cut letters
^^ Melville House," became all too small for an increased
power of expenditure ; and a change was made to
Wootton Hall.

After hunting for two or three seasons from here. Why te
Melville, to the sorrow of many a friend and neighbour,
broke the link that had so long and so happily connected
him with the '^ P.H." and took up his abode in London,
from whence he got his two or three days a week with
Mr. Selby Lowndes and the ^'^ Baron/' his chief friend
and companion in his journeys to the Meet being the
much lamented Hon. Robert Grimston. Upon the mar-
riage of his daughter — his only child — Major AVhyte
Melville again moved into the country, and settled in the

Major WJiyte Melville, 271

neiglibourhood of Tetbury, in Gloucestershire. Here it
was that while riding' slowly along between cover and
cover, a rabbit-hole caused thousands of the inhabitants
of Great Britain, gentle and simple, to learn with sorrow
and dismay that the popular and accomplished author of
so many bewitching tales and poems had met his end in
the hunting-field.

Not a hunting-man or woman in the United Kingdom
was there, who was not more or less affected by the sad
intelligence, and who did not look upon the death of
Whyte Melville as a personal misfortune. It was univer-
sally felt that Society had suffered a loss which it was
impossible to replace; such qualities as those which
marked the individuality of the author of the " Queen^s
Maries," '' The True Cross," and '' The Galloping Squire,"
being rarely found in combination.

That ^' Good-bye" should have been written only shortly
before the fatal event, almost apparently in anticipation
of it, is an incident equally affecting and remarkable, and
would seem to point to the fact that its author was in
unconscious possession, of his countrymen's uncanny
attribute of " second sight/'

Few authors whose names are attached to so much in
Yerse as well as in Prose can have the satisfaction of
feeling that every book they have written has had
for its aim some high moral object — fewer still, that
not a line they have penned could offend the most
fastidious.

Such, however, can be said of him of whom we are now
speaking — one in whom power of description — quick
appreciation of character — tenderness of feeling — the
instincts of a true gentleman — humour and high moral

272 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present.

tone, formed an amalgam that has been vouchsafed to
few.

Of striking appearance, sh'ght of frame and of gentle
mien ; with an eye that you felt gauged you at a glance,
and a smile that at once restored your amour-propre, there
was that in the countenance of Whyte Melville which
denoted that his life was not without its " aliquid amari/'
and accounted for the tone of sadness that pervaded
many of his writings.

Anxious to see something of the pomp and circum-
stances of war, Whyte Melville took service with the
Turkish army during the Crimean expedition, and then it
was that he laid the foundation for one of the most inte-
resting of all his novels, ^' The Interpreter." Far more
brilliant as a conversationalist than George Payne, quicker
in reply, and of a more cultivated mind, he possessed
many of his attractive qualities ; and it would be hard to
say which of the two was the most popular and admired
member of Society — which the most lamented when death
had removed him from it.

THE HON. H. LIDDELL (Loed Ravenswoeth).

The tiny villa-like cottage at Boughton did not long
remain unoccupied. A sportsman, embracing in his love
of sport an area exceeding that of the author of " The
Galloping Squire '' himself — inasmuch as it included the
pursuit of the '^ rat " in the old barn opposite, and the
jack snipe on the banks of the Nene— now took up his
residence in the little white-faced house of literary
notoriety.

The Hon. H. LiddelL 2

-Wj

In the Hon. Henry Liddell — now Earl of Ravensworth
■ — the love of outdoor life and of all things pertaining
thereto, burned with a flame that has probably never
waxed warmer in the breast of any man, though it was
very clear that fox-hunting held the first place in his
heart.

Not laying himself out for playing the part of Don
Magnifico in anything, no man who hunted with the
^^ Pytchley " or the '^ Grafton " Hunt saw more sport
with a limited stud of no great pecuniary value.

Impatient of being anywhere except in the front rank,
the horse that did not look, perhaps, as if he could " go
and gallop and jump '^ with some that were to be seen at
the cover-side, was usually to be found there or there-
abouts when hounds were skimminsr over the bisf Faxton
pastures, or the valley between Cottesbrooke and Lam-
port. Some may still remember the gallant but peppery
little black mare, who carried her rider so well to the
fore, and who was full up to the hilt of ^* notices to quit ^^
in case any one approached Her Highness a little too
nearly. Even on her road home after a hard day, she
would give the unwary fully to understand that she
brooked no familiarity, and that she always had a heel
wherewith to mark her feelings on this subject. Fully
recognizing the fact that amusement and self-indulgence
are not the only objects for which we have been sent into
*' this wale of tears,'' the subject of this notice never
allowed his love for the chase to interfere with his
parliamentary duties. Sitting for many years as one of
the representatives of his native county — Durham — the
House of Commons had no more painstaking member ;
and his opinion upon any matter connected with the

T

2 74 T^^^c PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Prese7it.

Navy was looked upon by tliose connected with the
service^ as of especial value. Family arrang'ements having
obliged him to quit his Northamptonshire home for one
in Hampshire, Mr. Liddell got his hunting for a few
seasons in the neighbourhood of Lyndhurst.

Although missing the big grass field and the flying
fences of the country he had quitted, there is a charm
about the New Forest which no other district can boast
— one too, which few were so well able to appreciate and
enjoy as this late member of the ^'V.TLJ" On being
called to the Upper House, Lord Ravensworth retired to
his noble seat in the county of Durham, and now obtains
his hunting in a region about as opposite to those in
which he was wont to follow hounds in his earlier days,
as the parts about Sywell Wood differ from those in the
neighbourhood of Misterton or Crick.

THE REV. HENRY ROKEBY.

At the door of the picturesque old Manor House of
Arthingworth, dispensing hospitality to a bevy of horse-
men on their way from Sunderland Wood to Kelmarsh,
stands the Lord of the Manor — the representative of
the ancient House of Rokeby. Combining in his own
person a double function, Mr. Rokeby occupies the
hybrid position so well known in country social life as
" Squarson,^' a compound of squire and of parson, smack-
ing partly of the world, partly of the Church, and entail-
ing duties secular as well as clerical. To blend these so
discreetly as not to allow one in any way to interfere
with the other, has been the constant and successful

The Rev. Henry Rokeby. 275

endeavour of one whose parishioners honour him alike
for his admirable performance of either duty.

Suffering no parochial call to remain unheeded, this
worthy chief of a country village is not blind to the fact
that there is a world outside the limits of his own
microcosm, wherein are to be found occupations and
amusements which serve to relieve the monotony of the
life of a rural rector. Born and bred in the creamy part
of the finest hunting-country in England ; nourished by
the breezes that have scudded over Loatland and Sunder-
land Woods, Langborough and Waterloo Gorse, it is
impossible that the subject of this memoir should not
have been affected by their influence. To breathe such
an atmosphere is to imbibe a love for the chase ; and the
squirearchical element in this case not having been lost
in the clerical one, Mr. Rokeby has failed to perceive
that when made subservient to duty, hunting is to be
elimiuated from the pleasures of parsonic life. Not
claiming to be an hereditary sportsman, Mr. Rokeby is not
indebted to any of his immediate predecessors for his love
of horse and hound. One of these a gallant Colonel,
the most popular but non-sport-loving of men, used to
consider it his duty when the hounds met at Arthingworth
to appear " outside a horse '^ to see the find. Being con-
gratulated by a friend on one of these rare occasions on
the hunter-like appearance of his steed, he remarked^
^^ Oh, yes, he's a good-looking beast enough, but he has
one fault about him that does not suit me at all."
" What may that be, if I may venture to inquire ? '^
asked the admirer of the unconscious animal. '^ Why
he wants to jump, and I don't,'' was the honest and
amusing answer of the gallant officer of Fencibles.

T 2

276 The Pytchley Httnt^ Past and Present.

At the present time the occupant of the stall where
once stood the unappreciated ^^Lepper^^ of Colonel
Rokeby, has no reason to complain of not having his or
her jumping proclivities put to their full test. If the
good-looking black mare, whose pleasant duty it is to
carry the ^^ Squarson's " daughter as near the hounds as
may be, fails in doing so^ the fault will not lie with his fair
burden; and the rail must be strong* and high, and the
bullfinch thick and thorny, that leaves her parent hesi-
tating on the " take-off side."

A clear head for figures and an assiduous attention to
his magisterial work have imposed upon Mr. Rokeby the
difficult task of overlooking the county-accounts, and
vouching for the accuracy of each county-rate — a duty
that can only be satisfactorily performed by a thorough
man of business.

A perfect acquaintance with the ways and feelings of
his parishioners leads him to humour instead of running
counter to their prejudices ; nor by any unnecessary dis-
play of zeal will he subject himself to the reproach in-
curred by a brother-cleric, who had good reason to feel
the impossibility of pleasing everybody. Solicited by one
of the tenant-farmers of his parish to '' pray for rain "
during a period of drought, such a superabundance of the
desired element followed that the occupant of the light-
land farm at whose instance the petition was offered up,
began to be looked upon as a public nuisance by the
cultivators of the cold clays. Upon being remonstrated
■with as the author of all the mischief then going on, he
remarked, " Well, I didn^t w^ant so much, but it's just
like our parson, he always overdoes everything so."
Kor is the Hector of Arthingworth himself, not unac-

Mr, W. H. Foster,

277

quainted with the habits of stock, likely to make the
mistake of a less well-iuformed clergyman, who, preaching
upon the parable of the Prodigal Son, assured his hearers
*' that in the fulness of his joy the father killed the fatted
calf that had been a favourite in the family for many
years " !

Long may this model holder of a bi-fold office get his
bi-weekly gallop with Quorn and Pytchley ! May many
a year pass away ere fresh experiences lead the inhabi-
tants of Arthingworth to say, " Things aren't as they were
in the good old Rector's time, when he or some of the
family would come in and see that our fires weren't out
for want of a bit o' coal, and that there was a bit o'
summut in the cupboard for our supper."

MR. W. H. FOSTER.

In the adjoining parish of Spratton there lives, at
Spratton Grange, Mr. W. H. Foster, late M.P. for
Bridgenorth — a borough now sharing the fate of " old
Sarum," but at one time so decided in its political bias as
to have given rise to the saying, " All on one side, like the
Bridgenorth election." The village is fortunate enough
to have secured a '' Squire," to whom the duties of his
position are the paramount consideration, and after them
the indulgence of his ruling passion — " fox-hunting."

It is easy to say that any one could ride such horses as
those upon which Mr. Foster is seen, but if the heart be
not in the right place the animal availeth little. Nor are
his horses always of the most " confidential " sort. Many
a " youngster " has to find out that there is '^ a man on
his back " before he will attempt the still post and rail

2/8 The Pytchley Htmt, Past and Present,

in front of him ; but finding that he is bound to go he is
pretty sure to land his rider among the favoured few who
have seen the brilliant thirty minutes. Those who really
stick to hounds when they run hard for any length of
time may usually be numbered on the fingers of one hand,
leaving out the little one, and perhaps the thumb also.
By the man who " means going " a back seat on these
occasions, however accidentally obtained, is a matter of
humiliation and probably of self-reproach also. A great
author tells us that '^ there is nothing impossible to con-
ceal except love and a cough;" but the unfortunate above
referred to, in his desire to hide himself from second
horsemen and the joggers behind, will soon realize the
impossibihty of concealment. Little dreamt of by the
utterer of the above apophthegm, though he feels disposed
to call upon the trees to fall upon him, and the mole-hills
to rise up and cover him, he will know for a surety that
until the moment of the much-desired check, he will be
exposed to the sneers of the grooms, and be set down by
the stranger as one of the " muffs " of the Pytchley Hunt.
To such an experience the owner of Spratton Grange
neither has been or is likely to be subject ; and as there
is nothing that becomes a Master of hounds more than
brilliancy of performances across a country, it is much to
be hoped that in the event of the Pytchley country again
becoming vacant, its management will fall into the hands
of the subject of this brief and imperfect notice. (1886.[

MR. AND MRS. SIMSON.

From Broom Hill, nearly adjoining the Grange, on
three days if not four in each week of the hunting-

Mr, mid Mrs. Shnson. 279

season, may be seen starting for the cover-side Mr. and
Mrs. Simson — a husband and wife quite of one mind as
to the pleasure to be derived from the chase, and fully
bent upon seeing the end as well as the beginning of
a day with hounds. Of a sportsman, to whom the
excitement of fox-hunting must be as nothing compared
with his experiences among the " big game '^ of India,
it may truthfully be affirmed that the tiger of Bengal has
had few more constant and determined enemies than the
proprietor of the hunting-box so situate on Spratton
Hill as to be under the influence of "a' the airts the
wind can blaw," and more to boot.

Deeply versed in the habits and peculiarities of the
wild animals of the country in which he has passed so
many years of his life, Mr. Simson has at this time on its
way through the press a work which is likely to become
the standard authority on the natural history of that
part of India in which he has pursued his studies. ISTor
does he take less delight in finding out the ways of
the winged and creeping creatures of his native land.
An ornithologist of no ordinary acquirements, by him
every bird he sees is recognizable by its flight, note, or
plumage; and with its mode of nesting and general
habits he is little less familiar than the accomplished
Northamptonshire Nobleman, whose beautiful work on
British Birds is now in course of publication.

With these tastes, and with a keen enjoyment of the
ridiculous, to no one could the small boy's reply as to
the peculiarities of the cuckoo have been more fittingly
made. When asked in what respect this bird differed in
its habits from others, he answered that ^' it was the
only one that didn^t lay its own eggs ^^ — a display of

2 So The PytcJiley Hitnt^ Past aiici Present,

oruithological knowledge about equal to that of the old
woman, who, to confirm her assertion of having been
present in church, declared to her clergyman that he
must have seen her, as " she had sot right again the
turkey'^ — meaning, of course, the eagle forming the
lectern.

An ardent and devoted floriculturist, the fair lady —
who shares her husband's passion for hound and fox,
and the pursuit of the latter by the former — yields to
no one in the successful management of tbe garden.
Choosing the rose and the carnation as the principal
objects for culture, she is no less alive to the charms of
every flower that can impart brightness to her borders.
The frost may be long, the winter may be such as the
never-to-be-forgotten one of 1886, but the spirit of
ennui will fail to find an entrance into a household,
where, like that of Broom Hill, the teachings of Mr.
Jorrocks do not constitute the only philosophy deemed
worthy of consideration.

CAPTAIN GIST ^— MR. PENDER— MR. JAMESON.

In the stables of the house known as Spratton Hall —
so long occupied by Captain Mildmay Clerk, spoken of
elsewhere — Captain T. Gist can show three or four
weight-carrying horses that would do credit to any stud
where power is the one thing needful, and ^' place " — in a
run — an object of some consideration.

Not far distant on the crest of the same hill, at

^ Since the above was written, this gentleman, like the author, is
nuiiibered with the dead. — Ed.

Mr. HazelJmrst, 281

Thornby and Cold Asliby respectively, Messrs. Pender
and Jameson have established homes for " P.H."
purposes ; and though comparisons are said to be odious,
few will be found to deny that in point of " hardness/^
amongst his fellows the latter gentleman is beyond
compare.

With a stud in no way fit to compete with many of
those around him, the animal that Mr, Jameson has made
his own is bouud to go where even ^' good men ^^
hesitate to try, and the ^^ funker '^ feels that there must
be an easier place elsewhere.

MR. HAZELHURST.

If there can be one greater certamty upon earth than
another, it is that one if not more foxes will be "at
home '^ in the Misterton osier-bed any day between
November and April that the Pytchley hounds please to
enter it. For this great blessing, all who from time to
time meet Mr. Langham and his hounds at Misterton are
indebted to Mr. Hazelhurst of the Hall. It is to his
unceasing care, and determination to have foxes about
his place, that the osiers have never been known to be
drawn blank ; and it is to be hoped that this fact is
recognized with proportionate gratitude both by the
Master and the Members of the Hunt. To have an
indifferent or perhaps hostile resident at Misterton Hall
would mean a loss to the " P.H." of its most important
and popular district, and at once lower it to the level of a
third-rate power. All honour then to him who saves it
from such a fate.

282 TJie Pytchley Httnt^ Past and Present.

MR. DANIEL.
To speak of Misterton and omit the name of ^'^ Daniel/'
would be equivalent to leaving out from a play one of its
most conspicuous characters.

"Misterton" and "Daniel" run so much in couples in
the thoughts of Pj'tchley-men, that to separate the two
seems an impossibility, and it will be a bad day for
hunting whenever the dissociation takes place. A
yeoman of the good old school — from his youth a
hunting-man — to few of the tenant-farmers of the district
is the " P.H.'^ more indebted for a constant and un-
swerving support.

'* Daniel's Spinney " is a name little less familiar in the
ear of the Wednesday follower of Will Goodall and his
pack, than that of Misterton Gorse or Shawell Wood ;
and many is the gallant fox that has been found within
its shelter.

With a keen eye for make and shape, and with much
experience, there are not many better judges of a hunter
than Mr. Daniel^ and very few men better able to ride
one.

MR. P. A. MUNTZ.

In the same neighbourhood is to be found one of those
stout-hearted sportsmen, to whom a superabundant
vitality seems to be no detriment in the matter of getting
across a country, and upon whom " pace and plough "
seem to lose their hindering properties. Mounted upon
cattle of great value, but in whom power is often more
apparent than pedigree — horses of a different stamp
from those ridden by those famous men of weight,

Mi\ Muntz — Lord Braye, 283

Messrs. Stirling Crawfurd and Little Gilmour — Mr.
Muntz seems to form the exception to tlie rule that like
pace '^ weight must tell.''^ Be it in a point-to-point
steeple-chase, or in a gallop from Lilbourne Gorse to
Hemplow Hills^ the broad shoulders of the honourable
M.P. for South Warwickshire are sure to be seen well in
front, thereby confirming the belief of many, that it is
" the man that carries the horse, and not the horse the
man.^^

Tom Assheton Smith was firm in his belief that where
the heart was, there would horse and his rider be
gathered together, the sympathy between the two being
of so intimate a nature, that if the one ^^ did not quite
like it," the other was sure to be afraid. With all the
disadvantages attendant upon the possession of a " too,
too solid flesh,"" the man who has Mr. Muntz behind him
in a run of note may go home pluming himself upon
his own performance as well as on that of his horse.
'^ The race is not always for the swift nor the battle for
the strong," but the chase invariably preserves her plums
for the stout-hearted.

LORD BRAYE.

Theee are more disagreeable ways of spending- twelve
or fifteen minutes any time between November and
April, than in a gallop across the big grass-fields between
Hemplow and Stanford Hall. Time was when hares
so swarmed over this particular district that hounds were
rarely able to cross it without several ^'hesitations," if
not something worse. Happily, poor puss has had a bad
time of late ; and if only scent permit, so uninterrupted a

284 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present,

'^ head " may now be carried between tlie respective
points, that it takes a good man, and a good horse also,
to keep well with, the pack when once settled to its
work.

On the long list of its fixtures the " P.H." has none
more popular than that of Stanford Hall, the home
since the days of Henry VIII. of the ancient family of
Otway-Cave, now Barons Braye. In point of position,
picturesqueness, and sporting-surroundings, this may
well have earned tbe title of the " Pearl of the Pytchley
JMeets ;'^ and he who has hunted from Stanford without
sport feels as it were as if he had suffered a measure of
wrong and robbery. From time immemorial have the
owners of this favoured property been followers of the
chase, the name of Otway-Oave being among the more
prominent of the early members of the ^' P.H."
The gallant officer — elder brother of the present noble
owner of the Stanford Hall estate — who lost his life
at the battle of Ulundi, fighting against the hosts of
King Cetewayo, was famous for his bold and fearless
riding ; and his successor — though by no means a feather-
weight— has no idea of being left behind if, like his
neighbour, " pace and plough " do not put their veto
upon his carrying out his intentions.

THE REV. J. TYRWHITT DRAKE.^

Wjthin a very circumscribed area of the surface of fair
Northamptonshire there reside, for hunting^s sake, eight

^ This respected gentleman has, like several others mentioned in
the work, departed this life since the Memoir was written. — Ed.

The Rev. J, Tyrwhitt Drake. 285

worshippers of Nimrod, so devoted to their "cult," that
if the assertion of a reverend Fortnightly Reviewer be
founded on fact, any one of them would be prepared to
pull down any cottage of his own, if in any way it could,
did, or had interfered with the run of a fox. How it is
likely that hereditaments of this uature — motionless,
non-alarming — should work so serious a mischief, the
essayist does not trouble himself to inquire ; but with his
pen in his hand and his hobby well by the head, a reviewer
and censor momm is apt to ride at places where there is
no takmg off.

Amongst the devotees above referred to, not the least
well-known is the rev. the Rector of Cottesbrooke, a
village unequalled for its sporting associations, recollec-
tions, and situation ; and also remarkable for the fact that
the thirsty soul will hunt in vain for a public-house, be
his sufferings ever so great.

An old proverb tells us — a proverb as defined by Earl
Russell is the wit of one man and the experience of many
— that ^^ what is born in the bones is sure to come out
in the flesh;'' and in no family has the truth of this
dictum been more exemplified than in that of the Rev.
John Tyrwhitt Drake, Rector of Cottesbrooke near
Northampton. Who that can remember " old Squire
Drake,'' so long master of the Bicester hounds, and that
great huntress, the Hon. Mrs. Drake, aunt to the present
Lord Valentia, is surprised to know that no family in
England could turn out four such sons to cross a country
as their four ? The same kind ofiices performed by a
wolf for Romulus and Remus must have been undertaken
by a fox for those rev. brothers, John and Edward Drake.
What Graces, Lytteltons, and Studds have been between

286 The Pytchley Huni, Past and Present.

the wickets, the Drakes once were across the Midland
fences and grasses ; and if the Rector of Cottesbrooke
may at no time have touched the same point of excellence
as his rev. brother, the Rector of Amersham, few have
better known how to persuade an ill-tempered one to try
his best ; or when and where to negotiate an uncomfort-
able-looking place.

Sent to Harrow in the heyday of boyhood, the near
neighbourhood of the famous Tilbury, the dealer, and of
his accomplished henchman, Jem Mason, the celebrated
steeple-chase rider, it is not to be w^ondered at that the
lessons taught at Pinner were more attractive than those
inculcated in the Homer-haunted little village on the
Hill. The question with the horsey spirits of the school,
during the somewhat easy-going epoch of Dr. Longley,
was not so much '' to read or not to read ''' as '^ to ride or
not to ride.^' The grand difficulty was ^'^ where to find a
horse.^^ Happily for those who boarded at the Rev. W.
Oxenham^s — afterwards second master, and most boy-
bullied and forgiving of men — in one of the two stalls in
the stable-yard stood a good-looking brown mare, who
could both gallop and jump. Her Irish groom, Pat
Barratt, was fond of his charge, and did well by her;
but he was fonder still of a half-crown and the charms
of the public-house. No palm was more easily greased
than that unfaithful Irishman's, and William Oxenden
Hammond, ''Jemmy" Ingram, Tom and John Drake, and
a few more — alas ! that the name of *' Bob " Grrimston
cannot now be here included — still survive to say how
often they " passed his hand with a silver coin," and in
exchange got a gallop out of that bonny brown mare.
The only condition imposed by that most crafty of grooms

The Rev. J. Tyrwhitt Drake. 287

was that tlie ride should be an early one, so that no
suspicion might enter the breast of his unwary master.
*^ If you^re waking call me early, call me early, Patrick,
dear," were the overnight instructions on one side; and
about four on many a fine spring and summer morning,
the pulling of a string attached to a sleeper's toe announced
the fact that the " hour and the man " — a horse — had
come. Then followed the rapture of the ride, probably
to Tilbury^s farm, possibly elsewhere; but the bit of
timber by the road-side or the fence with all its leaves
was not omitted from the programme, and all was happi-
ness unalloyed until a distant bell or a tell-tale watch,
pointed to the homeward road. I fancy if those who
have just been referred to chance to see these lines, will
they ask themselves, whether among their many happy
Harrovian days, they ever had such hours as those spent
upon the back of " Billy " Oxenham's mare ?

The parents of the future Rector of Cottesbrooke did
not give Harrow the credit of being able to convert their
son into a depositary of classical lore, nor were they
disappointed. Though compelled to ^' enter " for the
quarterly examinations, ^^ J. T. Drake junior" never went
into training for any of these events, with the common
result of not being able to live the course. Usually one
of the first in difficulties, on rising- Euclid Hill he mostly
ceased to struggle, and rarely passed Judge Longley's
chair. Not finding that any of the Harrow '^ courses "
exactly suited his style of action, he changed his quarters
for Oxford, where he hoped that by a new system of
training he might win his way into the family Living of
Malpas, in Cheshire. Having successfully matriculated
at Brazen Xose, it seemed now as if the ex-Harrovian

2 8S The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

might consider his path safe and easy, and that he might
contemplate with some feeling of certainty the fruition of
the good things looming in the future. But B.N.C. had
its Phoenix Club; and in addition to lecture-room.s,
literary societies, and debating clubs, Oxford at that time
had its tandem-drivings, its professors of billiards, its
hunting-stables. Between these J. T. D. seemed to get
a little " mixed/' and to have shared the view of the
" coster," who when before the ^^ beak " for an infraction
of the liquor-law, thus philosophized over the matter.
^^ The fact is, sir," said he, ^^ there's such a lot of wisdom
in the world now, that there don't seem no room for
nothink else."

Newman, Gaisford, the Master of Balliol, Hawkins,
were names to conjure with at Oxford, at that epoch ;
and so were those others — Quartermaine, Seckham^
Symonds, Wheeler.

A Pindaric or Anacreontic ode were " nuts '^ to many
a classic-minded wearer of cap and gown ; but there
were those also who saw more beauties in that old
hippie song, in which the Oxford vendor of horses hopes
to tempt the possible purchaser of an awful screw by
afiGlrming that —

" If the Pope of Rome to England came
To get an boss to ride on,
This bit o' blood's the werrj quad
I'd set liis grace astride on."

Jealous of the progress made by their pupil in the
unorthodox teachings of Messrs. Symonds and Co., the
principal and tutors of Brazen Nose College shut their
gates upon their too-sporting alumnus, and urged
him to seek from the sister-University those honours

The Rev, J. Tyrwkitt Drake. 289

denied to him at Oxford. Following this good advice,
Mr. Drake proceeded to Cambridge forthwith. ; bat the
bacilli of learning and biblical lore could not have
been in the air during his residence on the banks of
the Cam. If they were^ they did not care to enter
either his rooms or his system ; and again the vision of the
Cheshire rectory seemed to grow more and more
indistinct.

Happily, a road hitherto unthought of — a road by
following which many a traveller in like condition with
himself had found his way within the pale of the Establish-
ment, was now pointed out. Pursuing this, it was not long
before the village of Malpas found itself under the
spiritual care of the Rev. John Tyrwhitt Drake, M.A.
late of Oxford and Cambridge Universities. It is not
expected of parishioners to be able to teach their
ministers much, if anything; and the inhabitants of this
Cheshire village soon discovered that while not at all to
be despised in the wood, the new parson had nothing to
learn from any one in those parts when once in " the
open." By never neglecting the duties incident to a
large country-parish, and by being a kind and generous
friend to those who needed help, Malpas soon learned to
like the new incumbent, who neither puzzled their heads
by the too much learning, or aggravated their tempers by
the too great length, of his discourses.

Speaking plainly, he never laid himself open to the
snub received by one of London^s most famous Bishops,
who, when a curate, having preached upon the text,
^' The foolish body hath said in his heart, There is no
God,^^ was told by an old labourer afterwards, " Well, sir,
you may say what you please, but I believe that there is

u

I

290 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

a God all the same." Tn point of lengtli too, lie never
forgot tlie merit that lies in a good fifteen minutes, nor
the rebuke incurred by a brother parson, who_, having
preached for forty minutes, said to a friend on leaving
church, '^Having slept all the time, you can't know much
of what my sermon was about." " Oh, yes, I do," was
the reply, '' it was about half an hour too long." It
would seem as if the clergy were peculiarly liable to
rebuffs — moral humiliations of the nature of those just
described. One of London's most popular and dis-
tinguished preachers, an Hon. and Rev. gentleman,
brother to a Cabinet Minister, on entering upon duties
to which he had recently been appointed, made it
known to his new parishioners that "he was at their
service at any hour by night as well as by day," and that
his only desire was that his own convenience should
not be a matter for consideration. Summoned out
of his bed at a late hour one winter night by an
old member of his flock, well known to him as a very
regular attendant at church, he was thus addressed :
" IVe sent for you, sir, as you desired, as for many
nights I have been unable to close my ej^es, and as I
have often had some nice sleeps during your sermons, I
thought that if you would be so kind as to read to me a
bit, I might go off for an hour or so."*^ This would seem
to be a sufficient lowering of any little pulpit or other
pride, but it scarcely can have touched the same point of
humiliation as when after a peculiarly affecting sermon
in a country church, the wife of the preacher, on seeing
an old man remaining in his seat long after the congrega-
tion had gone, thus addressed the lingerer : " Well,
John, I'm glad to see that instead of goiug out in a hurry

Lord Erskine — Mr, C. WrozigJiton, 291

with the rest of the congregation^ you like to stop and
think over the beautiful words you have heard in the
sermon/^ ^' Yes, mum, they was beautiful ; but it isn^t
exactly that, neither/' was the reply ; ^^ the real matter is
that I've bust my braces, and I'se sitting here to prevent
my small-clothes coming down/'

An incumbency in Lord Yarborough's country followed
upon that which had bound Mr. Drake to Cheshire for
some years, and then came the offer on the part of his
brother-in-law, Mr. Herbert Langham, of the Living of
Cottesbrooke. Here, naturally as it were, he fell into
the office of Chaplain- General of the Pytchley forces, and
has performed for many years the duties attached to that
responsible position to the satisfaction of all concerned.
For two or three seasons the worthy rector and Mrs.
Drake — keen as his reverence in the pursuit of bold
rejnard — have been compelled to seek elsewhere that
measure of health not to be found in Cottesbrooke' s
foggy vale ; and it is to be feared that to the former, at
all events, the pleasures of the saddle can only be looked
upon amongst the enjoyments of life that have passed
away.

LORD ERSKINE— ME. C. WROUGHTON— MR. F.
AND MISS LANGHAM.

Almost within whisper's reach of the Rector of 1 Cottes-
brooke's boundary-fence is the hunting-abode of Lord
Erskine, an acquisition to the *^ P.H." which it may well
hope not to lose for many a year to come.

Hard by, in the little village of Creaton, may be found
the fine and costly hunting-stud of Mr. C. Wroughtou ;

u 2

292 The Pytchley Htint, Past and Present.

"uhilst Mr. F. Langham and Miss Langliam, brother and
sister to the Master, — devotees to all things pertaining
to rural life, but more especially to hunting — have their
home on the crest of the hill, masters of every tint of the
setting sun, but slaves to each rough breath of the rude
west wind.

It is not yesterday that Mr. F. Langham formed a
conspicuous member of the " Eton Eleven," and helped
to fight the annual battle against the hereditary enemy
from Harrow on the Hill ; but as he still takes a good
deal of catching when hounds run ; so with the cue and
the tennis-bat there are few in his neighbourhood with
whom he cannot successfully compete, without giving or
receiving weight for age.

SIR RAIXALD KNIGHTLEY.

To Sir Eainald Knightley, M.P. for the Southern
division of the county, is to be assigned by virtueof a
three months^ priority of birth over Sir Charles Isham,
of Lamport Hall, and Mr. Nethercote of Moulton Grange,
the honour of being — in 1886 — the senior member of the
Pytchley Hunt.

All three are within easy, too easy, distance of the
border-line which divides the sixties from the seventies,
that doubtful decade of strength or infirmity preceding
the record of four-score years, after which life is apt to
become a via dolorosa, trodden with more or less
painful and halting steps. Not that a man fourteen
years on the right side of eighty has much reason to
rejoice if that be true which was said in the hearing of
the narrator of this story by a too close observer of

Sir Ramald Knightley. 293

statistics, to a fellow-sportsman who had just divulged
that on that day he had reached his sixty-sixth birthday.
*^ Sir," said the Jobean comforter, " I congratulate you,
but I must tell you that sixty-six is a very ticklish age/'
He then pondered as if reckoning up tables, and
continued : ^' It is a fact that there are more people
die at sixty-six than at any other time of life." The
haste with which the recipient of this encouraging and
cheerful piece of intelligence made off may easily be
imagined. His emotions on the occasion must have been
much on a par with those of an old man in Northampton
Street, who after placing his ear-trumpet so that he
might hear a friend^s remark, was told, " You are
breaking very fast, John." Each of these speeches might
serve to illustrate one of Mr. Punches inimitable pictures
of ^^ things that a man had rather not have said."

A fifty years' experience in the hunting-field cannot fail
to tame down that keenness for the sport which to many a
young sportsman makes a high-day and holiday of every
hunting- day. In his sixty-seventh year, Sir Hainald
cannot be expected to evince the same enthusiasm in
hunting as he did when it took a very good man to catch
him or Mr. Frederick Yilliers, in a sharp forty minutes
from Braunston Gorse or Dodford Holt. He is still,
however, to be seen at any Meet within reasonable
distance of home ; and from the class of horse he
continues to possess, it is clear that he adheres to his
old principle, that " no one should ride a brute but a
beggar or a fool."

The stranger, whether attracted by a Meet of hounds
or in search of the picturesque, who sees Fawsley for the
first time, cannot but be impressed by the feeling that he

294 The Pytchley Htint, Past and Present.

is in the presence of one of the old historic mansions of .
England. Situated on a lawn of gentle elevation, it
commands an extensive and beautiful prospect, and is
surrounded by a park, which, inclusive of the well-known
Badby Wood, extends over an area exceeding six hundred
acres. For upwards of five centuries, Fawsley has
belonged to the Knightleys : one Richard Knightley —
the descendant of an old Staffordshire family deriving
its name from the Manor of Knightley in that county —
having purchased it in 1416.

During the great Civil War the owner of this fine
property was a warm adherent of the Commonwealth ;
and, having married a daughter of Hampden, he became
doubly bound to the party of the Protector. It was here
that most of the measures were devised which chiefly
affected the Royal prerogative, such, for instance, as
depriving the Crown of the right of making peace or
war — of the control of the militia — and of the disposal
of places of trust and profit.

The old saying so constantly in use, of ^^ sub rosa ^' —
^' under the rose " — when there is a necessity for secrecy
— is said to have derived its origin from the councils
which were held here in the embrasure of an Oriel window,
in one of the panes of which a Tudor rose was a
conspicuous ornament. The Sir Richard Knightley who
took so prominent a part in the politics of this disturbed
period, did not in any way sanction the execution of
Charles I.; and in 16G0 was one of the Council of State
who advocated the restoration of Charles II.

The old mansion having got into a somewhat dilapidated
condition, was restored by the present Baronet in 1865
at a great cost, under the superintendence of Mr. Salvin,

Sir Rainald Knight ley, 295

one of the most esteemed architects of the day. The
magnificent Gothic Hall, as designed by him, is fifty-four
feet long, forty-three feet high, and twenty-four feet in
width. At the south end of it may be seen the family
achievement, numbering no fewer than 343 quarter-
ings.

No name — always excepting that of Spencer, which
appears at least five times as Masters of the ^^ P.H." — is
more closely associated with the past days of the Pytchley,
than that borne by the Lord of Fawsley. Sir Charles
Knightley, spoken of elsewhere in these pages, was for
many years the oldest member of the hunt, and was
greatly distinguished for his fine riding and keen love
for fox-hunting, and for a brief time was himself Master
of the Hounds. Under his care Badby Wood became a
stronghold for foxes ; and without it and the adjoining
covers, the Pytchley Saturdays would lose the better
part of their attractions. Had Sir Rainald attained the
same excellence in the saddle that he has done at the
whist- table — for it would be an easy task to count
those who would be considered his superiors at whist —
there would have been very few able to beat him across a
country in his younger days. Thirty years of parliamentary
life — a period upon which, when he looks back, he may
have the satisfaction of feeling that he has been through-
out, like his father before him, a consistent Tory of the old
school — have well entitled him to the respect of all. It
is to be hoped that many a winter may come and go
before he ceases altogether to appear at the cover-side,
and relinquish a sport in which both he and his father
have taken so conspicuous a part.

2q6 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present,

MR. DRURY WAKE.

The eye scanDing the constituents of a Pytcliley field
at the time of which we have been speaking, might have
observed^ mounted on a small brown horse^ strong as a
lion and active as a cat, a gentleman, who, recognized at
that period by his college-intimates as " Whack '^ of
Christ Church, is now more generally known as Mr.
Drury Wake, of Pitsford House, near Northampton.

The third son of Sir Charles Wake of Courteen Hall,
he was sent at the usual age to Rugby School, where,
under his uncle, Dr. Tait — afterwards Archbishop of
Canterbury — he in no way failed to make the most of
such pleasures as are to be met with in public-school life;
and suffered nothing in point of health by a too unre-
mitting attention to classical and mathematical studies.
Giving him credit for the possession of abilities, which
under the forcing influences of perseverance and hard
work might produce fruit of no ordinary character,
Oxford was called upon by his relatives to bring about
those results which Rugby had so signally failed in
effecting. It was hoped that in the bosom of Alma
Mater, and under the watchful eye of a college tutor, the
spirit of application and a thirst for the acquisition of
classical knowledge might take the place of an apparent
indifference to the teachings of the philosophers of old.
But parents are born to disappointment so surely as the
sparks fly upwards, and to the old Rugbyan the system
of '^ Figg-Tollitt " and Charles Symonds had more
attraction than the less voluntary instruction to be had
within the walls of a college. Under the new influences
the hereditary love of horse and hound seemed to

Mr, Drttry Wake. 297

intensify rather than diminish ) and it was not long
before the whole University rang with the echoes of an
equestrian feat to which there had hitherto been no
parallel in its sporting annals. A member of Exeter
College, having earned for himself a great deal of credit
by riding to London and back in eight hours, it seemed
to Mr. Wake as if '^ the cry '''' made over the performance
was out of all proportion to " the wool " of which it was
composed. The matter having come under discussion
one evening at a wine-party, he offered to take two
hundred pounds to fifty that he would ride the same
distance in two hours less time. The bet being im-
mediately snapped up, Tollitt — provider of horses — was
invited to supply the necessary amount of hacks, for
which he was to receive fifty pounds if the wager was
won, nothing if it was lost. Without any sort of training,
on a fine spring morning, the '^ hardy horseman ^' found
himself in full career on his way to the Marble Arch,
from which point the return journey was to commence.
All things having gone favourably, and the various hacks,
each and all, having done their work satisfactorily, Mr.
Wake found himself back in Oxford with an hour to
spare, the distance having been accomplished in a little
over five hours, without any ill effect to horses or rider.
As has been elsewhere recorded, Mr. Osbaldeston, in his
famous ride at Newmarket, completed two hundred miles
in eight hours and thirty nine minutes ; but inasmuch as this
took place on the springy, elastic turf of the Heath, with
nearly thirty horses of the highest class, all ready to the
moment, and Mr. Wake had eleven Oxford hacks — some
not at hand when required, a hard turnpike road to gallop
on, with a hill four miles in length to descend and to

298 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

mount — the feat of the Oxonian shows well up when
compared with that of the notable " Squire/^ To ride
for five hours successively at the rate of twenty-two miles
per hour on a hard macadamized road, argues the
possession of remarkable powers of endurance, and of a
cuticle something more than '* pachydermatous." Greatly
appreciated as was this arduous feat by the junior
members of his college, the ^^Authorities " did not seem
to see it in the same light ; and the sporting member
of Christ Church was ordered to retire into the country
for twelve months, and so purge himself of the offence of
having successfully accomplished a feat, which in the
eyes of most Oxonians was a thing to be highly proud of.

This unlooked-for interruption to his studies, being not
unlikely to excite the paternal indignation, the ^' hero of
a hundred miles " was forced to bring the matter
somewhat gingerly before the domestic Jove. The
paternal ire, if aroused at all, seems — probably through
the intervention of an ever-watchful allayer of storms —
quickly to have subsided; and it was not long before
the much-expecting son received the following com-
munication : —

''^Deak Drue, — You're a fool. Come home.''

By those knowing the writer the above might have
borne the following interpretation : —

"Am delighted: wish I ever could have done the
same! ''

In those, the palmy days of the Oxford stable-keepers,
twenty hacks might have been seen in Oriel Lane on
each hunting-morning, awaiting the completion of their
hirers' breakfasts. So completely at that period did
hunting seem to be looked on by the undergraduates as

Mr. Drttry Wake. 299

a normal part of the collegiate course, that the
^' intelligent foreigner " might have taken it for an item
of the regular curriculum of University education. Few
and far between, however, are the hacks that are now to
be seen pacing up and down outside ^^ Canterbury Gate.''
Increased demands upon the time of undergraduates, and
ever-recurring examinations, have proved insuperable
obstacles to enjoying the pleasures of the chase ; and
''Ichabod " is written in full type on the stable doors of
many a once prosperous dealer in horses at the old
University town.

After a year's banishment, Mr. Wake returned to Christ
Church to pass his final examination, a feat he per-
formed with as much in hand — and more in head — as
he had on crossing ^' Folly Bridge,'' at the close of his
famous ride. His tutor strongly urged him to read for
*^ honours;" pleading that another pupil of his, with
scarcely so good abilities, had by means of incessant
study and much self-denial greatly distinguished him-
self in the " Schools." "But what about his health
afterwards ? " inquired Mr. Wake ; " did he not utterly
break down; and has he not become a confirmed
invalid ? " "I fear it was so " was the reply, *^ but his
case was an exceptional one." '^ Thank you, sir, but so
might mine be," was the rejoinder. ^^ I have heard of
a Lady's maid who stated that in her opinion, ' Health
after personal appearance is the greatest blessing as is.'
I, sir, am disposed to put health before, not personal
appearance only, but also before classical distinction.
The last is a good dog, but the first is abetter; and
therefore I mean to stick to the first." Thus the
interview ended; and the unambitious pupil was satis-

300 TJie Pytc/iley Hunt^ Past and Pj^esent.

fied bj tlie acquisition of a simple ''pass/' and the re-
tention of nnimpaired health.

With an eye, possibly, to the Judicial Bench, if not
to the ''Great Seal," Mr, Wake resolved to follow the
Law as a profession ; but before getting fairly into his
wig and gown, a ride, far longer and more arduous than
that which had made his name famous in Oxford annals,
was looming in the future.

Happening to be at Constantinople on the eve of the
Crimean War, Sir Hugh Rose — afterwards Lord Strath-
nairn — begged him to undertake the responsibility of
conveying a despatch of the highest importance to
London, and deliver it himself into the hands of the
English Foreign Minister. Though very desirous to
remain where he was at such an exciting moment, and
watch the outcome of events — a time when men's hearts
were failing them for fear of a great w^ar, with all its
attendant horrors and uncertain issues — Mr. Wake did
not hesitate to undertake the momentous duty. It was
enough for him to be told by Sir Hugh that there was
no one else so w^ell fitted as himself to be entrusted with
the important document, and that upon his refusal or
acceptance of the charge, hinged issues of the gravest
importance. "No more important despatch,^' added the
English Charge d' Affaires, " ever quitted one country for
another.'"' Without any delay, with a tatar to act as
guide, and a led horse to carry provisions, on an April
day of the memorable year 1854, the old Christ- Church
man commenced his ride across the bleak and dreary
Balkans for Belgrade. For seven days and nights — the
road often a mere trackway, and the darkness so impene-
t.able as to render it highly dangerous to go beyond a

Mr. Drury Wake. 301

foot's pace — with no rest obtainable, except such as might
be risked in the saddle, or snatched during a change of
horses — with no companion save a man of whose lan-
guage he was almost entirely ignorant, and of whose
probity he knew nothing — the rider pursued his lonely
way. Happily without accident or misadventure, Mr.
Wake arrived at Belgrade, and on proceeding to report
himself to the " head swell " was informed that his High-
ness was in the arms of Morpheus^ and that anybody
who ventured to disturb him was not unlikely to have a
'^bad old time.'^ The bearer of the despatch, taking a
different view of the position, somewhat irreverently
declared the sleepiness of his Excellency to be ^'all my
eye;" and dwelling upon the importance of his mission,
vowed that if the Mountain would not come to the Mouse,
the Mouse must go to the Mountain, there and then. On
receipt of this " protocol," the '^ Mountain " speedily
'* put in an appearance/' in dressing-gown and slippers ;
and on learning the urgent state of affairs — Latin being
the only medium of communication — immediately took
the necessary steps for forwarding Sir Hugh Rose's
messenger on his way to London. At the end of the
eleventh day after leaving Stamboul, Mr. Wake entered
the Foreign Office and delivered the important papers
which had been confided to his care into the hands of
Lord Clarendon^ who w^as smoking his evening cigar _, in
his dressing-gown, over the fire. The Minister for
Foreign Affairs read Sir Hugh Rose's despatch —
urging him to call up the Fleet without any delay —
apparently with much astonishment ; and then turning to
its bearer said, *^ What was the feeling as to Peace or
War at Constantinople, when you left; and what is your

302 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present,

own impression on the matter ? ^' " That there will be
immediate war^ unless urgent measures are taken to
prevent it/' " Nonsense, young man, nonsense ; there
will be no war ; we have Jjord, Stratford de Redcliffe's most
certain assurance of peace ; and he has but just left us/'
So Sir Hughes despatch was quietly ignored, drowned in
rivers of blood, not a drop of which probably would
have been shed, had not its advice been totally disre-
garded. But are not all these things written in the Blue
Books of that date ?

In return for all the fatigue he had endured — the
sleepless nights and intolerable weariness of the days —
Mr. Wake received the same recompense as is awarded
by my Lord Judge to a body of Jurymen on the com-
pletion of their duties : " Gentlemen, there is nothing
further for you to do ; you are discharged, and the
country is obliged to you for your services.^' Too proud
to solicit any more substantial reward for a service —
worthy at least of the offer of governmental employment —
Mr. Wake entered the Militia of his county, hoping there-
by to obtain a commission in the Army. After serving
with his regiment at Gibraltar and in Ireland^ the
^' would if he could be " soldier was suddenly called upon
by his father to lay aside his sword, and to exercise his
brains and his legal knowledge in tripping up a recent
Act of Parliament which was threatening a portion of
the family-property which lay in and about Epping
Forest. Having performed this duty satisfactorily, there
was now nothing for it but to hoist the sign of the '' Wig
and Gown,'^ and to seek for litigants on the look out for
the best legal advice. Before, however, he had had time
to get fairly fixed in his legal saddle, or to get a share

Mr. Drttry Wake, 303

of the briefs that were so surely awaiting him, it became
evident that the long and weary ride with Sir Hugh
Rosens despatch had found out a weak place in the
spinal cord, and the hardy, healthy, untirable horseman,
slowly settled down into a confirmed invalid. For five
long years it seemed as though the most agile member
of an active family was doomed to pass the rest of his
days in a recumbent position. Happily the disease
began to respond to the skilful and judicious treatment
of Dr. Barr of Northampton, and at the end of the fifth
year the invalid was occasionally seen at the Meets in a
carriage constructed for the purpose. Driving with a
courage apparently unaffected by years of confinement,
the convalescent was determined, as of yore, not to be
left out in the cold ; and driving with some disregard for
horse, carriage or self, contrived to see as much of the
sport as many a mounted man.

After this, health soon came as a reward for patient
endurance of a great calamity ; and in the sixth year after
his first absence, he, who had been so long and so
sincerely missed by his hunting-friends, was once more
to be seen at the cover-side.

An accident in the hunting-field some four years since,
looked for a time as if it would entail a recurrence of the
spinal evil. In riding at the Whilton Brook, Mr. Wake's
horse swerved, and crossed that of Mr. Nethercote on the
very brink of the stream. A collision followed, horses
and riders fell into the water, and for a few moments the
horsemen were having a bad time among the legs of the
struggling and alarmed quadrupeds. Happily, neither
of the former was struck j but on emerging from their
perilous position, Mr. Wake, in addition to being con-

304 TJie Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

tused about tlie head, had one of his ankles badly sprained.
A ten-mile ride home in clothes thoroughly soaked did
not serve to mend matters ; and the fear arose, whether
or not the so lately-recovered back might not have sus-
tained fresh injury. Fortunately this did not prove to
be the case ; but it was six weeks before he was again
seen in the hunting-field.

A curious fact attending this incident was that the
collision was so sudden and unlocked for, that it was not
until Mr. Nethercote had lifted his co-sufi'erer from
beneath the water, that he was aware that it was his
own son-in-law who was the cause of the misadventure.

Within a few yards to the left, the Viceroy of Ireland
— Lord Spencer — was going through a single-handed
aquatic performance, his horse having stopped to look,
and then '^ plumped '^ ignominiously into the water !

Amongst the Christmas school- boys that go to swell a
Pj'^tchley field at that ^^ halcyon^' time for English lads,
another Drury Wake may now be seen — keen as his
father— full of ride for a youngster ; and in every respect
a " true chip of the old block."

MR. NETHERCOTE.

On the opposite side of the picture of the '^ Crick '^
Meet, next to Mr. Arkwright's, may be seen the figure of
!Mr. Nethercote of Moulton Grange, father of the writer
of this volume, and the last surviving member of the old
Pytchley Club. Of all those represented by tbe skilful
brush of the painter, with him alone rested the recollec-
tions of the palmy days of the '^ P.H./'' when the old

Mr. Net her cote — Major New land. 305

Club had on its list of Members some of the greatest
names in the country, and to be one of the Associates of
which was in itself a mark of distinction. The pages of
the old 8po7'ting Magazine have recorded that among
the Members of the '' P.H.^^ Mr. Nethercote took high
rank as a sportsman and as a rider to hounds ; and such
was his love of hunting that long after he had passed his
eightieth year he would drive to every near Meet. Up
to the day before his death, he begged to know the
details of the day's sport, and faintly expressed his regret
that it had not been a better one. So remarkable was
this good old Country Squire for the geniality of his
nature and his kindness of disposition, that one who lived
with him for fifty years can conscientiously affirm that he
never heard him speak ill-naturedly, scarcely even de-
preciatingly, of any one. Any decently clad pedestrian
on his way to the county-town on market-day was sure
to have the offer of a lift ; and an almost imperturbable
temper seemed proof against any annoyance save that of
the " boozy " carrier on the wrong side of the road, on
his homeward way from market.

A son may perhaps be pardoned for the assertion that
there never lived a more complete embodiment of kind-
heartedness and hospitality than the fine old English
gentleman here spoken of ; one upon whose death in bis
eighty-fourth year, the last link connecting the ancient
and modern history of the Pytchley Hunt was severed
for ever.

MAJOR NEWLAND.

Facing the spectator in the " Crick " picture is the
then well-known form of Major Newland, formerly of

3o6 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present,

H.M.'s 5th Dragoon Guards, but at tliat time residing
at KiDgsthorpe, in the house now holding out the sign of
the " Prince of Wales." Few men were better known,
both in the Oakley and the Pytchley Hunts, than this
cavalry-officer of the olden time. A thorough sportsman
and true lover of hunting in early life, the Major — a heavy
man — forged his way well across country ; but latterly
he had quite given up riding, and was satisfied to be
beholden to the various means and appliances of seeing a
run without incurring any obvious risk. He died still a
young man, but those who love to recall the days and
men of the Charles Payne era do not fail to connect with
it the name of Bingham, commonly known as '^ Joe "
Newland.

MR. STIRLING CRAWFURD.

In the extreme left corner of the '^ Crick '' picture, ad-
dressing Mr. Gough of North Kilworth House — an old
sportsman, and one of the "P. H.'s " staunchest friends
and best preservers of foxes — sits Mr. Stirling Crawfurd
of Langton Hall. From the days when he first dated his
letters " Trinity College, Cambridge," to the hour that
he passed away, the possessor of the finest stud of race-
horses in the world, no name was more familiar in
sporting circles than that of this Scotch gentleman.

Carrying in his mouth at the moment of his nativity
that silver article by means of which the battle of life is
fought most pleasantly and with the greatest success, Mr.
Crawfurd had little opportunity of viswing existence on
any other side save its sunny one. Indebted to things
under the earth for the means of er.joying those above

Mr, Stwling Crawfurd, 307

it, the gifts of ^^ Mater Terra " were poured bounteously
into tlie lap of her favoured son. As the blade of grass
by evolutionary action becomes alternately developed into
the priceless ^' shorthorn/' so the insignificant-looking
mineral by the process of exchange becomes converted
into a " Thebais " or a " Sefton."

It may be safe to affirm that during a life extending to
the confines of the conventional " threescore years and
ten/' no man ever owned so many good hunters and high-
class race-horses. Though a heavy weight, members both
of Quorn and Pytchley Hunts can testify that it took a
good man and a good horse to cut down Mr. Crawfurd.
During his tenancy of Langton Hall, near Market Har-
borough, he, with his brother-in-law^ Mr. Harry Everard,
seldom failed to meet the " P.H." at least twice a week.
The very best of everything being ^^just good enough,"
it was a treat for a lover of horses merely to look over
the two powerful, well-bred animals appointed to carry
for that day the keen and joyous-looking sportsman from
the other side of the banks of the Welland. Among a
multitude of " first-raters,'^ it is hard to select any one
for special notice, but the beautiful form and grand per-
formance of the kicking " Safety- Valve " must still fill
the eye of the member of the ^' P.H." whose recollection
carries him back to that day.

'^ Noli me tangere '^ would have been a more suitable
name than " Safety-Yalve " for this magnificent but
dangerous animal^ who would not brook the approach
from behind of any other horse without fiercely lashing
out. Inappropriate as this title may have been, Mr.
Crawfurd succeeded in fairly puzzling all his friends by
calling one of his racehorses " Semper Durus.'' Asked

X 2

3oS The Pytchley Htmi, Past and Present.

for an explanation of the name, one day at Newmarket
by the writer of these pages, Mr. Crawfurd laughingly
replied, ^^Why, don't you see, old fellow, I name him
after my brother-in-law, Harry Everard." He was a bad
horse, worthy of a name embodjdng so bad a joke. For
the name of his famous mare '^Thebais,'^ Mr. Crawfard
was indebted to the well- stored intellect of his sister,
wife of the gentleman whose name, rendered into Latin,
became " Semper Durus.'^ Requested by her brother to
find a name for a filly by " Hermit " out of "Devotion,"
for many an hour, as she herself describes it, did she
ponder over the task imposed upon her. Ideas in plenty
sprang up suitable to the suggestive names of either
parent, but to unite the two in a happy combination
— there lay the difficulty. At length, early one morniug —
the time when the brain is clearest and at its best — the
happy thought came across her of the desolate reg'ion on
the banks of the Nile, where the Hermits of old used to
eke out their miserable existence in holes in the rocks.
This district, from beiug in the neighbourhood of the
ancient city of Thebes, was known as " Thebais," or " the
Thebaid." There it was ! Hermit and Devotion — the
aptest and most appropriate hit that could possibly be
found. The elated inventor might well be pardoned for
waking her partner with cries of ^' Eureka ! Eureka ! "
and right good reason had she to be proud of her name
and of the beautiful filly that bore it. The nomenclature
of racehorses so as to bring the two parents into combi-
nation is no easy matter; but it is pitiable to see well-
worn names used over and over again^ denoting a poverty
of invention on the part of the owners that is positively
distressing. The thanks of all who appreciate a " happy

]\Ii\ Stirling C7^awfurd.

109

thought " are due to the inventors of such combina-
tions as : —

Name.

Sire.

Dam.

Canvas.

Eubens.

Vote.

Chameleon.

Camel.

Versatility.

Stray Shot.

Toxophilite.

Vaga.

Fast and Loose.

Cremorne.

Celerrima.

Eoysteier.

jj

Caller on.

Scot Free.

Macgre^or.

Celibacy.

Blubber.

Whalebone,

Tears.

But brightest of all thoughts was that which led the
owner of a colt, the fatherhood of which lay between three
sires, to call him " Trinidad." As a single side-name
'"■' Latchkey " by '^ Lothario" is worthy of all commenda-
tion ; but the difficulty of making out a single and double
acrostic, respectively, is not to be compared with that of
discovering a name happily blending those of sire and
dam. On the long list of horses owned by Mr. Crawfurd,
no name can be found to equal that bestowed by his
sister on that sweetest of fillies, " Thebais ; " and probably
none surpassed her in excellence as a racer.

During his long career on the turf, her owner picked all
the principal plums out of the "racing-pudding; ^' — Sefton,
Thebais, Craig Millar, Gang Forward having respectively
inscribed his name among the winners of the Derby,
Oaks, St. Leger, and Two Thousand Guineas. Though
devoted to racing, and accustomed to stand a heavy stake
when he fancied any particular horse — regardless also of
the sum he gave for a fashionably-bred yearling, Mr,
Crawfurd found no pleasure in the gaming-table. Living
among " Punters," for him, happily, the '^ ivories " had no
attraction ; and to this may be attributed his escape from
the sad fate of so many of his friends. For all things

3IO The Pytchley Htint, Past and Present,

fBsthetic, wlietlier in art or literatare, this Prince of the
Turf had a true and deep admiration ; and his rooms in
^'the Albany,'^ as well as his honse at Langton, were
crammed with choice engravings, pictures, and valuable
ohjets-d'ai't

His death in 1882 — long foreshadowed by a softening
of the brain — deprived the Turf of one it ill could spare,
and left a gap in the Jockey Club which will not easily be
filled.

LOED HENLEY.

In point of resemblance, scarcely one of the forty
figures in the *^ Crick '"' picture is more reminding of the
original than that of Lord Henley, who, seated on his
white-faced bay, seems to be considering the probability
of a find in Watford cover, should the " Crick " draw
fail. If the fox be at home and a good gallop follow, no
one is more likely to see it than the noble owner of the
picturesque mansion known as Watford Court, his
riding-weight being no impediment to his getting over
the big fences and many>acred grasses of the region
round about. The educational advantages of Eton and
Oxford not having been thrown away upon one who was
intellectually capable of appreciating them, his County
Town found in him a representative, able, moderate,
industrious ; with whom, for a time, it was well satisfied.
Declining, however, to adopt the seven-leagued boots in
which his constituency were striding towards the
extremities of Radicalism, the city of '^ cordwainers "
found in Mr. Bradlaugh a representative more to their
mind; and so removed from the House of Commons

Lord Henley. 311

one who was far from being the least useful of its Mem-
bers. Occupying at the present time a seat in the House
of Lords, as Baron Northington, he is again devoting his
time and abilities to the service of his country ; and it is
to be hoped that his absence from the hunting- field, from
a failure of health during the season of 1885-6, may be
followed by the speedy resumption of a sport the charms
of which he so thoroughly appreciates. Happily for the
future prospects of the *^P,H./' he, who in the course of
nature should become Lord of Watford Gorse and the
region round about, is a true son of his father, and
considers that among the ^' gifts the gods provide us '^
not the least is the pleasure attendant upon the pursuit of
the fox. Without the presence of the Hon. Frederick,
alias " Freddy '' Henley, on his customary days at a
" P.H." Meet, it is felt by many there that something is
lacking in the field. The '^ why and the wherefore '^ of
his absence is made a subject of inquiry by many a
friend, conscious, by the loss of his presence, that he is
minus one item in the day's enjoyment.

Well-mounted, and bound to be pretty handy when
genuine business is going on, should the great calamity
of finding himself in the second or even the third flight
overtake him, he will not yield to the temptation of
immediate suicide. Even a heavier misfortune, if such
is to be found among hunting-men, will not try the
equanimity of an unusually even and charming tempera-
ment. If chafi'ed upon the "prominent position '^ he
occupied in a rattling twenty minutes, he will own the
soft impeachment, and laughingly allow " it was not
jumping that post and rail at starting that did it.''

Many may envy, but few can boast a popularity equal

II

312 The Pytchley Hunt, Past a7id Present,

to that of this young Member of the Pytchley Hunt — one
who can " hold his own ^' in a gallop from Crick Gorse —
between the wickets — on the lawn-tennis ground — behind
the lights, and also at the whist- table.

MR. LOVELL.

At the extreme end of the well-known picture, *^ The
Crick Meet/^ behind Mr. Stirling Crawfurd, sits one of
the few remaining members of the ancient family of
Lovell of Winwick, one of a race remarkable for their
comely looks, and at one time exalted position in the
county. Mr. Lo veil's appearance at the cover-side was
attributable to the pleasure he felt in witnessing a " spec-
tacle/' rather than from any wish he had to distinguish
himself as a Hunter. Such honour and glory as are to be
derived from going well to hounds he left to a younger
member of the house — one whose manly form and hand-
some countenance formed a pretty frequent item of a
Pytchley field some five and twenty years ago. A
thoroughly good judge of the sort of horse required to
gallop over the splendid pastures he looked down upon
from the elevation of his house, Lovell of Winwick
Warren was a good man to follow, and could at all times
hold his own in a run.

To him it befell, as has been elsewhere narrated, to
experience the bitters as well as the sweets of foxhunt-
ing, as it was in his house that Mr. Sawbridge and
Lord Inverury breathed their last (temp. Mr. George
Payne), after falling over, in two consecutive years, a
post and rail in one of the big grass-fields in the valley
below.

Sir Francis Bond Head. 3 1 3

Mr. Lovell himself fell a victim to decline in the very
hey-day of life, and the Winwick property fell into the
hands of Richard Ainsworth, Esq., who resides near
Bolton. In the purchasing of this estate, the "Pytchley "
have been very fortunate in finding a gentleman, who,
though somewhat an absentee, does his best.

SIR FRANCIS BOND HEAD, BART.

In the popula;r biographical work entitled " Men of the
Time/' a considerable space is allotted to that one of the
'' P.H." representatives at the Crick Meet, who is
wearing, as was his invariable custom, what were then
known as " Napoleon " boots. Of the forty sportsmen
assembled in front of the old village church, not one
there was so much a " man of mark " as the keen-eyed,
weather-beaten old soldier, whose experiences had led^him
to the conclusion that, in point of excitement, a good
gallop with hounds was only second to that of a brush
with the enemy. He of whom we are speaking was—
for alas ! he has long gone where the good soldiers go —
the Rt. Hon. Sir Francis Head, Bart., the tenant for ten
years of the house at Great Oxenden, now occupied by
John Oliver, Esq.

After serving with the Royal Engineers at Waterloo,
he fought under the Prussian General, Ziethen, at Fleams,
where he had two horses killed under him, but himself
escaped unwounded. After quitting thearmy, in 1825 he
undertook the superintendence of some gold and silver
mines in Rio de la Plata, and in the course of his duties
made a ride of GOOO miles, an account of which he pub-
lished under the title of " Rough Notes taken during some

314 T^J^^ Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present,

rapid Journeys across the Pampas and among tlie Andes."
Upon bis return to England he held the post of Assistant
Poor-Law Commissioner in Kent, and in 1835 was sent
at a moment's notice to Upper Canada to quell the for-
midable rebellion of the Frenchman, Papineau — the pre-
cursor of Louis Riel, so lately hanged for high treason
against the government of the Dominion. This, with
the aid of the Militia, and under the greatest difficulties,
he not only accomplished, but he repelled the invasion of
large bodies of sympathizers from the United States.
For these services he received the thanks of the Legisla-
tures of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Upper Canada
— was created a Baronet in 1838, and afterwards made a
Privy Councillor. On retiring from public life, Sir
Francis determined to devote some of the best of his re-
maining years to the enjoyment of a sport which was the
one great passion of his life. To him the horse and hound
were the noblest of animals — and after them the fox !
'^ To the latter," he would often say laughingly, ^^ he
owed a debt of gratitude that nothing could repay ! " He
would then comment on the anomaly of taking a pleasure
in trying to kill your best friend, and feeling a disap-
pointment in failing to do so. Not one of the forty
Pytchley men depicted in the '^ Meet at Crick " was
so genuine a devotee to hunting as the old Officer of
Engineers. Not, as was the case with Lord Althorp,
for the sake of seeing hounds hunt, but from an innate
passion for riding. There was no day in his life — until
in his 82nd year he was compelled to lay by — Sundays
included, upon which he did not take a ride if the
ground permitted. Though not able to ride horses of
any great value, nothing stopped him ; and being light of

Sir Francis Bond Head. 3 1 5

weight, lie could always hold his own with "the swells."
Neither distance nor weather, bar frost and snow, kept
him at home ; and the more it rained the higher his
spirits rose, as he always looked for a scent on the wet
days. The first at the Meet, he was always the last to
go home ; giving as an excuse for staying out on
utterly hopeless days that ^' it might end in something,
after all." Never so happy as when on horseback, to
him hunting was an enjoyment almost without alloy.
Like Lord Eldon, who used to affirm that there was no
such thing as " bad " port-wine ; there was " good " he
used to say, and " better,^'' but no '^ bad." So to Sir
Francis no day with hounds could be a bad one : it was
only "not so enjoyable as if it had been a better one.''
The air — the exercise — the excitement — the fence with
the big ditch on the other side, were each and all distinct
matters of enjoyment, but the working of hounds did not
markedly catch his notice. Quick in making up his mind
under all circumstances, the house at Oxenden in which he
passed ten of the happiest years of his life — as he always
maintained — was taken in the same time that most peo-
ple would have occupied in looking over a four-stall
stable. Meeting the hounds at Farndon, before Waterloo
could be reached for the first draw, he trotted rapidly
ahead to view " the house to let," which fortunately lay
half-way between the two points. Thinking far more of the
possibility of losing the find than of finding a house to suit
his requirements, three minutes sufficed for the survey, and
the friend who accompanied him was requested to take it
for seven years ; to which three more were added subse-
quently. " Happy's the wooing that's not long a'doing/'
was well exemplified in this instance,, as the hasty pro-

3 1 6 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present,

ceeding never for a moment became anything but a sub-
ject for congratulation. Peculiar in many of his ways,
and regardless of appearances, Sir Francis used to cause
some amusement by the habit of taking his horse to
cover tied to the back of the gig. This was done to save
the weight of the groom, who, being a heavy man, was
better in his master's trap than on the back of his
master^s hunter. The most marked characteristics of
this fine old Officer of Eugineers were hastiness of tem-
per, combined with great amiability, and an extraordinary
appreciation of the humorous. A Quarterly Reviewer
and a somewhat voluminous writer, many of his works
sparkle with fun, as will be attested by all who have read
them ; one, ^^ Bubbles from the Brunnens of Nassau,'^ a
laughable description of ^^Life at the German Baths,"
especially so : also ^^ Stokers and Pokers/' an account
of the working of a great Railway — the London and
North- Western. Amongst others of his various writings
may be mentioned " The Emigrant ; " ^'^ A Narrative "
(during his Governorship of Canada) ; ^^ A Fortnight in
Ireland,^' &c.

Devoted to children, nothing gave him greater pleasure
than asking them questions, and listening to their
replies ; and any answer or remark denoting originality
or a sense of fun gave him unfeigned satisfaction. Had
he been the school-inspector, who, on asking a boy what
tlie meaning of ^^ responsibility " was, was told, ^'^ If I
had only two buttons on my trousers, and one was to
come off, the whole responsibility would rest with the
other,'' he would not have ceased smiling for a week.

When engaged to be married, he was told that his
fiancee might be obliged to have recourse to a medicine

Sir Francis Bond Head,

o^l

— for she was mucli out of health — -that would " ebonize "
her complexion, ^^ No matter," was the reply, ^' my
affection is more than skin-deep ; '^ and so it proved.

In a work he called '^ The Horse and his Rider/^ Sir
Francis aired many of his crotchets on things equine, and
on those pertaining to the saddle-room ; and in it gives
so lively and interesting a picture of a Meet at
Arthingworth, as could scarcely have been excelled by
Wliyte Melville himself.

With the expiration of the lease of his house, this fine
old sportsman, though full of vigour, determined that
his " hunting lease " should simultaneously come to an
end. To the great regret of every member of the
Pytchley Hunt, Sir Francis Plead quitted Northampton-
shire and went to his old home in Surrey, taking with
him the horses, without which life itself would be
scarcely worth retaining. The fox now ceased to be an
object of pursuit, but the animals that had so often
conveyed their master across the green fields of
Northamptonshire had now to carry him over the heaths
and downs of Surrey, a duty in which there was no
excitement. This was their daily duty until age,
infirmities, and the doctor's mandate bade all ridinof
cease. Forbidden to take horse-exercise, the wrecked
old hunter caused a hammock to be rigged up in the
boughs of a tree ; and in this, for the sake of air, and of
such exercise as it might give him, he was swung for
three or four hours daily. Describing this contrivance
in a letter to a friend, he says, with a spark of his old
accustomed humour, *^ Though I am quite * up a tree '
for my daily ride, I do manage to get one ; and my
horse's name is Hammock. It isn't much like the real

o

1 8 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

thing, but it is better tban notbing/^ This condition of
affairs did not continue long. The old coachman, whose
duty it was to drive the Hammock, had scarcely got well
into the swing of it ere he' suddenly found his occupation
gone. Calling to inquire one summer morning in 1875,
a friend learnt to his sorrow that during the night the
spirit of the gallant old soldier was gone.

His own pen will best portray the kindly nature, the
keen sense of humour, and the unquenchable love of
hunting of this onetime highly honoured ^'Member of
the Pytchley Hunt."" Still writing from Surrey, in the
January of 1870, he says, ^^ I have, as you know,
completely disconnected myself with the ^P.H.,' to-
wards which, as long as I belonged to it, I endeavoured
to ^ do all that does become a man !' I greatly regret,
however, the loss you have all sustained in the death of
poor Jack Woodcock, as neat a rider, and as good a man
in every way as ever whipped to a pack of fox-hounds.
Your good father [the late Mr. John Nether cote] is a
gallant old English Gentleman ^ all of the olden time /
and I trust that he and his two nags will enjoy their full
allowance of hunting this season. How I should like to
be with you all at Waterloo to-morrow, if it were only to
see you start away — a glorious sight.^'

CAPTAIN EIDDELL.

At Bragborough Hall, Captain Riddell maintains a
stud, out of \shich any one in want of a thoroughly
dependable Hunter is likely to be suited. Many years
may have quenched, to a certain extent, in the gallant

Miss Alder son, 319

ex-Officer of Lancers, the old ardent desire to be first
among the foremost ; but they have not robbed him of
either the hand or seat that proclaims the accomplished
horseman.

MISS ALDERSON.

Few more ardent followers of hounds and fox are to be
found than the fair lady who has discovered that the best
mode of recovering from the fatigues of a London season
is a tri-weekly gallop with the " Pytchley '' later on in
the year. Winter, in short, is called on to restore the
balance of health affected by the wear and tear of
summer; and Brington Cottage is the chosen spot in
which the recuperative process takes place. If the
stranger imagines that the fair rider of the hunter-like
brown horse is one whom he will not see again as soon
as the fox has left the cover, it will be that he himself is
in the background, whilst the lady herself is well in
front. Quietly taking her fences as they come. Miss
Alderson will be sure to hold her own in a run, and a
note of her voice has more effect on the energies of her
steed than the " flick " of her whip, or the ^' prick ^' of
her spur. To mount a relation — a young lady to whom
danger appears to be an '^ unknown quantity " — is
another pleasure derived from hunting by the amiable
tenant of Brington Cottage ; one in no way lessened by
her occasionally becoming aware of the fact that the lady
going so gallantly ahead is her own niece mounted on a
horse out of her own stable.

That a daughter and a granddaughter should be
capable of taking rank among the more intrepid of the

320 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

horsewomen of his country^ would have been a matter of
congratulation to Baron Alderson — a learned judge —
who was not blind to the fact that the sports of the field
have charms for either sex.

No one more than he — grave and learned lawyer that
he was — would have appreciated the skill, daring, and
grace of his fair descendants.

SIR CHARLES ISHAM, BART,

If position in the county and the ownership of such
covers as ^^ Blueberry/' " Clint Hill/' and "Berrydale''
may entitle a country gentleman to consideration as one
of the mainstays of his Hunt, to few is this title more
applicable than to Sir Charles Isham of Lamport Hall.

Without evincing that enthusiasm for hunting which
has characterized other members of his family, Sir
Charles has ever been amongst its most constant
supporters, and in his younger days was often to be
seen suflBciently close to hounds to keep up the credit of
a name distinguished for its powers across a country.

That the ^' animus venandi '' at no time raged
furiously within his breast, is to be gathered from the
fact, that the worthy Baronet was usually one of the
first to turn his horse's head homeward, and leave
others to participate in the good or evil that might be
awaiting them after the first gallop. Pleased to hear of
a good run, especially if from one of his own covers, the
fact of having missed it by a too hasty retreat was never
alluded to as a matter for regret or self-reproach; nor did
ihe feeling of " better luck next time '^ seem at all to

sir Charles Is kam» '^21

o-

influence his future action. That he should of late
entirely have withdrawn from the Hunting-field is a
misfortune which may, however, be attributed to other
causes than indifference to the charms of the chase.

That evil spirit " Agricultural Depression ^' has cleared
out from many a stable the too costly luxury of a hunter,
and in her flight across the broad acres of Northampton-
shire it would seem as though she had laid her hand on
the once well-filled boxes of the Lamport Hall stables. To
share the blame with this " evil spirit '^ are the cold and
damp of a Midland county winter, — evils which have
necessitated for Lady Isham the formation of a home
where a more kindly atmosphere gives hopes of an
immunity from aches and pains.

To many, the loss of hunting and a forced absence
from home would mean a serious diminution of life's
enjoyments; to the owner of Lamport, however,
occupation indoors and out is so continuous, that there is
no time to find fault with '^ orders from above ; " and
whether in Wales or Northamptonshire, his only quarrel
is with the rapid flight of time. To him every plant that
grows, and every bird that flies, is an object of interest ;
and in his " Rockery," a home for Alpine Plants, unique
in structure and appearance, he finds a never-failing
source of amusement.

This remarkable adjunct to a lovely garden, placed
stone by stone by his own hand, and tended by no other
— lest some rare tenant suS'er the fate of a common
weed — forms an object of pilgrimage to many a lover of
Horticulture, Rare and costly Plants from Alps, Apen-
nines and Pyrenees meet the eye in every corner, in
addition to which, " forest-trees " of Chinese minuteness

T

32 2 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present,

-—vegetable dwarfs — grow between big boulders, which
afford shelter to pigmy figures of weird and strange
appearance. These are supposed to represent the
'^ Gnomes '^ or " Little Men ^' that haunt the dark regions
of the Black and other German forests, and give a quaint-
ness and originality to the design which baffle description.
But by the Amateur of Books, as well as by the Lover
of FloicerSy. a feast of good things may be had at Lamport
Hall — a feast such as is only to be met with in a few
others of the stately homes of England.

These literary treasures began to be accumulated, about
the middle of the sixteenth Century, by John — fourth
son of Eu&EBY IsHAM of Pytchley — who founded the
Lamport branch of the family. Having married a
daughter of Nicholas Barker — one of the members of
the great and opulent family of that name,^ Printers to
Queen Elizabeth — his descendants were thrown much
into the literary society of the capital; and it is not
improbable that to his son Thomas, and his grandson John,
knighted by James the First, Lamport is indebted for the
many rare and valuable volumes to be found upon the
shelves of its library.

These may have been removed from town to the country
for greater security from fire and from ill-usage
during the Civil Wars — a period during which many a
literary treasure was irretrievably lost. In the time of
George I. Sir Justinian Isham, fifth Baronet, made
great additions to the collection of books and altered the
house to its present form. When the books became too
numerous for the Library, the less valuable ones were
removed to a garret, which for many years was kept
carefully locked up, no one begin allowed to enter it

Sir Charles I sham. 323

except Sir Justinian himself. After his death, in 1818,
this room was constantly in use, though the books
remained untouched. Here it was, that Mr. Charles
Edmonds — representative at that time of the eminent
firm of Sotheran& Co., of the Strand and Piccadilly — made
the discovery of which for a while every book-lover in
England, on the Continent, and in America, was talking.
Commissioned by Sir Charles Isham in 1867 to arrange
and report upon his library, Mr. Edmonds, having
completed his work downstairs, was despatched to the
realms above to look over the books that had been
stowed away in the garret. Groping amongst the
contents of the shelves — filled as was supposed with the
poor relations of the great folk below-stairs — there came
to light a small volume, wearing an outward covering of
clean white vellum, the lettering of which had faded
out throug'h time. Little wotting of the value of the fish
he had just hooked, he opened its title-page, and to his
astonishment and delight became aware, at a glance,
that he was the fortunate bringer to light of such a
volume of gems as has seldom blessed the eyes of a
Bibliomaniac. In front appeared a hitherto-unknown
edition of Shakespeare's earliest work, Venus and Adonis,
printed in 1599 ; secondly, the famous surreptitious
collection of Sonnets entitled the Passionate Filgrime, hij
T^. /S'/iafces^^ear^', also printed in 1599, and of which the
only other existing copy is preserved in Trinity College
Library, Cambridge ; and lastly, the notorious tract
containing Epigrammes and Elegies by Sir John
Davies and Kit Marlowe, all the copies of which were
ordered by public authority to be burnt at Stationers'
Hall in the aforesaid year of 1599. Very large sums

Y 2

-? o

2 4 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

were offered for this small volume — Mr. Edmonds being,
before liis public announcement of the astounding dis-
covery, the bearer of a blank cheque from his prin-
cipals. But Sir Charles was able to resist temptation,
and the volume still holds its supremacy at Lamport,
the chief attraction of a library replete with similar
treasures, many of which were brought to light on the
same auspicious day.

So great is the estimation in which this copy of the
Passionate Pilgrime is held by members of the learned
army of book- worms — on account of the remarkable
history of its production, its excessive rarity, and fine
condition, that though himself no very absorbed student of
our great poet, its mere possession has caused Sir Charles
to be known in literary circles as '' Shakespeare Isham."
What this diminutive gem might fetch under the
hammer of tbe auctioneer, it would be difficult to say,
but at a time when three early Bibles — one the famous
Mazarine Bible — realize nearly ten thousand pounds,
and a bookseller can see his way to giving four thousand
nine hundred and fifty pounds for a book — Psalmorum
Codex — printed in 1459, scarcely any sum would seem
too extravagant for the acquisition of this great rarity.
Nor was this the only " curio '' that was dug out of these
literary quarries. Upwards of a dozen other poetical
tracts of the Elizabethan era, hitherto unrecorded and
consequently unknown, were now brought to light, all in
most beautiful and perfect condition, some bound in the
fine vellum of the period, while others were uncut, just as
they came from the printers.

In addition to rare plants and books, Lamport Hall is
full of costly old Italian cabinets, Palissy ware, and other

Sir Charles I sham. 325

valuable china, fine pictures, and other " objetfc-d^art,"
worthy of a family whose progenitors were persons of
distinction in Northamptonshire before the time of
William the Conqueror.

That the ancestral love of the chase should be allowed
to wax cold in such a family as this one — in whom to
hunt is almost a case of "noblesse oblige " — is a misfortune
which the ''^ P. H.'^ does not fail to recognize. It seems
impossible to imagine that the brilliant Meets of old have
passed away, under the influences respectively of bad
times and an unkindly climate. Is not the space beneath
the porch, with the formidable-looking '^ man-traps,' ' on
either side — innocent in their rustiness at this present,
but wearing every appearance of having once been '^ ugly
customers '^ — to be once more peopled with scarlet coats
and well-fitting habits ? Are smart carriages and
" nobby ^^-looking dogcarts, no longer to stand waiting at
the door, whilst their occupants are paying their respects
to '^my lady,"*^ or taking a nip of the ^^ jumping powder ^^
which presents itself in a variety of alluring forms to the
chilled system ? Are horses costly in price, with coats
like satin, no more to be seen pacing up and down under
the care of natty grooms, awaiting their rider's exit from
the house; whilst Goodall, surrounded by his pack, is
adding unconsciously to the picturesqueness of the scene ?
It cannot be that such mornings as these are to be
consigned to the dark limbo of lost joys — bright moments
never to return. No ! they're over for a while, maybe—
these hospitable ways— but " hope still lurks behind the
cloud," and points to happier days.

At no time has the old adage of its being '' a long lane
that has no turning '^ been more necessary to be borne

326 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

in mind than at this present hour ; and well may be
coupled with it the admonishment, ^^ Hope on, hope ever."
The motto " Ostendo, non ostento " — I show, I sham not
— deeply imprinted on the walls of Lamport Hall, forms
what is termed in heraldry " a punning motto," remarkably
adapted to a family long notable for straightforwardness
and sincerity.

MR. GILBERT.

If whole-heartedness in fox-preserving can confer im-
mortality upon any one, Mr. Thomas Gilbert of Swinford
can show an unequalled claim to that distinction. Loving
sport for its own sake, and bent upon using every en-
deavour to ensure the success of the pack to which he is
chiefly attached, there is no one in the large Lutterworth
area to whom the thanks of Pytchley as well as other
sportsmen are more justly due than to Mr. Gilbert. To
him, indeed, ought to have been dedicated the well-
known lines composed by a Nottinghamshire sportsman,
and entitled '' The Whole Duty of Man."

The lesson that I give,

If any one holds cheap, he'll
Find he cannot live,

Or die with decent people.
Your business all, if old,

Young, or children in 3'our frocks is,
In one short precept told.

Namely — preserve the foxes.

If you this solemn claim

Shall wickedly neglect, you
Will hear the dogs bark, shame,

And the puppies won't respect 3'ou.
You may in woe find mirth,

In pillory or stocks ease.
But you won't find peace on earth.

If you OiOiit p)i"eserve the foxes.

Mr, John Bennett. 327

You small boys in whose books

Learning finds no lovers,
You may burn your books,

If you preserve the covers.
And now, long live the Queen,

And may no foe unnerve her ;
That is, of course we mean.

If she's a good preserver.

But Army, Church, and Crown,

The Commons, Peers and Pi'oxies,
Must certainly go down.

If they dion't jpreserve the foxes.
The way to cure all woe,

And battle fortune's shocks is.
By singing" Tally ho / ''

And peeseeving of the foxes.

MR. JOHN BENNETT.

No more familiar name with Pytcliley, Qaorn, or Ather-
stone Hunts is there than that of John Bennett of
Marston. Now well past his seventieth year, the slim
form, quick eye, and a gait smacking more of the rider
than of the pedestrian, still proclaim the one-time elegant
and determined horseman ; and whether in a run or in a
steeple chase, the man who was near John Bennett was
pretty sure to be in a situation, where if he could not be
first past the post, he would be likely to " run into a
place.'' Beginning to hunt early in life, and a close
observer of the ways of men as well as of hounds and
horses, there is many a less pleasant way of passing a
winter evening, than to recall, with a good bottle of old
port, past times and old hunting heroes, with Mr. Bennett
as your reminder-in-chief. Talk to him of '' the Squire,"
Lord Chesterfield, George Payne, '^ Gentleman Smith,"
or Tailby, throwing in a few ^'^ asides '^ on racing matters;

328 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present,

and sucli a store of recollections will be aroused as will
last until the failing lights warn you that bed-time has
arrived. Like many another affected by Father Time —
and a time ruinous to agriculturists — his hunting-days
have well-nigh passed even the waning hour; but the
love for the sport burns no less brightly than of yore.
A brother, some years his senior^ has long disappeared
from the cover side_, but the genial hospitality that ever
awaited the hungry hunter at Marstou Trussell Hall, will
be gratefully remembered by the older members of the
*' P.H." As hounds hung about the Marston plantations
— puzzled by the ^^ fur ^^ that so plentifully prevailed — on
the welcome fact becoming known that a slice of ripe
Stilton, a glass of fine old brown sherry, and a beaker of
home-brewed, were awaiting any of Mr. Bennett's friends
and his friends' friend, the dining-room of the old Hall
soon became thronged with famished sportsmen, and
more than one good gallop has been missed by a too pro-
longed attention to the wants of the inner man under
that hospitable roof.

MR. MILLS.— ME. ENTWISLE.— THE LATE
MR. GOUGH.

For many a year both Quorn and Pytchley have looked
to the owner of Welford House to see that the interests
of hunting suffer nothing for want of attention in those
parts which form his more immediate neighbourhood.
Nor has either been disappointed. The mere fact of the
properties at North Kilworth and Welford being owned
by such keen and excellent sportsmen as Messrs.

Mr. Mills — Mr. Entwisle — Mr. Goiigh. 329

Entwisle and Mills, is a guarantee that hunting will
abundantly flourish in the district which comes within
the span of their influence. No member of a hunt ever
had the preservation of foxes more at heart than Mr.
Gougli^ the late owner of North. Kilworth House ; and it
is pleasant to see the new proprietor following in the
footsteps of his predecessor. May he have the satisfaction
of witnessing from a cover of his own such a run as that
which has been elsewhere described, commencing' close to
his own door and terminating at Boughton^ three miles
from Northampton.

A finer class of hunter than that which for many a year
past has filled the stalls of Mr. Mills^ it would take good
judgment as well as a good balance at your bankers, to
become possessed of; and rarely have horses been
handled in a more workmanlike manner. If time may
have run off with a portion of the old riding virtue,
Mr. Mills has the satisfaction of feeling that it has only
entered into the hearts of two gallant sonSj either of
whom will decline to be "pounded'^ by the hardest man
out on the same day with himself

2jO TJie Pytchley Htmt, Past and Presc7it.

NORTHAMPTON BRIGADE .

MR. WHITWORTH, SEN., AND DR. DODD.

l^EOM time immemorial, the County-Town has supplied
its quota of followers of the Pytchley, Grafton, and Oakley
Hounds, with the first for choice. Without going back
to the days of old when the first Mr. Whitworth used to
appear at the near home-meets, and trot about on his
short-tailed horse, with three or four fellow-townsmen of
the same age and habits as himself, we may mention, as
amongst the most remarkable of Northampton sports-
men, that Dr. Dodd, whose ungainly form may still
be remembered by some of the citizens of the ancient
borough of St. Crispin. Long in face, long in back,
and with lower extremities to match, this worthy
son of ^sculapius was one of those who had few
pleasures in life except hunting ; and who, bidding
defiance to the drawbacks of weight, and nags of
inferior quality, always contrived to forge ahead during
a run, and earned for himself the reputation of being a
** wonderful man to hounds."

On a plain, light-ribbed, three-cornered chestnut mare,
he was pretty sure to be in front of many a better
mounted man ; affording another proof that it is the
'^ heart " and not the *' horse '^ that is the '^ one thing
needful " in making your way across country.

The Hon. C. Gust, thinking more of performance than

' ' L awyer Flesher, " 331

appearance, added the unattractive-looking chestnut to
his stud ; but the two did not look a match, nor ever
seemed to be on thoroughly good terms with each
other.

*^ LAWYER FLESHER/'

The burly form of ^^ Lawyer Flesher^^ might at this
time be seen on every Monday and Friday, slowly
wending his way to the cover-side ; a true love of hunting
and of breeding hunters, being a marked characteristic
of one, who, by nature, seemed most unfitted for the
chase.

MR. HENRY HIGGINS.

" Coal and Corn-merchant Northampton " could boast
a sportsman of the true and genuine type — one,
who for many years devoted his leisure hours to fox-
hunting ; and, who, always riding horses of a superior
stamp, could hold his own with the best-mounted man in
the field.

THE THREE MESSRS. PHILLIPS.

The representatives of '^Malt and Hops^^ have ever
shown a leaning for all things connected with Fox and
Hound. Of the three brothers Phillips — connected for some
time with three important Breweries — it would be hard to
say which were the " better man,^^ no one of the trio
having an advantage over the other in weight, keenness,
or resolution.

332 The PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present.

MR. JOHN PHIPPS.

Mr. John Phipps, another malt-lord — now a ''lost
chord/' with many a Northampton Institution — was
rarely to be seen on a horse of inferior stamp ; and gave
many a proof of his right to be attached to the '' not-
afraid " division.

MESSRS. RATCLIFFE, EADY, AND HARRIS.

One of the partners — Mr. Ratcliffe — of the '^ Lion
Brewery/' by a pretty frequent attendance at the Py tchley
Meets, still maintains the continuity of the sporting
instincts of the " Guild ; '' and, by the excellence of the
commodity in which he deals, does his best to uphold its
reputation. To him the witticism will never be applic-
able, which a London brewer, famous for the weakness of
his beer, was once made the victim of. Having unfortu-
nately lost his life by tumbling into one of his own huge
vats, Jekyll — one of the great wits of his time — upon
hearing of the accident, remarked, ^' Oh, poor fellow !
then hemust be lying in his own watery bier ! ''

Neat as this may be, its utterer may well have envied
the cooper's boy, who, when asked at a Board School
examination to give a definition of " nothing/' replied, '^ a
bung-hole without a barrel round it ! "

The Ram Hotel had for several years for its host
a Sportsman — Mr. Eady — and the same spirit is
still to be found in his representative of the present
time — Mr. Harris — one to whom a day's hunting appears
to be a class of enjoyment to which nothing else on
earth is comparable.

y^/r. James Top ham, ^2>.

FAEMEE MEMBEES.

MR. JAMES TOPHAM.

Looking down from the wind-blown heights of the fitly-
named " Cold Ashby/' the famous Hemplow Hills come
into the full view of the spectator, a stronghold for
foxes for many a mile around ; and in spite of its some-
what formidable ascent, dear to every Pytchley heart.
Inseparably connected with it is the name of one, who,
though he has now for some years quitted it for his
native county, had so impressed his individuality upon
it, that '' Jem Topham '' and " Hemplow Hills ^^ seemed
almost part and parcel of the same word.

A Lincolnshire yeoman, hailing from Lord Yar-
borough's country, where farming and hunting run in
couples — a keen sportsman, and as good a judge of
horse and hound as of sheep or shorthorn — it was a
grand day for the "P.H.'^ when the Hemplow property
passed into hands determined to maintain its reputation
as a great sporting centre.

In the whole area of the Pytchley Hunt, there is
probably no more vital spot than that known as ^' the
Hemplow."

Popular as a breeding-place, a year without four or
five litters would be a phenomenon of more than
ordinary evil omen, and would entail an inquiry of a
most deep and searching character. As was said of the
" Eternal City,^^ ^' When falls the Colosseum, Rome shall

334 ^^^^ Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

fall," so it might be said of this important cover_, " When
fails the Hemplow, the ' P.H/ will fail."

From its lofty position it serves as a magnet to foxes
from all parts of the adjacent country upon which it looks
down ; and ^' Lilbourne," " Crick '^ and ^' Hilmorton "
GorseSj can tell of many a gallant fox, who, on being
roused by the voice of his natural enemy from his cosy
bed of sedge and bramble, has made the best of his way
to the shelter of the hills. To stand upon the crest of
these lofty heights, and look over the intervening-
grasses far away into the adjoining county, is a treat
almost sufficient in itself, but to encompass any part of
the same distance on a bold and accomplished hunter,
after hounds running breast-high, is to the true sports-
man, the skimming the cream of the highest enjoyment.
The importance to a Hunt of a property so situated
being in the hands of such a man as Mr. Topham — and
happily this is no less applicable to its present owner,
Mr. Simpson — one to whom the preservation of foxes was
an object only second to a successful conversion of his
clammy acres into loaves and fishes — is too manifest to
need dwelling upon.

Some who read these pages will call to mind the
interest with which the new Lord of the Hemplow was
looked over on his first appearance with the ^^ P.H." A
glance was sufficient to show that the man must have
been made for the place. Mounted on an animal — long,
low, not particularly well-bred, but looking all over a
hunter — there was no room for any mistake as to the
new importation from the Brocklesby country being
''every inch a sportsman,'^ and an acquisition to any
Hunt.

Mr. James Top ham 335

That he proved himself such for some eight or teu
years, is in the grateful recollection of every Member
of the Pytchley, as well as of many a stranger to the
Hunt.

The odour of the Topham hospitality still hovers
around the precincts of the famous cover ; and many a
hunting man remembers with gratitude the good cheer
that at the end of a long day sent him on his homeward
way rejoicing.

A sportsman of the old school, Mr. Topham never
thought of joining the noble army of '^ thrusters/' but
was content to hold his own with the second flight, ever
keeping his eye upon the leading hounds, and quick to
make his point as they turned to right or left.

After eight or ten years of good service to the country
of his adoption, the property again came into the market,
and happily once more fell into the hands of a Sports-
man, who, though somewhat of an absentee, in no way
permits the reputation of the well-known cover to suffer
an eclipse. During the last season, foxes ran about the
hills like rabbits ; and after three or four had been
seen to follow in each other^s tracks, the cry was " still
they come.'^

Before quitting the neighbourhood, Mr. Topham
received a compliment of which he may well have been
proud — one accorded to such only, who, by some peculiar
merit of their own, have won the esteem of those by
whom worth is appreciated on its own account.

At a public dinner attended by a large number of
hunting men, the late owner of the Hemplow was
presented with a handsome mark of the esteem in which
he was held by his friends and neiglibours. From the

33^ TJie Pytchley Htint^ Past and Present.

kindly expressions made use of on that occasion, Mr.
'i opham had the gratification of feeling that his efforts
to promote sport, and his wish to show hospitality to all
during his sojourn in Northamptonshire had not been
unappreciated. That he may long live to think of his
pleasant days with the Pytchley, and of the friends he
left behind him, is the sincere wish of many who still
miss the stalwart form and hearty greeting of James
Topham, one time owner of Hemplow Hills, and as good
an example of the genuine English Fox-Hunter as
ever followed hounds.

MR. ELWORTHY.

Amongst the more familiar faces of those upon whom
Time has served a notice to quit the farm and lands over
which for many a year, without payment of rent or
acknowledgment, without even a '^ by your leave or with
your leave '' to landlord or tenant, they've galloped as if
they were their own, is William El worthy, eke landlord
of the "Ram Hotel '^ at Northampton, and for some
years occupant of the farm at Brixworth, upon which
stands the once well-known " Weston's Spinney. •''

There are those who appear at the Meets for many
another reason than the love of hunting 'pur et simple,
but from his earliest youth, to the fine old Sportsman of
whom we are speaking, " the hound, the whole hound,
and nothing but the hound," has been the motive
principle of his constant attendance at the cover-
side.

Without pretence of doing more than what within him

Mr. Elworthy — Mr. Widdowson. ^yl^"]

lay, a thorough knowledge of country and a ^good eye to
hounds, enabled the owner of the small but well-shaped
hunter to see the choice bits of most of the good gallops
of his time ; and his name is to be seen amongst the few
who were up at the end of the famous run from
Kilworth to Boug'hton during the Mastership of Lord
Hopetoun.

With a memory teeming with the recollection of events
of former days, the stndent of the history of the Pytchley
Hunt, of the great duels of the Prize-Ring, and of sundry
incidents connected with the Turf, will find no better
source to which he may apply for information. Speak
to him of " Goody Levi," '^ Pickle Higgins,'^ and the
'^ top-booted old Yeoman of Sywell,^' and the whole
drama of the ^^ Running Rein Robbery " will be placed
before you ; whilst a still- smouldering admiration for the
heroes of the *^ Lemon and the Sponge ^' will lead him
on very slight provocation to dilate on the occurrences
of certain — so-called — " Glorious Battles/' of which he
himself was an eye-witness.

Though no longer to be seen jogging alongside of the
Huntsman to the Meet at Sywell Wood or Lamport Hall,
his interest in the proceedings of the " P.H." in no way
waxes faint ; and it is to be hoped that many a year will
elapse ere the respected subject of this brief memoir
will cease to " babble o' green fields,^' grand runs, and
Mr. George Payne.

MR. WILLIAM WIDDOWSON.

Though the name of William Widdowson of Great

z

22,^ The Pytchley Html, Past and Present.

Harrowden may be unknown to the present generation,
and ia associated with no great deeds of doughty horse-
manship— though by him the "hog-backed stile ^' and
the brook with rotten banks and muddy bottom were
objects to be avoided rather than encountered — his
memory as an old and honoured lover of the chase lingers
kindly in the hearts of many an East-side follower of the
'' P.H." of a former day.

A tenant of the Hon. George Fitzwilliam, and occupant
of a stretch of grass over which hounds are bound to run
" hard, all," in spite of flocks and herds ; to the worthy
old Sportsman there was no pleasure in which he so
much delighted as to watch hounds cross the valley be-
tween Harrowden Ness and Vivian's Cover.

By the non-adventurous the enlivening scene may be
witnessed in safety from the heights above, an almost
irresistible line of gates leading from and to the respective
points, with a probable drawing of the rein for a few
seconds at the interposing " Blackberry." For those
who ride to, rather than from, hounds, the line is not
without its perils — the intervening fences and a nasty
bottom being objects requiring some negotiation, and not
a little hardness of heart. At the time here referred to,
it was as a " caretaker '^ rather than a ^' pursuer," that
'^old Bill Widdowson" took his place as a marked and
well-known character in a Pytchley Field on the Monday
side.

Of venerable aspect, with snow-white hair, and a long
great-coat coming well over his knees, he bestrode a
placid and sensible-looking old steed, which well matched
the rider.

The two well-known covers, Blow Hill and Harrowden

Mr. Widdowson — Mr. Oldacre, 339

Ness — the latter, alas ! not even a shadow of its former
self — were placed under his especial protection ; and
right well did he discharge a duty that he so much loved.
The Ness was, from its position and sporting look, the
peculiar object of his regard, and the trespasser in search
of ^^ fur ^' or ^' feather,^' was pretty sure to be made
acquainted with the law affecting him who ^' shoots or
suares what isn't his'n." When hounds were first put
into cover, it was interesting to watch the alternations of
hope and disappointment that played across the old man's
face. As soon, however, as some deep and trusty tongue
had proclaimed that a foxey smell had come betwixt
the wind and his ^' caninity," a smile lit up the lately
anxious face, and he would say to some one near, ^^ 1
thought that they would find him in that bit of gorse by
the brookside." On the disappearance of hounds and
horsemen, the old horse received a reminder from the one
spur of his well-satisfied rider, who no sooner reached
his home than he proceeded to uncork a bottle of the
old Port which was reserved for those red-letter days.

But there is no longer either Harrowden Ness to be
looked after or old Bill Widdowson to look after it.
Farewell, fine old Sportsman ! Many a man of more im-
portance has lost his billet without leaving so many
pleasant memories behind him.

MR, MATTHEW OLDACRE.

In the noble army of Northamptonshire yeomen who go
well with hounds, the foremost place may fairly be
assigned to a heavy-weight who has no superior across a

z 2

340 TJie PytcJiley Hunt, Past and Present.

country. In Matthew Oldacre of C]ipston_, we have one
of those exceptional organizations in whose hearts there
seems to be no room for fear, and to whom the class of
animal they ride seems to be a matter of no material con-
sequence. Riding nearly seventeen stone_, a ^'^ weight-
carrier ^' was a necessity to Mr. Oldacre ; and though he
could not always command class as well as power, the
runs were few and far between, the best part of which he
could not dilate upon as ^* one who was there." The
bigger the country, the more sure he was to be near
hounds ; the combination of weight and pluck serving
him in good stead, when no one else saw a likelihood of
arriving at the other side of an unyielding bullfinch.

Ill-health has for some time stood between him and a
pursuit that in his eyes has iio equal ; but with only
three score years and ten to grapple with, it is to be
hoped the day is far distant when he will cease to appear,
careering across the big grasses of Oxenden and
Kel marsh.

MR. CHARLES HEWETT.

Weee the name of Charles Hewett of Draughton to be
omitted from the list of the hunting farmer-worthies of
the ^^P.H./' the very hounds in their kennel would cry
out. In early life a rider of no ordinary acquirements,
his services in a steeplechase were in frequent demand
by the owners of horses ; but it was in pursuit of the fox
that he was most at home.

Living in a position from which most of the Meets
were easily accessible, in days gone by, the father and

Mr. Matthew Warren, 341

two sons were constant members of a Pytcliley field.
When death — striking from the suddenness of the blow —
removed the last of the well-known trio, it was generally
acknowledged that in the loss of Charles Hewett a gap
had been made in the farmer-clientele of the " P.H.'^
which was not likely ever to be filled up.

MR. MATTHEW WARREN.

As every village boasts its ^' oldest inhabitant/' so
every Hunt has its " oldest follower," and so far as the
" P.H." is concerned, that not-altogether-enviable dis-
tinction can be claimed in the person of Mr. Matthew
Warren of Boughton Mills, near Northampton.

Any one told off to find a finer specimen of the *^ genus
homo '' at the age of ninety than this stalwart farmer
and miller — an honoured tenant of Mr. Howard Vyse —
might complain that he had had a task assigned to him
that it was impossible to perform.

In spite of all the long laborious days that go to make
up the sum of fourscore years and ten of a busy life^
early hours and regular habits seem so to have squared
matters with ^^ Time, the Avenger/' that the upright
form of the old Sportsman appears to have lost nothing
of its six-feet-two ; and the stoop that is so often seen in
the bearer of sixty winters may be looked for in vain in
one who numbers half as many years again. ^' In every
life some rain must fall ; " and doubtless this fine old
man has had his share of trouble and of sorrow, but of
gout and rheumatism he has known nothing, not even
for a day; and though he is constantly seen on and

34^ The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

about his farm, lie smilingly sajs_, ^^ Ah, but I should
be there oftener than I am, if I were not a little troubled
with fever in the feet/^ With a memory for business
and other matters quite unimpaired, he loves to talk of
the many runs he has seen across the grass-fields around
him, and will talk of the ^'^P.H/'' days, from Lord
Althorp up to the current year, as if they were events of
yesterday. The general love and admiration for Mr.
George Payne burn no less strongly within him than it
did when he followed his hounds ; and to any friend of
that idol of the Northamptonshire farmer, it would not
have been alittle gratifying to have heard his aged admirer,
when referring to him on a late occasion, emphatically
exclaim, "" Ah ! that was a splendid man, indeed ! ^'

For many a year, a near and kindly neighbour, Mr.
Henry Philip Markham of Sedgebrook — himself a keen
hunter in days gone by, and now represented by a son,
who, lawyer as he be, takes ^^ deeds, not words '^ for his
motto when crossing a country — has sent his aged friend
on each recurring birthday two bottles of the best wine
his cellar holds, to drink the toast " Success to all my
friends, and may they live as long as I, and know as
little of sickness and ill-health.''^ That this toast may
often be repeated by the recipient of the friendly gift is
the hearty wish of all who have the pleasure of knowing
Mat Warren, the oldest follower of the "P.H.''

MR. JOSEPH HUMPHREY.

Some may still remember the dark but not uncomely face
of Joseph Humphrey, another Clipstonian, whose keenness

Mr. Humphrey — Mr. and Mrs. Sharman. 34

o

for liunting has certainly never been exceeded. Riding-
cattle without quality or form, or anything for which they
might be desired, he never failed to get fairly along; aud
at the end of the day could always give a pretty good ac-
count of what had occurred. Towards the end of his
career, crippled by rheumatism, and unable to get into the
saddle, he would not give up his favourite amusement, but
turned his gig into a hunter, and followed over plough
and ridge and furrow in a manner that must have been
injurious alike to horse and vehicle.

With a farm-lad by his side to open the gates and
" pick up the pieces ^^ when he came to grief, Humphrey
with his '^ flail " — a whip — and cobby chestnut dun, saw
as much of the fun as many of the road-riding sportsmen ;
and proved that in the alternative of staying at home or
hunting on wheels, he showed his good sense in choosing
the latter ; but why he would keep chained, in season and
out of season, a gate leading out of the Clipston and
Sibbertoft Lane direct to the '^ Windmill Meet,'' is ^' a
thing that no fellow could understand '^ at the time, or
does now.

With him has passed away another genuine lover of
fox-hunting.

ME. AND MRS. SHARMAN.

In Mr. and Mrs. P. Sharman, constant attendants at the
Pytchley Monday Meets, a family is represented from
Wellingborough, certain members of which were famous
through many a year for the boldness of their riding ; and
all who remember Mark Sharman, the father, and Edward,

3 44 ^^^ Pytchley Hicnt, Past and Present.

his son, will agree that few Hunts could boast two more
determined horsemen, or more keen appreciators of the
" Noble Science."

MR. WILLIAM DRAGE.

The Sywell Wood, or as some deem it the " seamy side ■"
of the Pytchley country, for seventy years numbered
among its more sport-loving farmers, one who^ though
now in his eighty-seventh year, has still little need for the
help of spectacles, and upon whose organs of hearing the
assaults of Time seem to have had scarcely any effect.

The spare form and familiar features of William Drage
of Holcot have not for many a year been seen at the old
accustomed Meets ; but his heart is still with '^ horse
and hound," and he glories in the feeling that his two
sons, John and Binj'on, have long been amongst the
more constant of the farmer devotees to the noble sport ;
and that he has a grandson who is able to "hold his
own " across a country with any of the followers of the
"P.H."

MR. JOHN BARBER.

With the disappearance from the cover- side of John
Barber of Hannington, another old friend to hunting seems
to have left a gap in the yeoman-following of the '^ P.H.;"
a vacuum created by the demon-touch of shrinkage in the
value of agricultural produce, rather than by that of the
arch-enemy, Time.

Messrs. Ttirncll, Forster, Whitehead. 345

To the last hour of his life, will the occupant of the
little red-brick house, standing apart in the big grass-
field outside the village, have cause to remember, amongst
other guests, the Empress of Austria, H.R.H the
Princess of Wales, and H.R.H. Princess Mary of Teck,
&c. &c.

The effacing fingers of ^' Free Trade '' and *^ Science ^'
sweep away one after another of those who looked to the
land for a livelihood ; and it would almost seem as if
what used to be considered the backbone of hunting,
must sooner or later cease to exist.

MESSRS. TOM TURNELL, LUCAS FORSTER,
AND W. WHITEHEAD.

A SELECT and fortunate few may still be found to make
up the thinned proportions of a Pytchley Monday Meet ;
and amongst these three wearers of the once highly-
favoured cap are worthy representatives of a class, which
from the earliest times occupied a peculiarly-honoured
place in the social system.

To Oakley as well as to Pytchley men on the " seamy "
side, the welter forms of Tom Turnell and of William
Whitehead are scarcely less familiar than that of Sywell
Wood itself: whilst the spare figure and sporting-look of
Lucas Forster complete a trio remarkable in any Field.
Upon each, Time has laid his finger with a more or less
gentle pressure ; and if the first somewhat markedly holds
out the sign of the " frosty pow,-*' the other two have
no great pull in the matter of years gone by.

34^ ^'^^ PytcJiiey Hunt, Past and Prtscnt.

With voice scarcely attuned to the softer measures of a
tenor-song, the vocal notes of Mr. Tom Turnell cannot be
accused of being deficient in far-reaching properties ; nor
is it the custom of its owner to deal in honied words-
For his use, plain old English terms and expressions are
quite good enough ; and in taking the occasion, he thug
retorted upon a noble M.F.H., who had just shown him
the rough side of his tongue. " My Lord ! I have
hunted with many Masters of Hounds, but as they have
all been Gentlemen and not Lords, I am not used to your
sort of language." With this flashing of his two-edged
sword the dispute happily terminated ; and " Lord " and
" Yeoman " drowned their difference in words of a more
kindly nature.

The prosperous Farmer has already become a '' vara
avis in terris :'^ the whole race of Agriculturists — plus
Mr. Arch's " aristocratic goats," the Landlords — may
become as extinct as the '' Dodo ;" but so long as we see
amongst us such excellent specimens of their cloth as the
triad of Sportsmen just referred to, we shall have the
satisfaction of knowing that Hunting has not quite
reached its bitter end.

MESSRS. J. AND G. GEE, AND MR. J. WOOD.

Two better " Gees '^ to hounds — John and George by
name — than those installed at Welford, it would not be
easy to find ; and in Mr. John Wood the same locality
can boast "a customer" whom only to keep in sight
during a run is to ensure being in a sufficiently good
place.

Messrs, Atte7'btLry and John Cooper, 347

MESSRS. ATTEEBURY AND JOHN COOPER.

The names of the two Meissrs. Atterburj — good men and
true when hunting, as well as when all other things are
concerned — must not be omitted from this list of local
farming-attaches of the ^' P.H. ; " and as it would be
hard to say where the name of John Cooper of East
Haddon is unknown, it will suffice here to suQr9:est that
the anxious inquirer in search of a really good hunter
will be out of luck if he fails to find it in the stables of
this old "^ Pytchley-mentary hand."

48 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

MEMOIKS

OF

WOODLAND MEMBERS,

THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH.

In speaking of the different owners of tliat large tract of
Avoodland country which reaches with intervals from
Stamford to Kettering, the first and foremost place must
be assigned to the Duke of Buccleuch_, of Boughton House,
— lord of thousands of broad acres, and sixty miles of
avenue to boot. For this ornament to his property his
Grace is indebted to an ancestor whose love of arbori-
culture earned for him the appropriate title of '^ John the
Planter/' The most noble of all butterflies, rarely to be
seen, and frequenting only the tops of the loftiest oaks,
is one known to lepidopterists as "^the Emperor of the
Woods.' No more suitable appellation could be found
for the ducal proprietor of this vast estate, a large pro-
portion of which consists of noble woodlands, than that
of the stately ^^ 'pafilio machaon" just referred to.
Eare visitants even of this lovely region, and frequenting
only the topmost summits of the life allotted to them,
'^ Emperor " Duke and " Emperor " Butterfly have much
in common — much at which their less highly favoured
neighbours have to sraze with envy and admiration.
Sportsmen by birth and inclination, the Dukes of

The Ditke of Buccleuch. 349

Buccleuch have ever been ardent followers of the chase,
and though they seldom have listened to the sweet music
of hound and horn in the Boughton Woods, it is that
Scotland and the Eoxburghe country have a prior claim
upon their consideration.

Master of hounds for many a year in his own native
land^ the late Duke never failed to give ample support to
the '^ P.H.," who, until within the last few years, only
hunted this vast district for the purpose of breaking in its
young hounds, and occupying a few weeks pleasantly in
early spring, and again in early autumn. Thinking it
hard that they should be expected to preserve foxes for
the benefit of those who lived in other and remote parts
of the " P.H." country^ the cry for regular hunting and a
separate establishment became too loud to be disregarded
any longer, and arrangements were made which secured
a pack with horses and men sufficient to afford two days
a week exclusively in the Brigstock district. To this
new disposition of things, the Duke of Buccleuch
heartily lent himself ; going so far as to make it the sine
qua non of his continued support.

A Meet at Boughton House forms a rendezvous for
the entire neighbourhood ; but despite its associations
and the picturesqueuess of the surroundings, there is an
air of absenteeism about the old ducal mansion and
grounds, which does not fail to strike the heart of every
visitor, be he sportsman or otherwise. After having
obtained the " Measure of Home-Rule " which gave them
a separate establishment under the old imperial regime,
things for a while went swimmingly with the " North
Pytchley," and Castle (Rockingham) rule was voted the
perfection of government ; but after two years of office^

2, so The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present.

the Prime Minister resigned — a stranger filled his place

— times grew worse — and even the lavish expenditure

of a Sardanapalus — an hereditary legislator from the

north — failed to provoke attendances at the Meets.

Fine by degrees, and hideously less, on the fingers of

one hand may easily be counted the regular frequenters of

a Woodland Meet ; and amongst these there will not be a

single red coat, except those of the Master and his men.

Notwithstanding the wet blanket of a sparse attendance

at the cover side, the country continues to be well and

regularly hunted ; and though kills are not of frequent

occurrence, it must not be forgotten that no fox is so

difficult to bring to hand, as one born and bred in the

forest. As is said of the Gipsy race : —

" Try what you will ; do what you can ;
Nothing will whiten the black Zincan."

The assertion that there is ''no rule without an excep-
tion^^ in reference to the warning '' Put not your trust in
keepers/' has a brilliant example in the case of the
well-known family of '' Fletcher/' head-gamekeepers to
his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch at Boughton Park.
Familiar to all North Northamptonshire sportsmen is the
picturesque cottage standing at the junction of a group
of noble glades in the woods — the peaceful home for some
generations of the family here referred to. Keepers bred
and born — but with an instinctive love for the chase in
any form — in them ''the fox'' finds no relentless enemy
save when hounds are on his track ; and the burden of
their sporting creed is a belief in fox as well as pheasant.
In their ears the familiar bark of the evening prowler is
well-nigh as welcome as the crow of perching cock, and
the sound of hound and horn little less tuneful than

The Duke oj Buccceuch. 3 5 1

iliiit of tlno deadly choke-bore. The lustrous skiu of the
old dog-fox — the duller coat of '^ my lady in the straw '
— and the soft round form of the rolling cub — have
beauties in their eyes^ ^^1. exceeded by that of the broods
of healthy chicks, picking and pecking in the adjacent
pasture — '^ food for powder " in its early stage.

So much did the famous " Squire " value the services
rendered to hunting by the Fletcher of his day, that he
presented him with a favourite horn, as the best mark of
his appreciation and esteem. Highly valuing the compli-
ment, the worthy veteran was wont to carry it in the top
of his right boot when hounds were in his beat, and post-
ing himself at the corner of a ride, would sound upon
it a sad imperfect note to proclaim that the fox had
crossed. The '^^ Squire " and his pack were quickly on
the spot; and away rode the proud bearer of the horn,
keen to render assistance in some other quarter of the
wood.

That he set a due value upon the things coming more
immediately within his own province, and that he was
given to gauge the worth of his neighbour according to
his skill with the gun, is amusingly exemplified by his
comment upon hearing that Mr. Vernon Smith — pro-
pi'ietor of the adjoining woods — was about to be made a
Peer. " Mr. Smith a Peer ! What's the good of making
him a Peer ? He can^t shoot ;" was the somewhat super-
cilious remark of the old and unerring gunner. To a
member of this worthy family was it given to solve the
problem — one which seems to have baffled many a *^ pre-
server's " brain — of '^ fox plus pheasant " — a discovery of
far more importance to the "noble science " than " squar-
ing the circle," or the discovery of ''^ perpetual motion."

OD'

2 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present,

Valued by their ducal masters as old and faithful ser-
vants, esteemed by all who knew them, and held in
especial honour by all North Pytchley men as model
keepers ; it may be said of them that their lot, unlike
that of the policeman in the play, has been not only a
happy one, but one offering an example to all similarly
circumstanced with themselves. Happy, too, the Hunt,
which, at a crucial point of its country, possesses such
loyal friends and true.

THE EARL OF CARDIGAN.

Next in rank as a Woodland potentate and hunting-
man, — whose name must for all time be associated with
that memorable mistake the Balaclava Charge — comes
James Thomas, seventh Earl of Cardigan.

Living at Deane Park, one of the most charming places
in East Northamptonshire, Lord Brudenell entered early
into the pursuits of country-life, especially those of hunt-
ing and shooting. A born soldier and oflScer of Cavalry,
he entered the 8th Hussars, from which he, as years
went on, was transferred as Lieutenant-Colonel to the 11th
Hussars ; which regiment he brought into a high state of
efficiency and notoriety. The unfortunate ^* Black-bottled
Reynolds '^ incident, the duel with Captain Tucker and
the consequent trial, kept the noble lord's name full
before the public; a phase of life which at no time
was especially distasteful to him.

Having previously represented Marlborough and
Fowey in Parliament, in 1831 he became one of the
representatives for the north division of his native county

The Earl of Cardigan. 353

in tlie Conservative interest, and retained tlie seat until
1837 ; when, succeeding to the title and estates, he became
a peer of the realm. Passionately fond of hunting,
there were few harder men across a country ; and at a
time when Quorn and Pytchley were well furnished with
^^ bruisers/^ it was no easy matter for the best of them to
get in front of the gallant Earl.

Taking a somewhat elevated view of his own social
position, and of the deference that was due to an Earl of
Cardigan, the Lord of Deane was wont to evince im-
patience when some low fellow chanced to come betwixt
the wind and his nobility.

It was said of him that on one occasion, when in some
danger of being drowned in a brook whilst hunting in
Leicestershire, he was heard to exclaim, '^ Is there no one
who will help to save the seventh and last Earl of
Cardigan ? " — a story which if not '^ vero " was certainly
^^ben trovato.'^

That he took an optimist view of his relations with his
tenants is instanced by a characteristic incident which
occurred in the presence of the writer. A fox having
gone to ground in one of the Deane Woods, Charles
Payn, contrary to Lord Cardigan's wish, commenced to
dig for him.

"He has been killing some lambs, my Lord, and the
tenants are complaining," urged the Huntsman to his
lordship's remonstrance. " Tenants complaining ! " ex-
claimed the noble and somewhat scandalized proprietor.
'' The land is mine; the woods are mine, and the tenants
are mine ; and my tenants are not in the habit of com-
plaining about anything." Though somewhat over-
proud of his birth, his position, his appearance, and his

A a

354 ^-^^^ Pytchley Hiint^ Past and P7^esent,

military feats^ wlien it became known one morning, in the
March of 1878_, that Lord Cardigan had been killed by a
fall from his horse, the feeling was universal that in the
long-descended peer the county had lost one of its most
notable and distinguished characters. It is singular that
Mr. Tryon, of Bulwick Park, Lord Cardigan's old friend
and nearest neighbour, should not long after have met his
death by a similar accident.

MR. TRYON.

There was no more marked individuality in the Wood-
lands than the Squire of Bulwick Park. Tall, and of
Herculean frame, it was a sight to watch the stout-hearted
uld squire — reckless of eyes and face — crashing through
the ash-plants and the binders of one of his own well-
nigh impenetrable woods.

A sportsman of the thorough-going type — equally good
behind a gun as in the saddle — attentive to his duties
as a county-magistrate — and a keen election eerer on the
Tory side — a finer example of the ideal of the old English
Gentleman might have been looked for in vain. He lived
to be proud of a son who has won for himself an honoured
name amongst British sailors ; and that son will never
cease to cherish the memory of a father who was re-
spected and esteemed by all who knew him.

LORDS LILFORD AND LYVEDEN— MR. C.
THORNIilLL.

To Lord Lilford — most enthusiastic of Ornithologists,

Lo7'ds Li If or d and Lyveden.

JD3

and keenest of gunners — and to Lord Lyveden_, of Farm-
ing Woods — shooter first and hunter afterwards — the
^^ P.H/' are indebted for an unfaihng support ; as it is
also to Mr. Clarke Thornhill^ of Rushton Hall — a gunner
^' pur et simple '' — but one who would take to heart the
knowledge that any keeper of his had done a fox un-
handsomely to death.

A a li

APPENDIX.

1. hunting-song.

2. Letter from a Young Lady-Naturalist.

S. Letters from Sir Francis B. Head, Bart.

No Date.

L February, 1862.

2. February, 1863,

3. Undated [1867].

4. November, 1869.
o. March, 1872.

6. Summer of 1873.

7. November, 1873.

8. January, 1874.

9. January 23, 1875.*

4. Finishing Remarks on the close of Sir Francis
Head's Letters,

* The last letter ever written by Sir Francis Head.

358 Appendix,

I

''THE PYTCHLEY;"

A HUNTING-SONG,

Yes, Loatland ! since first I stood under thy cover,

When all nature looked young and old age seemed a crime,

Such an age has passed by, that I fail to discover
The landmarks of life on the roadside of time.

So it must be ; but oh ! for one touch of the bridle,

And oh ! for the feel of a resolute horse,
When the darlings are racing away on the side-hill,

And their heads set in earnest for Tally-ho Gorse.

How well I remember, we stood at the corner.

The road choked and crammed in the orthodox way ;

When whisking his brush at the sound of the horn, a
Grreat grey-looking dog-fox broke boldly away.

Hold hard there ! hold hard ! (don't you pity the Master ?)
Pray ! pray ! give the time, you would anger a Saint !

He may well spare his broath_, for the Field all the faster
Breaks away out of hand and defies all restraint.

Along the brookside by the rush-covered meadows,
Where bullfinch alternates with blackthorn and rail,

The rush passes on, till in sunlight and shadows
Fair Arthingworth Church rises out of the Vale.

Ah ! there are the willows ; like ghosts you might fancy
They wave their lean arms as they bid you beware ;

And deep is the gulf, looking dark and unchancy.
Where the rat finds his home, and the otter his lair.

Little Mayfly and Mermaid have taken the water,
And the snipe rises wild as they enter the tide !

There's a turmoil of wave as the pack follows after,
And a dripping of flanks as they gain the far side.

Appendix. 359

What a study the Field is ! just see how the bold ones
Sit down in their saddle and draw to the fore ;

"While the faint and false-hearted, the cowardly and cold ones,
Vote discretion a virtue and valour a bore.

Look at Shirker ! I own his get-up is perfection^

And the tint of his leathers a triumph of art,
His boots, irreproachable, challenge correction ;

Superb, too, his pink, but how craven his heart !

Just watch him ! He falters, inviting disaster,

With the weakest of make-believes plain to the eye ;

The chestnut has measured the length of his master.
And with animal instinct, disdains to comply !

Forward, forward, they go ; seven horses are over ;

There are two without riders, and four in the brook ;
While the rest, taking warning, disperse to discover

A ford, or a place with an easier look.

See Languish and Lucy — two comelier ladies

The heart of an M.F.H. cannot desire ;
And the Vanquisher puppy, well up at the head, is

A model of form in the mould of his sire.

Who is that on a brute with an " oxer " before him ?

He means it, and sends him along like a man ;
But the high-mettled hei^etic's temper comes o'er him,

And he's bent upon shirking, if shirk it he can.

It's no use, he must have it ; the man has the best of it.
There's no bend in the blackthorn, no break in the ash ;

He hesitates — ^jumps — you may guess at the rest of it,
They are down in the ditch with a terrible crash !

There's a flash through the brain — there's a whirl of confusion —
A struggling of hoofs — and a tangling of rein ;

Gallant Jack's on his legs, with a trifling contusion :
He is up on his horse, and they're at it again.

Under Sunderland Wood, and just threading the Spinney,

And touching at Langboro' forward they go ;
So sharp is the pace, you might venture a guinea.

He will scarce save his brush on this side '^ Tally-ho

360 Appendix.

Tally-ho ! "What a title to welcome a stranger,
Way-weary, distressed, in sore travail and pain ;

Tally-ho ! Every syllable echoing danger.

Says, '^Here is no rest:" so hark forward again !

Oh ! could I apostrophize good Meliboeus,

Like the Mantiian Bard, I would say as we pass,

Surely man for his sins made the ploughshare, but " Deus
Hsec otia fecit ;" subaudi — the grass.

But look at those Herefords ! all their white faces
Amazed, in a stampede through mud to their hocks :

Can yon be a colly, to cause such grimaces,

As he steals through the bottom ] — By Jove ! it's the fox !

There are signs of distress ; there is sobbing and sighing ;

There is crashing of timber, and plying of steel ;
But still o'er the pastures the sirens keep flying ;

Crescendo the pace, for they're running to kill.

Holthorp Hills are in front : can he reach them ? Ah, never !

He hesitates — crawls through the " ^meuse " — doubles back :
He has played his last card ; and now gallant as ever,

He turns on his foes, and he faces the pack !

Look ! Firefly has got him ! Whoohoop ! It is over !

There's a crash and a worrying, and muttering of sounds :
AVill is up, and jumps oft', just in time to recover

A dark stiff'ened form from a tumult of hounds !

LETTER FROM A YOUXG LADY-NATURALIST.

The following is a letter lately received by the author [1886]
from a fair young Naturalist, whose chief enjoyment consists
in watching all that goes on out of doors — one to whom a few
hours only with hounds are placed on the list of joys
unspeakable.

After informing her correspondent that she has had a present
of a new pony — a real beauty — six years old — very fast and
quiet — with a closely-hogged mane — and that with more

Letter from a yotcng Lady-Naturalist . 361

respect to nationality than sex, it is called " Taffy " — lady
though she be ; she proceeds thus : " You would have laughed
to have seen my sister Agnes and me the other day. We
were out in the cart when we came across the hounds. We
instantly joined the glad throng, and followed in spite of all
obstacles — short of fences — much to the amusement of the
lucky ones on horseback.

^' We jerked bumpily across a very mole-hilly meadow — up
a grass-hill about as straight as a wall — shaved through broken
hurdles — laboured through a plough-field. I got out, and while I
walked behind the cart^ holding the reins, Agnes hung on to
one of the shafts, and lent a hand to Taffy, who was pulling
like a brick. We were rewarded for our toil by being well up
with hounds for a long time, and saw all that there was
to see — which was little enough. We were accompanied by a
smart fox-terrier, who got immensely excited, and lifted up his
harmonious voice in season and out of the same ; so we worked
to music — a great incentive, as you know.

"My birds are prospering fairh^ but we have just been
bereaved of a 'Shore-lark/ a 'Snow-bunting^' and a 'Bull-
finch,' To all appearance they died content and happy ; so I
suppose that they had lived virtuous lives, and just closed their
eyes for ever on this most delightful of all possible worlds.
In their place I have got a pair of 'Cirl-buntings ' and a ' Eeed-
sparrow ' for my aviary.

"We are out every morning soon after six. I first let out Sir
William and Lady Gull — two large seagulls — who skim over
the wet grass, and go off in search of ' wums.' Then I let
out the dogs — two Retrievers — mother and son — and two Fox-
terriers — no relations. Then we go off for a walk, and tell
each other we have the best of it over the people in bed. We
watch the sun light up the sea, till it looks like a sheet of
silver ; then turn into a wood, and step quietly along, keej^ing
eyes and ears well open as we go. A fat Wood-pigeon claps
out of a big tree, and disappears somewhere in the shade ; a
brace of Partridges, in all the glory of their spring plumage, run
along in front a little way, and then turn off into the wood —
probably intent on the cares of setting-up house.

*' A shrill yelping apprises us that the Terriers are hunting a
too-inquisitive Rabbit : and they have to be called to order ;
while the young Retriever trembles with excitement — longing,

362 Appendix.

but not daring^to join. He would, too, if I did not look
very sharp after him. His fat old mother waddles along, and
probably goes back to the time when she and other old dogs
like her were having their day. And so we go on our way
rejoicing ; and return with an enormous appetite for break-
fast."

In the above letter every word is alive with the spirit of " all
out-of-doors," marking the true appreciator of the handiworks
of the Almighty ; and evincing an unaffected enjoyment of
nature in" all her moods.

LETTERS FROM SIR F. B. HEAD, BART.

1.

" February, 1862.

"I was glad to get your note, which made my fingers itch to
shake the hand that wrote it. I always like to hear from you
— but especially when you can feed me with a few dainty details
of l!^orthamptonshire Hunting. Indeed I can truly say that
the hours I spent within the dominions of the ' Pytchley,' in
riding and writing, formed the happiest ten years in my
chequered life. On Saturdays I always read in the Times your
Meets for the ensuing week ; and think of them as I ride by
myself over the Surrey Hills.

" I am very glad to learn that ' Waterloo ' continues to do
its duty. Ever since I j^ut the sticks in it, it has ^ honoured all
the bills ' Charles Payn has drawn upon it. The fences around
it would now be a trifle too big for me ; but anywhere else, I
should greatly enjoy a gallop over the grass-fields. I am sorry
that Bevan and Charles Cust are in hospital." &c., &c.

2.

"February, 1863.

"Do write me half a line, and tell me how the Prince
of Wales went with, the 'Pytchley.' How I should have
enjoyed seeing you all assembled to meet him. Now that he

Letters from Sir F. B, Head. 363

has tasted the green fields of Northamptonshire, he will see
what a mistake he has made in giving 240,000?. for an estate
in the wrong county. The best thing he could do would he
to sell it at once, and buy my little house at Oxenden ; and if
it gave him the health and happiness it gave me, it would be to
him a capital purchase. There is nothing I am convinced so
dangerous as not hunting. As a proof of this, on the day after
Christmas, I had a worse fall than any I had during my ten
years' hunting with the ^ Pytchley.' I w^as galloping along
over turf by myself, when my mare fell head over heels, and
I lay on the ground insensible for fifteen minutes. I am
getting over it, but being half-way between seventy and eighty,
it is more easy to kill than to cure me." &c., &c.

3.

[18G7]

In his seventy-eighth year, he thus writes to his friend : —

*' Your welcome letter has set my whole mind and memory
running riot. Its two pages are composed of a series of texts,
upon every one of which I feel that I could write you a long
sermon, except the one which says, ' And two good days in the
woods.' I should have to scratch my head a long time before
it would tell my pen how to connect together your adjective
' good ' with your substantive ' wood,' which, although they
rhyme very well together, I firmly believe them to be as dis-
similar as the tAvo words 'paradise' and 'purgatory.'

" The different runs you have detailed, I have gone over as
carefully as a beagle picks out the trail of a jack-hare. I am
very sorry that the one thing needful has so often been * not at
home,'

" The fable that tells us of ' the hare with many friends,
per contra, we now read all over England of the fox with many
enemies. Though my hunting career has now ceased for some
time, up to my seventy-sixth year I continued to amuse ni}"-
self almost every day by riding over timber. I may add the
same as before. In my seventy-seventh year, I found that I
was always at every leap almost rocking off ; and I then dis-
covered that I had lost what Assheton Smith called the 'grip:'
60, instead of giving up hunting in my scventy-eigliih year^
hunting gave me up.

I

364 Appendix,

" I continue, however, to ride sixteen or eighteen miles every-
day, clothing myself according to the weather. I can still go
pretty fast, up or down-hill, and across rough ground; but
over a fence as high as my knee, 'l^o.'

"My black boots, like a hatchment over a window in
Grosvenor Square, stand in a row on the top of a mahogany
wardrobe in my dressing-room. I sometimes give a very little
short sigh when I look at them ; but I had in them a good
allowance of green fields, hedges, brooks, ditches, and dainty
bits of timber, of all of which I occasionally enjoy a delightful
dream.

"I very often think of the many happy days and jumps
I had when at Oxeuden ; and heartily wish you all a long con-
tinuance of the sport I so much enjoyed." &c.j &c.

4.

« November, 1869.

" In old times you used to cheer me up with one or two
vivid descriptions of a good run ; but when I tell you that in
my last visit to Lord Hopetoun and the ' P.H.,' I rolled
off, I thought you'd give me up, and I certainly am only
deserving of the stereotyped motto of old age : ' Noii sum
qitalis eram.^

'' I still continue, however, to read in the Times the Hunting
Appointments ; and see that the ' Pytchley Meet ' to-morrow is
Sywell Wood, which for years has been identified in my mind
with the name, and what is more, with the appearance on his
cob, of your worthy and excellent father ; to say nothing of
his cub !" &c., &c.

"March 5th, 1872.

" I was delighted to learn from your note just received, that
a horse, sent on trial to you, ran away with you from your very
door — jumped a seven-barred gate — fell on his head, and ' only '
sprained your ankle ! I never think again of turtle-soup after
it is swallowed ; but I do ruminate with great pleasure, and
I hope with becoming gratitude, on the escapes I have had ;

I

Letters from Sir F. B. Head, 365

and I always, as yoii know, enjoy a thing that ' ends ' — as
your scampavia did — in iometldng that you will never for-
get !

" I greatly enjoy the ' bulletins ' you send me of the sport.
Yesterday, by chance, I happened to be in at the death of a
Lawyer's 'Run,' which had lasted, with only two checks, for 102
days. I never go to London, but happening to be there yester-
day, I strolled down to the Queen's Bench. Two fierce police-
men, as I approached, said pompously, ' No room. Sir, of any
sort or kind.' I insisted on sending in my card ; and in less
than two minutes I found myself sitting cheek by jowl with the
Lord Chief Justice.

" Soon after, all hands were taken a-back by the Jury de-
claring that 'they did not want any more evidence.' I didn't
holler \sicJ\ out ' whoo-hoop,' but I said it to myself." &c., &c.

6.

[Summer of 1873.]

The next letter to be quoted — written in the summer of 1873
— is, in its latter part, painfully touching in its description
of the writer's physical condition. The passion strong in death
as in life, being the burden of its song throughout.

" It was very kind of you to write to me so soon upon your
return to Moulton Grange, after the brilliant run you had had
across the most interesting part of Europe. The details, i.e.
the jumps you took from capital to capital, will be ' oats,
beans, and hay,' that will_, I believe, cheer your mind as long as
you have one. As regards myself, ' the least said, the soonest
mended.' On the 23rd of September last, I mounted my
horse for my daily canter across our open country — a hale,
hearty, hardy, tough old fellow of eighty — impervious to rain,
sleet, snow, fog, or cold of any sort. After my ordinary ride of
over sixteen miles, I dismounted an invalid for life, as the old
nurses say. I was immediately put to bed, where I remained
for six weeks, to migrate for the same time to my sofa : I have
lately been promoted from crutches to two sticks. While I was
better, I tried to ride at a walk ; but as I found it injurious, I
am now finally divorced from the 'pig-skin.' Pray, however,
do not think I contemplate the prospect before me in a gloomy

2,66 Appendix.

spirit. The sunshine of the past years of my life brightens all
that may be awaiting me. I very gratefully remember that for
eighty years it has pleased God to grant me almost uninter-
rupted health. Instead, therefore, of allowing myself to reflect
on the present, I derive constant enjoyment from the retrospect
of the many happy days of 'auld langs3^ne.'

" I was deeply affected when I read in the Times the
announcement of Lord Hopetoun's death. Few people know
what a noble-minded, kind-hearted man he v/as. I never can
forget the affectionate regard he always bestowed upon me.

*' As it is always more delightful to buy than to sell horses,
I am glad to hear that your stalls are empty. You will, I
know, soon get some rusliing, impetuous animals to fill
them.

"As regards Women, it is said that * if they deliberate,
they are lost ; ' but your horses never allow you to deliberate ;
so, accordingly, you find yourself well over the rails before you
had made up your mind to ride at them ! "

" mvember 5th, 1873.

" My spirit hovered over you all at your first Meet on
Monday.

" I had always fancied that when the moment came
to say Farewell to the pig-skin, I should be a most miserable
creature ; but as it pleases God to temper the wind to the
shorn lamb, so I found, that ^Wthout the slightest effort, I was
able, when I sent my last horse out of my stable to put him
simultaneously out of my mind ; and I never think of future
rides, though I do of past ones.

" On a German spring cushion, with an air one on the top of
it, and with another at my back to recline on, I daily drive in
an open carriage with my faithful old nurse — Lady Head — now
in her eighty-second year — by my side. Besides this, I go
through the fresh air at about twelve or fourteen miles an
hour, in a swing on my lawn, that — by means of a transverse
beam, a yard long, and two ropes — I can work myself, pulling
alternately with each hand, about as hard as a good-mouthed
snaffle-bridled horse.

Letters fro77t Sir F, B. Head. 367

"I was surprised to read an advertisement lately for a
Huntsman for the Pytcllle3^ I should have thought it impos-
sible for any stranger to your brooks, rails, canals, &c., &c.j to
lead the Field to anything but grief ! " &c. &c. &c.

8.

" January 28th, 1874.

" As my doctor has pulled me off my horse, and will not let
me walk ; having been accustomed all my life to rush through
the air, I have set up a Swing on my lawn, which I work my-
self by hand-ropes. I send you a photo showing its con-
struction ; which I found admirably adapted for Gout, or any
accident that confines the sufferer to a hot, fusty bed. In my
Swing I enjoy both air and exercise ; and really I look for it,
as I used to look for my daily ride.

" I often think of you and the ' Firm of Sy well "Wood &
Co.' In the Saturday's advertisements in the Times, I have
lately read the appointments of, apparently, two packs of Pytchlej^
Hounds. What does it mean 1 Do you hunt on the same day
with both % " &c., &c.

9.

[Last Letter, 1875.]

Here follows the last letter — written about five months before
his death — which the author of this volume was privileged to
receive from his kind and gallant old friend.

"January 23rd, 1875.

" Your kind note fed me with savoury dishes such as I like.
As Kob Roy said to his old wife, Helen, ' The Heather we trod
on wdien we were young, shall bloom over us when we are dead '
— so although that whipper-in Time has driven me out of the
hunting-field, it cheers the declining hours of my life to learn
that ' the Pytchley were never in a more flourishing condition
than in the Year of Grace 1875.'

" Your description of tlie efficient management of its ^Master
(Lord Spencer), an English Nobleman and a noble Englishman,

368 Appendix,

does not exceed what I expected ; and I have often lately
thought how greatly he must prefer tumbling over a bit of stiff
timber, or going souse into a cold brook, to the warm adulation
he justly received during his administration of Ireland.

*' So far as my humble experience goes, there is no position in
the pyi'amid of Society so barren and so cheerless as its apex.
And if you would like to prove this; after a fast kill, just as
Will Goodall, with uplifted arms, throws poor Foxy to the
hounds, observe how suddenly you will blight the joy and
happiness in your Master's countenance, if you suddenly call
him — Mhernice — ' your Ixcellency.'

" The only twitch of pain that your picture of the^P.H.*
gave me was, that ' W. Goodall goes as straight as Charles
Payne in his best day ;' for as the latter is photographed in
my mind as the heau-ideal of a bold, quick, beautiful horse-
man : like a good Catholic, I don't like to be told that another
fellow's Saint goes as straight as the one he has always been
worshipping.

" I was interested to read that at Harboro' — full of hunting-
men — were four brothers Gosling ; probably sons of a Gosling
Banker — no goose — with whom I hunted, more than forty
years ago, in Surrey.

" It seems, as the natural order of succession, that my old
friends, Bevan, Hungerford, Clerk, Langham & Co., are
now succeeded by their sons — and my dear kind friend,
Charley Cust, by a joint-stock daughter and son.

" Of myself, I must tell you, instead of vainly saying, ' Ille
ego qui quondam,^ it becomes me better to tell you as ' sed nunc '
that tho' I am knocked out of the saddle, I am now myself
a quadruped_, crawling along on two living legs and two wooden
ones, i.e. sticks.

" I have every now and then a little pain to endure ; but as
soon as it passes away, thanks to my good, kind, faithful old
Wife and Nurse — herself eighty-two — I am as happy as you
could wish me to be. She, I am thankful to say, enjoys good
health ; reads to me, by dim candle-light, without spectacles ;
and with bair unchanged in colour, like my old friend Colonel
Arthur's." &c.

,1

Letters from Sir F. B. Head. 369

FINISHING REMAEKS ON THE CLOSE OF SIR
FRANCIS HEAD'S LETTERS.

No apology is necessary to the readers of this volume for the
insertion of these Letters, which are probably unir[ue in style,
geniality, pathos, and humour ; and "which evince a love of
Hunting such as never can have existed to a greater degree in
any man.

It will be observed that in these Letters — ^as in many others
in the possession of him to whom they were addressed — there are
no allusions to the past which would lead the reader to suppose
that the writer of them had been at Waterloo — had quelled a
serious rising in an important Colony — had been the Superin-
tendent of a Gold-Mine — had ridden over six thousand miles-
of a Pampas, undermined with the holes of the " Prairie Dog "
— was a '^ Quarterly Reviewer " — a popular author — a ^' Poor.>
Law Commissioner " — and a " Privy Councillor." — The con-
templation of things as they existed about him, current events
and the welfare of his friends, seem to have furnished
sufficient occupation for his thoughts, and to have kept busy a
pen rarely idle. As will be seen by his patient, and more, his
cheerful endurance of the pains and penalties of old age, the
old soldier was too much of a philosopher to *' kick against the
pricks," or complain of unavoidable misfortunes : he accepted,
as they came, the good with gratitude, the evil of life with
resignation. We know from himself that his Horce Pytclileijante
were the happiest hours of a life extending through eighty-five
years ; and long will his memory be dear to those Members of
the Hunt, who can call to mind the decade, during which the
thick, white, curly hair — the keen eye — and the comely counte-
nance of the brave old Officer of Engineers, were to be seen at
every Pytchley Meet. The only fault he ever found with the
decade was that it was all too short. ^But we know —

" That Pleasure which the most enchants us,
Seems the soonest done ;
AVhat is Life — with all it grants us —
But a Hunting Run ? "

So determined was Sir Francis that, so far as in him lay,
nothing should diminish his enjoyment of hunting, he laid

B b

0/

o Appendix,

down Rules of Diet for liimself, and recommended others^
who wished to preserve their health, to follow his example.

*' A young Horseman," he says in one of his works, " who
wishes to enjoy the greatest possible amount of Hunting,
should ensure it by taking the greatest possible care — not of
his neck, not even of his life — for, as has been shown, the less
he interferes with his horse in jumping the better he will go —
but of his Stomach, i.e. his Health. To attain this object he
has no penance to undergo whatever ; for as he is undergoing
strong exercise, his system requires — is entitled to and
ought to be allowed — ample suj^jDort : say a capital Breakfast ; a
Crust of Bread in the middle of the day ; and after Hunting is
over, a glass of pure Water ! to bring him home to a good
wholesome Dinner, with three or four glasses of super-excellent
Wine. Instead, however, of subsisting on the healthy diet
just described, the ordinary practice of many Hunting-Men is
to add the following ingredients : —

" (1) After breakfast, before mounting the spicey Cover- Hack
— a Cigar.

" (2) On arriving at a hand-gallop at the Meet — a Cigar.

" (3) At two o'clock, some cold grouse — a long drain at a flat
flask full of Sherry or Brandy and Water, and— a Cigar.

" (4) Refreshment at some road-side Inn for man and horse —
a Cigar.
■ " (5) While riding home ; per hour — a Cigar.

"(6) On reaching home; a heavy Dinner, Wine, &c., and
— a Cigar.

" For a short time a stout system is exhilarated, and a strong
stomach invigorated, by a series of gifts so munificently
bestowed upon them by the right hand of their Lord and
Master ; but this slight constant Intoxication produced by
Tobacco, Vinous and Spirituous Liquors, with a superabun-
dance of ostrich-food, sooner or later, first weakens the Stomach,
and then gradually debilitates the system of the strong man,
as well as of the puny one. The first symptom of prominent
decay is announced by " the nerves ;" which, to the astonish-
ment of the young Rider, sometimes fail so rapidly, that while
the whole of the rest of his system appears to himself, and to
others, as vigorous as ever, he is compelled to admit that
" funking " has set in, and increases, do what he will. By
giving the poor willing Stomach more food and liquor than it

Letters from Sir F. B. Head. 371

can conveniently take or digest, all sorts of iintliought-of evils
intervene. ' India, my boy,' said an Irishman to a friend on
his arrival at Calcutta^ ' is just the finest climate under the
sun ; but a pack of young fellows come out here, and they ate
and they ate, and they drink and they drink, and they die ;
and then they write home to their friends, and they say, *■' it's the
climate that has killed them." '

" The only sure and certain means by which a man can
maintain his health is to adopt the system of the Scotchman,
who, when asked by a friend why he invariably wore a X)laid
26*a«sfcc»«f, replied, '"Why? That I may always keep a clieck
on my Stomach ! '"

THE END.

INDEX.

Ainsworth (Mr. Ed.), of Winwick "Warren,
313.

Allix (Col. Grenadier Guards), one of "the
three handsomest men in London," 15, 22.

Allix (Peter, M.P.), a daring rider; nick-
named " Scratchface," 22.

Alvanley (Lord), his Bon-mot on Lord De
Ros, 124

AlTvin, a Pytchley huntsman previous to
William I., 3, 5.

Ambrose (Rector of Ellsworth), a Sporting
Parson, 3, 5.

Anderson (Mr., horse-dealer), his "Jerry"
beats Lord Waterford's "Yellow Dwarf"
at Little Houghton Steeplechase, 1838,
25.

Andrew (Mr.), of Harleston, 27.

Arundel (Lord) kept Fox-hounds in Wilt-
shire and Hampshire, 1670—1700, 5. .

Austria (Empress of) hunts with the Pytch-
ley in 1878, 202.— The Steeplechase got up
at ber expense at Hopping Hill, 203.

Austria (Prince Imperial of) hunts with the
Pytchley, 203.

B.

Barratt (Pat), an Irish Groom at Harrow,

286.
Barrymore (Lord) ; his ingenious cheating

of C. J. Fox at cards, 124!.
Beaconsfield (Lord) ; his description of his

run ol thirty miles on an Arabian mare,

and stopping at nothing, 2.
Beecher (Capt.) rides "Spicey" in a

Steeplechase at Little Houghton, 1838, 25.
Beers (Frank), "an excellent and honest

Northamptonshire Huntsman," 227.
Blunt (Capt.), of Crabbit Park, Sussex, 55.
Boughton ; removal thither of the Pytchley

Hounds, 10.
Bouverie (Col. of the Blues), an unrivalled

gentleman-jockey, 23.
Bouverie (Squire), of Delapre Abbey, 23,

118.
Boxing ; its support by people in high

places, 34.

Bright (Right Hon. John), Pitchley or

Pytchley.? 1.
Brixworth ; the Pytchley Kennels situated

there, 47.
Brixworth Sporting-Pauper (the), 114.
Byron (Lord) ; his admiration of Jackson

the Pugilist, 35.

C.

Caldecourt (Will), a famous under-hand

Bowler, 140.
Chantrey (Sir F.) and Lord Melbourne's

bust, 199.
Charlton (Mr.) ; Pictures of Lord Spencer's

Woodland Pack, 215.
Childe (Capt.) wins the Steeplechase at

Little Houghton on " Conrad," 25.
Christian (Dick), a famous horse-breaker,

106.
Clerk (Wm.), of Nottingham; a great

under-hand Bowler, 95.
Cock-a-roost, a famous cover near Isham,

234.
Cook (Mr. John), of Hothorp, buys "Lan-
cet" of Mr. Nethercote for 620^., 15, 22.
Cooper (John); Mr. G. Payne's "most

respectable of grooms," 134.
Cotton (Sir St. Vincent), a good whip, 136.

— Member of the Sulby Cricket Club, 141.
Couch (Henry), Military deserter and felon ;

his singular career and remarkable Let-
ters, 64.
Covers (Favourite), 30, 128, 129.
Cribb (Tom), the Pugilist, 36.
Cricket Match at Leicester between North

and South of England, 1838, 44.
Cricket Match, Northampton v. Sulby Hall,

140.

Daniel (Sam, Coachman) ; his match with
Lieut. Wellesley : Coach v. Horse, 137.

Davis, Driver of the Manchester " Tele-
graph," 138.

Deaths of Sir Charles Slingsby and others,
in the River Ure, 183.

Index,

zn

Derry : First Whip under Lord Chesterfield,

103.
Dickens (Rev. Wm., of Woollaston) ; his

smart sayings, 59.
Downe (Viscount) purchases Dingley Hall,

144.
Drake (Squire), Master of the Bicester

Houndg, 285.
Drake (Rev. Edward), of Amersham, 285.
Drake (Hon. Mrs.), a great huntress, 285

E.

Edmonds (Mr. Charles) ; his remarkable
discovery of precious Old Books at Lam-
port Hall, 323.

Elmore (Mr.) ; his famous horse "Lottery,"
26.

Emery (John), the Actor, and Tom Cribb,
the Pugilist, 36.

Everard (Mr. Harry) , 307.

F.

Fawsley House, the seat of Sir Rainald
Knightley, M.P. ; its secret chamber; a
Martin Marprelate tract printed there in
1588, 49, 294.

Flatman (Nat), Mr. Bouverie's incorrup-
tible Jockey, 119.

Fletcher Family, Head Gamekeepers to the
Duke of Buccleuch ar, Boughton, 350.

Fox (The) ; First notice of, temp. Richard
II., 5

Fox-Hounds, First Pack of, 5 ; diiferences
in their characters, 12; a "conceited"'
hound, 12 ; attachment of Mr. Musters's
hounds to him, 82 ; the Breeding of Fox-
hounds, 229.

Fox-Hunter ; the Abbot of Peterborough,
temp. Richard II., the first Fox-Hunter,
5.

G.

Gladstone (Rt. Hon. W. E.) ; his advice at
an Althorp Meet to distressed Farmers
riding beautiful horses, 221.

Goddard (Jack) ; First Whip under Mr.
Wilkins's Mastership, 97.

Goodall (Will) ; his excellence as a Hunts-
man, 219, 226 ; his rectitude, 227 ; his bold
swimming of the River None, and efficacy
of whisky in the boots afterwards,
228.

Granville (Earl) hunts with the Pytchley
Eounds, 220.

Greville (Mr. 0. C. F., Clerk of the Council),
a partner with G. Payne in racehorses,
119.

Grimston ("Bob"); his furtive rides at
Harrow School, 286.

Gully (John), Pugilist and M.P. ; his great
31ill with "the Chicken," and Lord Al-
thorx^'s delight thereat, 35.

H.

Hammond (Wm. Oxenden), his secret rides

at Harrow School, 28d.
Harris (John), Driver of the Northami)ton

Coach, 137.
Harrow Hunt (the), 132.
Head (Sir F, B.) : his Letters on Hunting

Subjects, 362—371.
Humphrey (Rev. John Cave, of Laughton)

and his hunting Niece, 60.
Hungerford (Mr., of Dingley Hall) runs

"Brilliant" against " Billy " Russell's

"Valentine," 21, 144.
Hunt (Rt. Hon. G. Warde, M.P.) ; his Speech

at farewell dinner to Col Anstruther

Thomson, 180
Hunting-Bankers, 2-50.
Hunting-Dandie-, 20, 105.
Hunting-Song, "The Pytchley," 357.

I.

Ingram (Jemmy) ; his furtive rides at

Harrow School, 286.
Inverurie (Lord) ; his melancholy death in

the hunting-field, 131.
Ireland, Hunting in, 216.
Isham (Sir Justinian) ; his great run from

Sywell Wood to Ashby by Welland, 30.
Isham (Sir Thomas) ; his Latin Diary, 9.
Isham (Rev. Vere, Rector of Lamport), 58.

J.

JacKson, the Pugilist, and Lord Byron, 35.
Jersey (Earl of) , a fii st-rate rider to hounds,

23.
Jolly (Tom), Mr. Isted's excellent second

horseman, 248.
Jumping and Jumpers, 154.

King (Charles), Lord Althorp's famous

Huntsman, 27 ; his Hunting Diary, 28 ;

his rectitude, 227.
Kingsbury (Ned, nick-named Dirty Dick),

Second Whip to Mr. G. Payne, 125.
Kintrsthorpe, sinking for Coal at, 54
Kirwan ("Whacky"), the famous Eton

Bowler, 95.
Knight (Dick), Earl Spencer's celebrated

Huntsman, 1782, 7.

L.

Lambert (Daniel) and Dick Christian, 109.
Lamport Hall, near Northampton; it«i

famous Rockery and rare Books. 321, 322.
" Lancet," sold by Mr. John Nethercote

for 620/., 15.

374

Index,

Lane Family, Managers of the Pytchley
Club for three generations, 10; Mr. Lane,
•the oldest Wantage tenant, 11.

Letter from a young Lady-Naturalist, 360.

Lonsdale (Earl of). Master of the North
Pytchley Hounds, 225.

M.

Macdonald (Lord), Leap of thirty feet at

Great Harrowden, 99.
Maidsume (Lord), a brilliant rider, 99.
Ma- Chester (Ducuess of) at the Empress of

Auscria's Steeplechase at Hopping Hill,

20:J.
Mason (Jem), a famous Steeplechase rider,

89.
MASTERS OF THE PYTCHLEY HUNT;
its History under their msmagement : —

ALFORD (LORD), 149.

ALTHORP (LORD: THIRD EARL
SPENCER), 13.

BULLER (MR.), 7.

CHESTERFIELD (EARL OF), 101.

CRAVEN (MR. J. A.), 187.

CUST (HON. C), 166.

GOODRICKE (SIR F. H.), 113.

GRAHAM (SIR BELLINGHAM), 47.

HOPETOUN (EARL OF), 157.

KNIGHTLEY (SIR CHARLES), 45.

LANGHAM (MR. HERBERT), present
Master, 224.

MUSTERS (MR. JOHN CHAWORTH),

OSBALDESTON (MR. G.), 83.

PAYNE (MR. GEORGE), 4, 99.

PAY'NE (MR. G.),Ais second Mastership,
117.

SMITH (MR. T.),112.

SONDES (LORD), 15, 47.

SPENCER (FIRST EARL), 6.

(SECOND EARL), 6.

(PRESENT EARL), 188.

THOMSON (COL. ANSTRUTHER), 160.

VILLIERS (HON. FREDERICK), 157.

WARDS (MR. JOHN), 10.

WILKINS (MR.), M.P., 97.
Meecher (J.), Driver of the "Nottingham

Times," 138.
" Meet at Crick; " Portraits in that pictuie

by Barraud, 153.
Melton; best Performers at, between 1820

and 1830, 85.
MEMOIRS OF MEMBERS OF THE
PYTCHLEY HUNT :—

ALDERSON (MISS), 319.

ANGERSTEIN (MR. WILLIAM), 254.

ARTHUR (COLONEL), 262.

ASHBY ASHBY (CAPT. G.), 240.

BENNETT (MR. JOHN), 327.

BEVAN (MR. RICHARD LEE), 249.

BRAYE (LORD), 283.

CLERK (CAPT. MILDMAY), 258.

CRAWFURD (MR. STIRLING), 306.

DANIEL (MR.),2y:i.

DRAKE (REV. J. TYRWHITT) , 284.

ENTWISLE (MR. J.) 328.

ERSKINE (LORD), 291.

FOSTER (MR. W. H.), 277.

GILBERT (MR. J.), 326.

GIST (CAPTAIN), 280.

GOUGH (MR. J.), 329.

HAZELHURST (MR. H.), 281.

HEAD (SIR FRANCIS BOND), 313.

HENLEY (LORD), 310.

ISHAM (SIR CHARLES), 320.

ISTED (MR. AMBROSE), 244.

JAMESON (MR.), 280.

KNIGHTLEY (SIR CHARLES), 45.

KNIGHTLEY (SIR RAINALD), 292.

LANGHAM (MR. F.), 291,

LANGHAM (MISS), 291.

LIDDELL (HON. H., LORD RAVENS-
WORTH), 272.

LOVELL (MR. J.), 312.

MELVILLE (MAJOR WHYTE), 263.

MIDDLETON (CAPT. "BAY") 256.

MILLS (MR. J.), 328.

MUNTZ (MR. P. A.), 282.

NETHERCOTE (MR. JOBN), 304.

NEWLAND (MAJOR), 305.

PENDER (MR.), 280.

RIDDELL (CAPT.), 318.

ROKEBY (REV. H.), 274.

SIMSON (MR. & MBS.), 278.

WAKE (MR. DRURY), 296.

WROUGHTON (MR. C), 291.

YOUNG (MR. A. A.), 233.
MEMOIRS OP THE NORTHAMPTON
BRIGADE :—

DR. DODD, 330— MR. EADY, 332—
"LAWYER" FLESHER, 331— MR.
HARRIS, 3.32— MR. HENRY HIG-
GINS, 331— MESSRS. PHILLIPS, 331
—MR. JOHN PHIPPS, 332— MR. RAT-
CLIFFE, 332— MR. WHITWORTH,
SEN., 330.
MEMOIRS OF FARMER MEMBERS :—

MESSRS ATTERBURY, 347— MR. JOHN
BARBER, 344— MR. JOHN COOPER,
347— MR. W. DRAGE, 344r-MR. EL-
WORTHY, 336— MR. LUCAS FORS-
TER, 345— MESSRS. J. & G. GEE, 346
—MR. CHARLES HEWETT, 340— MR.
JOSEPH HUMPHREY, 342— MR.
MATTHEW OLDACRE, 339— MR. &
MRS. SHARMAN, 343— MR. JOHN
TOPHAM, 333— MU. TOM TURNELL,
345— MR. SAMUEL WARREN, 341—
MR. W. WHITEHEAD, 345-MR. W.
WIDDOWSON, 337— MR. J. WOOD, 346.
MEMOIRS OF WOODLAND MEMBERS :—

THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH, 348—

THE EARL OF CARDIGAN, 352—

LORD LILFORD, 354— LORD LYVE-

DEN, 354— MR. C. THORNHILL, 354.

Meynell (Hugo) ; his Pack at Quorndon,

1782, 6.
Murchison (Sir Roderick) as a Fox-Hunter,

53.

Index,

zr:^

N.

Newspaper Accounts of Runs, 165.
Northampton Race-Course ; the old and new

Stands, 26, 27.
Northampton Cricket Club, 141.

O.

Oliver (T.), the celebrated Steeplechase
rider, 131.

"Order of theAYhit? Collar :"

The Costume of the Hunting Club
formed at Old Pytchley Hall by John
George, Earl Spencer, about 1752, was a
scarlet coat, with white collar, and dis-
tinguishing buttons : the binding of the
present work has reference to this cos-
tume, 6.

Oxenham (Rev. "W.), Second Master at
Harrow School, 286.

Oxford, Hunting at, in its palmy days, 298.

Payn (Charles), First Whip tinder Mr. G.
Pavne. 125 : his rectitude, 227.

Payne (" Billy "), Brother of Mr, G. Payne,
135.

Pearson ("Jem"), Driver of the "Not-
tingham Times," 13S.

Pell (Admiral Sir Watkin) , a bold hunter
with a cork leg, 57,

Pell (Sam), a hard-riding farmer, 155.

Peyton (Sir Henry), a good Whip, 136.

PhiUipson (Capt,), nicknamed "Handsome
Jack," 25.

"Pillag'er," a Paragon of fox-hounds, 151.

Plymouth (Earl of) , a first-rate rider to
hounds, 22.

Pridmore (Wm.), Mr. Isted's second Horse-
man. 248,

Prize-fights : Gully and "the Chicken," 35 ;
Owen Swift and Atkinson of Notting-
ham, 14^ ; Great battle near Towcester,
143 ; Smith and Greenfield at Acheref ,
France, 38,

Prize-fighting, Downfall of, 37,

Pytchley Club Members in 1782, 1808, and
1838 ; 7, 15, 106.

Pytchley Hall (Old), bttilt by Sir Euseby
Isham, temp. Queen Elizabeth, 3 : its suc-
cessive owners, and demolition, 4.

Pytchley Hunt Races, 1838, 24,

R.

Racehorses, Nomenclature of ; its difficul-
ties, 308 ; its "happy hits," 309,

"Rainbow;" Col, Anstruther Thomson's
best horse, 175.

Ranee (Tom), First Whip under Lord
Spencer's Mastership, 207,

" Rapping" at the Pytchley Club, 15.

Raveuaworth (Earl of) ; see Liddell, 272.

Ros (Lord de) accused of foul play at cards,
122,

Rose (Tom), the Duke of Grafton's cele-
brated Huntsman, 11.

Royston (H.), Huntsman to the Harrow
Hounds, and cricketer, 132.

Runs (Great) with Fox-hounds, 2, 13, 14,
19, 21, 30, 79, 90, 102, 127, 129, 160, 171, 228,
248.

Russell ("Billy") at Pitsford Hall. 99.

Russell (Lord Charles), on the Breeding of
Hounds, 230.

S.

" Safety-Talve ; " one of Mr. Stirling Craw-

furd's hunters, 307.
Sandars Gorse ; a famous cover, 41.
Sawbridge (Mr.) killed in the hunting-
field, 130.
Scent— What is it ? 208,
Sebright (Tom)., an able and upright Hunts-
man, 227,
"Semper Durus;" one of Mr, Stirling

Crawfurd's htmters, 307,
Shirley (Jem), Whip to Mr. Osbaldeston,

85,
Shooting Match : interesting walking

match between Capt, Ro?s and the Hon.

G. Anson, 93.
Simpson (Mr.) of Hemplow, an excellent

fox preserver, 334.
Smith (Mr, Assheton, Senr,) tries to cut

down Dick Knight, 10,
Smith (T, Assheton) ; his big jump, 109.
Snow, Hunting in the, 21.
Soames (Capt.), a fine rider; his favourable

report of the financial position of the

P.H„ 231.
Sound, instances of the power of, 9.
Spencer (Frederick, Earl), 40.
Spencer (Countess) at the Empress of
Austria's Steeplechase at Hopping Hill, 203.
Steeplechases and Steeplechasers, 25, 87,88,

89, 203.
Stevens (Jack), an unrivalled Whip, 97,

98 ; but a bad Huntsman, 207.
Stevenson (Mr. John) wins the Farmers'

Cup with " True Blue," at the P.H. Races.

1838, 24,
Stubbs (" Ginger"), a htmting-dancly, 105.
Sulby Hall Cricketers, 141.

T.

Tassell (Dan), First Whip to Mr. Jsted, 247.
Teck (Duchess of) attends the Empress of

Austria's Steeplechase at Hopping Hill,

203.
Thursby ( Harvey) of Abington Abbey, near

Northampton, 103.
ToUemache (Hon, Wilbraham), a good

rider, 105.
Tomblin (Mr.), Horse-dealer and High

Sheriff, 251.
" True Blue," a famous Steeplechaier, 24.

6/

Index.

u.

•'Under tlie Rose;" origin of the phrase,
50.

Vernon (Mr.), nicknamed " Hat-peg Ver-
non," 159.

W.

Wake (Mr. Drury) : his unrivalled ride from
Oxford to London and back in five hours,
29 ; his perilous ride from Constantinople
to Belgrade, in 1854, with Government
Despatches, 300; his immersion in Whilton
Brook, 303.

Wales (H.R.H. the Prince of) hunts with
the Pvtchley; falls into Spratton Brook,
4 200.

Wales (H.R.H. the Princess of) attends the
Empress of Austria's Steeplechase at
Hopping Hill, 203.

Waterford (Marquis of) rides "Yellow
Dwarf" at the Little Houghton Steeple-
chase, 1838, 25.

Watkins (Rev. 0. F.) ; his speech at dinner
to Col. Anstruther Thomsun. 178.

Watson (Mr., of Rockingham Castle),
Master of the North Pytchley Hounds, 224.

West (Mr., of Dallington), a Northampton-
shire Hunting Yeoman, 153.

Whalley (Rev. John) at the P.H. Races,
1838, 25 ; his graceful riding, 59.

"Whole Duty of Man;" verses on Fox-
preserv ng, 326.

William IV. (King^ ; his horse " Hindoo-
stan " beats Mr. Whitworth's" Peon " at
Northampton Races, 26.

Wood (Jem), First Whip under Lord
Althorp ; a brilliant rider, 21.

Wood (Squire) of Brixworth Hall, 53.

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4to, extra binding, gilt edges, 63J. ; or 12 Parts, 5^. each.

History ; the Medici ; the Humanists ; letters ; arts ; the Renaissance ;

illustrious Florentines; Etruscan art; monuments; sculpture; painting.

SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON, Ld.,

3t. 5o"stan'a ^otise^

FETTER LANE, FLEET STREET, E.G.

Gilbert and Rivington, Ld., St. John's Houst, Clerke&weU Road, B.C.

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