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JOHNA.SEAVERNS 


EVELYN  LAURA, COUNTESS  OF  CRAVEN. 
The  Owner  of  the   Hounds. 


l-rontispiccc. 


TO    EVELYN, 
Countess  of  Craven, 

in  grateful  remembrance  of  her  generosity 

to  the  hunt,  and  of  many  happy  days  passed 

in  the  hunting  field  with  the  late 

Lord  Craven, 

XTbis  Booft  is  2)eMcate&. 


February,  1905. 


The  Compilers  of  the  "  History  of  the  Old  Berks 
Hunt,"  in  presenting  their  book  to  the  Public,  hope 
that  it  may  prove  of  interest  not  only  to  readers  now 
resident  in  the  Old  Berkshire  Country  and  the  sur- 
rounding districts,  but  also  to  those  who  have  known 
it  in  years  gone  by ;  and  to  whom  the  events  and 
incidents  related  may  bring  back  the  memory  of  happy 
days  that  are  past. 

It  has  been  an  object  with  the  Compilers  to  throw 
as  much  light  as  possible  on  the  early  history  of 
Foxhunting  in  England  and  a  chapter  upon  early 
Foxhunting  has  been  added.  Some  interesting  facts 
relating  to  the  early  history  of  other  packs,  such  as 
the  Ledbury,  Bicester,  Heythrop,  Vale  of  White 
Horse,  Old  Berkeley,  South  Oxfordshire,  Craven,  &c., 
are  noted. 

They  trust,  too,  that  it  may  not  prove  altogether 
disappointing  to  those  who  have  so  readily  given 
their  kind  assistance,  the  descendants  and  present 
representatives  of  the  good  sportsmen  of  bygone  days 
whose  deeds  are  recorded  therein. 


NOTICE    OF     THANKS. 

The  Compilers  of  this  "  History  of  the  Old  Berks 
Hunt "  desire  to  thank  the  present,  and  all  former 
Masters,  and  the  representatives  of  Masters  who  have 
passed  away,  for  the  cordial  assistance  they  have 
received  from  them  all  without  exception.  Their  best 
thanks  are  also  due  to  the  Proprietors  of  "  Baily's 
Magazine,"  to  the  Editor  of  "  The  Faringdon  Adver- 
tiser," to  the  Authors  of  the  "  History  of  the  Essex 
Hunt,"  Messrs.  E.  K.  Lenthall,  Frank  Morland,  John 
Blake,  G.  H.  Dawkins,  Miss  Aldworth,  and  many 
others. 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter  I.  page 

The  Early  History  of  Foxhunting  i 

Chapter  II. 
The  Reverend  John  Loder,  1760  to  1805 18 

Chapter  III. 

The   Rev.  Robert  Symonds,  1800  to  1807,  and 

1808  to  1814...         ...         42 

Chapter  IV. 
Mr.  William  Codrington,  1814  to  1824 74 

Chapter  V. 
Mr.  Harvey  Combe,  1824  to  1826 77 

Chapter  VI. 
Lord  Kintore,  Master  1826  to  1830  go 

Chapter  VII. 
The  Hon.  Henry  Moreton,  1830  to  1832 104 

Chapter  VIII. 
Mr.  John  Parker,  1832  to  1833      114 

Chapter  IX. 
The  Earl  of  Radnor,  1833  to  1834  118 

Chapter  X. 

A    Committee,    1834    to    1835.       Mr.    Thomas 

Thornhill  Morland,  1835  to  1847  ...         ...       121 


CONTENTS— (contimied). 


Chapter  XI.  pack 

Mr.  James  Morrell,  1847  to  1858 193 

Chapter  XII. 
Mr.  Charles  Philip  Duffield,  1858  to  1863  •••       209 

Chapter  XIII. 
Mr.  Henley  George  Greaves,  1863  to  1866        ...       228 

Chapter  XIV. 

Messrs.  Starky,  Atkins  and  Duffield,  1866  to  1867. 

Messrs.  Atkins  and  Duffield,  1887  to  1888      245 

Chapter  XV. 

The  Earl  of  Craven  and  Mr.  Tom  Duffield, 
1868  to  1875;  The  Earl  of  Craven,  1875 
to  1884  251 

Chapter  XVI. 

Mr.  Victor  William   Bates  Van  de  Weyer  and 

Mr.  C.  P.  Duffield,  1884  to  1889 298 

Chapter  XVII. 
Mr.  Edward  Cyril  Brown,  1889  to  1891 3^4 

Chapter  XVIII. 
Captain  John  Orr-Ewing,  1891  to  1893 322 

Chapter  XIX. 

Captain  F.  W.  Forester,  1893  ^'^d  1894 335 

Chapter  XX. 
Mr.  Frederick  Charles  Swindell,  1894  to  1898   ...       340 


IX. 


CONTENTS— {continued). 


Chapter  XXI.  page 

Mr.  Edward  Thomas  William  Dunn,  1898  to  1901       350 

Chapter  XXII. 

Mr.   Charles    Booth    Elmsall   Wright,    1901    to 

Present  Time  ...         ...          ...         ...       355 


Post  Scriptum 


.380 


Appendix. 

Masters  of  the  Old  Berks  Hounds 
Presidents  of  the  Old  Berks  Hunt  Club 
Map  of  the  Country... 

List  of  Meets  

Index  ... 


383 
384 
385 
386 

387 


LIST    OF    PLATES. 


Evelyn  Laura,  Countess  of  Craven 

Rev.  John  Loder 

Willoughby  Bertie,  4th  Earl  of  Abingdon 

Rycott  House      

Hinton  Manor     ... 

Harvey  Combe,  Esq.     ... 

Anthony   Adrian    Keith-Falconer,    7th 

Earl  of  Kintore 
The  Hon.  Henry  Moreton 

Mr.  John  Parker 

William  Pleydell-Bouverie,  3rd  Earl  of 

Radnor 
'*  Cannon  Ball "  with  "  Prudence  "  and 

"Bathsheba"  

James  Morrell,  Esq. 

Charles  Philip  Duffield,  Esq.    ... 

Henley  Graves,  Esq.     ... 

Thomas  Duffield,  Esq 

George  Grimston  Craven,  3rd  Earl  of 

Craven 
John  Treadwell  ... 
Victor  Van  de  Weyer,  Esq. 
Sir  Nicholas  William  George  Throck 

morton,  9th  Baronet 
Edward  Cyril  Brown,  Esq. 

Captain  John  Orr-Ewing  

Captain  Francis  William  Forester 
Frederick  Charles  Swindell,  Esq. 
Edward  Thomas  William  Dunn,  Esq 
Charles  Booth  Elmsall  Wright,  Esq... 
Old  Berkshire  Hounds.    Opening  Meet 

at  Tubney  House,  1902     ... 


Frontispiece. 
To  face  p.  19 
25 
35 
43 
77 

91 
,,  105 
„   114 

„  117 
,,   121 

n  193 

,,  209 

,,  228 

,,  246 

„  251 
M  275 
„    298 

„    308 

n  314 
„    322 

M  335 

-  340 

.-  350 

..  355 

„   368 


A      HISTORY 


OF    THE 


OLD    BERKS    HUNT, 


CHAPTER   I. 

The  Early  History  of  Foxhunting. 

The  present  condition  of  foxhunting  in 
England,  with  its  accompanying  division  of 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land  into  terri- 
tories or  countries  hunted  regularly  and  sys- 
tematically by  particular  packs  of  hounds,  with 
a  complete  organisation  for  the  preservation  of 
foxes  and  the  promotion  of  sport,  is  a  very 
remarkable  result  of  the  action  of  the  old  love 
of  sport  which  we  have  inherited  from  our 
savage  ancestors,  and  which  has  in  this 
manner  adapted  itself  to  modern  conditions. 
This  development  has  had  an  enormous  social 
influence  upon  country  life,  and  has  proved 
itself  of  no  small  importance  in  shaping  the 
national  character.  How  many  of  that  first 
batch  of  gallant  yeomen  who  sprang  to  arms 


2  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNl 

five  years  ago  in  the  hour  of  their  country's 
difficulty,  and  who  did  such  splendid  service 
for  their  native  land  in  South  Africa,  were 
trained  in  the  hunting  field  !  The  social  influ- 
ence of  a  sport,  which  is  at  once  the  most 
aristocratic  and  the  most  democratic  of  all 
pastimes,  can  hardly  be  over-rated.  Fox- 
hunting provides  a  neutral  ground  upon  which 
all  classes  meet  and  learn  to  mutually  respect 
and  know  each  other.  Any  facts  relating  to 
the  first  establishment  of  one  of  the  oldest 
recognised  English  hunts  must  be  of  interest 
to  so  many,  that  we  deem  no  apology  necessary 
for  offering  to  the  public  these  notes  relating 
to  the  history  of  the  Old  Berks  Hunt. 

Foxhunting  in  the  modern  sense  is  a  pro- 
duct of  the  eighteenth  century.  In  the  well- 
known  book,  "  The  Gentleman's  Recreation," 
published  in  1697,  a  description  is  given  "Of 
the  various  Stiles  of  Hunting."  These  "Stiles" 
are  described  in  the  following  order  :  — 

ist    Of  Hart-Hunting. 

2nd  Of  Buck- Hunting. 

3rd  Of  Roe-Hunting. 

4th  Of  Rain-deer- Hunting. 

5th  Of  Hare- Hunting. 

6th  Of  Coney- Hunting. 

7th  Of  Fox-Hunting, 

8th  Of  Badger- Hunting. 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  FOXHUNTING  3 

9th  Of  Otter- Hunting. 

loth  Of  Squirrel- Hunting, 

nth  Of  the  Marten  and  Wild  Cat. 

Foxhunting  is  thus  described,  though  much 
less  is  said  about  it  than  of  the  more  important 
buck  and  harehunting. 

**  Fox-Hunting  is  very  pleasant  ;  for  by 
reason  of  his  hot  strong  scent  he  maketh  an 
excellent  cry  :  and  as  his  scent  is  hottest  at 
hand,  so  it  dies  soonest.  Besides  which  he 
never  flies  far  before  the  hounds,  trusting  not 
on  his  Legs,  Strength,  or  Champion  ground,  but 
strongest  Coverts.  When  he  can  no  longer 
stand  up  before  the  hounds,  he  then  taketh 
Earth,  and  then  he  must  be  digged  out." 

Some  curious  details  follow  as  to  the  habits 
of  the  animal  when  coursed  by  greyhounds, 
for  these  we  must  refer  our  readers  to  the 
work  in  question.  Another  sporting  writer 
repeats  the  story  in  the  Universal  Magazine^ 
published  in  1747,  with  the  addition  that  he 
himself  saw  a  fox  behave  in  this  way. 

The  account  continues  : — 

"  The  Fox  is  taken  with  Hounds,  Grey- 
Hounds,  Terriers,  Nets  and  Gins. 

"  Of  Terriers  there  are  two  sorts.  The  one 
is  crooked  legged,  and  commonly  short  haired  ; 
and  these  will  take  earth  well,  and  will  lie  long 
at  Fox  or  Badger.     The  other  sort  is  shagged 


4  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

and  streight  legged  ;  and  these  will  not  only 
Hunt  above  ground,  as  other  hounds,  but  also 
enter  the  earth  with  much  more  fury  than  the 
former ;  but  cannot  stay  so  long  by  reason  of 
their  great  eagerness.  The  times  of  entering 
these  terriers  is  when  they  are  near  a  twelve 
month  old ;  for  if  you  enter  him  not  within 
this  time,  you  will  hardly  after  bring  him  to 
take  the  earth.  And  to  encourage  the  young- 
Terrier  the  more  put  in  an  old  one  before  him, 
that  can  better  endure  the  fury  of  the  Fox  or 
Badger  ;  and  be  careful  that  neither  of  them 
be  old  when  you  engage  your  young  Terrier 
with  him. 

"  Now  to  say  the  truth,  there  is  not  much 
pastime  or  pleasure  in  Hunting  of  a  Fox 
under-ground,  for  as  soon  as  that  subtle 
creature  perceiveth  the  Terriers,  if  they  Bay 
hard,  and  lie  near  unto  them,  they  will  bolt 
out  immediately,  unless  it  be  when  the  bitch 
hath  young  cubs,  then  they  will  sooner  die 
than  stir." 

We  entirely  concur  in  this  estimate  of  the 
pleasure  of  this  form  of  "  Hunting,"  Our 
author  continues  : — ■ 

"  But  it  will  be  necessary  to  stop  up  his 
earths,  if  you  can  find  them,  the  night  before 
you  intend  to  hunt  ;  and  the  best  time  will  be 
about  midnight,  for  then  the  Fox  goeth  out  to 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  FOXHUNTING  5 

seek  his  Prey.  You  may  stop  his  holes  by 
laying  two  white  sticks  across  before  them 
which  will  make  him  imagine  it  is  some  Gin 
or  Trap  laid  for  him  ;  or  else  you  may  stop 
them  up  close  with  Black  Thorns  and  Earth 
together. 

"The  best  Hunting  a  Fox  above  ground  is 
in  January,  February,  and  March,  for  then  you 
shall  best  see  your  hounds  Hunting,  and  best 
find  his  Earthing ;  besides  which  at  such  times 
the  Fox's  Skin  is  best  in  season.  Again,  the 
Hounds  best  Hunt  the  Fox  in  the  coldest 
weather,  because  he  leaveth  a  very  strong 
scent  behind  him  ;  yet  in  cold  weather  it  chills 
fastest. 

•*  At  first  only  cast  off  your  sure  Finders, 
and  as  the  Drag  mends,  so  add  more  as 
you  dare  trust  them.  Shun  Casting  off  too 
many  hounds  at  once,  because  Woods  and 
Coverts  are  full  of  sundry  Chases,  and  so  you 
may  engage  them  in  too  many  at  one  time. 
Let  such  as  you  set  off  at  first  be  old  staunch 
hounds,  which  are  sure  ;  and  if  you  hear  such 
a  hound  call  on  merrily,  you  may  cast  off  some 
other  to  him ;  and  when  they  run  it  on  the  full 
cry,  cast  off  the  rest ;  and  thus  you  shall  com- 
pleat  your  Pastime.  The  words  of  Comfort 
are  the  same  which  are  used  in  the  other 
Chases,  attended  with  the  same  Hollo  wings  and 
other  Ceremonies. 


6  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

**  Let  the  Hounds  kill  the  Fox  themselves ; 
and  worry  and  hare  (sic)  him  as  much  as  they 
like.  Many  Hounds  will  eat  him  with  eager- 
ness. When  he  is  dead,  hang  him  at  the  end 
of  a  Pikestaff,  and  holloa  in  all  your  hounds  to 
Bay  at  him  ;  but  reward  them  not  with  any- 
thing belonging  to  the  Fox ;  for  it  is  not  good  ; 
neither  will  they  eat  it." 

In  this  description  we  see  clearly  that  fox- 
hunting was  only  an  occasional  sport.  It  was 
necessary  to  cast  off  "  Finders,"  because  the 
other  hounds  would  be  sure  to  run  riot.  Here, 
too,  we  see  the  influence  of  buck  hunting. 
The  hounds  would  not  eat  the  fox,  "  because 
it  is  not  good."  In  the  same  work  we  read 
that  "  The  greatest  subtlety  a  Huntsman  need 
use  in  the  Hunting  of  the  Buck,  is  to  beware 
of  Hunting  Counter  or  Change,  because  of  the 
plenty  of  Fallow  Deer,  which  use  to  come 
directly  on  the  hounds."  Probably  this  book 
was  a  little  antiquated  when  it  was  written, 
and  was  even  then  based  upon  the  traditions 
of  the  past.  Bucks  can  hardly  have  been  very 
numerous  in  England  in  1697,  and  foxhunting 
was  even  then  becoming;  a  recognised  amuse- 
ment  of  country  gentlemen,  though  an  "Essay 
on  Hunting"  published  in  1733  treats  of  hare- 
hunting  alone. 

The  typical   country  gentleman   of   171 1    is 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  FOXHUNTING  7 

thus    described  by  Addison  in   The  Spectator, 
in  a  well-known  passage  : — 

"  My  friend  Sir  Roger  (de  Coverley)  has 
been  an  indefatigable  man  in  business  of  this 
kind,  and  has  hung  several  parts  of  his  house 
with  the  trophies  of  his  former  labours.  The 
walls  of  his  great  hall  are  covered  with  the 
horns  of  several  kinds  of  deer  he  has  killed 
in  the  chase,  which  he  thinks  the  most  valuable 
furniture  of  his  house,  as  they  afford  him 
frequent  topics  of  discourse,  and  show  that  he 
has  not  been  idle.  At  the  lower  end  of  the 
hall  is  a  large  otter's  skin,  stuffed  with  hay, 
which  his  mother  ordered  to  be  hung  up  in  that 
manner,  and  the  knight  looks  upon  with  great 
satisfaction  ;  because  it  seems  he  was  but  nine 
years  old,  when  his  dog  killed  him.  A  little 
room  adjoining  the  hall  is  a  kind  of  arsenal, 
filled  with  guns  of  several  sizes  and  inventions ; 
with  which  the  knight  has  made  great  havock 
in  the  woods,  and  destroyed  many  thousands 
of  pheasants,  partridges,  and  woodcocks.  His 
stable  doors  are  patched  with  *  noses '  that 
belonged  to  foxes  of  the  knight's  own  hunt- 
ing down.  Sir  Roger  showed  me  one  of  them 
that  for  distinction  sake  has  a  brass  nail  stuck 
through  it,  which  cost  him  about  fifteen  hours 
riding,  and  carried  him  through  half  a  dozen 
counties,   killed  him  a  brace  of  geldings,   and 


8  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

lost  above  half  his  dogs.  This  the  knight 
looks  upon  as  one  of  the  greatest  exploits  of 
his  life.  The  perverse  widow,  whom  I  have 
given  some  account  of,  was  the  cause  of  the 
death  of  several  foxes  ;  for  Sir  Roger  has  told 
me  that  in  the  course  of  his  amours  he  patched 
up  the  western  door  of  his  stable.  Whenever 
the  widow  was  cruel  the  fox  was  sure  to  pay 
for  it.  In  proportion  as  his  passion  for  the 
widow  abated  and  old  age  came  on,  he  left 
his  foxhunting ;  but  a  hare  is  not  yet  safe  that 
sits  within  ten  miles  of  his  house.  There  is 
no  kind  of  exertion  which  I  would  so  recom- 
mend to  my  readers  of  both  sexes  as  this  of 
riding,  as  there  is  none  which  so  much 
conduces  to  health,  and  is  in  every  way 
accomodated  to  the  body,  according  to  the 
idea  which  I  have  of  it.  Doctor  Sydenham 
is  very  lavish  in  its  praises,  and  if  the  Eng- 
lish reader  will  see  the  mechanical  effects 
described  at  length  he  may  find  them  in  a 
book  published  not  many  years  since  under 
the  title  of  the  '  Medicina  Gymnastica'." 

In  1 71 5,  however,  Addison  published  in  the 
Freeholder  a  far  less  sympathetic  account  of 
the  Foxhunter,  in  the  form  of  an  amusing  skit 
upon  "That  rank  of  men  who  are  commonly 
distinguished  by  the  title  of  Fox-hunters.  As 
several   of  these    have  had    no    part   of  their 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  FOXHUNTING  9 

education  in  cities,  camps,  or  courts,  it  is 
doubtful  whether  they  are  of  the  greater  orna- 
ment or  use  to  the  nation  in  which  they  Hve. 
It  would  be  an  everlasting  reproach  to  politics 
should  such  men  be  able  to  overturn  an  estab- 
lishment, which  has  been  formed  by  the  wisest 
laws,  and  is  supported  by  the  ablest  heads. 
The  wrong  notions,  and  prejudices  which 
cleave  to  many  of  these  country  gentlemen, 
who  have  always  lived  out  of  the  way  of 
being  better  informed,  are  not  easy  to  be  con- 
ceived by  a  person  who  has  never  conversed 
with  them." 

This  essay  of  Addison  was  part  of  a 
systematic  attack  upon  the  country  party, 
supporters  of  the  "  October  Club,"  by  a  keen 
Whig  partisan,  a  member  of  the  rival  political 
club,  the  "  Kit-Cat,"  and  must  therefore  be 
taken  with  a  grain  of  salt.  We  must  remem- 
ber, too,  that  at  this  time  jeers  at  country 
gentlemen  were  very  popular  with  the  Wits 
in  Town,  as  we  see,  for  example,  by  the 
characters  of  "  Bob  Acres,"  and  "  Squire 
Western." 

Addison's  picture  of  Sir  Roger  de  Coverley, 
and  it  is  a  very  charming  one,  is  probably  a 
very  accurate  portrait  of  the  country  gentle- 
man of  the  day.  Several  circumstances  com- 
bined   to    make    the    position    very   agreeable 


lo  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

in  the  eighteenth  century.  There  had  been 
an  almost  continuous  rise  of  prices,  and 
therefore  of  rents,  from  the  time  of  the  dis- 
covery of  the  treasures  of  the  New  World. 
Country  life  was  still  of  a  simple  nature.  The 
great  rise  of  the  manufacturing  industries  of 
the  country  had  not  yet  absorbed  a  large 
proportion  of  the  services  of  the  working 
classes  ;  so  that  wages  had  not  advanced  in 
proportion  to  the  general  rise  in  prices.  That 
cruel  burden,  the  "  Estate  Duty,"  had  not  been 
imposed.  A  heavy  income  tax  was  raised,  it 
is  true,  on  the  rent  of  land  in  the  form  of 
'•  Land  Tax "  ;  but  it  had  not  yet  occurred 
to  legislators  to  argue  that  this  was  no  tax 
at  all,  for  the  reason  that  it  had  been  imposed 
for  a  long  period,  and  that  it  must  therefore 
be  supplemented  by  an  "  Income  Tax."  Thus 
it  came  about  that  a  larger  proportion  of  the 
incomes  of  the  country  gentlemen  of  those 
days  could  be  expended  on  the  amusements 
of  the  field.  Private  packs  of  hounds  became 
fairly  numerous,  though  foxes  were  very 
scarce,  so  that  foxhunting  was  chiefly  carried 
on  in  the  neighbourhood  of  great  woodlands, 
where  alone  foxes  could  be  found ;  and  when 
found,  he  was  more  of  a  wild  animal  and  would 
endure  before  hounds  for  a  longer  time  than 
the  preserved    fox    of  modern  days.     At    the 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  FOXHUNTING  ir 

commencement  of  the  eighteenth  century  no 
distinct  breed  of  foxhound  existed.  Hounds 
were  kept  to  hunt  deer,  hares,  foxes,  martens, 
or  otters,  as  occasion  might  offer.  We  are 
expressly  told  in  the  work  already  quoted 
that  "there  are  in  England  and  Scotland  two 
kinds  of  Hunting  Dogs,  and  nowhere  else  in 
all  the  world.  The  first  kind  is  called  *  Ane 
Rache '  and  this  is  a  foot  scenting  creature 
of  all  wild  beasts,  birds  and  fishes  also. 
The  second  is  called  in  Scotland  a 
'  Sluth  Hound,'  being  a  little  greater  than 
the  Hunting  hound."  We  are  also  told  that 
"  The  best  way  of  entering  hounds  is  at  the 
Hare,  for  thereby  they  will  learn  all  doubles 
and  turns,  and  better  know  the  Halloo  and 
will  be  tender  nosed  and  better  scented, 
by  using  the  beaten  Ways  and  Champion 
Grounds." 

The  following  is  a  description  of  the  old 
English  hound  by  Whittaker  in  the  beginning 
of  the  eighteenth  century  : — 

"  This  valuable  Hound  is  distinguished 
by  its  great  size  and  strength.  Its  body  is 
long,  its  chest  deep,  its  ears  long  and  sweep- 
ing, and  the  tone  of  its  voice  peculiarly  deep 
and  mellow.  From  the  particular  form  of  its 
organs,  it  is  endued  with  the  most  exquisite 
sense  of  smelling,  and    can   often    distinguish 


12  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

the  scent  an  hour  after  the  Hghter  Beagles 
have  given  up.  Their  slowness  also  dis- 
poses them  to  receive  the  directions  of  the 
Huntsman;  but  as  they  are  able  to  hunt  a 
cold  scent,  they  are  too  apt  to  make  it  so, 
by  their  want  of  speed  and  tedious  exactness. 
These  Dogs  were  once  common  in  every  part 
of  this  Island,  and  were  formerly  much  larger 
than  they  are  at  present ;  the  breed,  which 
has  gradually  been  declining,  and  its  size 
studiously  reduced  by  a  mixture  of  other 
kinds,  in  order  to  increase  its  speed,  is  now 
almost  extinct." 

These,   no    doubt,   are    the  hounds  Shakes- 
peare had  in  mind  : — 

"  My  Hounds  are  bred  out  of  the  Spartan 

Kind 
So  flewed,   so    sanded  ;    and    their   heads 

are  huno- 
With  ears  that  sweep  away  the  morning 

dew  ; 
Crook-knee'd   and  dew    lap'd  like    Thes- 

salian  bulls 
Slow   in    pursuit,    but    match'd    in    mouth 

like  bells 
Each  under  each." 

— Midsu7mner  Nighfs  Dream,  iv.  i. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century 
the  process  of  differentiation  was  nearly  com- 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  FOXHUNTING  13 

plete.  Many  packs  of  hounds  were  kept  to 
hunt  the  fox  alone  ;  while  the  science  of  fox- 
hunting had  become  pretty  much  what  it  is 
at  the  present  day,  when  Beckford  published 
his  celebrated  *'  Thoughts  on  Hare  and  Fox 
Hunting,"  the  first  edition  of  which  appeared 
in  1782.*  Hunting  still,  however,  remained 
a  matter  of  purely  private  interest  until  the 
nineteenth  century.  It  is  singular  how  few 
are  the  references  to  hunting  in  the  early 
numbers  of  the  Sporting  Magazine.  Cock- 
fighting,  prize-fighting  and  duelling  evidently 
excited  far  greater  interest  in  those  days. 
Later  on  the  growing  interest  is  well  shown 
by    the     more    frequent    allusions.       Readers 


*  The  author  of  this  work,  Peter  Beckford  of 
Stepleton,  Dorsetshire,  was  born  in  1740.  He  was 
the  son  of  Julines  Beckford,  whose  brother,  WiUiam 
Beckford,  was  the  celebrated  Lord  Mayor,  and  father 
of  the  author  of  "  Vathek,"  who  lived  at  Fonthill 
Abbey.  These  two  brothers  came  to  England  from 
Jamaica  with  large  fortunes.  Five  years  after  the 
birth  of  Peter  his  father  purchased  the  house  and 
manor  of  Stepleton-Iwerne,  Dorsetshire,  together  with 
certain  sporting  rights  in  Cranbourne  Chase  from 
Thomas  Fownes.  Mr.  Fownes  was  an  excellent 
sportsman,  and  kept  hounds  with  which  he  hunted 
the  fox.  Cranbourne  Chase  was  an  old  royal  hunting 
ground,  and  doubtless  at  that  time  afforded  plenty  of 
game  of  sorts.  Peter  was  educated  at  Westminster 
School.  After  his  return  home  he  commenced  to  keep 
harriers,  but  he  soon  deserted  the  hare  for  the  fox. 
He  says,  himself:  "  By  inclination  I  was  never,  indeed. 


14  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

began  to  ask  for  hunting  notes,  and  the  Editor 
appealed  to  his  subscribers  for  contributions 
to  enable  him  to  meet  the  new  and  growing 
demand.  The  increasing  popularity  of  the 
sport  was  not  accepted,  however  without  con- 
siderable opposition.  Indeed,  at  one  time  it 
seemed  probable  that  the  new  pastime  would 
be  altogether  stopped  by  the  opposition  of 
the  owners  and  occupiers  of  land.  In  the 
first  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century  a  whole 
crop  of  actions  for  trespass  took  place,  as,  for 
example,  the  following  : — 

In  the  Sporting  Magazine  of  1807,  mention 
is  made  "of  a  most  excellent  hunt "  by  "The 
Gentleman's  subscription  hounds, "formerly  Lord 

a  hare  hunter.  I  followed  this  diversion  more  for  air 
and  exercise  than  for  amusement,  and  if  I  could  have 
persuaded  myself  to  ride  on  the  turnpike  road  to  the 
three-mile  stone,  and  back  again,  I  should  have  thought 
I  had  no  need  for  a  pack  of  harriers."  He  also 
says  of  his  country  :  "  The  hare  hunting  is  so  bad  that, 
did  you  know  it,  your  wonder  would  be  how  I  could 
have  persevered  in  it  so  long,  not  that  I  should  forsake 
it  now."  Peter  Beckford  was  a  most  accomplished 
man,  and  it  was  said  of  him  by  a  contemporary  writer 
that  "  never  had  fox  or  hare  the  honour  of  being  chased 
to  death  by  so  accomplished  a  huntsman  ;  never  was 
huntsman's  dinner  graced  '  by  such  urbanity  and  wit.' 
he  would  bag  a  fox  in  Greek,  find  a  hare  in  Latin, 
inspect  his  kennels  in  Italian,  and  direct  the  economy 
of  stables  in  exquisite  French."  Besides  his  sporting 
writing  he  was  the  author  of  "  Familar  Letters  from 
Italy  to  a  Friend  in  England." 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  FOXHUNTING  15 

Berkeley's,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Windsor, 
In  1809  these  hounds  were  managed  by  the 
Reverend  and  Honourable  William  Capel,  his 
huntsman  being  Thomas  Oldaker.  On  July 
24th,  1809  3.n  action  at  law  was  tried  before 
Lord  EUenborough  and  a  special  jury,  between 
Lord  Essex  and  Mr.  Capel,  for  trespass  by 
the  latter  gentleman,  while  hunting  in  the 
woods  of  Lord  Essex,  The  defence  was  that 
the  fox  was  found  on  land  not  belong-ino-  to 
Lord  Essex,  and  that  Mr.  Capel  in  pursuit  of 
a  "noxious  animal"  was  entitled  by  old  hunt- 
ing law  to  follow  in  "  Quick  pursuit "  until 
killed.  The  reply  of  Lord  Essex's  counsel 
was  that  the  destruction  of  a  "  noxious  animal " 
was  not  the  real  object  of  the  trespass,  and 
that  even  if  such  were  the  law,  it  could  form 
no  excuse  for  Mr.  Capel  coming  accompanied 
by  a  couple  of  hundred  bankers,  stockbrokers 
and  other  wealthy  men  from  London.  At 
this  point  Lord  EUenborough  stopped  the 
case,  saying  "  that  it  was  against  all  reason 
and  conviction  ;  "  and  he  directed  the  jury  to 
find  for  the  plaintiff,  which  they  promptly  did, 
assessing  the  damage  at  forty  shillings,  in  each 
of  the  half-dozen  other  cases  which  were  pend- 
ing on  the  result  of  the  test  action.  Lord 
EUenborough  then  pointed  out  that  one  shil- 
ling was  all  the  damage    claimed,   whereupon 


i6  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

the  jury  reduced  the  amount  to   that  sum  in 
each  case." 

After   this,   a    whole    crop  of  actions    arose 
against     Mr.     Capel     and    his     friends,     and 
even  against  the  huntsman,  Thomas  Oldaker. 
Amongst  others,  the  Marquis  of  Abergavenny 
brought  an  action  against  Mr.   Capel.      Many 
letters    appeared    in    the    sporting   press    com- 
plaining of  the  growing  antipathy  to  hunting, 
and  it  seemed  for  the  moment  as  if  the  sport 
would  be  stamped  out,  just  as  it  was  beginning 
to  become  generally  popular.      In   1811   a  sin- 
gular proclamation    against    the    Bel  voir  Hunt 
was  issued    by  Sir  William    Manners:    "The 
Lord  of  the   Manor  of  Grantham   having  for 
years    suffered    incalculable    damage  from    the 
depredations   of  the   Belvoir  hounds,  prosecu- 
tions will  be  commenced  against  any  persons 
hunting  with  the  said  hounds  and  trespassing 
on  any  of  the  lands  belonging  to  Sir  William 
Manners,  and  situated  in  any  of  the  following 
parishes "    (then    follows    a  list    of    thirty-four 
parishes).     A   Mr.   Robinson  also   brought  an 
action  for  hunting  trespass  against   the  Duke 
of   Rutland,   and    more   actions   were    brought 
against    Mr.   Wood,   successor   to    Mr.   Capel, 
as    Master    of   the   "  Old    Berkeley   hounds  "  ; 
while    in    Sutherland,    an    "  Anti-foxite    club" 
was    formed    by    the    "  Nobility,    gentry    and 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  FOXHUNTING  17 

farmers."  It  speaks  volumes  for  the  real 
merit  of  foxhunting  that  such  determined 
opposition  as  it  encountered  in  the  beginning 
of  the  nineteenth  century  should  have  been 
fairly  lived  down. 

A  former  Lord  Wilton,  quoted  by  the  Duke 
of  Beaufort  in  the  Badminton  series,  says  it 
was  not  until  1750  that  hounds  were  entered 
solely  to  fox.  We  shall  show,  at  any  rate, 
that  the  country  now  known  as  the  '*  Old 
Berks "  has  been  continuously  hunted  by  a 
regularly  established  pack  of  hounds  entered 
solely  to  fox,  from  1760.  The  Old  Berkshire 
Hounds  may  well  claim,  therefore,  to  rank 
amongst  the  oldest  packs  in  England.  The 
name  Old  Berkshire  dates  back  to  at  least 
1809.* 


*  It  is  the  custom  to  speak  of  the  Old  Berks  Hunt 
and  Old  Berks  country,  but  of  the  Old  Berkshire 
Hounds. 


i8 


CHAPTER    II. 
The   Reverend   John  Loder,  1760  to  1805. 

A  PACK  such  as  we  have  been  describing 
had  been  kept  for  years  by  the  Rev.  John 
Loder,  M.A.,  of  Oriel  College,  Oxford, 
Rector  of  Hinton  Waldrlst,  and  Lord  of  the 
Manors  of  Hinton  and  Lon^worth. 

The  Loders  were  an  old  Berkshire  family. 
Landowners  at  Princes  Harwell  in  the  time 
of  Queen  Elizabeth,  Robert  Loder,  who  died 
in  1644,  was  a  benefactor  to  the  parish, 
whose  name  is  still  had  in  remembrance  there. 
His  son,  John  Loder,  married  Mary  Barrett, 
and  with  her  obtained  the  seat  and  estate 
of  Balstone  Park  near  Newbury.  This  John 
Loder  was  the  owner  of  Balstone  Park,  of 
the  whole  parish  of  Hinton  Waldrist,  of  a 
great  part  of  Longworth,  of  Barcote,  and  of 
Inglesham  near  Lechlade,  all  in  Berkshire. 
Balstone  Park  was  settled  on  his  son  Charles, 
who  married  Elizabeth,  eldest  daughter  of  Sir 
Jonathan  Raymond,  Bart.  Charles  Loder  left 
a    daughter,     Anne,    who     married     Thomas 


Mr.    JOHN    LODER. 

Founder  of  the  Old  Berkshire  Hunt,   Master  1760  to  1805.     From  a  picture    in  the 
possession  of  Capt.  Loder-Symonds,  about  1755. 


To  face  page  ig. 


THE  REV.  JOHN  LODER  19 

Whitly.  The  Rev.  John  Loder  was  the 
grandson  of  this  Charles  by  another  daughter, 
Mary,  who  married  her  cousin,  the  Rev.  Sey- 
mour Loder,  Rector  of  Hinton.  John  Loder 
was  born  in  1725.  He  inherited  Hinton,  and 
a  great  part  of  the  parish  of  Longworth  ;  Bar- 
cote  being  left  to  his  younger  brother  Charles. 

John  Loder's  father  died  while  his  son  was 
still  young,  and  he  appears  to  have  com- 
menced keeping  hounds  almost  as  soon  as  he 
came  into  his  property.  His  country  naturally 
was  formed  from  the  preserves  of  his  friends 
round  Hinton,  and  as  his  residence  was  on 
the  northern  boundary  of  Berkshire,  it  equally 
naturally  crossed  the  Thames  into  Oxfordshire, 
and  included  the  extensive  coverts  of  his 
intimate  friend  Mr.  Maximilian  Western,  of 
Cokethorpe.  Tar  Wood,  close  by,  was  in  the 
Oxfordshire  country  of  the  Duke  of  Beaufort, 
who  only  hunted  it  for  a  portion  of  the  year, 
so  Mr.  Loder  had  no  difficulty  in  obtaining 
permission  to  draw  it  when  the  Duke's  hounds 
were  in  their  home  country.  Although  many 
changes  have  taken  place  since  John  Loder 
commenced  keeping  hounds  nearly  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  ago,  the  boundaries  of  the 
present  country  remain  pretty  much  what  they 
were  in  those  early  days. 

For  the  following  account  of  a  run,  which 


20  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

lasted  for  five  hours  and  ten  minutes,  with 
Mr.  Loder's  hounds  in  1766,  we  are  indebted 
to  Mr.  Walter  Money,  F.S.A.  The  lines  were 
written  by  the  fourth  Lord  Abingdon. 

An  Account  of  a  Chase  which  took  Place 
IN  Berkshire  in  the  Year  1766. 

Hark,  Hark,  Jolly  Sportsmen,  awhile  to  my  tale. 
Which  to  gain  your  attention,  I  hope  will  not  fail, 
'Tis  of  lads  and  of  horses,  and  of  dogs  that  ne'er  tire 
O'er  stone  walls  and  hedges,  thro'  dale,  bog  and  briar. 
A  pack  of  such  hounds,  and  a  set  of  such  men, 
'Tis  a  great  chance  if  ever  you  meet  with  again. 
Had  Nimrod  the  stoutest  of  hunters,  been  there, 
Egad  he'd  have  shook,  like  an  Aspen,  for  fear. 

In  seventeen  hundred  and  sixty  and  six, 

The  beginning  of  March  for  our  hunt  we  did  fix, 

At  five  in  the  morning  by  most  of  the  clocks. 

We  rode  from  Bright walton  to  try  for  a  fox. 

The  Betterton  squire,  and  the  bold  Johnny  Boot, 

While  some  went  on  horseback,  and  some  went  on 

foot. 
Bob  Ready,  Jack  Loder,  the  huntsman  so  stout, 
Sam  Southby,  with  others  and  so  we  set  out. 

We  had  cast  off  the  hounds  for  an  hour  or  more 

When  Wanton  set  up  a  most  terrible  roar, 

"  Hark  to  Wanton,"  cries  Tom  ;  and  the  rest  were  not 

slack, 
(For  Wanton's  no  trifler  esteemed  by  the  pack). 
Old  Bonny  and  Collier  came  readily  in. 
And  every  dog  joined  in  the  musical  din  ; 
Had  Diana  been  there,  she'd  been  pleased  to  the  life, 
And  some  of  the  lads  got  a  goddess  to  wife. 


THE  REV.  JOHN  LODER  21 

Ten  minutes  past  nine  was  the  time  of  the  day, 
When  Reynard  unkennelled,  and  this  was  his  play  : — 
From  the  Common  of  Beedon  to  Langley  he  stray'd, 
By  Bradley  he  passed,  not  at  all  was  dismayed, 
To  Thatcham  wood  hence,  and  to  Wollington  then, 
The  steep  hill  he  had  climbed,  but  was  stopp'd  by 

the  men. 
Through  Shaw  woods  he  passed,  leapt  the  Major's 

high  wall, 
And  seemed  to  say — little  I  value  you  all. 

By  bushes  and  groves  up  to  Donnington  Bourns, 
Tom  Stanbroke  and  Wildface  kept  leading  by  turns. 
The  earth  it  was  open,  but  Reynard  was  stout 
And  could  have  got  in,  but  he  chose  to  keep  out. 
To  Squire  Henshaw's  Palace  away  then  he  flew, 
And  at  Winterbourne  Common  we  had  him  in  view  ; 
He  shot  through  the  village,  and  thinking  no  harm, 
He  pass'd  by  us  all  up  to  Winterbourne  Farm. 

Through    Chaddleworth   Woods    like    an    arrow   he 

passed. 
And  came  to  the  village  of  Catmore  at  last ; 
There  cunningly  Reynard  jumped  into  the  Church, 
And  thought  he  had  left  all  the  dogs  in  the  lurch. 
But  soon  to  his  cost,  he  perceived  that  no  bounds 
Could  stop  the  pursuit  of  the  staunch  mettled  hounds  ; 
His  policy  here  did  not  serve  him  a  rush. 
Five  couple  of  hounds  were  hard  at  his  brush. 

"  I'll  recover  the  ground,"  to  himself  then  he  cried, 
But  'ere  he  could  reach  to  the  farmer's  backside. 
He  found  both  of  speed  and  of  cunning  a  lack, 
Being  waylaid  and  killed  by  the  rest  of  the  pack. 
At  his  death  there  were  present  all  those  I  have  sung, 
Save  Johnny,  who  riding  a  jackass  was  flung. 
Thus  ended  at  last  a  most  capital  chace 
That  lasted  five  hours  and  ten  minutes  space. 


22  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

We  returned  to  the  Berkshire  plentiful  board 
Where  dwells  hospitality  Southby  the  lord ; 
We  talked  of  the  chace,  and  we  toasted  the  health 
Of  the  man  who  ne'er  varied  for  places  or  wealth. 
"  Johnny  Boot  baulked  a  leap,"  said  Tom  Stanbroke, 

•'  'twas  odd  ;  " 
"  'Twas  shameful,"  cried  Sam,  "  by  the  great  living 

G  .  d." 
Said  Wildface — "  I  holload  '  Get  on  though  you  fall, 
Or  I'll  leap  over  thee,  thy  grey  gelding  and  all.'  " 

Each  glass  was  adapted  to  freedom  and  sport ; 

For  party  affairs  we  consigned  to  the  court ; 

Thus  we  finished  the  first  of  the  day  and  the  night, 

In  gay  flowing  bumpers  and  social  delight. 

Then,  till  the  next  meeting,  bid  farewell  each  brother. 

For  some  they  went  one  way  and  some  went  another. 

And  as  Phoebus  befriended  our  earlier  roam. 

So  Luna  took  care  in  escorting  us  home. 

Of  the  persons  mentioned,  we  may  note  that 
"Wildface"  was  the  nom  de  plmne  of  Wil- 
loughby,  Earl  of  Abingdon  ;  "  The  Betterton 
Squire"  was  Mr.  Ferdinando  Collins,  grand- 
father of  the  late  Rev.  John  Ferdinando 
Collins  of  Betterton.  "  Johnny  Boot,"  Mr. 
John  Boote  of  Wantage,  owned  the  property 
now  known  as  "Stirlings,"  where  he  lived. 
"  The  Betterton  Squire "  married  Catherine 
Boote.  "  Bob  Ready  "  was  brother-in-law  to 
the  Rev,  John  Loder,  "  The  Huntsman  so 
bold,"  Mr.  Loder  having  married  Barbara 
Ready.  Sam  Southby,  was  one  of  the  family 
of  the  Southbys  of  Appleton,  Hodcot,  Chievely 


THE  REV.  JOHN  LODER  23 

and  Winterbourne,  a  younger  branch  of  the 
Southbys  of  Carswell.  Sam  Southby  lived  at 
Winterbourne  Manor,  lately  owned  by  the 
Fisher  family.  He  was  a  Lieutenant  in  the 
Berks  Militia  and  married  a  daughter  of  Mr. 
Blandy  of  Oakash,  Chaddleworth.  "  Tom 
Stanbroke"  lived  at  Furzen  Hill,  Stockcross, 
now  part  of  the  Benham  Estate,  where  the 
Stanbrokes  remained  as  owners  until  some 
time  after  1837.  The  line  of  this  five  hours 
and  ten  minutes  run  of  1766,  seems  to  have 
been  from  Beedon  Common,  through  Langley, 
and  by  Bradley  Court,  then  skirting  Thatcham 
woods  on  to  "  Wollington,"  which  must  be 
Woolhampton,  where  there  is  a  steep  hill  as 
described  ;  here  the  fox  was  headed,  and  is 
next  heard  of  at  Shaw  where  he  scaled  "the 
Major's  high  wall,"  the  garden  wall  of  Shaw 
House,  then  belonging  to  Sir  Joseph  Andrews, 
Major  in  the  Berks  Militia ;  he  then  made  for 
the  "  Donnlngton  Bourns,"  that  is  the  Mill 
stream  and  Lambourne  river,  neither  of  which 
were  bridged  at  that  time,  and  ran  over 
Snelsmore  Common  to  Bussock  Court,  "  Squire 
Henshaw's  Palace,"  thence  to  Winterbourne 
Farm,  Sam  Southby's  place,  on  to  Chaddle- 
worth woods,  and  ultimately  to  Catmore. 

On   December   20th,  1791,  another  version, 
or  adaptation,   of  these  lines  was  sent  to  Mr. 


24  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Loder  by  the  same  Lord  Abingdon.  In  this 
later  version  they  are  entitled  "  The  Irish 
Hunt."  A  run  is  described  which  took  place 
from  Kileredry  in  1774.  The  names  of  the 
sportsmen,  and  circumstances  of  the  hunt  are 
of  course  changed,  but  in  other  respects  the 
verses  are  identical.  This  "  Irish  Hunt  " 
version  was  published  in  the  Sporting  Maga- 
zine in  1808  ;  Lord  Abingdon  had  then  been 
dead  about  eight  years.  Probably  the  lines 
were  found  amongst  his  papers  by  his  son  the 
fifth  earl,  who  had  just  come  of  age,  and  were 
sent  to  the  magazine  by  him.  Lord  Gage, 
Lord  Abingdon's  executor,  died  in  1808,  and 
the  lines  may  have  been  amongst  his  papers. 

As  time  went  on  Mr.  Loder  received  two 
great  additions  to  his  country.  One  on  the 
east  and  the  other  on  the  west.  On  the  west, 
the  Gloucestershire  country  about  Fairford  had 
been  hunted  by  Mr.  Napper,  who  gave  up 
keeping  hounds  ;  and  by  arrangement  with 
Mr.  Beach  and  other  owners  the  country  was 
placed  at  the  disposal  of  Mr.  Loveden  of 
Buscot,  who  asked  Mr.  Loder  to  hunt  it. 
On  the  east,  hounds  had  been  kept  for 
some  time  by  Lord  Abingdon.  In  1784  Lord 
Abingdon  proposed  to  give  up  keeping  hounds, 
and  Mr.  Loder  wantino-  at  the  time  to  in- 
crease  his  pack,  wrote  to  him   about   hounds 


WILLOUGHBY  BERTIE,  4th  EARL  OF  ABINGDON. 
From  the  picture  by  Gainsborough  In  the  possession  of  the  Earl  of  Abingdon. 


7"!?  face  page  25. 


THE  REV.  JOHN  LODER  25 

and  country.  He  was  answered  in  the  follow- 
ing generous  and  sporting  letter,  offering  not 
only  the  young  entry  and  the  coverts,  but  all 
the  hounds  and  the  "whole  tote"  to  "my 
brother  confederate." 

Rycote,  June  19,  1784. 

Dear  Sir, — I  received  your  letter,  and  just  before 
I  did  so,  I  had  it  in  my  intention  to  have  written 
to  you  on  the  very  subject  of  it.  Finding  that  my 
Attendance  in  Parliament  and  other  avocations  will 
not  suffer  me  to  follow  the  pack  in  the  manner  I 
would  otherwise  do,  I  have  come  to  the  resolution 
of  giving  them  up  entirely,  and  this  being  the  case, 
I  thought  I  could  not  do  better  than  to  assign  them 
over  to  my  Brother  Confederate,  with  the  expecta- 
tion that  should  I  hereafter  want  and  call  for  their 
Breed,  that  you  will  of  course  furnish  me  with  the 
Blood  again. 

I  have  therefore  directed  Kitt  to  carry  over  the 
whole  tote  to  you,  old  as  well  as  young  Hounds,  and 
to  say  to  you  from  me,  that  they,  as  well  as  the  hunt 
itself,  are  very  much  at  your  service. 

Possibly  I  may  sometimes  have  a  brush  with  you, 
but  as  I  have  said  I  mean  not  to  keep  any  more 
hounds.  Fishing  will  be  my  sport  principally,  and 
if  you  will  at  any  Time  join  your  patience  with  mine 
upon  this  occasion,  I  shall  be  very  glad  of  your  Com- 
pany. Having  helped  compleatly  to  run  down  the 
great  Fox  of  the  nation,  I  am  content  to  give  up  the 
Sport,  and  Remain  with  great  Respect, 

Your  Friend  and  Servant, 

Abingdon. 

P.S. — Lady  Abingdon  unites  with  me  in  many 
thanks  for  the  congratulations  you  send  upon  the 
birth  of  a  son  and  heir. 


26  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

The  allusion  of  Lord  Abingdon  as  to  his 
having  assisted  to  "  compleatly  run  down 
the  great  Fox  of  the  nation "  refers  to  the 
great  debate  in  the  House  of  Lords  on  the 
5th  of  December,  1783,  when  the  "Coalition 
Ministry,"  of  which  Fox,  though  not  nominally 
the  head,  was  regarded  as  the  principal 
member,  was  defeated.  The  occasion  was  the 
introduction  of  a  bill  by  Fox,  to  vest  the 
government  of  India  in  Commissioners.  The 
rejection  of  this  bill  by  the  Lords  was  followed 
by  the  resignation  of  the  ministry,  when  the 
King  sent  for  Mr.  Pitt,  who  thus  became 
Prime  Minister,  though  only  24  years  old. 
Mr.  Fox  was  not  again  in  office  until  after  his 
rival's  death,  twenty-two  years  later. 

Hounds  had  probably  been  kept  for  genera- 
tions by  the  Earls  of  Abingdon.  In  the 
seventeenth  century  James,  second  Earl,  High 
Steward  of  Oxford  and  Lord  Lieutenant  of  the 
county,  was  "  Lord  Chief  Justice,  and  Justice 
in  Eyre  of  all  his  Majesty's  Forests,  Parks, 
Chases,  Warrens,  &c.,  on  the  south  side  of 
Trent."  His  nephew  Willoughby,  third  Earl 
was  the  owner  of  the  celebrated  horse 
"  Marske,"  sire  of  the  still  more  celebrated 
horse  "  Eclipse." 

The  Hon.  Captain  Peregrine  Bertie,  R.N., 
brother  of  the  fourth  Earl,  also  kept  hounds  at 


THE  REV.  JOHN  LODER  rj 

one  time.  He  lived  at  Frilsham,  Berks,  Mr. 
Tom  Floyd's  place.  These  hounds  were  sold 
to  Mr.  Warde,  when  the  latter  went  to  Bices- 
ter. Captain  Bertie  was  M.P.  for  the  City  of 
Oxford.  He  died  in  1790.  Thus  the  Abing- 
don family  provided  hounds  both  for  the  Old 
Berks  and  Bicester  countries. 

Lord  Abingdon  never  ceased  during  the  rest 
of  his  life  to  take  the  greatest  interest  in  the 
hunt,  and  the  following  letters  of  his,  selected 
out  of  many,  seem  worth  quoting.  In  answer 
to  an  enquiry  about  a  servant,  he  writes  : — 

Dear  Loder. — I  have  been  over  to  Annesley  and 
found  him  in  tolerable  health,  but  not  one  word 
transpired  on  the  score  of  foxhunting,  and  the  Sef- 
tonian  Domains,  He  gave  me  an  extraordinary 
good  character  of  James  Headach  ;  who  is  a  very 
civil  fellow,  and  has  had  a  great  deal  of  experience 
in  the  character  of  a  Whipper-in,  Huntsman,  Farrier, 
and  is  an  excellent  shot ;  and  very  understanding  in 
Curs  of  every  denomination.  I  know  the  man,  and 
have  had  some  talk  with  him.  He  was  here  yester- 
day, his  ambition  is  not  to  lead  but  to  conform  to 
any  situation  he  adopts,  but  he  has  a  Wife  and  two 
small  children,  and  can't  serve  for  a  song.  You 
must  therefore  inform  me,  if  you  wish  to  hire  him  in 
the  Hintonian  service  to  what  amount  you  can  screw, 
for  there  are  Times  when  a  man  can  hardly  keep 
himself,  much  less  a  wife  and  brats,  a  good  servant 
is  a  valuable  commodity,  and  you  have  ever  been 
fond  of  taking  Time  as  well  as  something  else  by  the 
forelock.  You  do  right  to  open  the  campaign  with 
vigour,  and  to  ascertain  country ;  for  let  your  hounds 


28  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

be  ever  so  good,  a  country  makes  them  more  valu- 
able in  case  you  want  to  put  them  into  your  pocket. 
I  hope  this  will  find  you  sound  in  wind  and  limb 
after  your  Excursions ;  We  are  to  have  the  Devil 
and  all  his  Works  in  Port  Meadow  Tuesday  next. 
Evolutions  upon  Evolutions,  leading  to  Revolutions 
upon  Revolutions,  when  the  Devil  must  take  the 
Hindmost.  Suppose  you  come  over  and  peep  at 
them  from  my  Tower.  In  all  Times  and  all  seasons 
believe 

yrs  sincere  and  devotedly 

Abingdon. 
(About  1787.) 

This  letter  is  endorsed  in  the  handwriting 
of  Mr.  Robert  Symonds,  "  Lord  Abingdon's 
opinion  that  a  country  may  be  disposed  of 
with  the  hounds."  The  contrary  opinion  was 
held  by  Beckford,  as  appears  in  the  following 
memorandum  received  at  a  later  date  : — 

You  ask  my  opinion  on  the  rights  claimed  by 
Foxhunters.     I  will  give  it  as  concisely  as  I  can. 

Three  distinct  rights  are  to  be  considered,  Original, 
Acquired,  and  by  Sufferance. 

Original  Right  undoubtedly  belongs  to  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  Covers,  &c.,  where  foxes  may  be  sup- 
posed to  lie,  but  when  once  a  pack  of  foxhounds  is 
established  in  a  country  with  the  consent  of  those 
Proprietors  an  acquired  right  is  then  obtained,  of 
which  the  said  pack  cannot  afterwards  be  deprived, 
unless  by  an  uncommon  misconduct  on  the  part  of 
those  concerned  in  the  management  of  the  hounds, 
the  Proprietors  themselves  should  think  fit  to  deprive 
them  of  it.  This  is  the  case  of  all  the  old  established 
hunts  in  the  kingdom. 


THE  REV.  JOHN  LODER  29 

Right  by  sufferance,  is  where  a  neighbouring  Pack 
avails  itself  of  a  vacancy,  the  Country  at  that  time, 
by  some  accident  or  other,  being  without  any  hounds. 
A  blot  is  no  blot  till  it  is  hit ;  and  this  possession  is 
no  longer  than  it  remains  undisputed.  Should  the 
Duke  of  Rutland  part  with  his  Foxhounds,  Sir 
Gilbert  Heathcote  may  hunt  the  country,  but  should 
the  Duke,  or  any  other  gentleman  in  that  neighbour- 
hood, claim  the  country,  with  the  consent  and  appro- 
bation of  the  Proprietors,  Sir  Gilbert  must  return 
from  whence  he  came.  You  ask  if  the  purchase  of  a 
pack  of  hounds  can  establish  a  right.  MOST  CER- 
TAINLY NOT. 

The  hounds  are  moveable  at  the  will  of  the  pur- 
chaser and  may  be  carried  into  a  distant  country, 
consequently  there  can  be  no  inherent  right  in  them, 
when  so  removed.  When  Mr.  Blair  disposed  of  his 
foxhounds  to  Lord  Craven  they  were  removed  into 
Berkshire,  and  I  took  possession  of  the  Country. 

Covers  must  be  regularly  hunted  to  establish  an 
exclusive  right.  Mr.  Farquharson  has  bought  Mr. 
Wyndham's  hounds,  and  may  hunt  that  country. 
But  since  the  hounds  have  been  removed  into  a 
distant  and  distinct  country,  in  consequence  of  which 
none  of  the  Wiltshire  Covers  will  be  regularly  hunted 
and  the  greater  part  of  them  not  hunted  at  all,  should 
Mr.  Wyndham  or  any  other  gentleman  of  that  neigh- 
bourhood, at  any  time  think  proper  to  establish 
another  pack  (provided  it  be  with  the  consent  and 
approbation  of  the  proprietors  before  mentioned)  Mr. 
Farquharson  must  resign  the  Country.  Should  you 
ask  on  what  these  rights  are  founded,  I  shall  answer 
you  in  two  words.     On  common  sense. 

Stapleton,  Nov.  26th,  1806. 

But  to  return  to  Lord  Abingdon's  letter. 


30  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Mr.  Loder  answered  that  he  left  the  question  of 
wages  in  Lord  Abingdon's  hands,  and  adds  **  I 
return  you  innumerable  thanks  for  yr  kind  enquiries 
after  my  Health,  and  for  an  abundance  of  and  com- 
fortable presents.  I  am  much  better  but  cannot  lay 
on  bruised  side,  neither  is  the  other  quite  easy ;  Time 
I  trust  before  ye  Sporting  Season  will  render  me 
tolerably  sound  again  ;  Shall  be  fearful  of  mounting 
a  horse  again  during  this  very  dry  harsh  weather, 
Tho'  excellent  for  haymaking." 

Mr.  Loder  was  now  huntino-  a  orreat  extent 
of  country.  It  extended  from  beyond  Fair- 
ford  in  Gloucestershire  to  Thame  and  Stoken- 
church  in  Oxfordshire.  He  was,  as  was  usual 
in  those  days,  in  the  habit  of  taking  the 
hounds  with  him  to  hunt  the  more  distant 
parts  of  the  country,  and  of  remaining  some 
days  in  the  neighbourhood.  He  frequently 
stayed  at  Fairford,  and  for  the  eastern  portion 
of  his  hunt,  Rycot,  and  Wytham,  were  often 
his  headquarters,  as  the  following  letters  will 
show  : — 

Dear  Sir, — You  know  not  only  my  House, 
Stables,  and  Kennel,  but  my  Foxes,  my  Ox,  and  my 
Ass,  and  whatever  you  find  upon  the  premises  at 
Rycot  are  at  your  service.  I  was  in  great  hopes  of 
being  at  Hobdays  myself  this  week  in  company  with 
Sir  Willoughby  Aston  who  pines  to  crack  a  bottle 

with    you 

.  .  .  After  which  I  expect  to  be  at  leisure  and 
shall  snatch  the  earliest  opportunity  of  joining  you 


THE  REV.  JOHN  LODER  31 

in  the  field.      I   write   in  haste,   and  have   only   to 
remain 

your  most  truly  devoted  faithful  and 
affectionate  friend, 
Novr.  1787  Abingdon. 

P.S. — Do  you  want  anything  I  can  procure  for  you 
in  London  ? 

These  were  the  "  good  old  times  "  of  "  three 
bottle  men."  Men  then  rose  early,  hunted 
early,  dined  early.  We  get  a  glimpse  of  the 
life  they  led  in  the  following  letter : — 

Dear  Loder, — Dining  with  a  complete  set  of 
Bacchanalians  two  days  running  (Such  as  Sir  Wil- 
loughby  Aston  &  Master  Jacky  Crosdill)  occa- 
sioned a  delay  of  one  post  in  Reply  to  yrs  of  30th 
Instant.  The  season  is  not  too  far  advanced  for 
your  curs  to  do  as  yet  Wonders,  but  if  regularly 
and  journally  drinking  of  Bumpers  per  Dozens  to 
his  Diversion,  will  yield  the  Squire  of  Hinton  good 
sport  in  the  Field :  thirty  Brace  of  Scalps,  in 
addition  to  those  already  nailed  on  the  Stable  door, 
would  soon  make  their  appearance.  A  variety  of 
circumstances  too  tedious  to  mention  put  a  spoke 
in  the  wheel  of  my  inclinations  to  meet  you  on  the 
tenth  instant.  Cussan's  stubborn  illness  is  another 
misfortune.  He  is  attended  by  three  Physicians, 
enough  to  kill  the  Devil,  you  will  say,  and  must 
void  by  force  of  medicine  some  enormous  gall- 
stones before  he  has  a  chance  of  doing  well.  He 
is  of  a  liberal  generous  disposition.  He  had  heard  a 
good  deal  of  your  character,  and  had  set  his  heart 
upon  Courting  your  Acquaintance,  but  at  present  it 
is  decreed  otherwise,  we  must  with  Christian  Patience 
submit, 

"  For  what  can't  be  cured 
Must  be  indured." 


32  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

P,S.  The  plan  I  should  chalk  out  for  you  would 
be  this.  To  send  your  hounds  to  Rycot,  and  for 
yourself  to  make  Wytham  your  Headquarters. 
There  is  plenty  of  the  Old  Strap  at  your  Service, 
&  it  is  only  ordering  King  to  knock  you  down  some 
rabbits  and  game  of  every  Denomination  &  your 
table  will  be  well  supplied.  There  are  Fish  in  the 
River  (if  you  can  get  them  out).  Norreys  and 
Willoughby,  if  you  can  obtain  Slatter's  sanction  (?) 
might  club  with  you  in  Chaise  Hire,  and  return  with 
you  to  Oxford  after  the  Hunt  at  Rycot.  If  this 
meets  your  Approbation,  give  old  Kitt  a  hint  to 
put  their  little  Grass  Nags  into  corn  condition,  and 
to  ride  them  regularly  about  the  Manor  to  make 
tJiem  rather  more  Sweet-Xy  Sober  than  your  Hunts- 
man. 

Leaving  this  suggestion  to  your  superior  judge- 
ment, Will,  and  Pleasure,  I  remain,  most  faithfully 
yours,  &c., 

Abingdon. 
P.S.  You  will  manage  the  affairs  of  the  boys  with 
Dexterity,  and   not   let   them  know  a  word  of  the 
matter  till  the  time  of  journeying  to  Rycot,  or  else 
adieu  to  all  learning. 

N.B.  Let  me  hear  from  you  soon,  that  I  may 
quicken  their  Majestys  at  Wytham. 

(Date  about  1790). 

John  Loder's  huntsman  v^^as  one  John 
Sweet,  and  frequent  allusions  to  his  want  of 
sobriety  occur  in  this  correspondence.  Of 
the  two  sons  mentioned  the  eldest  Montague, 
Lord  Norreys,  was  the  "Son  and  Heir" 
alluded  to  in  the  first  letter.  He  became 
the  fifth  Earl,  and  was  the  grandfather  of  the 


THE  REV.  JOHN  LODER  33 

present,  the  seventh  Earl,  the  owner  of  "  Sir 
Bevis,"  who  won  the  Derby,  in  1879,  for 
Mr.  Acton.  The  second  Willoughby,  born 
in  1784,  became  a  captain  in  the  Royal  Navy 
and  was  lost  in  the  wreck  of  H.M.S.  Satellite 
on  the  Goodwin  Sands,  in   18 10. 

Another  proposal  to  draw  the  Rycot  Coverts 
produced  the  following  amusing  reply  in 
verse  : — 

You  are  heartily  welcome  to  Rycot,  Dear  Sir, 
And  we  hope  you  will  stick  here  as  close  as  a  Burr, 
For  you  give  us  great  pleasure  whenever  you  come, 
But  I'm  sorry  to  say  I've  got  no  Old  Rjim, 
So  yoMx  Julep  won't  be  quite  so  good  as  I'd  wish, 
But  we'll  treat  you  to  plenty  of  Game  and  of  Fish, 
And  Dumplings  in  Broth — your  favourite  Dish. 
Broth  with  dumplings,  fish,  woodcocks,  hen,  pheasant 

&  hare, 
I  think  you  will  reckon  a  good  bill  of  fare. 
For  Desert  you'll  have  pineapples,  walnuts  and  pears, 
And  a  bottle  of  old  Port  to  drown  all  your  cares. 
My  Cellar  contains  too,  some  excellent  Sherry, 
That  without  being  Pitchered  will  make  your  heart 

merry. 
Bitch  Foxes  besides,  for  your  hounds  to  pursue. 
Which  will  also  afford  some  amusement  to  you, 
To  Crossdill,  myself,  and  the  rest  of  the  crew. 
Your  gun  may  between  whiles  procure  you  diversion 
And  I  hope  you'll  not  find  it  too  great  an  exertion ; 
You  can't  fail  (to  be  sure)  of  finding  it  pleasant. 
To  bring  to  the  ground  a  woodcock,  or  pheasant. 
For  who  knows  but   you  may  with  ye  help  of  old 

Jock 

3 


34  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Knock  down  for  my  Lady  another  Woodcock. 

The  last  (she  declares)  was  so  good  that  you  brought 

her, 
For  another,  the  same,  it  has  made  her  mouth  water. 
When  we've  finished  our  bottle  a  rubber  of  whist 
To  pass  through  the  evening  may  sometimes  assist  ; 
With  a  tune  on  the  Harp  and  the  Violincello, 
On  which  Signor  Crosdillo  doth  much  excello ; 
For  whether  he's  sober  or  whether  he's  mellow, 
I  think  in  the  world  he's  not  got  his  fellow. 
His  "  Brave  Boys  "  he  brings  forth  with  so  charming 

a  tone. 
Its  a  pity  he  has  no  brave  boys  of  his  own        ^ 
So  superior  a  genius  as  his  to  inherit, 
Such,  taste,  execution,  expression,  and  spirit, 
Not  to  mention  on  other  occasions  his  merit. 

At  tea  if  you're  sleepy,  to  bed  you  may  steal 
Without  supping,  for  supper's  an  unwholesome  meal ; 
Should  you  chance  to  be  hungry,  some  oysters  and 

cheese, 
With  a  good  tiff  of   Punch,  you   may  have  if  you 

please  ; 
Or  anything  else  this  house  can  produce, 
Dear  Sir,  You  may  freely  command  for  your  use. 
This  is  said  in  good  earnest,  as  sure  as  a  Gun, 
By  your  very  Affectionate  Friend 

Abingdon. 

Rycot  House  was  built  by  Lord  Williams 
of  Thame,  who  entertained  Queen  Elizabeth 
there.  Sir  Henry  Norris,  ist  Baron  Norris 
of  Rycot,  married  Lord  Williams'  daughter, 
Margery.  The  house  is  said  to  have  had 
stabling  for  one  hundred  horses. 

Happy   gatherings   those    must    have    been 


THE  REV.  JOHN  LODER  35 

in  the  grand  old  mansion  of  Rycot,  with  the 
handsome,  genial,  accomplished  and  sporting 
earl  as  the  host.  A  few  years  after,  a  portion 
of  the  fine  old  house  having  been  burned 
down,  the  rest  was  pulled  down,  and  with  it 
the  beautiful  domestic  chapel  of  the  Quarter- 
maines. 

Rycot  is  about  ten  miles  east  of  Oxford,  and 
is  now  in  the  South  Oxfordshire  country. 

This  Lord  Abingdon  was  not  only  a 
sportsman  and  boon  companion,  but  an  ex- 
cellent musician  and  composer  of  music.  He 
was  also,  like  his  father,  an  owner  of  race- 
horses, and  ran  many  matches  at  Newmarket, 
the  well-known  "Abingdon  Mile"  being 
named  after  him.  He  frequently  ran  horses 
at  Oxford.  In  1788  he  ran  in  the  Hundred 
Guinea  Cup  there  a  horse  called  Oxoniensis, 
a  chestnut  by  Pontifex.  He  was  a  good 
speaker,  and  made  a  speech  in  the  House 
of  Lords  in  1788,  in  opposition  to  the  Bill 
for  the  Relief  of  Insolvent  Debtors. 

The  following  letter  from  him  relates  to  a 
domestic  event,  which  had  a  great  influence 
upon  the  future  of  Mr.  Loder's  hounds,  as 
well  as  the  rest  of  his  property. 

1795- 

Dear  Loder, — I  am  quite  delighted  to  find  so 
much  original  dash  in  your  letter.  I  hope  it  is  omi- 
nous, and  that  the  same  spirit  will  be  infused  into 


36  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

the  Foxhounds.  Your  daughter's  return  (the  lost 
sheep  not  fleeced  of  her  wool)  must  make  old  Hinton 
alive  again.  I  told  Crossdill  that  she  had  lost  her 
mate,  who  answered,  "  That  he  was  sure  he  did  not 
kill  himself  by  talking."  You  recollect  we  met  the 
gentleman  at  your  house  when  he  was  so  replete 
with  taciturnity.  How  delightful  instead  of  the 
stinking  Breezes  of  the  Metropolis  to  be  amongst 
the  Hay-meadows  in  the  sweet  meadow  fields.  .  . 
.  .  I  am  glad  to  find  you  intend  to  couple  your 
daughter  again,  as  it  would  be  a  grand  loss  for  the 
community  that  the  Valuable  Blood  of  the  Loders 
should  be  lost.  God  grant  that  she  may  make  an 
Election  congenial  with  your  wishes.  Adieu.  My 
best  Regards  and  respects  attend  your  family.  Lady 
Charlotte  and  Miss  Bertie  request  also  to  be  kindly 
remembered  to  all  under  your  hospitable  roof  &  I 
remain  most  truly  and  most  unalterably  your  most 
faithful  &  devoted  friend,  &c.,  ABINGDON. 

P.S.  Let  me  know  when  I  shall  send  you  half  a 
Buck.  My  Friend  is  still  frightfully  ill,  and  under 
the  care  of  the  celebrated  Dr.  Munro.  I  shall  be 
at  Wytham  before  the  Race,  and  your  kennel  shall 
be  fumigated  and  whitewashed  in  due  season. 

Maria  Loder  had  married  in  1799  Maxi- 
milian Western  the  eldest  son  of  Maximilian 
Western  of  Cokethorpe,  near  Witney,  v^hose 
death  is  here  alluded  to.  He  left  no  children, 
and  his  widows  married  in  1796  Robert 
Symonds. 

Mr.  Loder  w^as  now  getting  old,  and  he  w^as 
no  longer  able  to  take  the  active  part  he  had 
been  accustomed  to  take  with  hounds.  Lord 
Abingdon    continued    to    send    his    old    friend 


THE  REV.  JOHN  LOVER  37 

cheery    letters,    and    to    lend    him    active   as- 
sistance   with    the     hunt.       He    writes    from 

London  : — 

Feb.  28th,  1795. 

Dear  Loder, — Grinder,  not  the  Attorney  but  the 
Dog,  was  sent  to  Kitt  Lipscomb  and  ordered  to  be 
left  at  the  Star  Inn,  Oxford,  with  a  Terrier,  at  the 
same  time.  Lord  Berkeley's  Huntsman  who  lives 
near  Uxbridge,  talked  of  near  four  or  five  &  twenty 
couple  of  boney  young  Hounds  he  should  draft, 
when  he  returned  into  Gloucestershire.  I  am  glad 
that  you  have  weathered  out  a  season,  that  seems 
(exclusive  of  the  general  carnage,  carried  on  by 
European  Powers)  to  have  swept  off  both  young  and 
old.  I  had  hopes  to  have  gripped  you  by  the  paw 
at  Rycot,  but  it  has  been  decreed  otherwise  .... 
I  need  not  tell  you  that  you  are  Lord  and  Master  of 
my  Domains.     .     .     . 

Poor  Lady  Charlotte  is  ill  with  the  Influenza,  but 
getting  better,  both  herself  and  Miss  Bertie  (whose 
scrawl  you'll  naturally  decipher)  unite  with  me  in 
kind  remembrances  to  you  and  Mrs.  Loder  and  I 
rest  with  unalterable  attachment  your  ever  faithful 
and  devoted  friend,  Abingdon. 

P.S.  .  .  .  Should  you  accidently  come  to 
Town,  after  you  have  finished  your  Nymrodian 
Campaign  you  will  find  a  spare  bed  at  my  house  in 
Upper  Brook  Street. 

This  Lord  Berkeley  is  alluded  to  in  the 
"  Badminton  "  volumes  on  hunting,  as  follows  : 
"When  the  last  Lord  Berkeley  kept  hounds 
his  country  stretched  from  Bristol  to  Worm- 
wood Scrubbs,  a  distance,  that  is,  of  some  120 
miles."     It  is   quite    clear,   however,    that   his 


38  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

country  did  not  Include  any  of  that  part  then 
known  as  Mr.  Loder's  and  now  as  the  Old 
Berks  and  South  Oxfordshire. 

The  old  friendship  was  now  drawing  to  a 
close.  The  last  communication  was  the  fol- 
lowino-  humorous  account  of  a  hunt : — 

Swan  Inn  Tetsworth. 

Memorandum  of  a  Most  Memorable  Fox 
Chase. 

Imprimis. 

Mr.  Sweet  was  quite  sober,  and  shew'd  extra- 
ordinary generalship  and  courage,  sticking  to  the 
hounds  as  if  he  had  been  sew'd  to  their  tails,  and 
bringing  up  his  auxiliaries  with  uncommon  judg- 
ment, to  the  destruction  of  Reynard. 

Secundo. 

We  plucked  the  brush  deep  in  the  Quarters  near 
Wernall  Gate.  The  mangled  body  was  hung  on  a 
bush  the  usual  time,  the  dogs  quenching  their  thirst, 
at  a  beautiful  fountain  near,  when  the  Petherwin 
Candidate  w^as  called  upon  to  say  Grace,  in  the 
absence  of  the  Berkshire  clergyman ;  and  the  re- 
mains amidst  the  shouts  of  triumph,  were  instantly 
devoured, 

Tertio. 

The  Sober  Sweet  was  after  great  vocal  exertions 
last  seen  with  a  cup  at  his  mouth  at  the  honest 
Woodman's  house  not  a  vast  way  from  Hell-Copse. 

This  a  true  entry,  duly  signed  and  sealed,  in  the 
presence  of 

[Seal]        Abingdon. 
[Seal]         J.  Shaw. 
[Seal]         NoRREYS. 

N.B. — Please  to  send  Pretender,  and  the  small 
pony  with    the   hounds  on    Monday    morning   next 


THE  REV.  JOHN  LODER  39 

to  Bolters   Wood,  where    Pollicott  will   meet  them, 
and  conduct  them  to  their  Spring  Salad. 

The  last  passage  is  interesting  as  showing 
the  way  meets  were  arranged.  The  hunting 
was  a  private  matter  for  the  Master,  and  his 
personal  friends,  and  they  went  where  they 
could  hear  of  a  fox. 

Lord  Abingdon  predeceased  his  old  friend  ; 
and  the  next  communication  about  the  hunt 
is  the  following  letter  from  his  successor 
the  fifth  earl,  the  Norreys  of  the  preceding- 
letters,  and  the  son  and  heir  upon  whose  birth 
Mr.  Loder  had  sent  his  congratulations  to 
Lord  Abingdon  in  1784. 

FiRLE,  Feby.  14th,  1800. 
Dear  Sir, — Colonel  Parker  has  written  several 
times  to  Lord  Gage  respecting  the  Rycotte  Hunt,  and 
wishes  me  very  much  to  let  him  have  it  but  I  cannot 
reconcile  myself  to  giving  it  to  anybody  but  yourself, 
from  whom  I  have  received  such  repeated  kindnesses. 
Lord  Gage  in  compliance  with  my  wishes  has 
written  to  Colonel  Parker  to  say  I  consider  the 
Rycotte  Coverts  as  yours,  tho'  you  may  not  chuse 
personally  to  attend  your  Hounds. 

I  beg  my  best  compliments  to  Mrs.  Loder. 
I  remain,  Dear  Sir, 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

Abingdon. 

Lord  Gage,  who  lived  at  Firle,  was  this 
Lord  Abingdon's  guardian.  The  young  Earl 
married  Lord  Gage's  sister. 


4°  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

The  "  Sober  Sweet  "  remained  the  rest  of 
his  life  at  Hinton,  and  left  a  son,  who  died 
there  in   1864. 

The  next  point  of  interest  is  the  nature  of 
the  hunting  establishment  kept  up  by  Mr. 
Loder.  The  hounds  were  kept  at  Hinton. 
The  stables  then  extended  across  what  is  now 
the  kitchen  garden.  The  kennel  was  situated 
in  the  enclosure,  now  an  orchard,  but  still 
known  as  "  Dog  House  Piece."  The  old 
boiler  house  still  remains.  In  the  year  1799 
Mr.  Loder  paid  the  following  taxes,  as  ap- 
pears from  a  receipt  signed  by  the  collector, 
J.   Salisbury : — 

Duty  on  male  servants,  £\^  los. 

Duty  on  horses  for  riding,  £26. 

Duty  on  dogs,  ^24  i8s. 

In  the  year  1799  Mr.  Loder  sold  a  draft  of 
between  twenty  and  thirty  couple  of  hounds 
to  Mr.  Bowes  of  Beckett,  Shrivenham,  under 
an  arrangement  which  will  be  more  fully  des- 
cribed in  the  next  chapter.  The  above  return 
relates  to  the  huntino-  establishment  after  the 
sale. 

Mr.  Loder  married,  first,  Barbara  Ready, 
by  whom  he  had  a  daughter,  who  died  un- 
married ;  second,  his  cousin  Mary  Carne,  by 
whom  he  had  one  daughter,  Maria,  who 
married,  first,  Maximilian  Western — who  died 


THE  REV.  JOHN  LODER  41 

after  one  year  of  married  life — of  Cokethorpe, 
Oxon  ;  second,  Robert  Symonds. 

After  the  year  1800,  Mr.  Loder  himself 
took  no  further  part  personally  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  hunt,  all  arrangements  being  made 
by  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  Robert  Symonds,  who 
acted  as   "Field  Master."     He  died  in    1805. 


42 


CHAPTER  III. 

The    Rev.   Robert    Symonds,    1800  to  1807, 
AND   1808  TO  181 4. 

Mr.  Robert  Symonds,  who  acted  as  field 
master  for  his  father-in-law,  Mr.  John  Loder, 
1800  to  1805,  and  as  master,  1805  to  1808, 
and  1 8 10  to  18 14,  was  the  fourth  son  of 
Thomas  Symonds  of  Pengethley,  in  the  county 
of  Hereford.  His  mother  was  Miss  Chester 
of  Gloucester,  a  considerable  heiress.  His 
brother  Edward,  whose  diary  we  have  already 
(juoted  from,  was  the  sixth  son.  Pengethley 
is  one  of  those  properties  which  often  "jilt 
their  owners,"  that  is  to  say,  it  very  often 
passes  through  females.  In  the  time  of 
Charles  the  First  it  belonged  to  Sir  Edward 
Powell  of  Pengethley,  and  Fulham  in  Kent. 
He  was  one  of  James  the  First's  baronets, 
and  left  his  two  estates  to  his  sister,  who 
married  Mr.  William  Hinson,  who  took  the 
name  and  arms  of  Powell,  and  was  again 
created  a  baronet.  His  granddaughter,  who 
inherited   Pengethley,  married   Sir  John  Wil- 


THE  REV.   ROBERT  SYMONDS  43 

liams,  Knight,  who  also  took  the  name  of 
Powell,  and  was  made  a  baronet  ;  and  also 
in  strict  conformity  with  family  precedent,  left 
daughters  only.  One  of  these  daughters 
married  Mr.  Thomas  Symonds,  son  of  Robert 
Symonds,  High  Sheriff  of  Herefordshire  in 
1685  and  great-great-grandfather  of  Robert 
the  Master,  whose  great-grandmother  was  a 
half-sister  of  the  Duke  of  Chandos.  A  family 
reminiscence  of  the  Duke  remains  in  the  shape 
of  a  valuable  receipt  for  tobacco,  which  he 
gave  to  his  nephew,  Robert  Symonds  (uncle  of 
the  Master).  This  receipt  is  designed  to 
prevent  the  injury  which,  as  is  well  known, 
generally  results  to  the  nervous  system  from 
the  use  of  the  noxious  weed.  As  foxhunters 
often  smoke,  and  always  require  their  nerves 
to  be  in  the  best  possible  condition,  it  would 
be  extremely  unkind  to  withhold  this  invalu- 
able recipe,  which  is  as  follows  : — 

"Lord  Chandos's  Mixture  for  Tobacco. 

"  Lignum  Aloes,  Storax,  Amber,  Sassafras  Bark, 
each  three  ounces,  Sage,  Rosemary,  Lavender  flowers 
each  three  ounces,  to  one  pound  of  tobacco. 

"  N.B. — This  mixture  is  thought  to  prevent  ye 
tobacco  from  injuring  ye  nervous  system. 

"  Lord  Chandos  was  advised  to  it  at  Constanti- 
nople, by  ye  Physician  to  ye  Grand  Turk,  and  was 
assured  it  was  what  ye  Turk  used  with  success, 
having  reed  some  injury  by  ye  too  frequent  (or 
rather  almost  continual)  use  of  tobacco  by  ye  pipe." 


44  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Robert  Symonds,  the  Master,  was  one  of 
seven  sons,  all  said  to  have  been  good- 
looking,  and  all  devoted  to  the  sports  of  the 
field.  Their  father  was  rather  disturbed  at 
the  prospect  of  having  to  support  so  many 
active,  but  idle  young  men  ;  and  as  a  measure 
of  economy  he  put  down  the  deer  in  his  park. 
A  friend  asking  him  one  day  what  had  become 
of  the  deer,  he  replied,  "  There  are  too  many 
'  Bucks'  in  the  house  to  allow  of  any  outside." 
He  died  in  1794  and  his  sons  were  left  to 
their  own  devices.  Luckily  they  had  a  neigh- 
bour and  friend  who  was  able  and  willing  to 
help  them.  Pengethley  was  only  a  few 
miles  from  Holme  Park,  now  the  seat  of 
Lord  Chesterfield,  but  then  the  residence  of 
Charles,  eleventh  Duke  of  Norfolk. 

Holme  Lacy  was  acquired  by  the  Duke  by 
his  marriage  with  Frances,  daughter  and  sole 
heir  of  Charles  Fitzroy  Scudamore.  The 
eldest  of  the  Symonds  brothers  was  Thomas, 
High  Sheriff  of  Herefordshire  in  1798,  and 
member  for  the  city  from  1800  until  his  death 
in  1 8 19.  The  Duke  appointed  Thomas 
Registrar  of  the  Herald's  College,  an  office 
which  he  delegated  the  same  day  to  a  deputy, 
thus  making  it  a  sinecure.  He  appointed 
Joseph,  the  next  brother,  who  was  a  clergy- 
man,   to    the    Rectory   of    Dinedor,    a   parish 


THE  REV.   ROBERT  SYMONDS  45 

in  Herefordshire  adjoining  Holme  Lacy. 
Joseph's  son  Thomas  he  made  his  private 
chaplain.  Robert,  the  Duke  nominated  in 
1 80 1  to  the  Rectory  of  Abbeydore,  also  in 
Herefordshire,  and  at  that  time  one  of  the 
best  livings  in  the  county.  Robert,  whose 
clerical  office  had  hitherto  sat  lightly  on  him, 
had  already  been  appointed  by  his  father- 
in-law  to  the  Rectory  of  Hinton,  though 
only  a  deacon.  He  now  took  priests  orders 
at  once,  and  applied  to  be  inducted  to 
the  living  of  Abbeydore  by  the  Bishop  of 
Hereford.  At  this  time  he  was  living  in 
Berkshire,  and  the  bishop  thought  that  the 
duties  of  Hinton,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
management  of  his  father  -  in  -  law's  hounds, 
afforded  him  sufficient  occupation,  and  there- 
upon made  some  objection  to  inducting  him. 
The  Reverend  Robert  said  the  objection  was 
altogether  frivolous  ;  that  he  would  undertake 
to  hunt  hounds  on  Saturday,  and  then  ride 
over  to  Abbeydore  (a  distance  of  about  a 
hundred  and  ten  miles)  in  time  to  take  the 
service  there  on  Sunday  morning.  Anyhow, 
he  was  duly  instituted,  but  he  only  held 
the  living  one  year — probably  he  found  his 
"country"  after  all  too  extended. 

When    their    father   died    in    1774,    Robert 
Symonds,  with  his  brother  Edward,  set  up  a 


46  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

bachelor  establishment  at  Treago,  a  charming 
old  country  house  near  Ross,  which  they  rented 
from  Mr.  Rowland  Hill.  There  they  took  a 
few  couple  hounds  from  Pengthley,  with  which 
they  were  accustomed  to  hunt  foxes  in  the 
winter  and  otters  in  summer.  They  at  once 
set  about  increasing  their  pack,  which  they 
ultimately  did  by  a  draft  from  the  Ledbury. 

With  these  hounds  they  hunted  in  Here- 
fordshire and  on  the  Cotswolds,  their  country 
extending  as  far  as  Rendcomb,  near  Ciren- 
cester, where  it  adjoined  Mr.  Loder's. 
Robert  Symonds  had  often  hunted  with  Mr. 
Loder's  hounds  when  an  undergraduate  at 
Oriel  College,  Oxford,  and  now  meeting  him 
again,  soon  became  engaged  to  his  daughter, 
the  young  widow  of  Mr.  Maximilian  Western, 
of  Cokethorpe.  Mr.  Loder  was  at  first 
opposed  to  the  match,  but  Mr.  Symonds 
presented  him  with  a  dog  hound  of  such  sur- 
passing merit,  that  he  became  reconciled  and 
gave  his  consent. 

Edward  Symonds  has  left  a  carefully  kept 
hunting  diary  ;  and,  as  in  this,  reference  is  made 
to  most  of  the  packs  of  hounds,  both  fox- 
hounds and  harriers,  which  were  then  hunting 
the  district  between  Hereford  and  Oxford,  prob- 
ably some  extracts  may  be  of  interest,  at  least 
to  the  present  representatives  of  persons  men- 


THE  REV.   ROBERT  SYMONDS  47 

tioned.  Amongst  other  things  the  allusion  to 
bleeding  hounds  in  the  spring,  as  if  it  were  a 
matter  of  course,  is  curious.  Another  remark- 
able thing  is  the  way  they  travelled  about  the 
country  in  a  gig  or  on  horseback,  thinking  little 
more  of  a  journey  from  Herefordshire  to 
London  by  road,  than  we  do  by  express  train. 
When  in  search  of  hounds,  he  says  : — 

May  31st,  1794. 

Set  off  for  Mr.  Newman's*  at  Knaves  Court, 
Jim  and  self.  Saw  him  and  a  fine  pack  of  hounds. 
Dined  at  Brentwood,  three  miles  from  Mr.  Newman's. 
Supped  and  slept  at  Romford  next  day  and  came 
to  Town.  Mr.  Newman  had  disposed  of  the  hounds 
we  were  in  search  of. 

June  7th.  Dined  in  lodgings  with  Jerry  Hawkins. 
Set  off  in  evening  in  Gigg  to  Windsor,  where  we 
slept. 

8th.     Walked  round  Castle  lawn. 

Went  into  chapel  saw  King  and  Queen  and 
Princesses.  Left  Windsor  at  one,  baited  at  Henley, 
dined  at  Bonsor  and  supt  at  Star,  Oxford. 

9th.  Breakfasted  at  Star,  played  billiards  with 
Austin,  lunched  at  Lucas's  rooms,  left  Oxford  at  2 
and  dined  and  sup'd  and  slept  at  "  Bull,"  Burford. 

*  Mr.  Newman  had  a  very  well-known  pack  of  hounds, 
and  hunted  from  Knavestock,  in  Essex.  His  hunts- 
man was  Richard  Fairbrother,  whose  portrait  appears 
in  the  1796  edition  of  "  Beckford."  Fairbrother  is 
said  to  have  been  at  that  time  the  best  huntsman  in 
England.  The  horse  on  which  he  is  represented  as 
seated,  called  "  Jolly  Roger,"  is  an  old  favourite, 
having  carried  him  through  some  of  the  severest  runs 
ever  known. 


48  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

lOth.  Hawkins  and  self  went  to  course  after- 
wards ;  dined  at  Bibury,  Parted  after,  he  going  to 
Alvescote,  and  self  to  Frogmill. 

nth.  Messrs.  Lawrence,  Skyrme,  Parsons,  and 
Tom  Crommeline  came  to  breakfast,  and  all  went 
to  course  together.  Saw  races  and  returned  to 
Frogmill  together. 

1 8th.  All  party  went  otter  hunting  at  6  in 
morning,  dined  at  home,  with  addition  of  Mr. 
Wm.  Lawrence,  and  Rogers  (brother  of  the  banker 
poet),  Parry  of  Mynde. 

19th.  Otter  hunted  and  fished.  Dined  at  Treago. 
All  before  party,  and  in  evening  Peyton  and  Elton 
came  in  and  had  a  jolly  evening. 

Xmas  presents,  1794.  Mrs.  Tom  Crommeline  a 
turkey,  Ditto  Ben  Saddler,  Ditto  my  mother  and 
chine,  Dr.  Chester  a  hare,  Sir  George  Cornwell  a 
cock,  Edmond  Stock  a  couple  of  cocks,  Bror.  Tim  a 
turkey,  Bror.  Clarke,  a  chine  and  a  couple  of  fowls. 
Griffiths,  Gloucester,  a  hare.  My  Mother  a  pig. 
Bror.  William  a  pig. 

March  14.  Paid  for  a  dog  horse  to  Wm.  Thomas 
at  Monmouth  15s. 

Deer.  29th.  Met  Lawrence's  hounds  with  Dick 
Willis. 

Deer.  30th.  Hunted  with  same  in  Vale,  expences 
;^4  4s. 

Jany.  1st,  1795.  Went  to  Fairford,  and  hunted 
with  Loder's  hounds.     Davy  and  self  stayed  there. 

7th.  Hunted  at  Compton  Scrubbs,  (nr.  Shriven- 
ham  Berks). 

19th.  Hunted  and  found  Fox  in  Ballingham  Wood. 
Killed  in  Half  Wood  (Herefordshire). 

28th.     Dan  Evans  for  a  dog  horse  had  Octr.  16s. 

Fido  at  Treago,  for  breeding  up  Pickle,  5s. 

29th.     Went  to  Tetsworth  to  Loder's  hounds. 


THE  REV.   ROBERT  SYMONDS  49 

February.     Twice  at  Bis'ter  with  Ward's  hounds. 

(Mr.  John  Warde,  the  founder  of  the  Bicester  hunt, 
was  a  very  celebrated  hunting  character  at  the  end 
of  the  i8th  and  beginning  of  the  19th  centuries.  In 
1772  he  kept  hounds  in  Normandy,  in  the  forest  of 
Rouen,  where  he  resided  one  year.  On  his  return  to 
England  he  kept  hounds  at  Squerries,  his  place  in 
Kent.  In  1776  he  moved  the  hounds  to  Yattenden, 
in  Berkshire,  where  he  had  his  kennel.  He,  himself, 
living  at  Frilsham  near.  Here  he  hunted  regularly 
until  1778,  when  he  bought  the  pack  of  foxhounds 
belonging  to  the  Hon.  Captain  Peregrine  Bertie,  R.N. 
After  this  he  hunted  a  part  of  the  season  in  Berk- 
shire, and  a  part,  from  Weston-on-the-Green,  Oxford- 
shire, where  he  also  had  kennels.  In  1781  he 
removed  to  Baynton,  near  Bicester,  where  he  built 
a  kennel  and  stables,  and  thus  laid  the  foundation  of 
the  "  Bicester  "  hunt.  In  May,  1798,  Mr.  Ward  gave 
up  the  Bicester  country,  and  took  the  Althorp  and 
Pytchley,  making  his  residence  at  Boughton  Hall, 
where  he  built  kennels.  He  left  Boughton  Hall  in 
1806,  for  Great  Harrowden,  near  Wellingborough, 
the  seat  of  Lord  Fitzwilliam,  where  he  also  built  a 
kennel.  In  1808  he  gave  up  the  Pytchley,  selling  his 
hounds  to  Lord  Althorp,  for  i^iooo  reserving  two  or 
three  couples  of  favourite  brood  bitches,  from  which 
he  established  another  pack.  In  the  spring  of  1808 
he  went  to  the  New  Forest,  buying  some  hounds 
from  Captain  Cooke  who  hunted  in  Suffolk.  He 
hunted  in  the  New  Forest  until  1814,  when  rabies 
broke  out  and  deprived  him  of  42  couples  of  hounds. 
In  1814  he  took  the  Craven  country  and  purchased 
the  Manor  House  of  Hungerford,  where  he  again 
built  a  Kennel.  He  hunted  the  Craven  until  1826 
when  he  had  a  severe  illness  and  sold  his  hounds  to 
Mr.  Horlock,  who  hunted  in  Wilts.) 

Septr.  1 2th.  Hunted  first  time  with  the  Harriers 
4 


50  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

from  Hampton  Court,  Killed  six  hares.  (Hampton 
Court  is  now  the  seat  of  Mr.  John  Arkwright,  Lord 
Lieutenant  of  Herefordshire.) 

i6th.     At  Faringdon,  with  Loder's  hounds, 

March  at  Banbury,  with  Browne-Bigge,  Cho'lmley, 
&c.,  hunting  with  Wards.     Exs.  ;^4  4s. 

27th.  Paid  butcher  Davies  for  breeding  up  hound, 
5s. 

Ap.  i6th,  1796.  Met  Ledbury  hounds  at  Old  Gore 
from  Pengethley.  Dined  at  King's  Arms,  exs,  horses, 
servants  in  full  £\  15s. 

nth.  Went  to  Green  Dragon,  Hereford,  with 
Skyrme.  Corse  Lawn  with  do,  hunted  next  day 
with  Ledbury,  Corse  Grove. 

Pd.  Bradford  for  dog  horse  for  hounds,  los.  6d. 

2 1st  dined  at  Fownhope  with  Letchmere.  Gave 
man  for  showing  the  Elks  at  Holm  is. 

26th.     Hunted  Otters  up  Gavian  from  Monmouth. 

May  2nd.  Gave  old  Powles  for  attending  otter 
hunting  2s.  Killed  three  otters  above  Treago.  Mr. 
Richards  and  self. 

Septr.  5th.  Ledbury  Hounds  brought  to  Treago. 
Scudamore,  and  Roberts  of  Marcle,  came  to  draft 
them. 

(Colonel  Scudamore  of  Kentchurch,  M.P.  for  Here- 
ford 1776,  to  1800.  Great  grandfather  of  the  present 
Colonel  Scudamore  of  that  ilk.  Sir  Thomas  Scuda- 
more in  1401  married  Alice  daughter  of  Owen 
Glendower,  the  celebrated  Welsh  Chieftain,  and  the 
Scudamores  were  so  suspected  of  complicity  by 
Henry  IV.  that  one  member  of  the  family — Philip, 
was  sent  to  the  Tower.  On  the  nth  March,  1405, 
a  great  battle  was  fought  close  to  Kentchurch.  On 
that  day  some  forces  of  Glendower  tried  to  take 
Grosmont  Castle,  then  held  by  Henry  Prince  of 
Wales.  Henry  sallied  forth  with  his  gallant  little 
band,  and    killed    800    Welshmen,    the    first    great 


THE  REV.   ROBERT  SYMONDS  51 

disaster  to  the  rebel  chieftain,  who  hurrying  up  fresh 
forces  from  Harlech,  received  a  worse  beating  at 
Brecon.  Glendower  ended  his  days  in  the  old  Ivy 
Tower,  still  the  most  conspicuous  feature  of  Kent- 
church  Court.  The  Ruins  of  Grosmont  Castle,  on 
the  opposite  bank  of  the  lovely  river  Monnow  also 
belong  to  Colonel  Scudamore.) 

8th.  Drew  the  Gell.  Holloways  bank,  found  fox 
in  Harewood,  earthed  in  do. 

9th.     Ledbury  Dogs  went  back. 

October  26th.     Scudamore's  election  for  Hereford. 

27th.     Hunted  with  Mr.  Foley's  Hounds. 

31st.  Hunted  near  Malvern  Hills,  could  not  find 
a  fox.  Went  to  Lord  Somers's  to  sleep.  (Eastnor 
Castle,  now  the  seat  of  Lady  Henry  Somerset.) 

Novr.  3rd.  Hunted  own  hounds  at  Collen  Park 
near  Newent.  Went  with  me  from  Glo'ster  Captns. 
Butler  and  other  officers,  Rogers,  Quarrington,  and 
bror.  Clarke.     Killed  a  fox. 

i6th.  Hunted  Breedon  Hill,  with  our  foxhounds, 
present,  Messrs  Roberts,  Higgins,  Terrett,  Hill, 
Cooke  Adams,  Haviland,  Dr.  Whitford.  Killed  a 
fox. 

17.     Hunted  again,  snowed  hard. 

19.     Hunted  the  Tunnell  Grafton  Woods. 

2ist.  Hunted  with  Redmarley  Harriers.  Dined 
at  Terrett's. 

25th.  Went  to  Redmarley,  met  hounds  on  road 
and  saw  them  kill  a  hare. 

Deer.  ist.  Called  on  Terrett.  The  hounds  were 
to  have  drawn  Cemhills  next  morning,  but  frost  too 
hard.  The  Fox  hounds  came  from  Mr.  Cottewles, 
near  Pershore,  by  the  Haw  to  Marcle.  Saw  Hounds 
at  Marcle. 

13th.  Hunted  first  day  after  the  frost,  Dymocks 
Green  and  Cowberrow  Park,  did  not  find. 

15th.     Wall  Hills,  did  not  find. 


52  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Jany.  1st,  1797.  Hounds  drew  Cowberrow  Park, 
Copies  Wood,  &c.     Earthed  two  foxes. 

5th.     Hunted  Stoke  Park.     Killed  and  earthed. 

7th,  Hunted  with  Smith's  Hounds,  dined  at 
Glo'ster. 

1 8th  Feby.  Drew  Badgeworth  Wood,  Chatcomb, 
and  Hillcott,  Killed  a  Marten  in  Hillcott. 

23rd.  Killed  a  brace  of  foxes  found  in  Combe 
End,  or  in  Withington  Wood. 

March  ist.  Returned  to  Frogmill.  (Frog  Mill  is 
an  old  sporting  inn  at  Shipton  Solers,  Gloucester- 
shire, and  is  still  in  existence.)  Met  Jim  Browne, 
Petit,  Lawrence,  Richards,  and  Browne  of  Salperton. 

2nd.     Hunted  Gayting  Woods. 

13th  March.     Paid  Earth  Stopping  at  Frogmill. 

Harris  for  Star  Wood  and  Ched worth,  £2  2s. 

Morse  Rencombe  by  Mrs.  Tombs  ^i  is. 

Keeper  at  Mr.  Rogers  los.  6d. 

Shellard,  for  stopping  at  Hillcott,  6s. 

Laight  for  Withington,  i6s. 

Hall,  for  Cowley  and  Elston,  5s. 

Hughes  for  Chatcombe  (To  be  paid). 

Wincombe,  do. 

Mr.  Jno.  Mills  to  pay  for  Sidebotham,  &c. 

April  22nd.  Jim  and  self  went  to  Meend  to  Bleed 
the  Hounds. 

It  is  noteworthy  that  foxhounds  are  always 
mentioned  by  the  names  of  their  owners,  as 
"Ward's,"  "  Lawrence's,"  "  Smith's,"  "  Loder's," 
with  the  single  exception  of  the  "  Ledbury 
Hounds."  This  gives  that  pack  an  origin, 
as  an  established  hunt,  far  anterior  to  the 
date  mentioned  in  Bailys  Hunting  Directory. 
Harriers  are,   however,   mentioned  differently. 


THE  REV.   ROBERT  SYMONDS  53 

as  the  "  Hampton  Court  Harriers,"  the  "  Red- 
marley  Harriers." 

Robert  Symonds  having  married  Mr.  Loder's 
daughter,  1796,  came  to  Hinton,  bringing  with 
him  his  hounds  and  his  brother  Edward  who 
had  hunted  the  hounds  in  Herefordshire  and 
on  the  Cotswolds.  Edward  Symonds  was  a 
character  such  as  is  admirably  portrayed  by 
Addison  as  "Will  Honeycomb,"  Born  a  sixth 
son,  with  a  very  small  fortune,  he  chose  to 
devote  himself  to  the  sports  of  the  field,  with 
an  ardour  which  a  far  larger  portion  would 
hardly  support.  A  general  favourite  with 
every  one,  very  skilled  in  everything  apper- 
taining to  horses  and  hounds,  good-natured, 
and  agreeable  to  all,  he  was  "  no  man's 
enemy  but  his  own." 

The  two  packs,  Mr.  Loder's  and  his  son-in- 
law's,  were  hunted  together.  The  Hereford- 
shire hounds  were  called  "Welsh  hounds"  by 
the  Berkshire  sportsmen.  They  were  smaller 
and  slower  than  the  original  pack,  but  Robert 
Symonds  held  that  they  had  much  better 
noses.  Upon  one  occasion,  when  a  fox  had 
been  killed  after  a  sharp  burst  down  in  the 
Vale,  the  "  Welsh  Hounds  "  had  been  left  be- 
hind, and  one  of  the  field  remarked  to  the 
Master,  "You  will  admit  your  Welsh  hounds 
would  never  have   caught    this  fox."     "  I  will 


54  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

admit  nothing  of  the  sort,"  said  Robert ;  "  but 
I  know  this,  if  we  had  only  had  the  Berkshire 
bow-wows  we  never  should  have  found  him." 
Whatever  may  have  been  the  respective  merit 
of  the  hounds,  there  must  have  been  some 
good  in  hounds  that  could  kill  foxes  in  the 
country  of  big  woods  and  hills  from  which 
they  had  come.  After  1800,  Mr.  Loder  left 
the  entire  management  of  the  hounds  to  his 
son-in-law.  In  that  year  a  misunderstanding 
arose  about  the  precise  terms  of  the  sale  of  a 
draft  to  Mr.  Bowes  of  Beckett  in  the  preced- 
ing year  ;  the  following  memorandum,  which 
exists  in  the  handwriting  of  Mr.  Robert 
Symonds,  shows  clearly  his  view  of  the  trans- 
action. The  other  side  is  clearly  set  forth  in 
the  letter  written  by  Mr.  Barrington  Price  at 
Mr.  Bowes'  request : — 

Memorandum  respecting  the  Terms  on  which  Mr. 
Price  purchased  the  drafted  hounds  of  Mr.  Loder  in 
the  year  1800  for  Mr.  Bowes. 

About  the  year  1797  Mr.  Price  called  at  Hinton  to 
ask  Mr.  Loder  whether  he  had  not  some  intention 
of  disposing  of  his  hounds.  It  having  been  mentioned 
to  him  (Mr.  P.)  that  he  had.  Mr.  L.  told  him,  he  had 
not,  nor  cd  he  without  consulting  his  friend  Lord 
Abingdon,  with  whom  he  was  connected  both  in  the 
hounds  &  country.  Mr,  P.  then  requested  Mr.  Loder 
to  give  him  the  ist  refusal  of  them  for  Mr,  Bowes  shd 
he  ever  wish  to  do  it,  Mr.  L.  promised  him  he  wd. 
N.B.    This  conversation  took  place  in  the  court  yard 


THE  REV.  ROBERT  SYMONDS  55 

under  the  little  parlour  window.     Mr.  Symonds  was 
present. 

In  the  latter  end  of  the  year  1799  Mr.  Symonds 
gave  up  his  hounds  to  Mr.  Loder.  The  packs  of 
course  were  joined.  In  a  short  time  however,  it  was 
found  very  expensive  keeping  so  many  dogs,  &  it 
being  too  large  a  pack,  not  being  able  to  take  out 
more  than  \  of  them  at  a  time,  and  hunting  only 
three  times  a  week,  those  left  at  home  were  useless. 
A  draft  therefore  was  determined  upon  by  Mr.  Loder, 
from  20  to  thirty  couples  ;  and  they  were  to  have 
been  sent  to  Tattersall's,  but  recollecting  the  above 
promise  to  Mr.  Price,  it  was  thought  right  to  give 
him  the  refuse  of  them.  Accordingly  Mr.  Symonds 
mentioned  it  by  Mr.  Loder's  desire,  which  he  did  the 
next  day  he  saw  him  in  the  field  (which  was  as 
they  came  home  together  either  from  Eastleach,  or 
Farmington  grove  near  Lechlade).  Mr.  P.  said  he 
would  mention  it  to  Mr.  Bowes.  The  consequence  of 
which  was  a  second  conversation,  in  the  fields  like- 
wise on  the  third  of  Feby  1800,  respecting  the  terms 
Mr.  B.  wd  take  the  hounds,  provided  Mr.  Loder  wd 
give  him  up  some  part  of  his  country  near  Beckett  to 
make  a  country  with  the  Wiltshire  which  he  could 
have.  Uffington  Wood  was  the  first  place  mentioned 
afterwards  Coxwell  Woods.  Mr.  S.  said  he  thought 
Mr.  Loder  would  have  no  objection  to  give  up 
Uffington  Wood  but  as  to  Coxwell,  he  knew  he  cd 
not  without  consulting  Mr.  Loveden  for  whom  he 
hunted  the  whole  Gloucestershire  country  &  to  whom 
it  really  belonged  by  an  agreement  with  Mr.  Beach 
and  other  Gentlemen  to  whom  the  covers  belonged, 
which  was  in  the  time  of  Mr.  Nappers  hunting  it,  and 
was  as  follows,  viz.  as  long  as  Mr.  Napper  or  his 
hounds  hunted  the  Glo'stershire  and  Stow  country 
Mr.  Loveden's  Covers  shd  belong  to  that  hunt ;  but  if 
he  gave  up,  and  his  hounds  were  not  continued  there 


S6  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

the  whole  of  the  Glo'stershire  country,  which  Mr.  N. 
had  was  to  be  considered  as  Mr.  Loveden's  and  as 
belonging  to  the  Berkshire  Hunt,  should  there  be 
a  pack  on  that  side  of  the  country.  Mr.  Loder  there- 
fore accepted  it  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Loveden,  on 
Mr.  Nappers  giving  it  up  ;  and  hunted  it  entirely  for 
him  till  Sir  Thomas  Mostyn  was  invited  (in  defiance 
of  and  contrary  to  any  law  of  Fox-hunting)  by  some 
gentlemen  of  the  neighbourhood  to  bring  his  hounds 
into  the  country.  This  was  done  without  consulting 
or  even  the  knowledge  of  Mr.  Loveden,  or  Mr.  Loder. 
Sir  Thomas  wrote  a  letter  to  Mr.  Loder  afterwards, 
apologising,  by  saying  that  he  was  invited  as  above, 
and  actually  informed  by  them  that  Mr.  Loder  had 
given  up  the  country.  Mr.  Price  assured  Mr.  Symonds 
there  would  be  no  difficulty  respecting  the  consent  of 
the  proprietors  of  the  covers  to  be  given  up  viz. 
Uffington  and  Coxwell  Woods,  provided  Mr.  Loder 
consented  to  it ;  in  consequence  of  which  Terms 
were  proposed  ;  nothing  however  was  agreed  upon. 
In  the  course  of  a  day  or  two  another  hunting  took 
place,  when  it  was  settled  for  Mr,  Bowes  to  have  from 
25  to  30  couples  of  the  largest  of  Mr.  Loder's  hounds 
fairly  drafted  on  the  following  terms.  To  give  a 
draft  at  six  months  for  three  hundred  guineas  on 
delivery  of  the  dogs,  and  a  further  sum  of  one 
hundred  guineas  if  they  were  kept  three  years,  but 
any  time  before  the  expiration  of  the  three  years 
Mr.  Bowes  to  have  the  power  of  returning  them  and 
the  three  hundred  guineas  to  be  repaid  to  him ;  the 
whole  country  both  Mr.  Loder's  and  Mr.  Bowes'  to 
be  neutral  during  the  three  years,  the  two  packs  to 
be  considered  as  one,  and  to  give  every  assistance 
to  one  another,  both  in  hunting,  preservation  of  foxes, 
earth  stopping,  &c.,  Mr.  Loder  to  have  any  small 
draft  hounds  bred  by  Mr.  Bowes,  and  vice  versa, 
Mr.  B.  to  have  the  large  hounds  bred  by  Mr.  Loder. 


THE  REV.  ROBERT  SYMONDS  57 

If  Mr.  Bowes  drafted  any  of  Mr.  Loder's  hounds 
before  the  expiration  of  the  three  years,  they  were  to 
be  returned  to  Mr.  Loder.  Mr.  Loder  whenever  he 
wished  the  hounds  sent  particularly  to  hunt  the 
neighbourhood  of  Hinton  to  give  Mr.  Bowes  a 
fortnight's  notice. 

Mr.  Price  now  proposed  Mr.  Loder  giving  up 
Faringdon  Grove  to  Mr.  Bowes,  saying  that  Cox- 
well  Woods  and  the  whole  of  the  country  to  be 
given  up  near  Beckett  would  not  afford  a  day's 
drawing  without  it.  Mr.  Symonds  replied  that  Mr. 
Loder  might  say  the  same  thing  of  it  with  respect 
to  Hinton,  as  it  certainly  interfered  more  with  that 
hunt  than  the  Beckett,  as  it  was  double  the  conse- 
quence to  Mr.  Loder  as  it  was  to  Mr.  Bowes,  it 
being  so  immediately  connected  with  the  Hinton 
country;  indeed,  Mr.  S.  mentioned,  on  the  very 
proposal  of  it,  that  if  Mr.  Loder  agreed  to  it  he  had 
better  give  up  his  hounds  and  all  his  country  at 
once.  (N.B. — This  conversation  related  to  the  covers 
to  be  given  up  to  Mr.  Bowes  after  the  three  years 
and  which  were  then  to  be  considered  as  his  own.) 
Mr.  Price,  however,  pressed  so  very  much,  Mr. 
Symonds  said  so  far,  that  if  Mr.  Loder  approved 
of  it,  and  Mr.  Hallett  the  proprietor  would  consent 
to  it,  he  thought  it  might  be  considered  as  a  neutral 
cover,  and  accommodate  both  parties  if  fairly  hunted. 
This  division,  therefore,  of  the  country  was  to  take 
place  at  the  expiration  of  the  three  years,  but  during 
that  time  the  whole  of  it  was  to  be  neutral,  with  the 
consent  of  the  proprietor  of  the  different  covers. 

It  was  likewise  agreed  that  if  either  party  gave  up 
their  hounds  either  before  or  after  the  term,  the  country 
should  be  considered  as  belonging  to  the  other  continuing 
to  keep  his  houttds. 

February  7th.  Mr.  Symonds  called  on  Mr.  Hal- 
lett of  Faringdon   and    Mr.  Loveden  of  Buscot  by 


58  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Mr.  Loder's  desire  to  mention  the  above  and  ask 
them  if  they  approved  of  the  plan  and  terms  with 
respect  to  their  covers.  Mr.  Hallett  was  not  at 
home ;  Mr.  Loveden  was,  and  approved  of  the 
whole  (present  during  the  conversation  Mrs.  Loveden 
and  Mr.  Townsend  of  Glos'tershire).  Mr.  Symonds 
afterwards  saw  Mr.  Goodlake,  a  friend  of  Mr.  Hal- 
lett, to  whom  he  related  the  above  and  who  pro- 
mised at  Mr.  S.'s  request  to  mention  it  to  Mr. 
Hallett,  viz.,  that  Mr.  Bowes  was  with  his  permission 
to  have  the  privilege  of  drawing  Faringdon  Grove, 
jointly  with  Mr.  Loder. 

N.B. — Mr.  Loder  has  not  permitted  his  hounds  to 
draw  that  cover  since  the  agreement  took  place,  not 
having  yet  seen  Mr.  Hallett  to  know  if  he  approved 
of  it  or  not. 

Feb.  loth.  The  hounds  were  sent  to  Beckett  on 
the  above  terms.  Mr.  Price  now  proposed,  in  order 
to  prevent  any  future  misunderstanding,  or  disagree- 
ment, and  the  words  he  made  use  of  were,  **  Let  us 
understand  each  other,  do  you  not  come  near  us 
with  your  hounds,  and  we  will  not  come  near  you. 
Mr.  S.  understood  him  to  mean  that  the  division 
should  take  place  at  once,  the  same  as  agreed  to  be 
at  the  end  of  the  three  years  ;  and  the  country  not 
to  be  considered  neutral.  Mr.  S.  agreed  to  this,  and 
always  considered  that  the  Wantage  road  from 
Faringdon  to  that  place  was  the  division  of  the 
country,  Faringdon  Grove  only  on  the  Hinton  side 
being  neutral  with  the  consent  of  Mr.  Hallett. 

So  much  for  Mr:   Symonds'  version  of  the 

matter.     Mr.  Bowes's  is  shown  in  the  followino; 

letter :  — 

Beckett,  August  28th,  1800. 
Sir, — Mr.  Bowes  having  the  gout  in  his  left  hand, 
has  employed  me  as  his  amanuensis.    He  has  expected 


THE  REV.  ROBERT  SYMONDS  59 

the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  every  day  for  this  week 
past,  but  finding  you  quitted  the  place  yesterday 
without  seeing  him,  he  desires  me  to  state  to  you 
what  he  thinks  on  the  subject  we  talked  over  at 
Beckett,  and  his  ultimate  opinion  respecting  the 
terms  on  which  he  bought  Mr.  Loder's  hounds, 
which  are  the  following  : — 

ist — Pusey  Furze  to  be  a  neutral  cover  for  ever, 
and  every  other  cover  more  distant  from  this  place 
which  Mr.  Loder  has  ever  hunted,  to  be  neutral  for 
the  space  of  three  years,  in  which  time,  should  Mr. 
Bowes  give  up  the  hounds,  you  were  to  give  him  the 
three  hundred  guineas  back  which  he  gave  for  them, 
he  of  course  losing  the  Harriers  which  you  had  in 
exchange,  and  if  he  kept  the  hounds  beyond  those 
three  years,  he  was  to  pay  one  hundred  guineas 
more,  and  if  you  gave  up  the  hounds  then  he  was 
to  have  the  whole  country. 

2nd — Cokethorpe  and  the  Bampton  Covers  were  to 
be  his  to  endeavour  to  make  an  exchange  with  the 
Duke  of  Beaufort  for  Bradwell  Grove.  He  is  ex- 
tremely sorry  that  there  has  been  the  smallest  mis- 
understanding between  you  and  me,  and  he  affirms 
that  I  regularly  conversed  with  him,  upon  any  plan 
you  proposed,  and  he  is  positive  that  Pusey  Furze 
was  to  be  the  line  drawn  and  that  you  were  not  to 
hunt  Hatford,  Rosey,  and  that  line  of  country  to 
Uffington  Wood.  He  says  he  should  be  ashamed 
of  asking  for  more  country  than  he  is  entitled  to, 
but  that  it  is  really  quite  ridiculous  to  suppose  that 
he  should  give  300  guineas,  a  pack  of  Harriers, 
and  100  guineas  more  if  he  kept  them  beyond  three 
years  without  any  country  to  hunt,  and  that  it 
appears  much  more  ridiculous  (if  Mr.  Loder  has 
still  a  claim  on  these  hounds  and  which  you  affirm) 
that  Mr.  Bowes,  who  is  Mr.  Loder's  representative, 
should  allow  you  to  hunt  all  the  country. 


6o  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

His  claim  is  upon  such  a  solid  foundation,  that  he 
is  willing  to  let  it  rest  upon  the  opinion  of  such 
gentlemen  who  has  the  covers  in  question,  and  by 
their  decision,  as  you  seem  to  differ  so  much  from 
me,  he  means  to  abide.  He  is  therefore  now  (unless 
you  come  and  settle  the  business)  under  the  neces- 
sity of  appealing  to  the  gentlemen  of  the  country 
and  they  must  determine  whether  it  stands  to  com- 
mon sense  that  I  could  ever  have  made  such  an 
absurd  bargain  as  to  give  you  300  guineas,  &c.  for 
hounds  for  Mr.  Bowes  to  keep  them  in  Beckett 
Kennell,  without  having  any  country  at  all.  I  am 
ready  and  wish  to  meet  you  before  any  of  the  pro- 
prietors of  covers  respecting  the  claim  you  make. 
Had  you  put  anything  upon  paper,  which  in  Mr. 
Bowes's  presence  I  begged  you  to  do,  nothing  of 
this  sort  could  have  happened.  Mr.  Bowes  will  be 
glad  to  settle  this  difference  upon  the  most  amicable 
terms  with  you,  so  that  each  may  be  of  mutual 
assistance  to  one  another,  but  he  will  never  give  up 
his  claim  as  far  as  Pusey  Furze,  as  it  was  for  that 
reason  alone  he  bought  the  hounds.  Mr.  Bowes 
hopes  to  see  you  as  soon  as  convenient,  and  I  am 

Sir,  Your  Obedient  Servant, 

Barrington  Price. 

In  the  end  Mr.  Goodlake  lent  his  assist- 
ance, and  the  difference  was  amicably  adjusted. 
Mr.  Bowes  did  not  keep  the  hounds,  how- 
ever, beyond  the  three  years,  but  exercised 
his  option  of  reselling  them  to  Mr.  Loder. 
He  then  interested  himself  in  retaining  for 
Mr.  Loder  a  portion  of  the  Wiltshire  country, 
he  had  obtained   permission   to    draw,  as    the 


THE  REV.   ROBERT  SYMONDS  6i 

following  letter  from  Mr.  Calley,  of  Burderop, 

will  show : — 

Burderop,  Swindon. 

Sir, — When  Mr.  Bowes  gave  up  his  hounds  he 
requested  me  to  preserve  my  Wood  for  you,  as  I  had 
done  for  him,  to  which  I  readily  complied.  But  as 
the  hunting  season  has  now  commenced  some  time, 
and  I  did  not  hear  from  you  to  stop  the  earths  or 
any  information  of  your  hunting  days,  I  concluded 
that  from  the  very  great  distance  of  my  cover  from 
your  kennel,  you  had  abandoned  the  idea  of  hunting 
this  country.  Therefore,  as  I  have  a  great  many 
foxes  in  my  wood,  which  of  course  are  very  inni- 
mical  to  the  game,  I  gave  orders  to  my  Keeper  to 
catch  them  whereever  he  could,  that  I  might  hunt 
them  with  my  Harriers.  Last  Saturday  week  I 
turned  out  one  in  the  Vale  near  Cold  Harbour, 
which  showed  very  good  sport,  but  saved  himself 
in  a  drain,  near  the  Village  of  Hannington,  and  I 
doubt  not  is  now  returned  to  the  cover  here.  I  have 
at  present  one  which  we  caught  last  Friday,  which 
I  shall  have  turned  out  again  and  I  doubt  not  but 
that  he  will  afford  us  some  sport,  when  your  hounds 
come  next  Saturday.  You  may  rely  on  having  the 
earths  well  stopped,  as  often  as  you  chuse  to  hunt 
here;  but  unless  the  country  is  hunted  as  regular 
as  by  Mr.  Bowes  it  will  not  be  worth  my  while  to 
preserve  so  great  a  stock  of  foxes. 

I  am,  Sir,  Your  Obedient  humble  Servant, 

Thomas  Calley. 

To  the  Rev.  R.  Symonds. 

Robert  Symonds  did  the  work  of  Master 
in  the  field  until  his  father-in-law's  death  in 
1805,  when  he  succeeded  to  the  hounds  and 
everything    else    in    right    of    his    wife.     His 


62  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

huntsman  was  William  Bull,  whose  son  was 
living  in  Hinton  until  a  comparatively  recent 
date,  the  proud  possessor  of  the  horn  his 
father  had  carried.  The  son  used  to  tell  in 
the  village  the  following  story  of  a  part  he 
once  played  in  a  hunt.  Mr.  Symonds  had  a 
party  of  hunting  men  in  the  house,  and  they 
were  to  draw  Uffington  Wood  the  next  day. 
The  wine  had  circulated  freely,  and  the 
guests  commenced  to  chaff  the  Master  about 
the  next  day's  sport,  and  said  there  would  be 
no  fox  for  them  to  hunt.  Mr.  Robert  Hey- 
sham  offered  to  bet  a  dinner  that  Uffington 
Wood  would  be  drawn  blank.  Robert  Sy- 
monds took  the  bet  at  once,  and  after  dinner 
sent  for  Bull.  "  Bull,"  said  he,  '*  Mr.  Hey- 
sham  says  we've  no  foxes.  I've  bet  him  we 
find  in  Uffington  Wood."  "All  right,  sir,  I 
expect  we  shall  find  right  enough."  Bull  was 
of  the  same  opinion  as  the  Dean's  butler  in 
"Dandy  Dick,"  in  which  Mrs.  John  Wood 
used  to  amuse  us  so  much  at  the  Court 
Theatre.  "  If  a  gentleman  of  your  honour's 
quality  makes  a  bet  I  consider  he  should  at 
least  bet  on  a  '  suttinty.' "  Bull  did  not  know 
if  there  was  a  fox  in  Uffington  Wood  or  not, 
but  at  any  rate  he  did  know  where  one  was 
to  be  found.  His  son  was  sent  off  at  an 
early  hour    in   the   morning,   with   a  bag  over 


THE  REV.   ROBERT  SYMONDS  63 

his  shoulder.  The  wood  was  reached  in  due 
course,  and  the  "  bagman "  turned  out,  and 
after  a  spin  down  the  Vale  was  killed;  "and 
so,"  said  young  Bull,  "  the  hounds  had  their 
dinner  and  the  Master  got  his'n,  all  through 
me." 

A  writer  in  The  Sporting  Magazine  describes 
the  country  hunted  by  Robert  Symonds  as 
extending  from  Stokenchurch,  on  the  Bucking- 
hamshire side  of  Oxfordshire  to  Bath,  but  he 
does  not  state  how  far  the  country  was  drawn 
down  the  Thames  Valley.  In  any  case  the 
country  could  only  have  been  hunted  by 
shifting  quarters,  and  hunting  different  parts 
at  different  times. 

In  1807  Mr.  Symonds  and  Mr.  Robert 
Thornton  Heysham  dined  together  at  the 
"Old  Hummums,"  in  Covent  Garden  (pos- 
sibly the  very  dinner  of  Bull's  story),  and  at 
the  dinner  Mr.  Symonds  sold  the  hounds  to 
Mr.  Heysham.  In  1807  Mr.  Symonds  rented 
Marcham  Park,  probably  to  be  able  to  accom- 
modate his  hunting  friends.  He  lent  it  for  a 
time  to  his  brother.  Colonel  Symonds,  then 
M.P.  for  Hereford,  and  afterwards  put  Mr. 
Heysham  into  it.  In  1808  Mr.  Heysham 
resold  the  hounds  to  Mr.  Symonds  and  went 
to  reside  at  Hinton  House,  in  Hampshire, 
where  he  was  still   living  in    1825,   when  the 


64  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Hampshire  country  was  visited  by  "  Nim- 
rod."  "Nimrod"  mentions  Mr.  Robert  Hey- 
sham,  Mr.  William  Heysham,  a  welter  weight, 
and  Mr.  Frederick  Heysham  as  hunting  regu- 
larly with  those  hounds.  Mr.  Robert  Hey- 
sham had  a  thin-tailed  horse  called  "  Pavilion." 
He  sold  him  to  Mr.  North,  afterwards  Lord 
Guilford.  When  Mr.  Symonds  repurchased 
the  hounds  from  Mr.  Heysham  he  had  a 
partner,  in  the  shape  of  Mr.  Thomas  Duffield, 
this  being  the  first  appearance  of  the  Duf- 
fields,  who  were  afterwards  to  play  so  pro- 
minent a  part  in  the  Old  Berks  country. 

At  this  time  the  name  **  Old  Berkshire 
Hounds "  is  first  heard  of.  The  following 
account  of  a  run  appeared  in  the  Globe,  of 
November  nth,  1809.  ^t  was  reprinted  as 
an  old  extract  of  interest  in  the  same  paper, 
November   nth,    1903: — 

Fox  Chase.— On  Thursday  last  the  "  Old  Berk- 
shire Hounds  "  had  a  capital  and  extraordinary  run. 
They  unkennelled  their  fox  in  Headington  Furze 
soon  after  ten,  and  after  pressing  him  at  a  very 
sharp  pace,  he  swam  the  Cherwell  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Woodeaton,  came  up  the  meadows  on 
the  Oxford  side  to  Holywell  Church,  where  he  was 
so  dead  beaten  that  his  only  refuge  remained  in 
climbing  on  the  roofs  of  houses  like  a  cat,  from 
which,  however,  he  was  soon  dislodged,  and  then 
ran  up  Holywell  street  in  full  view  with  about  three 
couple  of  hounds  close  at  his  brush.     He  then  turned 


THE  REV.   ROBERT  SYMONDS  65 

short  to  the  right,  went  into  the  back  part  of  Wad- 
ham  College,  and  was  finally  taken  in  the  parlour  of 
Mrs,  Wall  in  Holywell,  and  there  bagged.  So  sin- 
gular a  foxchase  was,  perhaps,  never  witnessed  by 
the  oldest  inhabitant,  and  a  large  concourse  of  people 
assembled  to  see  him  given  to  the  hounds  in  the 
fields  near  Iffley. 

The    name    "Old    Berkshire   Hounds"  was 

not  at  that  time,  however,  universally  adopted. 

An    account    of    the    same    run    appeared    in 

Jackson  s  Oxford  J ou7^nal,  of  November   nth, 

1809.      It  says  : — 

On  Thursday  last  Mr.  Symonds's  Hounds  threw 
off  at  Stow  Wood  and  found  almost  immediately. 
The  fox  after  running  some  time  crossed  the  Cher- 
well,  and  came  down  the  Parks  at  the  back  of 
Holywell,  when  he  entered  the  garden  belonging 
to  Mrs.  Dennis.  He  was  seen  on  an  out-house  by 
a  person  in  the  yard  and  driven  off,  when  he  ran 
up  the  street  as  far  as  Wadham  College  back  gate 
and  passed  through  the  college  into  the  house  of 
Mrs.  Wall.  Shortly  after  the  horsemen  arrived,  and 
Reynard  was  taken  alive,  and  given  to  the  hounds 
near  St.  Clement's  turnpike. 

The  partnership  between  Mr.  Symonds  and 
Mr.  Duffield,  however,  had  a  very  short 
duration.  Mr.  Duffield,  like  his  sporting  ally, 
had  hunted  more  important  game  than  the 
fox.  Marcham  Park,  which  had  been  let  for 
some  time,  was  now  occupied  by  the  owner, 
Mr.  George  Elwes,  eldest  son  of  the  cele- 
brated millionaire,  miser  Elwes.  Mr.  George 
5 


66  THE    OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Elwes  had  only  one  child,  a  daughter,  and  the 
following-  letter  will  show  what  happened : — 

Carlisle,  Feby.  9th,  18 10. 

Dear  Symonds, — The  fame  of  our  exploit  has 
no  doubt  by  this  time  reached  you.  Should  that 
however  not  be  the  case,  you  may  fancy  my  dear 
Emily  and  myself  as  happy  as  two  people  can  be. 
Our  enterprise  was  most  hazardous,  but  executed  by 
all  parties  in  a  most  superior  style,  and  in  spite  of  all 
difficulties,  we  were  married  at  Gretna  this  morning 
early,  after  a  journey  of  thirty-seven  hours.  Our 
wheels  broke  twice  in  the  last  io-yN  miles,  which 
rather  alarmed  us,  and  we  are  now  stopping  to 
repair,  as  not  one  of  the  wheels  could  have  gone 
ten  miles  further.  Emily  bore  the  fatigue  of  the 
journey  in  a  way  I  could  not  have  believed  possible. 
I  know  not  what  steps  were  taken  on  discovery  of 
our  flight,  as  we  have  heard  nothing  as  yet.  I,  how- 
ever, expect  a  line  to-morrow. 

Owing  to  accidents  with  the  carriage,  and  the 
Blacksmith's  cursed  exorbitant  demands,  I  shall  find 
my  stock  exhausted  before  my  return  to  Town,  I 
should  be  therefore  obliged  if  you  would  see  Cox 
and  arrange  matters,  so  that  I  may  receive  another 
hundred,  or  a  draft  for  that  amount  at  Ferry  Bridge, 
where  we  shall  stay  until  I  hear  from  you,  which  I 
hope  will  be  as  soon  as  possible.  I  will  write  again 
in  a  few  days,  and  tell  you  more  of  our  future  plans. 
Emily  desires  her  best  remembrances  to  yourself 
and  our  friends  at  Hinton. 

Believe  me  ever  most  sincerely  yours, 

T.   DUPFIELD. 

The  actual  flight  took  place  from  London, 
not    from     Marcham.       The    sequel    was    as 


THE   REV.   ROBERT  SYMONDS  67 

follows  :  —  The  important  letter  to  F'erry 
Bridge  was  duly  sent  and  acknowledged,  and 
the  young  couple  returned  to  town,  where 
young  Mrs.  Duffield's  friends,  Mrs.  Jardine 
and  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Wild,  Mrs.  Hamilton 
and  her  uncle,  Mr.  John  Elwes,  hastened 
to  call  on  her,  bringing  her  affectionate  mes- 
sages from  her  mother.  The  father,  Mr.  John 
Elwes,  played  the  part  of  the  stern  parent 
for  a  time,  when  all  was  forgiven,  and  the 
bride's  own  scruples  having  been  solaced  by 
another  marriage  (though  the  first  was  quite 
legal)  in  "  Mary-le-Bone  church,"  "all  lived 
happily  for  ever  after,"  as  the  story  books 
say. 

The  wedding  seems,  however,  to  have  ended 
the  hunting  partnership,  and  Mr.  Symonds 
carried  on  alone  until  1814,  when  he  sold  the 
hounds  to  Mr.  William  Codrington.  Some  of 
his  horses  went  to  Tattersall's  :  "  Hopewell  "  by 
Elkington  fetched  150  guineas,  "  Applegarth  " 
was  bought  in.  The  hounds  then  left  Hinton 
where  they  had  been  for  fifty  years  or  more. 
They  had  good  sport  in  those  days.  The 
following  run  was  described  to  the  writers  by 
Colonel  Adam  Blandy,  who  had  the  account 
from  his  father,  who  took  part  in  it. 

There  was  a  quarry  on  the  "  Race  Farm" 
at  Kingston  Bagpuize,  where  a  fox  lay.     The 


68  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

quarry  was  shallow,  and  the  fox  was  bolted  by 
pounding  the  surface,  which  made  the  sand 
underlying  the  stone  fall.  The  fox  led  straight 
across  the  vale,  through  Uffington  Wood,  to 
Ashdown  ;  where  he  was  killed  close  to  the 
house,  a  distance  of  seventeen  miles  as  the  crow 
flies.  The  Master  was  not  out  himself,  and  Mr. 
Blandy  returned  to  Hinton  to  give  an  account 
of  the  excellent  sport  they  had  enjoyed.  Mr. 
Robert  Symonds  came  out  to  meet  the  hounds 
and  servants,  who  were  naturally  rather  late, 
with  a  loaf  of  bread,  a  chunk  of  cheese, 
and  a  bottle  of  brandy,  in  his  arms.  He 
stood  at  the  top  of  the  steps  at  his  front 
door,  while  Mr.  Blandy  recounted  the  events 
of  the  day.  Mr.  Symonds  was  naturally  of  an 
excitable  nature,  and  when  he  heard  of  the  fox 
being  bolted  from  the  quarry  by  stamping,  he 
burst  into  a  peal  of  laughter,  and  down  rolled 
the  loaf  of  bread  amongst  the  hounds.  When 
the  story  got  to  Uffington  Wood,  the  cheese 
followed  the  bread  ;  and  when  the  kill  at  Ash- 
down  was  told,  the  bottle  of  brandy  slipped 
from  under  his  arm,  and  was  smashed  on  the 
stone  steps,  much  to  the  chagrin  of  the  hungry 
hunt  servants.  Mr.  Symonds  maintained  a 
very  close  connection  with  the  hunt  until  Mr. 
Codrington  retired  in  1824,  when  he  again 
sent  his  horses  to  auction.     One  "  Fisherman  " 


THE  REV.   ROBERT  SYMONDS  69 

was  bought  by  Mr.  Harvey  Combe  for  170 
guineas.  After  the  sale  Mr.  Symonds  said  to 
the  purchaser,  "  You  have  got  a  good  horse 
there,  but  I'll  tell  you  something  about  him 
you  don't  know,  he's  at  least  a  year  older  than 
you  think."  "  And  I'll  tell  you  something  about 
him  you  don't  know,"  responded  Mr.  Combe, 
"  There  was  another  hundred  in  my  pocket 
for  him  if  it  had  been  necessary."  A  few 
couple  of  hounds  were  sent  to  Robert's  nephew, 
Mr.  William  Symonds,  the  writer's  grand- 
father, who  lived  at  Elsdon,  near  Lyonshall, 
in  Herefordshire,  and  kept  there  a  small  pack 
of  hounds.  These  hounds  ultimately  came  to 
an  untimely  end.  They  ran  a  fox  to  ground 
in  Radnorshire.  No  terriers  were  up,  but  a 
countryman  produced  a  little  terrier  which 
soon  bolted  the  fox,  which  was  killed.  Mr. 
Symonds  was  not  out  himself,  but  his  hunts- 
man was  so  pleased  with  the  little  dog  that  he 
bought  him  from  the  owner,  an  old  woman 
who  kept  a  turnpike,  and  took  him  with  him 
to  Elsdon.  The  dog  soon  developed  rabies 
and  bit  the  hounds,  and  unfortunately  before 
they  knew  what  was  the  matter,  a  youth  who 
acted  as  whip  was  bitten  and  died.  The 
whole  pack  had  to  be  destroyed,  and  were 
shot  by  Mr.  Symonds  himself  through  the 
bars   of  the    kennel.      When    the   cruel    work 


70  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

was  over  it  was  found  that  one  favourite 
hound,  "  Beauty,"  had  escaped  by  crouching 
out  of  sio^ht  against  the  side  of  the  kennel 
immediately  under  the  gun.  She  lived  an 
honoured  pet  for  many  years,  the  playmate 
of  the  writer's  father,  and  his  brothers  and 
sisters. 

At  Elsdon,  too,  besides  hunting,  Mr. 
Symonds  carried  on  pisciculture,  a  science 
little  understood  in  the  early  part  of  the  nine- 
teenth century.  A  few  breeding  trout  were 
kept  in  a  small  spring  with  a  gravel  bottom, 
which  also  supplied  the  house  with  water  by 
means  of  a  hydraulic  ram.  It  is  very  rare 
for  trout  to  breed  in  a  pond  in  this  way,  but 
they  invariably  did  so  in  this  case,  and  the 
young  fry  were  turned  out  into  one  of  three 
very  large  pools,  made  by  damming  up  a 
stream  which  ran  through  the  property.  In 
three  years'  time  they  attained  the  weight  of 
two  or  three  pounds,  when  they  were  killed 
and  the  pool  restocked.  Mr.  Symonds'  son, 
Mr.  I.  F.  Symonds  of  Okeleigh,  inherited  the 
taste  for  fish  breeding,  and  was  one  of  the 
first  to  practise  the  art  of  the  artificial  im- 
pregnation of  the  ova  of  trout  and  salmon. 
He  worked  in  conjunction  with  the  late  Mr. 
Frank  Buckland,  and  many  of  the  ova  sent 
by  the    latter  to   the  antipodes  were  collected 


THE  REV.  ROBERT  SYMONDS  71 

by  his  friend  Mr.  Symonds  of  Okeleigh.  Mr. 
Frank  Buckland  was  a  noted  wit :  on  one 
occasion  a  lady  sitting  next  him  at  dinner, 
thought  proper  to  talk  "  fish  culture  "  to  him. 
She  said,  "  How  remarkable  the  instinct  is 
of  the  salmon,  Mr.  Buckland.  I  believe  they 
always,  after  their  wanderings  in  the  sea, 
return  safely  to  their  place  of  birth."  "  I  sin- 
cerely hope  they  do,  madam,"  was  the  reply, 
"  for  many  thousands  have  been  born  in  my 
kitchen  ! " 

"Nimrod,"  writing  of  the  present  "Old 
Berkshire  Country"  in  1825,  speaking  of  the 
scarcity  of  foxes,  says,  ''  Lord  Abingdon  and 
Mr.  Symonds'  earths,  however,  will  always 
stock  their  side  of  the  country." 

Hunting  with  Mr.  Symonds  through  the 
whole  of  his  hunting  career  was  his  friend 
Mr.  Passand,  of  Shipton-on-Cherwell,  Oxon., 
and  his  son,  who  constantly  brought  their 
horses,  and  stayed  at  Hinton.  Mr.  Passand 
was  many  years  older  than  Mr.  Symonds,  and 
in  1830,  being  then  '](i  years  of  age,  he  began 
to  think  it  was  time  to  be  makingr  arrange- 
ments  for  quitting  this  world.  He  there- 
fore obtained  the  promise  from  his  old  friend 
that  he  should  be  buried  at  Hinton.  Where- 
upon he  had  his  tomb  prepared  and  sent 
it  to  Mr.   Symonds  with   the   request    that  he 


72  THE    OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

would  kindly  take  care  of  it  until  it  should 
be  wanted.  Mr.  Symonds  was  puzzled  to  know 
what  to  do  with  the  thing,  a  great  square 
granite  tomb  of  unusual  size;  so  having  plenty 
of  spare  stalls  in  his  stables  at  the  time  he 
had  it  placed  in  one,  and  there  it  remained 
for  sixteen  years.  Mr,  Symonds  died  in 
1836.  Immediately  over  the  entry  of  his 
burial  in  the  parish  register  appears  the  record 
of  the  interment  of  William  Bull,  for  many 
years  his  huntsman. 

Mr.  R.  Symonds  left  a  son  and  two  daughters, 
of  whom  the  youngest  married  the  late  Mr.  P. 
Cotes. 

His  brother  Edward  lived  at  Hinton  for  the 
rest  of  his  life,  and  died  there  in  1842. 

Hunting  regularly  from  Oxford  at  that 
time  was  Mr.  Venables  the  saddler,  who  was 
also  landlord  of  the  "  Bear,"  a  noted  place 
for  dinners  in  those  days.  Mr.  Venables 
was  noted  for  his  greyhounds  ;  Peake,  then 
landlord  of  the  "Mitre,"  and  Tom  Barnett, 
who  kept  a  livery  stable  in  Holywell.  Tom 
was  a  character  and  very  popular  with  the 
undero^raduates.       He     once    went     down    to 

o 

Christ  Church  with  his  little  account  and 
knocked  quietly  at  the  "  oak "  of  one  of  his 
oood  customers.  On  beinp"  told  to  come  in 
he  entered  and  found  a  small  wine  party  going 


THE  REV.   ROBERT  SYMONDS  73 

on.  Being  a  favourite  he  was  asked  to  sit 
down  and  help  himself;  and  after  he  had  had 
some  wine  he  told  some  excellent  stories.  He 
then  rose  to  go,  whereupon  one  of  the  party 
said  with  more  point  than  politeness,  "  Well, 
Tom,  you  are  the  biggest  liar  in  Oxford." 
About  three  or  four  minutes  afterwards  he 
returned,  again  knocked,  and  putting  his  head 
in  at  the  door  said,  "  I  beg  your  pardon,  gen- 
tlemen, but  my  son  Tom  is  a  prettier  liar 
than  me." 


74 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Mr.  William  Codrington,  1814  to  1824. 

Mr.  William  Codrington,  of  Wroughton 
House,  Wilts,  who  now  took  the  hounds,  was 
the  senior  representative  of  the  old  family  of 
Codrington.  They  originally  came  from  Cod- 
rington in  Gloucestershire,  whence  the  name. 
Various  members  of  the  family  have  rendered 
their  country  important  services  by  land  and 
sea,  and  they  have  received  two  baronetcies 
in  consequence.  Mr.  Codrington  took  the 
hounds  to  New  House,  which  he  rented  from 
Mr.  Blandy.  There  he  lived  with  his  friend 
Mr.  W.  Wyndham,  who  afterwards  hunted 
the  Craven  1828  to  1829.  Tradition  has  it 
that  each  of  these  two  old  bachelors  insisted 
upon  keeping  up  his  own  separate  establish- 
ment ;  to  such  a  punctilious  degree  was  this 
done,  that  it  was  said  they  occasionally  sat 
down  to  dinner  together,  and  found  a  leg 
of  mutton  at  each  end  of  the  table !  The 
record  remaining  of  Mr.  Codrington's  regime 
is  but  a  scanty  one. 


MR.    WILLIAM  CODRINGTON  75 

A  writer  in  the  Sporting  Magazine  says  : 
"  Mr.  Codrington  hunted  a  great  part  of  the 
South  Oxfordshire  country,  particularly  that 
part  round  Thame  and  Tetsworth,  and  he  fre- 
quently met  at  the  '  Three  Pigeons.'  He 
had  a  good  killing  pack  of  hounds  ;  but  as 
many  of  his  meets  were  near  Oxford  they 
were  always  overridden  by  a  lot  of  young 
fellows  on  hack  hunters,  who  only  came  out 
to  lark.  He  thoroughly  understood  the  science 
of  hunting,  but,  as  I  told  you  when  speaking 
of  him  in  the  South  Wilts  country,  was  too 
heavy  to  ride  ;  and  he  was  constantly  saying 
to  his  horse  when  in  covert,  '  Whoa,  horse, 
whoa,  horse  ;  stand  still  ;  '  and  if  he  came 
to  a  small  gap  he  would  say,  '  Walk,  horse, 
walk,  damn  you!     If  you  jump  I'll  sell  you.'" 

The  following  letter  written  by  him  shows 
some  of  the  difficulties  of  fox  preserving  in 
those  days.     The  date  was  about  1820. 

New  House,  Tuesday  morning. 
My  Dear  Sir, — I  saw  Mr.  Graham  in  Oxford  last 
Saturday,  who  told  me  that  Harry  Fathers  told 
him  there  was  a  litter  at  Tubney  wood  ;  if  that  is  the 
case,  I  conceive  he  would  not  wish  any  more  cubs 
to  be  put  down  there.  I  really  cannot  say  where  it 
will  be  best  to  turn  them  out,  as  I  fear  there  are  very 
few  friends  to  foxes  in  your  neighbourhood,  but  per- 
haps you  had  better  consult  with  Mr.  Graham.  The 
wood  will  be  the  best  place  if  there  should  be  none 
there  already.     I  fear  anywhere  about  the   Warren 


76  THE    OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

will  be  of  little  use,  as,  every  fellow  who  goes  rabbit 
shooting  with  a  gun  of  an  evening  is  an  opportunity 
of  destroying  them.  I  am  going  from  home  for  a  few 
days  ;  otherwise  would  have  ridden  over  to  Abingdon 
for  the  chance  of  seeing  you  ;  I  know  of  no  place  in 
any  other  part  of  the  country  where  they  can  be 
turned  out  with  any  chance  of  safety,  so  that  you 
had  better  use  your  own  judgement  after  consulting 
with  Mr.  Graham.  With  many  thanks  for  your  good 
intentions  towards  preserving  foxes, 

I  remain,  Yours  most  truly, 

William  Codrington. 

Mr.  Codrington  gave  up  the  country  in 
1824,  when  he  returned  to  his  own  place  in 
Wiltshire,  taking  the  hounds  with  him.  He 
hunted  from  Wroughton  House,  the  country 
now  known  as  the  South  Wilts,  until  the  vear 
1838,  when  he  went  to  the  New  Forest, 
which  he  hunted  until  his  death  in  the  spring 
of  1842. 


HARVEY    COMBE,     Esq. 

Master  of  Old  Berkeley  Hounds  1820  to  1840. 
Country  1824  to  1827. 


Hunted  Old  Berkshire 


!'o  JiUC  /niiiC   77. 


n 


CHAPTER    V. 
Mr.   Harvey  Combe,  1824  to  1826. 

On  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Codrinsfton  the 
country  was  left  without  a  master  and  without 
hounds,  and  there  did  not  appear  any  imme- 
diate prospect  of  either  being  forthcoming. 
Overtures  were  therefore  made  to  Mr.  Harvey 
Combe,  the  master  of  the  Old  Berkeley,  who 
consented  to  hunt  the  Old  Berks  country  in 
addition  to  his  own. 

Mr.  Harvey  Combe  was  the  eldest  son  of 
Mr.  Harvey  Christian  Combe,  of  Cobham 
Park,  Surrey,  the  head  of  the  great  brewing 
firm  of  Combe,  Delafield  and  Co.,  London. 
This  Mr.  Combe  was  born  in  1752  ;  he  was 
elected  Alderman  of  the  Aldersgate  Ward  in 
1792,  Sheriff  of  London  in  1793,  M.P.  for  the 
City  1796  to  18 1 7.  In  1798  he  was  Governor 
of  the  Irish  Society,  in  1799  Lord  Mayor  of 
London,  and  he  was  for  many  years  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel of  the  loth  regiment  of  "  Loyal 
London  Volunteers." 

This    Mr.    Harvey  Christian   Combe  was  a 


78  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

noted  Whig,  and  a  supporter  of  the  Prince 
Regent  in  his  patronage  of  the  prize  ring. 
"  Alderman  Combe "  was  one  of  the  two 
referee's  umpires  in  the  great  fight  in  1782 
between  "  Gentleman "  Humphrys  and  Men- 
doza,  the  other  umpire  being  Sir  Thomas 
Apreece. 

He  married  his  cousin,  Alice  Christian  Tree, 
by  whom  he  had  a  large  family,  Harvey  the 
Master,  Matthew,  who  died  unmarried.  General 
James  Combe,  Richard  Combe,  of  Pierrepoint, 
Surrey  (well  known  on  the  turf),  Boyce,  and 
by  his  second  wife,  Charles  Fox  Combe,  father 
of  Mr.  Charles  Combe,  now  of  Cobham.  Mr. 
Harvey  Combe  succeeded  his  father  at  Cob- 
ham  and  as  head  of  the  firm  in  18 18.  He 
had  hunted  the  Berkeley  country  for  three 
years  before  he  was  called  upon  to  hunt  the 
Berkshire,  and  he  brought  with  him  into 
Berkshire  the  old  Berkeley  pack,  each  hound 
marked  on  the  near  side  with  a  B.  As  hunts- 
man, came  Tom  Oldaker,  with  his  brother 
Bob  as  whip,  sons  of  the  celebrated  Thomas 
Oldaker,  for  many  years  huntsman  of  the 
Berkeleys,  and  whose  portrait  was  published 
in  a  well-known  engraving,  in  which  he  is 
represented  on  horseback  amongst  his  hounds, 
and  holding  in  his  hand  a  huge  horn  with 
a  double  circular  curve.     This  picture  was  pub- 


MR.    HARVEY  COMBE  79 

lished  in  18 10.  Mr.  Harvey  Combe's  hunt 
servants  still  wore  the  old  straw  -  coloured 
livery  of  the  Berkeley  Hunt.  Both  the  great 
Hunts  of  the  West  had  adopted  yellow  as  a 
part  of  their  livery  ;  that  of  the  Beaufort 
being  blue  and  buff.  Upon  one  occasion,  at 
a  hunt  luncheon,  the  Prince  Regent  proposed 
the  toast  :  — 

"  Buff  and  Blue  and  Mrs.  Carew," 
to  which  the  fair  and  witty  lady  at  once  replied 
with — 

"  Buff  and  Blue  and  all  of  you." 

Mr.  Combe  made  his  Berkshire  quarters  at 
the  house  vacated  by  Mr.  Codrington — New 
House — and  brought  his  hounds  there,  Wad- 
ley  being  taken  by  his  friend  and  supporter, 
Mr.  Majoribanks.  A  subscription  of  ^700 
was  guaranteed,  the  balance  being  provided  by 
Mr.  Harvey  Combe  and  Mr.  Majoribanks. 

Mr.  Combe  was  now  hunting  an  enormous 
extent  of  country.  The  country  taken  over 
from  Mr.  Codrington  was  already  very  large, 
and  there  was  now  added  to  it  the  extensive 
Buckinghamshire  country  of  the  Old  Berkeley 
Hunt.  This  immense  increase  of  country 
necessitated  an  increase  in  the  size  of  his  pack, 
and  Mr.  Harvey  Combe  purchased  the  hounds 
with  which  Sir  Joseph  Astley  had  hunted  in 
Norfolk.     He    also    said    that    nothine    would 


8o  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

give  him  greater  pleasure  than  to  go  into  Mr. 
Warde's  kennel  with  five  hundred  guineas  in 
his  pocket  and  to  leave  them  behind  him,  on 
condition  of  picking  five  couple  of  hounds,  but 
the  deal  did  not  come  off. 

A  meet  of  these  hounds  took  place  at  Cold 
Harbour,  Blunsdon,  on  Monday,  February  21st, 
1825,  which  was  described  by  "  Nimrod  "  (Mr. 
Apperley)  in  the  Sporting  Magazine,  as 
follows  : — 

On  Monday  21st  I  met  the  Old  Berkeley  hounds 
at  a  place  called  Cold  Harbour,  ten  miles  from 
Faringdon  on  the  Malmesbury  road.  This  is  a 
place  of  no  small  note  being  recorded  in  song,  as  the 
tomb  of  the  late  enemy  of  mankind  : — 

Some  say  the  devil's  dead 

And  buried  at  Cold  Harbour. 

Others  say  he's  still  alive 

And  'prenticed  to  a  barber. 

The  latter  if  we  may  judge  from  circumstances, 
is  more  likely  to  be  the  case,  and  the  former  but  the 
fiction  of  the  poet.  The  country  about  Cold  Har- 
bour is  very  fine,  being  chiefly  grass  and  nothing 
appears  wanting  to  afford  sport  but  a  better  show  of 
coverts.  This  is  therefore  called  an  uncertain  draw  ; 
and  on  this  day  we  travelled  over  a  large  space  of 
country,  and  did  not  find  until  quite  late  in  the  day, 
at  the  Great  Coxwell  Woods,  within  two  miles  of 
Faringdon,  which  are  never  without  foxes.  We  soon 
whipped  off,  partly  on  account  of  the  advanced  hour, 
and  partly  because  the  place  was  fixed  upon  for  the 
forthcoming  Wednesday's  draw. 

On  Tuesday  22nd,  these  hounds  met  at  Ashdown 


MR.   HARVEY  COMBE  8i 

Park,  which  they  draw  upon  sufferance  from  Lord 
Craven  and  Mr.  Warde.  Here  was  almost  the  largest 
field  I  ever  saw  in  my  life  in  any  country  but 
Leicestershire — amounting  to  at  least  three  hundred 
horsemen.  This  was  partly  to  be  accounted  for  by 
a  wish  to  see  what  may  be  described  as  a  new  pack 
of  hounds;  and  partly  owing  to  the  fixture  being 
within  reach  of  Mr.  Warde's  and  Sir  John  Cope's 
hunts,  as  also  of  the  Oxford  sportsmen. 

Ashdown  Park  being  so  justly  celebrated  in  the 
annals  of  coursing  requires  little  notice  from  me. 
There  is  a  curious  old  mansion  house,  situated  in  the 
midst  of  a  wood,  which  though  built  by  the  famous 
Inigo  Jones,  bears  ample  testimony  to  the  bad  taste 
of  an  age  long  since  passed  by.  It  is  said  to  have 
been  a  sort  of  hiding  place  for  the  family  in  times 
of  difficulty  and  trouble. 

We  found  our  fox  immediately,  and  he  afforded  us 
a  capital  run.  After  taking  a  turn  or  two  in  what  is 
called  the  Kennel  Wood,  he  broke  at  the  upper  end 
of  it,  over  the  downs,  pointing  for  Aldbourn  Chase 
Woods ;  being  headed,  which  caused  a  trifling  check, 
he  turned  to  the  left  by  Baydon  village  along  the 
edge  of  the  woodlands  to  Ringwood,  across  the 
enclosures  to  Membury  Banks,  over  the  earths  by 
Membury  House,  for  White  hill ;  and  was  killed  at 
Solely  Farm,  in  the  parish  of  Chilton  about  three 
miles  from  Hungerford,  and  twelve  from  the  place 
where  he  was  found. 

The  hounds  having  slipped  away  over  the  downs 
with  their  fox  when  they  first  found  him,  several  of 
the  horses  were  over-matched  in  their  pace  to  catch 
them,  which  accounted  for  the  many  falls  I  saw  as 
soon  as  we  entered  the  enclosures,  although  the 
fences  were  quite  easy.  The  finish  also  was  ex- 
tremely pretty,  having  run  from  scent  to  view,  and 

6 


82  THE   OLD  BERKS   HUNT 

killing  him  in  an  open  field.  A  curious  and  some- 
what amusing  scene  at  this  time  presented  itself. 
Two  farmers,  anxious  for  the  honours  of  the  day, 
rode  into  the  midst  of  the  pack,  quite  regardless  of 
the  hounds,  and  began  to  contend  for  the  brush, 
Mr.  Combe  followed  them,  and  I  thought  another 
brush,  if  not  another  "  Who — Whoop  "  would  have 
been  the  consequence.  Although  no  great  difficulties 
presented  themselves,  this  day's  sport  was  very 
creditable  to  the  Oldakers,  and  their  hounds,  and  a 
great  treat  to  those  who  saw  it.  The  time  was  an 
hour  and  twenty-five  minutes.  On  the  following  day 
we  met  at  Uffington  Wood,  instead  of  Coxwell  Wood, 
as  previously  fixed.  As  the  distance  between  these 
places  is  six  miles,  some  little  dissatisfaction  was 
expressed  by  those  who  went  to  the  latter  place, 
although  of  course  a  whipper-in  was  waiting  there  to 
announce  the  change.  Appointments  with  hounds 
cannot  be  too  rigidly  observed  ;  and  nothing  but 
weather  should  alter  them. 

Uffington  Wood  is  a  beautiful  place  for  a  find. 
Above  it  is  a  range  of  downs,  and  below  it  is  as  fine 
a  vale  as  can  be  found  in  Leicestershire,  or  in  any 
other  country.  Over  this  vale  our  fox  took,  and  we 
killed  him  after  a  bad  beginning  but  an  excellent 
finish,  in  all  thirty-seven  minutes.  Uffington  Wood 
can  never  be  without  foxes  so  long  as  a  farmer  and 
his  wife,  by  the  name  of  Spackman,  are  in  existence, 
for  they  feed  them  as  they  would  part  of  the  stock 
on  their  farm.  The  worthy  dame  was  this  day  in 
great  alarm  lest  we  should  kill  her  vixen  fox  as  she 
called  it,  which  I  fear  we  were  guilty  of  doing,  but 
there  is  no  help  for  such  things  in  the  middle  of 
February. 

There  was  a  person  riding  well  to  hounds  during 
this  run,  who  is  deserving  of  notice  here,  not  only  in 
honour  of  himself  but  of  the  horse  he   rode.     His 


MR.   HARVEY  COMBE  83 

name  is  Bob  Westall,  many  years  huntsman  to  the 
Highworth  harriers  ;  and  his  horse,  or  rather  gallo- 
way, was  purchased  out  of  the  Wantage  coach  in  the 
year  1805,  "ow  twenty  years  ago !  Such  is  the 
natural  goodness  of  this  well-shaped  little  animal, 
who  is  quite  a  harlequin  at  his  fences,  that  "  condi- 
tion "  has  always  been  considered  a  superfluity,  and 
he  has  been  taken  to  the  field,  in  almost  a  state  of 
nature.  1  was  credibly  informed  that  all  the  prepara- 
tion he  had  for  hunting  was  a  blast  from  Bob's  horn, 
which  brought  him  to  the  gate  to  be  saddled  ! 

Having  never  seen  it  when  Mr.  Codrington  hunted 
it,  I  was  unconscious  that  I  was  living  within  fifty 
miles  of  so  fine  a  country  as  the  one  I  have  been 
speaking  of.  Consisting  chiefly  of  dairy  farms,  there 
is  a  very  large  proportion  of  grass,  of  course  favour- 
able to  scent ;  and  though  the  ground  is  apt  to  be 
deep,  the  fences  are  practicable,  and  there  is  nothing 
to  prevent  a  good  hunter  being  with  hounds.  Some 
parts  of  it  resemble  Leicestershire.  There  is  the 
large  ox  fence,  there  is  the  bridle  road,  the  guide 
post  and  the  wind-mill ;  and  here  and  there  a  good 
rasping  brook.  One  brook  was  pointed  out  to  me 
over  which  Mr.  Barry  Price  once  showed  the  whole 
field  "  the  trick  "  upon  his  famous  horse  "  Monarchy," 
though  then  riding  eighteen  stone. 

The  Old  Berkeley  country  exceeds  all  others  with 
which  I  am  acquainted  in  extent.  It  begins  at 
Scratch  Wood,  seven  miles  from  London,  and 
extends  without  any  interruption,  to  Cirencester  in 
Gloucestershire,  upwards  of  eighty  miles.  Having 
said  this  it  can  easily  be  imagined  how  amused 
Mr.  Combe  must  have  been  at  a  gentleman  riding 
up  to  him  and  asking  him  in  what  London  paper 
he  advertised  his  fixtures.  This  gentleman  was  no 
doubt  little  aware  that  the  difficulty  Mr.  Combe 
labours  under,  is  to  conceal  and  not  to  publish  his 


84  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

fixtures,  in  the  home  country.  Let  us  picture  to  our- 
selves the  following  paragraph  in  the  Morning  Post — 
"  The  Old  Berkeley  Hounds  meet  to-morrow  morn- 
ing at  Scratch  Wood,  seven  miles  from  London." 
Half  London  would  be  there  ;  and  if  the  fox  took 
one  direction,  some  of  the  sportsmen  might  have  an 
opportunity  of  imitating  my  Lord  Alvanley's  ex- 
ample who,  hunting  in  the  neighbourhood  of  London, 
rode  at  a  fence  and  landed  in  the  second  light  of  a 
melon  frame. 

The  Saturday  previous  to  my  joining  them  these 
hounds  had  a  day's  sport  which  ought  to  be  recorded 
in  the  Sporting  Magazine.  They  met  at  the  village 
of  Poulton,  and  drew  Poulton  Gorse,  the  Driffield 
Coverts  and  Sir  James  Musgrave's  Coverts  blank, 
but  found  him  in  Bibury  Gorse,  and  he  immediately 
went  to  the  ground.  Found  immediately  after  at 
Williamstrip,  and  I  will  give  the  run  as  I  have  heard 
it  from  a  friend  who  saw  it. 

"  The  fox,"  says  my  informant,  "  broke  and  ap- 
peared determined  to  go  away,  but  was  either  headed, 
or  turned  of  his  own  accord  after  he  had  run  about 
two  miles,  and  was  viewed  back  to  Williamstrip. 
Before  the  hounds  got  back  to  the  halloo  their  fox 
was  some  way  before  them.  Beautiful  cold  hunting 
up  to  their  game,  which  had  waited  for  them  in 
Williamstrip,  and  most  judicious,  quick,  and  decisive 
casting,  highly  creditable  to  the  huntsman,  brought 
them  up  to  their  game.  A  beautiful  crash  through 
the  covert  followed,  and  he  then  broke  away  most 
gallantly ;  first  pointed  for  Bradwell  Grove,  turned 
quickly  to  the  left ;  crossed  the  brook  leaving  the 
grove  to  his  right,  boldly  mounting  the  hill,  and 
facing  the  open  country  in  a  direct  line  for  Farming- 
ton  Grove,  at  a  racing  pace  over  all  that  fine  country, 
crossing  Bibury  racecourse  within  a  short  distance 
of  the  grand  stand,  then  by  Lord  Sherbourn's  new 


MR.   HARVEY  COMBE  85 

road  from  Aldsworth,  leaving  that  village  on  his  left. 
Then  in  view  for  ten  minutes,  only  two  fields  in  front 
of  the  hounds,  crossed  the  turnpike  road  from  Chel- 
tenham to  London,  close  to  Lord  Sherbourne's  lodge, 
and  killed  him  cleverly  just  in  the  act  of  jumping 
a  wall,  about  a  mile  short  of  Farmington  Grove. 
About  ten  miles  and  forty-seven  minutes,  out  of 
which  about  seven  minutes  were  lost  by  a  check. 
Mr.  Creswell,  of  Bibury,  lost  a  horse,  which  dropped 
down  dead  after  the  run, 

"  It  is  gratifying  to  Mr.  Combe,  Mr.  Majoribanks 
and  the  rest  of  the  subscribers  to  the  Old  Berkeley 
hounds  (and  particularly  in  these  fox-destroying 
days)  that  there  is  not  a  landed  proprietor  on  their 
new  country,  who  is  at  all  inimical  to  their  sport ; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  each  of  them  is  anxious  to  pro- 
mote it  ;  and  this  is  still  more  to  their  credit,  as  very 
few  of  those  who  reside  in  the  neighbourhood  ever 
go  out  with  the  hounds.  Amongst  the  foremost  of 
these  preservers  are  Lords  Abingdon  and  Craven, 
Mr.  Pryse  Pryse,  Mr.  Symonds,  Mr.  Courtenay, 
Colonel  Warneford,  Mr.  Strickland,  Mr.  Whitfield, 
Mr.  Blandy,  Mr.  Duffield,  and  Mr.  Mills  as  trustee 
to  Mr,  Thomas  Mills  Goodlake  (son  of  the  great 
champion  of  the  long  tails),  who  is  very  zealous  for 
the  sport,  and  who  in  three  years'  time  will  be  in 
possession  of  one  of  the  finest  estates  in  the  country. 

"  '  Nimf-od '  says  that  in  the  year  in  question,  up  to 
the  end  of  February,  the  hounds  had  not  experienced 
one  blank  day,  generally  finding  their  second  fox." 
He  continues, — "  The  subscription  to  the  Old  Berkeley 
hounds  does  not  exceed  ;^7O0  per  annum,  the  re- 
mainder being  made  up  by  Mr,  Harvey  Combe  and 
Mr,  Majoribanks.  The  well-known  Mr.  Tilbury  finds 
six  hunters  and  a  hack  for  the  Oldakers  for  a  given 
annual  sum,  but  they  are  never  short  of  a  horse,  as 
Mr.  Combe  has  always  a  good  stud.     They  are  both 


86  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

capital  performers  across  country  in  every  sense  of 
the  word.  They  are  quick  at  turning  to  their 
hounds,  quiet  with  their  horses,  and  very  difficult  to 
be  stopped.  There  is  also  a  strong  dash  of  the  fox- 
hound in  their  countenances,  and  though  it  is  a  wise 
son  that  knows  his  own  father,  I  think  we  may  be 
certain  that  they  were  got  by  old  TOM ;  and  it  is 
only  to  be  lamented  that  there  was  not  a  larger 
litter  of  the  sort.  They  ride  in  straw-coloured 
plush,  the  Old  Berkeley  livery,  and  I  think  the  dis- 
tinction a  good  one,  as  they  can  always  be  known  in 
a  crowd,  or  at  a  distance." 

Mr.  Combe  himself,  "  Nimrod "  thus  des- 
cribes :  — 

Of  a  robust  frame  composed  chiefly  of  muscle, 
he  is  quite  in  the  form  for  hard  work,  and  no  exer- 
cise fatigues  him.  He  is  said  to  travel  more  miles 
after  hounds  than  any  other  man  in  England,  Mr. 
Osbaldiston  excepted ;  and  either  before  or  after 
hunting,  milestones  are  no  object  to  him.  When 
by  night  he  of  course  travels  in  his  carriage,  but  at 
other  times  he  is  remarkable  for  getting  across 
country  in  his  gig,  in  which  he  performs  great  dis- 
tances in  a  short  space  of  time,  by  availing  himself 
of  relays  of  horses.  Over  a  country  too,  Mr.  Harvey 
Combe  is  always  in  his  place,  and  is  allowed  to  be 
a  good  judge  of  hunting,  which  indeed  his  experience 
and  devotion  to  the  sport  cannot  fail  to  have  made 
him.  In  the  field  he  is  like  most  other  masters  of 
hounds,  in  high  good  humour  when  things  go  pros- 
perously, that  is  to  say,  when  he  finds  a  fox,  has  a 
good  scent,  and  kills  him  after  a  good  run ;  and  he 
bears  adversity  full  as  well  as  the  rest  of  them.  Both 
he  and  Mr,  Majoribanks  are,  I  understand,  very 
popular   in    their   new   country,   and   doubtless   will 


MR.   HARVEY  COMBE  87 

continue  to  be  so.  They  are  kind  and  considerate 
to  every  one,  and  as  managers  of  foxhounds,  one 
good  quality  attends  them — they  have  pretty  good 
accounts  at  their  bankers  ! 

"Nimrod"  met  Mr.  Combe  at  the  House 
of  Mr.  Mills  at  Shellingford,  and  says  of  him. 

I  can  assert  that  he  is  as  straightforward  in  the 
evening  as  he  is  in  the  morning,  and  that  he  is  one 
of  the  best  companions  I  have  ever  sat  down  with 
in  my  life,  full  of  animation  and  anecdote. 

Many  sportsmen  from  the  "  Old  Berkeley  " 
home  country  came  with  the  master  to  hunt 
in  the  new  country  ;  Mr.  Nicoll,  Mr.  Roberts, 
and  Mr.  Batch,  were  mentioned  as  staying 
at  the  "  Crown,"  at  Faringdon.  After  a  gal- 
lant attempt  for  two  seasons  to  hunt  his  enor- 
mous country;  Mr.  Combe  in  1826  gave  up 
the  Old  Berks  country  and  retired  to  his  old 
quarters  at  Rickmansworth,  whence  he  con- 
tinued to  hunt  the  Old  Berkeley  until  1834. 
He  also  continued  to  hunt  the  South  Oxford- 
shire country  by  arrangement  with  Lord  Kin- 
tore,  during  his  lordship's  mastership  of  the 
Old  Berks.  In  1834  he  gave  up  the  Old  Ber- 
keley, but  only  to  resume  the  reins  again  in 
i^35>  when  he  bought  Osbaldeston's  cele- 
brated pack  at  Tattersall's  for  ;!^4,6oo.  He 
finally  resigned  in  1840.  Mr.  Harvey  Combe 
most  strongly  objected  to  people  smoking  in 


88  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

the    hunting    field   as    "no    hounds    could    be 
expected  to  run  with  such  a  beastly  smell." 

In  1838  a  writer  in  the  Sporting  Magazine 
wrote  of  him  : — 

"  On  Tuesday,  January  30th,  this  sturdy  veteran 
threw  his  hounds  into  Sowley  Wood,  a  covert  of 
600  acres,  and  at  the  end  of  three  hours  and  five 
minutes,  in  spite  of  the  frost,  they  killed  their  fox 
in  the  cleverest  style  imaginable, 

Mr.  Combe  bred  at  Cobham  some  well- 
known  race-horses,  "Cobham,"  The  "Nob," 
"  Harmony,"  The  "  Drummer,"  "  Rosalind," 
&c.  Of  these  "  Cobham  "  was  a  favourite  for 
the  Derby  in  1838,  but  was  not  placed,  being 
tailed  off  at  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  start- 
ing post.  A  dispute  then  arose  between  Mr. 
Combe  and  his  trainer,  John  Scott,  which 
caused  a  good  deal  of  excitement  at  the  time 
in  racing  circles,  and  the  correspondence  which 
ensued  was  published  in  the  sporting  papers. 
The  following  extracts  will  show  the  drift  and 
the  result  of  the  discussion  : — 

To  Mr.  John  Scott, 

Sir, — I  have  reason  to  believe  that  my  horse  Cob- 
ham was  unfairly  treated  previously  to  his  race  for 
the  Derby,  at  Epsom  on  Wednesday  last.  This  you 
acknowledged  to  me,  adding  that  you  could  not 
account  for  it.  I  have  therefore  taken  possession  of 
the  horse,  and  I  shall  keep  him  in  my  own  stable  till 
I  can  see  or  hear  from  you. 


MR.   HARVEY  COMBE  .     89 

I  beg  to  add  that  I  have  engaged  him  in  the  Good- 
wood Cup,  being  determined  to  give  the  public  the 
earliest  opportunity  to  judge  of  his  merits.  I  am 
Sir,  your  Obedt.  servant, 

H.  Combe. 

Mr.  Scott  naturally  resented  the  imputation 
thus  cast  upon  him,  and  he  did  not  lack  sup- 
porters, and  the  published  correspondence 
closes  with  the  follow^ing  testimonial  : — 

John  Scott.  We  have  read  the  statement  of 
correspondence  you  have  sent  us,  and  we  are  perfectly 
satisfied  that  you  have  done  all  that  is  necessary  for 
your  justification  ;  and  having  no  reason  to  doubt 
your  integrity  shall  continue  our  countenance  and 
support,  as  heretofore.     We  are,  &c., 

Westminster.        George  Anson. 
Chesterfield.       John  Bowes. 
Wilton. 

Mr.  Combe  was  never  married.  He  died  in 
1858,  leaving  the  bulk  of  his  fortune  to  Mr. 
Charles  Combe,  son  of  his  youngest  brother 
by  his  second  wife.  Mr.  Charles  Combe  served 
in  the  3rd  Bombay  Cavalry  in  Persia,  and 
through  the  Indian  mutiny,  under  Sir  Hugh 
Rose.     He  now  resides  at  Cobham  Park. 

The  lineal  representative  of  the  family  is 
Major  Harvey  T.  B.  Combe,  of  Oaklands, 
Battle,  Sussex. 


90  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Lord  Kintore,   Master  1826  to  1830. 

Anthony  Adrian,  seventh  Earl  of  Kintore, 
who  now  took  the  country  vacated  by  Mr. 
Harvey  Combe,  was  born  in  1794.  He  had 
been  a  pupil  with  Mr.  Barry,  at  Sparsholt, 
Berks,  and  wrote  in  after  years  of  the  happy 
days  he  had  then  passed  in  "  that  ere  vale." 
Afterwards  he  had  been  an  undergraduate  at  St. 
Mary  Hall,  Oxford.  He  had  thus  hunted  for 
years  over  the  country  he  afterwards  became 
Master  of,  in  the  time  of  Mr.  Robert  Symonds 
and  Mr.  Codrington.  He  was  a  rider  bold  to 
rashness,  greedy  for  fences  ;  and  he  was  also 
celebrated  as  a  boon  table  companion.  On 
succession  to  the  title  on  his  father's  death  in 
181 1  or  soon  after,  he  had  commenced  keep- 
ing hounds  at  Keith  Hall,  his  seat  in  Aber- 
deenshire. Of  this  early  hunting,  reminiscences 
remain  at  Keith  Hall  in  the  shape  of  pictures 
of  famous  hounds,  as  "  Nosegay,"  entered  in 
1817,  and  described  by  "Nimrod"  as  "a  per- 
fect hound."  "  Factor,"  who  was  sire  to  a 
good    many    hounds    in    Mr.     Villebois'    pack. 


ANTHONY  ADRIAN   KEITH-FALCONER,   7th  EARL  OF  KINTORE. 
Master  1827  to  1830,  from  the  painting  at  Keith  Hall. 


To  face  J'ngc  91, 


LORD  KINTORE  91 

entered  in  1821.  This  hunting  establishment 
was  broken  up  in  1825,  when  the  following- 
letter  appeared  in  the  Sporting  Magazine : — 

Sir, — I  regret  exceedingly  to  find  Lord  Kintore 
parting  with  his  hounds,  for  barring  a  little  heat  of 
temper,  which  every  master  of  hounds  is  subject  to, 
occasioned  by  over-anxiety  for  the  sport  of  the  field, 
a  greater  genius,  or  a  greater  slave  to  foxhunting, 
either  in  kennel  or  in  field,  never  hunted  hounds.  I 
understand  after  leaving  the  Turriff  country  last 
October  (where  a  rare  coincidence  one  day  occurred, 
when  he  met  at  Dalgaty,  a  largish  woodland,  his 
hounds  immediately  challenged  to  Roe  deer,  which 
they  were  well  rated  from  and  stopped  ;  a  leash  of 
foxes  were  then  on  foot,  and  the  two  and  twenty 
couple  then  divided  and  each  lot  killed  their  fox). 
And  that  he  afterwards  in  Forfarshire,  during  the 
following  month  of  November,  either  ran  to  ground 
or  killed,  every  fox  they  found  ;  but  so  fond  is  he  of 
hunting  that  I  do  not  despair  of  seeing  him  at  work 
again  at  no  very  distant  period. 

Yours,  &c., 
A  Southerner  in  the  North. 

Lord  Kintore  was  accustomed  to  give  very 
high  prices  for  his  horses,  and  at  the  sale  of  his 
stud  in  Scotland,  on  his  giving  up  in  1825,  the 
following  prices  were  reached  :  "  White  Stock- 
ings," sold  to  Lord  Lyndock  for  ^41 1.  "  Pro- 
vincial," his  brother,  was  bought  in  at  £2,Z^- 
"  Bolivar,"  the  finest  of  the  three  brothers,  but 
with  only  three  legs,  went  to  Captain  Hunter 
for  £60.     His  advent  to  the  Berkshire  country 


92  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

is    thus   described    by  a   contemporary  in    the 
Sporting  Magazine : — 

His  lordship  has  brought  his  own  hounds  from 
Scotland,  a  distance  of  500  miles.  In  this  as  in 
everything  else  he  undertakes,  I  wish  him  from  my 
heart  success ;  for  I  know  that  a  more  liberal,  hospit- 
able, warmer  hearted  man  than  his  lordship  breathes 
not ;  and  this  without  any  fear  of  being  accused  of 
flattery  by  those  who  know  him.  What  his  judge- 
ment and  talents  may  be  in  the  field  I  profess  myself 
unable  to  decide,  for  I  never  met  him  in  the  field  at 
the  head  of  his  own  hounds  ;  but  if  voice  may  be 
considered  as  any  requisite  in  a  master  of  hounds,  his 
cheery  halloos  over  the  mahogany  are  a  proof  that 
he  is  not  deficient  in  that  respect,  as  those  can 
witness  who  were  present  some  time  ago  at  a  public 
hunt  dinner,  and  heard  his  "  Yoicks,  Lambton,  for- 
ward Ralph,  my  boy  !  " 

He  took  Wadley  House  from  the  trustees 
of  young  Mr.  Thomas  Mills  Goodlake,  and 
brought  his  hounds  there  ;  his  windows  looked 
out  on  the  old  White  Horse,  and  he  always 
called  his  country  "  The  Vale." 

A  run  during  his  first  season  is  thus  described 
by  "  Venator,"  in  the  Sporting  Magazine  for 
1827:— 

Sir, — On  Thursday  the  7th  of  February,  I  was  one 
of  a  field  of  nearly  one  hundred,  who  met  at  Stanford, 
to  enjoy  a  day's  sport  with  Lord  Kintore's  hounds, 
which  have  hunted  the  vale  of  Berks  and  Wilts  during 
the  present  season.  The  morning  seemed  propitious, 
the  hounds  looked  gay,  the  country  a  grass  vale,  and 
all  united  to  inspire  with  hope  and  expectation  a  lover 


LORD  KINTORE  93 

of  the  noble  science  of  fox  hunting,  I  could  not  help 
admiring  the  condition  of  his  pack — h'ght  and  airy — 
yet  with  substance  to  get  over  the  difficulties  of  the 
vale  in  which  they  were  placed.  They  drew  their  first 
covert,  Kingstone  Spinney,  without  finding,  and  pro- 
ceeded towards  Uffington  Wood,  but  before  they 
reached  it  a  fox  jumped  out  of  a  small  spinney,  and, 
turning  his  head  towards  the  vale,  seemed  determined 
to  give  his  pursuers  a  taste  of  the  difficulties  of  his 
native  country.  He  went  away  by  Uffington  village 
over  the  meadows  towards  Challow,  and  after  a  ring 
of  fifty  minutes  without  a  check,  succeeded  in  mak- 
ing good  his  point  to  Uffington  Wood.  Here  some 
difficulties  arose  from  the  endeavours  of  the  wily 
animal  to  baffle  the  hounds.  It  was  evident  that  he 
had  left  the  wood,  but  nothing  could  be  made  of  him 
beyond  it.  At  last  he  jumped  up  in  a  ploughed  field, 
went  back  to  the  wood,  sank  into  the  vale  through 
Uffington  Common,  crossed  the  canal  over  the  brook 
to  Rosey,  by  Fernham  and  Little  Coxwell,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  gaining  the  Coxwell  Woods.  Here  he  was 
supposed  to  be  safe,  but  the  gallant  pack  would  not 
be  defeated,  and  poor  Reynard  was  obliged  to  run  for 
his  life ;  after  a  second  race  of  an  hour  and  ten 
minutes  over  a  beautiful  but  severe  country,  he  was 
killed.  Of  the  field  of  nearly  a  hundred  who  began 
the  day,  there  were  present  at  his  death  only  Lord 
Kintore,  one  of  his  whippers,  Messrs.  Mills,  Barker, 
and  one  or  two  other  gentlemen.  In  conclusion  we 
may  say  with  Shakespeare 

"  Such  a  day, 
So  fought,  so  followed  and  so  fairly  won  " 

has  seldom  been  witnessed.  The  number  of  beaten 
horses  was  of  course  great,  and  some  it  is  to  be  feared 
have  seen  their  last  day's  sport.  In  the  first  run 
amongst   the  gentlemen    at   head    were    to    be   seen 


94  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

Lord  Kintore,  Messrs.  Douglas,  Bunce,  &c.  In  the 
second  chase  Messrs.  Mills,  Codrington,  Barker,  were 
well  carried  till  nearly  the  end  of  the  day.  One 
word  to  the  noble  huntsman  of  this  pack  and  I 
have  done.  Let  him  not  try  his  horses'  speed 
against  every  puny  whipster.  His  Lordship  has  the 
conduct  and  the  disposition  of  his  hounds  to  attend 
to.  It  is  not  for  a  general  to  expose  his  life  against 
every  common  trooper  ;  neither  in  casting  nor  in 
going  from  covert  to  covert  should  more  be  taken 
out  of  hounds  than  can  be  avoided  ;  upon  their  pluck 
and  spirit  depends  the  event  of  a  hard  day.  With  a 
little  more  consideration  for  himself  and  his  pack 
the  Earl  of  Kintore  will  rank  amongst  the  first 
gentlemen  huntsmen  of  the  present  day. 

Lord  Kintore  gave  up  the  hounds  seventy- 
four  years  ago,  and  naturally  no  living  member 
of  the  hunt  remembers  his  mastershio,  but  one 
or  tw^o  can  remember  the  man.  The  present 
Mr.  E.  K.  Lenthall,  of  Besselsleigh,  walking 
with  his  father  in  London,  in  1843,  "^^^  Lord 
Kintore,  and  was  presented  to  him;  Lord  Kin- 
tore then  introduced  his  son,  Lord  Inverurie, 
with  the  words  "  Inverurie  is  a  very  good  fellow, 
his  only  fault  is  that  he  is  not  quite  keen  enough 
about  huntinp"."  A  few  months  after  this  inter- 
view  Lord  Inverurie  was  killed  hunting.  He 
had  been  living  at  the  Inn  at  Brix worth,  the 
village  where  the  Pytchley  hounds  were  kept, 
and  hunted  regularly  with  them.  On  the  day 
on  which  he  was  killed  he  was  riding  a  favourite 
mare,  said  to  have  been  exceedingly  clever  at 


LORD  KJNTORE  95 

timber.  She  carried  him  splendidly  from  the 
Hemploe  Hills,  a  fast  twenty  minutes  with  the 
first  fox.  Another  fox  was  found  in  Yelvertoft 
Gorse,  and  Lord  Inverurie  did  not  get  a  good 
start,  a  very  essential  thing  in  that  country 
where  hounds  are  extremely  fast,  and  the  rider 
intends  to  be  first,  or  very  near  it.  In  passing 
under  Winwick  Warren  he  rode  at  a  strong 
flight  of  rails  which  his  mare  failed  to  clear, 
and  fell  heavily  on  him  heels  uppermost.  He 
was  carried  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Lovell,  a 
yeoman,  where  he  died  shortly  afterwards, 
never  having  spoken.  Mr.  George  Payne, 
the  Master  of  the  hounds,  and  the  Duke  of 
Montrose  remaining  with  him  to  the  end. 

In  the  fine  old  church  at  Brixworth  there  is 
a  tablet  in  memory  of  him,  merely  saying  that 
he  is  buried  near  that  spot.  He  was  a  lieuten- 
ant in  the  17  th  Lancers,  a  gallant  rider  to 
hounds,  and  as  indeed  his  father's  son  could 
not  have  failed  to  be,  a  great  favourite  with  the 
hunt.  The  rails  must  have  been  a  formidable 
obstacle,  for  the  previous  year  a  man  named 
Sawbridge  had  been  killed  riding  over  the 
same  flight. 

The  memory  of  Lord  Kintore's  jumping 
feats  still  linger  in  the  old  Berks  country.  He 
rode  a  horse  called  "  Whitestocking,"  which  he 
was  currently  reported  to  have  given  ^800  for. 


96  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

On  this  horse  he  rode  at  a  gate  on  the  swing 
near  Besselsleigh,  although  hounds  were  not 
running,  and  jumped  it  clean.  The  gate  was 
known  for  ever  after  as  "  Lord  Kintore's 
jump." 

Lord  Kintore  was  exceedingly  hospitable, 
and  kept  nearly  "open  house"  at  Wadley. 
There  is  a  story  to  the  effect  that  he  enter- 
tained a  lot  of  hunting  farmers  once,  regaling 
them  with  Scotch  ale  with  such  effect  that 
they  were  all  laid  out  on  the  floor.  He  then 
had  them  carefully  wrapped  up  in  horse  rugs 
and  laid  out  in  a  row  on  the  lawn  to  recover 
by  morning. 

Upon  another  occasion  he  entertained  twelve 
Berkshire  squires.  The  squires  proved  better 
men  than  their  tenants,  for  they  saw  their  host 
under  the  table,  when  they  cooly  rang  the  bell, 
and  when  the  butler  answered  it,  said,  "  You 
had  better  help  his  Lordship  up  to  bed,  and 
then  bring  some  more  wine,  please."  The 
guests  then  continued  their  potations,  and  pro- 
longed their  convivial  evening  to  such  an 
extent,  that  the  host  recovered,  got  up,  and 
rejoined  the  party.  His  guests  saw  him  floored 
once  more,  sent  him  up  to  bed  again,  rang  for 
their  horses,  and  departed,  having  greatly 
enjoyed  themselves !  His  Lordship  thought 
the  event  worthy  of  record,  for  he  chalked  the 
names  of  the  guests  and  the  wine  they  drank 


LORD    KINTORE  97 

up  in  the  cellar,  and  there  the  record  remains, 
it  is  said,  unto  this  day. 

At  his  hunting  box  in  Scotland,  which  he 
called  "The  Peat  Stack,"  on  all  the  china, 
glass,  and  plate,  was  a  fox's  head  engraved, 
with  the  motto  "  Floreat  Scientia,"  and  he  had 
the  same  device  on  his  travelling  carriage. 

His  old  servant,  John  Walker,  however,  said 
of  his  master,  that  as  a  huntsman  he  was  better 
in  theory  than  practice.  To  hunt  the  western 
portion  of  his  country  he  had  a  second  kennel 
at  Cricklade. 

"  Nimrod  "  (Mr.  Apperley)  tells  a  story  of 
his  shouting  to  a  countryman  on  the  other  side 
of  an  impracticable  place,  "Catch  my  horse," 
and  then  tumbling  head  over  heels  into  the 
next  field.  After  a  hard  day  once  he  came  up 
to  an  ugly,  hog-backed  stile  on  his  tired  horse, 
and  looking  at  it  said  :  "  Hang  the  man  who 
put  this  up,  he  deserves  to  have  it  broken,"  and 
forthwith  he  rode  at  it  and  smashed  it  all  to 
pieces.  In  a  fast  run  of  ten  miles  from  Crab 
Tree,  near  High  worth,  to  Ufifington,  in  which 
several  horses  were  killed,  one  or  two  in 
the  field,  his  Lordship  jumped  Sevenhampton 
Brook,*  a  feat  which  "  Nimrod  "  says  has 
never  been  performed  before  or  since.  Captain 
Robertson  was  a  great  friend  of  his  and  often 
stayed  with  him  at  Wadley. 

*  The  River  Cole. 


98  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Upon  one  occasion,  when  the  hounds  met  at 
Wytham,  Lord  Kintore  had  arranged  to  send  a 
horse  over  to  be  tried  by  Mr.  Motte,  a  brother- 
in-law  of  Mr.  Blandy,  of  Kingstone.  Mr.  Motte 
got  to  Wytham,  and  found  the  hounds  drawing  ; 
meeting  a  countryman,  a  local  blacksmith,  he 
gave  the  man  a  shilling  to  find  the  horse  and 
bring  it  to  him.  The  man  found  the  horse  in 
charge  of  a  groom  ;  he  told  him  he  was  sent  for 
the  horse,  and  as  the  gentleman  was  in  a  great 
hurry  he  would  ride  him  ;  just  then  the  hounds 
found,  and  went  away  to  Tubney,  over  a 
stiffish  line  of  country.  The  blacksmith  went 
too,  and  his  Lordship's  horse  knowing  his 
business,  kept  up  with  the  best  of  them,  and 
saw  the  fox  killed  outside  Tubney  Wood. 
There  the  Master  caught  sight  of  his  horse 
with  its  rider  the  blacksmith,  whom  he  rode 
towards  to  find  out  what  was  up.  The  smith 
bolted,  and  his  Lordship  gave  chase  ;  the  man 
made  for  the  wood,  threw  himself  off  the  horse, 
and  disappeared.  Lord  Kintore  caught  the 
horse,  but  naturally  did  not  understand  what 
had  happened,  until  Mr.  Motte  came  up.  Mr. 
Motte  was  so  delighted  at  the  way  the  black- 
smith went,  that  he  at  once  bought  the  animal, 
but  he  had  to  undergo  a  lot  of  chaff  from  the 
Master,  for  tipping  a  smith  half  a  crown  to  try 
a  horse  for  him. 


LORD    KINTORE  99 

Lord  Kintore  soon  found  out  that  the 
country  he  had  at  his  command  was  larger 
than  he  could  hunt  properly,  so  he  arranged 
that  Mr.  Combe  should  continue  to  hunt  the 
South  Oxfordshire  country,  and  in  1828  he 
invited  his  friend,  Sir  John  Cope,  who  was 
then  hunting  in  South  Berkshire,  to  bring  his 
hounds  into  the  Old  Berks  country,  and  to 
have  two  separate  fortnight's  hunting.  Sir 
John's  servants  were  then  Thomas  Tocock, 
huntsman  ;  Joe  Paice,  first  whip,  and  young 
Robert  Tocock  second.  They  went  about 
Christmas,  and  had  a  capital  run  of  sport,  and 
killed  their  foxes,  though  the  weather  was  not 
good  for  hunting,  being  frosty,  though  not  so 
hard  as  to  stop  hounds.  Sir  John  Cope's 
hounds  hunted  from  Abingdon  and  had  some 
excellent  runs.  One  day  they  found  in  Witten- 
ham  Wood,  whence,  after  running  for  two  hours 
from  fox  to  fox,  in  the  wood,  they  went  away 
over  the  downs  by  Blewbury,  Ilsley,  Compton, 
and  Eling  into  Fence  Wood,  where  the  Hunts- 
man, who  had  changed  horses  three  times,  was 
the  only  man  up  with  the  hounds,  being  last 
mounted  on  Mr.  Blackall  Simmonds'  second 
horse,  a  famous  chestnut.  Horses  were  seen 
planted  about  the  downs  like  trees,  ridden  to 
a  standstill,  and  one  or  two  never  saw  their 
stables  again.     They  had  another  severe  day 


lOO  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

from  Kingstone  Inn  Gorse,  running  over  the 
Wantage  country  by  Uffington  Wood,  over  the 
White  Horse  Hill,  where  they  ran  into  an  old 
dog  fox  on  the  downs  after  a  severe  run  of 
two  hours.  Lord  Kintore  went  well,  as  did 
George  Montague,  on  a  horse  lent  him  by  a 
friend  in  the  country.  Thomas  Tocock  rode 
a  horse  called  "  Winky-boss  "  ;  Joe  Paice  was 
mounted  by  Mr.  Duffield  ;  and  Robert  Tocock 
on  "  Badcock,"  a  first-class  hunter,  lent  to  Sir 
John  by  Mr.  Gosling  the  banker,  who  was 
then  laid  up  with  a  broken  thigh.  Colonel 
Adam  Blandy,  the  late  chief  constable  of 
Berkshire,  was  in  this  run,  and  is  doubtless 
the  only  survivor.* 

Sir  John  Cope's  hounds,  and  some  of  the 
horses,  were  kept  at  Marcham  Park,  and  the 
others  at  Abingdon.  Mr.  T.  T.  Morland,  and 
Mr.  Blandy  rendered  Sir  John  all  the  assis- 
tance they  could,  being  genuine  sportsmen, 
and  anxious  to  see  what  the  hounds  would  do 
in  a  new  country.  Several  of  the  gentlemen 
who  hunted  regularly  with  Sir  John  went  down 
with  their  horses,  amongst  them  being  Mr. 
E.  Golding,  of  Maiden  Erlegh  ;  Mr.  George 
Montague  ;    Mr.   T.   Stonor,    afterwards   Lord 

*  He  has,  however,  since  these  lines  were  written, 
gone  over  to  the  majority. 


LORD  KINTORE  lor 

Camoys  ;  Mr.  T.  Howard,  of  Yattendon  ;  Mr. 
Cobham,  of  Shinfield  ;  Mr.  R.  Pocklington,  a 
Suffolk  man,  and  many  others,  so  that  they 
filled  Abingdon  with  servants  and  horses,  and 
made  the  place  quite  alive. 

The  following  letter  shows  that  different 
parts  of  the  country  were  hunted  at  different 
times,  the  only  way  in  fact  so  large  a  country 
could  be  hunted  at  all. 

Wadley,  12-30-1829. 
Dear  Sir, — I  regret  very  much  two  nights  of 
black  frost  have  prevented  us  to-day  from  meeting  at 
Coxwell.  Next  week  I  am  going  into  Sussex  to  buy 
Southdown  ewes  to  send  into  Scotland  but  hope  in 
ten  days  to  be  at  work  again. 

The  hounds  will  hunt  the  East  country  in  the 
autumn. 

Yours  very  truly, 

KiNTORE. 

About  1829  Lord  Kintore  became  doubtful 
about  continuing  the  hunt,  and  Mr.  Thomas 
Duffield,  who  from  the  retirement  of  Mr. 
Codrington,  had  acted  as  President  of  the 
Hunt  Committee,  asked  Mr.  Pryse  Pryse,  of 
Buscot,  to  take  the  Mastership,  which  elicited 
the  following  reply  : — 

Buscot  Park,  Deer.  2nd. 

Dear  Duffield, — I  feel  most  flattered  at  being 

considered  by  yourself  and  my  brother  members  of 

the  V.W.H.  as  worthy  to  succeed  the  Earl  in  the 

management  of  the  hounds,  and  I  thank  you  for  your 


I02  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

handsome  letter.  Could  I  undertake  it  with  comfort 
to  myself,  and  with  a  chance  of  doing  the  thing  as 
I  think  it  ought  to  be  done,  I  would  in  a  moment 
obey  the  call  with  pleasure,  but  I  am  unfortunately 
so  hampered  in  various  ways  that  I  must,  tho'  reluc- 
tantly, decline  the  engagement.  Have  a  turn  your- 
self; I  will  gladly  subscribe  to  you,  and  perhaps  we 
could  make  some  arrangement  here  about  kennel  and 
stables  for  this  part  of  the  country  ;  and  your  own 
would  do  for  the  other  ground,  for  I  agree  with  you, 
that  all  the  country  should  be  hunted,  and  I  would 
by  no  means  give  up  the  Lydiard  Woods.  My  advice 
is,  let  Kintore  go  on  quietly  as  long  as  he  likes, 
which  I  think  will  be  to  the  end  of  the  season.  I  am 
sure  he  is  anxious  to  do  so  if  he  can,  and  to  shew  us 
all  the  sport  in  his  power,  and  it  is  not  his  fault  he 
has  not  a  better  lot  of  hounds.  He  is  to  have  a  few 
couple  from  Will  Long,  which  I  hear  are  likely  to  be 
of  service  to  him. 

Hoping  that  we  shall  soon  meet  in  the  field, 
I  remain,  dear  Duffield,  yours  very  truly, 

Pryse  Pryse. 

In  1830  Lord  Kintore  gave  up  the  country, 
taking  his  hounds  and  servants  to  Keith  Hall, 
his  own  place  in  Scotland.  There  he  took 
to  farminor  on  a  large  scale.  Before  leavinp; 
Wadley  he  sent  the  follov\^ing  letter  to  one 
of  his  predecessors  in  office,  hunting  with 
whom  he  had  first  learnt  to  love  the  vale  : — 

Wadley,  May  25th,  1830. 
Dear  Sir, — I  regretted  missing  you  and  your  son 
the  other  day,  when  I  called  purposely  to  thank  both 
for  "The  earths  well  stopped  and  foxes  plenty"  since 


LORD  K INTO  RE  103 

/  have  hunted  the  Vale,  and  in  tendering  my  hearty 
thanks  for  the  same  I  beg  to  add  that  even  in  my 
mother  country  there  is  beef  and  mutton,  and  some- 
thing to  wash  it  down  at  the  "  Fox's  Head,"  viz., 
Keith  Hall,  N.B.,  with  a  hearty  welcome  when  either 
of  you  choose  to  draw  it. 

From  your  obliged  and  faithful  friend, 

KiNTORE. 
To  the  Rev.  Robert  Symonds, 
Hinton,  Kingstone  Inn. 

In  a  letter  to  Mr.  T.  T.  Morland,  dated 
April  8th,  1837,  Lord  Kintore  mentions  that 
he  was  still  hunting-  his  own  hounds  in  the 
Turriff  country,  and  that  his  pack  had  been 
smashed  up  by  kennel  lameness,  "  that  con- 
founded malady  "  ;  he  had,  however,  just 
bought  Murray  of  Broughton's  Dumfriesshire 
hounds,  thirty-two  couples  of  old  hounds  and 
eight  couples  of  puppies,  for  which  he  gave  200 
guineas.  "  So  I  shall  once  more  '  Yoaxty ' 
for  him,   boys." 

In  1838  Lord  Kintore  was  created  a  Baron 
of  the  United  Kingdom.  He  married  first, 
1817,  Juliet,  fifth  daughter  of  Robert  Renny, 
Esq.,  of  Borrowfield,  N.B.  ;  second,  Louisa 
youngest  daughter  of  Francis  Hawkins,  Esq. 
He  was  the  grand-father  of  the  present,  the 
ninth  Earl  of  Kintore. 


I04 


CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Hon.   Henry  Moreton,   1830  to  1832. 

On  Lord  Kintore's  retirement  the  country 
was  taken  by  the  Hon.  Henry  Moreton,  eldest 
son  of  the  first  Earl  of  Ducie.  Mr.  Moreton 
took  up  his  abode  in  the  house  known  as 
The  Elms,  on  the  right  hand  side  of  Lech- 
lade  road,  going  out  of  Faringdon,  and  lately 
occupied  by  Mr.  William  Dundas. 

On  February  25th,  1831,  he,  in  conjunction 
with  the  members  of  the  hunt,  gave  a  great 
ball  at  Wadley  House,  lent  for  the  occasion. 
The  ball  was  thus  described  in  the  Sporting 
Magazine  of  the  year  : — 

"  On  the  28th  February,  1831,  the  Hon.  Mr.  More- 
ton  and  the  spirited  subscribers  to  his  hounds  gave  a 
grand  ball  at  Wadley  House.  No  less  than  300  per- 
sons partook  of  the  cheering  viands,  and  old  English 
hospitality  revelled  within  its  lordly  walls,  flinging 
us  back  to  the  liberal  days  of  our  forefathers.  The 
affability  and  urbanity  of  the  Lady  of  the  Mansion, 
conjointly  with  her  Lord,*  was  most  conspicuous  and 
made  glad  their  numerous  guests.  The  members  of 
the  Hunt  in  their  scarlet  costumes  gave  a  rich  and 

*  The  late  Mrs.  Goodlake  and  Mr.  Thomas  Mills 
Goodlake. 


The  Hon.   HENRY  MORETON. 

Afterwards  2rid  Earl  of  Ducie,  from  a  painting 
at  Tortworth  Court.     (Master  1830  to  1832.) 


To  /ace  page  105. 


THE   HON.    HENRY   MORETON  105 

pleasing  variety  in  the  happy  dance,  keeping  in  mind 
the  glories  of  the  field  among  the  fair  eyed  maids 
of  Berkshire ;  and  long  must  be  remembered  the 
delightful  evening. 

We  are  glad  to  hear  that  Mr.  Moreton  has  had 
some  most  excellent  sport  during  the  present  month 
— February — in  the  Vale  of  White  Horse  country. 

Mr.  Moreton  had  a  narrow  escape  of  his  life  the 
other  night.  He  was  returning  home  from  hunting 
on  a  favourite  hack  when,  owing  to  the  darkness  of 
the  night,  the  animal  came  in  contact  with  a  gig, 
the  shafts  of  which  penetrated  the  flank  of  the  horse 
and  killed  him  on  the  spot.  Mr.  Moreton  was  thrown 
under  the  carriage  but,  we  are  happy  to  state,  received 
no  serious  injury." 

"  Nim  South,"  who  visited  the  country  in 
1831,  called  it  "a  canal  of  a  country."  He 
says,  "It  is  forty-five  miles  in  length  and  only 
fourteen  in  breadth." 

Mr.  Moreton  used  to  convey  his  hounds  to 
the  meet  in  a  van  with  four  post  horses.  His 
kennels  were  in  a  field  close  by  the  town  of 
Faringdon,  near  the  present  brick  kiln.  He 
also  kept  up  the  secondary  kennel  at  Crick- 
lade  used  by  Lord  Kintore. 

Mr.  Moreton  hunted  his  own  hounds  with 
great  zeal,  and  was  a  good  rider,  scarcely  less 
courageous  than  Lord  Kintore.  He  is  said 
to  have  been  exceedingly  passionate,  and  not 
very  judicious  in  his  language.  He  once 
jumped  into  a  road   at   the  same  time  as  his 


io6  THE    OLD    BERKS    HUNT 

whip,  and  remarked,  "  D — n  it,  sir,  I  was  over 
first."  He  was  assisted  by  Jem  Hills,  who 
came  to  him  from  the  Duke  of  Beaufort.  He 
is  said  to  have  quarrelled  with  Hills  tremend- 
ously, and  once  made  him  get  off  his  horse 
and  walk  home. 

Mr.  Moreton  was  once  nearly  drowned  in 
the  Thames,  near  Buscot,  with  a  lot  of  bank 
notes  in  his  pocket  to  pay  election  expenses, 
many  of  which  were  damaged  and  spoilt. 

He  soon  found,  like  Lord  Kintore,  that  the 
country  was  inconveniently  large  to  be  hunted 
as  thoroughly  as  demanded,  and  complaints  of 
neglect  arose  in  both  the  eastern  and  western 
extremities.  It  was  too  large  to  be  hunted 
from  one  centre,  and  the  question  of  division 
arose.  Mr.  Moreton,  like  Lord  Kintore,  had 
always  rather  favoured  the  western  portion, 
and  he  now  arranged  to  give  up  the  west  and 
centre  forming  the  new  country  now  known 
as  the  "  Vale  of  White  Horse."  This  course 
was  naturally  much  objected  to  by  the  sup- 
porters of  the  original  hunt,  and  Mr.  Thomas 
Duffield  took  up  the  cudgels  for  the  supporters 
of  the  original  hunt.  Young  Mr.  Goodlake 
wrote  as  follows  : — 

My  Dear  Mr.  Duffield, — I  have  this  instant 
received  your  letter.  I  had  been  cruising  with  a 
friend  in  his  yacht  (with  Mr.  J.  Loder  Symonds  in 
his  R.Y.S.  cutter  "  Emerald  "). 


THE    HON.    HENRY   MORETON  107 

I  cannot  think  that  it  will  be  possible  to  reunite 
our  country  if  once  it  is  divided  into  two  separate 
countries.  I  have  written  to  Lord  Radnor,  who  will 
subscribe,  I  think,  if  the  country  is  kept  together. 
At  any  rate,  could  we  not  get  enough  cash  to  hunt 
three  days  a  week,  and  to  take  the  country  from 
Tadpole  to  Wittenham  ?  I  think  I  could  get  the 
leave  of  the  principal  covert  owners  except  Mr. 
Pryse,  and  then  we  should  have  the  original  country 
hunted  by  Mr.  Codrington.  But  I  conclude  we  shall 
meet  so  soon  that  I  shall  finish  by  sending  my  best 
wishes  to  Mrs.  Duffield. 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

Thomas  M.  Goodlake. 

Ultimately  Mr.  Duffield  sent  the  following 
circular  letter  to  the  owners  of  coverts  and 
supporters  of  the  hunt : — 

Marcham  Park,  Sept.  21st,  1832. 
Sir, — A  misunderstanding  having  arisen  as  to  the 
future  hunting  of  the  vale  of  Berks,  a  meeting  of  the 
proprietors  and  gentlemen  interested  will  be  held  at 
the  Crown  Inn,  Faringdon,  on  Wednesday,  the  26th 
inst.,  at  2  o'clock.  The  favour  of  your  attendance 
is  earnestly  requested. 

I  am,  Sir,  Your  obedient  servant, 

Th.  Duffield, 

To  that  letter  Mr.  Hippisley  sent  the  fol- 
lowing reply : — 

My  Dear  Duffield,— Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tuckfield 
and  their  son  being  v/ith  me  only  for  the  day  prevents 
my  meeting  you  at  Faringdon.  I  have  desired  Henry 
on  my  part  to  consult  with  you,  and  to  join  you  in 
any  measures  you  may  wish  to  adopt. 


io8  THE    OLD    BERKS    HUNT 

Enclosed    I   send  you   a  plan   of  country  I    once 
fancied  might  be  of  use  ;   probably  it  never  will  be. 
It  has  only  the  merit  of  showing  at  one  view  the 
country  of  which  it  professes  to  give  particulars. 
Yours  in  haste,  very  sincerely, 

Henry  Hippisley. 
Lambourne  Place, 

Wednesday  morning,  26th  Sept.,  1832. 

The  "  plan "  is  a  very  neatly  drawn  and 
detailed  map  of  the  country  contained  within 
the  following  limits.  All  the  coverts  and 
natural  features  of  the  country  are  marked, 
and  a  great  deal  of  pains  must  have  been 
expended  on  it. 

Extreme  boundaries  ...  Burford  to  Oxford,  17  miles. 

North  and  South        ...  Oxford  to  Highclere,  35  miles. 

East  and  West  ...  Highclere  to  Marlboro',  17  miles. 

West  and  North         ...  Marlboro'  to  Burford,  30  miles. 

The  plan  contains  the  present  "  Craven " 
country  as  well  as  the  Old  Berks,  and  was 
therefore  probably  drawn  out  about  1827,  when 
the  "orreat"  Mr.  Warde  had  sold  his  hounds 
to  Mr.  Horlock  and  the  pack  had  gone  into 
Wilts. 

A  very  carefully  compiled  schedule  of  all 
the  coverts  in  the  double  country  is  appended. 
The  plan  is  only  of  interest  as  showing  "  what 
might  have  been."  It  is  now  in  the  posses- 
sion of  Mr.   Morland  of  Abingdon. 

The  meeting  was  attended  by  all  the  chief 


THE  HON.  HENRY  MORETON  109 

owners  of  coverts  in  the  "  Vale  of  Berks,"  with 
the  exception  of  Lord  Radnor  and  Mr.  Pryse 
Pryse,  and  after  consultation  together  the  fol- 
lowing resolution  was  passed  and  signed  by  all 
those  present : — 

We,  the  undersigned  proprietors  of  coverts,  for- 
merly hunted  by  Mr.  Symonds,  considering  that  any 
attempt  to  divide  such  country  to  be  an  infraction 
of  the  laws  of  foxhunting,  do  hereby  consent,  on 
an  appeal  made  to  us  by  several  gentlemen  of  the 
country,  to  preserve  our  coverts  exclusively  for  such 
pack  as    may  be  supported  by  them. 

With  a  view,  however,  to  promote  an  amicable 
arrangement  for  the  present  year,  we  suggest  that 
this  meeting  be  adjourned  till  Wednesday,  the  3rd  day 
of  October  next  at  the  "  Crown  Inn,"  Faringdon,  at 
two  o'clock,  and  we  pledge  ourselves  in  the  meantime 
not  to  stop  the  earths  on  our  properties  for  either 
party. 

{Signed) 
Barrington.  Thos.  M.  Goodlake. 

p.  PUSEY.  H.  HiPPISLEY. 

Fka  Warneford.  E.  M.  Atkins. 

William  Bennett.  G.  Butler. 

Thos.  Duffield.  J.  Crowdy. 

Robert  Symonds.  T.  W.  Vilett. 

J.  L.  Symonds,  T.  T.  Morland. 


The  adjourned  meeting  was  duly  held  on 
the  appointed  date,  and  the  following  resolu- 
tion was  passed  by  the  owners  of  coverts 
present : — 


no  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Crown  Inn,  Faringdon, 

3rd  October,  1832. 

We,  the  undersigned,  referring  to  a  resolution 
adopted  by  us  at  a  meeting  on  the  26th  ultimo,  do 
hereby  express  our  determination  to  abide  thereby, 
and  to  allow  our  coverts  to  be  drawn  only  by  the 
hounds  now  supported  by  the  original  country,  sub- 
ject, however,  to  any  temporary  arrangement  for  the 
present  season  which  may  hereafter  be  made  by  the 
parties  interested. 

{Signed) 

Barrington.  Thos.  M.  Goodlake. 

William  Bennett.  Tiios.  Duffield. 

Fra  Warneford.  E.  M.  Atkins. 

R.  Throckmorton.  Henry  Hippisley. 

Philip  Pusey. 

At  a  further  meeting  to  arrange  the  tem- 
porary division  the  following  arrangement  was 
entered  into : — 

Crown  Inn,  Faringdon, 

3rd  October,  1832. 

At  a  meeting  this  day  the  following  arrangement 
was  entered  into  between  Messrs.  Pryse  and  Codring- 
ton  on  the  one  part,  and  Messrs.  Goodlake  and  Duf- 
field on  the  other  part.  That  a  division  of  the  country 
should  be  made  for  this  year  only.  The  bridle  road 
from  Faringdon  through  part  of  Fernham  until  the 
carriage  road  commences  towards  Uffington,  thence 
along  the  carriage  road  through  Uffington  into  Ickle- 
ton  Way,  and  up  the  bridle  road  by  the  White  Horse 
Hill,  and  continuing  the  bridle  road  to  Lambourne, 
forming  the  boundary  throughout.  The  earths  at 
Uffington  Wood,  Wainey  Hill  and  Rivey  to  be  put 
to  for  Mr.  Moreton,  and  those  at  Coxwell  Woods 
and  Buscot  for  Mr.  Parker. 


THE  HON.  HENRY  MO  RE  TON  in 

These  resolutions  became  of  great  import- 
ance some  twelve  years  later,  as  will  be  seen 
further  on. 

Mr.  Moreton  had  now  left  for  Cricklade ; 
after  one  season  there  he  went  to  Ciren- 
cester, where  kennels  were  built  for  him  by 
Earl  Bathurst  and  lent  to  him  gratis.  Lord 
Bathurst  also  subscribed  £t,oo  a  year  to  the 
new  hunt. 

It  is  remarkable  that  the  name  "Vale  of 
White  Horse  "  should  have  migrated  with 
the  master  to  the  new  country,  although  the 
"  White  Horse "  himself  necessarily  remains 
in  the  lofty  position  he  has  adorned  since  the 
time  of  the  great  Alfred,  and  is  in  the  Old 
Berks  country.  The  hunt  now,  however, 
consists  of  practically  the  identical  country 
originally  hunted  by  Mr.  Loder  eighty  years 
before,  and  which  has  been  continually  hunted 
by  the  same  hounds  ever  since  ;  and  the  name 
Old  Berkshire  Hunt  was  used  by  Robert 
Symonds  as  early  as  1809  and  is  therefore 
exceedingly  appropriate. 

Hunting  with  Mr.  Moreton  before  he  left 
Faringdon  were  Mr.  T.  M.  Goodlake,  who 
had  two  good  stallions,  and  his  brother-in-law 
Sir  Edward  Baker,  Bart.,  Mr.  Pryse  Lewis, 
Mr.  Tom  Morland  of  Sheepstead,  Lord  Folke- 
stone, Mr.  Lenthall  of  Besselsleigh,  Mr.  Thos. 
Duffield,  the  two  Aldworths  of  Frilford,  &c. 


112  THE    OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Mr.  Moreton  succeeded  to  the  title  on  his 
father's  death  in  1835.  He  continued  to  hunt 
his  new  country  as  Lord  Ducie  until  1843. 
The  Sporting  Magazine  of  that  year  says : 
"We  hear  Lord  Ducie  has  given  up  the  Ciren- 
cester country  in  consequence,  as  asserted,  of 
the  lukewarmness  of  the  resident  gentlemen 
and  the  scarcity  of  foxes,"  Lord  Ducie  then 
devoted  himself  to  agriculture.  His  kennels 
were  visited  by  "  Rodney"  in  1841,  who  says: 
"  I  never  saw  a  more  even  pack.  They  are 
like  one  family  in  size,  but  I  do  not  consider, 
with  the  exception  of  'Wildair,'  that  there  is 
a  hound  in  the  kennel  that  could  fairly  be 
described  as  first-rate ;  pig  heads  and  crooked 
shanks  are  very  numerous,  and  it  is  self-evident 
that  just  as  great  a  mistake  has  been  made  in 
drafting  only  for  size  as  is  often  made  when 
no  regard  is  paid  to  size. 

The  following  description  of  a  run  with  Mr. 
Moreton  was  written  at  the  time  by  Mr. 
Duffield :— 

"  Found  at  Steventon  Copse  ;  after  a  double  or  two 
in  cover  went  for  Milton  Hill ;  ran  some  time  about 
Mr.  Hopkins's  plantations,  through  Mr.  Barrett's 
grounds  back  to  Steventon  Coppice  ;  along  the  Hill- 
side to  beyond  Black  Bird  Farm,  crossed  the  brook 
pointing  for  Hendred  Cowleys ;  turned  again  up  the 
hill  and  kept  along  the  side  of  it  almost  to  Ardington  ; 
turned  short  down  into  the  vale  to  the  Cowleys  and 


THE  HON.   HENRY  MORETON  113 

across  Steventon  Common  to  the  canal,  turned  short 
along  the  bank  to  bridge,  across  the  bridge  through 
the  Hulgroves  and  straight  between  Mr.  Hall's  farm 
at  Hanney,  and  Drayton  Knoll  to  the  Ock  side, 
opposite  Frilford  Roxhill  ;  skirted  the  Ock,  crossing 
the  Wantage  road  at  Noah's  Ark  nearly  to  Garford  ; 
crossed  the  Ock  and  ran  about  a  mile  up  Frilford 
Field  ;  turned  short  to  the  left  to  Fy field  Wick  and 
was  killed  in  Mr.  Roberts's  yard.  One  hour  and 
thirty-five  minutes  :  not  one  ploughed  or  stubble 
field." 

Lord  Ducie  married,  1826,  Elizabeth,  elder 
daughter  of  John  second  Lord  Sherbourne,  and 
had  issue  Henry  John,  the  present  Earl,  and 
nine  other  sons  and  three  daughters.  He 
died  1853. 


114 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Mr.  John  Parker,   1832  to  1833. 

On  Mr.  Moreton's  migration  to  the  newly 
formed  Vale  country  in  1832  some  little  diffi- 
culty was  experienced  in  finding  a  master  for 
the  old  country.  The  country  had  been  splen- 
didly hunted  by  three  wealthy  masters  in 
succession,  viz.,  by  Mr.  Combe,  Lord  Kintore 
and  the  Hon.  H.  Moreton,  who  none  of  them 
spared  either  pains,  or  expenditure,  in  any 
matter  relating  to  the  hunt,  and  it  was  not 
found  easy  to  find  another  master  equally  able 
and  willing.  At  last  on  the  recommendation 
of  Mr.  Duffield  the  country  was  given  to  Mr. 
John  Parker.  Mr.  Parker  was  a  gentleman 
farmer  in  Worcestershire,  and  he  had  held  a 
commission  in  the  Worcestershire  militia.  He 
was  known  as  a  first  rate  sportsman,  and  was 
very  popular  with  his  brother  officers,  and  on 
the  retirement  of  Mr.  Hornyold  of  Blackmore 
Park,  from  the  mastership  of  the  Worcester- 
shire hounds,  was  appointed  to  succeed  him. 
He  found  his  means  inadequate  to  carry  on  the 


lU  c 

< 

I  2 

O  c 


5  a 


MR.  JOHN  PARKER  115 

hunt  in  Worcestershire  with  the  subscription 
he  received  ;  and  accepted  the  proposition,  of 
the  committee  of  the  Old  Berks  Hunt. 

The  country  he  took  over  was  very  much 
reduced,  for  not  only  had  the  present  V.  W.  H. 
hunt  been  divided  off,  but  a  further  great  loss  of 
territory  occurred  on  the  west.  In  consequence 
of  the  Oxfordshire  country  having  been  rather 
neglected  for  some  years,  great  dissatisfaction 
prevailed.  Lord  Kintore  had  asked  Mr. 
Harvey  Combe  to  hunt  it,  and  a  claim  was 
now  set  up  that  it  was  a  distinct  country, 
having  been  formerly  hunted  by  Colonel 
Parker  and  others ;  and  with  the  assent  of 
Lord  Abingdon,  and  other  owners  of  coverts, 
it  was  taken  away  from  the  Berkshire  Hunt  in 
1832.  It  was  then  hunted  by  Mr.  Lowndes 
Stone  for  two  seasons  and  by  Mr.  John 
Phillips  for  one.  Mr.  Parker's  country  was 
smaller  therefore  than  the  present  Old  Berks 
country,  for  he  had  not  any  coverts  beyond 
Faringdon. 

The  separation  of  the  Oxfordshire  country 
did  not,  however,  meet  with  universal  satisfac- 
faction,  even  in  Oxfordshire,  for  years  after  the 
Right  Hon.  Joseph  Warner  Henley,  M.P., 
wrote  as  follows  :  — 

Dear  Morland,— .  ...  I  did  not  think  it 
according  to  foxhunting  law,  when  that  Worcester- 


ii6  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

shire  man  and  Lowndes  Stone  split  it ;  but  it  was  no 
business  of  mine     .... 

Faithfully  yours, 

J.  W.  Henley. 
Waterperry,  April  \Zth,  1845. 


Mr.  Parker  hunted  his  own  hounds,  although 
he  was  a  very  heavy  man.  He  lived  and  kept 
the  hounds  at  New  House.  He  was  described 
as  being  the  "  best  man  on  a  bad  horse  in 
England."  He  is  said  to  have  impoverished 
himself  by  keeipng  hounds.  He  soon  found  it 
impossible  to  hunt  the  Old  Berks  country 
on  the  subscription  given  him  ;  and  he  gave 
up  after  one  season.  He  left  a  high  reputation 
as  a  sportsman  behind  him  in  Berkshire,  Sir 
Richard  Sutton  particularly,  thought  very 
highly  of  him  ;  but  the  management  in  other 
respects  formed  too  great  a  contrast  with  the 
previous  regimes  to  give  general  satisfaction. 

Mr.  Parker  once  drove  the  coach  from  Wor- 
cester to  Ludlow  ;  but  he  was  such  a  daring 
man  that  he  frightened  all  the  passengers ; 
until  at  last  no  one  would  ride  with  him. 

On  leaving  Berkshire  Mr.  Parker  took  the 
Lincolnshire  South  Wold  country,  where  he  is 
said  to  have  given  great  satisfaction. 

An  account  of  Mr.  John  Parker  appears  in 
the  May,  1904,  number  of  Bailys  Magazine. 
In  it  the  writer  says  : — 


WILLIAM  PLEYDELL  BOUVERIE,  3rd  EARL  OF  RADNOR. 
Master  1834  to  1836. 


To /ace  />ii^c  117. 


MR.  JOHN  PARKER         -  117 

It  is  somewhat  sad  to  have  to  relate  that  his  ser- 
vices as  a  sportsman  to  his  county  did  not  win  for 
him  in  his  retirement  the  pecuniary  aid  which  his 
circumstances  were  in  need  of,  and  I  find  that  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  he  was  admitted  into  the  Worces- 
tershire County  Asylum  at  Powick,  where  he  spent 
the  last  six  years  of  his  life.  The  governor  of  the 
Asylum  tells  me  that  he  was  described  as  a  "  reduced 
gentleman,"  and  that  he  was  in  a  very  feeble  state  of 
health,  showing  marked  signs  of  senility.  He  was 
very  much  lost  and  had  little  memory  of  recent 
events.  He  was  continually  talking  about  hunting 
and  shooting.  He  died  on  January  28th,  1875, 
having  been  in  the  Asylum  nearly  six  years. 


n8 


CHAPTER    IX. 
The  Earl  of  Radnor,   1833  ^o  1834. 

The  retirement  of  Mr.  Parker  did  not 
naturally,  diminish  the  difficulty  that  had  been 
already  experienced  in  finding  a  Master.  At 
last  Lord  Radnor  consented  to  fill  the  breach, 
and  took  over  the  reins  of  office. 

Sir  William  Pleydell-Bouverie,  third  Earl 
of  Radnor,  was  the  great-grandson  of  Sir 
Jacob  de  Bouverie,  second  Baronet  and  first 
Viscount  Folkestone,  whose  eldest  son  Wil- 
liam married,  1 747,  Harriet,  only  daughter  of 
Sir  Mark  Stuart  Pleydell,  of  Coleshill,  Berks, 
by  which  alliance  the  estate  of  Coleshill  came 
to  the  Radnor  family.  Lord  Folkestone's  son 
by  a  second  marriage,  Philip  Bouverie,  took 
the  name,  and  inherited  the  estate  of  Pusey, 
Berks,  and  became  the  grandfather  of  the  late 
Philip  Pusey,  M.P.,  who  was  the  first  elected 
President  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society, 
the  first  President,  the  Duke  of  Richmond, 
having  been  nominated  by  the  Crown  in  the 
Charter  of  Incorporation.    Mr.  Philip  Bouverie- 


THE  EARL   OF  RADNOR  119 

Pusey's  brother,  Edward,  was  the  celebrated 
Dr.  Pusey,  who  gave  his  name  to  an  important 
movement  in  the  Anglican  Church. 

Lord  Radnor,  the  Master,  married,  firstly, 
in  1 801,  Catherine,  only  daughter  of  Henry, 
Earl  of  Lincoln  ;  and,  secondly,  in  1814, 
Anne  Judith,  third  daughter  of  Sir  Henry  St. 
John  Mildmay.  He  died  in  1869,  and  left 
two  sons,  Jacob,  fourth  Earl,  the  grandfather 
of.  the  present,  the  sixth  Earl,  and  the  Right 
Hon.  Edward  Pleydell-Bouverie,  who  was 
afterwards  President  of  the  Old  Berks  Hunt 
Club. 

Lord  Radnor  continued  to  keep  the  hounds  at 
New  House,  where  Mr.  Blandy,  of  Kingstone, 
managed  them  for  him.  He  used  to  drive  over 
to  the  kennels,  which  were  inconveniently  far, 
about  twelve  miles,  from  his  seat  at  Coleshill, 
in  a  light  curricle  and  pair.  Will  Todd,  who 
came  to  him  from  the  Duke  of  Beaufort,  was 
his  huntsman.  Two  noteworthy  runs  happened 
during  his  "reign."  One  with  a  fox  found  at 
Shellingford,  and  the  other  from  a  coppice 
adjoining  Bagley  Wood,  passing  Wytham 
Great  Wood  and  over  the  Thames.  It  was  said 
at  the  time  that  this  was  the  first  occasion  on 
record  that  this  had  been  done.  They  killed 
in  fine  style  on  Bladon  Heath  adjoining 
Blenheim  Park. 


120  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Dash  wood  in  the  Sporting  Magazine  for 
1834  in  his  annual  report  of  the  season's  fox- 
hunting says  of  the  Old  Berkshire  : — 

"  Lord  Radnor's  excellent  pack,  /  have  the 
best  authority  for  saying,  are  doing  what 
hounds  have  never  done  before  in  their  country, 
and  finishing  a  season  beyond  all  precedent  in 
the  recollection  of  Berkshire  sportsmen.  They 
have  to  thank  their  talented  manager,  Mr. 
Blandy,  I  believe,  for  not  a  little  of  the  dis- 
tinguished success  that  has  hitherto  marked 
their  proceedings,  and  I  am  sure  they  could 
not  thank  a  more  sporting  individual,  or  one 
more  deeply  interested  in  the  prosperity  of  all 
that  belongs  to  Lord  Radnor  and  his  fox- 
hounds," 

Reading  between  the  lines  and  taking  into 
consideration  the  "italicising"  the  words  "I 
have  the  best  authority,"  it  may  reasonably  be 
inferred  that  the  paragraph  so  far  as  it  regards 
Mr.  Blandy  at  least,  emanated  from  Lord 
Radnor  himself  It  was  in  this  case  a  very 
delicate  way  of  conveying  his  appreciation  of 
his  services,  and  his  thanks  to  his  friend 
for  his  assistance.  Lord  Radnor  held  the 
mastership  for  one  year  only,  giving  up  the 
country  in  April,  1834. 


121 


CHAPTER   X. 

A  Committee,    1834  to  1835. 

Mr.  Thomas  Thornhill  Morland, 
1835  TO  1847. 

On  the  retirement  of  Lord  Radnor  no  master 
appeared  to  be  forthcoming,  so  a  committee 
was  appointed  consisting  of  the  following 
gentlemen,  to  make  arrangements  :  Messrs. 
John  Phillips,  Walter  Strickland,  Thomas 
Stonor  and  Thomas  Thornhill  Morland.  Mr. 
Phillips  was  then  hunting  the  Oxfordshire 
country  recently  separated  from  the  Old  Berk- 
shire. In  April,  1834,  the  committee  called 
a  meeting  at  Abingdon,  when  the  following 
resolutions  were  agreed  upon  : — 

Resolved  that  the  countries  lately  hunted  by  Lord 
Radnor  and  Mr.  Phillips  be  united,  and  that  they 
shall  be  hunted  three  days  a  week.  Three  days  a 
fortnight  in  Oxon,  and  of  these  three  days  the  fix- 
tures shall  be  alternately  in  the  hill  and  vale ;  and 
the  hounds  shall  be  hunted  by  a  servant. 

That  on  the  part  of  Oxon  it  is  agreed  that  they 
shall  be  at  liberty  to  separate  their  country  upon 
giving  notice  in  any  year. 


^S 


122  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

That  the  same  resolutions  apply  to  Berks. 
That  a  subscription  be  entered  into  for  the  purpose 
of  hunting  the  above  countries. 

That  Messrs.  Stonor  and  Phillips  on  the  part  of 
Oxon,  and  Messrs.  Morland  and  Strickland  on  the 
part  of  Berks,  be  requested  to  further  the  objects  of 
the  meeting. 

{Signed)  W.  Strickland, 

Chairman. 

The  Committee  purchased  eleven  couple 
of  hounds  from  Mr.  Phillips  ;  a  draft  of  ten 
couple  from  Mr.  Moreton  (the  V.W.H.) ;  eleven 
couple  from  the  New  Forest ;  seven  couple 
from  the  Heythrop,  and  with  a  few  couple 
from  the  Craven,  Mr.  Codrington,  Sir  John 
Cope,  and  Mr.  Osbaldiston,  made  up  a  pack  of 
forty-eight  couple  altogether.  They  carried 
on  the  business  of  the  hunt  until  the  end  of 
November,  1834. 

On  the  28th  of  that  month  a  meeting  was 
held  at  Sheepstead,  when  the  following  pro- 
posal was  offered  by  Mr.  Morland  : — 

That  upon  receiving  ;^i,ioo  he  will  undertake  the 
entire  expense  of  hunting  the  country,  and  the  main- 
taining the  establishment  from  April  1st,  1835,  to 
April  ist,  1836,  and  continue  the  same  upon  receiving 
the  same  annually  until  further  arrangements  be 
deemed  necessary  to  be  made. 

That  should  such  arrangement  be  desirable,  the 
hounds,  horses  and  kennel  to  belong  to  the  country. 
That  whilst  this  understanding  lasts  the  establish- 
ment to  belong  to  Mr.  Morland,  he  taking  to  it  at 
cost  price. 


MR.    THOMAS    THORNHILL  MORLAND       123 

Resolved  :  "  The  committee  on  behalf  of  the  Club 
accept  Mr.  Morland's  proposition  and  in  so  doing 
return  him  their  thanks  and  those  of  the  Club  for  the 
trouble  he  has  taken  and  the  interest  he  has  shown 
in  their  behalf.  The  above  proposition  is  not  to 
interfere  with  the  regulations  agreed  upon  at  Abing- 
don for  hunting  the  two  countries." 

{Signed)  T.  Thornhill  Morland. 
Thos.  Stonor. 
Walter  Strickland. 
Jno.  Shaw  Phillips. 

Thus  Mr.  Morland  became  master.  His 
"reign"  was  to  last  for  twelve  eventful  years. 
The  country  he  undertook  to  hunt  extended 
from  Faringdon,  to  Stonor  Park,  near  Henley. 

Mr.  Thomas  Thornhill  Morland  was  a  grand- 
son of  Mr.  William  Morland  of  West  Ilsley, 
who  died  1773.  ^'^  father,  Mr.  Benjamin 
Morland,  married,  first,  Miss  Harriet  Baster 
and,  second,  Miss  Thornhill,  daughter  of  Mr. 
Edward  Thornhill  of  Kingstone  Lisle,  by 
whom  he  had  three  sons,  Thomas,  the  master, 
Benjamin,  who  succeeded  his  brother  as  squire 
of  Sheepstead,  the  father  of  the  present  Mr. 
Benjamin  Henry  Morland  ;  and  George  Bowes, 
the  father  of  Mr.  John  Thornhill  Morland,  and 
the  late  Mr.  Edward  Morland,  of  Abingdon. 

When  he  became  master,  Mr.  Morland  had 
just  married  Louisa,  daughter  of  Mr.  Martin- 
Atkins  of  Kingstone  Lisle.      He  built  kennels 


124  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

at  Sandford,  and  took  the  hounds  there.  His 
first  huntsman  was  Richard  Hills,  who  came 
to  him  from  Mr.  Harvey  Combe  and  the  "  Old 
Berkeley  "  at  Rickmansworth  ;  Willy  Hawtin 
was  Whip.  After  about  two  years  Willy 
Hawtin  became  huntsman,  Stephen  Shepherd 
being  whip. 

The  subscriptions  from  Oxfordshire  soon  fell 
off,  and  Mr.  Morland  was  obliged  to  intimate 
that  he  could  not  continue  to  hunt  that  country 
in  the  way  he  had  done,  under  the  altered  cir- 
cumstances.    Mr.  Lowndes  Stone  writes  : — 

Brightwell,  Thursday,  1836. 
"Dear  Morland,—  .  .  .  In  regard  to  your 
letter  about  the  hunting,  I  perfectly  agree  with  you 
that  it  would  be  quite  absurd  and  impolitic  for  you 
to  hunt  our  country  in  the  way  you  did  last  year, 
considering  the  small  subscription  our  gentlemen 
subscribe,  but  I  think  they  will  never  be  able  to 
keep  a  pack  of  hounds  on  this  side  of  the  country, 
for  independent  of  money  concerns,  I  think  there  is 
not  country  enough  for  even  three  days  a  fortnight, 
for  since  I  have  known  it  I  have  never  heard  such  a 
bad  account  of  foxes.  .  .  .  Should  you  give  up 
this  country  or  not,  I  shall  be  happy  to  put  puppies 
out  to  walk  for  you  as  far  as  I  can. 

Believe  me  in  haste,  ever  yours, 

W.  C.  Lowndes. 

The  great  difficulty  was  the  hunting  the 
wooded  hill  country,  and  he  arranged  that 
Major    Fane    should    hunt   this,    Mr.   Morland 


MR.    THOMAS    THORN  HILL  MORLAND       125 

lending   him    ten    couple    of    hounds.       Major 
Fane  writes  : — 

Shirburn  Lodge,  nr.  Stoken  Church, 

Novr.  20,  1837. 

Dear  Morland, — The  hounds  arrived  safe  and 
well  this  day,  about  two  o'clock  (8^  couple,  i-^  couple 
were  sent  later),  which  we  all  in  this  part  of  the 
country  feel  most  uncommonly  obliged  to  you  for. 
I  am  in  hopes  they  will  be  none  the  worse  when  we 
return  them  back  to  you.  If  you  can  some  future  time 
let  us  have  about  six  couple  more,  it  would  be  a  very 
great  advantage  to  us,  as  I  think  we  ought  to  take 
out  twelve  couples  and  have  some  in  reserve,  as  the 
flints  perhaps  will  not  agree  with  their  feet.  I  cannot 
at  present  give  you  an  answer  about  the  mare,  as 
Henry  Heyward  is  in  London  and  I  do  not  know 
what  he  may  have  arranged. 

Believe  me,  yours  most  truly, 

J.  W.  Fane. 

In  1 84 1,  Mr.  Morland  arranged  for  Mr. 
Phillips  to  drav^  some  of  his  Oxon  coverts, 
and  accordingly  the  latter  gentleman  drew 
Shotover.  Elsfield  and  Woodeaton  he  lent 
to  **  Squire  Drake "  and  the  Bicester.  Mr. 
Drake  writes  : — 

Dear  Morland,  —  You  were  good  enough  to 
render  me  great  assistance  last  season  on  the  Wood- 
eaton side  of  your  country.  Should  you  not  want 
it  this  year  may  I  ask  the  same  permission  ?     .     .     . 

Very  truly  yours, 

T.  T.  Drake. 


126  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

In  1845  Lord  Parker  arranged  to  hunt  the 
Oxen  country,  and  he  addressed  the  following 
letter  to  Mr.   Morland  : — 

My  Dear  Morland, — It  is  now  settled  that  I 
should  keep  the  hounds  to  hunt  the  Oxon  country, 
and  you  would  be  conferring  a  great  favour  if  you 
would  allow  me  to  hunt  Nuneham  (on  sufferance  of 
course)  as  my  country  is  so  very  small. 

Believe  me,  yours  very  truly, 

Parker. 
9,  Conduit  Street,  March  24th,  1845. 

Mr.  Morland  then  wrote  to  Sir  John  John- 
stone, and  asked  him  to  ascertain  whether  the 
Archbishop  of  York,  the  owner  of  Nuneham, 
had  any  objection  to  Lord  Parker's  drawing 
his  coverts.     The  reply  was  as  follows  : — 

Dear  Morland, — I  had  no  opportunity  of  con- 
sulting the  Archbishop  and  also  Mr,  Harcourt  (both 
of  whom  I  thought  ought  to  be  seen)  on  the  subject 
of  your  letter  till  this  evening. 

There  is  no  objection  on  the  part  of  either  to  the 
arrangement  you  propose  making  with  Lord  Parker 
with  reference  to  the  Nuneham  coverts,  but  I  do  not 
believe  his  Grace  would  wish  the  number  of  foxes  to 
be  increased  beyond  the  usual  number,  a  single  litter, 
and  I  know  he  is  anxious  that  the  coverts  should  not 
be  disturbed  during  the  month  of  January  or  during 
very  wet  weather  as  the  Oxford  hacks  cut  up  the 
park  so  much. 

Believe  me,  yours  truly, 

J.  Johnstone. 


MR.    THOMAS   THORN  HILL  MORLAND       127 

In  another  letter  it  is  said — "  The  Arch- 
bishop is  as  fond  of  hunting  as  ever." 

Upon  finally  giving  up  the  Oxfordshire 
country  Mr.  Morland  had  many  letters  of 
regret  from  Mr.  Lowndes  Stone,  the  Right 
Honourable  Joseph  Warner  Henley  and  other 
Oxfordshire  landowners.  Mr.  Henley  wrote 
from  Waterperry,  1845  : — 

I  am  sorry  you  are  giving  up  the  Oxfordshire 
country.  ...  I  have  to  thank  you  for  much 
amusement  afforded  as  well  as  your  uniform  kind- 
ness and  courtesy  to  everybody  while  you  have  had 
the  management. 

In  the  spring  of  1842  Lord  Ducie  gave 
up  the  Vale  of  White  Horse  country,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Lord  Gifford.  Under  the  ar- 
rangement of  1832,  by  which  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  eastern  end  of  the  old  Berkshire 
country  had  been  lent  to  the  Vale,  during  his 
mastership,  now  came  to  an  end.  Mr.  Mor- 
land very  properly,  and  at  the  request  of  his 
supporters,  asserted  his  right  to  retake  posses- 
sion. The  claim  was  not  admitted  by  Lord 
Gifford  or  the  gentlemen  of  the  "Vale."  A 
dispute  arose  in  consequence,  which  lasted 
for  two  years.  In  the  meanwhile,  as  already 
described,  the  Oxfordshire  supporters  of  Mr. 
Morland  determined  to  exercise  the  right  of 
breaking  off  the  connection  with  Berkshire, 
reserved    to    them    in    the    agreement    made 


128  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

at  Abingdon  in  1835.  The  result  was  the 
establishment  of  the  South  Oxfordshire  Hunt 
with  Lord  Macclesfield  as  master.  It  was 
indeed  an  age  of  change.  Masters  no  longer 
moved  their  hounds  to  distant  neighbourhoods 
to  hunt  for  a  time.  The  movement  of  the 
formation  of  the  present  conveniently-sized 
countries  was  in  full  swing.  It  was  demanded 
by  the  increased  interest  taken  in  hunting ; 
and  had  been  rendered  possible  by  the  better 
preservation  of  foxes.  The  natural  result  of 
the  process  of  change  was,  that  boundary  dis- 
putes and  differences  as  to  country  became 
very  numerous  ;  so  much  so  that  a  serious  pro- 
posal was  made  by  a  writer  in  the  Sporting 
Magazine,  for  the  formation  of  a  tribunal  on 
the  lines  of  the  Jockey  Club  for  their  settle- 
ment. In  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's  country  a  dis- 
pute arose  between  the  Duke  and  Mr.  Horlock 
in  1838  as  to  the  right  to  draw  certain  coverts. 
Mr.  Horlock  had  purchased,  in  1826,  a  mag- 
nificent pack  of  hounds  from  his  friend,  Mr. 
John  Warde,  with  which  he  hunted  the  Wilt- 
shire country.  By  arrangement  with  the  Duke 
he  hunted  a  considerable  country,  which  had 
undoubtedly  once  been  hunted  by  the  Bad- 
minton hounds.  In  1838  the  Duke  wanted 
the  country  back  ;  the  reply  was  that  it  had 
been  given  up  as  useless  and  devoid  of  foxes. 


MR.    THOMAS    THORN  HILL  MORLAND       129 

Mr.  Horlock,  by  preserving  the  hunting  regu- 
larly, had  caused  it  to  be  restocked  with  foxes, 
and  urged  that  under  the  changed  conditions 
and  after  hunting  it  for  so  long,  he  could  not 
be  expected  to  give  it  up  again.  This  view 
ultimately  prevailed. 

Mr.  Morland's  difference  with  Lord  Gifford 
was  more  serious  :  it  created  so  much  excite- 
ment at  the  time,  and  is  often  referred  to  with 
so  much  interest  now,  that  we  give  the  cor- 
respondence in  full  was  it  as  published  by 
Messrs.   Baily  at  the  time. 

One  of  the  first  things  Mr.  Morland  did  was 
to  consult  his  friend,  Mr.  Drake,  who  said  : — 

Dear  Morland, — I  never  did  hear  of  disputes 
about  hunting  coverts  being  referred  to  Masters  of 
hounds.  You  stand  upon  your  arrangement  made 
in  1832.  If  any  owner  of  a  covert  withdraws  his 
permission  to  you  to  draw  his  coverts,  my  decided 
opinion  is  that  no  man  ought  to  consent  to  draw  it 
without  your  approbation  and  then  only  upon  suf- 
ferance. Every  country  has  its  boundary,  and  if 
foxhunting  is  to  be  supported,  that  law  must  be 
abided  by. 

Yours  ever, 

June  2 1st.  T.  DRAKE. 

Correspondence  between  Messrs.  Morland,  and  Cripps, 
Button,  &c.,  when  Lord  Gifford  takes  the  V.  W.H. 
Country. 

Friday. 
Dear   Morland, — We    saw    Lord   Gifford   after 
I  saw  you  on  Thursday,  at  12  o'clock,  and  you  shall 
9 


I30  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

hear  the  result  directly.  He  seems  very  anxious  to 
meet  us  in  a  fair  way,  and  as  far  as  his  means  will 
allow  him,  will  do  all  he  can.  I  do  trust  that  we 
shall  be  able  to  arrange  satisfactorily  with  him  ;  the 
only  thing  will  be  that  we  must  put  up  with  a 
scratchy  pack  for  a  season  or  two.  But  how  much 
better  is  a  scratch  pack  with  a  master,  than  a  scratch 
pack  with  twenty  masters  ! 

I  do  think  we  shall  arrange  it ;  but  I  cannot  help 
suspecting  there  is  some  queer  feeling  up  in  the 
Highworth  district  about  it.  I  have  no  doubt  but 
that  as  regards  the  two  ends,  Highworth  and  Ciren- 
cester, a  division  would  give  us  better  hunting  for  a 
time  than  a  pack  ;  but  if  we  do  not  sink  all  this 
individual  benefit,  for  the  sake  of  keeping  the  country 
entire,  we  deserve  to  be  left  without  hunting  at  all. 
I  should  say  the  thing  will  be  certain  to  be  arranged  ; 
and  I  trust,  although  you  would  be  a  gainer  in 
country  by  a  division,  you  will  wish  us  well  through 
our  negotiations.     You  shall  hear  Thursday. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Raymond  Cripps. 

Sheepstead,  July  19th,  1842. 
Dear  Cripps, — I  am  glad  to  hear  you  are  likely 
to  get  Lord  Gifford  to  hunt  your  country.  I  do  not 
imagine  you  will  have  any  difficulty  about  the  High- 
worth  country.  You  are  aware  that  country  as  far 
as  Tadpole  Brook  belongs  to  the  country  I  now 
hunt ;  and  by  an  agreement  I  now  have,  which  was 
made  and  signed  by  all  the  owners  of  coverts  west 
of  Faringdon,  it  was  divided,  by  consent,  as  long  as 
Lord  Ducie  hunted  the  Cirencester  and  Minety 
country,  and  it  now  comes  back  to  the  original 
country,  and  I  have  been  called  upon  to  take  posses- 
sion of  it  and,  of  course,  I  must  do  so ;  at  the  same 
time,  I  assure  you  I  have  not,  and   I  believe  neither 


MR.    THOMAS   THORN  HILL  MORLAND       131 

have  the  owners  of  coverts,  any  wish  to  prevent  a 
similar  agreement  between  Lord  Gifford  and  myself ; 
but  until  that  takes  place  I  do  not  feel  justified  in 
relinquishing  my  right,  &c.,  &c. 

Yours, 
Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 

Raymond  Cripps,  Esqre., 

The  Bank,  Cirencester. 


Dear  Morland, — We  had  a  satisfactory  meeting 
yesterday,  and  arranged  for  Lord  Gififord  to  hunt  the 
country  hitherto  hunted  by  Lord  Ducie.  No  one 
except  Crowdy  seemed  to  know  anything  about  the 
arrangement  of  1832,  and  a  resolution  was  adopted, 
which  I  now  enclose.  I  do  not  think  Lord  Ducie 
is  aware  of  any  such  arrangement  as  was  alluded  to, 
and,  curiously  enough.  Lords  Harrington  and  Radnor 
and  Mr.  Pryse  seemed  to  approve  of  the  country 
being  hunted  by  Lord  GifFord.  Any  correspondence 
had  better  be  with  Mr.  Dutton,  the  chairman  of  the 
meeting. 

Yours,  &c., 
R.  Cripps. 


{Copy  of  the  Resolution  above  alluded  to.) 

Mr.  Morland's  letter,  claiming  certain  coverts, 
having  been  read — 

Resolved  :  "  That  the  majority  of  this  meeting,  not 
having  been  aware  of  any  such  arrangement  as  that 
alluded  to  in  the  letter,  Mr.  Morland  be  requested  to 
forward  a  copy  of  any  agreement  he  may  hold,  to  the 
chairman  of  this  meeting," 

{Signed)     JAS.  Dutton, 

Chairman. 


I30 


THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 


hear  the  result  directly.  He  seems  very  anxious  to 
meet  us  in  a  fair  way,  and  as  far  as  his  means  will 
allow  him,  will  do  all  he  can.  I  do  trust  that  we 
shall  be  able  to  arrange  satisfactorily  with  him  ;  the 
only  thing  will  be  that  we  must  put  up  with  a 
scratchy  pack  for  a  season  or  two.  But  how  much 
better  is  a  scratch  pack  with  a  master,  than  a  scratch 
pack  with  twenty  masters  ! 

I  do  think  we  shall  arrange  it ;  but  I  cannot  help 
suspecting  there  is  some  queer  feeling  up  in  the 
Highworth  district  about  it.  I  have  no  doubt  but 
that  as  regards  the  two  ends,  Highworth  and  Ciren- 
cester, a  division  would  give  us  better  hunting  for  a 
time  than  a  pack  ;  but  if  we  do  not  sink  all  this 
individual  benefit,  for  the  sake  of  keeping  the  country 
entire,  we  deserve  to  be  left  without  hunting  at  all. 
I  should  say  the  thing  will  be  certain  to  be  arranged  ; 
and  I  trust,  although  you  would  be  a  gainer  in 
country  by  a  division,  you  will  wish  us  well  through 
our  negotiations.     You  shall  hear  Thursday. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Raymond  Cripps. 

Sheepstead,  July  19th,  1842. 
Dear  Cripps, — I  am  glad  to  hear  you  are  likely 
to  get  Lord  Gifford  to  hunt  your  country.  I  do  not 
imagine  you  will  have  any  difficulty  about  the  High- 
worth  country.  You  are  aware  that  country  as  far 
as  Tadpole  Brook  belongs  to  the  country  I  now 
hunt ;  and  by  an  agreement  I  now  have,  which  was 
made  and  signed  by  all  the  owners  of  coverts  west 
of  Faringdon,  it  was  divided,  by  consent,  as  long  as 
Lord  Ducie  hunted  the  Cirencester  and  Minety 
country,  and  it  now  comes  back  to  the  original 
country,  and  I  have  been  called  upon  to  take  posses- 
sion of  it  and,  of  course,  I  must  do  so ;  at  the  same 
time,  I  assure  you  I  have  not,  and   I  believe   neither 


♦  V 


MR.    THOMAS   THORN  HILL  MORLAND       133 

death  of  Col,  Warnford  can  make ;  and  I  hardly 
know  who  else  there  was  at  the  time  to  attend  a 
meeting,  as  an  owner  of  coverts,  on  the  Tadpole  side 
of  the  country. 

Yours,  very  truly, 
Thomas  Thornhill  Morland. 

{This  letter  was  sent  with  the  preceding^ 

Cirencester,  Monday. 
Dear  Morland, — Cripps  thinks  that  it  would 
not  be  very  easy  to  get  a  meeting  together  now,  but 
I  think  I  am  safe  in  saying  that  we  all  in  these  parts 
recognise  the  countries  hunted  by  yourself,  and  Gif- 
ford,  as  one ;  and  that  the  present  division  of  them  is 
only  for  mutual  convenience.  At  our  last  meeting 
a  claim  was  put  in,  on  your  part,  to  a  sort  of  slice 
of  the  country  going  somewhere  towards  Tadpole 
Brook,  I  believe,  which  was  objected  to,  because  had 
it  been  carried  into  effect  it  would  have  left  all  this 
part  of  the  country  without  hounds  at  all. 

Yours,  &c., 

Jas.  Button. 

Sheepstead,  Aug.  i6th,  1842. 
Dear  Mr.  Button, — I  have  just  received  yours 
of  yesterday,  wherein  you  state,  "  that  the  gentlemen 
in  these  parts  recognise  the  country  hunted  by  your- 
self, and  Gifford,  as  one,  and  that  the  present  division 
of  them  is  only  for  mutual  convenience."  I  fear 
that,  in  the  situation  in  which  I  stand,  I  cannot  con- 
sider the  recognition  sufficient,  and  I  must  therefore 
refer  you  again  to  my  letter  to  Cripps  of  July  19th. 

I  am,  &c., 
Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 

P.S. — I  think  if  you,  or  R.  Cripps,  would  meet 
me  some  day,  perhaps  we  could  arrange  matters  in 
a  few  minutes.  At  any  rate,  a  few  words  would  be 
more  to  the  purpose  than  many  letters. 


134  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

BiBURY,  Tuesday. 
Dear  Morland, — A  little  conversation  will,  as 
you  say,  be  better  than  a  great  deal  of  writing  ;  so,  as 
I  cannot  conveniently  leave  home  this  week,  I  will  be 
at  your  races  on  the  30th,  where  you  will  be,  I  con- 
clude. In  the  meantime,  I  will  look  over  attentively 
all  the  documents  in  Cripps'  possession. 

Yours,  &c., 

Jas.  Button. 

BiBURY,  Sept.  8th. 

Dear  Morland,— On  consideration,  I  should  think 
that  the  correspondence  which  has  passed  between 
yourself  and  me,  and  also  that  which  has  passed 
between  yourself  and  Lords  Barrington,  Radnor, 
&c.,  would  always  of  itself  form  sufficient  evidence 
that,  having  taken  this  opportunity  of  asserting  your 
claim  to  the  country  east  of  the  Tadpole  Brook,  you 
are  induced  to  waive  it  for  the  present  to  accom- 
modate us.  Besides,  I  should  think  that  all  existing 
agreements  were  just  as  valid  now  as  they  were  when 
first  signed,  having  been  made  not  by  yourself  and 
Ducie  individually,  but  by  the  gentlemen  of  the 
country  generally.  I  do  not  see  the  mere  fact  of 
Lord  Gifford  having  succeeded  Lord  Ducie  renders 
them  one  bit  less  valid  than  your  having  succeeded 
Lord  Radnor  did  some  years  ago ;  if,  however,  a  fresh 
signing  and  sealing  should  be  thought  necessary,  that 
can  only  be  done  at  a  general  meeting. 

I  have  to  apologise  for  not  having  written  sooner, 
but  circumstances  rendered  the  delay  unavoidable. 

Yours,  &c., 

James  Dutton. 

Sheepstead,  Sept.  13th,  1842. 
Dear  Mr.  Dutton, — Upon  my  return  I  find  yours 
of  the  8th.     If  you  think  that  the  correspondence 


MR.    THOMAS   THORNHILL  MORLAND       135 

which  has  already  taken  place  between  yourself  and 
me,  as  well  as  the  letters  received  from  Lord  Radnor, 
Barrington,  &c.,  &c.,  are  sufficient  evidence  of  assert- 
ing my  claim  to  the  country  east  of  Tadpole  Brook, 
I  do  not  see  there  is  any  occasion  for  the  corre- 
spondence to  be  lengthened ;  but  it  must  be  under- 
stood that  I  retain  the  Coverts  called  the  Furze  Hills, 
and  the  Httle  Coppices,*  to  myself. 

Yours,  &c. 
Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 
P.S. — I   send  you  a  copy  of  Mr.  Calley's  letter, 
which,  perhaps,  you  will  like  to  keep  with  the  others. 


BiBURY,  Tuesday. 
Dear  Morland, — I  write  a  line  to  acknowledge 
the  receipt  of  your  letter,  and  also  to  thank  you  for 
the  copy  of  Calley's  which  shall   be  duly  preserved 
amongst  the  "  Archives  of  the  Hunt."     I  thought  that 
the  Furze  Hills,  and  the  coppices  adjoining,  had,  for 
the  last  several  years,  been  drawn  by  you  exclusively. 
I  remain,  dear  Morland, 
Yours  truly, 

James  Button. 


Copy  of  Correspondence  referred  to  in  Mr.  Morland' s 
letter  to  Mr.  Button  of  fuly, 

Grosvenor  Street,  July  28th,  1842. 
Dear  Morland, — I  think  you  are  quite  right  to 
put  in  your  claim  to  the  Highworth  country,  which 
clearly  belongs  to  you,  as  far  as  Tadpole  Brook  ;  and 
I  am  glad  you  did  so.  At  the  same  time,  having 
established  your  right  (which  I  hope  is  admitted)  you 

*  Called  the  Fernham  and  Brick-kiln  Coppices. 


136  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

perhaps  have  done  well  to  waive  it  on  the  present 
occasion. 

It  strikes   me,  however,   that  you  ought  to  have 
Coxwell  Furze  Hills  distinctly  added  to  your  present 

country. 

Truly  yours, 

Radnor. 

House  of  Commons,  July  28th,  1842. 
Dear  Morland, — I  perfectly  remember  the  meet- 
ing at  Faringdon,  some  years  ago,  at  which  the 
arrangement  was  made  for  dividing  the  country  now 
hunted  by  you,  so  long  as  Lord  Ducie  hunted  that 
part  he  has  now  given  up,  and  which  it  is  proposed 
should  now  be  hunted  by  Lord  Gififord.  It  is  only 
right,  therefore,  for  the  sake  of  preventing  any  further 
disputes  on  the  subject,  either  that  you  should  take 
possession  of  the  whole  of  the  old  country,  or  that 
some  arrangement  of  a  similar  nature  to  that  entered 
into  with  Lord  Ducie  should  be  agreed  upon  in  Lord 
Gifford's  case. 

Believe  me,  yours  very  sincerely, 
Barrington. 

Norfolk  Hotel,  Brighton, 

July  22nd,  1842. 
My  Dear  Morland,— With  regard  to  your  letter 
to  Raymond  Cripps,  a  copy  of  which  you  sent  me,  I 
think  it  is  a  very  good  letter,  and  that  you  were 
perfectly  right  to  send  it ;  indeed,  I  am  sure  you 
would  have  been  quite  wrong  if  you  had  not  made 
your  claim.  You  can  make  what  use  you  like  of  the 
above  opinion.  At  any  rate,  you  are  quite  right  in 
taking  possession  of  your  part  of  the  country,  and  I 
would  not  let  Lord  Gifford  have  it  without  a  new 
and  clear  understanding.  I  am,  as  you  know,  all  for 
the  rights  of  the  Old  Berkshire  country  for  posterity. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Folkestone. 


MR.    THOMAS   THORNHILL   MORLAND        137 

H.  OF  C,  July  20th,  1842. 
Dear  Morland, — I  got  your  letter  this  morning, 
before  I  left  Buscot.  We  are  quite  right,  depend  on 
it,  and  so  thinks  Fred.  Berkeley,  who,  as  well  as 
myself,  approves  of  yours  to  Cripps.  You  will  see  by 
my  letter  to  you  of  yesterday  that  I  stated  pretty 
accurately  to  Crowdy  what  your  communication  to 
Cripps  would  be. 

Yours  truly, 

Pryse  Pryse. 

Blunsdon,  St.  Andrews, 
Aug.  5th,  1842. 
Dear  Morland, — There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
Codrington's  country  extended  to  Tadpole  Brook ; 
and  I  consider  my  covert  at  Tadpole  still  belongs  to 
the  country  formerly  hunted  by  him.  I  think,  there- 
fore, you  have  done  perfectly  right  in  laying  claim  to 
that  and  the  other  coverts  west  of  Faringdon,  which 
will  prevent  any  dispute  at  a  future  time.  It  does 
not  appear  that  the  owners  of  coverts  on  this  side 
of  Highworth  were  consulted  when  the  division  of 
the  country  took  place,  which  was  decidedly  wrong. 
I  think  that  the  same  agreement  ought  certainly  (if 
Lord  Gifford  takes  the  country)  to  be  entered  into 
with  him  as  with  Lord  Ducie — that  you  only  give  up 
this  side  of  the  country  to  him  as  long  as  he  hunts  it, 
and  that,  when  he,  Lord  Gifford,  resigns,  the  agree- 
ment should  cease,  and  be  fresh  entered  into  with  the 
next  person  taking  the  country. 

Yours  most  sincerely, 

Jno.  J.  Galley. 

Correspoirdence — Lord  Giffoi'd  and  Mr.  T.  T.  Morland 
— about  Buscot  and  Coles/nil. 

Cirencester,  April  5th,  1843. 
My  Dear  Morland, — Having  hunted  this  country 
one   season,    I    am    enabled    to    compare   my   own 


138  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

strength  with  that  of  the  country,  and  on  that  com- 
parison I  am  obliged  to  admit  that  I  am  unable 
to  do  justice  to  the  Buscot  Woods.  I  have  been 
informed  that  you  would  not  object  to  assist  me  to 
show  sport  to  the  gentlemen  of  that  district.  Under 
these  circumstances,  I  am  induced  to  make  you  the 
following  offer,  viz.,  as  regards  these  coverts  of 
Mr.  Bennett's  of  Faringdon  that  are  in  my  country  ; 
Mr.  Pryse's  coverts,  and  Lord  Radnor's,  including 
also  all  coverts  belonging  to  any  other  person  within 
that  line  of  country.  That  you  should  have  my  per- 
mission, with,  I  believe,  the  full  assent  of  all  the 
owners,  to  hunt  those  coverts  alternate  weeks  (your 
first  week  commencing  on  Monday,  Oct.  30th)  up  to 
Christmas ;  that  after  Christmas  you  should  have  the 
same  permission,  the  period  only  being  altered  to 
alternate  fortnights,  up  to  the  end  of  the  week  con- 
cluding with  Saturday,  March  i8th,  1844. 

I  think  it  better  that  I  should  state,  that  if  during 
one  of  your  weeks  or  fortnights  I  should  run  up  to 
that  district,  I  shall  not  consider  myself  precluded 
from  drawing  any  of  those  coverts  for  a  second  fox  ; 
but  you  may  depend  upon  my  having  at  all  times 
the  greatest  consideration  for  your  interest,  being 
most  anxious  for  the  general  sport  of  the  country, 
knowing  that  it  is  the  most  certain  and  effective 
preserver  of  foxes. 

Yours,  &c.,  &c., 

GiFFORD.* 

*  This  letter  was  written  at  the  suggestion  of  Lord 
Ducie,  who  had,  on  the  18th  of  March,  obtained  Mr. 
Morland's  assent  to  assist  Lord  Gifford  in  hunting  the 
country.  Mr.  Morland  was  led  to  suppose  that  the 
arrangement  would  continue  so  long  as  Lord  Gifford 
hunted  the  country  ;  therefore,  anticipating  the  receipt 
of  this  letter,  gave  notice  of  his  intention  to  relinquish 
some  country  which  had  been  lent  him  in  Oxfordshire. 


MR.    THOMAS   THORN  HILL   MORLAND       139 

Sheepstead,  April  8th,  1843. 

Dear  Lord  Gifford, — I  shall  be  happy  to  act  in 
concert  with  you  in  any  way  calculated  to  promote 
sport,  and  with  this  view  will,  with  pleasure,  hunt  the 
Buscot  and  Coleshill  coverts  alternately  with  you 
through  the  next  season,  in  the  manner  suggested  by 
your  letter  of  the  5th  inst. 

Of  course,  in  entering  into  this  arrangement  it  will 
be  understood  that  the  old  countries  remain  as  they 
did,  and  that,  in  fact,  it  is  simply  an  arrangement 
between  ourselves.  I  mention  this,  as  I  consider  the 
coverts  in  question  belong  to  the  county  which  I 
hunt ;  and  being  in  the  position  of  a  trustee,  I  am 
bound  to  do  nothing  which  might  affect  my  successor. 
In  your  letter  you  mention  the  coverts  of  Mr. 
Bennett  of  Faringdon.  This  I  presume,  is  a  mistake, 
and  that  you  mean  the  coverts  of  Mr.  Bennet,  of 
Hardwell,  as  the  coverts  of  Mr.  Bennett  of  Faring- 
don have  been  drawn  by  the  hounds  hunting  the 
eastward  portion  of  the  country  ever  since  the  tem- 
porary division  of  1832  took  place,  and  I  have 
invariably  drawn  them. 

I  am,  &c.,  &c. 
Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 


{^Private. ~) 

Sheepstead,  March  i6th,  1844. 
Dear  Lord  Gifford, — I  received  yours  of  yester- 
day. I  do  not  recollect  any  satisfactory  arrangement 
we  came  to  about  Buscot  when  we  last  met ;  far  from 
it,  as  from  what  I  gathered  in  conversation  with  you, 
the  impression  on  my  mind  is  that,  whatever  your 
own  wishes  on  the  subject,  there  are  gentlemen,  sup- 
porters of  your  hounds,  who  do  not  approve  of  my 
hounds  drawing  Buscot,  which  I  told  you  I  con- 
sidered, after   all  that  had  passed,  very  illiberal  on 


I40  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

their  parts.  I  have  well  considered  the  business 
over,  and  in  consequence  of  the  uncomfortable  feeling 
which  appears  to  exist  between  the  two  countries,  I 
have  made  up  my  mind  to  ask  no  favours,  but  to 
insist  upon  my  rights  ;  and  next  season  to  take  pos- 
session of  the  coverts  which  belong  to  my  country 
and  to  draw  them  with  my  hounds,  unless  a  satis- 
factory, a  fair  and  sportsmanlike  arrangement  can  be 
made,  and  which  I  feel  convinced  is  practicable,  if 
attempted  in  a  neighbourly  way,  to  the  mutual  advan- 
tage of  both  countries.  I,  in  consequence,  determined 
to  open  my  mind  to  the  Secretary  of  the  V.W.H. 
Club,  and  on  Wednesday  last  when  I  met  Mr.  Crowdy 
I  did  so. 

You  must  recollect  I  was  asked  quite  at  the  end  of 
the  last  season  to  hunt  the  Buscot  coverts ;  and  to 
enable  me  to  do  so  I  was  obliged  to  give  up  my 
Oxon  country,  which  notice  I  was  obliged  to  send  in 
before  the  ist  April. 

Having  given  up  that  end  of  my  country,  it  is  quite 
impossible  for  me  to  go  on  with  my  hounds,  without 
an  accession  to  it  on  the  other  side. 

I  must  add  that  I  cannot  quite  understand  you 
when  you  say  that  you  regret  Buscot  this  year,  as 
you  are  aware  that,  by  our  arrangement,  you  had  the 
power  of  hunting  it  alternately  with  me  up  to  the 
1 8th  March. 

Believe  me,  &c., 
Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 

{Private.) 
Sheepstead,  March  i6th,  1844. 
Dear  Lord  Gifford, — The  enclosed  may  pos- 
sibly be  considered  as  expressed  in  rather  strong 
terms ;  but  I  feel  assured  you  will  take  it  as  it  was 
meant,  which  is  in  all  friendship.  I  have  been  in- 
duced to  unburthen  my  mind  in  this,  I  trust,  distinct 


MR.    THOMAS    THORNHILL  MORLAND       141 

manner,  as  I  feel  convinced  that,  unless  a  thorough 
understanding,  in  the  strictest  sense  of  the  term,  is 
entered  into  between  the  gentlemen  of  the  two 
countries,  jealousies  and  disagreements  will  be  con- 
stantly engendered  between  neighbours,  to  the  mutual 
discomfort  and  disadvantage  of  all  parties. 

Yours,  &c., 
Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 


Cirencester,  May  ist,  1844. 

Dear  Morland, — I  did  not  answer  your  last 
letter,  because  I  wished  Folkestone  to  settle  the 
business  ;  he  does  not  like  to  interfere,  and  all  that 
can  now  be  done,  I  suppose,  must  be  for  the  good 
of  all  parties  on  amicable  terms.  In  your  official 
documents  you  mention  "  Coverts  which  belong  to 
my  country."  Now  I  am  in  a  state  of  ignorance  as 
regards  these  coverts,  as  they  may  be,  after  the  way 
I  have  been  treated  since  I  hunted  the  V.W.H. 
country,  either  the  Lydiard  Woods  or  Williamstrip, 
as  I  now  consider  myself  not  secure  of  any  covert, 
as  my  country  is,  I  am  told,  a  cribbed  one. 

Now  if  we  two  as  friendly  masters  of  hounds  can 
come  to  any  arrangement  between  us  I  am  willing 
to  agree  to  anything. 

Folkestone  mentions  the  renewal  of  the  letter  I 
sent  last  year.  That  I  am  very  willing  to  do ;  the 
only  alteration  I  should  like  to  make  would  be  that 
the  word  "  alternate "  should  be  left  out,  as  the 
Highworth  party  last  season  took  it  into  their  heads 
that  I  was  to  hunt  it  as  well  as  you  ;  whereas,  if  you 
agree,  I  should  wish  you  to  hunt  Buscot  after  cub- 
hunting,  which,  I  believe,  I  have  the  right  to  do  by 
the  letter  of  last  year,  only  should  not  feel  myself 
precluded  from  drawing  it  for  a  second  fox. 

1   am  going  into  Devon,  and  if  you  agree   with 


142  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

my  propositions  I  shall  be  very  glad,  and  also  any 

alteration  you  may  suggest  for  both  our  good  I  will 

willingly  agree  to. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

GiFFORD. 

Sheepstead,  May  4th,  1844. 

Dear  Lord  Gifford, — I  duly  received  yours  of 
the  1st.  The  coverts  referred  to  in  the  official 
documents  are  all  on  this  side  of  the  River  Thames 
to  Cricklade ;  and  from  thence  on  the  east  of  the 
the  Tadpole  Brook,  including  Burderop.  Your  letter 
appears  to  be  written  in  such  a  proper  spirit  that  I 
assure  you  I  shall  have  great  pleasure  to  come  to  a 
friendly  arrangement,  and  which,  I  believe,  will  be 
advantageous  to  both  of  us  as  well  as  to  the  country 
in  general. 

The  boundary  which  I  propose  is  the  River  Thames 
to  the  River  Cole,  and  from  thence  the  Cole  to  be 
the  boundary  ;  in  fact,  all  the  coverts  in  Berkshire 
to  come  into  this  division  and  to  be  hunted  by  the 
Berks  hounds. 

The  earths  at  Sevenhampton  to  be  stopped  for  me, 
and  those  at  Beckett  and  Buscot  for  you.  Let  this 
be  considered  the  arrangement  between  you  and  me, 
and,  of  course,  it  must  be  understood  that  by  this 
arrangement  I  do  not  prejudice  the  claim  to  the  old 
country.  As  far  as  I  am  concerned  you  are  quite 
at  liberty  to  have  some  cubhunting  at  Buscot  up  to 
the  20th  Oct.  if  you  require  it ;  and  moreover,  if  you 
run  up  to  Buscot,  by  all  means  draw  the  woods  for 
a  second  fox.  I  am  all  for  showing  as  much  sport 
as  possible  in  the  country. 

If  this  arrangement  does  not  meet  your  wishes,  I 
suppose  the  owners  of  coverts  must  settle  the  matter 
for  us,  as  in  1832. 

Believe  me,  &c.,  &c., 
Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 


MR.    THOMAS    THORN  HILL  MORLAND       143 

The  Grange,  Thursday,  May  9th,  1844. 
Dear  Morland, — I  quite  agree  with  your  arrange- 
ment, which,  I  believe,  only  includes  Buscot,  and  that 
the  rest  of  the  coverts,  viz..  Crouch,  Beckett,  Water 
Eaton,  Tadpole,  Sevenhampton,  Stanton,  Burderop 
and  Stainswick,  are  still  to  be  drawn  by  my  hounds ; 
and  that  by  our  private  arrangement  Buscot  and 
Coleshill  are  to  be  yours  as  long  as  you  and  I  hunt 
the  country,  I  shall  be  quite  delighted  to  meet  your 
views,  and  I  cannot  help  what  the  country  may  say, 
as  I  am  sure  we  have  both  done  for  our  mutual  good. 
If  the  country  choose  not  to  agree  with  me,  I  sup- 
pose, as  you  say,  it  must  be  settled  by  the  owners 
of  coverts.  Be  so  good  as  to  give  me  a  line  to  say 
if  I  understood  you  right  about  the  arrangement  I 
have  mentioned  in  the  first  part  of  my  letter,  as  1 
did  not  quite  understand  about  the  boundary  of  the 
Rivers  Thames  and  Cole,  having  no  map  here.  You 
mention  the  earths  at  Beckett  to  be  stopped  for  me. 
Do  you  also  mean  upon  your  present  arrangement  to 
claim  Beckett?  If  so,  I  must  at  once  decline  going 
on  with  my  present  country,  as  it  will  be  quite  im- 
possible for  me  to  give  satisfaction  for  three  days  a 
week  with  such  a  scrap  of  country.  The  reason  I 
write  this  is,  that  because  having  no  map  here,  you 
made  a  division  of  which  I  am  totally  ignorant,  not 
knowing  what  coverts  you  wish.  I  understood  plainly 
from  Folkestone  that  the  only  arrangement  you 
wished  was  a  renewal  of  my  letter  of  last  year.  I 
thought  I  would  do  more  by  giving  you  up  Buscot, 
or  rather  that  after  20th  Octbr.  you  should  draw 
Buscot,  the  word  alternate  being  left  out.  I  must 
state  candidly  that  I  could  not,  in  justice  to  myself  or 
the  country,  give  up  more  than  Buscot  and  Coleshill 
on  the  present  terms.  If  more  is  wished  to  be  taken 
from  me  I  shall  as  candidly  state  that  I  cannot  go 
on  with  the  country;    and   I  have  no  hesitation  in 


144  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

stating  that  I  shall  give  up  before  the  next  season 
commences.  /  Jiave  not  enough  nozv  of  country  to 
hunt  three  days  a  iveek  without  Buscot,  but  I  should 
certainly  try  to  do  it  for  both  yours  and  my  own 
sakes,  although  there  might  be  a  scarcity  of  foxes. 

Yours,  &c., 

GiFFORD. 

May  24th,  1844. 
Dear  Lord  Gifford, — The  boundary  I  proposed 
gives  me  Lord  Barrington's  coverts  and  Compton, 
in  addition  to  Buscot  and  Coleshill.  I  am  certain  I 
am  not  asking  too  much  when  I  require  this  divi- 
sion ;  indeed,  I  do  not  consider  myself  at  liberty  to 
agree  to  any  other  division  without  first  consulting 
the  wishes  of  others.  Your  hounds  were  only  at 
Shrivenham  twice  last  year,  and  one  of  those  days 
was  blank,  therefore  it  cannot  be  of  consequence  to 
you.  I  have  reason  to  believe  more  foxes  were  made 
away  with  in  the  the  neighbourhood  of  Compton  than 
either  your  hounds  or  mine  killed  in  that  district. 

Yours,  &c., 
Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 

Cirencester,  May  24th,  1844. 

Dear  Morland, — I  could  not  answer  your  last 
letter  before,  as  I  had  some  engagements  in  Devon, 
which  prevented  my  returning  here  till  yesterday. 

I  find  that  in  justice  to  myself  and  the  country 
that  I  cannot  agree  to  your  division  ;  I  therefore 
leave  it  in  the  hands  of  the  country.  I  have  written 
to  Dutton  on  the  subject,  and  shall  therefore  have 
nothing  more  to  do  with  it ;  but  I  shall  still  consider 
myself  master  of  the  country  marked  out  and  given 
me  by  Lord  Ducie. 

You  must  well  know  that  for  three  days  a  week  I 
have  not  country  enough  to  hunt,  after  my  arrange- 


MR.    THOMAS   THORNHILL  MORLAND       145 

ment  with  you  last  year  about  Buscot ;  and  I  thought 
by  renewing  that  arrangement  things  would  have 
been  kept  on  an  amicable  footing ;  at  least  I  was  led 
to  think  so  by  Lord  Folkestone,  although  in  my  own 
mind  I  was  sure  that  if  short  of  foxes  in  Bradon 
we  should  not  be  able  to  do  without  Buscot ;  but 
yet  I  was  willing  to  try  and  take  the  whole  blame 
upon  myself  of  giving  up  Buscot  upon  the  same 
terms  as  last  year. 

I  shall  now,  unless  things  are  settled  to  my  satis- 
faction, give  up  my  present  country. 

I  am,  &c.,  &c., 

GiFFORD. 

Correspondence  between  Messrs.  Button  and 
Morland. 

Cirencester,  Saturday,  June  ist,  1844. 
Dear  Morland, — I  regret  to  hear  that  the  dis- 
pute between  you  and  Gifford  is  not  yet  terminated. 
Why  should  not  the  arrangement  of  last  year  re- 
main in  force?  As  Buscot  was  not  thought  to 
have  been  sufficiently  hunted  last  season,  you  and 
Gifford  might  hunt  it  alternately.  Of  course,  I  only 
suggest  all  this  as  a  private  arrangement  between 
yourself  and  Gifford,  and  not  to  interfere  with  any 
existing  claims  whatever. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

James  Button. 

102,  Gloucester  Place,  June  5th,  1844. 
Dear   Mr.    Button, — Your   letter   arrived  here 
yesterday,  but  I  did  not  return  from  Ascot  in  time 
to  answer  it  by  return  of  post. 

I   regret   as   much   as   yourself  that   the   dispute 
between   Lord   Gifford   and   myself  is   not  yet  ter- 
minated ;   and  I  fear  from  Lord  Gifford's  last  letter 
10 


146  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

the  only  way  to  settle  the  dispute  will  be  a  reference 
to  the  owners  of  coverts  in  the  old  country  Of 
course,  you  are  aware  of  the  proposal  I  have  made 
to  Lord  Gifford. 

Yours,  &c., 
Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 
The  Hon.  James  Button, 
Taynton,  Burford. 

BiBURY,  Saturday. 
Dear  Morland, — I  have  received  your  letter  and 
am  sorry  "  my  flag  of  truce  "  is  repudiated.  As  an 
interested  party  in  the  sport  of  this  country,  and 
with  the  consent  of  the  gentlemen  similarly  inter- 
ested, whom  I  have  consulted,  I  now  write,  in  my 
own  and  their  name,  to  make  the  offer  of  this  case 
being  referred  to  masters  of  hounds,  as  the  only 
proper  and  sportsmanlike  way  of  settling  a  dispute 
between  the  sportsmen  of  each  country  ;  for  although 
in  your  letter  you  make  use  of  the  term  "  masters  of 
coverts,"  I  conclude  you  mean  the  same  thing  as 
myself;  for  I  have  yet  to  learn  what  owners  of  coverts 
have  to  do  with  a  dispute  between  two  masters  of 
hounds.  Of  course,  the  arrangement  for  the  arbitra- 
tion must  be  a  matter  to  be  settled  between  us,  but 
my  idea  is  that  each  should  choose  one,  leaving  it 
to  them  to  choose  their  own  referee.  Direct  your 
answer  to  me  at  White's  Club, 

And  believe  me,  &c.,  &c., 

James  Dutton. 

I02,  Gloucester  Place,  June  nth,  1844. 
Dear  Mr.  Dutton, — Your  letter  of  Saturday 
reached  me  here  on  Monday,  where  I  have  been  for 
some  days,  and  I  regret  to  find  that  our  views 
respecting  the  division  of  the  countries  are  still 
opposed  to  each  other.     Our  former  correspondence 


MR.    THOMAS   THORNHILL  MORLAND       147 

on  this  subject,  in  1842,  was  brought  to  an  end  by 
what  I  considered  an  admission  on  your  part  of  my 
right  to  the  old  Berkshire  country,  which  had  been 
temporily  divided  by  the  owners  of  coverts  in  1832. 
After  your  admission  of  my  right  I  did  not  at  that 
time  care  to  retake  possession  of  more  than  one  of 
those  coverts,  viz.,  the  Furze  Hills,  which  I  insisted 
upon  taking  as  a  proof  of  my  right.  Last  year,  you 
are  aware  that,  in  consequence  of  Lord  Gififord's 
inability  to  do  justice  to  all  the  country  which  he 
held,  I,  at  his  request,  hunted  Buscot  and  Coleshill; 
and  not  supposing  that  this  arrangement  would 
again  be  disturbed,  gave  up  my  Oxfordshire  country, 
I  was  perfectly  willing  to  have  continued  the  same 
arrangement,  but  to  my  surprise,  when  I  called  upon 
Lord  Gifford  in  January  last,  he  informed  me  that 
the  gentlemen  of  his  hunt  were  dissatisfied  at  his 
giving  up  Buscot  and  that  therefore  he  must  break 
off  the  former  arrangement. 

Upon  this  I  consulted  with  my  friends,  and  all 
agreed  that  I  must  maintain  my  right  and  take 
possession  of  the  coverts  which  were,  by  suffer- 
ance, temporarily  allowed  to  Lord  Ducie  by  the 
division  of  1832.  On  intimating  my  intention  to 
Lord  Gifford,  he  proposed  that  I  should  retain 
Buscot  and  Coleshill,  in  addition  to  which  I  demand 
Beckett  and  Compton,  thereby  making  the  Rivers 
Thames  and  Cole  the  division.  If  this  is  conceded 
I  am  willing  to  let  Lord  Gifford,  as  long  as  he  hunts 
your  country,  make  use  of  the  other  coverts  west  of 
the  Cole,  on  the  understanding  that  it  is  on  suffer- 
ance, and  not  to  prejudice  the  right  of  any  person 
who  may  hereafter  succeed  me  in  the  Berkshire 
country. 

If  the  coverts  at  Beckett  and  Compton,  with  those 
at  Buscot  and  Coleshill,  are  not  conceded,  I  must 
assert    my   right    to    the   whole    of   the    Berkshire 


148  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

country,  which  I  think  is  indisputable  and  appears 
to  me  to  have  been  acknowledged  by  you.  This 
division  is  just  and  fair  to  both  countries ;  and  you 
must  be  aware  that  Lord  Gifford  only  brought  his 
hounds  once  to  Beckett  all  the  last  season,  and 
therefore  my  taking  these  coverts  so  essential  to  my 
division  can  affect  you  very  little. 

I  cannot  assent  to  the  proposal  that  the  question 
should  be  referred  to  masters  of  hounds,  as  there 
are  no  fixed  rules  or  a  committee  as  in  the  Jockey 
Club,  by  which  differences  of  this  sort  can  be  ad- 
justed. The  masters  of  coverts,  in  this  case,  are 
surely  the  more  proper  judges  ;  by  their  consent  the 
division  of  1832  was  made,  and  acted  on  by  Lord 
Ducie.  They  alone  can  say  whether  that  division  was 
temporary  or  permanent,  and  in  what  country  they 
consider  their  coverts  are  situated.  This  is,  I  con- 
ceive, the  only  question  to  be  decided,  and  to  them, 
therefore,  let  it  be  referred,  and  by  their  answer  I  am 
willing  to  abide.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  you  have 
any  other  grounds  on  which  to  support  your  claim, 
perhaps  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  inform  me  what 

they  are. 

I  am,  &c., 

Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 

The  Hon.  James  Button, 

White's  Club,  St.  James's. 

White's,  Friday,  June  14th,  1844. 
Dear  Morland, — As  my  mediation  has  proved 
ineffectual,  I  have  now  only  to  refer  the  matter  to 
Gifford,  who,  between  ourselves,  ought  to  have 
arranged  it  in  the  first  instance,  and  I  have  for 
that  purpose  forwarded  him  your  letter.  Permit  me, 
however,  to  correct  one  error.  I  positively  deny 
ever  having  acknowledged  your  right.  I  had  no 
power  to  do  so;  but  if  you  refer  to  my  letter  of 


MR.    THOMAS   THORNHILL  MORLAND       149 

September  8th,  1842,  you  will  see  that  I  only 
acknowledged  that  you  had  asserted  your  claim  at 
the  proper  time,  and  that  you  had  for  the  present 
consented  to  waive  it,  to  accommodate  us.  I  am 
leaving  town  to-day,  to  return  next  week,  but  as  the 
whole  matter  must  now  be  left  between  yourself  and 
Gifford,  I  do  not  think  that  you  and  I  need  corre- 
spond further  on  this  subject. 

Yours,  &c., 

James  Button. 


102,  Gloucester  Place,  June  12th,  1844. 

Dear  Lord  Barrington, — I  beg  to  enclose  you 
a  correspondence  which  has  taken  place  between 
Lord  Gifford  and  myself.  I  have  no  doubt  your 
Lordship  recollects  the  meeting  at  Faringdon  in 
1832,  the  temporary  division  of  the  country  then 
made,  and  acceded  to  and  acted  upon  by  Lord  Ducie, 
then  Mr.  Moreton. 

There  is  little  doubt  you  recollect  the  correspon- 
dence which  took  place  when  Lord  Gifford  came  to 
Cirencester.  I  am  anxious  to  know  whether,  having 
regard  to  all  these  circumstances,  your  Lordship 
does  not  consider  that  the  division  of  1832  was  only 
temporary,  and  that  the  whole  was  to  revert  to  the 
Berkshire  country  whenever  Lord  Ducie  might  retire. 
It  has  become  necessary  for  me  to  assert  such  right, 
as  I  may  have  to  take  possession  of  all  the  coverts 
within  that  country  (unless  an  amicable  arrangement 
is  made,  of  which,  I  fear,  there  is  now  little  chance), 
and  I  wish,  therefore,  distinctly  to  understand  whether 
your  Lordship  considers  the  Beckett  coverts  as  be- 
longing to  Berkshire  country,  and  if  so,  whether  I 


ISO  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

have  your  exclusive  permission  to  draw  them  as  long 

as  I  hunt  the  country. 

I  am,  &c.,  &c., 
Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 
Viscount  Barrington, 

Cavendish  Square. 

20,  Cavendish  Square,  June  13th,  1844. 
My  Dear  Morland, — In  reply  to  letter  of  the 
1 2th,  I  may  say  that  I  perfectly  well  recollect  the 
meeting  of  proprietors  of  coverts  at  Faringdon  in 
1832,  and  the  arrangements  for  dividing  the  Berks 
country,  which  were  not  to  prejudice  the  old  country, 
but  were  entered  into  solely  for  the  benefit  of  Mr. 
Moreton,  now  Lord  Ducie.  Indeed,  I  remember 
Mr.  Pryse  saying  that  he  gave  Mr.  Moreton  the 
privilege  of  hunting  Buscot  because  he  was  the  son 
of  his  old  friend  Lord  Ducie,  and  he  would  not  allow 
his  coverts  to  be  drawn  by  anyone  else.  I  certainly 
do  consider  my  Beckett  as  belonging  to  the  Berk- 
shire country,  and  under  all  the  circumstances  of  the 
case,  I  believe  I  am  consulting  the  wishes  of  many  of 
my  neighbours,  as  well  as  my  own  inclination,  by 
your  having  my  exclusive  permission  to  draw  the 
Beckett  coverts. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Morland, 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

Barrington. 

Cirencester,  June  17th,  1844. 
My  Dear  Morland, — I  cannot  in  any  way  agree 
to  the  proposal  contained  in  your  letter  of  the  nth  to 
Dutton,  viz.,  that  I  should  consent  to  refer  the  claim 
you  are  endeavouring  to  establish  to  those  whose 
views  you  have  already  ascertained  to  be  in  accord- 
ance with  your  own. 


MR.    THOMAS   THORN  HILL  MORLAND       151 

You  would  likewise  make  me  consent  to  the 
greatest  mischief  that  could  be  aimed  at  in  fox- 
hunting generally,  by  subscribing  to  the  doctrine 
that  owners  or  occupiers  of  coverts  could  take  those 
coverts  from  one  hunt  and  add  them  to  another 
at  their  own  will  and  pleasure;  so  that  no  master 
would  know  from  one  season's  end  to  another  what 
did  or  did  not  belong  to  his  country.  You  may 
drive,  by  the  course  you  are  pursuing,  the  masters  of 
coverts  to  destroy  foxes,  or  to  warn  me  off;  that  is 
an  affair  between  them  and  myself ;  but  if  any  other 
master  of  hounds  attempts  to  draw  those  coverts, 
which  I  conceive  to  belong  to  my  country,  I  shall 
consider  it  as  personally  offensive  to  myself. 

I  remain,  yours  truly, 

GiFFORD. 

P.S. — To  save  all  further  controversy,  I  will  con- 
sent to  no  other  except  that  which  has  been  already 
offered,  and  which  in  foxhunting  matters  has  always 
been  considered  the  most  desirable,  namely,  a  refe- 
rence of  our  dispute  to  Masters  of  foxhounds. 


Sheepstead,  June  26th,  1844. 
Dear  Lord  Gifford, — I  did  not  write  to  you 
immediately  on  receipt  of  your  letter  last  week,  as  I 
was  desirous,  before  doing  so,  of  consulting  some  of 
my  friends,  for  I  cannot  treat  the  question  as  if  a 
personal  question  between  yourself  and  me.  If  we 
could  so  treat  it,  I  have  no  doubt  everything  could 
be  easily  arranged  to  our  mutual  satisfaction.  With 
respect  to  a  reference  to  Masters  of  hounds,  I  quite 
agree  with  Mr.  Button  that  such  a  reference,  in 
ordinary  cases,  may  be  considered  by  some  the  most 
sportsmanlike  mode  of  arranging  matters ;  but  I 
cannot  find  any  precedent  for  referring  a  question 
like  the  one  in  dispute.     I  have  in  my  former  letters 


1 52  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

stated  the  circumstances  upon  which  my  claim  is 
founded,  which  is  simply  this,  that  a  temporary 
division  was  made  by  the  owners  of  coverts,  which 
was  not  to  be  disturbed  as  long  as  Lord  Ducie 
hunted  the  country;  that  upon  his  giving  up  the 
hounds  I  was  called  upon  to  claim  the  original 
Berkshire  country.  This  I  did,  and  in  my  last  letter 
to  Mr.  Button  I  asked  him  if  he  had  any  evidence 
against  my  claim  to  be  kind  enough  to  let  me  know, 
and  not  having  been  furnished  with  any  counter- 
statement,  I  confess  there  appears  to  me  nothing 
to  refer,  and  I  shall  feel  not  only  justified,  but  obliged, 
to  draw  the  coverts  in  question,  and  in  doing  so  I 
must  beg  you  distinctly  to  understand  that  nothing 
is  intended  personally  offensive  to  you. 

Believe  me,  yours  truly, 

Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 


Steven's  Hotel,  July  ist,  1844. 

My  Dear  Morland, — I  should  have  answered 
your  letter  before,  but  it  having  been  directed  to 
Cirencester  caused  some  delay  in  answering. 

I  repeat  the  offer  so  constantly  urged  by  me  to 
leave  the  matter  to  be  amicably  settled  by  Masters  of 
hounds,  as  I  totally  deny  the  justice  of  your  claims, 
and  require  evidence  of  such  claims  to  be  produced 
and  submitted  to  reference.  Taking  the  law  into 
your  hands,  and  drawing  coverts  of  which  I  am  in 
possession  as  the  successor  of  Lord  Ducie,  would  be 
a  most  offensive  proceeding,  which  I  should  not  be 
inclined  to  tolerate. 

I  remain,  very  truly  yours, 

GiFFORD. 


MR.    THOMAS   THORNHILL  MORLAND       153 

Sheepstead,  July  1st,  1844. 
Dear  Lord  Gifford, — It  appears  to  me  that  it 
is  impossible  for  you  and  I  alone  to  refer  the  question 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  arrive  at  a  conclusion  which 
shall  be  satisfactory  to  all  parties.  I  therefore  shall 
put  it  into  the  hands  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  country, 
and  will  take  the  opportunity  of  sending  them  a  copy 
of  our  correspondence.  They  are  the  persons  most 
interested  and  they  may  settle  the  business,  or  refer 
it  in  whatever  they  please. 

I  remain,  yours  most  truly, 

Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 

Mr.  Morland  then  forwarded  copies  of  the 
correspondence  to  the  owners  of  coverts, 
with  the  following  circular  letter : — 

Sheepstead,  July,  1844. 
Dear  Sir, — I  send  you  copies  of  correspondence 
which  has  taken  place  as  to  the  extent  of  the  coun- 
tries hunted  by  Lord  Gifford  and  myself;  and  as  we 
cannot  ourselves  decide  the  question,  it  appears  to 
me  that  some  third  party  must  decide  between  us. 
You  will  see  by  the  correspondence  that  Lord 
Gifford  thinks  that  any  reference  which  takes  place 
should  be  made  to  Masters  of  hounds,  and  I  should 
agree  with  him,  if  the  question  to  be  referred  involved 
only  a  personal  difference  of  opinion  between  us ; 
but  as  it  appears  to  me  that  it  is  not  so  much  a 
personal  question  with  us  as  with  the  gentlemen 
owning  the  coverts  constituting  the  countries,  I 
suggest  that  two  or  three  gentlemen  residing  in  each 
country  should  meet ;  and  if  they  did  so  I  have  no 
doubt  some  arrangement  might  be  made  before  the 
hunting  season  commences  which  would  be  satisfac- 
tory to  all  parties. 

Believe  me,  yours  truly, 

Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 


154  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

A  meeting  took  place  at  Faringdon  on 
September  4th,  1844,  when  there  were  present 
the  following  gentlemen  :  Philip  Pusey,  Esq., 
M.P.,  in  the  chair ;  Viscount  Barrington,  M.P., 
Thos.  Duffield,  Esq.,  E.  Martin-Atkins,  Esq., 
J  no.  James  Galley,  Esq.  (for  himself  and 
Col.  Freke),  Sir  Robert  Throckmorton,  Bart., 
Henry  Hippisley,  Esq.,  George  Butler,  Esq., 
John  Galley,  Esq.,  Daniel  Bennett,  Esq., 
David  Archer,  Esq.,  Rev.  John  Trenchard, 
John  Bennett,  Esq.  (for  himself  and  Thos. 
Tuckey,  Esq.),  Hon.  George  Barrington, 
Thos.  Price,  Esq.  (for  T.  M.  Goodlake, 
Esq.),  and  James  Growdy,   Esq. 

The  following  resolution  proposed  by  Lord 
Barrington,  seconded  by  Sir  Robert  Throck- 
morton, and  carried  unanimously,  was  signed  by 
the  chairman  and  all  the  gentlemen  present : — 

That  having  considered  the  correspondence  be- 
tween Mr.  Morland,  Lord  Gifford  and  others,  relative 
to  the  country  hunted  by  Lord  Gifford  and  now 
claimed  by  that  nobleman  as  part  of  his  country, 
this  meeting  is  of  opinion  that  such  country  origin- 
ally formed  part  of  the  country  now  known  as  the 
Old  Berkshire  Country,  which  includes  to  the  west- 
ward Burderop,  Swindon,  Tadpole,  Water  Eaton, 
Hannington,  Crouch  Hill,  Buscot,  Coleshill,  Stanton, 
Sevenhampton,  Shrivenham  Compton,  and  Hard- 
well. 

That  in  1832  it  was  conceded  temporarily  to  Lord 
Ducie  by  resolutions  of  that  date,  and  has  been  sub- 


MR.    THOMAS   THORN  HILL  MORLAND        155 

sequently  hunted  by  Lord  Gififord  under  that  arrange- 
ment. 

That,  under  these  circumstances,  it  is  the  opinion 
of  this  meeting  that  Mr.  Morland,  as  Master  of  the 
Old  Berkshire  Hunt,  should  resume  possession  of  the 
country  in  question,  the  same  having  become  impor- 
tant to  the  existence  of  the  Hunt,  and  that  the 
owners  of  the  coverts  in  the  disputed  country  be 
requested  to  reserve  them  exclusively  for  the  Old 
Berkshire  hounds,  and  that  due  intimation  be  given 
to  Lord  Gifford  of  the  resolutions  now  come  to. 

That,  inasmuch  as  it  may  be  desirable,  with  a 
view  to  the  promotion  of  sport,  that  some  conces- 
sion should  be  made  in  favour  of  Lord  Gifford,  this 
meeting  is  of  opinion  that  such  concession  of  Coverts 
as  may  be  mutually  agreed  upon  between  Lord 
Gifford  and  Mr.  Morland  should  now  take  place, 
and  that  in  case  of  such  arrangement  taking  place, 
Mr.  Atkins  and  Mr.  John  J.  Galley  be  requested,  on 
the  part  of  the  Old  Berkshire  Hunt,  to  negotiate 
with  Lord  Gifford  on  the  subject,  and  conclude  any 
arrangement  which  may  be  satisfactory  to  all  parties, 
provided  that  no  such  concession  shall  compromise 
the  rights  of  the  old  country  as  now  declared. 

That,  in  our  opinion  the  line  by  which  the  Old 
Berkshire  country  should  be  from  time  to  time  sub- 
divided, is  a  matter  to  be  decided  by  the  owners 
of  coverts  solely,  and  not  by  the  Masters  of  fox- 
hounds who  may  have  temporary  occupation  of  the 
country. 

That  the  Chairman  be  requested  to  forward  a  copy 
of  the  above  resolutions,  and  also  of  the  resolutions 
of  1832,  to  Lord  Gifford  ;  and  that 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  be  given  to  Mr. 
Morland  for  the  very  temperate  manner  in  which  he 
has  asserted  his  claim  to  the  country  in  question. 


156  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Messrs.  Atkins  and  Galley  did  not  meet 
with  any  success  in  their  negotiations,  and  rela- 
tions became  very  strained  between  the  two 
hunts,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following 
letters  : — 

Cirencester,  Dec.  5th,  1844. 

Sir, — As  I  was  getting  on  my  horse  yesterday 
morning  to  go  to  cover  I  received  a  letter  from  Lord 
Radnor,  stating  that  your  hounds  had  drawn  Stains- 
wick,  which  coverts,  by  an  agreement  that  you  were 
party  to,  had  been  assigned  to  my  division  of  the 
country. 

I  did  not  think,  either  as  a  sportsman  or  a  gentle- 
man, you  would  have  infringed  the  rules  of  fox- 
hunting, or  the  courtesy  due  from  one  Master  of 
hounds  to  another. 

I  can  only  now  look  upon  you  as  an  insignificant 
tool,  under  the  control  of  Lord  Radnor,  not  having 
even  the  spirit  to  publish  your  intention. 

When  next  you  presume  to  repeat  such  conduct, 
by  drawing  any  coverts  belonging  to  my  hunt,  I 
hope  you  will  give  me  and  the  gentlemen  of  the 
V.W.H.  the  usual  notice,  that  we  may  have  the 
opportunity  of  witnessing  the  sport. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Gifford. 

Sheepstead,  Dec.  7th,  1844. 
My  Lord, — I  have  just  received  your  Lordship's 
letter  of  yesterday's  date,  which  I  will  forward  by 
to-night's  post  to  Mr,  Pusey,  the  chairman  of  the 
meeting  at  Faringdon,  under  whose  directions  I  have 
since  acted. 


MR.    THOMAS   THORNHILL  MORLAND       157 

I  believe  my  appointments  for  next  week  will  be 
advertised,  but  if  not,  I  now  send  them  to  your 
Lordship. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be. 

Your  Lordship's  obedient  servant, 

Thos.  Thornhill  Morland. 

Monday      ...         ...         ...     Buscot  Park. 

Wednesday  ...         ...     Bagley  Wood. 

Friday         ...         ...         ...     New  Bridge. 

Lord  Gififord's  letter  drew  the  following  pro- 
test from  Lord  Radnor  : — 

CoLESHiLL  House, 

Sunday,  Dec.  8th,  1844. 

Dear  Lord  Bathurst, — I  have  just  received  your 
letter,  and  am  very  sorry  to  find  that  you  have  not 
been  able  to  send  me  the  correspondence  you  spoke 
to  me  of. 

I  have  seen  a  copy  of  the  letter  sent  by  Lord 
Gifford  to  Mr.  Morland,  dated  the  5th.  In  it  he 
calls  him  an  "insignificant  tool,  under  the  control 
of  Lord  Radnor." 

From  what  I  told  you  on  Thursday,  you  know 
that  there  is  not  the  slightest  ground  for  the  allega- 
tion that  he  has  acted  under  my  influence  or  at  any 
suggestions  of  mine.  The  assurance  I  then  gave  you 
I  now  repeat,  and  beg  you  to  convey  to  Lord  Gifford. 
From  the  first  to  the  last  I  have  taken  no  lead  in  the 
matter ;  I  was  not  present  at  the  meeting  at  which 
Mr.  Pusey  presided  ;  I  did  not  sign  the  resolutions 
there  adopted.  Lord  Barrington,  who  was  there,  had 
my  authority  to  sign  them  for  me,  in  case  they  were 
assented  to  by  Mr.  Pryse ;  but  believing,  as  I  did,  that 
the  hunting  of  my  coverts  should  follow  the  course 
he  adopted,  and  be  in  the  same  hands  as  the  hunting 
of  his,  he  was  desired  there  to  declare  (and  I  believe 


158  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

did  declare)  that  I  must  be  guided  by  him.  In  a 
letter  addressed  to  Lord  Gifford  by  me,  on  the 
occasion  of  his  coming  to  Buscot,  on  the  22nd  Oct., 
I  intimated  the  same  thing.  Since  then  I  have  been 
all  along  awaiting  the  result  of  the  correspondence 
which  I  knew  to  be  going  on  between  Mr.  Pryse 
and  him  ;  and  though  for  some  time  in  possession  of 
the  letters  signed  by  Lord  Barrington  and  Messrs. 
Bennett  and  Tuckey,  withheld  them,  I  believe,  to  the 
annoyance  of  the  writers,  till  the  occasion  arose 
when  it  became  necessary  to  produce  them  ;  and 
that  occasion  arose  without  any  privity  or  previous 
cognisance  of  mine,  for  though  I  certainly  approved 
of  the  determination  to  do  what  was  then  determined 
on — and  it  was  doubtless  understood  that  I  should 
approve — it  was  taken  in  my  absence  and  without 
my  knowledge. 

Under  these  circumstances,  you  will  perceive  I 
think  that  a  very  ample  apology  is  due  from  Lord 
Gifford,  and  I  will  only  add  that  if  that  apology  is 
not  given — though  I  will  not  say  that  I  will  not  even 
in  that  case  give  such  effect  as  I  can  to  Mr.  Pryse's 
final  arrangements — it  cannot  be  expected  I  shall 
feel  particularly  anxious  to  promote  the  sport  of 
Lord  Gifford  and  his  friends,  and  particularly  well 
pleased  to  see  them  in  my  coverts. 

I  hope  your  coolness  and  good  sense  will  allay  the 
ferment  and  correct  what  I  cannot  help  calling  the 
wrongheadedness  of  the  advisers  and  concoctors  of 
Lord  Gifford's  letter. 

I  am,  yours  truly, 

Radnor. 

Lord  Gifford  placed  Mr.  Morland's  letter  of 
December  7th  in  the  hands  of  Captain  Berke- 
ley, v^rho  enquired  of  Mr.  Pusey  whether  Mr. 


MR.    THOMAS   THORN  HILL  MORLAND       159 

Morland    was    acting    under    his    instructions. 
Mr.  Pusey  replied  as  follows  : — 

PusEY,  Dec.  loth,  1844. 
My  Dear  Berkeley, — It  is  perfectly  true  that 
whatever  Mr.  Morland  has  done  since  our  meeting 
at  Faringdon  has  been  done  with  my  entire  concur- 
rence, either  previous  or  subsequent.  I  certainly,  as 
you  say,  am  not  versed  in  such  matters,  but  when 
this  unpleasant  dispute  became  known,  Barrington, 
Throckmorton  and  myself  called  a  meeting  at  Faring- 
don in  the  hope  of  affecting  a  friendly  arrangement. 
You  are  doubtless  aware  of  the  resolutions  passed  at 
that  meeting,  which  I  communicated  to  Lord  Gifford  ; 
and  also  that  when  our  proposal  to  appoint  two 
arbitrators  on  each  side  was  rejected  I  endeavoured, 
though  unauthorised,  to  bring  about  a  settlement, 
proposing  at  once  the  utmost  terms  of  concession 
to  Lord  Gifford's  hunt  which  I  could  hope  would 
be  acceptable  on  our  side  of  the  country.  Having 
distinctly  stated  them  to  be  the  most  I  could  venture 
to  offer,  I  was  certainly  disappointed,  on  attending  at 
Cirencester  for  the  purpose  of  concluding  the  arrange- 
ment, to  find  further  concessions  required,  which  put 
an  end  to  what  seemed  to  have  been  almost  com- 
pleted. It  has  been  our  wish  throughout  to  bring 
about  an  arrangement  which  should  not  interfere 
with  the  sport  or  annoy  the  feelings  of  Lord  Gifford 
or  any  Gloucestershire  gentleman.  There  is  one 
point,  however,  arising  out  of  your  letter  which  I 
am  bound  to  advert  to,  although  I  do  so  with  sincere 
regret ;  I  mean  your  expression  as  to  rough  usage. 
Lord  Gifford  had  also  spoken  of  gentlemen  coming 
up  from  your  part  of  the  country  to  see  Mr.  Mor- 
land's  meet  at  Buscot.  I  have  no  choice,  therefore, 
but  to  state  to  you  the  course  which  Sir  R.  Throck- 


i6o  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

morton  and  myself  had  determined  to  adopt,  if  the 
weather  had  allowed  the  Buscot  Woods  to  be  drawn 
yesterday  morning.  We  should  have  attended  there 
as  magistrates,  and  if  any  indication  had  been  given 
by  word  or  act  of  an  intention  to  provoke  a  breach 
of  the  peace,  we  should  have  called  upon  the  party 
so  offending  to  give  surety  of  good  behaviour  on  the 
spot ;  and  the  same  course  will  be  adopted  on  any 
future  occasion.  I  sincerely  trust  that  no  such  un- 
pleasant duty  will  be  forced  upon  us,  and  will  only 
add  my  regret  that  a  matter  which,  when  I  was 
summoned  to  Cirencester,  seemed  on  the  point  of 
arrangement,  should  now  lead  to  so  much  that  is 
unpleasant  between  neighbours  and  friends. 
I  remain,  my  dear  Berkeley, 

Very  truly  yours. 

Ph.  Pusey. 

In  this  letter  clear  warning  was  given  of  the 
course  which  would  be  adopted  if  a  breach  of 
the  peace  should  be  provoked  by  either  party. 

Amongst  the  owners  of  coverts  in  the  Old 
Berkshire  country  at  that  time  were  three  men 
of  great  character  and  ability.  Lord  Radnor 
was  the  Chairman  of  the  Faringdon  Petty 
Sessions,  and  being  a  Whig,  was  naturally 
a  bit  of  an  autocrat.  Lord  Harrington,  M.P., 
was  Chairman  of  Quarter  Sessions  for  Berk- 
shire, and  also  of  the  Great  Western  Railway. 
Mr.  Pusey  of  Pusey,  the  elder  brother  of  the 
celebrated  Dr.  Pusey,  was  Member  for  the 
county,  and  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the 
day,   amongst   other  things  being   one  of  the 


MR.    THOMAS    THORNHILL  MORLAND        i6i 

founders  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society. 
The  ferment  showed  no  sign  of  abatement, 
and  Mr.  Morland  s  meet  at  Buscot,  which  had 
been  fixed  for  December  9th,  but  had  been 
postponed  on  account  of  frost,  was  now  fixed 
for  the  end  of  the  month.  Whereupon  Lord 
Gifford  fixed  a  meet  of  his  hounds  for  the  same 
time  and  place.  Mr.  Pusey  thereupon  laid  an 
information  before  the  magistrates  at  Faring- 
don,  whereupon  Lord  Radnor  and  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Cleaver,  J. P.,  issued  a  warrant  to  arrest 
Lord  Gifford.  The  warrant  was  put  into  the 
hands  of  a  constable  named  Darby  to  execute. 
Darby  proceeded  to  his  Lordship's  residence 
at  Cirencester  on  December  29th,  and  sent  the 
warrant  upstairs  to  his  Lordship,  who  came 
down  and  asked  how  it  was  it  had  not  come 
before,  as  he  had  expected  it.  He  then  en- 
quired when  he  was  to  go,  and  was  told  that 
he  was  to  appear  at  Faringdon  that  day  at 
three  o'clock.  He  then  said  he  would  like  to 
see  Lord  Bathurst,  and  was  allowed  by  Darby 
to  go  for  that  purpose.  The  constable  told 
him  he  had  better  be  provided  with  two  gentle- 
men as  sureties.  Lord  Gifford  returned  at 
one  o'clock,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Cripps  and 
Captain  Jones,  and  they  all  left  Cirencester  in 
a  carriage,  the  constable  being  on  the  box. 
Darby  on  the  road  pointed  out  Buscot,  when 
II 


i62  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Captain  Jones  said:  "That  is  where  the  horse- 
whipping was  to  have  taken  place,  and  if 
one  had  not  done  it  another  would."  They 
changed  horses  at  Fairford,  when  Lord  Gifford 
said  he  thouo^ht  it  had  been  a  friend  comino- 
to  call  him  out.  They  arrived  at  Faringdon 
about  half-past  three,  and  went  before  Lord 
Radnor  and  Mr.  Cleaver,  who  they  found  at 
Mr.  Crowdy's  house. 

Mr.  Pusey  then  made  an  information,  and 
gave  evidence  that  he  believed  Lord  Gifford 
would,  on  the  Monday  following,  commit  a 
breach  of  the  peace  at  Buscot  by  assaulting 
Mr.  T.  T.  Morland.  After  Mr.  Pusey  had 
given  his  evidence.  Lord  Radnor  asked  Lord 
Gifford  if  he  had  anything  to  say,  when  Lord 
Gifford  replied  that  he  had  nothing  to  say. 
Lord  Radnor  then  said  it  would  be  their  duty 
to  call  upon  Lord  Gifford  to  enter  into  recog- 
nisances with  sureties  to  keep  the  peace  for  six 
months.  Lord  Gifford  said,  Very  well,  Mr. 
Cripps  and  Captain  Jones  would  be  his  sureties. 
The  recognisances  were  then  taken.  A  conver- 
sation took  place  in  an  undertone  about  the 
letters  which  had  been  mentioned,  when  Mr. 
Pusey  said  he  could  not  help  hearing  what  was 
being  said,  and  all  he  could  say  was  that  he 
was  there  to  answer  upon  oath  any  questions 
Lord  Gifford  liked  to  ask  him.  Lord  Gifford 
replied  that  he  had  no  question  to  put. 


MR.    THOMAS   THORNHILL  MORLAND        163 

Lord  Gifford  afterwards  applied  to  the 
Higher  Court  to  quash  the  proceedings  of  the 
Faringdon  magistrates,  and  the  appeal  was 
heard  in  the  "Bail  Court"  on  January  29th, 
1845,  before  Mr.  Justice  Williams,  sitting  "in 
Banco."  Mr.  Smith  appeared  for  Lord  Gifford, 
and  urged  that  Lord  Gifford,  being  a  Peer  of 
the  Realm,  was  not  subject  to  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  magistrates  in  such  a  matter,  and 
secondly  that  the  warrant  was  bad,  because 
it  contained  the  recital  that  Mr.  T.  T.  Morland 
was  in  danger  of  personal  violence,  whereas  no 
information  had  been  laid  by  Mr.  Morland. 

Mr.  Pashley,  who  appeared  for  the  magis- 
trates, was  proceeding  with  his  argument  in 
support  of  the  jurisdiction,  when  Mr.  Justice 
Williams  said  :  "  Really,  Mr.  Pashley,  I  do  not 
think  I  am  called  upon  to  enter  into  the  dis- 
cussion in  this  case,  because  I  see  no  reason  for 
my  interference  on  two  grounds  :  First,  it  is 
clear  the  noble  Lord,  I  am  happy  to  observe, 
is  not  in  custody.  In  the  case  of  the  Queen 
V.  Dunn,  cited,  the  first  observation  that  arises 
is  that  he  was  in  custody,  and  that  being  in 
custody,  according  to  the  never-failing  rule  of 
the  Courts,  they  are  bound  to  examine  and 
enquire  whether  he  is  in  custody  on  good  and 
sufficient  grounds.  Lord  Gifford  upon  the 
present   occasion  is   not   in  that   predicament  ; 


l64  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

but  if  he  had  been  here  as  a  prisoner,  I  am 
certain  that  the  ground  of  his  commitment  and 
the  power  of  the  magistrates  to  commit  him 
would,  if  necessary,  be  taken  into  considera- 
tion. At  present  there  is  no  such  urgency.  I 
can't  help  expressing  a  wish  that  if  there  really 
be  any  warfare  intended,  time  and  opportunity 
to  reflect  will  prevent  any  occurrence  of  that 
kind.  Then  the  next  reason  why  I  feel  no 
ground  for  interference  is  this,  that  if  there  be 
a  recognisance  void  in  law,  supposing — what  I 
hope  and  trust  and  believe  will  not  be  the  case 
— supposing  it  should  be  put  in  force  against 
Lord  Gifford,  then  the  foundation  of  that 
would  come  in  question,  and  if  the  recog- 
nisance be  nothing  worth,  he  would  be  nothing 
damaged ;  therefore  I  do  not  see  that  I  am 
called  upon  to  interfere.      Rule  refused." 

The  interest  shown  at  the  time  in  the  case 
by  the  public  is  denoted  by  the  fact  that  the 
Times  devoted  nearly  two  columns  of  its  law 
report  to  the  details. 

On  January  22nd  a  further  meeting  was 
held  at  the  "  Crown  "  at  Faringdon,  when  it 
was  resolved — 

(i)  That  Mr.  Morland  be  requested  to  defer  no 
longer  taking  possession  of  the  country  lying  between 
the  River  Cole  and  Tadpole  Brook  and,  with  the 
consent  of  the  owner,  of  all   the  coverts  within  the 


MR.    THOMAS   THORNHILL  MORLAND        165 

limits  of  the  country  belonging  to  the  Old  Berkshire 
hunt, 

(2)  That  a  copy  of  this  resolution  be  sent  to  Lord 
Craven,  with  the  expression  of  the  hope  that  as  the 
covert  at  Compton  has  for  a  very  long  series  of  years 
been  considered  as  belonging  to  the  Old  Berkshire 
country,  and  as  it  is  totally  separate  from  the  coun- 
try now  hunted  by  Lord  GifFord,  he  will  not  dis- 
approve of  Mr.  Morland  drawing  the  same. 

Also,  We,  the  undersigned,  desire  to  express  our 
cordial  approbation  of  the  temperate  and  gentleman- 
like conduct  of  Mr.  Morland  through  the  whole  of 
the  dispute  on  the  subject  of  the  Old  Berkshire  hunt. 

Radnor.  David  Archer. 

Barrington.  Walter  Strickland. 

Philip  Pusey.  J.  J.  Galley. 

D.  Bennett.  Rev.  J.  Trenchard. 
R.  Throckmorton.  Henry  Hippisley. 

E.  Martin-Atkins.  A.  L.  Goddard. 
Henry  Galley.  T.  M.  Goodlake. 
Henry  Freke.  Thos.  Bennett. 
Geo.  Butler.  James  Growdy. 

Efforts  were  now  made  to  mediate  between 
the  two  parties  by  several  persons,  amongst 
others  by  old  Mr.  Goodlake,  who  in  a  letter 
addressed  to  Mr.  Raymond  Cripps,  says  : — 

I  assisted  in  the  year  1800  to  adjust  a  slight 
difference,  with  respect  to  part  of  the  same  country, 
between  Barry  Price  and  Bowes  on  the  one  side, 
and  Symonds  ....  I  have  no  doubt  but  that 
I  can  bring  about  a  conciliatory  conference  to  fix 
the  most  convenient  boundary  to  each  hunt  for  the 
benefit  of  the  sport  of  both,  if  it  be  desired  by  those 
concerned  in  the  welfare  of  the  Girencester  kennel, 


1 66  THE   OLD   BERKS   HUNT 

but  the  owners  of  coverts  must  be  parties  to  it  at 
least  for  the  purpose  of  justification, 

Mr.    Bartholomew    Wroughton,   of  Woolley 
Park,  also  wrote  to  Mr.  Morland  as  follows  : — 

19,  Park  Street,  July  15th,  1845. 
My  Dear  Tom, — I  walked  and  talked  yesterday 
with  Lord  Bathurst  and  was  pleased  to  find  him 
prepared  to  settle  the  hunting  affair  in  a  most  kind 
and  friendly  spirit,  and  freely  acknowledging  the 
right  of  the  Berkshire  hunt  to  all  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Thames  and  Cole,  and  not  disposed  to  cavil 
at  the  question  of  right  anywhere  else.  I  therefore 
am  disposed  to  hope  that  now  that  the  irritation  of 
last  year  is  in  a  great  measure  removed,  that  you  will 
offer  to  relinquish  the  country  beyond  those  rivers. 
It  is  clear  that  this  district  is  a  burthen  to  you,  and 
that  the  sport  of  both  sides  would  be  benefited  by 
its  being  hunted  by  another  pack.  You  will  say 
that  you,  as  a  master  of  hounds,  have  no  right  to 
give  away  country,  but  you  can  state  your  opinion 
of  what  would  be  a  satisfactory  settlement  of  this 
dispute,  and  you  can  express  your  willingness  to 
hunt  the  country,  so  defined,  if  you  receive  adequate 
support.  It  may  occur  to  you  that  I,  not  being  a 
member  of  the  B.H.,  have  no  right  to  meddle  in 
these  matters.  I  find  my  care  for  hunting  fast 
diminishing,  but  my  regard  for  the  kind  and  friendly 
relations  of  my  neighbours  is  by  no  means  on  the 
wane,  and  if  I  could  see  this  matter  settled  satis- 
factorily I  should  be  very  happy  to  join  you  on  your 
subscription,  as  well  as  occasionally  in  your  sport. 
The  gentlemen  of  the  B.H.  made  a  miserable  mess 
in  1832,  and  they,  if  left  alone,  will  never  get  out 
of  it.  You  having  now  for  some  years  taken  all 
the  labour,  and  a  very  undue  share  of  the  expense 


MR.    THOMAS    THORN  HILL  MORLAND        167 

of  hunting  the  country,  and  having  nobly  supported 
their  rights,  and  perhaps  more  than  their  rights, 
during  the  last  winter,  are  in  a  position  to  take 
a  lead  in  the  present  settlement,  and  not  to  look 
to  any  Noble  Lords  or  gentlemen  for  advice  or 
directions  ;  and  if  you  now  at  once  define  the  bound- 
aries of  the  country,  as  far  as  your  opinion  of  what 
they  ought  to  be,  and  your  determination  of  hunting 
it  goes,  you  will  insure  a  continuance  of  the  friend- 
ship and  goodwill  which  the  management  of  the 
B.H.  has  already  gained  you,  and  propitiate  all 
those  who  may  have  been  in  some  degree  infected 
with  a  contrary  feeling,  whose  good  opinion  is  worth 
having.  I  hear  you  are  coming  to  London  on 
Monday.  Do  not  answer  this  letter;  keep  me  out 
of  sight  unless  or  until  I  can  do  you  good  by 
moving.  We  will  talk  about  it  in  London.  I  shall 
not  talk  about  this. 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

B.  Wroughton. 

These  efforts  of  friends,  who  had  themselves 
taken  no  part  in  the  dispute,  met  with  success. 
Mr.  Morland  placed  his  case  in  the  hands  of 
his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Martin-Atkins,  who 
opened  negotiations  on  the  basis  of  the 
Thames  and  Cole  boundary.  This  was 
accepted  and  a  meeting  was  arranged  at 
Swindon,  between  Lord  Barrington  and  Mr. 
Martin-Atkins  on  the  part  of  the  Old  Berks, 
and  Lord  Bathurst  and  Sir  Michael  Hicks- 
Beach  on  the  part  of  the  Vale,  to  make  the 
settlement  ;  which  it  was  agreed  should  take 
the  form  of  a  recommendation  to  the  owners 


1 68  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

of  coverts  in  both  hunts.     The  following  letter 
gives  Mr.  Atkins's  account  of  the  meeting  : — 

Kingston  Lisle, 
Monday  Night,  Septr.  15th,  1845. 

Dear  Tom, — We  were  late  at  Swindon  this  after- 
noon, and  I  could  not  conveniently  write  to  you  from 
thence,  so  I  send  a  special  messenger,  who  I  hope 
will  arrive  in  time  to  catch  you  at  home.  Lord 
Harrington  and  I  kept  our  appointment,  as  did  Sir 
M.  Beach,  but  Lord  Bathurst  failed  ;  Beach  supposing 
he  was  late  for  the  train.  We  nevertheless  made  the 
best  of  it,  and  set  to  work,  the  upshot  of  which  I 
trust  will  bring  matters  about. 

The  arrangement  we  came  to  was  in  accordance 
pretty  much  with  the  form  you  sent  me,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Sevenhampton  coverts  being  neutral, 
which  Beach  seemed  to  think  would  not  go  down 
with  his  people.  I  therefore  did  not  press  it,  and 
after  all,  if  it  is  better  for  the  mutual  sport  of  both 
packs,  the  masters  of  the  hounds  can  arrange  about 
it  according  to  circumstances. 

The  form  of  what  we  drew  up  and  signed  stands 
as  follows  : — 

"Swindon,  Sept.  15th,  1845. 

"  In  consequence  of  the  differences  which  have 
lately  existed  between  the  Old  Berks  and  the 
V.W.H.  hunts,  we  the  undersigned  meet  at  the 
request  of  owners  of  coverts  and  other  persons 
interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  two  hunts,  for  the 
purpose  of  defining  the  line  which  should  in  future 
be  deemed  the  boundary  of  the  two  countries,  and 
are  of  opinion — 

"ist:  That  the  Rivers  Thames  and  Cole  should 
form  the  boundary  ;  all  the  country  to  the  south- 
ward of  the  former  and  to  the  eastward  of  the  latter 


MR.    THOMAS   THORNHILL  MORLAND        169 

to   be   hunted    by    the    Old    Berkshire,  and    on    the 
opposite  sides  of  the  said  rivers  by  the  V.W.H. 

"  2nd  :  That  the  earths  at  Sevenhampton,  Crouch, 
Stanton,  Buscot,  Coleshill  and  the  Beckett   coverts 
should  be  stopped  and  put  to  for  both  packs. 
"  (Signed)     Barrington. 

"  M.  Hicks-Beach. 
"  E.  Martin-Atkins." 

Then  follows  on  the  same  sheet  what  we  think 
will  be  quite  sufficient  if  generally  signed,  which  we 
do  not  (with  two  or  three  exceptions)  doubt  will  be 
the  case  without  any  further  meetings  : — 

"  We,  the  undersigned,  fully  agree  to  the  foregoing 
arrangement,  and  consider  the  country  to  be  perma- 
nently divided  accordingly." 

Beach  says  they  mean  to  hunt  three  days  a  week 
so  long  as  the  country  will  stand  it.  From  what 
I  told  him  he  considers  Burderop  belongs  to  their 
side,  it  therefore  stands  so. 

I  should  think  in  another  week  or  so  each  pack 
may  go  to  work  on  the  new  arrangement. 
Yours  affectionately, 

E.  Martin-Atkins. 

The  arrangement  was  accepted  with  the 
exception  of  a  protest  signed  by  two  members 
of  the  V.W.  H.,  Messrs.  James  Dutton  and 
J.   Raymond  Barker. 

Sixty  years  have  passed  since  this  dispute 
arose,  and  no  survivor  remains  of  those  who 
took  part  in  it.  The  correspondence  between 
Mr.  Morland  and  the  V.W.H.  was  all  pub- 
lished at  the  time,  and  the  matter  is  still  a 
subject  of  conversation  in  the    Hunt,   though 


I70  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

but  few  have  any  accurate  knowledge  of  what 
took  place.  We  therefore  think  it  right  to 
state  the  exact  facts. 

In  1846  the  "Earth  Stopping  Club"  was 
established,  the  originator  being  Mr.  "  Tom 
Price,"  a  very  well-known  character  in  the 
Hunt  at  that  time. 

The  Hon.  George  Bowes,  of  Paul's  Walden, 
Herts,  who  lived  at  Beckett,  married,  in  1805, 
Miss  Thornhill,  of  Kingston  Lisle,  whose  elder 
sister  was  mother  of  Mr.  T.  T.  Morland. 
Mr.  Bowes  died  in  1806,  and  his  widow 
married,  in  181 1,  his  friend  Mr.  Barrington 
Price,  whose  son  was  Mr.  Tom  Price.  The 
original  terms  and  members  of  the  club  were 
as  follows  : — 

Old  Berkshire  Hunt. 

Resolved — That  a  club  be  formed  for  the  purpose 
of  defraying  the  Expenses  of  Earth  Stopping,  and 
for  the  preservation  of  Foxes,  &c. 

That  each  member  shall  pay  one  sovereign  annual 
subscription. 

That  any  member  paying  two  sovereigns  shall  be 
a  Vice-President  of  the  Club. 

That  a  President  shall  be  chosen  annually. 

That  Edwin  Martin-Atkins,  and  John  Aldworth  be 
elected  Secretaries. 

That  a  Committee  be  appointed  to  receive  sub- 
scriptions and  to  transact  the  current  business,  con- 
sisting of  a  President,  Secretary,  and  twelve  members, 
any  five  to  form  a  quorum. 


MR.    THOMAS    THORNHILL   MORLAND        171 


That  any  future  candidate  be  balloted  for  by  the 
Committee,  three  black  balls  to  exclude. 

Annual  subscriptions  to  be  paid  on  or  before  Nov. 
ist  in  every  year. 

That  the  Club  dine  together  every  year,  the  day 
and  place  to  be  decided  by  the  Committee. 

President  for  1846. 

Walter  Strickland. 

Secretaries. 

Edwin  Martin-Atkins.     John  Aldworth. 

Committee. 


Thos,  Mills  Goodlake 
John  Shaw  Phillips. 
William  Aldworth. 
Henry  Elwes. 
James  Crowdy. 


Earl  of  Radnor,  V.  P. 
Hon.  G.  Barrington. 
Hon.  P.  Barrington,  V.P. 
T.  M.  Goodlake,  V.P. 
J.  S.  Phillips,  V.P. 
J.  Loder  Symonds,  V.P. 
William  Strickland,  V.P. 
W.  Aldworth. 
John  Aldworth,  V.P. 
William  Blandy,  V.P. 
Henry  Dixon,  V.P. 
Henry  Elwes,  V.P. 
James  Crowdy. 
E.  M.-Atkins,  V.P. 
G.  B.  Morland,  V.P. 
G.  F.  Crowdy. 
Chas.  Turner,  V.P. 
Jas.  Morrell,  Jr.,  V.P. 


James  Morrell. 

Thos.  Price. 

Edward  Christy. 

George  Davey. 

J.  Thos.  Bennett. 
Members. 

D.  Bennett,  V.P. 

John  Bennett. 

Thos.  Bennett. 

John  S.  Bowles,  V.P. 

James  Reynolds,  V.P. 

L.  Dunsford. 

Thos.  Tuckey. 

J.  B.  Empson. 

Avery  Whitfield. 

C.  Neate,  V.P. 

Philip  Coxe,  V.P. 

George  Davenport. 

Alex  Whitfield. 

John  Whitfield. 

Captain  Hall,  V.P. 

Pryse  Pryse,  V.P. 

John  Oliver,  V.P. 

Sir.  R.  Throckmorton,  V.P. 


172 


THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 


Thos.  Price,  V.P. 
Ed.  Christy,  V.P. 
W.  S.  Kinch. 
Sir  E.  Baker,  Bart,  V.P. 
George  Robins. 
Henry  Crowdy. 
John  Horrocks,  V.P. 
Henry  Maskelyne. 
Thos.  Faulkner. 
Viscount  Barrington,V.P. 
Cornelius  Hammans,  V.P. 
Mark  Stone. 
Matthew  Stone. 
George  Stone. 
Thos.  Kimber. 
George  Davey. 
William  Devve. 
Charles  Godfrey. 
Edward  King. 
John  Cripps. 


H.  Hippisley,  V.P. 
John  Barrett,  V.P. 
H.  Hayward,  V.P. 
Edmund  Currie,  V.P. 
Earl  of  Abingdon,  V.P. 
William  Graham,  V.P. 
Thos.  Graham,  V.P. 
Arthur  Blackwood,  V.P. 
B.  B.  de  Heme,  V.P. 
William  Beechey. 
Thos.  Laycock. 
J.  Wheeler. 
William  Trinder. 
James  Banting,  V.P. 
George  Butler,  V.P. 
Wharton  Wilson,  V.P. 
William  Flanagan. 
Arthur  Venables,  V.P. 
Christ.  Waddell,  V.P. 
Joseph  Prior. 


Philip  Pusey,  V.P. 

The  Club  will  dine  together  at  Faringdon  on 
January  7th,  and  at  Abingdon  on  March  2nd. 

The  following  verses  on  the  Berkshire 
Hounds  in  Mr.  Morland's  mastership  appeared 
in  the  "  Sportsman  "  of  February,  1843.  They 
were  attributed  to  an  Oxford  undergraduate. 

A   PEEP   AT   "THE   BERKSHIRE." 
By  Castor. 
Just  chancing  this  morning  through  Brightwell  to  stray, 
I  suddenly  heard  "  Tally-ho  !  "  "  Gone  away  !  " 
When  quick  in  a  body  "  The  Berkshire  "  flew  by, 
Their  fox  just  away,  and  "  Forward  "  's  the  cry  ; 
Two  hundred  of  horsemen  in  the  scene  take  a  part, 
All  cramming  or  nicking  to  get  a  good  start. 


MR.    THOMAS    THORN  HILL  MORLAND        173 

See  !  who  have  we  here  on  that  fiery  steed, 

Who  o'er  hedge  and  brook  seems  determined  to  lead  ? 

'Tis  "  Dare-devil  George  "  who  thus  heads  the  throng  ; 

"  Old  Billy,"  as  usual,  well  larking  along. 

That  style  not  a  moment  while  running  he'll  slack, 

Then  go  across  country  the  nearest  way  back  ; 

And  this  happy  tdisk,  prok  pudor!  I  speak. 

Master  Billy  performs  about  three  days  a  week. 

Next  close  at  his  side,  at  a  rare  lasting  pace, 
Comes  the  Squire  of  Culham,  ever  in  a  good  place  ; 
As  a  horseman  he's  good — once  hunted  the  pack — 
But  wisely  resigned,  not  having  the  knack ; 
Still  on  him  keep  an  eye,  he'll  make  a  good  guide. 
He  knows  what  they're  doing,  and  the  right  time  to  ride. 

Here's  good-natured  Billy  smiling  cheerfully  round, 
Who  doats  on  the  fox,  and  delights  in  the  hound  ; 
Whose  very  existence  on  hunting  depends — 
The  horse  and  the  hound  his  chief  pleasure  and  friends ; 
And  who'd  live  in  the  chase  with  lasting  delight 
From  the  break  of  the  morn  to  the  coming  of  night. 

With  breeches  and  boots  as  neat  as  can  be. 
The  swell  of  the  hunt,  dark  0(live)r  see, 
Who,  like  many  swells,  will  frequently  show 
To  "  tigers  "  and  "  ruffians  "  the  way  they  should  go. 

On  his  grey  comes  "The  Major,"  so  flash  and  so  prime, 
A  regular  clipper,  one  who  always  "  keeps  time  "  ; 
Though  a  hunter  he  rides,  still  she  has  to  feel 
The  press  of  the  collar,  and  hear  the  coach  wheel  ; 
For  his  acme  of  pleasure's  to  be  on  the  road, 
With  four  spanking  tits  and  a  good  heavy  load  ; 
"  Hie !  stop.  Coachman,  stop  Sir !  what  are  you  about  ? " 
"  I  can't  sir,  I'm  late  and  full  in  and  out." 


174  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Squire  H(ammersl)y  next,  in  a  very  fair  station, 
A  mighty  great  man,  in  his  own  estimation — 
Too  fond  of  the  "  Long-tails  "  ;  yet,  give  him  his  due. 
When  hounds  go  the  pace,  pretty  near  'em  is  Hugh. 

The  Manager  now  in  our  eye  let  us  scan, 
Who  seems  of  'em  all  to  have  found  out  the  plan  ; 
First  this  one  then  that  one  as  Manager  came  : 
The  first  was  a  bad  one,  the  next  was  the  same — 
The  horses,  the  hounds,  and  the  story  were  lame ; 
And  Morland  alone  to  give  has  the  forte 
Both  great  satisfaction  and  plenty  of  sport  ; 
And  where  is,  I  ask — aye  search  the  world  o'er — 
The  Master  of  hounds  that  could  wish  to  do  more  ? 

With  elbows  well  squared  and  without  any  noise, 
But  quiet  and  cool,  comes  the  Lord  of  Camoys ; 
Who  just  for  a  day  has  deserted  Sir  John, 
To  see  how  the  Berkshire  affairs  are  going  on. 

Behind  him,  his  voice  rising  higher  and  higher. 
And  all  in  a  bustle,  comes  Brightwell's  great  squire. 
"  By  G-d,  sir,  what  hounds  !  they  can  do  the  trick  ; 
I  wish  those  cursed  Tories  like  this  we  could  lick  : 
Master  Morland  must  put  us  now  in  the  front  rank, 
For  Brightwell  ne'er  yet  knew  the  meaning  of  blank." 

His  chesnut  nigh  gruell'd  in  keeping  his  place, 
But  still  shov'd  along  at  a  cruel  great  pace ; 
Li  clerical  boots,  Parson  B(eaucham)p  we  see: 
To-day  with  old  Buggy  perhaps  rather  too  free. 

Now  Billy  the  Brewer  comes  craning  along, 
Whose  nerves,  like  his  beer,  are  not  very  strong ; 
But  if  there's  a  race,  a  hunt  meeting  or  fair, 
Sure,  by  some  means  or  other,  the  Brewer  is  there. 


MR.    THOMAS   THORNHILL  MORLAND        175 

With  hat  doubled  in — a  sure  sign  of  a  fall — 
Comes  sweet  Mrs.  V — r — t,  the  last  of  them  all. 
"  Holloa!  what's  the  matter — what  makes  you  behind  ?" 
"My  horse  made  a  blunder,  I  fear  he's  going  blind"; 
Then,  regarding  as  naught  the  mishap  of  the  day, 
So  cheerful  and  chatty  she  canters  away. 

These  I  managed  to  pick  from  the  rear  or  the  front, 

As  local  attendants  or  men  of  the  hunt ; 

But  with  them  there  came,  in  numbers  no  few, 

From  Oxford  renown'd,  a  most  odd-looking  crew  : 

A  Peer  and  a  Dealer  here  charge  side  by  side, 

To  set  one  another  determined  to  ride. 

Now  a  Proctor  gets  spilt,  and  over  him  rolls 

A  Freshman,  too  sure  to  be  "hauled  o'er  the  coals"; 

"  So,  this,  sir,'s  the  way  you  think  to  get  knowledge. 

By  breaking  no  less  than  the  head  of  your  college!" 

Rebuked  thus  he  rises ;  his  pitiful  plight 

Affording  his  friends  most  unbounded  delight. 

On  a  very  hot  young  one  a  cadger  here  crams. 

And  hear  him  in  trouble  most  awfully  d — ns, 

("  A  Parson  in  posse  "  quite  shocking  to  hear) 

At  the  brute  which  to-day  he  is  trying  to  steer. 

From  Christ  Church  came  dandies,  all  polish  and  shine, 
On  clippers  from  Quartermaine,  coming  it  fine. 
Now  some  freshmen  rush  by  in  toggery  new. 
Which  was  cut  in  a  style  quite  wondrous  to  view  ; 
In  short,  there  were  Gownsmen  in  numbers  of  course 
And  mounted  on  every  description  of  horse. 

Some  dealers  from  Oxford  with  them  rattle  by, 
Who  steeds  for  young  Nimrods  are  wont  to  supply. 
Ned  Wheeler,  'mong  others,  appears  in  our  view, 
Just  warming  the  blood  of  "  a  bit  of  a  screw  "  ; 
Here,  funking  along  on  a  nag  of  high  figure, 
Lord  Oxford  behold  !  looking  bigger  and  bigger  ; 


176  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Young  Venables  with  him,  most  sadly  abusing 
His  fame  as  a  leg,  a  hedge,  by  refusing. 
On  a  hunter  comes  Seckham,  next  Simmonds  and  Co., 
With  many  more  jobbers  I  really  don't  know  ; 
And  others  from  Oxford  enjoying  the  run- 
Some  here  for  business,  and  some  for  the  fun. 

The  hounds  long  ere  this  from  Brightwell  had  fled, 
And  for  Nuneham  like  lightning  were  streaming  ahead 
The  cracks  had  all  well  settled  down  to  their  work, 
While  some  were  already  beginning  to  shirk  : 
When  having  no  longer  a  sight  of  the  pack, 
I  rattled  away  on  my  thorough-bred  hack. 

"  Dare-devil  George  "  was  Mr.  George 
Montague,  who  was  afterwards  Master  of  the 
South  Berks.  "Good-natured  Billy"  was  a 
son  of  Mr.  Lowndes,  "  Brightwell's  great 
Squire,"  who  was  an  ardent  Whig.  "Sir 
John"  was  Sir  John  Cope,  then  hunting  the 
countries  now  known  as  South  Berks  and  Mr. 
Garth's.  The  "  Squire  of  Culham  "  was  Mr. 
John  Phillips,  who  had  hunted  the  country 
for  a  year  before  Mr.  Morland  took  it  over. 
"  Dark  Oliver "  was  Mr.  John  Oliver,  of 
Abingdon.  He  owned  the  property  at  Black 
Acres,  on  which  the  "  New  Covert  "  was 
planted  by  Mr.  Van  de  Weyer.  "  The 
Major,"  John  Fane,  to  whom  Mr.  Morland 
had  lent  ten  couples  of  hounds  to  hunt  the 
Oxfordshire  hill  country.  "  Sweet  Mrs. 
V — r — t "  was  Mrs.  Viret,   who  lived  at  Wat- 


MR.    THOMAS   THORN  HILL  MORLAND       177 

lington,  as  did  also  "  Billy  the  Brewer,"  whose 
name  was  Bell.  "  Lord  Oxford  "  was  a  soubri- 
quet by  which  Quartermaine  the  horse  dealer 
was  known  by  the  undergraduates  of  the  day. 

Several  changes  occurred  amongst  the  hunt 
servants  in  Mr.  Morland's  time.  Hills  and 
Hawtin  we  have  already  mentioned  as  having 
hunted  the  hounds.  They  were  followed  by 
Cox  and  Jones,  the  latter  of  whom  continued 
under  the  succeeding  Master. 

Mr.  Morland's  mastership  just  brings  us 
down  to  living  memory,  and  the  following 
stories  are  still  told  by  those  who  took  part  in 
the  events  described.  A  curious  incident  took 
place  at  the  conclusion  of  a  good  run  in  the 
Oxfordshire  part  of  his  country.  The  hounds 
had  found  in  the  Cokethorpe  coverts,  and  had 
gone  a  ringing  run  at  a  very  quick  pace, 
without  a  check,  to  Rock  Farm,  near  Burford. 
The  fox  there  took  refuge  on  the  top  of  a 
slated  barn,  in  the  valley  between  the  porch 
and  barn.  The  fox  had  shown  so  much  sport 
that  all  were  anxious  that  he  should  get  off 
The  hounds  were  sent  round  to  the  other  side 
of  the  barn,  where  there  was  a  waggon  loaded 
with  straw  standing  against  the  barn.  Stephen 
Shepherd,  the  whip,  climbed  up  the  barn  and 
over  the  ridge  and  tried  to  dislodge  the  fox 
and  make  him  go  away  on  the  side  furthest 
12 


178  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

from  the  hounds.  The  fox,  however,  ran  up 
the  barn,  past  Shepherd,  and  down  the  other 
side,  where  he  was  killed.  Shepherd  followed 
and  tried  to  slide  down  the  stone  slates  on  to 
the  loaded  wagon,  but  slipped,  rolled  over 
several  times,  and  fell  headlong  amongst  the 
hounds,  tearing  their  fox.  Happily  he  escaped 
with  a  few  bruises. 

There  were  a  lot  of  singularly  good  foxes  in 
Tar  Wood  (which  was  drawn  by  the  Heythrop 
and  Old  Berkshire  in  alternate  months,  from 
1840  to  1845.  The  celebrated  run  of  the 
Heythrop  from  Tar  Wood  on  Christmas  Eve, 
1845,  ^^  ^^  course  historical,  and  has  been 
immortalised  in  most  spirited  verse  by  Mr. 
Egerton  Warburton.  Several  followers  of  the 
Old  Berkshire  hounds  took  part  in  it,  amongst 
others  Mr,  Edmund  Kyffin  Lenthall,  of 
Besselsleigh,  who  was  in  it  with  his  brother, 
the  late  Mr.  Kyffin.  Mr.  Lenthall  wrote  the 
next  day  a  most  excellent  account  of  the 
great  run  to  his  brother  Frank,  who  was  then 
studying  the  law  in  London.  Mr.  Lenthall's 
account  confirms  the  accuracy  of  Mr.  War- 
burton's  verses  in  a  most  remarkable  way, 
and  is  so  interesting  in  itself  that  we  make 
no  apology  for  giving  it  in  full,  especially 
as  the  greater  part  of  the  run  was  over  the 
Old     Berks    country.      We    gladly    avail    our- 


MR.    THOMAS   THORN  HILL  MORLAND       179 

selves,  too,  of  Mr.  P.  Egerton  Warburton's 
permission  to  reprint  his  late  father's  lines 
for  the  purpose  of  comparison.  On  their  way 
to  the  meet  Mr.  Lenthall  and  his  brother 
passed  the  brother-in-law  and  horses  of  Mr. 
Horrocks,  of  "  long  cloth  "  fame,  who  then 
lived,  for  hunting  purposes,  at  Appleton 
Manor,  which  he  rented  from  Mr.  Southby. 
"  Are  you  not  coming  to  Tar  Wood  ? "  they 
asked.  "  No,"  was  the  reply,  "  there  will  be 
no  sport  there.  We  are  going  to  hunt  with 
the  Vale  at  Lechlade."  Each  party  went  its 
way,  though  destined  to  meet  again  that  day, 
under  very  curious  circumstances.  What  fol- 
lowed Mr.  Lenthall  shall  tell  in  his  own  words, 
written  forty-nine  years  ago. 

Besselsleigh,  Dec.  25th,  1845. 
Dear  Frank,  —  I  will  now,  after  having  eaten 
a  good  luncheon,  fulfil  my  promise  of  detailing  the 
account  of  yesterday's  hunt.  Monday  morning  the 
ground  was  covered  with  snow  about  an  inch  thick, 
which,  together  with  a  sharp  frost  underneath,  made 
us  almost  think  that  Hill  had  delayed  his  visit  to 
Tar  Wood  till  it  was  too  late  ;  towards  the  middle 
of  the  day,  as  with  you,  the  wind  changed,  and  we 
had  heavy  rain,  with  a  very  high  wind  indeed  ;  but 
yesterday  that  had  gone  down,  and  it  was  a  very 
white  frost,  which,  however,  soon  gave  way  under 
a  bright  sun.  We  left  father  dressing,  about  nine 
o'clock  (when  we  started),  with  the  intention  of  fol- 
lowing us,  and  going  round  by  Ensham  to  meet  the 


i8o  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

hounds ;    as   he   had    made    up  his   mind    that   they 
would  go  to  Coggs,  or  Ensham.     We  got  to  cover- 
side   before   old    Jim    had    brought   his    hounds    up, 
about  a  quarter  past  eleven.     We  then  threw  off  and 
drew  towards   the   lower   end    of    the   wood,  when, 
before  a  single   challenge,  "  Tally   Ho  Away "  was 
the  cry.     Hill  got  his  hounds  out  of  covert,  but  was 
obliged  to  lift  them  to  a  hollow  two  or  three  fields 
off,  when  they  settled  down  well,  going  off  to  Coke- 
thorpe,  where  we  got   to  the   first  ford.     They  then 
turned   for  Ducklington,  and  crossed  the  road,  when 
the  line  was  direct  for  Barley  Park.     Headed  from 
thence,  he  turned  towards  Boys  Wood,  but  not  lin- 
gering a  moment,  he  passed  by  Claywell  Farm  and 
away  for  Aston  Field,  by  Cote,  and  leaving  Bampton 
to  the  right  hand  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  then  all 
along  the  grass  to  Kelmscott  and  Grafton  :  a  most 
difficult  country  to  get  across,  regular  steeplechase 
fences.      Then    to    Lechlade,  where  we    viewed    the 
cratty  one,  seemingly  quite  fresh,  and  a  noble  one 
he  was.     He    then    turned    close   by  the   town,  and 
nearly  jumped  into  the  middle  of  the  V.W.H.  pack 
which  met  at  Lechlade  that  morning.     Turning  from 
them    he   bore  to   the    right,  then   back  to  the  left 
straight  for  Bibury,  and  finally  we  ran   into  him,  in 
an  open  field,  about    four   miles  on    the  other  side 
of  Lechdale   and    I    should    think  about   two  miles 
from  Bibury.    The  distance,  I  believe,  is  about  seven- 
teen miles  from  point  to  point,  and  the  greater  part 
was  very  fast,  at  least,  considering  the  nature  and 
the  state  of  the  country.     If  the  hounds  had  gone 
faster  no  horses  could  have  lived  with   them.     The 
field  was  not  a  large  one  at  first,  and  as  you  may 
imagine,  was  very  considerably  lessened  by  the  end. 
Not  a   few  were    the   accidents  by  flood   and   field. 
Lord  Valentia  was  half  killed,  unable  to  ride.     One 
man  got  his  leg  broken  ;  another  fell  on  his  head  and 


MR.    THOMAS   THORNHILL   MORLAND       i8i 

had  to  be  sent  home  in  a  post-chaise ;  another  riding 
by  my  side,  going  fast,  fell,  horse  and  man,  as  if  they 
had  been  shot,  the  man  under.  I  looked  back  as  I 
was  going  out  of  the  field  and  saw  that  he  never 
moved,  but  I  don't  know,  and  I  think  I  saw  about 
three  horses  in  deep  ditches,  the  owners  standing  on 
a  high  bank,  reins  in  hand,  as  if  they  were  fishing. 
My  horse  went  well  ;  the  only  mishap  was  in  taking 
a  fence  he  fell,  his  hind  legs  into  it.  He  recovered 
his  legs  but  I  could  not  recover  my  seat,  and  rolled 
off;  he  did  not  run  away,  so  I  was  soon  on  him 
again.  It  was  an  awful  day  for  the  horses,  but  they 
are  both  sound  to-day  ;  but  I  suppose  it  will  take 
some  time  to  put  them  in  order  again.  We  called 
at  Buscot  coming  back,  to  claim  Pryse's  hospitality, 
but  found  he  had  taken  his  departure  last  Sunday. 
We  got  home  about  6  o'clock,  both  very  well  satis- 
fied with  our  day.  Of  course,  the  governor  got  to 
Tar  Wood  half  an  hour  after  we  left,  and  so  never 
saw  the  hounds. 

There,  I  think  I  have  given  you  a  pretty  long 
letter.  I'll  have  your  bed  aired.  We  shall  be  glad 
to  see  you  and  hope  you  will  enjoy  yourself  while 
you  are  here. 

Ever  yours, 

E.  K.  Lenthall. 

To  F.  K.  Lenthall,  Esq., 
98,  Mount  Street, 

Grosvenor  Square,  London. 

In  another  letter  Mr.  Lenthall  says  that  the 
man  v^ho  was  riding  near  him  and  fell  with  his 
horse  was  Mr.  Sidney  Hawkins. 


i82  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

TAR    WOOD. 

A  Run  with  the  Heythrop,  1845. 

He  waited  not — he  was  not  found — 
No  warning  note  from  eager  hound, 
But  echo  of  the  distant  horn, 
From  outskirts  of  the  covert  borne, 
Where  Jack  the  Whip  in  ambush  lay, 
Proclaimed  that  he  was  gone  away. 

Away!  ere  yet  that  blast  was  blown, 
The  fox  had  o'er  the  meadow  flown  ; 
Away  !  away  !    his  flight  he  took, 
Straight  pointing  for  the  Windrush  brook. 

The  Miller,  when  he  heard  the  pack. 
Stood  tiptoe  on  his  loaded  sack. 
He  view'd  the  fox  across  the  flat. 
And,  needless  signal,  waved  his  hat ; 
He  saw  him  clear  with  easy  stride 
The  stream  by  which  the  mill  was  plied  ; 
Like  phantom  fox  he  seemed  to  fly, 
With  speed  unearthly  flitting  by. 

The  road  that  leads  to  Whitney  Town 
He  travelled  neither  up  nor  down  ; 
But  straight  away,  like  arrow  sped 
From  cloth-yard  bow,  he  shot  ahead. 
Now  Cokethorpe  on  his  left  he  passed, 
Now  Ducklington  behind  him  cast. 
Now  by  Bampton,  now  by  Lew, 
Now  by  Clanfield  on  he  flew  ; 
At  Grafton  now  his  course  inclined  ! 
And  Kelmscote  now  is  left  behind ! 


MR.    THOMAS   THORN  HILL  MORLAND        183 

Where  waters  of  the  Isis  lave 
The  meadows  with  the  classic  wave, 
O'er  those  wide  meadows  speeding  on 
He  neared  the  bridgeway  of  St.  John  ; 
He  paus'd  a  moment  on  the  bank, 
His  footsteps  in  the  ripples  sank, 
He  felt  how  cold,  he  saw  how  strong 
The  rapid  river  rolled  along  ; 
Then  turned  away,  as  if  to  say, 
"All  those  who  like  to  cross  it  may." 

The  Huntsman,  though  he  viewed  him  back, 

View'd  him  too  late  to  turn  the  pack, 

Which  o'er  the  tainted  meadow  press'd. 

And  reached  the  river  all  abreast ; 

In  with  one  plunge,  one  billowy  splash, 

In — altogether — in  they  dash. 

Together  stem  the  wintry  tide. 

Then  shake  themselves  on  t'other  side ! 

"  Hark,  hollo  back  !  "   that  loud  hallo 

Then  eager,  and  more  eager  grew. 

Till  ev'ry  hound,  recrossing  o'er, 

Stoop'd  forward  to  the  scent  once  more ; 

No  further  aid,  throughout  the  day, 

From  Huntsman  or  from  Whip  had  they. 

Away !  away !   unchecked  in  pace 

O'er  grass  and  fallow  swept  the  chase  ; 

To  hounds,  to  horses,  or  to  men. 

No  child's  play  was  the  struggle  then  ! 

A  trespasser  on  Milward's  ground 

He  climbed  the  pale  that  fenced  it  round, 

Then  close  by  Little  Hemel*  sped 

To  Fairford  pointing  straight  ahead, 

*  Little  Lemhill. 


THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

Though  now,  the  pack  approaching  nigh, 

He  hears  his  death-note  in  the  cry. 

They  viewed  him,  and  then  seemed  their  race 

The  very  lightning  of  the  chase  ! 

The  fox  had  reached  the  Southropp  lane, 

He  strove  to  cross  it,  but  in  vain, 

The  pack  rolled  o'er  him  in  his  stride, 

And  onward  struggling  till  he  died. 

This  gallant  fox,  in  Tar  Wood  found, 

Had  crossed  full  twenty  miles  of  ground, 

Had  sought  in  cover,  left  or  right, 

No  shelter  to  conceal  his  flight, 

But  nigh  two  hours  the  open  kept, 

As  stout  a  fox  as  ever  stept ! 

That  morning  in  the  saddle  set, 

A  hundred  men  at  Tar  Wood  met  ; 

The  eager  steeds  which  they  bestrode, 

Paced  two  and  fro  the  Witney  Road. 

For  hard  as  iron  shoe  that  trod 

Its  surface  the  unyielding  sod. 

Till  mid-day  sun  had  thawed  the  ground 

And  made  it  fit  for  foot  of  hound. 

They  champ'd  the  bit  and  chew'd  the  reign, 

And  paw'd  the  frozen  earth  again. 

Impatient  with  fleet  hoof  to  scour 

The  vale,  each  minute  seemed  an  hour, 

Still  rumour  says  of  that  array 

Scarce  ten  lived  fairly  through  the  day. 

Ah  1  how  shall  I  in  song  declare 
The  riders  who  were  foremost  there, 
A  fit  excuse  how  shall   I  find 
For  ev'ry  rider  left  behind. 

Though  Cokethorpe  seem  one  open  plain, 
'Tis  flashed  and  sluiced  with  many  a  drain, 


MR.    THOMAS   THORN  HILL  MORLAND       185 

And  he  who  clears  those  ditches  wide 
Must  needs  a  goodly  steed  bestride. 
From  Bampton  to  the  river's  bounds, 
The  race  was  run  o'er  pasture  grounds  ; 
Yet  many  a  horse  of  blood  and  bone 
Was  heard  to  cross  it  with  a  groan, 
For  blackthorns  stiff  the  fields  divide, 
With  watery  ditch  on  either  side. 
By  Lechlade  village  fences  rise, 
Of  ev'ry  sort  and  ev'ry  size, 
And  frequent  there  the  grievous  fall 
O'er  slippery  bank  and  crumbling  wall ; 
Some  planted  deep  in  cornfield  stand, 
A  fix'd  encumbrance  on  the  land, 
While  others  prove  o'er  post  and  rail 
The  merits  of  the  sliding  scale. 

Ah  !   much  it  grieves  the  Muse  to  tell, 
At  Clanfield  how  Valentia  fell, 
He  went  they  say  like  one  bewitched, 
Till  headlong  from  the  saddle  pitch'd  ; 
There,  reckless  of  the  pain,  he  sighed 
To  think  he  might  not  onward  ride  ; 

Though  fallen  from  his  pride  of  place, 
His  heart  was  following  still  the  chase  ; 
He  bade  his  many  friends  forbear 
The  proffered  aid  nor  tarry  there  ; 
"  O  heed  me  not,  but  ride  away  ; 
The  Tar  Wood  fox  must  die  to-day." 

Nor  Valentia  there  alone, 

There  too  in  mid  career  was  thrown 

The  Huntsman — in  the  breastplate  swung 

His  heels — his  body  earthward  hung. 

With  many  a  tug  at  neck  and  main. 

Struggling  he  reached  his  seat  again  : 


1 86  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Once  more  upon  the  back  of  Spangle, 
His  head  and  heels  at  proper  angle 
(Poor  Spangle  in  a  piteous  plight), 
He  looked  around  him  bolt  upright. 
Nor  near,  nor  far,  could  succour  see, 
Where  can  the  faithless  Juliet  be  ? 
He  would  have  given  half  his  wage 
Just  then  to  see  her  on  the  stage  ; 
The  pack  those  meads  by  Isis  bound 
Had  reach'd  ere  Jem  his  Juliet  found  ; 
Well  thence  with  such  a  prompter's  aid 
Till  Reynard's  death,  her  part  she  played. 

There  Isaac  from  the  chase  withdrew 
(A  horse  is  Isaac,  not  a  Jew), 
Outstretch'd  his  legs,  and  shook  his  back. 
Right  glad  to  be  relieved  of  Jack  ; 
And  Jack,  right  glad  his  back  to  quit. 
Gave  Beatrice  a  benefit. 

Moisture  and  mud  the  "  Fungus  "  suit, 

In  boggy  ditch,  he  taking  root, 

For  minutes  ten  or  there  about, 

Stood  planted,  till  they  pluck'd  him  out ; 

By  application  of  spur  rowel, 

Charles  rubb'd  him  dry  without  a  towel. 

Say,  as  the  pack  by  Kelmscote  sped. 

Say  who  those  horsemen  cloth'd  in  red  ? 

Spectators  of  the  chase  below. 

Themselves  no  sign  of  movement  show  ; 

No  wonder,  they  were  all  aghast 

To  see  the  pace  at  which  it  past ; 

The  "  White  Horse  Vale  "  of  well  known  fame 

The  pack  to  which  it  gives  a  name  ; 

And  there  they  stood  as  if  spell-bound. 

Their  morning  fox  as  yet  unfound  ; 


MR.    THOMAS   THORN  HILL  MORLAND       187 

Borne  from  that  wood,  their  huntsman's  cheer 
Drew  many  a  Tar  Wood  straggler  near. 
And  he  who  felt  the  pace  too  hot, 
There  gladly  sought  a  resting  spot. 
Himself  of  that  "  White  Horse  "  availing, 
When  conscious  that  his  own  was  failing. 

Thus  ships,  when  they  no  more  can  bide 
The  fury  of  the  wind  and  tide. 
If  chance  some  tranquil  port  they  spy, 
Where  vessels  safely  sheltered  lie, 
There  seek  a  refuge  from  the  gale, 
Cast  anchor,  and  let  down  their  sail. 

The  speed  of  horse,  the  pluck  of  man, 

They  needed  both  who  led  the  van  ; 

This  Holmes  can  tell,  who  through  the  day 

Was  ever  foremost  through  the  fray, 

And  Holloway  with  best  intent 

Still  shivering  timber  as  he  went  ; 

And  Williams,  clinging  to  the  pack, 

As  if  the  League  were  at  his  back  ; 

And  Tollitt  ready  still  to  sell 

The  nag  that  carried  him  so  well. 

A  pretty  sight  at  first  to  see. 
Young  Pretyman  on  Modesty  ; 
But  Pretyman  went  on  so  fast, 
That  Modesty  took  fright  at  last  ; 
So  bent  was  she  to  shun  disgrace. 
That  in  the  brook  she  hid  her  face  ; 
So  bashful,  that  to  drag  her  out 
They  fetched  a  team  and  tackle  stout. 

When  younger  men  of  lighter  weight 
Some  tale  of  future  sport  relate, 
Let  Whippy  show  the  brush  he  won. 
And  tell  them  of  the  Tar  Wood  run, 


1 88  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

While  Rival's  portrait,  on  the  wall, 

Shall  oft  to  memory  recall 

The  gallant  fox,  the  burning  scent, 

The  leaps  they  lept,  the  pace  they  went ; 

How  Whimsey  led  the  pack  at  first, 

When  Reynard  from  the  woodside  burst, 

How  Pamela,  a  puppy  hound, 

First  seized  him  struggling  on  the  ground  ; 

How  Prudence  shunned  the  taint  of  hare, 

Taught  young  in  life  to  have  a  care  ; 

How  Alderman,  a  foxhound  staunch, 

Worked  well  upon  an  empty  paunch  ; 

How  Squires  were  following  thee,  upset, 

Right  honourable  Baronet  ; 

How  as  the  pack  by  Lechdale  flew, 

Where  close  and  thick  the  fences  grew. 

Three  bitches  led  the  tuneful  throng, 

All  worthy  of  a  place  in  song. 

Old  Fairplay,  ne'er  at  skirting  caught, 

And  Pensive,  speeding  quick  as  thought. 

While  Handsome  proved  the  adage  true, 

They  handsome  are  that  handsome  do. 

Then  long  may  courteous  Redesdale  live  : 
And  oft  his  pack  such  gallops  give  ! 
Should  fox  again  so  stoutly  run, 
May  I  be  there  and  see  the  fun. 

R.  E.  E.  Warburton,  1845. 

Another  fox  had  given  remarkably  good 
runs  from  Tar  Wood  with  the  Old  Berkshire 
hounds  between  1841  and  1844.  The  covert 
was  at  that  time  looked  after  by  that  fine  old 
sportsman,  the  late  Mr.  Nathaniel  Blake,  and 
his  son   Mr.   John   Blake,   who   knew  the    fox 


MR.    THOMAS   THORNHILL  MORLAND        189 

well  by  sight,  as  did  also  an  old  labourer 
named  Bury.  In  1844  M.  Morrell's  harriers 
ran  this  fox  into  the  wood  under  the  eyes  of 
Bury,  who  recognised  him.  The  hounds  separ- 
ated and  ran  great  riot  and,  Mr.  Blake 
believes,  mobbed  and  killed  the  fox,  for  he 
was  never  heard  of  ao-ain. 

In  1843  another  fox  ran  a  big  ring,  very 
fast,  from  Tar  Wood  to  Eynsham,  where  he 
was  killed.  Mr.  John  Blake  was  first  up  with 
Willy  Hawtin.  Hawtin  dismounted  to  perform 
the  obsequies,  Mr.  Blake  holding  his  horse. 
Mr.  Blake  remarked,  "  I  should  like  the  brush, 
Willy."  Just  then  Mr.  Henry  Elwes,  who 
was  a  pupil  at  Handborough  at  the  time,  ran 
up  on  foot  and  in  amongst  the  hounds,  and 
secured  the  brush.  Towards  the  end  of  the 
season  the  hounds  met  at  Sheepstead,  and 
Mr.  Morland  invited  Mr.  Blake  to  breakfast. 
After  breakfast  Mr.  Morland  said,  *'  I  have 
something  for  you,"  and  then  rang  the  bell. 
The  servant  brought  in  the  "  mask  "  of  the  fox 
killed  at  Ensham  Hall,  beautifully  mounted, 
which  he  gave  Mr.  Blake  as  a  souvenir  of  the 
run.  Mr.  Blake's  theory  is  that  the  three  Tar 
Wood  foxes  whose  deeds  we  have  told  were 
all  of  one  litter.  Mr.  Morland  himself  went 
well,  particularly  when  mounted  on  his  favourite 
horse,  "  Bob  Logic,"  a  big  chestnut  with  white 


I90  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Stockings,  who  never  seemed  sick  or  sorry,  for 
he  was  always  out. 

Another  favourite  horse  was  a  dark  brown 
called  "Cannon  Ball."  Upon  Mr.  Morland's 
retirement  a  portrait  of  this  horse  with  two 
hounds,  "  Prudence  "  and  "  Bathsheba,'"  was 
painted ;  and  the  picture,  together  with  a  silver 
hunting  horn,  was  presented  to  him  by  the 
members  of  the  Hunt.  The  horn  bears  the 
inscription,  "  Presented  to  T.  T.  Morland  by 
the  members  of   the   O.   B.    Hunt,   April  5th, 

1847." 

In    1840  a  visit  was  paid  to   Mr.  Morland's 

kennels  at  Sandford  by  "  Rodney,"  who  says 

of  them,    in    the   course   of  an    article   in    the 

Sporting  Magazine:   "Mr.   Morland's    hounds 

can  boast  of  some  of  the  best  blood.     We  find 

here  the   Beaufort,  the  Grafton,    the  Moreton, 

Osbaldestone,      Codrington,      Horlock,      Yar- 

borough,   Lambton,  T.  Assheton  Smith,  Mills, 

Wyndham,    and    Wickstead,    and    where    can 

better  blood  be  found  ? "    He  says,  however,  of 

the  kennels  that  they  "  are  much  too  confined 

and    in    every  respect    too    small."      Probably 

Mr.    Morland    thought    "  Rodney's "    strictures 

just,    for   he   soon  after    built    new  kennels   at 

Sheepstead,    and    moved    the    hounds    there. 

To    those    kennels,    as    a    boy,    the    late    Mr. 

Charles   Duffield  was  a   constant   visitor,  and 


MR.    THOMAS   THORNHILL  MORLAND       191 

there,  as  he  said  himself  in  after  years,  he  first 
acquired  his  love  for  hounds,  in  the  kennel  as 
well  as  in  the  field.  When  Lord  Parker 
started  the  "  South  Oxfordshire  Hunt "  Mr. 
Morland  sent  him  seven  and  a-half  couple  of 
hounds,  with  their  pedigrees,  for  his  book  was 
very  carefully  kept. 

In  the  winter  of  1847  he  met  with  a  severe 
carriage  accident,  and  towards  the  end  of  the 
spring  of  1847,  his  health  began  to  fail,  and 
he  caught  a  severe  cold  while  superintending 
the  digging  out  of  a  fox  close  to  Sheepstead 
cottage.  The  fox  was  killed  at  Frilford,  but 
Mr.  Morland  had  seen  his  last  hunt.  He 
gave  up  the  country  and  sold  the  bulk  of 
the  pack  to  Mr.  James  Morrell,  his  successor. 
He  died  September,  1848.  By  a  curious 
coincidence  Mr.  John  T.  Morland,  the  present 
Clerk  of  the  Peace  for  Berks,  was  out  for 
the  first  time  on  the  day  his  uncle,  Mr.  T.  T. 
Morland,  saw  his  last  fox  killed,  and  bid 
farewell  for  ever  to  the  hounds  and  the  sport 
he  had  loved  so  well. 

In  the  field  Mr.  Morland  was  always 
courteous,  and  if  he  had  to  rebuke,  did  so 
with  a  studied  politeness  that  was  very 
effective.  An  old  member  of  the  hunt  remem- 
bers that  upon  one  occasion,  when  he  with 
some  other  eager  young  men  were  a  little  too 


192  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

forward,  the  master  said,  "Gentlemen,  it  would 
be  quite  as  well  if  you  would  kindly  give  the 
hounds  a  little  more  room.  Probably,  gentle- 
men, that  last  check  was  caused  by  the  per- 
spiration of  your  horses !  "  He  had  a  very 
shrill  and  rather  squeaky  voice,  and  never  used 
the  horn.  He  carried  instead  a  shrill  whistle, 
which  the  hounds  knew  well,  and  would  turn 
to  at  once. 

The  "Old  Berks"  Hunt  has  never  made 
public  its  subscription  list  until  recently,  but 
probably  the  following  list  of  subscriptions  for 
1838  may  be  of  interest  : — 


Lord  Abingdon 

=^50 

Messrs 

.  Jowett 

.  £\o 

Lord  Radnor 

50 

Heath 

•     25 

Lord  Folkestone    ... 

25 

Horrocks  .. 

•     25 

Lord  Norris 

10 

Ead 

•     25 

Messrs.  Hammersley 

15 

Strickland.. 

•     30 

Lowndes    ... 

5 

Duffield     .. 

.   100 

Henley 

25 

Atkins 

•     50 

Symonds  ... 

25 

Stonor 

•     50 

LowndesSton 

e  50 

Lowndes    .. 

.     25 

Blackstone 

15 

Currie 

•     25 

Peel    

25 

Knapp 

.     20 

Bennett 

26 

Graham 

•     15 

Pusey 

50 

Phillips      .. 

•     30 

Mr.  JAMES  MORRELL. 
Master  1847  to  1858. 


To  face  page  193. 


193 


CHAPTER   XI. 

Mr.  James  Morrell,    1847  to  1858. 

Mr.  Morland  left  no  children.  He  was 
succeeded  by  his  brother,  the  Rev.  Benjamin 
Morland,  whose  son,  Mr.  B.  H.  Morland,  is 
now  the  owner  of  Sheepstead,  and  was  for- 
merly Joint  Hon.  Secretary  to  the  Hunt. 

Mr.  James  Morrell,  who  now  took  the 
hounds  was  the  great-grandson  of  Mr. 
Jeremiah  Morrell  of  Wallingford,  who  died 
in  1766.  His  father,  Mr.  James  Morrell,  of 
Headington  Hill,  had  established  the  well- 
known  Oxford  Brewery,  and  also  kept  a  pack 
of  harriers.  Mr.  Morrell,  the  master,  was  born 
in  1 8 10,  and  his  father  entered  him  early  to 
hounds,  for  beside  constant  practice  with  his 
father's  harriers,  he  was  only  nine  when  he  saw 
his  first  fox  killed  by  the  Berkshire  hounds, 
then  hunted  by  Mr.  Codrington.  His  father's 
harriers  consisted  originally  of  fourteen  couple 
of  the  old  southern  breed ;  on  one  occasion  they 
had  a  buck  turned  down  in  the  presence  of 
half    Oxford,    on    the    very    hill    where    Mr. 

13 


194  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Morrell's  splendid  house,  Headington  Hill 
Hall,  now  stands.  In  1836  young  Mr.  Morrell 
took  the  hounds  in  hand,  and  hunted  them  for 
eleven  seasons.  They  showed  excellent  sport, 
and  not  a  few  Oxford  men  dated  their  first 
experiences  of  the  chase  from  the  cheery 
gallops  they  had  with  "Jim  Morrell."  On 
November  the  9th,  1838,  they  had  a  run  which 
is  described  at  length  in  the  Sporting  Maga- 
zine of  that  year.  They  found  at  Stonehill 
Farm,  near  Abingdon,  and  ran  across  Sutton 
Moor,  and  by  Didcot  to  Hagbourne  Down, 
where  they  came  to  a  check,  by  which  some 
few  of  the  stragglers  came  up  with  the  pack. 
An  old  hound  then  hit  off  the  scent,  and  away 
they  went  again,  leaving  Chilton  on  the  right, 
through  Churn  Gorse,  and  several  small 
patches  of  furze  on  the  Ilsley  Downs  to 
within  a  mile  of  Ilsley,  where  they  killed  ;  the 
distance  point  to  point  being  twelve  miles,  and 
the  time  one  hour  and  ten  minutes.  Mr.  Mor- 
rell increased  the  size  of  the  pack  chiefly  by 
draughts  from  Mr.  Drake's,  the  Heythrop,  and 
the  Blackmore  Vale,  and  it  consisted  at  last 
of  twenty-two  couple  of  small  foxhound  bitches, 
and  "Hannibal,"  who  had  a  strong  touch  of  the 
harrier  about  him,  and  who  never  failed  to  get 
the  ladies  right  at  a  pinch. 

Mr.    Morland's  retirement  offered  a  favour- 


MR.  JAMES  MORRELL  195 

able  opportunity  for  Mr.  Morrell.  His  father 
had  died  in  1855,  and  Mr.  Morrell  had  suc- 
ceeded to  the  Great  Oxford  Brewery  and  the 
splendid  income  derived  therefrom,  he  there- 
fore gladly  seized  the  occasion,  and  on  March 
the  2ist  the  harriers  were  parted  with,  and 
Mr.  Morrell  took  from  Mr.  Morland  the  Old 
Berkshire  country  which  Lord  Kintore  and 
"  Merry  John  Walker "  had  made  famous. 
Foxes  latterly  had  been  short,  and  the  last 
season,  John  Jones  had  drawn  Buscot,  it  is 
said,  twenty-one  times.  Mr.  Morrell  took 
over  from  the  last  master  his  huntsman,  John 
Jones,  and  24  couple  of  hounds.  He  also  took 
half  Mr.  Drake's  draft  with  Mr.  Anstruther 
Thompson  of  the  Atherstone.  Forty  couple 
he  purchased  from  Sir  Richard  Puleston  (the 
Shropshire) ;  these  hounds  had  such  a  habit 
of  singling  out  one  of  their  number  and  worry- 
him  that,  it  is  said,  the  Baronet  had  in  vain 
offered  a  reward  of  ;!^200  to  any  one  who 
would  devise  a  cure.  Will  Todd,  who  took 
charge  of  them  for  Mr.  Morrell,  did  not  know 
of  the  habit  when  the  hounds  were  bought  by 
Mr.  Morrell.  They  passed  the  first  night  at 
the  Kingstone  Inn  kennels,  and  Will,  when  he 
heard  what  was  going  on,  procured  a  great  bell 
and  rung  it,  and  flogged  them  till  he  almost 
alarmed  the  whole  neighbourhood.     Next  day 


196  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

he  kept  them  out  in  the  yard,  and  let  their 
unhappy  quarry  go  in  and  out  of  the  lodging 
house  as  he  liked  ;  and  they  got  so  frightened 
that  at  the  first  tinkle  of  the  bell,  whose  rope 
was  at  his  bed  head,  they  would  be  quiet  in  an 
instant. 

Mr.  Morrell  took  Tubney  House  as  a  hunt- 
ing residence,  and  built  kennels  there.  For 
the  ten  years  his  mastership  lasted  he  dis- 
pensed at  Tubney  the  most  open-handed 
hospitality. 

Mr.  Morrell  not  only  understood  the  science 
of  hunting,  but  though  a  very  heavy  man  went 
well  himself.  With  a  good  start  and  when 
mounted  on  "  Memnon,"  "  England's  Glory," 
"  Sir  Warwick,"  "  Marlborough,"  or  "  Wild 
Rose,"  he  required  a  lot  of  beating.  In  the 
celebrated  run  from  Appleton  Common  to 
Wytham,  neither  his  huntsman  Clark,  nor  any 
of  the  crack  featherweights  out  could  catch 
him.  He  was  once  steward  of  an  Oxfordshire 
steeplechase  meeting  ;  there  was  a  big  water- 
jump  to  which  the  well-known  "Jim  Mason" 
rather  demurred,  whereupon  Mr.  Morrell 
jumped  it  clean  on  his  horse  "  Little  Wonder." 
In  the  race  which  followed,  only  two  contrived 
to  get  clear  over. 

In  John  Jones's  time  they  had  an  exception- 
ally fast  thing  from  Bablock  Hythe  to  Abing- 
don Town  End  seven  miles  straight. 


MR.  JAMES  MORRELL  197 

In  1853  John  Jones  left  and  went  into  Lin- 
lithgowshire, Jim  Stacy,  the  Whip,  following 
his  fortunes.  Thomas  Clark  then  took  up  the 
horn  for  Mr.  Morrell.  Clark  was  sent  up  to 
the  sale  of  Sir  Richard  Sutton's  hounds,  with 
orders  to  buy  the  lot  in  which  should  be  the 
celebrated  hound  "  Hercules."  When  the  lot 
was  put  up  it  was  knocked  down  to  Clark  for 
200  guineas.  Young  Sir  Richard  Sutton  came 
up  just  as  the  hammer  fell  and  wished  Tatter- 
sall  to  put  the  lot  up  again,  which  he  of  course 
declined  to  do.  Clark  bought  there  altogether 
eight  couple ;  he  also  secured  Sir  Richard's 
excellent  van,  into  which  he  put  the  hounds, 
and  then  drove  them  back  to  Headington. 
Mr.  Morrell  was  so  pleased  at  having  secured 
"  Hercules"  that  he  "tipped"  Clark  a  fiver  on 
the  spot. 

Thomas  Clark  had  been  huntsman  to  Mr. 
Villebois  who  hunted  the  Craven.  Mr.  Ville- 
bois  died  in  1851,  and  to  each  servant  in  his 
employ  at  the  time  of  his  death,  left  a  year's 
salary.  This  Clark  lost,  for  wishing  to  get 
into  a  better  country,  he  had  just  before  given 
notice.  Mr.  Villebois  left  his  whole  huntino- 
establishment  to  the  Craven  country,  and  the 
hounds  were  hunted  for  a  season  by  a  com- 
mittee, of  whom  Mr.  Philip  Wroughton,  of 
Woolly   Park,  was  President  ;   funds  then  ran 


198  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

short,  and  the  hunting  dropped  to  two  days 
a  week,  and  at  last  the  hounds  were  sold. 
Major  George  Willes  of  Hungerford  Park, 
and  Captain  H.  R.  Seymour  of  Crowood,  then 
took  the  country,  and  began  with  some  hounds 
given  to  them  by  Mr.  Assheton  Smith.  The 
northern  part  of  the  country  they  gave  up  to 
Mr.  Morrell,  who  hunted  it  every  Saturday, 
sending  his  hounds  up  in  the  van  purchased  at 
Sir  Richard  Sutton's  sale. 

Clark  showed  his  first  great  run  on  Novem- 
ber 28th,  1853,  when  they  ran  from  Hatford, 
through  Faringdon  Grove  to  Appleton  Com- 
mon ;  another  excellent  run  the  same  year  was 
from  Wytham  to  Buckland.  On  November 
22nd,  1854,  the  meet  was  at  Cokethorpe  ;  they 
found  at  Boy's  Wood,  ran  through  Lew, 
Haddon,  Black  Bourton,  Alvescot,  Clanfield, 
over  Radcot  Bridge,  skirting  Faringdon 
Grove,  and  to  ground  in  Rivey  main  earths. 
Another  run  was  described  as  "short  in  its 
record  though  sweet  to  all  who  could  live 
through  it,"  viz.  :  found  at  Hendred  Cowlease 
and  killed  in  Hinton  Park.  In  1856  they 
found  at  Buscot  and  the  hounds  were  stopped 
near  Cirencester.  February,  1858,  found  at 
Betterton  and  killed  on  Appleton  Common. 

A  curious  incident  that  occurred  at  Yelford 
is  related  by  Mr.    Lenthall.     The  hounds  ran 


MR.  JAMES  MORRELL  199 

their  fox  down  the  village  street  of  Yelford. 
Just  as  they  passed,  a  big  yellow  Tom  cat 
belonging  to  the  clerk's  wife  jumped  over  the 
hedge  in  front  of  the  hounds.  Poor  pussie  was 
instantly  mopped  up,  and  Clark,  coming  up  at 
the  time,  caught  sight  of  the  cat  in  the  middle 
of  the  pack.  Giving  "  Whoo  Whoop "  he 
jumped  off  his  horse,  throwing  the  reins  to 
Mr.  Lenthall,  and  went  in  to  perform  the 
funeral  rites  of  the  supposed  fox.  When  he 
found  the  mangled  remains  of  poor  murdered 
Thomas,  he  pitched  the  carcase  over  the  hedge 
in  disgust,  and  mounting  his  horse  took  his 
hounds  home  without  saying  a  word. 

Some  of  the  members  of  the  hunt  considered 
that  Clark  was  rather  too  keen  upon  blood, 
and  in  other  respects  Mr.  Morrell  met  with 
some  of  those  annoyances  which  are  generally 
the  lot  of  a  master  of  hounds.  The  result  was 
that  in  the  spring  of  1857  he  determined  to 
give  up  the  country.  The  hunting  establish- 
ment was  advertised  for  sale,  and  Clark  found 
a  new  birth  with  the  Duke  of  Beaufort.  There 
his  reputation  as  a  murderous  huntsman  fol- 
lowed him.  Letters  signed  "  A  Wiltshire 
Yeoman  "  appeared  in  the  sporting  papers,  but 
Clark  was  ably  defended  in  the  correspondence 
which  followed  by  the  Duke  and  Lord 
Valentia. 


200  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Mr.  Morrell  was  offered  ^2,000  for  his 
hounds,  an  offer  which  he  refused,  and  they 
were  sold  under  the  hammer  of  Mr.  Tattersall 
at  Tubney,  on  April  the  12th,  1858.  The  sale 
was  so  admirably  reported  in  the  Field,  that 
we  give  the  description  in  full. 

The   Tubney  Sale. 

This  long  talked  of  sale  came  off  on  Wednesday 
last.  The  early  part  of  the  day  was  cold  and  drizzly, 
but  it  brightened  up  by  noon,  and  there  was  nothing 
to  mar  the  great  parliament  of  masters  and  hunts- 
men which  went  into  committee  "  on  the  flags  "  that 
day,  as  to  the  merits  of  the  Foreman,  the  Hercules, 
the  Hector  and  the  Sunderland  blood  in  the  kennels. 
The  Duke  of  Beaufort  was  prevented  by  his  duties 
at  Court  from  attending  ;  but  the  former  class  had 
Lord  Sufifield,  Lord  Southampton,  Lord  Maccles- 
field, Lord  Willoughby,  Hon.  F.  Sandilands,  Mr. 
Percy  Williams,  Mr.  H.  Greaves,  Mr.  Anstruther 
Thompson,  Mr.  Baker,  Mr.  Tailby,  Mr.  Dufiield,  Mr. 
H.  Hall,  Mr.  W.  Hall,  Mr.  Villebois,  Mr.  Cregoe 
Colmore,  Mr.  Rigden,  Mr.  Brockman,  Mr.  Scratton, 
Mr.  Arkwright,  and  Mr.  Selby  Lowndes  as  its  repre- 
sentatives. The  huntsmen  and  the  kennel  huntsmen 
numbered  about  three-and-thirty,  headed  by  that 
patriarch  of  seventy-five,  Jim  Morgan,  the  sire  of  the 
hardest  riding  family  in  England,  who  has  injured 
one  arm  so  often  that  he  still  says,  "  As  I  cannot 
open  gates  I  must  jump  over  them,"  and  acts  accord- 
ingly. Those  Nestors  of  the  chase,  Tom  Sebright, 
George  Carter  and  Will  Long,  were  there,  and  the 
list  included  Henry  Harris,  late  first  whip  to  the 
Old  Berkshire,  who  had  just  received  his  commis- 
sion as  huntsman  to  the  second  pack,  which  is  being 


MR.  JAMES  MORRELL  201 

formed  by  Mr.  H.  Villebois  in  Norfolk.  Although 
there  are  so  many  changes  everywhere,  and  some 
of  them  are  not  likely  to  be  for  the  better,  the  Old 
Berks  Hunt  is  not  to  be  suffered  to  die.  Only  two 
evenings  before  the  sale  the  subscribers  met,  and 
;^8oo  a  year  was  guaranteed  to  Mr.  Duffield  of  Mar- 
cham  Park,  and  Will  Maiden,  who  won  his  spurs 
over  this  country  some  three  or  four  seasons  since, 
was  engaged  at  once  as  first  whip.  The  huntsman  is 
not  yet  chosen,  but  the  country,  which  has  lost  but 
little  by  the  slaughter  of  foxes  at  Nuneham,  will  be 
hunted  about  five  days  a  fortnight.  The  new  master 
went  to  work  in  earnest  at  the  sale,  and  ere  the  last 
tap  of  Mr.  Tattersall's  hammer  was  heard,  he  was 
master  of  twenty-three  couple  and  a  half  of  hounds 
at  484  guineas. 

Considering  the  way  in  which  the  hounds  have 
been  looked  over  for  the  last  ten  weeks,  the  bidders 
were  much  shyer  and  fewer  than  we  expected,  though 
those  who  did  bid  had  to  give  their  price.  The  result 
of  all  (including  65  guineas  for  a  very  handsome 
green  hound-van,  which  went  to  Berkeley  Castle) 
was  6,127  guineas,  or  2,581  guineas  for  the  eighty- 
two  and  a  half  couple  of  hounds,  thus  giving  an 
average  of  some  33  guineas  a  couple  (the  young 
hounds  having  about  7  guineas  the  best  of  it), 
while  the  thirty-two  horses  made  nearly  100  guin- 
eas each.  There  had  been  a  good  deal  of  betting 
as  to  whether  the  hounds  would  make  over  the 
;^ 2,000  which  was  off"ered  for  them  over  in  Ireland 
in  a  lump  sum  two  months  ago ;  and  also  as  to 
whether  the  horse  average  would  be  over  ;^ioo, 
or  both  events  coupled  ;  and  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  takers  gallantly  won. 

The  highest  price  given  for  any  of  the  old  hound 
lots  was  200  guineas,  twice  over  given  by  the  Duke 
of  Beaufort.     One  of  these  lots,   No.    8,   comprised 


202  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Honesty  and  Harlequin,  the  prize  cup  puppies  of 
the  great  "  Hercules  out  of  Spangle"  entry  of  seven 
last  year ;  so  that  Tom  Clark  will  carry  some  of 
his  most  cherished  blood  with  him  to  Badminton. 
The  dam,  who  has  spread  her  fine  Sunderland  blood 
far  and  wide  in  this  kennel,  was  sold  for  50  guineas  ; 
and  she  too  goes  to  the  Duke's,  where  the  retired 
Trumpeter  has  departed  already  as  a  parting  and 
well-deserved  keepsake  to  Clark  from  his  old  master. 
Mr.  Duffield  went  as  high  as  130  guineas  for  one  lot, 
and  the  French  gave  120  guineas  for  another — nearly 
thrice  as  much  per  couple  as,  we  believe,  they  ever 
gave  in  their  lives  before. 

Lord  Stamford  recruited  his  puppy  entry,  which 
has  been  sadly  cut  up  by  distemper,  with  no  less 
than  three  lots  of  unentered  hounds,  at  150  guineas 
each  ;  and  another  lot  fell  to  Lord  Southampton's 
nod  at  the  same  price.  Firebrand  and  Harriet,  the 
cup  puppies  of  this  year,  went  in  the  Ouorn  lots, 
and  so  did  Sophy,  Selim,  Royal,  Hecuba,  and  Helen, 
who  all  got  such  honourable  mention  at  the  same 
puppy  show.  Mr.  Morrell  bought  five  lots  of  hounds 
at  an  average  of  108  guineas,  and  Languish,  with 
five  Hercules  puppies  for  25  guineas.  Seven  of  the 
horses  also  returned  to  the  place  whence  they  came, 
including  Sir  Warwick  (190  guineas),  Rob  Roy  (170 
guineas),  and  Chesterfield  (100  guineas),  &c.  ;  the 
favourite  of  the  stud,  England's  Glory,  had  Marl- 
borough to  share  the  premiership  in  price  with  him, 
which  in  that  instance  was  280  guineas,  the  elegant 
Harkaway  being  third  at  250  guineas.  Eleven  of  the 
horses  fetched  150  guineas  and  upwards,  but  the 
biddings  were  very  slow  until  Harkaway  came  out, 
Dick,  the  nine  season  patriarch  of  the  stable,  went 
for  22  guineas,  while  Bravo,  the  only  horse  that  went 
to  Badminton,  fetched  150  guineas.  The  magnifi- 
cent black  Marlborough  brought  just  20  guineas  less 


MR.  JAMES  MORRELL  203 

than  he  did  at  Mr.  Henley  Greaves'  sale  last  year  ; 
but  the  fast  heavy-weights  of  the  day  did  not  come 
to  look  after  him,  as  they  thought  him,  in  spite  of 
his  splendid  jumping,  to  have  hardly  pace  enough. 
He  goes,  too,  along  with  Fisherman  (140  guineas), 
a  wonderful  specimen  of  a  well-knit  weight  carrier, 
and  on  whom,  as  well  as  Chesterfield,  Mr.  Morrell 
has  been  foremost  among  the  best  of  the  Old  Berk- 
shire Hunt,  to  Colonel  Wyndham's  country.  Mr. 
Henley  Greaves  bought  four  horses,  the  highest  price 
being  55  guineas  for  that  rare  trotting  hack  Tom 
Thumb,  while  Mr.  C.  Simmonds,  the  well-known 
dealer  beloved  of  Oxonians,  gave  150  guineas  for 
a  perfect  paragon  in  a  small  compass,  to  wit,  Jenny 
Lind.  The  sale  occupied  nearly  three  hours,  and 
Mr.  Tattersall's  rostrum  was  pitched  under  a  tall 
elm  behind  the  kennels ;  a  couple  of  waggons  were 
the  only  coigns  of  vantage,  and  many  an  Oxford 
fellow  and  undergraduate  joined  the  circle  round 
him,  which  was  of  sadly  small  compass  till  the  horses 
arrived  and  speedily  enlarged  it  for  themselves. 
The  sale  was  an  exceedingly  successful  one,  though 
frightfully  slow  at  intervals.  By  six  o'clock  most 
of  the  company  had  gone  with  the  exception  of 
a  few  huntsmen,  who  lingered  round  the  spot  which 
has  done  so  much  for  their  forest  craft. 

Although  Mr.  Morrell  has  had  only  ten 
years  of  mastership,  and  those  at  times  clouded 
with  vexation,  undeserved  and  bitter  enough 
to  make  many  a  less  staunch  sportsmen  throw 
up  the  cards,  we  may  truly  say  that  no  one 
has  done  so  much,  not  only  by  his  magnificent 
outlay  in  the  field,  but  by  his  public  spirit  in 
bringing    masters   and    huntsmen    together   at 


204  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

hound  shows,  to  promote  that  good  feeHng  and 
chivalrous  pride  in  the  sport  which  enables  it, 
in  this  most  utilitarian  age,  to  keep  its  hold  on 
all  English  hearts,  whether  they  beat  beneath 
the  waistcoat  of  the  feeble  octogenarian  or  the 
reckless  pony-loving  schoolboy. 

A  handsome  testimonial  was  subscribed  for 
Mr.  Morrell  on  his  retirement,  and  presented 
to  him  at  Abingdon  in  the  following 
November. 

Mr.  Morrell,  who  was  a  J. P.  and  D.L.  of 
Oxfordshire  was  High  Sheriff  in  1853.  He 
married  in  185 1,  the  daughter  of  the  Rev.  W. 
Everett,  B.D.  He  died  in  1863,  leaving  an 
only  daughter  and  heiress,  who  married  her 
second  cousin,  Mr.  George  Herbert  Morrell, 
M.P.,  now  in  her  right,  of  Headington  Hill 
Hall. 

When  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Morrell  was 
announced,  a  meeting  of  members  of  the  Hunt 
was  held  at  the  "  Crown "  inn,  Faringdon, 
the  meeting  taking  place  on  Thursday,  January 
2ist,  1858.  There  were  present :  The  Honble. 
E.  P.  Bouverie  in  the  chair  ;  Messrs.  E.  M.- 
Atkins, Sir  R.  Throckmorton,  C.  P.  Duffield, 
W.  Throckmorton,  D.  Bennett,  J.  H.  Lovell, 
G.  F.  Crowdy,  G.  J.  Haines,  H.  St.  John 
Medley,  G.  Davey,  and  R.  Tuckey.  It  was 
resolved    that    an     advertisement    should     be 


MR.  JAMES  MORRELL  205 

inserted  in  Belts  Life,  inviting  communica- 
tions from  gentlemen  willing  to  hunt  the  coun- 
try, and  that  application  should  be  made  to 
Mr.  E.  M. -Atkins,  Kingstone  Lisle,  President, 
or  to  Mr.  G.  F.  Crowdy,  Hon.  Secretary. 

Another  meeting  was  held  at  Kingston  inn, 
on  Thursday,  March  4th,  Sir  R.  G.  Throck- 
morton in  the  chair,  when  it  was  unanimously 
agreed  to  invite  Mr.  W.  Selby  Lowndes,  of 
Whaddon  Hall,  Bucks,  then  Master  of  the 
Atherstone  hounds,  to  hunt  the  country.  It 
was  also  agreed  to  present  Mr.  Morrell  with 
a  suitable  testimonial  in  appreciation  of  the 
efficient  and  liberal  manner  in  which  he  had 
hunted  the  country  for  the  past  ten  years,  and 
a  committee  was  formed  and  subscription  list 
opened  with  that  object. 

The  question  of  the  mastership  remained 
open  until  just  before  Mr.  Morrell's  retirement, 
when  Mr.  Duffield  stepped  in  to  fill  the  gap. 
A  subscription  of  £Zqo  was  guaranteed. 

Hunting  with  Mr.  Morrell  were  the  Hon. 
George  Barrington,  of  Beckett  Park ;  Right 
Hon.  E.  P.  Bouverie,  President  of  the  Hunt ; 
Mr.  T.  M.  Goodlake,  of  Wadley,  a  strict  pre- 
server ;  and  his  son,  Major  Gerald  Goodlake, 
V.C.,  a  great  coursing  man  ;  Colonel  Pryse,  of 
Buscot,  also  a  staunch  foxhunter ;  Mr.  J.  S. 
Phillips,    of    Culham,    Master    of    the    South 


2o6  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Oxfordshire,  always  in  a  good  place  ;  Mr. 
Henry  Elwes,  of  Marcham  Park,  who  rode  at 
Goodwood  and  Bibury,  who  died  early ;  and 
his  brother,  Mr.  Charles  Duffield,  afterwards 
Master  of  those  hounds ;  Mr.  C.  Dundas 
Everett,  of  Besselsleigh,  a  brother-in-law  of 
Mr.  Morrell,  frequently  at  Tubney  ;  the  Earl 
of  Strathmore,  from  Becket,  owner  and  rider 
of  the  steeplechasers,  The  Switcher,  St.  Leger, 
and  others  ;  Lord  Valentia,  from  Bletchington, 
who  was  a  host  of  fun  and  a  very  nice  man, 
whose  droll  sayings  would  fill  a  book  ;  he  was 
very  often  at  Tubney,  was  a  bruiser  over  a 
country,  and  latterly  he  rode  in  spectacles  ;  Mr. 
E.  Martin-Atkins,  of  Kingstone  Lisle,  who 
looked  well  after  the  foxes  ;  Captain  D.  Ben- 
nett, of  Faringdon  House,  who  looked  well 
after  Faringdon  Grove,  a  little  hollow  place 
out  of  which  fourteen  foxes,  old  and  young, 
were  once  found  ;  Mr.  J.  S.  Bowles,  of  Milton 
Hill  ;  Mr.  Walter  Strickland,  of  Cokethorpe, 
both  very  good  preservers  ;  Mr.  Davey,  of 
Buckland,  a  gentleman  farmer,  well-known  on 
a  grey,  looked  after  the  poultry  fund ;  Mr. 
John  Aldworth,  of  Frilford,  a  great  sheep 
breeder,  and  one  of  the  best  sportsman  in  the 
country,  was  joint  secretary  to  the  Hunt.  He 
and  his  brother  William  lived  at  two  beautiful 
houses,   their  own  property,   which  stand  side 


MR.  JAMES  MORRELL  207 

by  side,  and  it  was  then  a  crack  breakfast 
meet  ;  Mr.  Brown,  of  Compton ;  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Jenkins,  of  Longworth,  who  had  an 
entire  grey  horse,,  afterwards  ridden  by 
Stracey,  the  Whip,  on  which  he  is  painted 
in  the  Hunt  picture  ;  Mr.  Jenkins  was  a  noted 
character  of  the  day,  and  many  stories  were 
current  about  him  in  the  Hunt.  Upon  one 
occasion,  it  is  said,  he  was  remonstrated  with 
by  Dr.  Wilberforce,  Bishop  of  Oxford,  on 
account  of  his  fondness  for  hunting.  Mr. 
Jenkins  repHed,  "  I  quite  appreciate,  my  Lord, 
the  force  of  your  remarks,  but  after  all,  every 
man  must  have  some  amusement ;  now  I  don't 
care  for  dancing  and  other  frivolous  amuse- 
ments such  as  other  men  enjoy  ;  I  think,  by- 
the-bye,  that  I  saw  your  lordship's  name  in  the 
list  of  those  who  attended  the  last  State  ball." 
"  Quite  true,  Mr.  Jenkins,"  said  the  Bishop, 
a  little  taken  aback,  "  but  I  assure  you  I  was 
never  in  the  same  room  with  the  dancers." 
"Just  my  case,  my  Lord,  I  am  rarely  in  the 
same  field  with  the  hounds."  Mr.  Jenkins, 
however,  paid  such  heed  to  his  Bishop's 
remonstrance  that  he  gave  up  attending 
meets ;  but  he  found  his  health,  required  him 
to  continue  riding  exercise,  and  it  was  soon 
remarked  that  whichever  direction  he  and  his 
horse    took,    with    this    laudable   object,    they 


2o8  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

invariably  fell  in  with  the  hounds.  Colonel 
Adam  Blandy,  of  Kingstone ;  Dr.  Batts,  of 
Oxford ;  Dr.  Burgess,  of  Fyfield,  a  capital 
man,  commonly  called  Bursar  Burgess,  looked 
after  Bagley  Wood,  went  well,  but  a  little 
jealous  ;  George  Tollit,  of  Oxford,  then  kept 
his  hunters,  and  went  out  regularly,  but  un- 
fortunately he  would  go  racing,  which  spoilt 
his  hunting ;  and  Mr.  Figg,  who  kept  a  livery 
stable,  was  quite  a  character  ;  he  was  a  round 
little  man  ;  Bob  Croft,  of  the  Haymarket,  once 
insulted  him  terribly  by  saying  that  if  they  cut 
off  his  arms  and  legs  he  would  make  a  capital 
orarden  roller ;  then  there  were  the  two  Whit- 
fields,  farmers,  who  lived  near  Kingston 
Spinnies,  both  good  preservers  ;  Mr.  W.  T. 
H.  Graham,  the  elder  of  Fitzharris,  Abingdon, 
father-in-law  of  Mr.  C.  Duffield,  and  his  sons  ; 
Mr.  G.  F.  Crowdy,  of  Faringdon,  who  was 
joint  Secretary  with  Mr.  Aldworth,  of  Frilford; 
and  Mr.  William  Lenthall,  of  Besselsleigh,  and 
his  sons  Edmund  and  William ;  and  many 
others. 


Hills  £~  Saiuulcis,  photo. 


CHARLES  PHILIP  DUFFIELD,   Esq. 
Master  1858  to  1863  and  1884  to  1889. 


To  /,ice  page  209. 


209 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Mr.  Charles  Philip  Duffield,  1858  to  1863. 

Mr.  Charles  Duffield  was  the  third  son 
of  Mr.  Thomas  Duffield,  of  Marcham  Park, 
by  his  marriage  with  Emily,  only  child  of 
Mr.  George  Elwes,  of  Marcham  Park.  The 
romantic  story  of  his  marriage  has  already 
been  told.  Mr.  George  Elwes  was  the  eldest 
son  of  the  celebrated  millionaire  miser,  John 
Elwes,  who  represented  Berkshire  in  three 
successive  Parliaments,  and  who  died  at 
Marcham  Park  in  1789.  Mr.  George  Elwes 
had  married  a  Miss  Alt,  a  Northamptonshire 
lady,  and  a  grand-daughter  of  the  celebrated 
Mr.  Hastings,  one  of  the  founders  of  our 
Indian  Empire.  Mr.  Elwes'  second  son,  John, 
a  Lieutenant  in  the  second  Troop  of  Horse 
Guards,  purchased  the  Gloucestershire  property, 
still  belonging  to  his  descendants.  Mr.  Thomas 
Duffield's  father  was  Michael  Duffield,  who 
married  Alice,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Crutchley, 
of  Sunninghill,  who  represented  Horsham, 
Grampound,  and  St.   Mawes  in  different  Par- 

14 


2IO  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

liaments  between  1784  and  1802.  Mr. 
Thomas  Duffield  was  the  second  son :  his 
elder  brother,  George,  of  Sunninghill  Park, 
took  the  surname  and  arms  of  Crutchley  only, 
by  royal  licence  in  1806,  and  became  the 
grandfather  of  the  present  Mr.  Percy  Crutchley, 
of  Sunninghill  Park. 

Mr.  Thomas  Duffield  had  been  for  a  short 
time,  just  before  his  marriage  with  Miss 
Elwes,  Joint  Master  with  Mr.  Robert  Symonds, 
and  since  his  residence  at  Marcham  he  had 
been  a  most  liberal  supporter  of  the  Hunt,  and 
had  kept  harriers  himself.  He  represented 
Abingdon  in  the  Parliaments  elected  in  1832, 
1835,  1837  and  1841.  He  then  resigned  his 
seat,  which  was  regarded  as  a  perfectly  safe 
one,  to  make  way  for  the  Solicitor-General, 
Sir  Frederick  Thesiger,  who  had  failed  to 
secure  re-election.  The  "  Free  and  Indepen- 
dent Electors  "  of  the  borough  rather  resented 
their  seat  being  dealt  with  in  this  fashion,  and 
it  became  evident  that  the  contest  between 
Sir  Frederick  and  his  opponent  would  be  a 
very  close  one.  Indeed,  towards  the  close  of 
the  poll  it  seemed  that  the  votes  were  equal, 
when  a  certain  Mr.  Copeland,  who  resided  at 
Windsor,  and  who  was  a  member  of  a  very 
old  Radical  family  in  Abingdon,  came  down 
to  vote,  his  vote  being  the  last  one  recorded. 


MR.   CHARLES  PHILIP  DUF FIELD  211 

When  asked  by  the  Presiding  Ofificer  for 
whom  he  voted,  he  said :  "  Thesiger  ;  no,  I 
mean  Caufield."  The  Poll  Clerk,  immediately 
on  his  uttering  the  word  Thesiger,  entered 
the  vote,  and  it  was  immediately  claimed  by 
both  the  election  agents,  but  the  Presiding 
Officer  gave  the  vote  to  Sir  Frederick,  it 
having  been  recorded  before  the  voter  corrected 
himself.  The  vote  is  said  to  have  carried  the 
election. 

Mr.  Thomas  Duffield  also  served  as  High 
Sheriff  for  the  county.  The  following  amusing 
story  of  him  during  the  year  of  his  shrievalty 
is  related  in  a  book  called  "  The  Wanderer 
Brought  Home  ;  or  the  Life  and  Adventures  of 
Colin,"  by  the  Rev.  B.  Richings,  M.A.  Colin 
had  been  a  vagrant,  but  became  "converted," 
and  gave  the  reverend  gentleman  and  the 
public  the  benefit  of  his  experiences.  In  the 
year  of  Mr.  Duffield's  shrievalty  this  nomadic 
individual  wandered  into  Abingdon,  and  made 
up  his  mind  to  beg,  "  as  his  stomach  recoiled 
at  peas  and  turnips."  The  first  gentleman  he 
accosted  was  none  other  than  Mr.  Thomas 
Duffield.  Taking  off  his  crownless  hat,  the 
vagrant  begged  in  orthodox  fashion.  The 
stern  reply  was  :  "  Can  you  read  ?  "  "  No, 
Sir,"  said  the  man,  for  before  his  face  was 
a    board:    "Take    notice,    all    vagrants   found 


212  THE   OLD  BERKS   HUNT 

begging  in  this  borough  will  be  prosecuted 
with  the  utmost  rigour  of  the  law."  "  Oh," 
rejoined  the  Sheriff;  "  if  you  could  have  read 
that  board,  it  would  have  directed  you  where 
to  get  relief.  However,  I  shall  give  you  a 
note  to  take  to  one  who  will  relieve  you," 
He  then  wrote  the  following  note  to  the  Mayor 
of  Abingdon  :  "  Mr.  James  Cole  :  The  bearer 
having  solicited  alms  of  me  in  the  public 
street,  I  deem  him  unworthy  of  any  relief 
Please  to  detain  him  in  custody  'til  to-morrow, 
when  at  ten  o'clock  I  shall  appear  against  him 
as  a  rogue  and  vagabond,  that  he  may  be 
committed  to  hard  labour  for  three  months. 
Yours,  T.  DuFFiELD."  "Can  you  read  this.-^" 
enquired  the  Sheriff.  "  Yes,"  said  the  beggar  ; 
"  it  is  to  let  the  bearer  have  some  bread  and 
cheese,  some  beer  and  sixpence,  and  pass  him 
on  his  journey."  "  You  said  you  could  not 
read,"  said  the  gentleman  ;  and  probably  the 
way  the  man  had  construed  the  note  confirmed 
his  opinion  of  his  ignorance.  However,  the 
tramp  was  to  go  to  the  constable,  and  the 
constable  was  to  take  him  to  the  Mayor.  The 
Sheriffs  horse  came  up,  and  he  rode  away. 
Left  in  the  street,  the  wanderer  was  struck 
with  a  sudden  impulse,  and  he  substituted  for 
Mr.  Duffield's  note  the  following:  "To  Mr. 
Cole,     Mayor.     The    bearer    of    this    having 


MR,   CHARLES  PHILIP  DUFFIELD  213 

solicited  alms  of  me  in  the  street,  I  deem  him 
an  object  worthy  of  relief.  After  he  has  given 
satisfactory  answers  to  your  questions,  please 
to  relieve  him,  and  place  half  to  the  account 
of  yours,  T.  Duffield."  Going  direct  to 
the  Mayor,  the  tramp  was  entertained  in  the 
kitchen  with  cold  beef,  bread,  and  ale.  Pre- 
sently the  bell  rang  and  the  visitor  was 
summoned  to  the  Mayor's  presence.  Hastily 
putting  the  remains  of  the  viands  between  his 
skin  and  jacket  (for  shirt  he  had  none),  he 
went  before  his  Worship,  and  was  gratified 
to  find  that  the  Sheriff  was  not  there  to  have 
his  revenge.  "The  Mayor,"  says  the  man  in 
the  account  of  his  roguery,  "  told  me  he  had 
been  rummaging  his  wardrobe,  and  had  found  a 
few  necessaries  ;  and  as  he  thought  they  would 
fit  me,  I  was  to  try  them  on  there  and  then. 
I  wished  to  go  out  to  wash  myself  first,  but 
all  my  excuses  were  unavailing.  The  good- 
natured  Mayor  smiled,  and  pushed  the  clothes 
towards  me,  telling  me  to  put  them  on  ;  and 
never  was  there  a  clown  in  a  show,  that  acted 
Billy  Button,  better  equipped  than  I  was,  when 
I  got  his  Worship's  cast-off  clothes.  The 
following  garments  constituted  the  suit  given 
me  by  the  worthy  Mayor  :  A  pair  of  strong 
shoes,  with  buckles ;  a  pair  of  fine  white 
cotton   stockings  ;    a   pair   of  black   breeches. 


214  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

with  buckles  at  the  knees  ;  a  scarlet  waistcoat, 
very  old  fashioned,  made  with  lapelle  pockets  ; 
a  good  black  coat,  very  little  the  worse  for 
wear,  with  a  silk  velvet  collar ;  a  good  hat,  a 
fine  shirt  with  a  frill,  and  a  white  cravat.  The 
Mayor  assured  me  that  I  looked  well,  and  the 
clothes  fitted  as  if  I  had  been  measured  for 
them.  He  then  gave  me  ten  shillings  on  his 
own  account,  ten  shillings  on  that  of  the 
Sheriff,  and  five  shillings  which  he  said  he  had 
begged  of  Mrs.  Cole,  which  was  £\  5s.;  also 
a  bundle  of  linen,  with  some  necessaries,  and 
a  clean  napkin,  in  which  to  carry  the  bread 
and  meat.  I  thanked  his  Worship  for  all 
favours,  and  took  the  road  to  Oxford.  I  was 
stared  at  by  everyone  as  I  passed.  Even  the 
children  ran  after  me  to  have  a  look  at  the 
showman."  It  is  to  be  feared  that  Mayor 
Cole  and  Squire  Duffield  wreaked  their  v^enge- 
ance  on  all  vagrants  for  some  time  after- 
wards. 

Mr.  Duffield's  eldest  son,  George,  was 
accidentally  killed  in  1833.  He  had  been  out 
shooting  hares  in  Garford  field  with  a  keeper, 
who  rejoiced  in  the  not  inappropriate  name  of 
Jelly.  His  gun  went  off  as  he  was  getting 
through  a  hedge  and  killed  him  on  the  spot. 
The  news  was  brought  to  his  father  in  a 
terribly  dramatic  manner.     A  private  road  at 


MR.   CHARLES  PHILIP  DUFFIELD  215 

that  time  passed  in  front  of  Marcham  House, 
close  to  the  hall  door.  Mr.  Duffield  had  given 
strict  orders  that  farm  carts  were  never  to 
pass  that  way.  He  was  at  the  hall  door  when 
a  cart  came  by,  and  angrily  demanded  why 
his  orders  had  been  disobeyed.  No  answer 
was  given.  The  labourers  with  the  cart 
silently  removed  a  rick-cloth  with  which  it  was 
covered,  and  exposed  to  the  horrified  parent's 
view  the  dead  body  of  his  eldest  son. 

Mr.  Duffield  had  also  by  his  marriage  two 
other  sons  and  five  daughters :  Henry,  who 
took  the  name  of  Elwes,  died  in  1833  without 
issue,  and  Charles,  who  took  the  hounds  on 
Mr.  Morrell's  retirement ;  Caroline,  the  eldest 
daughter,  who  married  Mr.  Edwin  Martin- 
Atkins,  of  Kingstone  Lisle,  Berks,  a  name  well 
known  in  the  Old  Berks  Hunt ;  Maria,  who 
married  Mr.  Best,  of  Donnington,  Berks  ;  Anna, 
who  married  Mr.  John  S.  Phillips,  of  Culham  ; 
Susan,  who  died,  1841  ;  and  Elizabeth,  who 
married  Mr.  H.  J.  Ashurst,  of  Waterstock, 
Oxon. 

In  1838  Mr.  Duffield  married  en  secondes 
noces,  Augusta,  second  daughter  of  Colonel 
Rushbrooke,  M.P.  for  West  Suffolk,  and 
had,  besides  three  children  who  died  un- 
married, a  son,  Thomas,  of  whom  we  shall 
have  more  to  say  hereafter. 


2i6  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

The  new  Master  bought  twenty-three  and 
a  half  couples  of  hounds  at  Mr.  Morrell's 
sale  at  Tubney,  giving  130  guineas  for  one 
lot,  and  480  guineas  for  his  total  purchase. 
As  huntsman  he  engaged  the  celebrated  John 
Dale,  who  came  to  him  from  the  Vyne,  which 
he  had  hunted  for  two  years,  after  having 
hunted  the  Surrey  Union  Hounds  for  eleven 
seasons.  John  Dale  came  of  a  yeoman  stock, 
and  upon  several  occasions  went  back  to  his 
hereditary  pursuit  of  farming.  The  keenest  of 
the  keen  in  hunting,  in  his  youth  he  had  been 
a  proUg^  of  Lord  Kintore,  who  wrote  to  him 
when  quite  a  lad,  telling  him  to  take  Foster 
as  his  example  in  the  field.  He  said  :  "  There 
is  more  in  Foster's  eye  and  little  finger  than 
in  all  the  other  Hampshire  huntsmen  put 
together,"  adding,  "  but  Foster  served  a  good 
apprenticeship."  At  a  later  period,  speaking 
of  Foster,  Lord  Kintore  said  :  "He  was  cheerier 
than  any  man  I  have  ever  seen  in  covert,  the 
nearest  to  him  being  John  Dale."  Dale  com- 
menced with  the  "  Brookside  Harriers  "  as  an 
amateur  whip,  where  he  found  his  own  horses, 
and  had  no  wages;  he  then  went  to  the  "Vyne" 
for  a  season,  when  Mr.  Donnithorne  Taylor 
was  Master  ;  and  after  that  went  as  Whip 
and  huntsman  to  Lord  Kintore  at  Keith  Hall 
when    only  twenty    years    of  age.      Then   he 


MR.   CHARLES  PHILIP  DUF FIELD  217 

had  another  turn  with  the  "Vyne,"  with  Mr. 
Fellowes  ;  also  with  the  "  Lanarkshire  and  Ren- 
frew," when  Mr.  Cunningham  was  Master,  for 
one  season,  besides  being  with  the  "  Oakley  " 
with  old  George  Beers.  He  had  thus  had 
plenty  of  experience  before  coming  to  Mr. 
Duffield.  A  correspondent  oi  Bailys  Magazine, 
writing  of  him  when  with  the  '*  Old  Berkshire," 
says  :  "  It  was  a  treat  at  this  time  to  hear  him 
**  draw  Tar  Wood  before  it  was  half  grubbed 
"  up  ;  and  when  there  was  a  drag,  the  way  he 
•'  cheered  his  hounds,  with  little  running  com- 
"ments,  quite  in  a  style  of  his  own,  must  be 
"  heard  to  be  appreciated,  it  cannot  be  de- 
"  scribed.  To  a  certain  extent  it  would  have 
"reminded  Hampshire  men  of  Dick  Foster  in 
"his  best  days."  Mr.  John  Free,  of  Hunger- 
ford,  used  to  say  that  he  would  almost  as  soon 
have  a  blank  day  with  John  Dale  at  Coxwell 
Furze  Hills,  near  Faringdon,  as  a  find  with 
some  hounds. 

On  his  leaving  the  "  Old  Berks,"  Mr.  Charles 
Duffield  gave  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dale  a  silver  tea- 
service,  and  he  also  received  a  silver  cup  and 
100  sovereigns  from  his  numerous  friends  who 
hunted  with  him.  He  then  went  to  the  Vale 
of  White  Horse  with  Mr.  Wharton-Wilson 
for  one  season,  and  then  kept  the  "  Crown  "  at 
Faringdon  for  a  short  time.     After  that  he  was 


2i8  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

a  farmer  in  Sussex,  under  Blackdown  Hill,  and 
used  to  hunt  with  Lord  Leconfield  and  Tom 
Saddler,  and  his  daughter  also  hunted,  and  went 
wonderfully  well ;  but  as  that  did  not  answer, 
he  went  as  huntsman  to  Lord  Radnor  in  1871. 
He  remained  with  Lord  Radnor  twelve  years. 
He  died  in  1902,  in  his  85th  year,  near  War- 
minster. His  son.  Will  Dale,  has  followed  in 
his  father's  footsteps,  and  is  now  huntsman  to 
the  Duke  of  Beaufort  at  Badminton. 

As  whip  Mr.  Dufifield  engaged  Will  Maiden, 
who  came  to  him  from  Lord  Southampton. 
Maiden  had  also  seen  good  service  under  his 
father  with  the  "  South  Wold,"  and  in  Ireland. 
He  left  the  "Old  Berks"  in  1862  for  the  Old 
Berkeley,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Will 
Brice,  from  the  Tedworth.  As  second  whip 
he  took  on  William  Lockey. 

Mr.  Duffield  completed  his  pack  with 
drafts  from  various  sources,  and  built  new 
kennels  for  them  at  Oakley  House.  There 
followed,  to  use  the  words  of  that  fine  old 
sportsman,  Mr.  E.  K.  Lenthall  who  is  still 
going,  and  long  may  he  yet  continue,  "  Five 
years  of  rare  good  sport.  Charlie  Duffield's 
cheery  look  and  winning  smile  spread  sunshine 
around  him.  He  had  a  shake  of  the  hand 
and  a  kindly  word  for  everyone." 

Just    towards    the   end    of    cubhunting   an 


MR.   CHARLES  PHILIP   DUFFIELD  219 

unfortunate  accident  occurred  in  the  field. 
Mr.  John  Heath,  of  Ringtail,  was  killed  near 
Coleshill  on  October  the  22nd.  He  rode  fast 
at  a  low  fence,  the  mare  he  was  riding  did 
not  rise.  He  was  thrown  violently  forward 
on  the  pommel  of  his  saddle  and  so  seriously- 
injured  that  he  died.  He  was  31  years 
of  age. 

On  Wednesday,  November  the  3rd,  1858, 
was  Mr.  Duffield's  opening  meet.  The  hounds 
met  at  the  kennels.  At  Oakley  House  a 
sumptuous  and  substantial  breakfast  was  pro- 
vided by  the  generous  master,  to  which  ample 
justice  was  done  by  about  two  hundred  sports- 
men, good  and  true.  "Amongst  others,  there 
were  present,  Mr.  C.  P.  Duffield,  Messrs. 
E.  M.  Atkins,  E.  Atkins,  J.  S.  Philipps,  Hugh 
Hamersley,  C.  D.  Everitt,  Rev.  Dr.  Randolph, 
W.  Aldworth,  J.  Aldworth,  Hayward  Aldworth, 
G.  F.  Crowdy,  George  Davey,  Greene,  St. 
John  Medley,  W.  Graham,  G.  Cozens,  W. 
Pinniger,  J.  Penstone,  H.  Frampton,  Wm. 
Gould,  T.  B.  Myers,  N.  Ballard,  W.  Medley, 
A.  Medley,  and  many  others.  '  Wickscrubs  ' 
was  first  drawn.  A  fox  was  soon  found  and 
gave  a  fine  hunting  run  of  about  an  hour  over 
a  beautiful  country.  He  went  across  Lyford 
Field,  by  Denchworth  and  Hanney,  and  was 
killed   at    Hendred    Cowlease.       Another    fox 


220  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

was  soon  on  foot,  and  gave  another  good  run 
over  an  equally  beautiful  country,  when  the 
hounds  were  whipped  off  on  account  of  the 
lateness  of  the  hour.  John  Dale  gave  every 
satisfaction,  showing  really  good  hunting  sport. 
Whips,  horses  and  hounds  were  all  that  could 
be  desired." 

The  completion  of  Mr.  Duffield's  first 
season,  1859,  was  celebrated  by  a  dinner  given 
to  the  Master  at  Abingdon,  which  was  re- 
ported in  the  columns  of  the  Faringdon 
Adve7'tiser  as  follows  :  "  The  close  of  one  of 
the  most  brilliant  seasons  this  Hunt  has  ever 
experienced  was  celebrated  on  Thursday, 
April  the  26th,  by  a  dinner  given  to  Mr.  C.  P. 
Duffield,  The  banquet  was  held  at  Abingdon 
in  the  Council  Chamber.  One  sentiment,  that 
of  intense  satisfaction  with  the  sport  afforded, 
animated  the  whole  assembly.  The  chair,  in 
the  absence  of  the  President  of  the  Hunt,  the 
Rt.  Honble.  E.  P.  Bouverie,  was  taken  by 
Mr.  E.  H.  Morland,  of  West  Ilsley.  There 
were  present  at  the  dinner,  Mr.  C.  P.  Duffield, 
E.  M.-Atkins,  E.  K.  Lenthall,  Hon.  and  Rev. 
A.  Spencer,  Rev.  J.  Randolph,  J.  Blandy- 
Jenkins,  T.  Parr,  G.  P.  Hammett,  Rev.  C.  D. 
Everitt,  Lieut.  T.  Duffield  (5th  Dragoon 
Guards),  Major  Blandy,  J.  Aldworth,  J.  Mor- 
land,   E.    Trendell,    Mayor   of  Abingdon,    G. 


MR.   CHARLES  PHILIP   DUFFIELD  221 

Haines,  W.  Graham,  R.  Aldworth,  Rev.  W. 
Aldworth,  H.  Bowen,  M.D.,  J.  Rix,  A.  D. 
Brettell,  H.  Stone,  James  Empson,  A.  Whit- 
field, T.  Mallam,  Wm.  Kimber,  B.  Sharpe,  H. 
Godfrey,  J.  Kent,  Wm.  Badcock,  Wm.  Gould, 
H.  Peacock,  Copeland,  Gibbs,  Wm.  Palmer, 
John  Blake,  Lord,  Edmonds,  Walters,  John 
Adams,  John  Dyke,  Wm.  Pinniger,  W.  A. 
Medley,  John  Wallis,  W.  Penstone,  Painter, 
T.  B.  Myers,  H.  Godfrey,  and  many  others. 
The  vice-chairs  were  taken  by  J.  B.  Barrett, 
Esq.,  and  G.  F.  Crowdy,  Esq.,  the  Honorary 
Secretaries  of  the  Hunt." 

The  opening  meet  and  breakfast  at  Oakley 
became  an  annual  institution  during  Mr.  Duf- 
field's  mastership.  In  i860  two  foxes  were 
killed  and,  curiously  enough,  each  finished  just 
in  front  of  Kingstone  House. 

Foxes  were  plentiful  and  sport  was  good. 
In  one  season  John  Dale  accounted  for  sixty- 
eight  brace  of  foxes,  not  chopping  or  digging 
out  one.  A  great  run  occurred  in  1862.  The 
hounds  found  on  the  canal  bank  at  Childrey, 
and  ran  their  fox  straight  away  through 
Kingston  Lisle,  over  the  downs  to  Ashdown, 
and  then  through  Baydon  without  a  check  to 
Membury  Fort,  a  few  miles  from  Marlborough, 
when  they  killed.  Mr.  Duffield  described  this 
run  as  the  best  he  ever  saw.     Mr.  P.  Crowdy, 


222  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

then  a  boy,  was  out  on  his  pony  and  saw  this 
run  throughout, 

Mr.  Duffield  had  no  difficuhy  in  keeping 
the  most  perfect  order  in  the  field ;  the  only 
difficulty  he  ever  had  was  occasionally  with 
over-eager  undergraduates  who  attended  the 
meets  near  Oxford.  In  this  he  was  assisted 
by  his  half-brother,  the  redoubtable  Mr. 
"Tom"  Duffield,  whose  command  of  classical 
hunting  language  was  proverbial.  "  Charlie  " 
could  also  rise  to  the  occasion  when  really 
necessary.  The  following  story  was  related 
in  St.  Petersburg  by  a  man  now  high  up  in 
His  Majesty's  Diplomatic  Service,  who  said  : 
"  I  formed  one  of  a  party  of  undergraduates  ; 
the  hounds  had  found  in  Bagley  Wood,  a  place 
bad  at  any  time  to  get  a  fox  away  from,  and 
equally  bad  to  be  left  on  the  wrong  side  of. 
We  were  all  rather  jealous  of  one  another 
and  anxious  to  get  away  well,  and  so  managed 
to  head  the  fox  just  as  he  was  trying  to  go 
away.  Thereupon  the  Master  rode  up  to  us, 
and,  taking  off  his  hat,  said  in  the  politest, 
but  most  cutting  tones,  '  Gentlemen,  I  must 
say  that  if  you  do  not  know  a  great  deal 
more  about  Latin  and  Greek  than  you  do 
about  hunting  you  must  be  great  fools.'  The 
reproof  was  heard  by  many  of  the  field  and 
stung  amazingly."     A  somewhat  similar  anec- 


MR.    CHARLES  PHILIP  DUFFIELD  223 

dote  shows  the  real  nature  of  the  man  in  a 
truer  liofht.  At  the  time  of  his  second  master- 
ship  there  was  at  Abingdon  a  training  estab- 
lishment for  gentlemen  anxious  to  enter  the 
army  through  the  militia.  One  of  these  young 
gentlemen,  presumably  of  a  rather  touchy  dis- 
position, thought  he  had  been  too  roughly 
called  to  order  by  the  Master,  and  his  com- 
panions persuaded  him  to  write  and  demand 
an  apology.  By  return  of  post  he  received 
a  reply  in  the  following  terms : — 

My  Dear  Sir, — I  have  not  the  slightest  recollec- 
tion of  the  incident  you  mention.  I  can  only  say 
that  I  am  sincerely  sorry,  if  in  the  excitement  of 
hunting  I  said  anything  which  gave  you  annoyance, 
and  can  only  hope  that  you  will  forget  it  as 
thoroughly  as  I  have  already  done.  I  hope  to 
have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  frequently  out  with 
the  hounds  in  future. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Charles  Duffield. 

The  Master's  health  was  drunk  in  bumpers 
that  night  by  the  aspirants  for  military 
honours,  and  he  was  unanimously  voted  "a 
real    good    sort." 

Mr.  E.  Martin-Atkins,  the  President  of  the 
Hunt  Club,  died  in  1859.  At  a  meeting  of 
the  members  held  at  the  Queen's  Arms  Inn, 
Abingdon,  on  October  the  17th,  1859,  on 
the  proposition  of  Sir  Robert  Throckmorton, 


224  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

seconded  by  Mr.  D.  Bennett,  the  Rt.  Hon. 
E.  P.  Bouverie,  M.P.,  was  elected  President 
of  the  Hunt  in  his  place.  On  the  proposition 
of  the  President,  seconded  by  Sir  Robert 
Throckmorton,  the  following  resolution  was 
unanimously  passed :  "  The  members  of  the 
Old  Berks  Hunt,  on  this  the  first  occasion 
of  their  meeting  since  the  lamented  death 
of  E.  Martin-Atkins,  Esq.,  their  President, 
cannot  refrain  from  expressing  the  unfeigned 
sorrow  they  feel  at  the  loss  of  one  so  con- 
spicuous in  their  neighbourhood  for  those 
qualities  that  adorn  the  country  gentleman 
and  sportsman  ;  and  in  respectfully  tendering  to 
Mrs.  Martin-Atkins  and  her  family  their  heart- 
felt sympathy  in  their  affliction,  the  members 
hope  they  may  be  permitted  to  assure  her 
how  eminently  their  late  President  had 
secured  the  regard,  respect  and  esteem,  not 
only  of  those  immediately  connected  with 
him  in  the  Hunt,  but  of  all  who  lived  within 
the  sphere  of  his  influence." 

With  the  spring  of  1863  Mr.  Duffield's 
most  successful  Mastership  came  to  a  close 
as  brilliant  as  the  opening.  On  Monday, 
February  the  7th,  1863,  the  hounds  met  at 
Black  Bourton.  A  fox  was  found  at  Lew 
and  closely  followed  to  Witney,  on  through 
Leafield,  Wychwood  Forest,  and  killed  in  the 


MR.  CHARLES  PHILIP  DUFFIELD  225 

Open  after  a  capital  run  of  one  hour  thirty-five 
minutes. 

The  following  Friday  the  meet  was  at 
Buscot  Park.  The  Bushes,  Buscot  Wood, 
and  Oak  Wood  were  drawn  blank.  The 
hounds  were  then  put  in  at  Badbury  Hill, 
and  a  brace  of  foxes  were  soon  on  foot,  one 
startmg  for  Buscot,  and  the  other  was  followed 
by  the  hounds  to  Brimstone  Farm,  on  to 
Coleshill,  doubling  back  to  Great  Coxwell, 
then  through  the  Furze  Hills,  and  from 
thence  to  Cole's  Pits  and  on  to  Rosey.  From 
Rosey  he  went  over  the  Sand  Hills  to 
Uffington  Gorse,  and  then  made  a  ring 
round  Fernham  back  to  Shellingford  Copse. 
Thence  Reynard  started  for  Hatford,  but 
turned  back  to  Wicklesham,  where  he  was 
killed  after  a  first-rate  run  of  one  hour  forty 
minutes,  the  latter  part  being  very  fast  and 
over  a  stiff  country. 

A  handsome  testimonial  was  subscribed  for, 
and  was  presented  to  Mr.  Duffield  on  his 
retirement  at  a  dinner  held  at  the  Crown  Inn, 
Faringdon,  on  Thursday,  April  the  9th,  1863, 
the  Rt.  Hon  E.  P.  Bouverie  being  in  the 
chair.  The  testimonial  took  the  form  of  a 
silver  tankard  and  two  cups,  with  a  large 
picture  of  the  retiring  Master  for  Mrs.  Duttield. 
A  handsomely  prep<ircd  list  of  the  subscribers 
15 


226  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

names  was  also  presented.  At  the  dinner  it  was 
announced  that  Mr.  E.  K.  Lenthall  had  be- 
come Joint  Secretary  of  the  Hunt  with  Mr.  G. 
F.  Crowdy,  in  place  of  Mr.  Barrett,  resigned. 

A  dinner  was  also  given  to  John  Dale, 
which  took  place  at  the  Hind's  Head, 
Kingston  Bagpuize,  on  Friday,  April  the  24th, 
1863.  Mr.  John  Blandy- Jenkins  presided, 
and  on  behalf  of  the  Hunt  presented  Dale 
with  a  handsome  silver  tankard  and  a  purse 
of  100  sovereigns. 

Mr.  Duffield  sold  his  hounds  to  Mr. 
Wharton- Wilson,  of  Ablington  (now  Sir 
Matthew  Wharton- Wilson),  who  had  just 
taken  the  Vale  of  White  Horse  country,  the 
price  being  800  guineas.  John  Dale  accom- 
panied his  old  favourites  as  huntsman.  Mr. 
Duffield  continued  one  of  the  warmest  sup- 
porters of  the  Hunt,  and  one  of  the  most 
reofular  followers  of  the  chase  for  the  rest  of 
his  life.  He  became  Joint  Master  again  with 
Mr.  Victor  Van  de  Weyer,  in  1884,  Mr. 
Duffield  acting  as  "  Field  Master."  To  the 
end  his  universal  popularity  remained,  or 
rather  continually  increased.  To  his  hunting 
friends  he  was  always  "  Mr.  Charles  "  ;  to  his 
personal  friends  invariably  "Charlie  Duffield." 
He  died  in  1889.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the 
hunt  after  his  death  the  general   feeling  was 


MR.    CHARLES  PHILIP  DUFFIELD  227 

well  expressed  by  Colonel  Charles  Edwards  : 
"A  thrill  of  sorrow  passed  through  all  the 
country-side  when  we  heard  that  Charlie 
Duffield  was  no  more."  "It  don't  seem  like 
hunting  now,  somehow,  without  Mr.  Charles," 
a  gallant  yeoman  who  had  hunted  with  him 
from  boyhood  was  heard  to  mutter  sotto  voce 
at  the  covert-side. 

Mr.  Duffield  married,  in  1862,  Penelope, 
daughter  of  Mr.  William  Graham,  of  Fitzharris, 
Berks,  and  left  three  sons  :  Charles  John,  now 
of  Marcham  Park,  Percv  Thomas  and  Georofe 
Francis.  He  left  also  one  daughter,  who 
married  Mr.  Charles  Eyston,  third  son  of 
the  late  Mr.  Eyston,  of  East  Hendred,  now 
Joint  Secretary  of  the  Hunt. 


228 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

Mr.  Henley  George  Greaves,  1863  to  1866. 

Mr.  Henley  George  Greaves,  of  Elmsall 
Lodge,  in  the  county  of  Yorkshire,  was  the 
only  son  of  Mr.  Henley  George  Greaves,  of 
Hemsworth  Hall,  York  and  Cottesmore  Hall, 
Rutland.  This  Mr.  Greaves  at  one  time 
rented  Kingstone  House  from  Mr.  Blandy- 
Jenkins,  and  his  son,  Henley,  was  born  there 
in  1818.  Mr,  Henley  Greaves  had  already 
hunted  five  different  countries  before  he  took 
the  "  Old  Berkshire,"  his  last  being  "  the  Vale 
of  White  Horse,"  which  he  had  hunted  for 
two  seasons,  1861  to  1862,  He  married  in 
1 84 1  the  second  daughter  of  Mr.  Fountain 
Wilson,  of  Melton  Park,  and  had  two  children, 
Mr.  George  Richard  Greaves,  late  of  Western 
House,  Bucks,  and  Maria,  widow  of  the  late 
John  Shaw  Phillips,  of  Culham.  Mr.  Henley 
Greaves  was  a  giant  and  exceedingly  heavy, 
and  was  humorously  known  as"  Magni  Dolores." 
He  was  once  called  as  a  witness  in  a  horse 
case  at  Oxford  to  prove  that  the  horse  in 
question  was  a  roarer.      Mr.  Huddleston,*  the 

*  Afterwards  Baron  Huddleston  of  the  High  Court  of 
Justice. 


Mayall,  plioto. 


HENLEY  GRAVES,   Esq.,  1862. 
Master  1863  to  1836. 


To  face  page  228. 


MR.   HENLEY  GEORGE   GREAVES  229 

then  leader  of  the  Circuit,  examined  him.  Mr. 
Greaves  oave  evidence   to   the  effect  that  he 

o 

had  ridden  the  animal  in  question,  who  com- 
menced roaring  as  soon  as  he  started.  Mr. 
Huddleston,  manipulating  his  kid  gloves  as 
was  his  wont,  giving  a  sly  look  at  Mr. 
Greaves,  who  filled  the  witness-box,  winking 
at  the  jury  asked  :  "  Did  the  horse  roar,  sir, 
before  you  got  on  him?"  "Certainly  not," 
was  the  reply.  "  Indeed,"  replied  the  Counsel, 
"  he  could  not  have  known  that  you  meant  to 
ride  him,  or  he  would  have  roared  pretty 
loudly."  Shouts  of  laughter  greeted  this  sally, 
in  which  the  jolly  welter  weight  joined, 

Mr.  Greaves's  Huntsman  in  the  Vale  was 
Tom  Tipton  who  went,  when  his  Master  gave 
up  the  country,  to  Mr.  Villebois,  and  afterwards 
to  the  South  Berks,  where  he  finished  his 
career  with  Mr.  Hargreaves,  having  been  so 
severely  injured  in  the  head  by  a  fall  that  he 
was  obliged  to  give  up  hunting.  His  Whips 
were  :  Fred  Gosden  and  Tom  Squires. 

Mr.  Greaves's  total  record  as  a  Master  of 
Foxhounds  was  as  follows  : — 

The  Cottesmore  ...  ...      1847  to  1852. 


Essex 

Warwickshire 
Vale  of  White  Horse 
Old  Berks 


1853  M  1857. 

1858  „  I86I. 

I86I  „  1863. 

1863  „  1866. 


230  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Before  he  took  the  Cottesmore  Mr.  Henley- 
Greaves  had  lived  and  hunted  in  the  Bads- 
worth  country  in  the  latter  part  of  the  long 
Mastership  (forty-three  years)  of  Lord  Hawke. 
While  there  Mr.  Greaves  was  always  a  liberal 
supporter  of  the  hunt,  and  it  came  to  pass  on 
leaving  the  country  he  found  himself  the 
creditor  of  the  hunt  to  the  tune  of  ^500.  Mr. 
Greaves  offered  to  take  ten  couples  of  hounds, 
of  his  own  choosing,  in  lieu  of  the  debt,  which 
the  committee  accepted.  These  hounds  formed 
the  basis  of  his  Cottesmore  pack.  With  the 
hounds  went  Lord  Hawke's  huntsman,  Butler. 

Butler  was  a  very  capable  servant,  but  had 
a  very  rough  tongue,  and  Mr.  Greaves  found 
himself  obliged  to  get  rid  of  him.  Mr.  George 
Lane  Fox  speaking  of  him  before  he  entered 
Mr.  Greaves's  service,  said  :  "  Butler  was  a 
clever  man  ;  he  could  breed  a  pack  of  hounds, 
he  could  break  a  pack,  he  could  hunt  a  pack, 
and  he  could  kill  his  fox,  but  he  could  never 
make  H.  .  .  a  sportsman."  Butler  had  a  son, 
a  particularly  smart  servant,  who  was  hunts- 
man to  Sir  Regfinald  Graham. 

While  master  of  the  Cottesmore  Mr.  Greaves 
had  occupied  Cottesmore  Hail.  On  taking  the 
Southwold  he  removed  to  Harrington  Hall, 
but  he  left  the  Southwold  after  only  one  season, 
on  account  of  the    scarcity   of  foxes.     While 


MR.   HENLEY  GEORGE   GREAVES  231 

with  the  Essex  he  lived  at  Marden  Ash, 
Ongar.  On  leaving  the  Essex  Mr.  Greaves's 
horses  and  hounds  were  sold  by  Messrs. 
Tattersalls  at  Myless,  the  stud  realising  over 
^2,000  and  the  hounds  ;^  1,000.  Treadwell, 
his  huntsman,  then  went  to  the  Quorn,  where 
he  showed  brilliant  sport  as  Lord  Stamford's 
huntsman  for  six  seasons.  While  Master  of  the 
V.W.H.  Mr.  Greaves  lived  at  Cirencester.  On 
taking  the  Old  Berks  he  went  into  New  House, 
the  home  of  so  many  masters  of  the  Old  Berk- 
shire. The  Hunt  built  him  new  kennels  at 
Bullocks'  Pits,  close  by.  These  kennels  re- 
mained the  home  of  the  hounds  from  1863  to 
1884,  a  period  of  twenty-one  years,  when  the 
new  kennels,  built  at  Kingston  Bagpuize  by 
the  munificence  of  Mr.  Van  de  Weyer,  were 
inaugurated. 

Mr.  Greaves  undertook  to  hunt  the  country 
on  a  guaranteed  subscription  of  ^800  for  three 
years.  He  brought  his  old  pack  with  him  into 
his  new  country.  As  Mr.  Duffield's  hounds 
had  been  purchased  by  Mr.  Wilson,  who  had 
taken  the  V.W.H.,  there  was  thus  an  exchange 
of  hounds  between  the  two  countries. 

As  huntsman,  Mr.  Greaves  engaged 
Nicholls,  who  was  not  a  success.  The  open- 
ing meet  took  place  on  November  the  4th, 
1863,  when  a  large  party  met  at  New  House, 
and    were    entertained    at    breakfast    by    the 


232  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Master.  The  coverts  at  Kingston,  Hinton  and 
Pusey  were  drawn  and  plenty  of  foxes  found, 
but  with  no  great  result.  After  a  few  weeks, 
being  dissatisfied  with  the  sport  shown  by 
his  hounds,  Mr.  Greaves  consulted  Mr.  Charles 
Duffield  who  told  him  he  would  not  have 
good  sport  so  long  as  Nicholls  hunted  the 
hounds.  "Then  he  shall  go  at  once,"  replied 
Mr.  Greaves.  "  I  know  a  man'  from  the 
Quorn,  now  hanging  up  his  boots,  who  is 
just  the  fellow  for  this  job,  I'll  send  for  him." 
He  did  so,  and  in  a  few  days  John  Tread  well 
appeared  upon  the  scene,  soon  to  put  quite 
a  different  face  on  matters.  Nicholls  claimed 
a  year's  wages  from  Mr.  Greaves  in  lieu  of 
notice,  and  went  to  law  about  it.  The  case 
was  finally  decided  on  May  the  20th,  1864, 
by  four  judges  sitting  in  the  Court  of 
Appeal,  when  judgement  was  delivered  as 
follows:  "A  huntsman  is  a  menial  servant, 
and  therefore,  though  he  be  hired  at 
yearly  wages,  and  with  the  right  to  receive 
perquisites — which  cannot  be  fully  received 
until  the  end  of  a  year's  service — the  hiring 
is  presumed  to  be  subject  to  the  condition 
that  it  may  be  determined  by  a  month's 
notice  at  any  time." 

This  was   a    "  leading   case "  and  no  doubt 
settles  the  law  still,  though  it  is  usual  to  give 


MR.   HENLEY  GEORGE   GREAVES  233 

hunt    servants     three     months'     notice    when 
possible. 

Treadwell  had  hunted  the  hounds  for  a  very 
short  time  when  the  run  took  place  which  is 
still  remembered  as  "The  great  Blowing  Stone 
Run,"  but  which  would  be  more  properly- 
termed  the  Milton  Hill  run. 

We  believe  that  only  two  survivors  of  this 
run  remain,  Mr.  Charles  Morrell,  who  has 
since  been  Master  of  many  packs  (the  Led- 
bury, 1 87 1  to  1876;  Worcestershire,  1876  to 
1879.  He  then  purchased  the  harriers  which 
the  late  Mr.  Everett,  of  Besselsleigh,  had  kept, 
and  became  Master  of  the  S.  Oxfordshire, 
1884  to  1887)  ;  and  the  Rev.  Samuel  Mount- 
joy  Smith,  Vicar  of  Harwell,  who  is  one  of 
the  oldest  followers  living  of  the  Old  Berk- 
shire. The  hounds  met  in  March,  1864,  at 
Steventon  Green.  They  found  in  Milton 
Hill  Gorse.  The  following  is  Mr.  Morrell's 
account  of  the  run  : — 

"  From  the  gorse  hounds  ran  very  fast 
through  Hendred  Cowleaze,  and  over  the 
canal  by  Wantage  Road  Station,  nearly  to 
Denckworth.  There  they  checked  ;  the  fox  had 
turned  short  to  the  left.  John  Treadwell  cast 
to  the  right  towards  the  village,  but  failed  to 
hit  the  line  of  his  fox,  he  then  came  back  and 
recovered  the  line  along  the  brook  side  (I 
remember    all    this   well,  as    I   was   on    a    bad 


234  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

water  jumper  and  followed  Tom  Duffield  down 
to  the  brook  ;  his  horse  hesitated  and  got  over 
with  a  scramble  and  I  got  in  and  got  my 
horse  out  just  as  Treadwell  hit  off  the  line, 
and  so  lost  none  of  the  run) ;  after  the  check 
we  ran  slower,  by  Challow  Station,  through 
Sparsholt  Copse,  and  up  into  Kingston  Lisle. 
Here  the  fox  made  a  turn,  and  Tom  Duffield 
viewed  him  into  a  stone  pit  just  outside  the 
park.  There  Tom  stood  over  him  roaring 
like  a  bull  for  the  hounds.  John  Treadwell 
always  thought  it  was  the  same  fox  that  he 
had  run  on  the  Monday  before,  finding  him 
at  Woodhill  and  losing  him  between  Wantage 
and  Milton  Hill." 

That  capital  sportsman  and  Veterinary,  the 
late  Mr.  George  Drew,  of  Abingdon,  who 
had  a  mellow  tenor  voice,  used  to  sing  a  song 
written  by  himself,  on  the  Blowing  Stone  run. 
We  pfive  the  lines  in  full  as  a  tribute  to  his 
memory. 

The  Old  Berkshire. 

Come,  think  on  the  sport  which  you  all  must  love 

best, 
I've  a  theme  that  will  put  your  high  notes  to  the  test ; 
A  run  to  describe,  which  most  certainly  will 
Make  you  cheer  for  the  Master  of  snug  Milton  Hill. 
Chorus. 

Then,  hurrah,  boys,  hurrah  ! 

Hurrah,  boys,  hurrah ! 

Three  cheers  for  Old  Berkshire, 

Hurrah,  boys,  hurrah  ! 


MR.   HENLEY  GEORGE  GREAVES  235 

I'm  sure  that  you  all  will  remember  the  day 
When  from  Steventon  village  we  trotted  away, 
To  Milton  Hill  Gorse.     We've  its  owner  to  thank, 
That  it  seldom  or  never  was  known  to  be  blank. 
Chorus. 

Now  the  hounds  had  scarce  spread  themselves  over 

the  gorse 
When  out  of  it  rattled  a  gallant  old  fox, 
With  his  head  in  the  air,  and  one  whisk  of  his  brush, 
Whilst  hounds,  Sirs,  and  horsemen  close  after  him 

push. 
Chorus. 

His  point  Hendred  Cowleaze  so  quickly  he  made. 
But  being  hard  pressed  not  a  moment  delayed, 
Then  pointing  for  Norbrook,  but  here  I  must  say 
These  covers  afforded  no  shelter  that  day. 
Chorus. 

Past  Wantage  Road  Station  for  Denchworth  he  took 
To  the  left  of  the  village,  and  over  the  brook ; 
Some  in,  and  some  over,  but  every  man  bent 
Upon  seeing  the  finish  wherever  they  went. 
Chorus. 

Down  those  beautiful  pastures  for  Childrey  they  go, 

A  much  better  line  I  defy  you  to  show ; 

Here  a  slight  check  occurred,  but  they  stuck  to  him 

still. 
So  to  better  his  fortune  he  made  for  the  hill. 
Chorus. 

Now  once  in  the  open  we  all  of  us  could 

Plainly  see  that  his  point.  Sirs,  was  Uffington  Wood  ; 

But  then  his  strength  failed,  he  could  not  make  his 

home, 
So   died    varmint,  and   game,   at   the   Old   Blowing 

Stone. 
Cliorus. 


236  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Then  fill  up  your  glasses,  let  every  man  drink, 

I  shall  deem  him  a  muff  who  endeavours  to  shrink. 

Here's  success  to  the  hounds,  Master,  Huntsman  and 

all, 
Who  are  fond  of  the  sport,  whether  great  folks  or 
small. 
Chorus. 

Signed,  G.  A.  D.,  March,  1884. 

The  "Master  of  snuor  Milton  Hill"  was  the 
late  John  Samuel  Bow^les,  J.  P.  and  D.L.,  one 
of  the  leading  men  in  the  county  at  that  time. 
He  was  himself  in  the  run.  Another  partici- 
pant was  the  late  Lord  Craven,  who  went, 
as  was  his  wont,  exceedingly  well,  and  who 
jumped  a  stiff  gate  up  hill  on  his  second 
horse. 

The  Blowing  Stone  from  which  this  run 
is  named  is  a  large  "  Sarsden "  stone  lying 
just  outside  Kingston  Lisle  Park,  and  it 
is  believed  that  the  villaoe  takes  its  name 
from  it,  i.e.,  the  King's  stone.  The  stone 
has  a  natural  small  orifice  running  through 
it,  which,  when  blown  into  by  a  sufficiently 
expert  performer,  gives  forth  a  trumpet 
sound,  which  can  be  heard  for  a  considerable 
distance.  The  popular  belief  is  that  it  was 
used  in  olden  times  to  arouse  the  country 
side.  However  this  may  be,  the  noise  of 
the  stone  produced  by  irresponsible  urchins 
proved  such  a  nuisance  to  the   inhabitants  of 


MR.   HENLEY  GEORGE  GREAVES  zyj 

Kineston  Lisle  House  that  the  orifice  has 
long  been  closed  by  a  board  fastened  by  a 
padlock  and  chain.  The  following  village 
lines  on  the  stone  are  quoted  in  the  "  Scouring 
of  the  White  Horse,"  by  the  late  Mr.  Thomas 
Hughes : — 
"The  Bleawin-Stwun  in  days  gone  by 

Wur  King  Alfred's  bugle-harn 

And  the  Tharning  Tree  you  med  plainly  see 

Um  is  called  the  King's  Tharn." 

These  "  Sarsden  "  stones  are  common  about 
the  Berkshire  and  Wiltshire  downs,  and  are 
of  a  nature  quite  different  to  any  other  stone 
found  in  the  neighbourhood.  Geologists  say 
that  they  are  the  remains  of  a  formation  which 
once  overlaid  the  chalk,  but  has  since  been 
swept  away,  leaving  only  these  scattered  stones 
to  tell  its  history.  Stonehenge  is  built  with 
Sarsden  stones. 

The  annual  dinner  of  the  O.  B.H.  took 
place  in  the  Council  Chamber  at  Abingdon, 
on  Friday,  April  the  ist,  1864.  There  were 
present  :  C.  P.  Dufifield,  Esq.,  in  the  Chair, 
and  Messrs.  Henley  Greaves,  J.  Blandy 
Jenkins,  J.  B.  Barrett,  B.  Challener,  the  Mayor 
of  Abingdon,  J.  Aldworth,  P.  Hammett,  G. 
F.  Crowdy,  E.  K.  Lenthall  Lowndes,  G.  B. 
Eyston  Stone,  T.  Duffield,  J.  Morland,  Tread- 
well,  Moore,  Philip  Wynter,   H.  Stone,  Wood- 


238  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

bridge,  Paynton,  Badcock,  Brooks,  Beesley, 
Myers,  Captain  Bennett,  and  many  others. 

On  Thursday,  July  the  23rd,  1864,  the 
puppy  judging  took  place  at  the  kennels.  A 
luncheon  was  provided  by  the  Master  at  New- 
House.  The  prize  for  the  best  dog  was  won 
by  R.  Campbell,  Esq.  ;  for  the  best  bitch,  by 
Mr.  J.  B.  Empson. 

In  1864  the  opening  meet  took  place  at 
New  House,  on  Wednesday,  November  the 
2nd.  There  were  present  :  Mr.  Henley 
Greaves  the  Master,  Colonel  Loyd  Lindsay, 
Sir  Francis  Goldsmid,  Bart.,  M.P.,  Hon.  G. 
Craven,  Messrs.  E.  M.- Atkins,  C.  P.  Duffield, 
T.  Duffield,  W.  K.  Lenthall,  E.  K.  Lenthall, 
John  Phillips,  J.  B.  Jenkins,  D.  Bennett, 
A.  Sartoris,  M.  Lowndes,  G.  F.  Crowdy, 
Hammons,  Myers,  R.  Phillips  Blake,  J.  Dale, 
A.  Edmonds,  J.  Edmonds,  H.  Peacock,  J. 
Dyke.  After  doing  full  justice  to  the  break- 
fast provided  by  the  hospitable  Master,  they  ad- 
journed to  Harrowdown  Hill,  which  was  drawn 
blank.  A  fox  was  then  found  in  Longworth 
Long  Copse,  which  gave  a  pretty  circling  spin 
of  half  an  hour  ;  when  returning  he  was  killed 
in  the  copse.  The  hounds  then  proceeded  to 
Hinton.  A  good  fox  was  found  in  Westfield 
Copse.  He  went  away  fast  through  Pusey, 
Buckland,  Rivey,  Barcot,  along  the  bottom  of 


MR.  HENLEY  GEORGE   GREAVES  239 

Faringdon  Grove,  by  Stanford  Place  back  to 
Wadley,  where  he  went  to  ground.  Thus 
ended  an  excellent  day's  sport. 

On  Friday,  December  the  9th,  1864,  the 
hounds  met  at  Longcot,  found  at  Beckett,  and 
killed  at  Compton.  A  second  fox  was  found 
at  the  Furze  Hills.  He  went  by  Wickles- 
ham,  Wickwood  and  the  Brick  Kiln  to 
Faringdon,  across  the  back  of  the  town, 
through  the  station  yard  on  towards  Coxwell, 
then  through  Cove's  orchard  he  made  for 
Buscot,  but  without  staying  he  passed  through 
Camden  and  Pidnell  farm  on  to  Faringdon 
Grove  and  through  to  Haremore,  where  he 
was  killed,  after  an  excellent  run  of  an  hour 
and  forty  minutes.  The  first  run  would  have 
been  a  good  day's  sport.  The  two  together 
made  an  extraordinary  day's  hunting,  and 
was  "  very  gratifying  to  the  master  and  all 
the  field." 

In  January,  1865,  a  Hunt  Ball  took  place 
in  the  Faringdon  Corn  Exchange  ;  upwards  of 
two  hundred  attended.  Mr.  Henley  Greaves 
was  prevented  by  mourning  from  attending. 

A  great  run  of  three  hours'  took  place  on 
January  the  13th,  1865.  Fourteen  riders 
took  involuntary  cold  baths  in  Rosey  Brook 
at  once.  Mr.  Free,  of  Hungerford,  lost  a 
valuable  horse,  which  died  just  after  reaching 


240  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

home.  Mr.  G.  F.  Crowdy  met  with  a  nasty 
accident,  his  horse  fell  at  a  fence  near  Hatford, 
and  the  rider  was  considerably  injured  and  laid 
up  for  some  weeks. 

The  annual  Hunt  Dinner  took  place  at 
the  Crown,  Faringdon,  on  the  24th  March, 
the  Host  being  the  celebrated  John  Dale, 
the  former  Huntsman  to  the  Hounds.  A 
run,  which  is  described  as  extraordinary,  took 
place  on  the  loth  of  November  in  the  same 
year.  A  fox  was  found  at  Shrivenham.  He 
went  through  Stainswick,  Ruffins  Wick, 
Idstone  to  Ashdown  House  :  passing  in  front 
of  the  house  he  made  for  Rockley  Copse, 
doublinor  back  to  Ashdown  and  on  to  Ash- 
bury  again  then  back  a  third  time  to 
Ashdown,  through  the  coverts.  Here  poor 
Reynard  had  apparently  had  enough,  and, 
in  making  for  covert,  he  was  killed  at  the 
Haugh,  after  a  capital  run  of  two  hours. 
The  year  1866  was  that  of  the  cattle  plague  ; 
the  country  was  almost  in  panic,  and  the 
severest  restrictions  on  the  movement  of 
cattle  were  introduced  by  the  court  of  Quarter 
Sessions. 

Mr,  Greaves  bade  farewell  to  the  Hunt  as 
Master  at  the  annual  dinner  at  the  Crown 
Inn,  Faringdon,  on  Wednesday,  April  the 
4th,     1866.       His    horses    and    hounds    were 


MR.   HENLEY  GEORGE   GREAVES  241 

disposed  of  by  auction  at  the  kennels,  by 
Messrs.  Tattersall,  on  the  nth.  There  was 
a  very  good  attendance.  Amongst  others 
Sir  Wilham  Throckmorton,  Mr.  Garth,  Mr. 
Drake,  Mr.  Wharton  Wilson,  Master  of  the 
V.W.H.,  Goddard,  Huntsman  to  Lord 
Fitzwilliam  ;  Clarke,  to  Duke  of  Beaufort ; 
Payne  to  Sir  W.  Watkin  Wynn,  Messrs. 
Bennett,  Bowles,  Starky,  T.  Duffield,  C.  P. 
Duffield,  J.  Blandy  Jenkins,  E.  M.  Atkins, 
E.  K.  Lenthall,  and  a  strong  muster  from  the 
Craven  country  and  from  Oxford.  Mr.  All- 
sopp  purchased  many  of  the  hounds,  and  Mr. 
Walker  bought  largely  for  the  Leicestershire 
country.  The  day  was  very  wet  and  cold, 
which  appeared  to  damp  the  spirits  of  the 
company.  Biddings  were  not  at  all  spirited, 
and  the  sum  total  of  pack  and  stud  was  much 
below  the  anticipated  amount.  The  horses, 
twenty-four  in  number,  realised  ^1561,  an 
average  of  ^65  each.  The  highest  fetched 
170,  and  the  lowest  25  guineas.  The  pack 
consisted  of  forty-one  and  a-half  couples  of 
working  hounds,  with  twenty-four  unentered 
and  six  bitches  with  whelps,  and  made 
altogether    ^961. 

For     the     last     season     the     hounds     had 
appeared   to    be    slack,    and    refused   to  break 
up    their  foxes    when    they    had    killed    them. 
16 


242  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

This  much  puzzled  Treadwell,  who  wrote  to 
all  his  hunting  friends  asking  if  they  could 
explain  the  reason  of  it.  No  doubt  this 
slackness  had  much  to  do  with  the  bad  price 
obtained.  This  was  the  last  sale  of  hounds 
in  the  Old  Berkshire  country.  From  this 
time  the  constitution  of  the  pack  has  remained 
the  same,  with  the  addition  from  time  to 
time,  of  important  drafts  from  well-known 
kennels. 

New  House  was  a  most  cheerful  and  hos- 
pitable   establishment    under    the    genial    and 
jovial    Master,    and    many,   now   scattered    far 
and    wide,    still    remember    and    talk    of    the 
happy  days  and  nights  they  passed  there.     He 
once  gave  a  large  dinner,  upon  the  occasion  of 
a  Hunt  Ball  at  Faringdon.      He  had  ordered 
an  omnibus  and  four  horses  to  take  his  party 
to   the  ball.     Needless    to  say  all   the  guests 
fared  well    under    the    roof  of  the    hospitable 
Master ;  and  the  postboys,  as  well  as  the  rest, 
in  their  case  a  little  too  well  in  fact,  for  when 
they    started    for    Faringdon,    in    turning    out 
of  the    drive    from    New    House,   at    a    sharp 
pace,     they    managed     to     run    the    omnibus 
against    a   post    on    the    further    side    of    the 
road  with  such  force  as  to  break  the  traces  ; 
whereupon  the  horses  bolted  and  disappeared 
into   the   darkness,   first    pitching  off  the   pos- 


MR.   HENLEY  GEORGE   GREAVES  243 

tillions.  Mr.  Greaves  and  his  male  guests, 
amonofst  whom  were  Mr.  Edmund  Lenthall 
Mr.  Kyffin,  and  Captain  PhiHp  Wynter, 
managed  to  run  the  omnibus  back  to  the 
house,  when  four  of  his  own  horses  were  put 
in,  and  the  Master  himself  drove  his  guests  to 
the  ball.  The  hired  horses  continued  their 
flight  over  New  Bridge,  and  were  found  miles 
away  in  Oxfordshire  the  next  morning. 

During  Mr.  Greaves'  mastership  a  pack  of 
harriers  was  kept  at  Woolstone  by  the  Hon. 
George  Brudenell  Bruce  (known  to  his  intimates 
as  "The  Duffer"),  eldest  son  of  the  third 
Marquis  of  Ailesbury.  Mr.  Bruce  had  married 
Evelyn,  daughter  of  the  second  Earl  of  Craven. 
His  brother-in-law,  the  Hon.  George  Craven, 
afterwards  Lord  Craven,  was  associated  with 
him  in  the  management  of  the  hounds.  These 
hounds  often  hunted  deer.  On  February  the 
13th,  1864,  a  stag  was  uncarted  at  Coles  Pits, 
which  ran  by  Wick  Wood,  the  brick  kilns  and 
Wadley,  through  Hatford  to  Buckland  Ash- 
beds,  where  he  was  taken,  after  a  run  of  one 
hour  and  twenty  minutes.  "  Bel  Demonio " 
and  "Jack  of  Newbury"  were  two  stags, 
which  always  showed  good  sport  with  these 
hounds. 

In    1865    a   correspondence    arose    between 
Mr.    Bouverie   and    Mr.    Harcourt    about    the 


244  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Nuneham  Coverts.  In  deference  to  the 
strongly  expressed  views  of  Mr.  Harcourt 
the  following  resolution  was  passed  by  the 
committee  of  the  Old  Berks  Hunt:  "That 
this  meeting,  in  deference  to  the  strongly  ex- 
pressed wishes  of  Mr.  Harcourt,  acquiesces  in 
his  suggestion  of  making  the  Nuneham  Coverts 
neutral  between  the  Old  Berks  and  South 
Oxfordshire  Hunts,  for  a  period  of  seven 
years,  assuming  that  the  latter  Hunt  will 
include  the  Baldon  Coverts  in  the  neutral 
zone,  and  the  Old  Berks  conceding  Sandford 
Brake  to  the  same  arrangement."  This  agree- 
ment was  duly  ratified  and  acted  upon. 

The  seven  years  having  expired  a  further 
arrangement  took  place  in  Mr.  Thomas  Duf- 
field's  time,  when  Nuneham  Coverts  and  Sand- 
ford  Brake  were  given  exclusively  to  the  South 
Oxfordshire  Hunt  for  regular  hunting,  but 
were  exclusively  retained  by  the  Old  Berks 
for  cub-hunting,  a  written  agreement  to  this 
effect  being  executed.  This  latter  arrange- 
ment is  still  in  force  in  1904. 


245 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

Messrs.  Starky,  Atkins  and  Duffield, 

1866  TO  1867. 

Messrs.  Atkins  and  Duffield,  1887  to  1888. 

No  gentleman  having  come  forward  with  an 
acceptable  offer  to  hunt  the  country,  the  follow- 
ing letter  was  addressed  to  the  committee  by- 
Messrs.  Starky,  Atkins,  and  T.  Duffield  : — 

Messrs.  Starky,  E.  M. -Atkins  and  T.  Duffield  being 
agreeable  to  take  the  country  on  the  present  terms, 
viz.,  ;^8oo  per  ann.  (and  any  surplus),  paid  half  yearly 
for  three  years,  to  hunt  three  days  a  week,  provided 
other  arrangements  could  be  made  for  stabling  from 
twelve  to  fifteen  horses  within  a  reasonable  distance 
from  the  kennels,  which  of  course  will  remain  in  the 
present  place,  unless  a  convenient  farm  could  be 
placed  at  our  disposal. 

We  wish  it  to  be  understood  that  in  case  of  Lord 
Uffington,  Sir  Wm.  Throckmorton,  or  any  good  and 
capable  man  coming  forward,  the  matter  is  to  drop 
at  once,  and  no  notice  need  be  taken  of  this  letter. 

(Signed)    T.  Duffield. 

John  Bayntun  Starky. 
E.  Martin-Atkins. 
Jan.  the  6th,  1866. 


246  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

No  Other  orentleman  having-  come  forward 
this  sporting  offer  was  accepted. 

The  joint  Masters  retained  the  services  of 
Treadwell  as  huntsman  and  Tom  Squires  as 
first  whip,  and  purchased  the  Vine  hounds 
from  Mr.  Arthur  Whieldon.  The  hounds 
remaining  in  the  kennel,  by  New  House, 
which  had  been  buih  by  the  Hunt  when  Mr. 
Greaves  became  Master.  Mr.  Starky  took  up 
his  residence  at  the  Road  Side  Farm,  South- 
moor.  He  was  a  generous,  kind-hearted  man, 
and  an  excellent  sportsman ;  but,  unfortu- 
nately, he  took  too  much  to  racing,  from 
which  he  derived  anything  but  benefit,  the 
result  being  that  he  had  to  sell  his  property, 
Spye  Park,  near  Chippenham,  which  was 
bought  by  a  Mr.  Spicer,  and  is  now  owned 
by  his  son.  Captain  Spicer. 

Mr.  E.  Martin-Atkins  was  a  son  of  Mr. 
Martin-Atkins,  of  Kingston  Lisle,  who  took  a 
prominent  part  in  the  management  of  the  Hunt 
in  Mr.  Morland's  time.  His  father  married 
Caroline,  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  late  Mr. 
Thomas  Duffield,  of  Marcham,  and  he  was 
therefore  a  first  cousin  of  his  hunting  partner, 
"  Tom "  Duffield,  who  was  Mr.  Duffield's  son 
by  his  second  wife,  Augusta,  daughter  of 
Colonel  Rushbrooke,  M.P.  for  West  Suffolk. 

The     opening      neet     was     at     Kingstone 


THOMAS      DUFFIELD,      Esq. 
Master  1866  to  1875. 


To /ace  pa^c  246. 


MESSRS.  STARKY,   ATKINS  AND  DUFFIELD    247 

Bagpuize,  on  Wednesday,  October  the  31st, 
1866.  An  excellent  breakfast  was  provided 
by  the  Masters  at  the  "  Hind's  Head,"  the 
old  inn  at  Kingstone.  About  two  hundred 
were  present,  including  the  three  joint  Masters, 
the  Hunt  Secretaries,  Messrs.  E.  K.  Lenthall 
and  G.  F,  Crowdy,  Messrs.  H,  G.  Greaves, 
G.  Greaves,  D.  Bennett,  C.  B.  Eyston,  J. 
Barrett,  C.  P.  Duffield,  J.  Bowles  V.  Van  de 
Weyer,  J.  Aldworth,  Bishop,  J.  Phillips,  R. 
Lenthall,  Everett,  J.  B.  Lowndes,  H.  Mas- 
kelyne.  Rev.  John  Copeland,  D.  Jackson,  Earl 
of  Macclesfield,  Messrs.  Edmonds,  Whitfield 
Wallis,  W.  Long,  Badcock,  Myers,  Godfrey, 
Drewe,  Blake,  Woodbridge,  Fisher,  Ham- 
mond, Bullock,  Nevell,  Dyke,  Beesley,  Brooks, 
Pinniger,  Adams,  Tollett,  and  many  others, 
amongst  them  being  several  ladies.  A  fox 
was  found  at  Pusey.  He  ran  to  Longworth 
Furze,  but  on  trying  to  break  away  again  was 
headed  and  killed.  A  second  fox  was  found 
at  Harrowdown  Hill.  He  went  away  to 
Appleton  Common,  where  he  was  lost. 

The  hounds  had  a  good  day  on  Friday, 
November  the  23rd,  when  they  met  at  Step 
Farm.  They  first  drew  Eaton  Wood,  where 
a  fox  was  chopped.  They  then  trotted  off  to 
the  Buscot  Bushes  where  another  was  soon 
on  foot.      He  took  them  by  Badbury  Hill  to 


248  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Coleshill,  then  through  the  Ashen  Copse  to 
the  woods  about  Strattenboro'  Castle,  through 
Watchfield,  back  to  Coleshill,  where  he  was 
pulled  down.  A  second  fox  was  found  in 
Faringdon  Grove.  He  turned  out  to  be  "an 
old  'un  "  of  the  right  sort,  and  he  took  them 
through  Wadley  and  Coles  Pits  to  Balking, 
where  he  beat  them. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  a  joint  master- 
ship must  always  be  very  inferior  to  a  single 
mastership.  A  master  should  be  an  absolute 
autocrat,  like  the  commander  of  an  army.  In 
this  case  Mr.  Starky  suffered  from  pecuniary 
difficulties,  Mr.  Atkins'  state  of  health  left 
something,  and  Mr.  Duffield's  language  left 
much,  to  be  desired.  Some  wag  in  the  hunt- 
ing field,  alluding  to  the  initials  of  the  Masters' 
names,  said,  "What  else  can  you  expect  from 
a  'Sad'  lot".?  The  "mot"  took  and  the 
syndicate  became  known  as  the  "  Sad  "  lot  for 
ever  after.  The  remark  was,  of  course,  made 
in  jest,  and  was  decidedly  unjust,  for  each  of 
the  joint  Masters  was  a  thorough  good  sports- 
man, and  they  had  only  undertaken  the  country 
because  no  single  Master  was  forthcoming. 

A  Hunt  Ball  was  held  at  the  Corn  Ex- 
change, Faringdon,  on  Thursday,  January 
the  3rd,  1867,  when  about  a  hundred  were 
present.     The    conclusion    of  the    season  was 


MESSRS.  STARK Y,   ATKINS  AND   DUFFIELD    249 

celebrated  by  the  usual  Hunt  Dinner,  which 
took  place  at  the  Crown  Inn,  Faringdon,  on 
Thursday,  March  the  21st,  the  chair,  in  the 
absence  of  the  President  of  the  Hunt,  being 
taken  by  Mr.  D.  Bennett. 

The  opening  meet  of  the  next  season  was 
at  Road  Farm,  where  a  large  party  met  for 
breakfast  on  October  the  30th,  1867. 

Mr.  Starky  had  been  taking  more  interest 
in  racing  than  hunting,  and  although  he  had 
owned  some  sfood  horses  in  "  Fisherman  "  and 
"  Viridis,"  he  came  to  grief,  and  his  affairs 
reached  a  climax  in  January,  1868,  which 
obliged  him  to  leave  the  syndicate,  his  share 
in  the  hounds  being  purchased  by  his  brother 
Masters. 

A  Hunt  Ball  took  place  at  Faringdon  on 
Thursday,  January  the  i6th,  1868.  The 
attendance,  however,  was  not  so  numerous 
as  usual.  The  Hunt  Dinner  was  held  at 
Abingdon  on  April  the  2nd,  when  about  fifty 
sat  down.  The  chair,  in  the  absence  of  the 
President,  was  taken  by  Mr.  C.   P.   Duffield. 

The  opening  meet  took  place  at  the  kennels 
on  Wednesday,  October  the  28th,  1868.  A 
first  rate  breakfast  was  provided  at  New 
House.  The  first  draw  was  Wick  Scrubbs. 
A  fox  was  quickly  on  foot  and  went  away 
for  Marcham,   being    headed    by  a    crowd    on 


250  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

the  Abingdon  Road,  he  turned  through  King- 
stone  back  to  the  Scrubbs,  where  he  was 
lost.  A  second  fox  was  found  at  Pusey 
Common.  He  went  away  through  Hinton, 
Longworth,  then  through  Wick  Scrubbs  to 
Marcham  Field,  where  he  was   killed. 

In  January,  1868,  the  joint  Masters  gave 
notice  of  their  intention  to  give  up  the 
country.  During  the  summer  Mr.  Tom  Duf- 
field  intimated  to  the  committee  his  willinoness 
to  hunt  the  country  on  the  same  terms  as 
before,  viz.,  a  guaranteed  subscription  of  ^800 
per  annum.  This  offer  was  accepted.  Before 
the  season  commenced,  Mr.  Duffield  had  asso- 
ciated himself  with  a  partner  in  Lord  Craven. 


GEORGE  GRIMSTON  CRAVEN,   3rd  EARL  OF  CRAVEN. 
Master  1868  to  1884. 


To  face  pngc  251. 


251 


CHAPTER   XV. 

The  Earl  of  Craven  and  Mr.  Tom  Duffield, 
1868  TO  1875. 

The  Right  Hon.  George  Grimston,  third 
Earl  of  Craven,  who  now  became  joint  Master 
with  Mr.  Tom  Dufifield,  was  a  member  of 
a  family  who  had  long  been  well  known  as 
keen  sportsmen.  As  long  ago  as  1740  hounds 
were  kept  by  Fulwar,  fourth  Lord  Craven. 
These  hounds  were  continued  by  his  two 
successors  for  half  a  century  continuously. 
As  was  the  custom  in  those  times,  they 
roamed  about  and  had  no  definite  country. 
Fulwar,  Lord  Craven,  brought  his  hounds 
every  season  as  far  as  Dummer,  in  Hamp- 
shire, and  hunted  round  that  district.  His 
country  seat,  Ashdown  Park,  had  long  been 
the  scene  of  the  celebrated  Ashdown  Coursing 
meeting,  which  from  the  last  quarter  of  the 
eighteenth  century  down  to  our  own  times, 
drew  a  great  company  of  lovers  of  the  "  long 
tails "  from  all  parts  of  England.  Ashdown 
Park    was    built  by  the   first   Earl   of   Craven 


252  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

about  the  time  of  the  great  plague.  The 
commonly  received  story,  however,  of  its 
having  been  built  in  this  isolated  spot,  in  a 
valley  in  the  very  centre  of  the  Berkshire 
Downs,  as  a  place  of  refuge  from  infection, 
is  entirely  without  foundation.  Such  a  course 
would  have  been  completely  contrary  to  the 
character  of  the  first  Earl  of  Craven,  who  was, 
like  a  gallant  knight  of  old,  "  sans  peur  et 
sans  reproache."  In  fact,  during  the  height 
of  the  plague,  while  the  architect  Webbe,  a 
pupil  of  Inigo  Jones,  and  the  workmen  were 
busy  upon  his  new  house  in  the  lonely  Berk- 
shire valley,  he  remained  in  London  occupied 
in  nursing  the  sick,  and  doing  all  he  could 
to  restore  confidence  to  the  panic  stricken 
people,  and  to  arrest  the  progress  of  the  dire 
disease.  A  gallant  soldier  in  his  youth,  he 
remained  faithful  to  King  James  II.  to  the 
last,  when  all  others,  even  his  own  children, 
forsook  him.  Lord  Craven,  as  Colonel  of  the 
Coldstreams  (in  which  he  succeeded  Monk), 
was  in  command  of  the  palace  guard  at 
Whitehall  when  James  determined  on  flight. 
Receiving  the  order  to  remove  the  guard, 
the  aged  nobleman  absolutely  refused  to  obey, 
until  he  received  the  command  from  the  King 
in  person. 

This  Lord  Craven  is  supposed  to  have  mar- 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.  DUFFIELD    253 

ried  Elizabeth,  Queen  of  Bohemia,  daughter 
of  James  I.  Pepys  speaks  of  their  appear- 
ing together  at  the  theatre.  She  died  in 
his  house  in  Drury  Lane.  The  Earldom  of 
Craven  died  out  with  him,  but  was  renewed 
in  the  person  of  the  seventh  Baron. 

The  second  Earl  of  the  new  creation  was 
the  owner  of  "Wild  Dayrell,"  winner  of  the 
Derby.  The  romantic  story  of  Elizabeth, 
widow  of  the  sixth  Lord  Craven,  will  be  re- 
membered. She  married  Christian  Frederick 
Margrave  of  Anspach,  a  nephew  of  Frederick 
the  Great.  Her  portrait,  now  in  the  National 
Gallery,  is  one  of  Romney 's  best,  and  shows 
her  to  have  been  a  very  beautiful  woman. 
This  portrait  was  reproduced  in  the  Christ- 
mas number  of  the  Graphic  for  1901. 

Not  only  did  Lord  Craven  come  of  a 
sporting  stock,  but  his  own  generation  were 
equally  devoted  to  the  chase.  He  had 
recently  married  Evelyn  Laura,  daughter  of 
Viscount  Barrinoton,  President  of  the  Hunt, 
a  lady  who  has  always  been  a  generous  friend 
of  the  Hunt.  His  brother,  the  Hon.  Osbert 
Craven,  late  Colonel  of  the  Berks  Imperial 
Yeomanry,  is  also  a  good  sportsman  and  a 
first  rate  shot.  One  sister.  Lady  Evelyn, 
married  Mr.  Brudenell  Bruce,  whose  harriers 
we   have  already    spoken    of ;    another.    Lady 


254  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Blanche,  married  the  ninth  Earl  of  Coventry  ; 
another,  Lady  Beatrix,  married  the  fifth  Earl 
of  Cadogan  ;  and  Lady  Emily,  the  youngest, 
married  Mr.  Victor  William  Bates  Van  de 
Weyer,  of  New  Lodge. 

The    opening   meet   of  the    Old    Berkshire 
Hounds  under  the  new  regime  took  place  at 
the    kennels    on    Wednesday,    November    the 
3rd,    1868.      Breakfast  was    provided    at    New 
House.     There  were  present  the  Masters,  Mr. 
T.    Duffield    and    the    Earl    of    Craven,    Col. 
Lloyd  Lindsay,  V.C.,   Sir  N.  W.  Throckmor- 
ton,  Messrs.  C.   Duffield,  T.  J.  Bowles,  G.  B. 
Eyston,   A.   C.   Campbell,   J.   B.  Starky,   J.  B. 
Lowndes,   G.    I.    Haines,    J.   Morland,    E.  M.- 
Atkins, W.  and  J.  Aldworth,  E.   K.   Lenthall 
E.   Morland,    H.   Maskelyne,   Rev.  J.  Jenkins 
J.  Dyke,  A.  Edmonds,  J.  Edmonds,  C.  and  J 
Beesley,   F.   Drew,   H.    Peacock,    J.    Lichfield 
H.    Godfrey,   T.    B.   Myers,  R.    B.   Phillips,   J 
Dale,  E.  J.  Trendall,  F.  Dandridge,  R.  Church 
H.    Newman-Stone,   J.    Blake,    C.    Simmonds 
R.   Badcock,  C.   Cox,  F.   Payne,   Williams,   J 
Butler,  Lyford  and  others.     They  drew  Lyford 
Copse  first  and  found  at  once.      The  fox  ran 
by    Challow    to     Woodhill     and     Grove,    then 
back   again    to    Lyford,    on    to   Woodhill    and 
to  ground. 

On  Thursday,  January  the  7th,  1869,  a  Hunt 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.  T.  DUFFIELD    255 

Ball  was  held  at  the  Corn  Exchange,  Faring- 
don.     The  attendance  was  small. 

An  excellent  run  took  place  on  Monday, 
January  the  i8th,  1869.  The  meet  was  at 
Childrey.  A  fox  was  found  at  Woodhill.  He 
was  quickly  away  across  the  farm  and  Wantage 
turnpike  road,  to  and  through  the  Sparsholt 
Home  Coppice  and  Park,  then  up  the  hill, 
leaving  Kingstone  Lisle  to  the  right  and  Mr. 
Atkins'  gorse  to  the  left.  He  then  crossed  the 
Blowing  Stone  Hill,  nearly  at  the  top,  going 
straight  on  the  side  of  the  hill  nearly  to  Fawler, 
leaving  the  coppice  to  the  right,  over  the  canal 
to  Kingstone  spinneys.  The  scent  being  good 
the  pace  continued  very  fast.  Leaving  Challow 
station  to  the  left,  he  returned  to  his  favourite 
haunt  Woodhill,  but  was  pressed  on  again  to 
Grove,  where  he  turned  to  the  right  over  the 
canal,  straight  on  to  Letcombe  Regis,  up  the 
hill  to  Letcombe  Bowers,  where  a  short  check 
occurred.  The  line  was  soon  hit  off,  and  away 
they  raced  across  the  downs  to  a  small  planta- 
tion close  to  Lambourne,  where  he  was  killed 
after  a  run  of  three  hours  and  eig-ht  minutes. 

The  Queen's  Buck  Hounds,  under  the 
Mastership  of  Lord  Cork,  met  at  Goosey  Green 
on  Tuesday,  February  the  23rd,  1869.  The 
meet  was  fixed  for  noon,  but  for  nearly  an 
hour  before  people  began  to  arrive  from  every 


256  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

quarter,  until  there  was  a  very  large  assembly. 
The  well-known  deer,  "  The  Doctor,"  was 
uncarted  at  the  rear  of  Mr.  Whitfield's  house, 
and  started  gallantly  in  the  direction  of  Park 
Island.  He  went  by  Goosey  Green,  nearly 
to  Bedlam  Plantation,  and  then  turned  to  the 
left  to  Hatford,  then  on  pointing  for  Kitemore, 
he  passed  through  the  lower  end  of  Wadley 
Park  straio^ht  for  Farinordon  Hill.  Being- 
headed,  he  turned  for  Littleworth.  At  Wadley 
hounds  were  stopped  to  give  the  deer  more 
law.  Being  laid  on  again,  they  went  away  for 
Barcote,  and  crossed  the  river  above  Tadpole 
Bridge.  This  occasioned  a  long  check,  the 
meadows  being  so  deep.  Meanwhile  "  The 
Doctor  "  crossed  the  Bampton  road,  and  headed 
for  Shifford,  then  passing  Yelford  to  Coke- 
thorpe,  skirting  the  Windrush  he  ran  to 
Witney,  past  the  Railway  station  and  into  the 
clergyman's  drawing-room.  The  account  in  the 
Faringdon  Advertiser  says  : — "  The  clergyman 
finding  his  house  thus  burglariously  entered  by 
an  intruder  not  likely  to  spare  the  furniture, 
sent  for  the  police  and  had  him  removed  to  the 
police  station  to  await  the  pleasure  of  Her 
Majesty,  as  expressed  by  the  Master  of  Her 
Buck  Hounds  ;  which  we  believe  to  have  been 
'  That  "  The  Doctor"  be  removed  to  the  place 
from  whence  he  came,  so  that,  after  being  well 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.   T.  DUFFIELD    257 

cared  for,  he  may  at  some  future  time  again 
provide  sport  for  Her  Majesty's  true  and  loyal 
subjects.'  " 

The  noble  Master  was  not  content  with  pro- 
moting sport  by  way  of  foxhunting  alone.  We 
read  in  the  local  paper  that  "  The  Ashdown 
Diversions "  took  place  on  Thursday,  March 
the  loth,  1870.  Present:  the  Earl  of  Craven, 
The  Dowager  Countess  of  Craven,  the  Hon. 
Osbert  Craven,  Lord  and  Lady  Chelsea,  Mr. 
V.  Van  de  Weyer,  and  Lady  Emily  Van  de 
Weyer,  Mr.  L.  H.  Palk,  Hon.  A.  Stourton, 
Mr.  Gerald  and  Mrs.  Dease,  Capt.  and  Mrs. 
Fletcher,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  M.-Atkins,  Mr. 
Wroughton,  Mr.  Duffield,  Mr.  T.  Duffield, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bennett,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Starky, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Augustus  Campbell,  The  Misses 
Eyston,  &c.,  &c. 

A  Handicap  Sweepstakes  was  won  by  Mr. 
E.  Wroughton's  b.g.  "Twig,"  ridden  by  owner. 

A  Handicap  Hurdle  Race  was  won  by  Mr. 
Phillips'  b.m.  "  Chilton  Lass,"  ridden  by  Mr. 
G.  Drew,  jun. 

A  Give-and-Take  Race  for  Galloways,  won 
by  Mr.  Tuckey's  "  The  Widow  "  (E.  Hopkins). 

A  Pony  Race,  won  by  Mr.  Vockin's  "  Polly," 
ridden  by  Butters. 

A  Scurry  Race,  Mr.  Wroughton's  "Twig." 

The  opening  meet,  1870,  was  at  the  kennels. 
17 


258  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Breakfast  was  provided  at  New  House.  The 
hounds  were  thrown  off  into  the  Ashbed  close 
by.  A  fox  was  found  at  once  who  took  them 
through  Hinton,  Buckland,  Hatford  Wadley, 
to  Faringdon  Grove,  and  then  back  to  Wadley 
House  where  he  went  to  ground,  and  was  left 
to  run  another  day. 

In  1870,  the  Rt.  Hon.  E.  P.  Bouverie 
resigned  the  office  of  President  of  the  Hunt 
Committee,  Lord  Barrington  (having  been 
elected  by  the  Committee  of  the  Hunt  to 
succeed  him)  taking  his  place. 

Mr.  Edward  Pleydell  Bouverie,  who  had 
been  President  of  the  Hunt  since  1859,  was  the 
younger  of  the  two  sons  of  William,  third  Earl 
of  Radnor,  who  was  Master  from  1833  to  1834, 
by  his  second  wife,  Anne  Judith,  daughter  of 
Sir  Henry  St.  John,  who  assumed  the  name  of 
Mildmay  in  addition  to  his  own  on  marrying 
the  heiress  of  that  family,  and  was  born  in  1818. 
Coleshill  House  was  but  fitfully  occupied  until 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Bouverie's  elder  brother, 
Lord  Folkestone,  in  1840,  when  Lord  Radnor 
gave  up  Longford  Castle,  his  place  in  Wiltshire, 
to  the  newly-married  couple,  and  went  per- 
manently to  reside  there.  When  Lady  Radnor 
died,  in  185 1,  it  was  arranged  that  Edward 
Bouverie  should  reside  with  his  father  at  Coles- 
hill  as   his  country  home,  and   from   that  date 


EARL    OF   CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUFFIELD    259 

down  to  his  father's  death,  in  1869,  he  lived 
there,  hunted  regularly  with  the  Old  Berks  and 
V.W.  H.  packs,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in 
all  matters  connected  with  the  neighbourhood. 
Mr.  Bouverie  was  a  bold  and  determined  rider, 
devoted  to  the  sport,  and  always  well  mounted, 
although,  from  his  excellent  judgment,  he 
seldom  paid  a  long  price  for  his  horses.  From 
his  genial  manners,  his  kindly  heart,  his  frank 
address,  his  fund  of  anecdote  and  reminiscence, 
there  were  few  more  popular  men  in  the  coun- 
try side.  He  was,  moreover,  a  man  of  capacity 
and  great  industry,  with  many  interests — 
general,  literary,  and  artistic,  though  probably 
down  to  late  middle  life  politics  as  a  pursuit 
and  hunting  as  a  diversion,  ranked  first  in  his 
estimation.  His  father  had  been  intimately 
connected  with  all  the  leading  Whig  politicians, 
and  was  well  known  as  almost  the  only  member 
of  the  House  of  Lords  who  heartily  advocated 
the  repeal  of  the  Corn  Laws,  and  he  was  thus 
early  brought  into  contact  with  political  life  and 
its  devotees.  Mr.  Bouverie  was  educated  at 
Harrow  and  Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  and 
entered  at  the  Inner  Temple,  but  in  1838  he 
was  attached  to  Lord  Durham's  mission  to 
Canada,  On  his  return,  after  acting  for  a  short 
time  as  pricis  writer  to  Lord  Palmerston,  he 
returned  to  the  Temple,  was  called  to  the  Bar, 


26o  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

and  for  a  short  time  went  the  Western  Circuit. 
When  in  London  he  was  a  frequent  visitor  at 
Holland  House,  where  he  met  the  many 
eminent  men  who  resorted  there.  He  twice 
unsuccessfully  contested  Salisbury,  for  which 
his  father  had  sat  from  1800  to  1828.  In  1844, 
however,  he  was  returned  for  the  Kilmarnock 
Burghs,  which  he  represented  continuously 
until  1874,  the  General  Election  of  which  year 
brought  his  Parliamentary  career  to  an  end. 
He  unsuccessfully  contested  the  Borough  of 
Liskeard  against  Mr.  L.  Courtney  in  1880,  but 
made  no  other  attempt  to  enter  Parliament.  He 
was  one  of  a  small  minority  who  voted  in  favour 
of  Mr.  Villiers'  motion  for  the  repeal  of  the  Corn 
Laws,  and  soon  began  to  make  his  mark 
in  general  business.  In  1850  he  was  made 
Under-Secretary  for  the  Home  Department 
under  Sir  George  Grey.  He  did  not  hold 
office  in  the  Ministry  of  1852,  but  in  this  year 
he  was  made  Chairman  of  Committees.  In 
1855  he  became  Vice-President  of  the  Board  of 
Trade,  and  as  such  conducted  through  the 
House  the  Act  permitting  the  establishment 
of  companies  with  limited  liability.  In  the 
same  year  he  became  Paymaster-General,  and 
subsequently  President  of  the  Poor  Law  Board, 
which  latter  office  he  held  until  1858.  When 
Lord  Palmerston's  Government  was  formed  in 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUFF  I  ELD    261 

1859  he  voluntarily  remained  outside,  nor  did 
he  subsequently  hold  office.  When  Speaker 
Denison  vacated  the  chair  in  1872  there  were 
many  in  the  House  who  thought  that  Mr. 
Bouverie  would  be  put  forward  for  the  post, 
but  the  choice  fell  on  Mr.  Brand,  a  former 
Liberal  Whip. 

Mr.  Bouverie  probably  did  as  much  unpaid 
work  for  his  country  as  an  Ecclesiastical  Com- 
missioner and  by  serving  on  Commissions  and 
Committees  as  any  man  of  his  time,  and  his 
independence,  straightforwardness,  and  the  re- 
cognition of  the  fact  that  he  was  no  self-seeking 
office-seeker,  procured  him  the  ear  of  the 
House  and  a  position  of  importance  in  its 
debates. 

On  his  retirement  from  Parliament  his  capa- 
city and  energy  found  scope  in  the  work  of  the 
City,  and  as  Chairman  of  the  Corporation  of 
Foreign  Bondholders  he  was  instrumental  in 
settling  the  debt  questions  of  many  foreign 
countries.  He  enjoyed  London  society,  and 
was  for  many  years  a  member  of  Grillion's 
Club,  a  coterie  of  the  eminent  men  of  the  day. 
He  was  elected  F.R.S.  in  1863.  At  his 
father's  death,  in  1869,  he  went  to  live  at 
Market  Lavington,  in  Wiltshire,  a  property 
which  had  been  given  to  him  by  his  father  in 
the  lifetime  of   the   latter,  and  on  which  Mr. 


262    ,  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Bouverie  had  built  himself  a  house.  But 
though  he  hunted  regularly  for  some  years, 
and  was  still  a  keen  supporter  of  the  sport,  he 
missed  the  handy  meets  and  the  familiar  sur- 
roundings of  his  former  Berkshire  home.  He 
served  the  office  of  High  Sheriff  in  1882,  and 
became  Chairman  of  Quarter  Sessions  in  1886. 
He  was  an  alderman  of  the  then  newly-formed 
Wilts  County  Council  down  to  his  death  in 
December,  1889. 

In  1871  the  usual  Hunt  Ball  took  place 
at  the  Corn  Exchange,  Faringdon,  on 
Thursday,  February  the  2nd.  The  Hunt  Club 
Dinner  was  held  at  the  "  Crown,"  Faringdon, 
on  the  30th  of  March,  Mr.  C.  P.  Duffield  in 
the  chair.  The  opening  meet  was  at  New 
House,  on  Wednesday,  November  the  ist. 
The  day  proved  to  be  very  bad  for  scent. 
Plenty  of  foxes  were,  however,  found  at 
Pusey,  and  a  brace  were  accounted  for  before 
the  hounds  returned  home.  Great  excite- 
ment was  caused  in  Faringdon,  on  Friday, 
December  the  22nd,  by  the  hounds  running 
a  fox  through  a  part  of  the  town.  The 
meet  was  at  Fernham.  They  found  in  the 
Furze  Hills ;  ran  through  Fernham,  Coles 
Pits,  Wicklesham  Copse  to  the  rifle  butts. 
Then  turning  to  the  left,  the  fox  ran  through 
the   lower  end   of   the  town,    and  finally   took 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUFFIELD    263 

shelter  beneath  the  hearth  rug-  in  a  front 
room,  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  James  Clarke, 
having  jumped  in  through  the  window. 
Treadwell  soon  brought  him  out,  and  in  a 
short  time  poor  Reynard  was  broken  up  by 
the  hungry  pack. 

In  1872,  one  of  the  best  runs  of  the  season 
took  place  on  the  22nd  of  January.  The 
meet  was  at  Stanford  Place,  the  residence  of 
G.  B.  Eyston,  Esq.  A  goodly  muster  partook 
of  the  handsome  breakfast  provided.  Lord 
Craven  was  out  for  the  first  time  since  he 
had  met  with  a  nasty  fall  at  High  worth. 
A  fox  was  found  in  Cox  well  Furze  Hills. 
He  went  away  to  Faringdon,  but  was  then 
headed  back  to  the  Furze  Hills  ;  being  closely 
followed,  however,  he  ran  quickly  through 
the  covert  and  went  away  to  Fernham  Copse  ; 
on  over  the  railway  to  Kingstone  Spinneys  ; 
thence  to  Feather-bed  Lane,  and,  passing 
Mr.  Fortescue's,  he  crossed  over  the  Baulking 
Road.  Here  was  a  slight  check.  Tread- 
well  soon  got  his  hounds  on  again,  and  away 
they  went  to  Rosey,  and  then  on  through 
Rogues  Pits  to  Buckland  Warren.  Doubling 
back  from  there  Reynard  took  shelter  in 
Hatford  quarry,  where  he  was  left  for  another 
day. 

The  Hunt  Ball  took  place  in  the  Faringdon 


264  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Corn  Exchange,  on  February  the  ist,  1872. 
A  singular  incident  took  place  on  February 
the  8th.  The  meet  was  at  Badbury  Hill. 
The  hounds  had  run  to  Coleshill,  and  thence 
to  Buscot.  Treadwell  was  making  a  cast  in 
the  park,  when  suddenly  the  V.W.H.  hounds 
came  in  sight  in  full  cry,  and  in  an  instant  the 
two  packs  amalgamated  and  ran  the  fox  into 
and  through  the  woods,  and  killed  at  the 
Bushes.  The  V.W.H.  hounds  had  found  their 
fox  at  Crouch,  and  ran  by  way  of  Inglesham 
to  Buscot.  Another  curious  occurrence  took 
place  at  Buscot  about  the  same  time.  The  Old 
Berks  met  at  Coleshill.  Mr.  Stuart  Campbell 
was  out.  As  it  was  probable  the  hounds  would 
run  to  Buscot,  luncheon  had  been  prepared 
for  the  hungry  hunters  by  Mrs.  Campbell 
at  the  house.  In  the  course  of  the  day, 
however,  the  V.W.H.  hounds  ran  their  fox  to 
Buscot,  killed  there,  and  then  came  in  and  ate 
up  the  lunch  prepared  for  the  other  hunt.  It 
was  not  until  Mrs.  Campbell  enquired  if  any 
one  had  seen  her  son,  that  the  fact  of  a 
strange  hunt  having  been  entertained  came  out. 
The  "  Old  Berks  Hunt  Steeplechases  "  were 
held  at  Baulking  on  March  the  7th,  1872  : 
7,000  people  are  said  to  have  been  present. 
A  mistake  was  made  in  the  preparation  of  one 
of  the  water-jumps.     The  banks  had  been  cut 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.  DUFFIELD    265 

away  on  either  side,  and  water  dammed  up 
level  with  the  field.  It  was  remarked  by 
several  that  this  might  lead  to  accidents,  and 
in  the  first  race  "  Waterwitch  "  galloped  into 
the  water,  and  comino;  in  contact  with  the 
bank  broke  her  neck. 

The  "  Events  "  were  as  follows  : — 

The  Berkshire  Stakes  of  three  sovs.  each, 
for  horses  the  bona-fide  property  of  members 
of  the  Hunt  Club.  Won  by  Earl  of  Craven's 
"Wapiti,"  i2st.  7lb.,  Capt.  Harford. 

The  Farmers'  Cup.  Mr,  Hayward's  br.  g. 
"Coxcombe,"  i2st.  ylb.,  Mr.  G.  Drewe. 

The  United  Hunt  Stakes,  for  horses  hunted 
with  Old  Berks,  V.W.H.,  or  Craven.  Earl  of 
Craven's   "Yeoman,"  i2st.,  Capt.  Harford. 

Selling  Stakes.  Mr.  F.  Francis's  "Duchess," 
1 1  St.  71b.,  Payne. 

Scurry  Race.  Mr.  Welch's  "  Merry  Monk," 
Mr.  Ridd.  In  this  race  "General  Lea,"  the 
property  of  Mr.  D.  Kennard,  of  Lambourne, 
fell  at  a  fence,  broke  a  blood-vessel,  and  had 
to  be  killed. 

The  Hunt  dinner  took  place  at  Abingdon, 
in  the  Council  Chamber,  on  March  the  21st, 
1872,   Mr.  C.   P.   Duffield   in  the  chair. 

The  opening  meet  was  at  the  "  Roadside 
Farm,"  occupied  by  Mr.  T.  DufBeld  as  a  farm, 
on   October   the    31st.     A   fox    was    found    in 


266  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

"Wick  Scrubs."  He  ran  through  Kingstone 
and  was  lost.  Another  fox  was  found  on  Mr. 
W.  Aldworth's  farm  at  Hanney  and  killed  after 
a  sharp  little  run.  A  third  fox  was  found  at 
Pusey  and  killed  at  Buckland,  where  also  a 
fourth  fox  was  found  directly,  but  as  the  day 
was  getting  late,  hounds  were  whipped  off. 
There  were  out  the  Earl  of  Craven  and  Mr. 
T.  Duffield  (the  Masters),  Messrs.  A.  Sartoris, 
E.  Martin-Atkins,  E.  K.  Lenthall,  J.  Phillips, 
B.  H.  Morland,  J.  Thompson,  J.  B.  Lowndes, 
G.  F.  Crowdy,  J.  T.  Morland,  E.  Morland, 
and  a  host  of  the  staunch  yeoman  element. 

The  opening  meet  of  1874  was  again  at 
"  Roadside  Farm."  After  breakfast,  "  Bed- 
lam "  was  drawn  blank.  A  fox  was  found  at 
Pusey,  but  soon  lost.  Another  was  found  at 
Hatford  and  run  to  ground.  A  third  fox 
started  from  Hinton,  and  after  a  half-hour's 
ringing  run,  returned  and  was  killed  in  the 
garden  at  Hinton.  "  Harrowdown  Hill"  was 
then  drawn  and  provided  a  fourth  fox,  who 
went  away  through  "  Longcopse,"  by  New- 
bridge to  Appleton  Common,  where  he  was 
killed  after  a  capital  run  of  forty-five  minutes. 
Present :  the  Earl  of  Craven  and  Mr.  T.  Duf- 
field  (Masters),  Sir  W.  Throckmorton  (Master 
of  the  V.W.H.),  Lord  Clifton,  Hon.  O.  Craven, 
Messrs.     C.     P.    Duffield,    J.    Bowles,    R.    H. 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR,    T.   DUFFIELD    267 

Capper  (Master  of  the  Craven),  G.  B.  Eyston, 
J.  S.  Phillips,  J.  Thompson,  D.  Bennett,  P. 
Wynter,  E.  K.  Lenthall,  F.  Martin-Atkins, 
A.  Campbell,  D.  Gaussen,  J.  Aid  worth,  E.  P. 
Crowdy,  H.  Peacock,  Nash,  Williams,  Edmonds, 
Godfrey,  Wallis,  J.  Adams,  Drewe,  Worley, 
Fisher,  Betteridge  White,  Moore,  Davenport, 
Empson  Franklin,  Payne,  Dandridge,  Walters, 
Roberts,  T.  Whitfield,  Sharpe,  Pinniger, 
Roberts,  &c. 

On  the  death,  1874,  of  Mr.  J.  B.  Lowndes, 
Captain  Morland  became  Joint  Secretary  to 
the  Hunt  Club  with  Mr.  G.  F.  Crowdy. 

The  second  period  of  three  years  for  which 
the  Masters  had  undertaken  to  hunt  the  country 
having  expired,  a  meeting  of  the  Hunt  Com- 
mittee was  held  at  the  Woodman  Inn,  Fern- 
ham,  when  the  offer  of  Lord  Craven  and  Mr. 
T.  Duffield  to  continue  for  another  season  was 
accepted,  and  a  cordial  vote  of  thanks  for  their 
past  services  unanimously  passed. 

The  following  account  of  a  good  run  with 
Lord  Craven  and  Mr.  Tom  Duffield  is  from 
the  pen  of  that  excellent  sportsman,  Mr.  John 
Wallis :— 


,268  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

The  Old  Berkshire. 

January  nth,  1875. 

At  Challow  Station,  this  day's  meet, 

With  Craddock  pleased  his  friends  to  greet, 

And  Treadwell  with  his  lot  so  crack 

With  those  he  calls  his  little  pack. 

The  London  train  arrives  at  last, 

Not  at  eleven,  but  quite  half  past  ; 

The  noble  lord*  comes  down  from  town, 

And  mounts  his  horse, — The  Yeoman  brown. 

With  orders  given  for  Woodhill  cover. 

We  hear  the  sound,  "  Yoik  !  over,  over  !  " 

But  here  to-day  no  fox  can  find. 

Which  leaves  a  blank  to  all  mankind. 

We're  told  his  castle's  in  the  air, 

And  so  to  Washborough's  tree  repair. 

The  Master  (Mr.  Tom)  trots  on. 

And  cracks  his  whip;  now  for  some  fun. 

Bold  Reynard  still  is  sound  asleep. 

But  wakes  and  takes  a  flying  leap. 

The  horn  we  hear,  a  thrilling  blow, 

The  cheery  sound  all  sportsmen  know. 

And  now  for  Barwell  Farm  and  Grove, 

He  turns  his  brush  and  on  he  strove ; 

The  scent  breast  high  as  on  they  fly, 

The  powers  of  every  one  to  try. 

A  turn,  he  leads  us  to  the  left. 

And  takes  a  line  of  quite  the  best. 

Now  by  Woodhill  we  are  flying, 

Challow  is  the  point  he's  trying. 

With  many  keen  at  each  big  fence, 

And  some  as  tho'  they  had  no  sense  ; 

Pullen,  at  rail  and  ditch  intent, 

Shatter'd  the  timber  as  he  went. 

As  Woodhill  now  is  left  behind 

At  Challow  works  the  hounds  we  find  ; 

*  Lord  Craven. 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND   MR.    T.   DUFF/ELD    269 

Just  at  this  moment  eight  tail  hounds 

Do  catch  a  fox  whilst  out  of  bounds  ; 

The  body  running  still  so  well 

To  break  him  up  would  prove  a  sell. 

The  brother  of  the  noble  peer 

Calls  to  Edmonds,  who  is  just  near, 

He  puts  poor  fox  his  horse  astride. 

And  takes  him  for  his  final  ride. 

Now  pointing  for  the  rail  we  go, 

And  how  to  cross  it  do  not  know. 

But  stop,  another  fox  is  killed 

By  four  more  hounds,  his  body  mill'd  ; 

So  strange  a  story  to  relate 

He  kept  his  kennel  till  too  late. 

Whilst  Eli*  had  his  charge  in  turn 

Now  let  us  to  our  run  return. 

As  still  the  pack,  their  line  upon, 

We  find  ourselves  the  railway  on  ; 

A  fence  to  jump  and  off  we  go, 

The  pack  have  got  more  sport  to  show. 

As  by  the  rail  a  mile  or  more 

Now  on  to  Coles's  farm  we  bore, 

Without  a  check,  without  a  stain, 

We  cross  the  railway  back  again. 

Nov/  the  canal,  we  pass  it  by. 

And  on  towards  Sparsholt  village  fly  ; 

A  change  he  makes  with  sure  intent. 

And  straight  to  Child rey  Bridge  he  went. 

Up  to  this  time  "  Guy  Fawkes  "f  did  go 

As  straight  as  any  bird  you  know  ; 

But  now,  alas,  the  worst  of  all, 

Our|  Master  here  gets  such  a  fall. 

The  wattle  big,  and  strong  bound  heather. 

Bring  man  and  horse  both  down  together  ; 


*  Eli  Skinner,  the  2nd  Whip. 

t  "  Guy  Fawkes,"  Mr.  T.  Duffield's  favourite  horse. 
%  In  this  run  Mr.  Tom  Duffield  broke  his  collar-bone, 
his  horse  having  fallen  and  landed  him  in  a  ditch.    Seeing 


27©  THE   OLD  BERKS   HUNT 

A  broken  bone,  sad  to  discover, 

Before  this  rattling  run  is  over. 

The  hounds  still  sticking  to  their  line, 

Now  cross  the  rail  for  the  third  time. 

Streaming  on  for  Stanford  village, 

All  on  grass,  none  under  tillage. 

But  Reynard,  to  the  right  he  turns. 

And  leaves  forbidden  ground  which  burns, 

Whilst  now  Park  Island  passing  by, 

"  Forard,  forard  !  "  still  is  the  cry. 

"  Black  acre  "  now  is  left  behind. 

Where  a  good  fox  sometimes  we  find  ; 

Now  on  for  Tagg's  at  Charney  Wick 

Old  Lavish  leads  us  like  a  brick, 

And  turning  to  the  right  once  more, — 

The  Denchworth  plough,  oh  !  what  a  bore. 

The  bound'ry  ditch  we  have  to  leap, 

Which  lands  us  in  the  plough  so  deep ; 

With  some  behind  who  feel  so  vexed, 

The  field  has  now  become  select. 

The  few  that  in  the  run  are  left. 

Have  Little  Denchworth  on  their  left. 

We  sigh  and  sob  all  through  the  plough. 

With  Denchworth  brook  before  us  now. 

Some  get  in  and  some  are  over. 

And  some  another  way  discover. 

For  West  Hanney  now  we  rattle, 

Like  plucky  soldiers  when  in  battle. 

But  turning  to  the  left  he  will 

Take  us  straight  down  to  Charney  Mill  ; 

Into  the  road  we  jump  a  ditch. 

Where  hounds  had  run  to  such  a  pitch. 

Just  now  a  little  check  occurr'd 

he  did  not  rise,  a  stranger  rode  up  to  him  and  said : 
"  I  hope,  Sir,  you're  not  hurt  ?  "  to  which  he  got  the 
reply,  "  You  blank  idiot ;  do  you  think  I  should  be  such 
a as  to  lie  here  if  I  wasn't  ?  " 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUFFIELD    271 

Which  seemed  so  long  had  been  deferred  ; 

Short  time  for  those  who  want  a  breathing 

As  down  the  road  the  hounds  are  stealing. 

Now  straight  for  Lyford  in  full  cry, 

And  passing  Charney  village  by, 

As  time  and  pace  begin  to  tell, 

Poor  Reynard  should  have  made  his  will. 

They  cross  the  road  to  Brook's  house, 

And  knock  him  over  like  a  mouse  ; 

Whoop,  whoop,  to  those  who  are  near, 

A  welcome  sound  for  all  to  hear. 

This  fox  had  lived  for  full  two  hours. 

Before  his  keen  and  fleet  pursuers  ; 

The  incidents,  to  tell  them  all. 

Are  far  too  many  to  recall. 

But  if  a  few  we  may  mention. 

Take  it  for  a  good  intention. 

John  Tread  well,  then,  from  first  to  last, 

Was  never  beaten,  not  surpassed. 

The  noble  lord,  his  chief  companion, 

Rode  in  splendid  style  and  fashion. 

Jim*  (the  whip)  who'd  ridden  Archer, 

Rode  so  fast  could  ride  no  faster  ; 

Whilst  Duffield  (Charles),  our  late  good  Master, 

Rod  e  so  smart,  no  man  rode  smarter. 

Kyfifin,  Fox,  Atkins,  and  Campbell, 

Were  at  the  end  and  in  the  scramble  ; 

While  Crowdy  P.  in  front  was  seen 

With  the  well-known  gallant  Captain  Green. 

From  reds  to  green  we  here  must  turn, 

As  Aldworth  did  a  lesson  learn. 

By  keeping  on  you  see  the  fun. 

And  see  the  finish  of  the  run. 

From  green  to  black  now  let  us  go. 

And  see  what  humble  people  know. 

With  Morland  first,  who  went  so  well, 


*  Jim  Hewgill,  the  ist  Whip. 


272  THE   OLD  BERKS   HUNT 

Never  swerved,  and  never  fell. 

And  Fisher,  too,  with  horse  so  stout, 

With  Pinnock  there  or  thereabout. 

Hyde,  Adams,  John,  and  his  stout  brother, 

All  went  as  well  as  any  other, 

Payne,  Craddock,  Albert  Whitfield,  Reade, 

Each  rode  quite  straight  upon  his  steed. 

And  Wallis,  on  Old  Sportsman  bold. 

Could  have  the  mazzard,  he  was  told. 

This  ends  the  run  and  ends  the  story. 

May  hunting  reign  in  all  its  glory. 

A  most  singular  incident  occurred  on  March 
the  29th,  1875,  '^^'O  brace  of  foxes  being 
broken  up  simultaneously  ;  and  what  was  more 
remarkable  still,  in  each  case  one  of  the  two 
foxes  met  with  his  death  by  drowning.  The 
meet  was  at  Challow.  A  fox  was  found  near 
the  station,  and  after  a  run  of  thirty-five 
minutes  was  killed  at  Sparsholt.  During  the 
run  the  pack  divided,  and  the  other  portion 
ran  their  fox  into  a  pond  near  Sparsholt. 
Both  foxes  having  been  thus  accounted  for, 
the  reunited  pack  adjourned  to  Kingston 
Lisle,  where  a  fox  was  quickly  found,  and  run 
into  the  lake  at  Woolstone  Lodoe.  Arain  the 
pack  had  divided,  and  again  a  second  was 
killed,  this  time  at  Woolstone  Wells.  Probably 
this  was  a  unique  record  for  a  single  day's 
hunting. 

The    opening     meet    was    on    Wednesday, 
October    the    27th,    1875.     -^   brace   of   foxes 


:EARL   of  craven  and  MR.    T.   DUFFIELD    273 

were    killed,    one    at    the    "  Lamb  and    Flag," 
the  other  at  Hatford. 

At  the  end  of  the  spring  season  of  1875  Mr. 
Dufifield  resigned,  and  Lord  Craven  continued 
alone.  Thus  the  partnership,  which  had  pro- 
vided excellent  sport  for  the  country  for  seven 
years,  came  to  an  end. 

During  Lord  Craven's  mastership,  his  hunts- 
man was  John  Treadwell,  with  James  Hewgill 
as  ist  whip,  and  Joe  Laurence,  now  huntsman 
to  the  Oakley,  as  2nd  whip. 

Mr.  T.  Duffield's  talent  for  the  use  of 
choice  hunting  language  had  not  languished 
for  want  of  practice.  Indeed,  it  had  become 
recognised  as  a  joke  in  the  country  and 
notorious  in  the  neighbouring  hunts.  The 
Duke  of  Beaufort,  in  the  Badminton  series, 
says :  "  Those  who  have  enjoyed  the  pleasure 
of  a  gallop  from,  say,  the  Blowing  Stone 
to  Wantage,  will  never  forget  it ;  particularly 
if  they  should  happen  to  have  come  across 
the  path  of  the  Master,  Mr.  Tom  Duffield." 
Some  Oxford  undergraduates  who  had  ex- 
perienced his  reproofs,  took  their  revenge  by 
dubbing  the  Old  Berkshire  the  "  Old  Blas- 
phemers," and  the  countryside  became  full  of 
stories  of  the  redoubtable  "  Mr.  Tom."  For 
instance,  a  fox  had  been  killed,  and  a  couple 
of  yokels  sitting  on  a  gate  were  requested  by 
18 


274  THE    OLD    BERKS    HUNT 

him  to  open  the  gate.  Said  one,  nudging  his 
companion,  "  Don't  'ee  budge.  Bill  ;  zit  sdill, 
and  let's  hear  'un  sware  a  bit."  Upon  one 
occasion  a  paragraph  appeared  in  the  local 
paper,  the  Faringdon  Advertiser,  the  author- 
ship being  attributed  to  a  popular  and  hospit- 
able parson,  the  Rev.  E.  Penwarne-Wellings, 
who  lived  in  the  very  centre  of  the  Vale, 
and  ran  as  follows  :  "  We  hear  that  so  many- 
members  of  the  Old  Berks  Hunt  got  into 
Rosey  brook  on  Monday  last  that  the  course 
of  the  stream  was  seriously  impeded.  At  last 
the  gallant  Master  himself  got  in,  and  then  the 
brook  was  completely  dammed."  On  one  or 
two  occasions  a  little  difficulty  was  caused  in 
the  hunt  by  this  want  of  restraint,  but  the 
difficulty  was  soon  got  over  by  the  tact  of  the 
Hunt  President,  Lord  Barrington,  aided  by 
the  Hon.  Sees.,  and  the  natural  good  sense 
and  kindness  of  heart  of  Mr.  Duffield. 

Mr.  T.  Duffield  did  not  long  survive  his 
mastership.  He  died  at  New  House  in  1888. 
Mr.  Duffield  had  married  Adela,  daughter  of 
the  late  Mr.  Theobald  Theobald  of  Sutton, 
Courtney  Abbey,  some  time  Master  of  the 
"  Craven,"  who  survives  him,  and  has  since 
married  Colonel  Blake.  He  left  one  daughter, 
who  married,  firstly,  Mr.  John  Blandy-Jenkins, 
of  Kingston   Bagpuize,  who  died  in   1901,  and 


Hills  &^  Saunders,  photo. 


JOHN     TREADWELL. 


To  /ace  />ti^e  275. 


EARL    OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUFFIELD    275 

secondly,  Mr.  Frank  Oakes,  son  of  Mr. 
Harvey-Oakes,  of  Stowmarket. 

On  Wednesday,  February  the  20th,  1878, 
a  testimonial,  consisting  of  a  silver  watch  and 
teapot,  and  a  purse  of  700  sovereigns,  was 
presented  to  the  Huntsman,  John  Tread  well. 
The  presentation  took  place  at  a  dinner  held 
in  the  Council  Chamber  at  Abingdon  ;  Mr. 
C.  P.  Duffield  in  the  chair.  Treadwell  was 
the  son  of  Jem  Treadwell,  who  was  entered 
to  the  sport  under  Mr.  Codrington.  Jem 
Treadwell  was  for  many  years  huntsman  to 
Mr.  Farquharson,  in  Dorsetshire.  John 
Treadwell  first  became  known  as  a  hard-riding 
whip  in  Hampshire.  Then  he  went  into 
Essex  as  huntsman  to  Mr.  Henley  Greaves. 
Afterwards  he  went  to  the  Cottesmore  with 
Mr.  Greaves.  He  then  became  huntsman 
to  the  "  Quorn  "  for  five  years  under  Lord 
Stamford.  His  uncle,  James  Treadwell,  had 
carried  the  horn  in  the  Quorn  country  just 
twenty  years  before.  Treadwell  rejoined  Mr. 
Greaves  in  1863,  when  he  took  the  Old 
Berkshire  country.  He  remained  Huntsman 
of  the  Old  Berks  for  nearly  twenty  years.  He 
retired  in  1882,  and  died  at  Kingston  Bagpuize 
in  1895. 

The  authors  of  the  Essex  Hunt  say  of  him  : 
"  Of  Treadwell's  skill   in  hunting  there  is  no 


276  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

need  for  us  to  testify  ;  always  a  quick  man,  his 
Leicestershire  experience  made  him  even  more 
so.  No  man  could  better  force  the  foxes  to  fly 
from  the  fastness  of  Tubney  Woods,  while  if 
a  fox  was  to  be  forced  from  Bagley  Wood, 
Treadwell  was  the  man  to  make  him  go. 
For  Tar  Wood,  in  Oxfordshire,  on  the  border 
of  the  Heythrop  country,  he  had  a  liking,  but 
he  liked  the  Old  Berks  vale  the  best.  That 
stretch  of  green  recalled,  no  doubt,  to  his 
mind  the  glories  of  the  Quorn,  and  in  it  he 
was  at  his  best."  He  left  a  very  full  diary 
of  his  hunting  experiences  in  the  Old  Berk- 
shire country.  This  has  been  placed  at  our 
disposal  by  his  widow,  and  records  many  good 
runs  duringr  his  connection  with  the  Hunt. 
So  thorouoh  was  Treadwell's  knowledg-e  of 
the  ways  of  his  quarry  that  it  was  sometimes 
said  of  him  :  "  He  would  almost  hunt  a  fox 
without  the  aid  of  hounds."  His  popularity, 
especially  amongst  the  yeomen  and  farmers, 
was  unbounded,  and  he  was  the  hero  of  many 
stories. 

Keen  as  mustard,  Treadwell  often  enjoyed 
an  off  day  with  one  of  the  neighbouring  packs, 
mounted  by  one  of  his  numerous  friends. 
Upon  one  occasion,  after  a  successful  day 
with  the  Heythrop,  horse  and  rider  found 
needful    refreshment    at    the   hospitable  house 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUFFIELD     277 

of  Mr.  Heydon,  of  the  Hill  Farm,  North- 
moor,  Oxon,  and  it  was  late  and  very  dark 
when  they  set  out  on  the  journey  home. 
Whether  it  was  due  to  the  darkness  of  the 
night,  or  to  the  strength  of  Mr.  Heydon's 
whiskey,  is  uncertain,  but  on  the  way  home 
horse  and  rider  suddenly  found  themselves  in 
the  moat  at  Stanton  Harcourt.  "I'm  blessed 
if  I  knowed  exactly  what  had  happened,"  said 
Treadwell  afterwards  ;  "I  felt  myself  going 
down  and  down  and  down,  till  I  thought  we 
should  both  have  been  out  of  sight  altogether. 
The  place  didn't  seem  to  have  no  bottom  to  it. 
I  sat  on  my  'orse  cos  I'd  been  always  used  to. 
But  I  caught  hold  of  the  branch  of  a  tree, 
and  tried  to  hold  us  both  up,  but  it  wasn't 
much  good,  and  I  holload  and  holload,  and 
at  last  they  came  with  a  rope,  and  I  tied  it 
round  my  horse's  neck,  and  they  pulled  him 
out  and  me  with  him  ;  and  precious  glad,  too." 
Upon  occasion  Treadwell's  virtues  induced 
some  of  his  admirers  to  break  into  song.  The 
following  lines  are  by  that  veteran  sportsman, 
one  of  the  fathers  of  the  Hunt,  Mr.  John  Blake, 
of  Oxford.  Our  readers  will  wish  to  see  them, 
if  only  for  the  sake  of  author  and  subject,  and 
their  lonpf  connection  with  the  Hunt. 


278  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

John  Treadwell. 

You  know  John  Treadwell, 

Now  the  coat  he  wears  is  black  ; 
He  sees  lots  of  fun, 

If  it  is  upon  a  hack. 
We  meet  him  in  the  field, 

Tho'  he  doesn't  hunt  the  pack, 
Yet  he  is  welcomed  by  the  Master 

In  the  morning. 

In  a  run  o'er  the  Vale, 

It  was  fun  to  have  a  look 
At  the  game  old  man 

Have  a  cut  at  Rosey  Brook. 
It  mattered  not  to  him 

Which  way  a  fox  took 
That  he  found  at  Rosey  Covert 

In  the  morning. 

You  know  John  Treadwell,  &c. 

His  care  was  for  his  hounds, 

Not  a  d about  his  neck  ; 

It  was  a  treat  to  see  him  cast  them 

When  he  came  to  a  check  ; 
He  would  hold  them  on  the  line, 
And  if  there  was  the  slightest  speck, 

Would  show  you  as  they  ketched  him 

In  the  morning. 

You  know  John  Treadwell,  &c. 

His  fondness  for  the  sport 

I  am  sure  it  never  lags  ; 
He's  a  topper  in  the  field 

As  good  upon  the  flags  ; 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUFFIELD     279 

Of  the  good  ones  that  he's  bred 

He  seldom  ever  brags, 
And  they  go  home  with  their  sterns  up 

In  the  evening. 

You  know  John  Treadwell,  &c. 

All  you  who  love  the  sport 

Will,  I  am  sure,  be  pleased  to  hear 
Old  John  has  saved  enough 

To  keep  him  while  he's  here  ; 
It  is  in  a  good  investment, 

So  he  has  nought  to  fear, 
He  could  fetch  it  out 

On  any  Monday  morning. 

You  know  John  Treadwell,  &c. 

Then  here's  to  John  Treadwell, 

He  is  a  good  old  soul  ; 
And  like  ourselves 

He  is  fond  of  the  bowl. 
We  hope  it  may  be  many  years 

Before  his  knell  doth  toll, 
For  you  don't  meet  such  a  huntsman 

Every  morning. 

You  know  John  Treadwell,  &c. 

During  Mr.  Thomas  Duffield's  mastership 
Treadwell  rode,  among  others,  a  chestnut  mare, 
and  a  brown  mare  with  a  silver  tail.  He  went 
well,  in  a  way  peculiarly  his  own,  on  anything  ; 
but  when  mounted  on  either  of  these,  or  on 
the  roan  horse,  "  Merry  Andrew,"  which 
carried  him  so  well  for  so  many  seasons,  he 
was,  indeed,  hard  to  beat  over  a  country. 


28o  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

In  January,  1871,  the  following  resolution 
was  passed  at  a  meeting  held  at  the  Crown 
Inn,  Faringdon  ;  Lord  Barrington,  M.P.,  in 
the  chair:  "That  this  meetino-  desires  to 
thank  Lord  Craven  most  cordially  for  the 
efficient  way  in  which  he  has  hunted  the 
country  for  the  last  three  seasons,  and  gladly 
accepts  his  offer  to  undertake  the  management 
for  a  further  term  of  three  years."  An  increase 
was  made  to  the  amount  of  the  subscription, 
in  consequence  of  the  expense  Lord  Craven 
had  incurred  in  taking  a  residence  (Kingston 
House)  nearer  the  centre  of  the  country. 

The  opening  meet  of  1879  was  at  King- 
ston House  on  November  the  5th.  There 
was  a  very  large  attendance.  A  fox  was 
found  at  Stanboro's.  During  the  run  a  nasty 
accident  happened  to  the  Master's  second 
son,  the  Hon.  Rupert  Craven.  His  pony 
fell  at  a  jump,  and  the  hoof  of  the  horse  of 
some  person  following  too  closely  struck  the 
little  fellow  on  the  head.  He  was  carried  off 
to  Kinorston  House  at  once  and  attended  to 
by  Dr.  Daly  and  Mr.  G.  H.  Maskelyne  of 
Faringdon,  and  soon  recovered. 

Lord  Craven  was  the  keenest  of  Masters, 
and  his  hounds  used  to  hunt  in  all  possible 
weathers,  and  as  late  in  the  year  as  the  state 
of  the  crops  would  permit.      In   1880  the  final 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUFFIELD    281 

meet  was  on  April  the  21st,  when  they  met 
at  the  "  Fox  and  Hounds  Inn,"  Littleworth. 
A  fox  found  in  the  Grove  was  killed  in  the 
sheepfold  at  Mr.  Chatterton's  farm,  Wadley. 
A  second  fox  was  run  to  ground  at  Pusey, 
where  a  third  was  quickly  on  foot.  He  made 
his  way  to  Hinton  and  took  refuse  in  the 
cellar  of  the  house.  Treadwell  brought  him 
out,  and  he  was  broken  up  on  the  lawn ; 
making  a  total  of  fifty-five  brace  for  the 
season. 

It  took  a  very  hard  frost  to  stop  Lord 
Craven.  Hunt  he  would  if  hounds  could 
possibly  travel  to  the  meet.  Upon  one  occa- 
sion the  hounds  ran  a  fox  along  the  edge  of 
the  lake  at  Faringdon  House,  the  sheet  of 
water  being  crowded  with  skaters  at  the  time  ; 
and  it  takes  a  good  deal  of  frost  to  make  that 
lake  bear.  Personally  he  was  certainly  the 
most  popular  Master  since  "  Charlie  "  Duffield. 
The  yeoman  contingent  was  exceedingly  strong, 
and  the  Master  was  always  ready  with  a  cheery 
greeting  for  everybody.  "  Hold  hard,  sir. 
Hold  hard,  Mr.  Sharpe,  sir,  I  say.  Don't 
you  know  the  rules.  What  the  mischief  do 
you  mean  by  riding  across  roots  like  that  when 
hounds  are  not  running  ?  "  said  he  one  day  to 
the  late  Mr.  Benjamin  Sharpe,  of  Shellingford, 
who  was  showing  the  way  across  his  own  roots. 


282  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

"  Never  you  mind,  my  Lord.  You  come 
along  with  me.  The  owner  won't  find  fault 
with  us  to-day,"  was  the  reply,  "  I've  got 
another  bone  to  pick  with  you,  Mr.  Sharpe. 
What  do  you  mean  by  stopping  up  my  favourite 
gap  down  in  the  bottom  yonder.'^"  "  Likes  to 
see  the  gentlemen  in  the  air,  my  Lord  ;  likes 
to  see  the  o-entlemen  in  the  air."  He  was 
very  good-natured,  too,  in  meeting  the  wishes 
of  this  section  of  his  supporters  in  another 
matter.  Naturally,  farmers  who  are  up  early 
and  do  a  good  day's  work  round  their  farms 
before  the  less  busv  followers  of  the  chase  are 
out  of  bed,  look  with  a  kindly  eye  upon  the 
"  Lawn  meet,"  where  adequate  provision  is 
prepared  for  healthy  appetites  bred  by  country 
air.  At  this  period  meets  at  houses  became 
very  frequent.  Indeed,  the  opinion  was  freely 
expressed,  "  the  proper  way  for  the  '  Old 
Berks '  to  hunt  is  to  meet  at  one  gentleman's 
house  and  to  leave  off"  at  another."  His  lord- 
ship's keenness  for  sport  made  him  chafe  a 
little  at  the  delay  involved  ;  but  nevertheless 
he  rather  encouraged  the  practice,  for  he  held 
that  it  was  good  for  the  Hunt,  as  tending  to 
make  it  popular  ;  and  good  for  the  country,  as 
affording  an  opportunity  for  landlords  and 
farmers  to  meet  under  very  pleasant  circum- 
stances. 


EARL    OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUFFIELD     283 

After  the  season  of  1876  a  cup  was  pre- 
sented by  Messrs,  C.  Pigou  (15th  Regt.)  and 
C.  F.  Watkins  (Scots  Greys),  who  had  been 
hunting  in  the  country,  to  be  run  for  by 
members  of  the  Hunt  and  farmers  residing  in 
the  country.  The  event  took  place  at  Middle 
Leaze  Farm,  Coleshill,  on  April  the  8th,  1876. 
It  was  won  by  Mr.  Goddard's  Lottery,  ridden 
by  Mr.  G.  Drewe.  2nd,  Mr.  T.  Fisher's 
Kingfisher,  ridden  by  Mr.  F.  M.  Butler. 

A  match  was  then  run  between  Mr.  G. 
Adams's  Aylesbury,  ridden  by  Mr.  Percy 
Crowdy  ;  and  Mr.  Pigou's  Grey  Friar,  ridden 
by  the  owner,  and  was  won  by  the  former. 

A  scurry  race  followed,  which  was  won  by 
Mr.  G.  Reade's  King  Bryan,  ridden  by  Mr.  H. 
Bayley. 

Hunting  was  stopped  in  January,  1881,  by 
the  very  hard  frost,  which  was  very  severely 
felt  in  Berkshire,  and  particularly  upon  the 
Downs,  where  several  deaths  occurred  of 
people  overtaken  by  the  snow,  which  fell  with- 
out warning  and  with  extraordinary  rapidity. 
Communication  with  London  was  suspended 
by  the  blocking  of  a  train  in  the  Molesford 
cutting.  Mr.  Thatcher,  of  Longcot,  had  sent 
four  carts  to  deliver  coal  at  the  gas-house  at 
Lambourne.  The  carts  were  in  charge  of  a 
man    named    Patient,    who    was    accompanied 


284  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

by  his  master's  son,  Robert  Thatcher,  aged 
II,  a  man  named  Goddard,  and  a  lad  of  17, 
named  Daniels.  Having  delivered  the  coal, 
the  party  started  on  its  return  journey,  leaving 
Lambourne  at  i  p.m.  Snow  began  to  fall  as 
they  started,  but  Patient,  being  familiar  with 
the  Downs,  anticipated  no  difficulty.  He  took 
the  road  by  Compton  House  and  Knighton 
Hamlet,  as  being  the  shorter  and  least  liable 
to  be  blocked  by  snow.  He  appears  to  have 
reached  and  passed  Knighton  Bushes,  and 
then  to  have  lost  the  track  in  the  blinding 
storm.  The  horses  became  utterly  exhausted 
near  the  spot  known  as  Honey  Bush  Corner. 
This  was  about  4.30  p.m.  The  party  then 
lost  their  way  completely,  and  the  boy  Robert 
becoming  exhausted.  Patient  took  him  on  his 
back  and  struggled  with  him  for  two  hours 
and  a  half  through  the  blinding  hurricane  of 
snow  and  wind.  He  then  discovered  his 
burden  was  a  corpse.  After  a  time  he  was 
compelled  to  leave  the  dead  boy  in  the  snow 
and  crawl  on  alone.  At  last  he  got  shelter 
in  an  empty  house,  and  ultimately,  with  great 
difficulty,  managed  to  reach  the  house  of  Lord 
Craven's  keeper,  Jesse  Jones.  Here  Patient 
arrived  about  one  o'clock  at  night.  Jones  re- 
ceived Patient  with  the  greatest  kindness, 
and    organised,   with  the   neighbours,    a    relief 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUFFIELD    285 

expedition.  They  found  William  Goddard 
frozen  to  death  not  far  from  the  body  of 
Robert  Thatcher.  Daniels  was  still  alive, 
having  managed  to  protect  himself  to  some 
extent  by  crouching  against  the  horses  ;  but 
he  was  very  ill.  Two  of  the  horses  were  found 
dead. 

It  was  some  time  before  hunting  could  be 
resumed  after  the  ^reat  snow.  Before  the 
snow  had  entirely  disappeared,  however,  the 
hounds  had  an  excellent  run,  which  was 
described  as  follows  in  the  Faringdon  Ad- 
vertiser. "Old  Berks  Hunt:  These  hounds 
had  the  run  of  the  season  on  Friday,  February 
the  1 8th,  1 88 1.  The  meet  was  at  Kitemore, 
where  there  was  a  large  muster.  Having 
partaken  of  the  hospitality  of  Mr.  Finlay 
Campbell,  a  move  was  made  to  Rosey,  which 
was  drawn  blank.  Subsequently  a  fox  was 
roused  from  a  hayrick  near  Wick  Wood. 
Making  off  at  a  rattling  pace,  he  passed 
Wicklesham,  through  Faringdon  brick-kiln 
and  the  nurseries,  and  down  the  meadows  at 
the  back  of  the  town.  Then  he  crossed  the 
line  near  the  railway  station  and  on  to  the 
gravel-pits,  leaving  Little  Coxwell  to  the  left, 
and  so  by  Ringdale  to  Uffington,  where  he 
crossed  the  Great  Western  Railway.  Then 
he  passed  through  the   meadows  to  the  right 


286  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

of  Mr.  Thatcher's,  pointing  for  Hardwell,  but 
turned  again  and  made  for  Stockham  Farm, 
where  he  laid  down,  but  being  closely  followed, 
he  started  again  over  the  Manger  road,  as 
though  for  the  spinnies.  Changing  his  course 
again  he  made  for  Uffington  Wood,  but  leav- 
ing it  to  the  right,  he  went  up  the  hill  above 
Kingston  Warren  Farm,  into  the  Ashdown 
Coverts,  where  he  was  killed  after  a  splendid 
run  of  one  hour  and  forty-five  minutes.  The 
going  at  times  was  exceedingly  heavy,  and  the 
pace  severe,  the  distance  being  about  fifteen 
miles. 

The  Hunt  Steeplechases  took  place  at  the 
Middle  Leaze  Farm,  Coleshill,  on  Thursday, 
March  the  17th,  1881.  Stewards:  The  Earl 
of  Craven  (Master),  V.  Van  de  Weyer,  Esq., 
C.  P.  Duffield.  Esq.  ;  with  Mr.  Percy  Crowdy 
as  Hon.  Sec. 

The  Farmer's  Cup  was  won  by  Mr.  R. 
Aldworth's  "  Sorceress,"  ridden  by  Mr.  Wm. 
Pullen. 

The  Hunt  Steeplechase,  by  Mr.  J.  Jackson's 
"Yellow  Jack,"  ridden  by  Mr.  J.  Cheeseman. 

A  Scurry  Race,  by  Mr.  C.  W.  Jousiffe's 
"  Music,"  ridden  by  Mr.  Cheeseman. 

United  Farmers'  Hunt  Race,  by  Mr.  R. 
Aldworth's  "  Sorceress,"  ridden  by  Mr.  Pullen. 

It  is  chronicled   that  on   Wednesday,   April 


EARL   OF  CRA  VEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUF FIELD    287 

the  8th,  1 88 1,  the  hounds  met  at  Besselsleigh 
and  had  a  blank  day,  this  being  the  first  blank 
day  experienced  by  these  hounds  for  eighteen 
years  ! 

A  meeting  of  members  of  the  Hunt  was 
held  at  the  Crown  Inn,  Faringdon,  on  Tuesday, 
December  the  19th,  1881  —  present  :  Viscount 
Barrington,  in  the  chair,  Sir  W.  Throckmorton, 
Colonel  Van  de  Weyer,  Captain  Loder^ 
Symonds,  Messrs.  C,  P.  Duffield,  D.  Bennett, 
B.  H.  Morland,  Finlay  Campbell,  F.  M.  Atkins, 
G.  F.  Crowdy,  and  others — when  the  following 
resolution  was  unanimously  passed:  "This 
meeting  desires,  in  the  most  cordial  terms,  to 
tender  to  Lord  Craven  its  best  thanks  for  the 
very  efficient  manner  in  which  he  has  hunted 
the  country  the  whole  period  of  his  mastership." 

Lord  Craven,  in  reply,  regretted  he  could 
not  continue  to  hunt  the  country  in  the  same 
way,  but  offered  to  continue  for  another  year 
if  he  was  permitted  to  kennel  the  hounds  at 
Ashdown  and  to  hunt  from  there,  an  offer 
which  was  gladly  accepted,  Ashdown,  it  should 
be  mentioned,  being  in  the  Craven  Hunt, 

The  last  meet  of  the  season  was  on  Friday, 
April  the  14th,  1882,  when  the  hounds  met  at 
Ashdown  by  special  invitation  from  Sir  Richard 
Sutton,  Master  of  the  Craven.  It  was  gener- 
ally   known    that    Lord    Craven    intended    to 


288  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

hunt  his  hounds  himself  for  the  next  season, 
and  that  meet  was  the  last  time,  therefore,  that 
the  services  of  Treadwell  would  be  required. 
He  was  about  to  end  his  long  and  honourable 
service  of  nineteen  years  with  the  Old  Berk- 
shire Hounds.  An  unusually  large  field  was 
the  result,  quite  300  horsemen  being  present. 
Treadwell  was  offered  the  post  of  huntsman  to 
the  "South  and  West  Wilts  Hounds,"  but  he 
declined  the  offer. 

Lord  Craven  showed  excellent  sport  during 
the  following  season.  It  was  wonderful  how 
so  heavy  a  man  managed  to  stick  to  the 
hounds  as  he  did,  and  still  more  wonderful 
that  flesh  and  blood  could  stand,  even  for  a 
time,  the  work  he  went  through  in  hunting  the 
country  from  Ashdown.  Nearly  every  day  he 
drove  the  hounds  down  from  his  place  in  a  van 
with  four  horses  ;  every  day,  after  hunting,  he 
himself  drove  them  back  again.  Nor  would 
he  rest  himself,  or  change  his  clothes,  until  he 
had  seen  his  hounds  fed  and  cared  for.  Still 
with  it  all,  the  work  was  thoroughly  well 
done  ;  and  even  the  most  distant  part  of  the 
country  regularly  hunted.  In  January  Lord 
Craven  agreed  to  hunt  the  country  in  the 
same  manner  for  another  year,  but  that  was 
not  to  be.  Monday,  January  the  15th,  1883, 
the  hounds  found  a  fox  at  Watchfield  Common. 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUFFIELD    289 

They  pressed  him  hard  to  Coleshill,  and  back 
again  across  the  Common.  Then  they  hustled 
him  by  Mr.  Fereman's  house,  through  Longcott 
into  Mr.  Oliver  Gerring's  garden  at  Little 
Coxwell.  Here  the  fox  was  beaten  and  lay 
down  in  the  paddock  until  he  was  turned  out 
by  a  large  pig,  which  fairly  hunted  him,  follow- 
ing and  jumping  a  high  wall  after  him.  In 
crossing  the  field  the  hounds  got  on  to  the  line 
of  a  fresh  fox,  and  ran  him  through  the  Furze 
Hills  to  Fernham,  then  back  to  Coles  Pits, 
and  to  the  sports  ground  at  Faringdon,  where 
he  was  killed,  after  an  excellent  run  of  two 
hours  and  twenty-six  minutes. 

In  January,  1883,  Mr.  Edward  Morland 
retired  from  the  post  of  Joint  Honorary  Secre- 
tary on  account  of  ill-health.  He  had  held  the 
post  for  seven  years,  and  a  cordial  vote  of 
thanks  to  him  for  his  services  was  passed. 
Mr.  B.  H.  Morland,  of  Sheepstead,  his  cousin, 
succeeded  him. 

The  last  meet  of  the  season  was  at  Little 
Coxwell,  on  April  the  i6th,  1883.  They  had 
several  short  runs  and  killed  one  fox,  making 
forty-nine  and  a  half  brace,  against  fifty  brace 
the  year  before.  This  was  the  last  occasion 
upon  which  Lord  Craven  appeared  in  the 
hunting  field.  The  tremendous  exertion  of 
the  season  had  been  too  much  for  him.  He 
19 


290  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

became  seriously  ill.  The  news  from  Ash- 
down  became  worse  and  worse.  However,  at 
the  opening  meet  of  the  ensuing  season,  which 
was  at  Tubney  Tree,  on  November  the  7th, 
the  field  was  cheered  by  better  news  from  Ash- 
down.  The  kennel  huntsman,  Robert  Vincent, 
hunted  the  hounds,  with  Joe  Lawrence  and 
George  Tofts  as  whips.  The  Hon.  Osbert 
Craven  acted  as  Master  in  the  field.  The 
rally  was  unfortunately  of  short  duration,  and 
Lord  Craven  died  on  December  the  7th,  1883. 
His  loss  was  sincerely  and  deeply  mourned, 
not  only  by  his  wide  circle  of  personal  friends 
and  the  Hunt  he  had  so  long  and  admirably 
conducted,  but  by  the  whole  country  side. 
As  his  father-in-law.  Lord  Barrington,  speak- 
ing at  a  gathering  at  Ashdown,  some  little 
time  after  his  death,  said  :  "He  cared  not  for 
the  excitement  of  a  political  career,  for  a  life 
at  Court,  or  for  the  amusements  of  a  Capital. 
He  was  a  typical  country  gentleman.  He 
lived  and  he  died  in  his  own  country  among 
his  own  people,  known,  honoured,  and  beloved 
by  all." 

The  executors  of  Lord  Craven  undertook 
to  carry  on  the  Hunt  for  the  remainder  of 
the  season.  All  pecuniary  difficulties  being 
obviated  by  a  very  liberal  supplementary  sub- 
scription from  Mr.   Van  de  Weyer,  while  the 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR    T.   DUFF  I  ELD    291 

Hon.   Osbert    Craven  undertook  the  duties  of 
Master  in  the  field. 

On  Monday,  January  the  7th,  1884,  the 
hounds  met  at  Steventon  Green.  On  their 
way,  to  draw  a  Httle  covert  on  the  top  of 
Steventon  Hill,  a  fox  was  put  up  behind  the 
hounds  by  some  of  the  field  when  crossing  a 
fallow.  The  hounds  were  turned  back  and 
quickly  got  on  to  his  line.  He  went  through 
the  hop  grounds  and  across  the  Illsley  Road 
and  over  Milton  Hill,  through  Mr.  Bowles's 
shrubberies  and  on  to  the  Gorse,  which  he  just 
brushed  through  ;  then  he  turned  and  set  his 
head  straight  back  for  the  hop  grounds,  through 
them  and  on  to  the  little  copse  the  hounds 
were  going  to  draw.  The  fox  then  crossed  the 
Milton  Road  and  the  railway  leaving  Steven- 
ton Station  to  the  left,  through  the  enclosures 
between  Milton  and  Steventon  villages,  out 
over  the  Abingdon  Road,  just  below  Steven- 
ton Green  and  into  Steventon  fields,  which 
they  crossed,  hunting  well  and  steadily  at  a 
good  pace  and  nearly  to  Hendred  Cowleaze  ; 
here  they  checked  a  minute  or  two,  but  he 
did  not  go  into  the  covert,  but  bearing  to 
the  right  ran  over  the  grass  grounds  to  the 
canal,  which  they  crossed,  where  it  runs 
under  the  railway.  Here  most  of  the  field 
went  wrong,  going  down   the  green  lane  and 


292  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

under  the  arch,  instead  of  getting  on  to  the 
line  by  the  canal.  They  then  pointed  for 
Wantage  Road  Station,  but  leaving  this  on  the 
left  went  nearly  to  West  Hannay,  but  leav- 
ing this  and  Little  Denchworth  on  the  right, 
passed  Denchworth  village,  over  the  brook 
by  Black  Acres  Farm,  leaving  it  on  the  left 
and  taking  that  fine  bit  of  country  on  to  Stan- 
ford Mill,  crossing  Mill  Lane,  along  the  side 
of  the  brook,  then  turning  to  the  right  over 
the  allotment  ground  as  if  for  Shellingford 
cross  roads  straight  to  Hatford  Gorse,  where 
they  soon  marked  him  to  ground.  Some  men 
were  rabbiting  there,  who  said  he  could 
hardly  crawl.  They  just  moved  the  earth  with 
their  spades  and  the  hounds  very  soon  got 
him,  and  well  they  deserved  him.  The  time 
was  one  hour  and  thirty-nine  minutes.  Dis- 
tance, in  a  bee  line,  was  \o\  miles.  This 
was  an  exceptionally  fine  run  over  a  very 
good  country.  It  closely  resembles,  in  line 
and  distance,  the  "  Blowing  Stone "  run  of 
1864. 

The  mistake  many  of  the  field  made  at  the 
railway  must  have  been  very  disappointing, 
as  they  never  had  a  chance  of  getting  up 
again.  At  the  last  only  about  six  were  near 
the  hounds,  viz.,  Mr.  E.  W.  Dunn,  Mr.  E. 
Robson,  Major  Price  Blackwood,  and   Messrs. 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUFFIELD    293 

W.  Pullen,  W.  Goddard  and  H.  T.  Stone. 
Another  contingent  arrived  before  the  fox 
was  broken  up,  amongst  whom  were  Messrs. 
Osbert  Craven,  John  Eyston  and  Charles 
Eyston.  Some  of  these  hungry  hunters,  find- 
ing themselves  and  their  horses  pretty  well 
done,  proceeded,  on  their  own  account,  to 
"  draw "  Stanford  Place.  The  hospitable 
owner  was  found  at  home  and  delighted  to 
provide  refreshments  in  return  for  the  tale  of 
the  chase. 

In  January,  1884,  a  badger  having  been 
seen  at  Coxwell  Furze  hills,  the  kennel  ter- 
riers were  taken  there  and  after  some  fine 
sport  succeeded  in  "drawing"  one  weighing 
35  lbs. 

It  is  a  rather  remarkable  fact  that  all  the 
Masters  whose  reigns  we  have  now  chron- 
icled have  passed  away,  while  all  those  whose 
doings  we  have  still  to  relate  are  still  going, 
and  long  may  they  continue  to  follow  the 
"sport  of  kings."  Lord  Craven  was  the  only 
Master  who  died  while  in  office  since  the 
original  founder  of  the  Hunt,  Mr.  John  Loder, 
and  he  held  the  reigns  for  a  longer  period  than 
any  Master,  with  the  single  exception  of  the 
founder. 

Lord  Craven  was  succeeded  in  the  title  by 
his  son,  who  was  only  15  years  of  age  when  his 


294  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

father  died.  Ten  years  afterwards  he  married 
the  only  daughter  of  Mr.  Bradley  Martin,  of 
New  York.  Combe  Abbey,  his  seat  near 
Coventry,  is  a  famous  old  house,  which  has  its 
place  in  history.  Had  the  plans  of  the  plotters 
carried,  it  would  have  been  more  notable  still. 
The  gunpowder  plotters  designed  to  abduct 
the  Princess  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  James  I., 
from  Combe  Abbey,  then  the  property  of  Lord 
Harrington. 

It  was  arranged  that  while  Earl  Percy  seized 
the  young  Prince  Charles,  Catesby  should  se- 
cure and  carry  off  the  Princess.  The  Catholic 
nobles  of  his  neighbourhood  were  to  be  assem- 
bled at  Catesby's  place  at  Ashby  St.  Leger, 
and  then,  the  scheme  having  been  explained, 
they  were  to  make  a  dash  on  the  Abbey,  over- 
power such  of  the  guard  as  would  not  join 
them,  seize  the  Princess,  and  hold  her  with  a 
view  to  eventualities.  However,  the  revela- 
tions of  Lord  Morley,  son  of  Lord  Monteagle, 
upset  everything. 

Hunting  with  Lord  Craven,  and  subse- 
quently, were  : — Lady  Craven  ;  Lord  Barring- 
ton,  the  President  of  the  Hunt  ;  the  two 
ex-Masters,  Messrs.  Charles  and  Tom  Duffield; 
the  three  brothers  from  Besselsleigh,  staunchest 
supporters  of  the  Hunt;  E.  K.  Lenthall ;  W. 
Kyffin-Kyffin  ;    and  Frank  Lenthall,  Recorder 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUFFIELD     295 

of  Woodstock,  an  office  which  his  ancestor, 
the  great  Speaker,  held  before  him  ;  the  Hon. 
Osbert  Craven  ;  Mr.  and  Lady  Emily  Van 
de  Weyer  and  Miss  Van  de  Weyer ;  Colonel 
White,  who  lived  at  the  Race,  Kingston  Bag- 
puize,  and  hunted  on  wheels  ;  Mr.  Finlay 
Campbell,  of  Kitemore  ;  Mr.  Stuart  Campbell, 
of  Buscot ;  Major  Price  Blackwood,  of  Tubney 
House,  who  rode  straight,  and  drove  a  four-in- 
hand  ;  Messrs.  Tom  and  Percy  Craddock ; 
Robert  and  Philip  Aid  worth,  of  Frilford  ;  Mr. 
Walter  and  Mr.  Edward  Morland,  of  Abingdon  ; 
Charles  Taylor,  of  Bradley  Farm,  who  had  a 
celebrated  horse  called  "The  Count,"  that  was 
said  to  have  jumped  every  gate  in  the  Vale ; 
Mr.  John  Wallis,  of  Shifford  ;  Messrs.  Charles 
and  John  Edmonds,  of  Longworth  ;  Mr. 
William  Edmonds,  of  Draycott  Moor ;  Mr. 
Edgar  Powell  ;  Mr.  George  Adams  ;  Mr. 
Thomas  Hyde,  of  Caldecott  House,  Abingdon; 
the  Hon.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Agar,  from  Stanton 
Fitzwarren  ;  Mr.  Edwin  Martin-Atkins,  of 
Kingston  Lisle ;  Mr.  Frank  Martin-Atkins, 
of  Westfield  House  ;  Mr.  Tom  Price  ;  Mr. 
John  Bowles,  of  Milton  Hill,  and  his  son. 
Captain  Bowles  ;  Messrs.  Charles  and  James 
Beesley,  of  Charney ;  Mr.  D.  Bennett,  of 
Faringdon  House  ;  Mr.  W.  Dore,  of  Bishop- 
stone  ;     Mr.     George     Cozens,    of    Mackney, 


296  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Wallingford ;  Mr.  Tom  Drewe,  of  Drayton  ; 
Mr.  Charles  Eyston,  of  Hendred,  his  son  Mr. 
Tom  Eyston,  and  his  brother,  Mr.  G.  B. 
Eyston,  of  Stanford  Place  ;  Mr.  Fox,  of  Brad- 
well  Grove ;  Mr.  A.  Goddard,  of  The  Lawn, 
Swindon,  and  his  son;  Capt.  W.  H.  Hippisley, 
Scots  Greys  ;  Mr.  Herbert  Morrell,  of  Head- 
ington  ;  Mr.  Charles  Morrell  ;  Mr.  E.  Robson, 
of  Stockhard;  Mr.  G.  F.  Crowdy,  of  Faringdon, 
and  his  two  sons,  Mr.  Gordon  and  Mr.  Percy 
Crowdy  ;  Mr.  T.  Latham,  of  Little  Witten- 
ham  ;  Mr.  John  Weaving,  of  Appleford  ;  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Orby  Sloper,  of  Westropp  House, 
Highworth  ;  Mr.  David  Gaussen,  of  Brough- 
ton  Hall  ;  Captain  Dunlop  ;  Captain  and  Miss 
Turner,  of  Lechlade  Manor  ;  Capt.  Green,  of 
Little  Coxwell ;  Mr.  Philip  Southby,  of  Bamp- 
ton  ;  Captain  de  Robeck  ;  Sir  Robert  Lloyd- 
Lindsay,  V.C.  (afterwards  Lord  Wantage)  ; 
Mr.  Philip  Wroughton,  from  Woolley  Park  ; 
Mr.  T.  Deacon,  of  Swindon ;  Colonel  Har- 
ford, Scots  Guards  ;  Captain  Philip  Wynter  ; 
Mr.  Edgar  Hanbury,  of  Highworth  ;  Captain 
and  Mrs.  Calley,  of  Burderop ;  Messrs.  E. 
and  W.  Pullen,  of  Appleford ;  Mr.  Moore, 
of  Uffington ;  Mr.  Jefferies  ;  Mr.  Joseph 
Lyford,  of  Sheephouse  Field ;  Mr.  George 
Cox,  of  Abingdon ;  Mr.  F.  Woodbridge, 
of  Chimney  ;    Mr.  Joseph  Tollit,   of  Oxford  ; 


EARL   OF  CRAVEN  AND  MR.    T.   DUFFIELD    297 

Mr.  Walter  Powell,  of  Barton  Abbey;  Mr. 
Edward  Nash,  of  Hatford  ;  Mr.  John  Fisher, 
of  Hannay ;  the  Messrs.  Payne,  of  Abing- 
don ;  Mr.  Monk,  of  Hendred  ;  Lord  Folke- 
stone, of  Coleshill  House,  who  had  some 
very  fine  horses ;  Mr.  L.  H.  Palk  (after- 
wards Lord  Haldon)  and  the  Hon.  Mrs. 
Palk,  of  Shrivenham,  Mr.  Walter  Tosswill, 
Major  Walter  Wynter,  Mr.  L.  Parry,  of  Kite- 
more,  and  many  others  ;  amongst  the  "  young 
entries "  being  Messrs.  John  and  Charles 
Eyston,  of  Hendred,  and  John  and  Fred 
Loder  Symonds. 

On  Fridays,  and  often  on  Mondays,  when 
meets  were  on  the  southern  side,  a  strong  con- 
tingent from  the  Craven  country  used  to  attend, 
among  whom  were  often  to  be  seen  Colonel 
Willes,  of  Hungerford,  Master  of  the  Craven 
1856-57  and  1865-71  ;  Mr.  W.  H.  Dunn 
and  his  brothers,  Major  Dunn  and  Mr.  E.  W. 
Dunn  ;  Rev.  Charles  Johnstone,  of  Enborne  ; 
Dr.  D.  Kennard,  of  Lambourne ;  Mr.  Robert 
Peck,  the  trainer,  of  Russley  ;  Mr.  Philip 
Wroughton,  M.P.  ;  Mr.  Basil  Cochrane,  of 
Chilton;  Major  Aldridge ;  Mr.  J.  H.  Hum- 
phries ;   Mr.  Hobbs,  and  others. 


298 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

Mr.  Victor  William   Bates  Van  de  Weyer 
AND  Mr  C.   p.   Duffield,    1884  to  1889. 

Since  the  mastership  of  Mr.  Henley  Greaves 
the  hounds  had  occupied  the  kennels  at  New 
House,  built  for  him  in  1863.  These  kennels 
left  much  to  be  desired  in  point  of  repair, 
accommodation,  and  situation.  In  the  spring 
of  1884  Mr.  Van  de  Weyer,  in  the  most 
munificent  manner,  placed  the  sum  of  ^2,000 
at  the  disposal  of  the  Hunt  Committee  to 
enable  them  to  build  new  kennels  in  any  part 
of  the  country  that  they  might  select.  After 
full  consideration,  the  site  at  Kino-ston  Bag"- 
puize  was  selected.  A  lease  was  obtained 
from  Mr.  Blandy-Jenkins,  and  the  present 
kennels  were  erected.  Mr.  F.  H.  Barfield,  of 
Faringdon,  was  the  architect,  and  the  kennels 
at  Luton  Hoo,  the  property  of  the  late  Mr. 
Gerard  Leigh,  were  taken  as  a  model.  The 
contract  for  building  was  taken  by  Mr.  John 
Wheeler,  of  Wantage.  While  the  kennels 
were   building    Mr.   Van   de  Weyer  made  an 


Oifcn,  photo. 


VICTOR  VAN   DE  WEYER,   Esq. 
Master  1884  to  1889. 


To  /ace  page  298. 


MR.   VAN  DE    WEYER  AND  MR.  DUFF  IE  LD    299 

offer  to  hunt  the  country,  in  conjunction  with 
Mr.  Charles  Duffield,  for  one  season,  upon  a 
guaranteed  subscription  of  ^700,  an  offer  which 
was  most  gladly  accepted.  Mr.  Duffield,  by 
the  arrangement,  was  to  be  master  in  the 
field. 

Mr.  Victor  Van  de  Weyer  had  previously 
hunted  with  the  "  Old  Berks  "  for  many  years. 
He  is  a  son  of  the  late  Monsieur  Jean  Sylvain 
Van  de  Weyer,  who  was  for  many  years  Bel- 
gian Ambassador  at  the  English  Court.  Born 
at  Louvain  in  1802,  Monsieur  Van  de  Weyer 
was  educated  at  that  great  Belgian  University. 
From  Louvain  Monsieur  Van  de  Weyer  went 
to  Brussels,  where  he  was  called  to  the  bar. 
In  addition  to  his  practice  at  the  bar,  he  held 
the  post  of  Librarian  of  that  city,  and  custo- 
dian of  the  manuscripts  of  the  Dukes  of 
Burgundy.  When  the  revolution  of  1830, 
which  resulted  in  the  separation  of  Belgium 
from  Holland,  broke  out,  Mr.  Van  de  Weyer 
took  an  active  part  in  it.  He  became  a 
member  of  the  Provisional  Government,  and 
was  one  of  the  deputation  sent  to  offer  the 
Crown  of  Belgium  to  Prince  Leopold  of  Saxe- 
Coburg  (afterwards  Leopold  L).  In  July, 
1 83 1,  he  was  appointed  Minister  Plenipoten- 
tiary at  the  Court  of  St.  James's,  which  post  he 
held  until    1867,    when  he    resigned  owing  to 


300  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

failing  health.  From  July,  1845,  ^^  March, 
1846,  he  was  absent  from  England,  having 
taken  office  as  Minister  of  the  Interior  in 
Belgium  ;  but  he  was  not  replaced  during  that 
time  in  London,  a  Charge  d'Affaires  carrying 
on  the  business  of  the  legation.  The  re- 
mainder of  his  life  he  spent  in  England.  He 
married  the  daughter  of  the  late  Mr.  Joshua 
Bates,  U.S.A.,  who  became  a  naturalised  British 
citizen.  After  his  death  in  London,  in  1874, 
his  old  University  of  Louvain  honoured  the 
memory  of  the  patriot  and  diplomatist  by  the 
erection  of  a  bronze  statue,  which  stands  on  a 
conspicuous  site  in  front  of  the  railway  station 
at  Louvain.  His  son,  Mr.  Victor  Van  de 
Weyer,  who  was  educated  at  Eton,  married 
Emily,  youngest  daughter  of  the  second  Earl  of 
Craven,  and  sister  to  the  late  Master.  He 
had  occupied,  for  some  years,  for  hunting 
purposes,  Kingston  Lisle  House,  the  seat  of 
the  Martin-Atkins  family. 

The  late  Lord  Craven  left  his  hounds  to 
Lady  Craven,  with  the  expression  of  a  wish 
that  she  might  place  them  at  the  service  of  the 
Old  Berks  Hunt.  Nobly  has  she  given  effect 
to  this  kindly  wish.  The  hounds  were  pur- 
chased by  her  from  Lord  Craven's  executors, 
at  a  valuation  by  the  present  Duke  of  Beau- 
fort, and    placed   at  the   disposal   of  the    new 


MR.   VAN  DR   WEYER  AND  MR.  DUFFIELD     301 

Masters,  upon  the  understanding  that  the 
number  and  quality  of  the  pack  should  be 
maintained.  For  this  purpose  a  special  valua- 
tion of  the  pack  was  made,  Mr.  W.  H.  Dunn 
and  Mr.  T.  C.  Garth  kindly  acting  as  valuers. 
The  valuation  amounted  to  ^1,400.  This 
arrangement  has  ever  since  remained  in  force, 
and  is  equivalent  to  a  very  large  annual  sub- 
scription on  the  part  of  her  Ladyship. 

Mr.  Van  de  Weyer  engaged  as  huntsman 
William  Povey,  who  came  to  him  from  Mr. 
Harvey  Combe,  in  Surrey.  Povey  had  for- 
merly served  with  a  pack  in  Cornwall,  and  had 
been  both  whip  and  huntsman  to  the  Craven. 
He  went  from  Berkshire  to  the  New  Forest, 
and  after  some  years'  service  there  was  found 
drowned  in  a  pit  in  the  forest.  Joe  Lawrence 
remained  as  first  whip  ;  he  had  been  for  a  long 
time  with  the  Old  Berks.  He  then  went  to 
the  Oakley  for  a  time,  but  returned  to  the 
Old  Berks  ;  after  which  he  returned  to  the 
Oakley,  of  which  he  is  now  huntsman.  George 
Roake  came  as  second  whip,  a  son  of  Dick 
Roake,  for  many  years  huntsman  to  Mr.  John 
Hargreaves,  of  the  South  Berks.  After 
leaving  Berkshire  Roake  went  to  the  Hey- 
throp.  Thence  he  went  to  the  Savernake 
Forest  Stag  Hounds  ;  from  there  to  the 
Duhallow ;  after  which  he  went  to  the  Craven 


302  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

as  first  whip,  and  is  now  huntsman  to  that 
pack. 

Albert  Maiden  came  as  second  horseman  to 
Povey,  and  subsequently  became  second  whip. 
He  is  now  first  whip  and  kennel  huntsman  to 
Mr.  Butt-Miller,  of  the  V.W.H.  (Cricklade). 
Mr.  Van  de  Weyer  at  once  set  about  im- 
proving the  pack.  He  gave  Lord  Ports- 
mouth, when  the  latter  reduced  his  hunting 
days,  600  guineas  for  ten  and  a  half  couples 
of  hounds,  being  all  the  entered  bitches  in  his 
Lordship's  small  pack.  In  1884  he  bought  a 
few  couple  of  entered  hounds  from  Mr.  E. 
Frewen  when  that  gentleman  sold  the  hounds 
with  which  he  had  hunted  the  East  Sussex 
country.  In  1885  Mr,  Van  de  Weyer  bought 
the  Belvoir  and  Brocklesbury  young  drafts. 
He  also  established  a  hound  book,  in  which 
certain  pedigrees  were  very  carefully  recorded 
for  his  guidance  in  future  breeding.  No  more 
energetic  efforts  could  have  been  made  to 
improve  what  was  already  a  good  pack. 

In  the  summer  of  1885  an  outbreak  of  rabies 
unfortunately  occurred  in  the  kennel,  which 
almost  swept  off  the  whole  of  the  dog  pack. 

The  disease  was  believed  to  have  been 
started  by  a  hound  that  had  been  bitten  by 
a  strange  dog  in  the  streets  of  Faringdon. 
Fortunately  the   young  hounds   had  not   been 


MR.   VAN  DE  WEYER  AND  MR.  DUFFIELD     303 

in  contact  with  the  diseased  pack,  so  they  were 
not  affected.  A  few  of  the  best  stalHon  hounds 
were  isolated  for  a  long  time  and  preserved 
to  restart  the  pack.  Kind  friends,  too,  came 
forward  and  supplied  the  Masters  with  what 
hounds  they  could,  and  later  Mr.  Van  de 
Weyer  was  able  to  get  several  couple  of 
useful  hounds  from  the  V.W.H,  (Cricklade), 
when  they  were  reducing  their  pack.  Amongst 
these  was  "Grasper,"  who  proved  a  useful 
stallion  hound.  In  the  middle  of  the  season, 
1 885- 1 886,  there  was  an  outbreak  of  rabies 
in  the  bitch  pack,  but  happily  only  those 
hounds  were  affected  that  were  bitten  by  a 
fox  in  Coxwell  Wood,  who  stood  at  bay  and 
bit  several.  After  the  recent  severe  experience 
the  disease  was  quickly  recognised,  the  hounds 
affected  destroyed,  and  the  rest  of  the  pack 
saved.  There  was  one  isolated  case  of  a  dog 
hound,  "Monarch,"  who  took  the  disease  after 
a  very  long  period  of  incubation.  Povey 
thought  his  lungs  were  affected,  and  the 
Masters  being  together,  in  the  kennel  for  sick 
hounds,  Mr.  Duffield  stroked  him  with  his 
bare  hand  ;  on  being  touched  with  a  stick  to 
put  him  back  into  his  lodging-room,  however, 
he  turned  on  the  stick  and  bit  it  like  a  wolf. 
He  died  and  2,  post  mortem  was  made  by  Pro- 
fessor Pritchard,  who  reported  that  the  disease 


304  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

was  undoubtedly  rabies.  When  we  find  this 
horrible  disease  making  such  ravages  amongst 
dogs  so  carefully  watched  and  tended  as 
hounds  ;  when  we  reflect  how  easily  it  is  com- 
municable to  man  and  with  what  awful  results  ; 
when  we  learn,  moreover,  that  certain  coun- 
tries, like  Norway  and  Australia  have  been 
kept  absolutely  free  from  the  malady,  by  strin- 
gent restrictions  upon  the  importation  of  dogs 
from  abroad,  the  reason  for  the  severe 
measures  taken  by  the  Board  of  Agriculture 
becomes  apparent. 

On  Monday,  March  the  29th,  1886,  the 
meet  was  "The  Blowing  Stone."  At  King- 
ston Lisle  House,  the  field  received  a 
hearty  welcome  from  the  popular  Master. 
After  doing  ample  justice  to  the  good  things 
provided  for  them,  they  adjourned  to  Fawler 
Copse,  which  was  drawn  blank.  A  move 
was  then  made  to  Uffington  Wood,  where  a 
leash  of  foxes  were  quickly  on  foot.  One  was 
chopped  directly  and  another  viewed  away. 
The  hounds  were  close  on  to  him  down 
Woolstone  Wells  to  the  village  ;  then  turning 
back  up  hill,  as  if  for  Uffington  Wood,  they 
swung  round  by  Dragon's  Hill,  down  the 
"  Manger,"  up  again  and  round  the  Camp ; 
pointing  for  Ashdown,  but  bearing  to  the 
left  was  run  to  ground  near  Mr.    Hippisley's 


MR.   VAN  DE    WEYER  AND  MR.  DUFFIELD    305 

at  Lambourne.  This  was  a  fast  run  in  the 
face  of  a  strong  wind  and  blinding  storm. 
They  then  drew  the  spinnies,  and  chopped  a 
fox  in  the  round  spinney.  Before  reaching  the 
long  spinney  another  fox  was  viewed  away 
across  the  road,  and  the  hounds  were  well  on 
to  him  directly.  Making  for  the  canal  he 
turned  to  the  left,  then  went  straight  away 
by  Southfield  Farm,  on  over  the  Childrey 
and  Wantage  roads,  by  the  side  of  the  rail- 
way for  half  a  mile,  then  over  the  line,  leaving 
Goosey  to  the  left,  and  away  to  Denchworth, 
where  a  slight  check  occurred  ;  quickly,  how- 
ever, Povey  hit  off  his  line  in  a  piece  of 
beans  and  away  they  went  towards  the  rail- 
way, again  crossing  the  line  at  Grove  level 
crossing,  and  along  the  back  of  the  village  to 
the  right  over  the  road  as  if  for  Woodhill  ;  but 
here  both  horses  and  hounds  had  had  enough 
and  so  they  whipped  off  and  finished  a  most 
excellent  day,  the  latter  part  being  over  the 
very  cream  of  the  Old   Berks  country. 

In  November,  1886,  Viscount  Barrington, 
President  of  the  Hunt,  died.  He  had  joined 
Lord  Aveland's  shooting  party  at  Grims- 
thorpe,  Lady  Willoughby  de  Eresby's  place 
in  Lincolnshire,  and  was  taken  suddenly  ill. 
George  William  Barrington,  seventh  Viscount 
Barrington,  of  Ardglass,  county  Down ;  and 
20 


3o6  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Baron  Barrington,  of  Newcastle,  county  Dub- 
lin, in  the  peerage  of  Ireland  ;  and  Baron 
Shute,  of  Beckett,  in  the  peerage  of  the 
United  Kingdom,  was  the  eldest  son  of 
William  Kepple,  sixth  Viscount,  by  his  wife, 
Jane  Elizabeth,  fourth  daughter  of  the  first 
Lord  Ravensworth,  and  was  born  in  1824. 
He  was  educated  at  Eton  and  Christ  Church. 
For  some  time  he  was  Private  Secretary  to 
the  late  Earl  of  Derby.  In  May,  1852,  he 
stood  for  Buckinghamshire,  without  success, 
but  obtained  a  seat  for  Eye,  in  1866,  and 
represented  that  borough  until  his  elevation 
to  the  Upper  House,  in  April,  1880.  On 
the  formation  of  Mr.  Disraeli's  administration 
of  1874,  Lord  Barrington  became  Vice- 
Chamberlain  of  Her  Majesty's  Household, 
and  was  made  a  Privy-Councillor.  In  1885 
he  became  Captain  of  the  Yeomen  of  the 
Guard,  an  office  he  exchanged  shortly  for 
that  of  Captain  of  the  Honourable  Corps  of 
Gentlemen  at  Arms.  Lord  Barrington  was 
Lord  Beaconsfield's  most  intimate  friend,  and 
in  addition  to  his  other  offices,  he  held  the 
post  of  precis  writer  of  debates  to  the  Queen. 
Popularity  in  the  London  social  world  and 
his  mastery  of  all  social  matters,  gave  him  a 
position  few  could  rival.  Lord  Barrington 
married,  in    1846,   Isabel   Elizabeth,  only  child 


MR.   VAN  DE   WEYER  AND  MR.  DUFFIELD    307 

of  the  late  Mr.  John  Morritt,  of  Rokeby  Hall, 
York,  and  by  her  he  left  three  daughters, 
Lady  Haldon,  the  Countess  of  Craven,  and 
the   Hon.    Florence   Barrington. 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Hunt  a  motion 
of  sympathy  with  Lady  Barrington,  and  of 
grateful  appreciation  of  the  services  of  the 
late  Lord  Barrington,  was  passed.  Upon  the 
proposition  of  Mr.  Van  de  Weyer,  Sir  William 
Throckmorton  was  unanimously  elected  Pre- 
sident. 

The  Hunt  Club  was  indeed  fortunate  in 
having,  in  the  very  centre  of  the  country,  a 
man  having  every  qualification  that  a  President 
should  possess.  The  representative  of  one  of 
the  old  Catholic  families.  Sir  William  traces 
his  descent  from  John  de  Throckmorton,  who 
held  the  manor  of  Throckmorton  soon  after 
the  Conquest.  By  marriage  with  Eleanor, 
daughter  of  Sir  Guy  de  Spineto,  in  the 
fifteenth  century,  the  Throckmortons  became 
owners  of  Coughton,  in  Warwickshire  ;  through 
the  heiress  of  John  Courtney,  of  Molland, 
Devon,  they  acquired  that  property,  and  by 
alliance  with  the  Yates,  the  charming  estate 
of  Buckland,  Berks,  came  to  them.  Sir 
Nicholas  Throckmorton,  Elizabeth's  Ambassa- 
dor to  France  at  the  time  of  the  Huguenots, 
was    a    cadet    of    this    family.     Sir    William 


3o8  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

hunted  with  the  Old  Berks  when  Mr.  Charles 
Duffield  was  Master.  He  then  went  to  live 
at  Coughton,  and  used  to  cross  over  to 
Ireland  to  hunt  with  the  Meath  and  West- 
meath.  He  became  joint  Master  with  his 
brother-in-law,  the  late  Sir  Gerald  Dease,  of 
the  latter  pack,  for  the  last  two  years  of  Sir 
Gerald's  mastership.  The  joint  Masters  gave 
up  in  1868,  when  Sir  William  returned  to 
Buckland.  In  1869  he  took  the  V.W.H. 
The  first  season  he  hunted  them  practically 
from  Buckland,  riding  often  long  distances  to 
covert,  but  afterwards  he  bought  a  house  in 
the  country,  Cicely  Hall,  near  Cirencester. 
Sir  William  bought  from  his  predecessor  in  the 
Mastership  (the  present  Sir  Matthew  Wilson, 
of  Eshton  Hall),  the  pack  which  that  gentleman 
had  purchased  from  Mr.  Charles  Duffield,  his 
huntsman  beino-  Robert  Worrall.  Sir  William 
resigned  the  Mastership  in  1875,  being  suc- 
ceeded by  Lord  Shannon. 

Sir  William  Throckmorton  was  formerly 
well  known  on  the  Turf,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  Jockey  Club  and  of  the  National  Hunt 
Committee.  At  one  time  or  another  he 
carried  off  pretty  well  all  the  prizes  at  the 
meetings  of  the  old  "  Bibury  Club,"  but  his 
first  considerable  success  was  the  "  Steward's 
Cup  "  at  Goodwood,   which   he  won   in    1877, 


Mayall  >.V  Co. ,  photo. 

SIR  NICHOLAS  WILLIAM  GEORGE  THROCKMORTON,  9th  BARONET. 
President  of  the  Hunt  from  1886. 


To  face  /tigc  30S. 


MR.   VAN  DE   WE  YEN  AND  MR.  DUFFIELD     309 

with  "  Herald,"  by  ''  Laneret— Nightjar."  Sir 
William  maintained  a  small  breeding-  establish- 
ment  at  Buckland,  and  bred  many  winners 
from  his  favourite  mare  "Annette,"  by  "The 
Speaker — Lady  Di."  Amongst  the  various  suc- 
cesses gained  by  her  progeny  we  may  mention 
"The  Duke  of  York  Stakes,"  "The  Jubilee,' 
at  Kempton,  both  won  by  "  Avington,"  by 
"  Milton."  At  Hereford  he  won  the  "  Shobdon 
Cup"  with  "  Referee,"  and  at  Stockbridge  he 
carried  off  the  "  Champagne  Stakes,"  and 
the  "Stockbridge  Cup,"  with  "  Arcano,"  by 
"Mask,"  all  out  of  "Annette."  Sir  William 
at  one  time  commanded  a  troop  in  the  Wor- 
cestershire Yeomanry.  He  is  an  excellent 
shot,  and  the  most  genial  of  hosts.  Long  may 
he  remain  to  preside  over  the  destinies  of  the 
Old  Berks  Hunt. 

In  the  winter  of  1888  the  joint  Masters 
intimated  their  intention  of  resiofninor  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  season.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
Hunt  it  was  unanimously  resolved  :  "  That  the 
members  of  the  Old  Berks  Hunt,  assembled 
at  their  meeting,  desire  to  express  their  appre- 
ciation of  the  munificence  of  Colonel  Van  de 
Weyer  to  the  country,  particularly  by  his  gift 
of  kennels,  and  also  of  the  sportsmanlike  way 
in  which  he  and  Mr.  Duffield  have  hunted  the 
country    for    the    last    five    seasons."       It    was 


3IO  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

further  determined  that  a  suitable  testimonial 
should  be  presented  to  the  Masters,  and  a 
committee  was  formed  to  collect  subscriptions. 
A  sum  of  <;^500  was  quickly  got  together, 
and  suitable  presents  were  chosen. 

The  presentation  of  the  plate  purchased  took 
place  at  Buckland,  on  Thursday,  June  the  13th, 
1889.  It  was  intended  that  the  presentation 
should  have  taken  place  at  the  Puppy  Show, 
at  Kingston  Bagpuize  ;  but  owing  to  the  death 
of  Mr.  C.  P.  Duffield  this  arrangement  was 
abandoned,  and  by  the  kind  invitation  of  the 
President  of  the  Hunt,  Sir  William  Throck- 
morton, the  subscribers  assembled  at  luncheon 
at  Buckland,  when  the  presentation  took  place. 
The  weather  was  delig^htful,  and  a  laroe  mar- 
quee  was  erected  in  front  of  the  house,  where  a 
capital  luncheon  was  admirably  served  by  Miss 
George,  of  the  Crown  Hotel,  Faringdon.  A 
large  company  assembled,  but  the  meeting  had 
with  it  mingled  feelings  of  pleasure  and  regret, 
of  pleasure  at  having  the  opportunity  of 
offering  a  handsome  present  to  Mr.  Van  de 
Weyer  as  some  acknowledgement  for  his 
munificence  to  the  Hunt,  and  for  the  admir- 
able way  in  which  he  had  kept  the  pack  going 
for  the  last  four  years  ;  of  regret  at  the  absence 
through  death  of  Mr.  Charles  P.  Duffield,  the 
late  popular   Master  in  the  field,  for  whom  a 


MR.   VAN  DE    WEYER  AND  MR.  DUFFIELD     311 

handsome  present  had  also  been  purchased, 
and  to  whose  memory  the  several  speakers 
feelingly  alluded. 

Mr.  Brown  very  kindly  brought  the  hounds 
down,  arriving  during  the  luncheon,  and  as 
they  were  grouped  in  the  pack,  with  the 
Master  and  the  two  whips,  Sheppard  and 
Maiden  in  pink,  the  effect  was  very  picturesque 
and  pleasing.  Amongst  those  present  were  : 
Sir  Wm.  Throckmorton,  Bart.,  in  the  chair, 
Colonel  Van  de  Weyer,  Colonel  Edwards, 
Messrs.  E.  K.  Lenthall,  W.  Kyffin-Kyffin, 
Hon.  W.  Barrington,  P.  Wroughton,  M.P.,  Sir 
Henry  Elliott,  K.C.B.,  B.  H.  Morland,  Rev. 
C.  J.  Johnson,  E.  W.  Dunn,  G.  Orby  Sloper, 
Major  Parke,  F.  M.  Atkins,  G.  F.  Crowdy,  E. 
Hanbury,  Rev.  W.  H.  Wall-Jones,  H.  Denis  de 
Vitre,  Captain  Loder-Symonds,  E.  P.  Crowdy, 
Alderman  Taunton,  E.  Ormond,  Major  E. 
Morland,  D.  Ganssen,  C.  P.  Noel,  Major 
Aldridge,  C.  D.  Batt,  D.  Kennard,  J.  Daly, 
A.  E.  Clarke,  P.  Aldworth,  J.  Blake,  E. 
Powell,  W.  N.  Powell,  T.  Wallis,  C.  Hobbs, 
C.  Taylor,  C.  W.  Edmonds,  C.  Edmonds,  J. 
Boddings,  W.  Hall,  C.  Simmonds,  L.  M. 
Craddock,  T.  Lathom,  W.  Pullen,  F.  Morland, 
James  Stuart,  S.  Reade,  G.  Drewe,  C.  Curtis,  J. 
Gibbs,  junr.,  E.  Phillips,  C.  Belcher,  C.  Luker, 
A.    H.    Simpson,    M.  Wheeler,    P.    Craddock, 


312  THE   OLD  BERKS   HUNT 

J.  W.  Craddock,  H.  Godfrey,  A.  Whitfield,  C. 
Jefferies,  E.  Jefferies,  H.  Hutt,  G.  Jefferies, 
J.  W.  Pusey,  H.  Habgood,  G.  Abraham, 
G.  A.  Drewe,  R.  Eagle,  C.  Jousiffe,  J.  Dyke, 
J.  Gibbs,  C.  Smith,  W.  Dore,  A.  Dore, 
G.  Adams,  J.  Weaving,  G.  Reade,  H.  C. 
Chandler,  W.  Curtis,  J.  Reading,  C.  Reading, 
A.  Dudgeon,  A.  W.  Hanks,  W.  Heavens,  E. 
Heavens,  J.  White,  W.  Frogley,  A.  Frogley, 
J.  Rebbeck,  C.  Richards,  E.  Martin,  T.  W. 
Anne,  J.  Reason,  B.  Pike,  A.  Kent,  J.  Payne, 
W.  Phillips,  R.  Tucker,  H.  Taylor,  F.  Taylor, 
J.  Stratton,  H.  Whitfield,  W.  Whitehorn,  W. 
Tyrell,  J.  Lacy,  C.  R.  Deacon,  C.  Winsley, 
H.  Dyke,  B.  Eagle,  &c.,  &c. 

The  presents  were  selected  in  accordance 
with  the  wishes  of  the  Lady  Emily  Van  de 
Weyer  and  Mrs.  Duffield.  Colonel  Van  de 
Weyer  s  present  consisted  of  two  very  hand- 
some hunting  trophies,  forming  centre  pieces, 
each  a  seven-lig^ht  candelabra.  On  each  ang^le 
is  a  shield  bearing  the  inscription,  Colonel  Van 
de  Weyer's  crest,  and  the  letters  O.B.H.  On 
the  top  are  hunting  subjects,  beautifully 
modelled,  the  one  representing  the  "  Find " 
and  the  other  "  Gone  Away."  The  present 
for  Mrs.  Duffield  consisted  of  a  24-inch  silver 
tray,  richly  engraved  with  a  very  handsome 
pierced  border,  a  modelled  fox  for  each  handle 


MR.   VAN  DE    WEYER  AND  MR.  DUE  FIELD    313 

and  the  inscription  in  the  centre,  also  two  12- 
inch  waiters  to  match,  on  which  are  engraved 
the  family  crest. 

The  following  is  the  inscription  on  the  plate 
presented  to  Colonel  Van  de  Weyer: — "Pre- 
sented by  the  members  and  friends  of  the  Old 
Berks  Hunt  to  Col.  Victor  William  Bates  Van 
de  Weyer  in  grateful  recognition  of  his  consis- 
tent liberal  support  of  the  Hunt,  his  munificent 
gift  of  kennels,  and  the  sportsmanlike  way  in 
which,  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Charles  P. 
Duffield,  he  hunted  this  country  for  five 
seasons,  1884  to  1889." 

And  on  that  given  to  Mrs.  Duffield : — 

"  Presented  by  the  members  and  friends  of 
the  Old  Berks  Hunt  to  Mr.  Charles  Philip 
Duffield,  of  Marcham  Park,  in  grateful  recogni- 
tion of  his  invaluable  services  as  Master,  and 
untiring  zeal  in  the  interests  of  the  Hunt  during 
the  five  seasons  of  his  hunting  the  country,  in 
conjunction  with  Colonel  Van  de  Weyer,  1884 
to  1889." 

Besides  his  generosity  in  building  the  new 
kennels,  Mr.  Van  de  Weyer  left  a  permanent 
mark  on  the  country  by  planting  in  the  centre 
of  the  vale,  where  woodland  is  scarce,  a  new 
blackthorn  covert  at  Black  Acres,  near  Challow 
Station.  This  covert  has  turned  out  a  great 
success,  and  is  very  seldom  drawn  blank. 


314 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
Mr.  Edward  Cyril  Brown,  1889  to   1891. 

Mr.  E.  C.  Brown  is  a  younger  brother  of 
Mr.  Walter  Brown,  J. P.  and  D.L.,  of  Brente- 
legh  Hall  and  Tostock  Place,  Suffolk.  He 
was  born  in  the  parish  of  Tostock,  in  Suffolk, 
in  1857,  and  was  the  second  son  of  the  late 
Mr.  George  James  Edward  Brown,  of  Tostock 
Place,  Suffolk,  who  married,  in  1854,  Catherine 
Mary,  daughter  of  Mr.  William  Mills,  J. P.,  of 
Saxham  Hall. 

Mr.  Brown  was  early  entered  to  hounds. 
He  commenced  keeping  harriers  in  1877,  when 
only  twenty  years  of  age  ;  these  he  hunted  for 
two  seasons.  He  then  acted  as  second  whip 
to  the  Suffolk  Hounds,  Mr.  John  Josselyn 
being  Master  (for  the  third  time),  and  Tom 
Enever  huntsman.  After  two  seasons  Mr. 
Josselyn  gave  up  the  hounds,  and  Mr.  E.  W. 
Green  became  Master.  Mr.  Green  resigned 
in  1883,  when  Mr.  Brown  took  the  hounds 
and  hunted  them  himself  In  1885  Mr.  Brown 
gave   up   the  mastership  to   Mr.   J.    M.    King, 


Giltman  &^  Co.,  j>hoto. 


EDWARD  CYRIL  BROWN,    Esq. 
Master  1889  to  1891. 


Vo  face  fia^e  31.). 


MR.   EDWARD   CYRIL  BROWN  315 

but  continued  to  hunt  the  hounds  for  Mr. 
King.  In  1887  Mr.  King  determined  to 
hunt  his  hounds  himself,  so  Mr.  Brown  took 
the  mastership  of  the  North  Cornwall,  which 
was  then  vacant,  and  hunted  them  for  two 
seasons.  In  1889  the  Old  Berkshire  became 
vacant  by  the  resignation  of  Messrs.  Van  de 
Weyer  and  Duffield,  and  Mr.  Brown  offered 
his  services  upon  condition  that  he  should  be 
allowed  to  hunt  the  hounds  himself,  and  was 
accepted  by  the  Committee,  a  subscription  of 
^1,000  being  guaranteed.  Mr.  Brown,  follow- 
ing as  he  did  a  Master  of  such  local  popularity 
and  munificence  as  Mr.  Van  de  Weyer,  had 
a  difficult  task  to  fulfil.  He  found  the  un- 
avoidable expenditure  greater  than  he  had 
anticipated,  so  he  sent  in  his  resignation  in 
1 89 1,  declining  an  offer  to  hunt  again  for 
another  season  upon  an  increased  subscription 
of  ^1,200.  The  hounds  were  then  taken  by 
Captain  John  Orr-Ewing,  then  residing  at 
Kitemore,  near  Faringdon.  Mr.  Brown  re- 
mained to  hunt  them  for  the  new  Master,  and 
continued  to  do  so  until  Captain  Orr-Ewing's 
resignation  in  1893.  Mr.  Cyril  Peter  Hoblyn 
took  the  North  Cornwall  Hounds  in  that  year, 
and  invited  Mr.  Brown  to  hunt  them  for  him. 
In  this  post  Mr.  Brown  remained  for  two  years; 
since  then   he   has    been    engaged  in    agricul- 


31 6  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

tural  pursuits,  and  lives  at  the  Manor,  Purton, 
Wilts. 

For  the  first  three  seasons  that  Mr.  Brown 
was  with  the  Old  Berkshire,  Tom  Sheppard 
was  his  first  whip  and  Bert  Maiden  second 
whip.  Of  them  Mr.  Brown  says:  "Better 
men  I  did  not  want."  Bert  Maiden  had  been 
second  horseman  to  Povey,  Mr.  Van  de 
Weyer's  huntsman.  Mr.  Brown  made  him 
second  whip.  He  is  now  first  whip  and 
kennel  huntsman  to  Mr.  Butt  Miller,  of  the 
V.W.H. 

Mr.  Brown  married  Isabel,  second  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  Charles  Terry,  M.  A.  ;  he  has  a  son 
and  two  daughters. 

Mr.  Brown  proved  to  be  a  most  efficient 
huntsman,  and  good  sport  was  experienced 
during  his  mastership.  The  following  runs 
were  among"  the  best  : — 

On  Friday,  January  the  24th,  1890,  the  meet 
was  at  Longcot.  There  was  a  good  muster, 
including  many  from  neighbouring  hunts. 
Hounds  first  drew  the  Bowers,  found  directly, 
and  after  bustling  through  the  Becket  Coverts 
for  some  time,  gave  him  up.  Mr.  Brown  then 
tried  the  water  walks  and  the  island,  but  with- 
out success.  He  then  drew  along  to  Penny 
Hooks  and  Swansnest,  blank,  then  trotted 
off    to    Bourton ;    found,    and    went    away    by 


MR.   EDWARD   CYRIL   BROWN  317 

Shrlvenham  Station,  pointing-  for  the  village, 
but  turned  along  by  the  canal  as  far  as  Chapel 
Wick,  when  he  turned  and  made  for  Ashbury. 
The  field  had  now  become  scattered.  The 
majority  made  either  for  Knighton  Crossing 
or  Shrivenham  Station  ;  but  the  signals  being 
at  danger,  they  were  kept  waiting  some  time. 
A  select  few,  however,  were  fortunate  in  cross- 
ing the  line  by  Chapel  Wick,  and  did  their 
best  to  catch  sight  of  the  pack,  going  at  racing 
pace.  When  just  below  Kingston  they  crossed 
the  Ashbury  road,  and  went  up  the  hill  to  the 
right  of  the  village,  and  away  for  some  distance 
over  the  Downs ;  but  not  liking  to  face  the 
wind,  the  fox  swung  round  to  the  right  by 
Little  Hinton,  through  Bishopstone,  and  de- 
scending the  hill,  made  across  the  vale  to 
Stainswick  Covert  ;  then  on  to  Beckett,  where 
he  was  given  up  after  a  capital  run  of  one  hour 
and  forty  minutes. 

On  Monday,  February  the  8th,  1890,  met  at 
Littleworth.  The  morning  was  bright  after 
a  sharp  frost.  Trotted  off  to  the  Little  Cox- 
well  Furze  Hills,  and  found  directly,  the  fox 
making  his  way  directly  to  Mr.  Heading's 
Gorse.  Scent,  however,  was  very  bad,  and  he 
had  to  be  given  up.  Drew  the  Furze  Hills 
again,  and  very  soon  sent  another  out  over  the 
road   towards    Ringdale.      Bearing  to  the  left, 


3i8  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

he  passed  Fernham  village,  and  passed  over 
the  main  hne  by  Baulking  to  Baulking  Vicar- 
age, when  he  doubled  back  again  over  the 
line,  through  Baulking  Green,  and  on  to  Old- 
field,  where  he  turned  and  went  over  Rosey 
Brook  to  Shellingford,  and  there  was  lost. 
Drew  Rosey  blank,  and  also  the  Wilderness, 
Shellingford  Covert  and  Kitemore.  Trotted 
on  to  Wicklesham,  and  partook  of  Colonel 
Edward's  hospitality.  Drew  the  Furze  Hills 
again,  this  time  blank,  and  also  the  Fernham 
Copse  and  Uffington  Gorse.  The  next  draw 
was  Kingston  Spinnies,  where  one  of  the 
rioht   sort  was  at  home.      The   sun  had  crone 

o  o 

down,  and  as  is  often  the  case  after  a  frosty 
morning,  scent  was  bad  until  the  sunshine 
faded,  after  which  it  improved,  and  hounds  ran 
well.  It  was  four  o'clock  when  the  fox  broke 
covert,  the  hounds  running  sweetly  through 
Sparsholt  Copse  ;  then  to  the  right,  over  the 
railway,  by  Coster's  Farm,  crossing  the  Baulk- 
ing lane,  pointing  for  Rosey  Brook,  which  he 
crossed  before  reachino-  Stanford,  turnino-  to 
the  right  over  the  Wantage  road,  between 
Stanford  Mill  and  village.  Then  he  made 
through  Buckland  Warren,  into  the  ash-beds  ; 
out  again  by  Eastfield,  pointing  for  Park 
Island,  then  doubling  back  through  Bedlam, 
where  he  was  viewed,  to  the  Turf  Pits  and 
Cherbury  Camp,  and  on  into   Pusey  Garden, 


MR.    EDWARD   CYRIL  BROWN  319 

well  nigh  done.  But  the  moon  was  now  well 
up,  and  the  hounds  were  whipped  off,  after  a 
capital  run  of  one  hour  and  forty  minutes,  with 
any  amount  and  variety  of  fences,  and  many 
empty  saddles.  Mr.  Gunnis  hospitably  enter- 
tained at  Pusey  House  those  who  were  up  at 
the  finish,  but  the  field  had  dwindled  down  to 
a  very  small  number.  The  Master,  as  well  as 
several  of  the  field,  found  the  water  in  Rosey 
Brook  very  cold  on  this  occasion. 

The  last  day's  sport  in  the  season  of  1890 
was  on  April  the  8th,  when  the  meet  was  at 
Appleton  Manor,  where  Mr.  J.  Weaving  had 
a  hospitable  and  hearty  welcome  for  all. 
Found  in  the  Eaton  Hangings  and  killed  after 
a  short  spin.  Found  another  in  Appleton 
Common,  and  ran  him  through  Tubney  Wood, 
but  eventually  he  had  to  be  given  up.  The 
field  were  invited  to  Besselsleigh  Manor, 
where  they  were  most  hospitably  entertained 
by  Mr.  E.  K.  Lenthall.  The  season's  sport 
was  said  to  have  been  an  unusually  good  one. 
Fifty  brace  of  foxes  had  been  killed  and  seven 
and  a  half  brace  run  to  ground. 

The  season  of  1891  was  concluded  by  some 
Hunt  Point-to- Point  Races,  which  took  place  on 
Saturday,  April  the  3rd,  over  a  course  selected 
by  Messrs.  E.  C.  Brown,  Edgar  Powell  and 
George    Adams.       The    Stewards    were    Mr. 


320  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

E.  C.  Brown,  Colonel  C.  G.  Edwards,  and 
Captain  Orr-Ewing.  The  Hon.  O.  Craven 
acted  as  starter  and  Mr.  C.  P.  Noel  as  judge. 
Invitations  to  the  number  of  700  to  lunch  were 
sent  out  to  landowners,  farmers  and  others, 
and  481  sat  down  in  three  relays  in  Rantipole 
Barn,  kindly  lent  for  the  occasion  by  Mr. 
George  Adams.  The  starting  point  was  close 
to  Rantipole  Barn,  and  the  course  went  round 
a  tree  not  far  from  Carswell  Marsh  Farm,  back 
to  the  winning  post,  which  was  close  to  Hare- 
more  Covert.  The  events  were  as  follows  : — 
Red  Coat  Race ;  sweepstakes  of  2  sovs, 
each ;  nine  started.  Won  by  Mr.  Gunnis's 
"Blue  Peter"  (owner).  2nd,  Captain  Orr- 
E wing's  "  Lord  of  the  Sea  "  (owner).  In  this 
race  Colonel  Edwards  met  with  a  very  nasty 
accident.  At  the  first  fence  his  bridle  came 
off,  but  remounting,  he  started  in  pursuit  at  a 
great  pace  with  snaffle  only  on,  his  mare 
jumped  at  a  gate,  but  hitting  the  gatepost  fell 
heavily  on  the  other  side.  Captain  Barry,  Mr. 
Osbert  Craven  and  Mr.  Percy  Crowdy  galloped 
to  the  spot,  and  found  Colonel  Edwards  on  his 
back  and  the  mare  on  her  side,  with  Colonel 
Edwards'  head  right  underneath  her.  They 
carefully  withdrew  him  from  his  dangerous 
position,  and  he  was  attended  by  Drs.  Spack- 
man  and  Kennard  and  removed  in  a  carriage 
to  Wicklesham. 


MR.   EDWARD   CYRIL  BROWN  321 

Farmers'  Welter  Race  ;  20  sovs.  and  7  for 
second.  Won  by  Mr.  Sidney  Read's  "  Bonny 
Brown  (E.  S.  Reading).  2nd,  Mr.  Curtis's 
"  Meg  "  (owner). 

Farmers'  Light  Weight  Race ;  20  sovs. 
and  7  for  second  ;  seven  ran.  ist,  Mr.  J. 
Wheeler's  "Kitty,"  i2st.  7lb.  (owner).  2nd, 
Mr.  Gibbs's  "  Hohenlinden  "  (owner). 


21 


32: 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

Captain  John  Orr-Ewing,  1891  to  1893. 

Captain  John  Orr-Ewing,  who  now  took  the 
hounds,  was  the  fourth  son  of  the  late  Sir 
Archibald  Orr-Ewing,  first  baronet,  who  had 
represented  the  county  of  Dumbarton  in  Par- 
liament from  1886  to  1892,  his  mother  being 
Elizabeth  Lindsay,  only  daughter  of  Mr.  James 
Reid,  of  Berridale  and  Caldercruix,  Lanark. 
Captain  Orr-Ewing  had  served  in  the  4th 
Drapfoon  Guards,  and  had  resided  for  some 
years  at  Kitemore,  Faringdon,  Berks,  which  he 
rented  from  Mr.  T.  M.  Goodlake,  of  Wadley. 
He  married,  in  1885,  Ellen  Clarissa,  daughter 
of  Mr.  J.  Howard  Kennard,  and  has  four 
children. 

Upon  taking  the  Old  Berks  country,  Cap- 
tain Orr-Ewing  received  a  guarantee  of  ;i^i,200 
per  annum,  with  any  surplus  which  might  be 
subscribed  up  to  ^1,350.  He  arranged  with 
Mr.  E.  C.  Brown  for  that  gentleman  to  remain 
in  the  country  and  to  hunt  the  hounds  for  him. 
His  opening  meet  was   at    Tubney   Tree,    in 


Elliott  (Sr^  F}y,  photo. 


CAPTAIN    JOHN  ORR-EWING. 
Master  1891  to  1893. 


To  /ace  page  322. 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  ORR-EWING  323 

November,  1891.  There  were  present:  Cap- 
tain and  Mrs.  Orr-Ewing,  Master  Orr-Ewing, 
Mr.  and  Miss  Duffield,  Mr.  Shaw-Phillips, 
Captain  and  Mrs.  Hippisley,  Mr.  Herbert 
Morrell,  Mr.  Kyffin-Kyffin,  Colonel  Edwards, 
Messrs.  G.  Greaves,  F.  Morland,  C.  Morrell, 
Eyston  C.  Eyston,  F.  Martin-Atkins,  B.  H. 
Morland,  A.  M.  Case,  E.  P.  Crowdy,  J.  F. 
Downing,  P.  Wroughton,  M.P.,  Edgar  Powell, 
P.  Aldworth,  J.  H.  Tollit,  E.  Robson,  J.  Blake, 
J.  Weaving,  E.  Phillips,  J.  Phillips,  J.  Wallis, 
C.  Edmonds,  W.  Edmonds,  Lyford  W.  Pullen, 
E.  Pullen,  C.  Taylor,  Saxby  J.  Clark,  W. 
Whitehorn,  W.  Floyd,  T.  Dewe,  Tripp,  and 
others,  includingf  several  ladies.  The  doof 
pack  was  thrown  off  and  quickly  found  at  Tuck 
Pen  :  after  a  quick  burst  to  Hanney  Bridge 
the  fox  was  lost.  They  soon  found  again  at 
Marcham,  and  ran  to  Appleton  Common,  then 
back  to  Fyfield,  and  on  to  near  Roadside 
Farm ;  here  the  fox  was  lost,  and  the  field 
was  most  hospitably  entertained  by  Mr.  E. 
Powell.  New  House  Covert  was  then  drawn 
blank,  but  two  brace  were  quickly  on  foot  in 
Stanborough.  One  was  run  to  Lyford,  where 
hounds  were  whipped  off  at  dark. 

On  Friday,  January  the  29th,  1892,  the 
hounds  met  at  Step  Farm,  and  were  trotted  off 
to    Haremore.      A  halloa  from  Sheppard  an- 


324  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

nounced  Reynard's  departure.  Breasting  the 
hill,  he  passed  close  to  Haremore  Farm,  past 
Stanford  Place  and  on  to  Kitemore ;  here  a 
slight  check  enabled  the  field  to  get  up  with 
the  hounds,  and  the  huntsman  giving  them  a 
lift,  soon  set  them  going  again  towards  the 
village  of  Shellingford,  and  right  through  it, 
across  the  meadows  to  Rosy  Covert ;  all  getting 
over  the  brook  safely.  The  fox  on  reaching 
Baulking  Hill,  turned  short,  and  running  near 
the  brook  for  two  fields,  recrossed  it,  and  in 
consequence  several  gallant  sportsmen  here 
made  acquaintance  with  the  watery  element. 
The  fox  then  turned  straight  for  Stanford, 
where  he  was  viewed.  From  thence  it  was  a 
case  of  slow  hunting  for  some  distance,  past 
Hatfield  on  the  left  and  into  Buckland  Warren. 
Leaving  the  Warren  he  made  for  Bedlam, 
but  hounds  were  too  close  for  him  to  stay, 
so  he  went  on  at  a  good  pace  for  Cherbury 
Camp,  where  there  was  a  slight  check,  but 
hounds  soon  picked  up  the  line  again  and 
hunted  him  into  the  covert  near  Kingston, 
where  the  fox  was  viewed  dead  beat  ;  but 
luckily  for  him  a  fresh  fox  jumped  up,  which 
diverted  the  main  body  of  the  pack,  and  he 
was  eventually  killed  a  few  fields  from  Frilford. 
This  run  was  given  by  an  unmistakably  small 
fox.       Time  by  chronometer,    two    hours    and 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  ORR-EWING  325 

twenty-two    minutes.      Distance,    fifteen    miles 
on  map  by  careful  measurement. 

On  Monday,  April  the  4th,  1892,  the  meet 
was  at  Windmill  House,  near  Wantage.  That 
excellent  sportman  and  most  generous  sup- 
porter of  the  Hunt,  the  late  Mr.  Kyffin-Kyffin 
was  out,  apparently  quite  well,  and  in  his  usual 
cheery  spirits.  The  hounds  had  a  run  in  the 
early  part  of  the  day,  and  in  the  afternoon, 
when  it  was  hot,  they  drew  the  Kingston 
Spinnies,  and  found  the  fox  going  away  for 
Baulking.  After  leaving  the  spinnies  Mr. 
Kyffin  came  to  a  fence,  which  his  horse  refused 
to  take,  and  he  got  behind,  but  made  up  the 
ground  and  joined  the  field  again  at  Baulking. 
He  was  making  his  way  towards  the  green 
at  a  walking  pace,  when  he  suddenly  fell  off 
his  horse.  One  of  Mr.  Reade's  men  saw  him 
fall  and  ran  to  help  him  up,  and  several 
gentlemen  soon  were  with  him,  but  in  a  few 
minutes  he  breathed  his  last.  The  day's  sport 
was  of  course  at  once  brought  to  a  close,  and 
the  hounds  hunted  no  more  that  season.  The 
body  was  taken  into  Mr.  Robert  Whitfield's 
house.  Dr.  A.  E.  Clark,  of  Faringdon,  was 
sent  for.  He  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  death 
was  due  to  apoplexy.  Mr.  Kyffin-Kyffin,  who 
was  a  keen  foxhunter  and  a  generous  supporter 
of  the   Hunt,  was  the  second  son   of  the  late 


326  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Mr.  William  Lenthall,  of  Besselsleigh,  his 
brother  Edmund  the  present  "  Father  of  the 
Hunt,"  being  the  eldest,  and  the  late  Mr. 
Frank  Lenthall,  Recorder  of  Woodstock,  an 
office  formerly  held  by  his  kinsman,  the  great 
speaker  of  the  Long  Parliament,  was  the 
youngest.  It  was  Speaker  Lenthall  who  re- 
plied to  the  peremptory  demand  of  King 
Charles  I.  with  the  memorable  words,  "  Sir, 
in  this  house  I  have  neither  ears  to  hear  nor 
eyes  to  see,  but  as  this  house  is  pleased  to 
direct  me."  The  Lenthall  family  is  a  very 
ancient  one  and  derives  in  direct  male  descent 
from  Roger  de  Lenthall,  of  Lenthalls  Earls, 
and  Lenthalls  Starks,  in  Herefordshire.  This 
Lenthall  was  Sheriff  of  Notts  and  Derby  in 
1232.  William  Lenthall,  the  Speaker,  who 
was  born  in  1591,  purchased  the  Manor  of 
Besselsleigh.  His  son.  Sir  John  Lenthall, 
Governor  of  Windsor  Castle,  a  Colonel  in  the 
Parliamentary  Army,  M.P.  for  Gloucester  and 
Abingdon,  was  buried  in  the  chancel  of  the 
church  there  in  1682.  In  1789  W.  Lenthall, 
of  Besselsleigh,  married  a  daughter  and  co- 
heiress of  Sir  Thomas  Kyffin  of  Nacuen,  Car- 
narvon, a  descendant  of  Einion  Effel,  youngest 
son  of  Madog,  last  Prince  of  Powys. 

On    March    the    2nd,    1893,    ^.n    interesting 
event  took  place,  when  the  Royal  Buckhounds 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  ORR-EWJNG  327 

met  at  Baulking  Green,  in  the  Old  Berks 
country.  The  Master,  Lord  Ribblesdale,  in 
his  admirable  book  on  the  Queen's  Hounds, 
gives  as  an  extract  from  his  hunting  diary  the 
following  most  amusing  account  of  the  day's 
sport : — 

March  2nd,  1893.  Posted  from  Swindon  to  Kite- 
more,  near  Faringdon.  Orr-Ewing  put  up  hounds, 
horses  and  men  at  the  kennels ;  self,  horses  and 
Samways  (2nd  horseman)  away  at  Kitemore.  A  very 
wet  night.  However,  it  had  faired  up  by  the  time 
we  started.  Water  out  all  over  the  place.  Forded 
the  redoubtable  Rosey  Brook  on  our  way  to  the 
meet,  a  lively  but  not  inviting  stream. 

Van  de  Weyer,  who,  I  suppose,  has  often  been  in  it 
in  old  days,  had  prepared  me  for  its  peculiarities. 
This  morning  it  was  running  bank-high  and  out  over 
the  banks.  Took  a  mental  but  futile  note  of  the  look 
of  the  ford  we  crossed  by.  A  great  gathering  at  the 
turn-out  (the  meet  was  at  Baulking  Green).  Foot 
people  for  miles  round.  I  was  told  that  many  had 
started  at  4  a.m.  to  get  there.  Waggons,  musicianers 
and  cock-shies.  Might  have  been  a  country  race- 
meeting  by  the  look  of  things.  Serried  ranks  of 
spectators  drawn  up  on  neighbouring  high  grounds 
commanding  Rosey  Brook.  We  were  all  hospitably 
entertained  by  several  capital  farmers,  Mr.  George 
Reade,  Mr.  Robert  Whitfield,  and  Mr.  Thomas  Mat- 
thews, living  at  Baulking  :  my  host  had  very  pretty 
daughters. 

Sloe  gin,  I  think  it  was — very  good  and  fashionable 
heliotrope  colour.  Found  the  Beaufort  contingent  all 
landed  up,  well  mounted,  and  ready  for  anything. 

Turned  out  Blackback  soon  after  twelve  o'clock, 
amidst  great  and  general  confusion.     "  Fast-asleep," 


328  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

who  was  very  fresh,  nearly  threw  me  off  by  shying 
at  the  Aunt  Sallies,  just  as  I  was  going  to  address 
the  foot-people  on  the  situation.  By  the  time  I  had 
recovered  one  stirrup  and  my  hat,  Blackback  was  out 
of  the  cart. 

After  going  two  fields  parallel  to  the  brook  the  hill- 
folk  turned  him  down  over  Rosey,  which  he  crossed 
at  some  conventional  willows — a  nasty  flooded-look- 
ing  place  from  where  we  were.  The  knowing  ones 
now  made  off  for  the  ford.  However,  the  heliotrope 
kept  a  good  many  in  the  path  of  glory.  The  country 
being  very  deep  and  much  water  out,  I  gave  him  very 
little  law — also  on  the  principle  of,  "  For  God's  sake 
start  us.  Captain,  before  the  whiskey  is  out  of  us !  " 

The  willows  presented  a  scene  of  wild  confusion. 
For  a  hundred  yards  each  side  of  where  the  hounds 
crossed  there  was  no  reasonable  fair  take-off,  the 
water  being  out  over  the  banks.  I  think  all  the 
hunt  servants,  more  or  less,  got  in.  The  fact  is,  we 
are  more  accustomed  to  boating  than  water-jumping. 
Mr.  Harvey  (the  huntsman)  on  "Romeo"  appeared 
to  make  a  sort  of  duck  and  drake  job  of  it,  but  did 
not  part,  greatly  to  his  credit.  The  spluttering  about 
was  tremendous.  Waterspouts  filled  the  startled  air. 
Everybody  got  in  ;  Charles  Rich,  according  to  his 
own  account,  climbed  up  one  of  the  willows,  after 
driving  Moore's  old  grey,  that  he  was  riding,  into  the 
water  up  to  his  neck.  I  could  not  understand  what 
he  did  next,  but  they  got  over  somehow  on  right  side 
together,  Charlie  being  wet  up  to  his  middle.     "  A 

d d  good  performance,  I  call  it,"  he  said  to  me 

afterwards,  which,  as  he  weighs  i9st.  and  is  no 
climber,  I  think  it  was. 

Self  and  Goldsmith  on  a  well-bred  white  horse, 
and  one  or  two  more  rode  up  the  brook.  Gold- 
smith found  a  place  with  a  little  rise  to  it,  good  take- 
off and  friendly  bush.     It  was  no  very  great  width 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  ORR-EWING  329 

anywhere,  so  we  got  over.  Luckily,  hounds  had 
gone  no  pace  meanwhile,  and  dragged  along  into  the 
wrong  country,  of  course,  Lechlade  way  out  of  the 
Vale.  The  chase  now  led  us  to  the  Thames,  running 
strong  and  high,  only  to  be  crossed  by  an  unholy 
white  spar  bridge  near  Hart's  Weir.  For  once  the 
men  and  hounds  managed  to  get  over  first,  then  came 
Jim  Rich  and  one  or  two  of  my  Wiltshire  friends, 
burning  to  distinguish  themselves.  Jim's  fool  of  a 
horse  slipped  and  got  cast  on  the  bridge,  hind-leg 
hitched  through  the  spars  ;  all  passage  blocked.  A 
nice  predicament  for  me  and  large  and  brilliant  field  ! 
At  first  we  gave  the  usual  advice.  "  Take  care !  " 
"  Look  out !  "  "  Mind  where  you  are  going  to  !  " 
His  brother  Charlie,  again,  on  the  right  side,  urging 
him  to  shove  the  blooming  horse  into  the  river  and 
let  him  swim  for  it.  Jim  seemed  to  think  it  a  good 
joke,  and  if  it  had  to  happen  it  was  as  well  it  should 
happen  to  a  Rich.  They  have  a  talent  for  rescues 
and  emergencies,  and  are  the  sort  of  Deal  fishermen 
of  the  Beaufort  Hunt.  Meanwhile,  there  we  all  were. 
After  hoping  against  hope,  I  started  magna  comitante 
caterva  for  the  nearest  bridge,  four  miles  off.  By  this 
time  I  was  on  William,  and  directly  we  got  to  the 
high  road  we  set  off  at  a  strong  pace.  The  high  road 
had  all  the  requisites — hard,  wide,  well  kept,  and  no 
grass  siding  to  lure  one  off  it.  After  galloping  for 
fifteen  bright  minutes  or  so  we  at  last  saw  scarlet 
specks  bobbing  about  a  mile  away  from  us,  half-right. 
Thank  heaven  !  hounds  looked  as  if  they  were  only 
just  running.  After  some  difficulty  in  persuading 
William  of  my  good  intentions,  for  he  fancied  by  this 
time  he  was  taking  the  good  news  from  Bruges  to 
Ghent,  I  turned  out  of  the  road,  with  Sturges  on  his 
white  horse  and  two  of  the  second  horsemen,  who  had 
kept  "  following  on  "  with  their  usual  dash  ;  the  rest 
of  our  party  being  beaten   off  by  our  superior  dis- 


330  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

regard  for  our  horses'  legs.  We  made  straight  for 
them  over  quite  a  nice  line  of  hunting  country.  To 
my  surprise,  or  rather  not  to  my  surprise,  there  were 
both  Charlie  and  James  Rich. 

Just  as  they  were  resolved  on  putting  Charlie's 
first  council  of  perfection  into  effect,  the  animal  had 
recovered  the  leg  which  was  over  the  edge  of  the 
bridge.  Not  liking  the  look  of  the  swirling,  starchy 
water,  he  made  a  great  effort,  ably  assisted  by 
Charlie,  who  had  hold  of  the  root  of  his  tail,  the 
others  meanwhile  hauling  at  other  coigns  of  vantage. 
Up  to  this  point  I  think  they  had  enjoyed  this  more 
than  anything.  We  had  to  go  back  over  the  spar- 
bridge,  and  another  horse  did  just  the  same  thing. 
This  time  the  body  servant  of  a  young  lady,  with 
a  deep  silver  lace  band  hat,  and  the  old  drab 
Zouave  gaiter.  However,  I  was  the  right  side, 
having  exerted  my  prerogative  of  Master,  please, 
and  bidden  Jim  sternly  to  the  rear.  Charlie  was 
with  difficulty  restrained  from  staying  to  see  if  he 
could  not  get  this  one  in,  and  lustily  roared  the  same 
advice  to  Hatband. 

After  dragging  on  a  mile  or  two  we  had  a  long 
check,  the  floods  and  our  ignorance  of  ponds  and 
bridges  having  played  the  dickens  with  us.  Just 
as  we  were  settling  down  into  the  doldrums  of  stag- 
hunting,  a  baker's  cart  brought  up  tidings  of  great 
joy.  The  baker  had  met  the  deer  at  some  cross- 
roads about  two  miles  away.  Harvey  at  once  sub- 
jected him  to  a  severe  cross-examination  as  to  his 
acquaintance  with  the  look  of  a  deer,  perhaps 
remembering  the  story  of  the  yokel  who  took  a 
squirrel  for  a  fox — "  He  wor  but  a  little  one,  and 
he  run  up  a  tree."  The  baker  stood  it  well,  and 
offered  to  go  with  us  as  a  sort  of  hostage,  declaring 
he  would  chance  it,  which,  I  suppose,  referred  to  the 
afternoon  delivery. 


CAPTAIN  JOHN   ORR-EWING  331 

Harvey  having  satisfied  himself  of  the  baker's 
bond  fides  and  natural  history,  started  off  at  a  hard- 
held  gallop,  blowing  his  horn.  We  wanted  a  little 
enlivening.  The  baker's  roan  pony  leading  us  to 
such  purpose  that  his  loaves  kept  being  jerked  out 
from  time  to  time.  The  baker  must  have  forgotten 
the  cross-road,  for  when  he  came  to  it  on  he  went. 
"  Hold  hard  !  "  we  all  shouted,  like  one  man,  whilst 
I  added  the  conventional,  "You're  all  over  the  line." 
On  this  he  pulled  up  so  short  that  one  wheel  went 
into  the  ditch  and  a  large  wicker  basket  flew  out. 

However,  it  was  all  right,  and  that  thick-shoul- 
dered Cardigan  hit  it  off  and  took  it  down  the  road 
at  least  two  hundred  yards  ;  none  of  the  others 
seemed  to  own  it.  We  slotted  him  out  of  the  road, 
and  then  hunted  up  to  him  rather  nicely  over  a 
fair  country,  through  the  park  and  young  planta- 
tions of  Buscot  Park,  to  a  large  piece  of  water  (the 
reservoir)  in  which  Blackback  was  swimming  serenely 
about.  In  went  the  hounds  and  I  began  to  feel 
nervous.  Bartlett's  (the  second  whip)  fine  tenor  of 
entreaty  and  remonstrance  now  rent  the  air — it  is 
always  one  of  his  great  moments — though  I  never 
saw  any  effect  produced  on  the  hounds. 

Harvey,  meanwhile,  blew  his  horn,  trotting  pro- 
minently up  and  down  the  bank,  whilst  all  who  knew 
how  cracked  their  whips.  My  Wiltshire  friends  were 
quite  entranced  with  the  spectacle,  and  declared  with 
one  accord  they  would  have  come  miles  to  see  it 
alone.  Blackback,  meanwhile,  was  veering  uncon- 
cernedly about  in  the  middle,  very  little  in  front 
of  Notion,  who,  ever  since  she  once  got  a  nip  at  a 
deer  in  the  Loddon,  has  much  improved  in  her 
swimming.  There  was  no  boat-house,  and  I  was 
beginning  to  be  really  uncomfortable,  when,  greatly 
to  my  surprise  and  satisfaction,  out  went  Blackback 
on  the  far  side. 


332  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

We  ran  into  him  in  a  deep  ditch  three  or  four 
fields  further  on.  Jim  Rich  had  an  arm  round  his 
neck  in  a  trice,  as  if  he  had  been  at  it  all  his  life. 
There  can  have  been  only  twenty  or  thirty  people 
up  with  us  at  the  end. 

All  my  Beaufort  guests  were  there,  I  am  glad  to 
say.  William  had  had  quite  enough  of  it.  He  tires 
himself  from  his  implacable  energy.  I  gruelled  him 
at  Faringdon,  where  I  had  some  poached  eggs.  Inn 
(the  Crown,  kept  by  Mrs.  Craddock)  full  of  talkative 
and  happy  hunters.  We  all  thought  Joe  Moore's 
horse  was  going  to  die  when  we  got  him  into  the 
stable.  A  stiff  brew  of  hot  ale  and  whisky  was 
being  administered  when  I  left.  It  was  as  much  as 
I  could  do  to  get  William  home  the  two  or  three 
miles  I  had  to  go  to  Kitemore.  He  dwelt  like  lead 
upon  his  own  footsteps.  We  were  both  very  glad 
to  see  Samways,  Only  a  couple  short,  I  think,  and 
the  men's  horses  did  pretty  well,  in  spite  of  their 
moderate  performance  at  Rosey  Brook. 

Rocksavage  (the  Marquis  of  Cholmondeley)  out, 
and  preserved  a  knowing  air  of  mystery  throughout. 
It  is  a  pleasure  to  see  him  ride  over  a  country. 
Ease  and  power  combined.  His  horse  always  gets 
the  best  possible  chance,  and  always  seems  to  take 
it.  He  said  he  thought  the  hounds  were  fat.  I 
daresay  they  are.  They  certainly  are  good  ones  to 
eat. 

Not  a  very  brilliant  point,  but  we  circumvented 
a  lot  of  country,  and  I  think  the  people  of  the 
district  all  enjoyed  it.  We  were  treated  with  great 
hospitality  and  kindness.  Brown,  who  hunts  the 
Old  Berkshire,  and  Orr-Ewing,  the  Master,  had 
thought  of  everything  possible  to  help  us  in  every 
way. 

The  Queen's  Hounds  had  not  been  in  this  part 
of  the  world  for  seventeen  years,  when  Lord  Cork 
brought  them  down. 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  ORR-EWING  333 

Lord  Ribblesdale  was  Master  of  the  Buck- 
hounds  from  1892  to  1895.  He  once  published 
over  his  own  signature  in  a  London  magazine 
an  amusino-  account  of  an  interview  with  Par- 
nell.  It  happened  that  he  travelled  in  the 
same  compartment  with  the  Irish  leader  from 
London  to  Holyhead.  The  first  efforts  of  the 
peer  to  draw  the  statesman  into  conversation 
were  met  with  the  latter's  well-known  reticence. 
He  presently  thawed,  however,  under  the  in- 
fluence of  his  genial  companion,  and  talked  at 
some  length  upon  the  "  Irish  Tenants'  Arrears 
Bill,"  which  was  then  the  great  subject  of 
political  interest.  When  the  account  of  the 
interview  appeared  Parnell  never  questioned 
its  accuracy,  merely  saying,  with  a  twinkle  in 
his  eye,  that  it  was  got  by  false  pretences. 

The  "Crown  Inn"  at  Faringdon  has  very 
frequently  been  referred  to  in  these  pages,  from 
the  commencement  of  our  history.  It  is  situated 
in  the  very  centre  of  the  country,  and  provides 
most  comfortable  quarters  for  man  and  beast. 
The  present  owner  and  holder,  Mrs.  Craddock, 
is  a  great  supporter  of  the  Hunt,  and  has  enter- 
tained the  field  at  her  own  expense  upon 
many  occasions.  The  following  conundrum 
is  a  Hunt  "  Chestnut  "  :  "  Why  is  Mrs.  Crad- 
dock like  Queen  Victoria?  "  Answer:  "Because 
she    is  the   legitimate  owner  of   the   Crown." 


334  THE    OLD    BERKS    HUNT 

Mrs.  Craddock  will  look  most  carefully  after 
any  hunting  man  staying  at  her  house,  while 
his  horses  will  be  equally  well  attended  by 
the  ostler,  Albert  Ayres,  who  was  for  twenty- 
two  years  stud-groom  to  Mr.  Frank  Martin- 
Atkins. 


CAPTAIN   FRANCIS  WILLIAM    FOHtblbK. 
Master  1893,    1894. 


To  face  page  335. 


335 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
Captain  F.  W.  Forester,   1893  and  1894. 

Captain  Orr-Ewing    was    succeeded    in    the 
mastership  by  Captain  Francis  William  Fores- 
ter, late  of  the  3rd  Hussars,  D.L.  for  Durham. 
Captain     Forester    is    a    grandson    of    Major 
Francis  Forester,   Royal    Horse   Guards,   who 
married,    in    18 13,     Lady     Louisa     Catherine 
Barbara,  daughter  of  the   Duke  of  Cleveland, 
from  whom  Captain  F.  W.   Forester  inherited 
a  large  fortune.     Captain   Forester  had,  when 
with  his  regiment,  hunted  the  3rd  Hussar  Fox- 
hounds during  the  season   1889- 1890.     Those 
hounds  hunted  that  part  of  the  County  of  Cork 
formerly  and   again    now  known  as  the  "  Mus- 
kerry  Country."     He  was  also  Master  of  and 
hunted  himself  the    "County   Limerick"  Fox- 
hounds    during    the    seasons    of    189 1-2    and 
1892-93.     Captain  Forester  took  up  his    resi- 
dence  at    Buckland    House,    the    seat    of   the 
President  of  the   Hunt,    Sir  William  Throck- 
morton.     He  hunted   the  hounds  himself  and 
took  over  the  existing  staff,  viz.,  Joe  Lawrence, 
first   whip  and    kennel   huntsman,   and   Albert 
Maiden,   second  whip.      Unfortunately,  at  this 


336  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

time  the  Old  Berks  country  was  terribly- 
affected  with  mange,  and  consequently  foxes 
were  scarce,  and  long  draws  frequent.  Mange 
had  been,  indeed,  prevalent  for  some  years,  and 
it  came  to  a  climax  in  1893-94.  The  summer 
had  been  a  very  dry  one  and  the  ground 
throughout  the  autumn  was  very  hard.  Cub- 
hunting  commenced  on  September  the  21st. 
The  winter  was  comparatively  mild  and  open, 
frost  seldom  interfering  with  hunting,  which 
was,  however,  stopped  on  November  the  21st 
by  fog.  In  February  hunting  was  stopped  by 
frost  from  the  19th  to  the  25th.  Hounds  were 
out  altogether  seventy-five  days  and  killed 
twenty-one  and  a  half  brace  of  foxes,  of 
which  seven  and  a  half  brace  were  affected 
with  mange.  Hounds  drew  blank  no  less 
than  five  days — a  record  in  this  undesirable 
direction  in  the  Old  Berks  country.  Perhaps 
the  best  run  of  the  season  took  place  on 
February  the  7th.  After  a  meet  at  Wicklesham 
they  found  at  Coxwell  Furze.  Getting  away  on 
good  terms  over  the  road,  hounds  ran  sharp  for 
Beckett,  then  bearing  to  the  left,  crossed  the 
Fernham  and  Longcott  road  and  ran  down  to 
the  railway  at  Iron  Bridge  Covert.  Here  they 
turned  back  to  the  right,  and  ran  nearly  to 
Fernham,  on  to  the  New  Covert,  then  slower 
to    Uffington,  where   he  was   viewed,  and  run 


CAPTAIN  F.    W.   FORESTER  lyj 

sharp  to  Kingston  Spinney  ;  then  crossing 
the  Canal,  left  Bath  House  on  the  left,  and 
Uffington  Wood  on  the  right,  to  the  top  of 
the  Downs,  where  he  turned  to  the  left  and 
ran  past  the  Punchbowl,  and  was  killed  about 
half  a  mile  from  Woolley  Park,  after  a  fine 
hunting  run  of  two  hours  and  five  minutes. 

Captain  Forester  is  now  hunting  from 
Saxelbye  Park,  near  Melton  Mowbray.  He 
married,  in  1894,  Aline  Laura,  eldest  daughter 
of  Sir  Powlett  Charles  John  Milbank  and  has 
issue.* 

On  January  the  8th,  1895,  Mr.  George 
Frederick  Crowdy,  who  had  for  thirty-eight 
years  been  Hon.  Secretary,  died  at  Faringdon. 
A  son  of  the  late  Mr.  Richard  Wheeler 
Crowdy,  and  a  grandson  of  Mr,  William 
Crowdy,  of  Westrop  House,  High  worth,  Wilts, 
he  was  born  in  18 18  and  was  a  pupil  of  Dr. 
Bowles,  of  Sudbury  House,  Faringdon,  at 
whose  establishment  many  men  of  note,  includ- 
ing the  late  Mr.  T.  Delane,  of  the  Times,  were 
educated.  Mr.  G.  F.  Crowdy  had  held  many 
public  offices,  among  them  being  that  of  Regis- 
trar of  ♦^he  County  Court,  to  which  he  was 
appointed  on  its  establishment  in  1846.  In 
the  year  1888  he  was  elected  as  the  representa- 

*  In    1905   he  succeeds   Captain   Burns-Hartopp  as 
Master  of  the  Quorn. 
22 


338  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

tive  of  the  Faringdon  division  on  the  Berk- 
shire County  Council,  serving  also  on  the 
Standing  Joint  and  other  Committees,  and 
as  Visitor  at  the  County  Asylum. 

When  the  ^reat  Volunteer  movement  was 
originated  in  1859,  he  was  one  of  the  first  to 
join,  and  he  served  as  an  officer  in  the  Far- 
ingdon company  for  twelve  years.  An  ardent 
sportsman  and  follower  of  the  chase,  his 
experience  of  upwards  of  fifty  years  dated 
back  to  the  mastership  of  Lord  Kintore. 

In  1857  he  was  requested  by  Mr.  James 
Morrell,  of  Headington,  as  Master  of  the 
Hounds,  to  undertake  the  duties  of  Hon. 
Secretary  of  the  Hunt,  which  he  did,  and 
continued  to  do  so  to  the  time  of  his  death. 

Indeed,  it  was  due  in  no  small  measure  to 
his  unfailing  tact,  judgment  and  courtesy,  that 
the  Hunt  prospered  during  the  thirty-eight 
succeeding  years  in  which  he  held  office.  In 
his  younger  days  he  was  a  bold  and  straight 
rider  to  hounds,  and  owned  some  good  horses. 
His  genial  presence  in  the  hunting  field  was 
much  missed,  and  deep  regret  was  felt  for  the 
loss  of  a  cheery  companion,  a  good  sportsman 
and  a  kind  friend.  His  delight  in  hunting 
continued  to  within  a  year  of  his  death,  and 
in  his  seventy-fifth  year  he  could  still  hold 
his  own  in  the  huntino"  field. 


CAPTAIN  F.    W.  FORESTER  339 

At  the  next  meeting  of  the  Hunt  Committee 
held  on  the  20th  March,  iSot;,  the  followino- 
resolution,  proposed  by  Sir  William  Throck- 
morton, Bart.,  and  seconded  by  Mr.  Edmund 
Kyffin,  Lenthall,  was  carried  unanimously. 

"  That  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  Hunt 
Committee  after  the  death  of  our  excellent 
and  much  esteemed  Honorary  Secretary,  Mr. 
Crowdy,  we  desire  to  express  our  sympathy 
with  his  family  at  their  loss,  and  to  record  our 
deep  feeling  of  gratitude  for  the  long  and 
faithful  services  he  rendered  to  the  Old  Berks 
country  for  a  period  of  nearly  forty  years." 

In  1897  Mr.  William  Thornton  West,  of 
Barcote,  died.  He  was  a  most  liberal  sup- 
porter of  the  Hunt,  and  the  annual  breakfasts 
he  gave  to  the  Hunt  will  be  long  remembered. 


340 


CHAPTER   XX. 

Mr.  Frederick  Charles  Swindell 
1894  TO  1898. 

Mr.  Frederick  Charles  Swindell,  who  suc- 
ceeded Captain  Forester,  was  the  son  of  the 
Mr.  Swindell,  for  many  years  well  known  on 
the  Turf,  a  man  much  respected  for  his  invari- 
ably straightforward  dealings.  It  is  said  that 
he  left  a  considerable  fortune  to  his  son,  upon 
the  express  condition  that  he  should  never 
bet  ;  a  condition  most  religiously  observed  by 
his  heir  ;  who  though  at  one  time  an  owner  of 
racehorses,  once  told  a  friend  that  the  largest 
bet  he  had  ever  made  was  a  pair  of  gloves 
with  a  lady.  Mr.  Swindell  had  long  been 
connected  with  hounds.  In  1883  the  late 
Marquis  of  Anglesey  gave  him  a  pack  of 
French  hounds,  of  the  "  Gascoigne "  breed. 
These  were  very  large  handsome  animals,  after 
the  bloodhound  type.  They  had  wonderful 
nose  and  tongue,  but  were  very  slow,  and 
quite  unable  to  catch  the  deer  on  Cannock 
Chase,    where    Mr.    Swindell    had    permission 


Dickinson,  photo. 


FREDERICK  CHARLES  SWINDELL,  Esq. 
Master  1894  to  1898. 


To  face  page  340. 


MR.   FREDERICK  CHARLES  SWINDELL      341 

from  the  Marquis  to  hunt.  Finding  he  could 
do  nothing  with  these  hounds,  on  account  of 
their  want  of  pace,  Mr.  Swindell,  with  the 
assent  of  the  Marquis,  gave  them  to  Mr.  Frank 
Thompson,  of  Burton-on-Trent,  who  hunted 
hares  with  them  on  foot !  For  Cannock  Chase 
Mr.  Swindell  bought  a  draft  of  old  and  young 
hounds  from  the  Bicester,  and  they  very 
soon  pulled  down  a  deer. 

In  July,  1885,  Mr.  Swindell  undertook  to 
hunt  a  portion  of  the  Puckeridge  country.  He 
got  hounds  together  from  various  sources, 
converted  some  buildings  into  kennels,  bought 
a  stud  of  horses,  and  had  his  first  morning's 
cubhunting  on  September  the  5th,  when  they 
killed  a  cub  in  Graves  Wood  on  the  land  of 
that  first-rate  sportsman,  Mr.  John  Sworder,  of 
West  Mill. 

In  October  of  the  same  year,  1885,  rabies 
broke  out  in  his  kennels.  Mr.  Swindell  stopped 
hunting  for  a  fortnight,  and  then,  finding  that 
there  was  no  fresh  outbreak,  began  hunting 
again.  From  October,  1885,  until  February, 
1886,  several  smaller  outbreaks  took  place. 
After  February  Mr.  Swindell  thought  it  was 
fairly  stamped  out,  but  in  June  it  made  its  dire 
appearance  again  ;  and  he  then  determined  to 
destroy  the  whole  of  the  bitch  pack.  Mr. 
Swindell  now  says,  "  This  ought  to  have  been 


342  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

done  in  the  first  Instance,  and  I  should  strongly 
recommend  anyone  placed  in  a  similar  position 
to  adopt  that  course  without  the  slightest 
hesitation."  Fortunately,  Mr.  Swindell  had 
foreseen  from  the  first  outbreak  that  this  course 
might  become  necessary  ;  so  he  commenced 
to  get  another  lot  of  hounds  together.  In 
this  endeavour  he  met  with  the  greatest  help 
from  other  Masters,  as  indeed  is  invariably 
the  case  under  such  circumstances.  Amongst 
others  Mr.  Swindell  was  greatly  assisted  by 
Mr.  Ames,  then  Master  of  the  Worcestershire, 
and  Lord  Onslow,  who  had  the  Ripley  and 
Knaphill  Harriers.  To  keep  these  new 
hounds  quite  separate  from  the  infected  pack, 
Mr.  Swindell  put  up  temporary  kennels  half  a 
mile  away,  and  hunted  them  on  alternate  days 
with  the  other  pack.  Fred  Mitchell,  who  had 
been  with  Lord  Ferrers  as  second  horseman, 
and  came  with  Mr.  Swindell  from  Gloucester- 
shire and  Staffordshire,  was  his  kennel  hunts- 
man at  the  time.  His  master  says  of  his 
services,  "  I  shall  never  forget  the  way  he 
worked  during  the  whole  of  that  most  trying 
time,  with  two  separate  kennels  to  look  after." 
Mitchell  went  from  Mr.  Swindell  to  the 
"  Albrighton."  He  was  succeeded  by  James 
Budd,  who  remained  with  Mr.  Swindell  as 
kennel  huntsman  and  first  whip,  until  he  gave 


MR.   FREDERICK  CHARLES  SWINDELL      343 

Up  the  Puckeridge,  in  1894.  Budd  then  con- 
tinued with  the  Hon.  Lancelot  Bathurst.  He 
is  now  with  the  Cambridgeshire  hounds. 

In  the  estabhshment  of  a  new  "lady  pack" 
Mr.  Swindell  says  he  was  greatly  assisted  by 
the  large  number  of  good  "walks"  offered  to 
him  in  the  Puckeridge  country.  Altogether 
an  enormous  number  of  hounds  passed  through 
his  hands  at  this  period,  but  the  final  and 
gratifying  result  was  that  he  again  built  up  a 
very  satisfactory  pack  of  hounds. 

Mr.  Swindell's  second  whip  was  Henry 
Everett,  who  came  to  him  from  Lord  Fitz- 
william,  and  remained  until  he  died  of  rheu- 
matic fever  in  May,  1889,  to  the  great  regret 
of  the  whole  Hunt,  who  expressed  their 
sympathy  in  a  practical  manner  by  raising 
a  handsome  subscription  for  his  widow. 
Everett  was  a  first-rate  whipper-in,  and  a  fine 
horseman,  and  would  undoubtedly  have  made 
his  mark  in  the  hunting  field  had  he  lived. 
Henry  Roake  succeeded  Everett.  Mr.  Swin- 
dell says  he  always  considered  him  a  first-rate 
man.  He  is  now  huntsman  to  the  Quantock 
Stag  Hounds.  Roake  was  succeeded  by  Frank 
Press,  who  remained  one  season  and  was 
followed  by  Tom  Morgan,  from  Lord  Fitz- 
hardinge.  Morgan  came  with  his  master  to 
the  Old  Berks  country,  and  remained  there  for 
three  years. 


344  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

In  1887  Mr,  Swindell  accepted  the  offer  of 
a  fortnight's  hunting  from  Mr.  Nicholas  Snow, 
then  Master  of  the  Exmoor  Foxhounds.  He 
took  with  him  to  Exmoor  twenty  couple  of 
the  "lady  pack"  and  half-a-dozen  horses  for 
himself  and  Mrs.  Swindell,  Fred  Mitchell 
being  in  charge  of  the  hounds.  They  stayed 
at  Porlock  Weir,  and  killed  their  first  fox  on 
April  the  7th,  1887,  after  meeting  at  Comers 
Gate,  now  in  the  Dulverton  country.  We 
believe  that  Mr.  Swindell  was  the  first  M.F.H. 
to  use  the  tattooing  machine  for  marking 
hounds.  He  orives  the  followinaf  account  of 
its  introduction  :  "  One  day  in  1887  I  rode  over 
to  Chrishall  Grange,  near  Royston,  to  see  Mr. 
Jonas,  the  large  sheep  breeder,  and  there  I 
saw  the  machine  being  used  on  the  sheep. 
It  struck  me  at  once  that  it  would  be  a  great 
improvement  to  use  it  for  marking  puppies, 
instead  of  branding  them  in  the  old-fashioned 
way  with  a  hot  iron  ;  this  I  have  always  classed 
with  roundino-  hounds'  ears  as  a  most  unneces- 
sary  piece  of  cruelty.  I  have  never  done  it  to 
hounds  which  were  my  own  property.  Some 
people  will  tell  you  that  hounds  with  unrounded 
ears  get  them  torn,  but  my  reply  to  that  is,  go 
and  look  at  Mr.  George  Fitzwilliam's  pack  at 
Milton.  During  the  nine  years  1  hunted  the 
Puckeridge  country  I  never  remember  a  hound's 


MR.   FREDERICK  CHARLES  SWINDELL      345 

ear  being  badly  torn."  Mr.  Swindell's  opinion 
on  this  point  is  completely  endorsed  by  Mr. 
Wright,  the  present  Master  of  the  Old  Berks. 

The  Puckeridge  Hunt  built  new  kennels  to 
replace  the  temporary  ones  built  by  Mr.  Swin- 
dell. These  kennels  were  built  at  Braughing 
on  land  given  by  Mr.  Calvert  of  Furneaux 
Pelham,  and  Mr.  Leader  of  Buntingford.  Mr. 
Swindell  put  his  hounds  into  them  in  May, 
1886,  and  built  a  house  for  himself  close  by. 
He  became  Master  of  the  Old  Berks  Hunt  on 
May  the  ist,  1894.  He  sold  his  hounds  to  the 
Hon.  L.  Bathurst,  who  succeeded  him  with 
the  Puckeridge,  at  Tattersall's  valuation  of 
;^i,200.  He  brought  with  him  the  reputation 
of  being  a  first-rate  sportsman,  a  reputation  he 
did  nothing  but  enhance  in  his  new  country. 
For  residence  he  took  Kingston  House  from 
Mr.  Blandy  Jenkins.  As  with  the  Puckeridge, 
he  hunted  the  hounds  himself;  Joe  Lawrence, 
who  had  been  kennel  huntsman  and  first  whip 
to  Lord  Craven  and  Captain  Forester,  remained 
in  the  same  position.  Tom  Morgan  came  with 
the  Master  as  second  whip. 

Tom  Morgan  left  in  1896,  and  Mr.  Swindell 
then  brought  Jack  Press  into  the  Old  Berks 
country,  from  the  county  Gal  way.  He  remained 
through  Mr.  Dunn's  mastership,  and  with  Mr. 
Wright.      Tom   Morgan   went    to  the    Surrey 


346  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Union  when  he  left  Mr.  Swindell  ;  he  only- 
remained  there  one  season,  and  then  returned 
to  his  old  master,  with  whom  he  remained 
until  Mr.  Swindell  gave  up  the  Old  Berkshire. 
During  the  season,  '96-'97,  Frank  Huckvale 
acted  as  second  whip. 

In  May,  1900,  Mr.  Swindell  took  over  the 
mastership  of  the  Taunton  Vale  Foxhounds. 
H.  Price  was  his  kennel  huntsman  and  first 
whip,  and  E.  Bailey,  from  the  Aldenham 
Harriers,  his  second  whip.  These  servants 
remained  with  Mr.  Swindell  for  the  two 
seasons  he  hunted  the  Taunton  Vale.  Upon 
his  resignation  he  recommended  Price  to  Mr. 
Wright,  and  Bailey  went  as  first  whip  to  the 
Old  Berkeley  (West).  At  the  end  of  October, 
1902,  Mr.  Barthopp,  then  Master  of  the 
"Hundred  of  Hoo  Foxhounds"  being  on  the 
sick  list,  asked  Mr.  Swindell  to  hunt  his  hounds 
for  him  ;  so  the  latter  gentleman  sent  some 
horses  down  to  the  kennels  near  Rochester, 
and  hunted  the  hounds  during  that  season. 
In  May,  1903,  Mr.  Swindell  took  over  the 
Hursley  country.  E.  Bailey,  who  was  his 
second  whip  with  the  Taunton  Vale,  rejoined 
him  as  kennel  huntsman  and  first  whip. 
Joseph  Davis,  a  son  of  the  celebrated  "Punch" 
Davis,  who  has  been  so  many  years  with  the 
Hertfordshire  Hounds,  being  his  second  whip. 


MR.  FREDERICK  CHARLES  SWINDELL     347 

When  Mr.  Swindell  gave  up  the  Puckeridge 
Hounds  in  1894,  the  members  of  the  Hunt 
presented  him  with  a  testimonial,  which  took 
the  form  of  a  beautifully  modelled  silver  fox, 
the  pedestal  being  engraved  with  the  following 
inscription  : — 

"  Presented  by  222  members  and  friends  of 
the  Puckeridge  Hunt,  July,  1894,  to  Mr. 
Frederick  Swindell,  on  his  resignation  of  the 
mastership,  and  in  acknowledgement  of  his 
able,  generous  and  popular  management  during 
nine  seasons." 

The  opening  meet  of  the  season  was  at  the 
kennels,  on  November  the  7th,  1895.  After 
a  hearty  welcome  at  Kingston  House  from 
the  Master,  Mr.  Swindell,  they  started  for 
Tuckpens,  where  a  fox  was  quickly  on  foot. 
A  ringing  run  followed. 

A  good  day  was  experienced  on  Monday, 
January  the  13th,  1896.  The  meet  was  at 
Wicklesham,  where  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Edwards 
gave  the  field  a  hearty  welcome.  A  fox  was 
soon  found  in  a  turnip  field  near  Coles  Pits. 
He  went  away  to  the  left  of  Fernham 
village,  then  turning  to  the  right  passed  by 
Ringdale  to  Longcot,  running  very  prettily 
parallel  to  the  railway  over  Alfred's  Hill  to  the 
brook,  where  there  was  a  lively  scene,  and 
several  got  a  soaking.     From  there  over  the 


348  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

railway  to  Uffington  Gorse,  then  swinging  back 
over  the  line  again  by  Baulking  over  the  brook, 
back  through  Rosey  Covert,  again  over  the 
brook  to  Sheepcroft  Field  by  Stanford  in  the 
Vale.  In  doubling  back  they  crossed  the 
brook  yet  again,  where  several  other  immer- 
sions took  place,  although  the  field  by  now  was 
becoming  attenuated  by  a  rather  severe  applica- 
tion of  the  principle  of  *'  the  survival  of  the 
fittest."  Ultimately  the  gallant  fox  went  to 
ground  in  Rosey  Covert,  where  he  was  left. 
Run,  one  and  a  half  hours,  with  plenty  of 
jumping,  and  many  riderless  horses. 

Mr.  Swindell  is  an  excellent  sportsman,  and 
he  was  particularly  popular  with  the  yeomen 
and  farmers  in  the  Old  Berks  country,  who, 
upon  his  giving  up  the  hounds,  determined  to 
present  him  with  a  testimonial.  They  then 
bethought  themselves  of  the  fox  presented  to 
him  by  the  Puckeridge  Hunt,  and  came  to  the 
just  conclusion  that  so  stout  a  fox  should  have 
a  hound  after  him,  so  they  presented  him  with 
a  silver  hound,  with  the  inscription  : — 

"Presented  to  F.  C.  Swindell,  Esq.,  by  193 
tenant  farmers  of  the  Old  Berks  Hunt,  in 
recognition  of  the  unvarying  courtesy  and 
consideration  they  have  received  from  him 
during  his  mastership.     June,  1898." 

At  the  same  time  a  silver  hunting  horn  was 


MR.  FREDERICK  CHARLES   SWINDELL      349 

presented   to   him  by   the   keepers  and   earth- 
stoppers.     The  horn  bears  the  inscription  : — 

"  Presented  to  F.  C.  Swindell,  Esq.,  on  his 
retirement  as  Master  of  the  O.B.H.,  by  the 
keepers  and  earth-stoppers  of  the  Hunt." 


350 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

Mr.  Edward  Thomas  William  Dunn, 
1898   TO    T901. 

Mr.  Swindell  was  succeeded  in  1898  by 
Mr.  E.  T.  W.  Dunn,  the  brother  of  Mr. 
William  Hew  Dunn,  of  Wallingtons,  Hunger- 
ford,  Berks,  who  has  been  twice  Master  of  the 
Craven,  viz.,  from  1877  to  1879,  when  he  was 
Joint- Master  with  Mr.  G.  S.  Willes,  and  from 
1895  to  1900,  when  he  held  the  reins  alone. 
Mr.  Dunn  is  a  son  of  the  late  Major  General 
William  Dunn,  R.A.,  of  Inglewood  and 
Wallinorton,  Berks,  and  a  o-randson  of  Mr, 
Thomas  Dunn,  formerly  of  the  County  of 
Durham  and  latterly  senior  member  of  the 
Executive  Council  of  Lower  Canada,  and  who 
married  in  1783,  Henriette  Fargues,  daughter 
of  M.  Guichard.  Mr.  Edward  Dunn  had  for 
many  years  hunted  with  the  Old  Berks,  and 
was  known  as  one  of  the  hardest  riders  in  the 
field,  whilst  as  "  Eddy"  Dunn  he  is  one  of  the 
most  popular  members  of  the  Hunt.  He 
has     purchased    the     old    Manor     House    of 


]l'indo7.v  &^  Grove,  fihoto 


EDWARD  THOMAS  WILLIAM   DUNN,    Esq. 
Master  1898  to  1901. 


To  jace  page  350. 


MR.   EDWARD    THOMAS    WILLIAM  DUNN     351 

Childrey  and  long  may  he  continue  to  occupy 
it.  Mr.  Dunn  retained  the  services,  as  hunts- 
man, of  John  Press,  who  came  with  Mr. 
Swindell  from  the  Puckeridge,  and  who  is  a 
son  of  the  John  Press  who  hunted  the  Cam- 
bridgeshire and  Blackmore  Vale  for  many 
years.  Press  was  a  bold  and  fine  rider,  very 
keen,  and  always  anxious  to  show  sport. 

About  this  period  many  excellent  descrip- 
tions of  runs  appeared  in  the  columns  of  the 
Faringdon  Advertiser,  by  "  Black  Bess  "  and 
"  Rambler,"  to  whose  able  pens  we  are  greatly 
indebted. 

In  1898  the  final  meet  of  the  season  took 
place  in  the  Market  Place  at  Abingdon,  by 
special  invitation  of  the  Mayor  and  Corpora- 
tion. An  excellent  luncheon  was  provided  in 
the  Council  Chamber,  at  which  the  Mayor 
presided.  The  Master,  Mr.  Dunn,  was  un- 
fortunately unable  to  be  present  owing  to  the 
death  of  a  relative.  The  hounds  afterwards 
drew  Bagley  Wood,  always  a  difficult  place  to 
get  away  from,  and  upon  this  occasion,  owing 
to  the  crowd  of  followers,  it  proved  impossible. 
However,  the  crowd  of  mounted  and  dis- 
mounted sportsmen  were  rewarded  at  last  by 
seeing  a  fine  dog  fox  broken  up,  after  ringing 
the  changes  for  over  two  hours. 

A    large    party    assembled    at    Mr.    Dunn's 


352  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

invitation  at  the  Kennels  on  May  the  12th, 
1898,  to  see  the  judging  of  the  young  hounds. 
Mr.  Dunn,  upon  this  occasion  improved  upon 
precedent  by  inviting  several  ladies.  Possibly 
it  was  the  desire  of  distinction  in  their  eyes  that 
made  the  entry  unusually  large.  The  judges 
were  Mr.  W.  H.  Dunn,  Master  of  the  Craven, 
Frank  Gillard,  late  of  the  Belvoir,  and  Will 
Dale,  of  the  Badminton.  The  first  prize  was 
taken  by  Mr.  W.  Painton's  dog  Stentor  by 
Stormer — Songstress.  For  bitches,  Mrs.  Rick- 
man's  Rachel  by  Raglan — Sunlight.  Couples, 
Mrs.  Rickman's  Rachel  and  Ruby  by  Raglan — 
Sunlight.  Mrs.  Rickman,  however,  generously 
gave  up  the  prize  to  the  next  best.  Random 
and  Ranter,  walked  by  Mr.  C.  Jefferies. 

On  Tuesday,  December  the  7th,  1898,  the 
meet  was  at  Fernham  ;  found  at  Coxwell  Furze 
Hills.  After  a  ringing  run  at  a  most  enjoyable 
pace,  over  a  good  hunting  country,  the  fox 
came  back  to  ground  at  Uffington  Gorse. 
Mr.  Ernest  Reade  had  a  nasty  fall  near  Moor 
Mill  and  fractured  his  left  wrist. 

On  Monday,  February  the  nth,  1901,  the 
meet  was  at  Stanford  in  the  Vale,  where  there 
was  a  good  muster  on  the  Rectory  Green.  Re- 
freshments were  kindly  dispensed  by  the  Rev. 
H.  A.  Cotton.  A  brace  of  foxes  were  started 
from  Rosey,  and   hounds  got  on  to  one  which 


MR.   EDWARD    THOMAS    WILLIAM  DUNN     353 

went  away  by  the  Sands  Farm,  then  turned 
back  over  Rosey  Brook  and  on  by  Baulking, 
leaving  Uffington  Station  on  the  left,  crossed 
the  brook  again  and  on  to  Fernham  Copse, 
where  a  fresh  fox  jumped  up  amongst  the 
hounds,  and  was  killed.  Press  soon  got  the 
hounds  again  on  to  the  line  of  the  hunted  fox 
and  they  ran  him  over  the  Faringdon  line  on 
through  Ashey  Copse,  over  Cole's  Pits,  by 
Little  Coxwell  Furze  Hills  towards  Badbury 
Hill  to  Watchfield,  where  they  came  to  check  ; 
after  making  a  cast  he  was  given  up.  Met 
with  another  fox  in  a  tree  near  Kinofston 
Spinnies  and  ran  him  towards  Challow  Station, 
back  through  Sparholt  into  Kingston  Lisle 
Park,  where  he  was  lost.  A  capital  good  day's 
sport  over  a  good  country. 

In  the  long  series  of  twenty-six  Masters, 
whose  doings  we  have  recorded,  none  was 
more  popular  with  all  classes  in  the  field  than 
Mr.  E.  Dunn,  and  when  after  a  reign  of  three 
most  successful  years,  he  resigned,  it  was  to 
the  sincere  and  loudly  expressed  regret  of  the 
whole  Hunt  and  country.  His  services  to  the 
Hunt  did  not,  however,  stop  with  his  master- 
ship. Difficulties  with  regard  to  barbed  wire, 
and  other  matters,  have  been  very  greatly 
attenuated  by  the  unfailing  tact,  courtesy,  and 
personal  popularity  of  Mr.  Dunn. 
23 


354  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

It  was  universally  felt  throughout  the  Hunt 
that  Mr.  Dunn's  admirable  services  should  not 
be  allowed  to  pass  without  some  formal  recog- 
nition,  and  a  testimonial   was  mooted,  quickly 
subscribed  for,  and  presented  to  Mr.  Dunn  at 
a  dinner  held  at  the  Crown   Hotel,  Faringdon, 
on  June  the   12th,    1901,      In  the  unavoidable 
absence  of  Sir  William  Throckmorton  (Presi- 
dent of  the   Hunt),  owing  to  an  accident,  the 
Chair  was   taken   by  Mr.   Charles    Morrell,  of 
Milton    Hill.      Amongst    those  present   were : 
Mr.   E.  W.   Dunn,   Col.   Edwards,  Mr.   B.   H. 
Morland,  Col.  A.   D.   Rickman,  Mr.  J.  Cottrell 
Dormer,    Mr.    J.    J.    Eyston,    Mr.    E.    Percy 
Crowdy,  Mr.  John  Parsons,  Mr.  C.  T.  Eyston 
Rev.  J.   Edgell,  Mr.   E.   O.  Powell,  Mr.   John 
Duffield,  Mr.  Wm.  Niven,  Mr.  E.  Robson,  Mr. 
J.    F.    Hutson,    Mr.    A.    Fisher,    Mr.    P.    Aid- 
worth,   Mr.  J.   F.  Dowsing,  Mr.  F.  C.  Town- 
send,    Mr.    Strauss,    Mr.     E.    Phillips,    and    a 
large  gathering  of  farmers  and  others.      The 
testimonial    consisted    of    a    handsome    silver- 
gilt    centrepiece    and    two    smaller    bowls    of 
excellent  design,  on  ebony  stands,  the  centre- 
piece bearing  the  following  inscription  : — 

"Presented  to  Edward  William  Dunn,  Esq., 
by  his  friends  and  supporters  on  his  resigning 
the  mastership  of  the  Old  Berkshire  Hounds, 
1 2th  June,  190T." 


EUiotl  <~  FryJ'lwto 


CHARLES  BOOTH  ELMSALL  WRIGHT,   Esq. 
Master  since  1901. 


To  face  page  355. 


355 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

Mr.  Charles  Booth  Elmsall  Wright,  1901 
TO  Present  Time. 

It  takes  but  little  to  raise  a  laugh  in  a  court 
of  law,  and  a  company  at  the  covert  side  is  still 
more  easily  amused.  When  the  name  of  the 
new  Master  was  first  bruited  abroad,  a  member 
of  a  little  group  assembled  at  the  corner  of  a 
wood,  having  casually  observed,  "  I  hear  Mr. 
Wright  has  taken  the  hounds,"  some  shameless 
punster  responded  with  "  Ah,  yes,  you  see  we 
were  Swindell'd,  then  we  were  Dunn,  and  now 
we  are  going  to  be  put  to  Wright."  The 
retiring  Master  and  his  predecessor  in  office, 
both  happened  to  be  amongst  the  coterie,  and 
their  presence  no  doubt  inspired  the  sally,  for 
it  will  be  noticed  that  the  licensed  jester,  as  in 
this  case,  always  chooses  the  most  genial  and 
popular  members  of  society  as  a  target  for  his 
harmless  and  sometimes  pointless  joke,  moved 
thereto  no  doubt  by  an  unduly  keen  apprecia- 
tion of  the  paramount  importance  of  his  own 
personal  safety.     In   this  case,   of  course,    the 


356  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

joke  was  the  droll  inapplicability  of  the  double 
meaning  to  either  of  the  two  popular  ex- 
Masters  to  whom  it  was  addressed.  The 
universal  g^roan  with  which  this  atrocious 
liberty  with  the  three  names  was  received, 
varied  with  the  command,  given  in  a  feminine 
voice,  "  Go  away,  you  bold,  bad  man,"  though 
powerless  to  bring  the  flush  of  shame  to  the 
cheek  of  that  hardened  sinner,  induced  him  at 
least  to  set  spurs  to  his  horse  and  rapidly  get 
the  far  side  of  a  particularly  awkward  "  binder  " 
— a  remarkable  feat  for  so  weighty  a  follower 
of  the  chase  as  Mr.  A — d — s,  the  culprit  in 
question — there  it  is  to  be  feared  to  repeat 
his  offence  as  often  as  he  could  find  a  listener. 

This  play  upon  names  may  remind  some 
readers  of  the  startling  announcement  of  the 
flunky,  who  at  a  Foreign  Office  reception  some 
years  ago,  gave  out  in  stentorian  tones.  His 
Excellency  Count  Shuffle  Off,  His  Excellency 
Count  Monster,  His  Excellency  Count  Beast ! 
(Schouvaloff,  Munster,  Beust).  Others  of  our 
readers,  who  must,  however,  alas !  have  long 
ago  passed  their  half  century,  may  remember 
an  incident  which  occurred  in  an  old  Cathedral 
City  of  the  West.  It  happened  that  the  butler 
announced  in  rapid  succession,  the  names,  Mr. 
Bird,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bullock,  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Bull,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jay,  whereupon,  the  host's 


MR.  CHARLES  BOOTH  ELMSALL  WRIGHT      357 

brother,  then  an  "  Utter  Barrister,"  now  a 
peer,  the  trusted  friend  and  adviser  of  sove- 
reign and  workman  alike,  said  with  a  twinkle 
in  his  eye,  "  Why,  you  have  the  whole  zoologi- 
cal gardens  coming."  By  the  way,  perhaps 
some  philologist  will  kindly  explain  why  many 
animal  names  are  so  common,  whilst  others, 
which  might  be  deemed  more  worthy,  are  un- 
known. We  have  often  met  a  Mr.  Bull,  but 
do  not  remember  to  have  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  a  Mrs.  Cow.  All  Old  Berkshire 
sportsmen  know  of  Mr.  Fox,  but  Mr.  Horse, 
or  Mr.  Hound,  are  not  to  be  found,  even  in  the 
pages  of  the  London  Postal  Directory.  But 
we  have  overrun  the  line  and  must  hark  back. 

Mr.  Charles  Booth  Elmsall  Wright,  of 
Bolton  Hall,  York,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Dunn 
in  the  mastership,  is  a  J. P.  and  D.L.  for  the 
county,  and  was  High  Sheriff  in  1879.  He 
is  the  eldest  son  of  the  late  Mr.  Charles 
Swaine  Wright,  and  grandson  of  the  Rev. 
Godfrey  Wright,  M.A.,  of  Bilham  House, 
York.  Mr.  Wright  was  born  in  1848, 
and  married  in  1870,  Edith  de  Cardonell, 
second  daughter  of  Robert  W.  M.  Nesfield,  of 
Casde  Hill,  Bake  well,  Derby.  Upon  his 
arrival  in  Berkshire  he  took  up  his  residence 
at  New  House,  the  home  of  so  many  Masters 
of  the  Old   Berks.     As  kennel  huntsman  and 


358  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

first  whip  he  retained  the  services  of  Jack 
Press,  Frank  Hayes  remaining  as  second  whip. 
After  a  time  Jack  Press  gave  place  to  Harry 
Price,  the  present  kennel  huntsman  and  first 
whip,  who  came  from  the  Taunton  Vale,  and 
Frank  Hayes  left  to  be  replaced  by  Charles 
Morris,  who  came  from  the  Badsworth. 
Morris  has  now  gone  to  the  Pytchley  and  his 
place  as  second  whip  has  been  taken  by  H. 
Grange,  who  came  from  the  Bedale. 

Mr.  Wright  is  a  veteran  of  the  Chase.  He 
was  blooded  and  got  his  first  brush  so  long 
ago  as  1852,  and  so  has  more  than  completed 
his  half  century  in  the  field.  When  at  Cam- 
bridge he  hunted  a  great  deal  with  the  Oakley, 
under  Mr.  Robert  Arkwright,  and  with  the 
Fitzwilliam.  On  leaving  college  he  hunted 
with  the  Badsworth,  Lord  Hawke  being 
Master.  Lord  Hawke  was  followed  by  Mr. 
Barton,  who  lived  at  Stapleton. 

Mr.  Wright  himself  took  the  Badsworth  in 
1873,  when  he  was  only  25  years  of  age. 
His  huntsman  was  Owen,  but  in  1874  Mr. 
Wright  hunted  the  dog  pack  himself.  Later 
on  he  hunted  both  packs  himself  His  pre- 
decessor, Mr.  Barton,  who  had  married  a 
daughter  of  Sir  John  Ramsden,  died  in  the 
hunting  field  in  the  very  act  of  blowing  his 
horn.     The  spot  where  he  died,  in  the  Bads- 


MR.   CHARLES  BOOTH  ELMSALL    WRIGHT     359 

worth  low  country  has  been  marked  by  the 
erection  of  a  cross.  Mr.  Wright  gave  up  the 
}3adsworth  country  in  1892  ;  when  the  Hunt 
presented  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wright  with 
their  portraits.  The  ladies  of  the  Hunt  also 
presented  him  with  a  picture  of  his  favourite 
horse  "Viscount."  This  was  a  brown  horse  by 
Lonsborough — Countess.  This  horse,  which 
he  rode  for  years,  never  gave  him  a  fall,  and 
never  had  a  bandage  upon  him  but  once, 
when  he  tore  it  off  with  his  teeth. 

After  remaining  for  one  season  without 
hounds,  Mr.  Wright  went  to  the  Southwold 
country,  taking  up  his  residence  at  West 
Ashby.  The  Master  of  the  Southwold 
Hounds,  Mr.  Rawnsley,  allowed  Mr.  Wright 
to  hunt  his  own  hounds  three  days  a  fortnight, 
a  most  generous  and  unselfish  arrangement,  as 
Mr.  Rawnsley  had  plenty  of  strength  to  hunt 
the  whole  country  unassisted.  Mr.  Wright  left 
the  Southwold  in  1895,  and  went  to  the 
Milton.  He  lived  at  Castor,  near  Milton,  and 
hunted  the  country  for  Mr.  George  Fitz- 
william,  who  is  still  the  Master. 

Mr.  Wright  has  done  much  to  improve  the 
composition  of  the  pack  by  the  careful  intro- 
duction of  new  blood.  The  Milton  is  a  favourite 
kennel  with  him,  and  he  is  particularly  satisfied 
with   the  strain  of  Milton  Solomon  ;  a  hound 


36o  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

entered  in  that  kennel  in  1881.  Mr.  Wright 
used  this  blood  freely  when  with  the  Bads- 
worth,  and  then  learned  its  excellence.  He 
was  surprised  on  going  to  Milton  himself  to 
find  it  had  been  little  used  there,  and  he  took 
steps  to  re-introduce  it  by  buying  brood 
bitches  with  that  blood,  from  other  kennels  ; 
and  he  has  now  largely  imported  it  into  the 
Old  Berks  ;  especially  through  Milton,  Analyst 
by  Belvoir  Watchman  out  of  Grafton  Agile. 
Watchman  was  by  Nominal  out  of  Whimsical, 
Whimsical  being  by  Milton  Solomon,  out  of 
Wildflower.  Belvoir  Agile,  also  had  a  cross 
of  Milton  Solomon  through  Brocklesby  Smoker, 
entered  in  1887,  by  Milton  Solomon  out  of 
Winifred.  The  latter  bitch  being  by  the  great 
Belvoir  Weather  Gauge,  whom  Gillard  says 
was  the  best  and  most  sagacious  foxhound  he 
ever  followed. 

Mr.  Wright  also  thinks  very  highly  of  the 
Oakley  Pack,  which  he  proved  the  use  of  when 
with  the  Badsworth.  Some  hound  authorities 
allege  that  a  degree  of  softness  is  attributable 
to  the  blood  of  Oakley  Rhymer,  this  is  not, 
however,  Mr.  Wright's  opinion. 

The  Grafton  is  another  favourite  pack,  par- 
ticularly the  Driver  strain.  One  favourite 
hound,  who  did  good  service,  Mr.  Wright  is 
fond  of  alluding  to  as  "  Old  Driver."     He  was 


MR.  CHARLES  BOOTH  ELMSALL   WRIGHT      361 

by  Oakley  Driver  by  Burton  Dorimout.  Mr. 
Wright  tried  to  preserve  the  skeleton  of  "  Old 
Driver,"  as  a  specimen  of  a  perfectly-shaped 
hound,  but  the  old  bones  were  too  brittle,  so 
he  gave  the  remains  of  Milton  Spanker,  en- 
tered in  1874,  the  place  of  honour,  and  this 
hound's  skeleton  still  ornaments  the  saddle 
room. 

The  Belvoir  kennels  have  also  been  largely 
patronised. 

This  judicious  introduction  of  fresh  blood 
and  the  careful  attention  to  performance  of 
hounds  in  the  field,  has  made  its  mark  on  the 
pack.  Lady  Craven  writes :  "I  am  sure  all 
who  are  interested  in  the  dear  Old  Berkshire 
pack  must  feel  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude  to  the 
present  Master  for  its  most  efficient  condition. 
I  am  quite  sure  that  the  hounds  have  never 
been  better." 

Mr.  Robert  Arkwright  gave  Mr.  Wright  a 
beautiful  unentered  dog,  "  Trimmer,"  who  was 
afterwards  killed  on  the  line.  Trimmer  was 
black  and  white,  a  colour  Mr.  Arkwright  was 
then  trying  to  get  rid  of ;  no  better  hound  could 
be  entered  to  fox.  Black  and  white  was  at  that 
time  very  prevalent  in  the  Oakley  kennels, 
which  orave  the  hounds  the  nickname  of 
"  Oakley  Magpies."  This  Trimmer  was  by 
Oakley  Trimmer  'jj,  who  had  a  sister  Triumph, 


362  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

I  St  prize  bitch  walked  by  Mrs.  Whitehead, 
Shelton  Manor.  This  bitch  once  got  away  on 
a  line  by  herself  and  killed  her  fox.  A  country- 
man got  hold  of  the  fox,  and  having  cut  off  the 
head,  was  proceeding  to  do  the  same  with  the 
brush,  when  Triumph  seized  the  opportunity, 
got  hold  of  the  head,  and  carried  it  back 
fourteen  miles  to  kennels. 

Mr.  Wright  is  essentially  a  "  hound  man," 
he  is  never  so  happy  as  when  in  his  kennels. 
In  the  field  he  likes  to  see  his  hounds  hunt, 
and  will  never  lift  them  if  he  can  help  it, 
a  course  which  sometimes  makes  the  hard- 
riding  contingent  a  little  impatient.  As  a 
lesson  to  those  who  will  gallop  to  a  cry,  Mr. 
Wright  tells  the  following  anecdote  : — 

"In  April,  1876,  two  foxes  were  on  foot  in 
Clark's  Gorse.  One  was  holload  away,  and 
a  couple  and  a-half  of  hounds  and  the  bulk  of 
the  field  went  after  him,  to  a  stone  quarry  a 
mile  away,  where  he  went  to  ground. 

"  The  other  fox,  hunted  by  the  remainder  of 
the  pack,  then  broke,  and  was  killed  after  an 
excellent  run.  seven  miles  away,  having  taken 
the  few  who  were  content  to  wait  for  the 
hounds  over  a  perfect  country." 

Naturally,  with  so  long  a  hunting  experience, 
Mr.  Wright  has  many  interesting  reminiscences 
to  relate.  Upon  that  most  mysterious  of  all 
subjects,  scent,  he  says  : — 


MR.  CHARLES  BOOTH  ELMS  ALL    WRIGHT      363 

"  Once  in  the  spring  of  the  year  we  were 
hunting  very  slowly  on  poor  scent,  until  hounds 
got  on  to  a  large  field  which  was  being  fresh 
limed.  Hounds  then  began  to  run  as  if  they 
could  see  the  fox,  and  all  the  time  they  were 
in  a  cloud  of  lime  dust,  as  several  men  were 
spreading  the  lime. 

"  Another  time,  after  a  long  check — over 
forty  minutes — for  curiosity  more  than  anything 
else  I  made  a  cast  directly  back,  on  some  in- 
formation I  had  been  given  ;  a  very  faint  line 
was  shown  by  a  one-eyed  dog,  '  Harper.' 
This  line  was  silently  worked  on  until  we  got 
to  a  laree  field  covered  with  rooks  ;  here  hounds 
could  move  on  and  throw  their  tongues,  and 
we  killed  a  fox  inside  Hampole  Wood  as  stiff 
as  a  poker.  Before  the  check  hounds  had 
come  the  best  possible  pace  for  fifty  minutes, 
which  accounts  for  the  stiffness  ;  but  rooks 
generally  save  the  fox,  whereas  in  this  case 
scent  greatly  improved. 

"  A  curious  instance  of  a  holding  scent  once 
occurred  when  we  were  drawing  Barnsdale 
Wood.  The  bitch  '  Skilful '  came  out  of  the 
wood,  trying  to  make  a  line  only  ;  I  put  her 
back  into  the  wood,  which  was  drawn  blank  ; 
when  countincr  hounds  I  found  one  short, 
'  Skilful '  being  missing.  I  then  went  back  to 
where  I   had  put  her  into  covert,  and  saw  her 


364  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

in  the  valley  nearly  a  mile  away.  I  held 
hounds  on  to  her,  and  we  worked  a  line  nicely 
for  six  miles,  when  our  fox  got  up  in  view  and 
we  raced  him  to  ground  in  an  old  ash  tree 
stump  four  miles  further  on,  poked  him  out  and 
killed  him  in  a  mile.  This  fox  must  have 
moved  before  we  got  into  the  wood. 

"  Another  curious  contradiction  of  the  recog- 
nised rules  concerning  scent  took  place  on 
January  the  8th,  1880,  when  all  day  hounds 
ran  better  down  wind  than  up.  It  was,  how- 
ever, quite  a  '  huntsman's  scent,'  and  we  killed 
our  first  fox  after  a  very  good  fifty  minutes. 
Our  second  fox,  when  very  closely  pursued 
and  very  beaten,  fell  into  an  ice  house,  and 
eight  and  a-half  couple  of  hounds  jumped  in 
after  him  into  the  pit,  fourteen  feet  in  depth. 
We  had  to  carry  them  out  one  by  one,  up  a 
ladder.  Our  third  fox,  after  another  good  run, 
bolted  into  a  cottage  and  ran  upstairs.  He 
was  turned  out  ;  but  scent  was  too  good,  and 
he  was  killed  in  less  than  fifteen  minutes  from 
leaving  the  house. 

"  Hounds  ran  particularly  well  and  fast  that 
day,  but  the  best  day  for  pace  I  ever  saw  was 
January  the  i8th,  1878.  Early  in  the  day  the 
scent  was  very  moderate  and  we  were  slowly 
hunting  a  fox  into  '  Sweet  Shaw '  Covert  ; 
when  in  an  instant  there  was  a  crash  of  music 


MR.  CHARLES  BOOTH  ELMS  ALL   WRIGHT      365 

and  a  fresh  fox  went  away  via,  Balne,  Balne 
Hall  Wood,  across  the  river  and  then  past 
Fenwick  Hall,  Bunfold  Shaw,  close  by  Kirk 
House  Green,  past  Fenwick  Wood,  Moss 
Little  Covert,  Hey  wood  Church,  Sutton  Com- 
mon, Campsall  Willows  ;  hounds  here  got  view 
and  raced  him  into  Askern  VillaQ:e,  killino-  in 
the  large  space  in  front  of  the  'Swan'  Inn. 
Bitches  all  up.  Time  one  hour  and  ten  minutes. 
No  one  was  ever  near  enough  in  any  part  of 
the  run  to  help  hounds," 

Mr.  Wright  tells  the  following  interesting 
stories  of  curious  accidents  to  hounds  : — 

"  I  once  had  a  bitch,  '  Gracious,'  who  was 
knocked  over  by  a  train  near  Skelmanthorpe, 
and  rolled  down  the  embankment.  A  man 
named  Conyers,  who  was  nearly  always  out, 
had  given  up  the  idea  of  getting  up  to  hounds, 
when  this  occurred  and  took  charge  of  the 
bitch  to  bury  her.  He  was  asked  in  to  tea  by 
a  farmer  and  when  he  went  out  to  the  bitch 
after  tea  found  she  was  still  warm  ;  although 
fifteen  miles  from  his  home  he  waited  with  her 
for  three  hours  and  left  her  sensible  and  in  a 
comfortable  place.  The  next  morning  he  tele- 
graphed to  me  and  I  fetched  her  home.  For 
a  year  she  was  stone  deaf  and  then  recovered 
completely  and  was  the  mother  of  'Dealer,' 
represented  in  the  Badsworth  Presentation 
Picture. 


366  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

"  Bad  luck  attended  a  brother  and  sister, 
'  Tradesman  '  and  '  Trespass,'  by  Lord  Coven- 
try's '  Tradesman.'  The  former  fell  down  into  a 
quarry  fifty  feet  and  broke  his  jaw  only.  The 
bitch  got  caught  by  a  Midland  express  which 
cut  her  flag  short  off  and  dragged  the  skin 
from  her  stern  and  shoulders.  Some  stitches 
were  put  in  and  after  rubbing  with  castor  oil 
she  was  left  with  Mr.  Edward  Simpson,  of 
Walton  Hall.  Both  hounds  were  out  in  less 
than  two  months. 

"Christmas  Eve,  1883,  was  a  day's  work 
out  of  the  common.  Hounds  met  at  Bretton. 
The  first  draw  was  Lightcliffe,  where  we  found 
and  ran  by  Shelley,  Moor  Top  Covert,  to 
Bentley  Spring,  where  we  killed.  We  found 
again  in  Bank  Wood,  ran  by  Embley  and  to 
ground  in  Bretton  Low  Tile  Yard,  under  the 
main  road.  Four  hounds  went  to  ground  up 
the  culvert.  This  was  at  3.30.  We  started 
digging  with  some  fourteen  feet  of  soil  above 
us,  as  the  road  ran  upon  a  high  embankment. 
The  time  wore  on,  workers  fell  off,  and  I  only 
contrived  to  keep  three  colliers  with  me  by 
very  liberal  payment.  Not  a  breath  of  wind, 
but  night  bright  and  starry.  These  colliers 
worked  a  drift  in  for  over  twenty-eight  feet  and 
at  last  we  got  the  four  hounds  out  at  4.40  a.m. 
on   Christmas    Day.       The   four  hounds   were 


MR.  CHARLES  BOOTH  ELMS  ALL   WRIGHT     367 

Gulliver,  Gallopin,  Ferryman  and  Chaser.  The 
remainder  of  the  pack  and  the  horses  had  been 
shut  up  at  a  farm  near.  We  got  the  four  dogs 
well  rubbed  and  handled,  and  reached  home 
as  bells  were  ringing  for  the  Christmas  service, 
covered  with  mud.  However,  I  was  able  to 
change  and  get  to  church  before  the  service 
commenced. 

"Another  Christmas  Eve  experience  took 
place  the  first  season  I  was  with  the  Milton 
Hounds.  Hounds  got  away  from  us  over  the 
fens,  near  Ramsey,  with  a  screaming  scent, 
and  although  we  joined  them  once,  they  beat 
us  again,  on  account  of  the  fen  drains.  It  was 
very  still  and  freezing  hard,  and  we  could  only 
work  to  the  sound  down  the  green  drifts. 
When  it  was  quite  dark  I  was  lucky  enough  to 
hear  them  kill  their  fox  on  the  banks  of  the 
Forty  Foot  Drain  and  afterwards  to  get  them 
together.  I  got  them  home,  no  hound  missing, 
at  about  10.15,  being  absolutely  alone.  Before 
we  killed  I  had  not  seen  a  hound  for  forty 
minutes.     Of  course  it  was  too  late  to  count." 

Mr.  Wright  says  that  all  the  years  he  has 
kept  hounds  he  has  only  missed  four  days  with 
them  through  ill-health  or  accident ;  those  four 
days  being  when  he  was  laid  up  with  diphtheria. 

On  Saturday,  the  19th  April,  1902,  a  Point- 
to-Point    meeting    between    members    of    the 


368  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

V.W.H.  and  Old  Berks  Hunts  took  place  at 
High  worth,  in  the  V.W.H.  country.  There 
were  only  two  events  : — 

(i)  For  subscribers  to  either  of  the  Hunts. 
The  winner  to  receive  a  Cup,  presented  by 
Miss  Christy.  The  result  being — Mr.  C.  F. 
Garrard's  (Old  Berks)  "  Cushalee  Macree  " 
(owner),  i  ;  Mr.  A.  T.  Fisher's  (Old  Berks) 
"Mercury,"  (Mr.  D.  G.  Kennard),  2;  Mr.  J. 
Adamthwaite's  (V.W.H.)  "  Siddington  "  (Mr. 
C.  Goldsmith),  3. 

(2)  For  Farmers  of  the  two  Hunts,  seven 
from  each — Mr.  Guy  Weaving's  (Old  Berks) 
"  Toby "  (owner),  i  ;  Mr.  L.  Hoddington's 
(V.W.H.)  "Lightfoot"  (owner),  2;  Mr.  W. 
Pullen's  (Old  Berks)  "Subtlety"  (owner)  3. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  Old  Berks 
Hunt  was  victorious  in  both  events. 

On  Friday,  the  27th  February,  1903,  the 
Craven  Hounds  met  at  Ashbury  m  the  Old 
Berkshire  country,  by  invitation  of  the  Master, 
Mr.  C.  B.  E.  Wright;  Mr.  W.  H.  Dunn,  the 
Master,  with  George  Roake,  the  huntsman, 
and  whips  arrived  with  the  hounds  a  few 
minutes  before  eleven,  to  meet  a  large  field. 
An  excellent  day's  sport  ensued.  The  day 
proved  one  of  the  best  of  the  season  for 
scent,  and  these  hounds,  coming  from  a  cold 
scenting  country,  fairly  revelled  in   it.     A  fox 


MR.  CHARLES  BOOTH  ELMS  ALL   WRIGHT     369 

was  soon  found  in  Mr.  Lawrences  double 
hedgerow  just  below  Ashbury  village.  He 
pointed  first  of  all  for  Dore's  Withy  Bed,  up 
wind,  but  turned  along  Bagnall  Lane.  Hounds 
were  fairly  racing,  and  those  who  did  not  get 
on  terms  with  them  at  this  point,  did  not  see 
much  of  the  run.  They  ran  along  the  vale 
without  a  stop  to  Hardwell  Wood,  where  the 
good  fox  got  to  ground.  Another  fox  was 
found  on  the  edge  of  Mr.  Smith's  kale  at 
Kingston  Lisle,  going  away  through  the  Hang- 
ings he  ran  straight  down  wind  parallel  with 
the  canal,  and  made  for  Sparsholt  Copse  ;  here 
hounds  divided,  the  majority  of  the  pack  sticking 
to  their  original  fox,  and  rolling  him  over  close 
to  Burton's  double.  A  third  fox  was  found  in 
the  gorse  on  the  canal  bank  close  to  Uffington, 
which  hounds  raced  to  Fernham  as  fast  as 
they  could  ;  here  they  luckily  checked  for  a  few 
minutes,  when  Roake,  holding  his  hounds  on, 
hit  it  off  again  and  ran  over  Alfred's  Hill 
towards  Longcot  ;  crossing  the  railway  they 
were  all  on  the  metals  when  an  express 
approached,  but  the  driver  pulled  up  his  train 
in  the  most  remarkable  manner,  stopping 
within  two  yards  of  the  hounds  (it  is  currently 
reported  that  it  was  a  good  day's  work  for  that 
driver).  Hounds  then  ran  on  into  Hardwell 
Wood,  and  on  to  the  White  Horse  Hill  Gallop, 
24 


370  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

and  subsequently  they  gave  up  at  Odstone 
Folly.  The  hosts  of  the  Old  Berks  were 
charmed  with  the  day's  sport  shown  by  their 
guests  of  the  neighbouring  Hunt. 

On  Friday,  the  12th  February,  1904,  a 
sad  accident  happened.  Mr.  David  Kennard, 
surgeon,  of  Lambourne,  with  several  other 
horsemen,  came  to  a  wide  boggy  ditch  with  a 
rather  high  bank  on  either  side,  on  Mr.  Cook's 
land  below  Bridgcomb  Farm.  He  had  to 
keep  his  horse  back  while  the  one  in  front  of 
him  struggled  through.  His  horse  followed, 
but  became  "bogged,"  and  Mr.  Kennard  came 
off,  when  the  animal,  in  struggling  to  extricate 
itself,  kicked  him  on  the  back,  injuring  the 
spine  and  rupturing  a  blood  vessel.  Assistance 
was  soon  at  hand,  Mr.  Selby  Lowndes  saw 
the  accident,  and  called  Dr.  Gerald  Kennard, 
to  his  father's  assistance,  when  with  the  help 
of  Dr.  Powell,  of  High  worth,  and  others,  the 
injured  man  was  made  as  comfortable  as 
possible  in  a  cart  and  conveyed  to  Thornhill 
House,  Kingston  Lisle,  the  residence  of 
Colonel  Rickman,  where  he  received  every 
attention.  However,  he  succumbed  to  the 
injuries  he  had  received  and  died  on  the 
following  Tuesday. 

Mr.    Kennard    was   an    excellent    horseman 
and  rode  well  to  hounds.      He  had  hunted  for 


MR.  CHARLES  BOOTH  ELMSALL   WRIGHT     371 

many  years  with  the  Old  Berks  Hounds,  and 
his  untimely  death  was  felt  by  the  Hunt. 

On  Saturday,  the  19th  March,  1904,  the 
Old  Berks  Hunt  Point  to  Point  races  took 
place  at  Barcote,  when  between  two  and  three 
thousand  persons  assembled  to  see  the  fun. 
There  were  two  races  for  Subscribers  to  the 
Hunt,  and  two  for  farmers  and  puppy-walkers 
in  the  country.  The  course  was  from  Ranti- 
pole  Barn,  between  Littleworth  and  Faring- 
don,  over  fields  in  the  occupation  of  Messrs. 
G.  Adams,  G.  Church,  J.  Tanner,  T.  Clack 
and  H.  Hutt.  The  Stewards  were  Sir  A. 
Henderson,  Bart.,  M.P.,  Col.  C.  Hippisley, 
Colonel  Van  de  Wever,  Messrs.  C.  B.  E. 
Wright,  M.F.H.,  E.  P.  Crowdy,  J.  C.  Dormer, 
C.  J.  Duffield,  E.  W.  Dunn,  J.  Eyston,  E.  K. 
Lenthall,  B.  H.  Morland,  W.  G.  Niven,  J.  F. 
Parsons,  E.  O.  Powell.  Judge,  Mr.  R.  G. 
Trollope  ;  Starter,  Mr.  E.  P.  Crowdy  ;  Clerk  of 
the  Scales,  Mr.  Fred  Jenkins ;  Stakeholder, 
Mr.  Harley  Bacon. 

Before  the  races  commenced  a  luncheon  was 
given  to  upwards  of  five  hundred  farmers  and 
puppy-walkers.  The  Master,  Mr.  Wright, 
presided,  and  on  his  right  and  left  were  Mrs. 
Cowans,  Mr.  J.  C.  Dormer,  Miss  Stewart,  Mr. 
W.  Van  de  Weyer,  Mrs.  Stewart,  Mr.  E.  K. 
Lenthall,    Mrs.    R.    G.  Trollope,    Mr.    W.    G. 


372  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Niven,  Mr.  R.  G.  Trollope,  Mr.  E.  W.  Dunn, 
Mr.  J.  Parsons,  Colonel  C.  G.  Edwards,  Captain 
Thompson  and  Mr.  H.  A.  Bacon  and  others. 

Subscriber's  Light  Weight  Race.  Mr.  W. 
G.  Niven's  Hilmarton,  i2st.  ylb.  (owner),  i  ; 
Mr.  J.  C.  Dormer's  Velocipede  (owner),  2  ;  Mr. 
E.  Robson's  Shamrock  (Mr.  A.  Jefferies),  3. 
Eleven  started. 

Subscribers'  Heavy  Weight  Race.  Mr.  J.  J. 
Powell's  Nothing  II.,  i4st.  7lb.  (owner),  i  ;  Mr. 
W.  G.  Niven's  Moonraker  (owner),  2  ;  Mr.  A. 
Fisher's  The  Miller  (owner),  3. 

Farmers'  and  Puppy-Walkers'  Light  Weight 
Race,  for  twenty  sovs.,  subscribed  by  members 
of  the  Hunt.  Mr.  B.  Lay's  Whiteface  (Mr.  R. 
Pullen),  I  ;  Mr.  H.  A.  Bacon's  Brenda  (owner), 
2  ;  Mr.  G.  Weaving's  Burney  (owner),  3. 

Farmers'  and  Puppy- Walkers'  Heavy  Weight 
Race.  Mr.  G.  Weaving's  Stargazer  (owner) 
and  Mr.  M.  Caudell's  Irishman  (owner),  dead- 
heat  ;  Mr.  W.  Tarrant's  Svengali  (Mr.  T. 
Brooks),  3.     Ten  started. 

An  excellent  run  was  enjoyed  by  a  large 
field  on  Monday,  November  the  21st,  1904, 
which  was  well  described  by  "  Valesman  "  in 
the  Field.  The  meet  was  at  Stanford-in-the- 
Vale  and  hounds  ran  for  three  and  a  quarter 
hours  over  the  cream  of  the  Vale  country, 
with    an    eight-mile    point,    the    going    being 


MR.  CHARLES  BOOTH  ELMS  ALL   WRIGHT     373 

splendid,  and  scent  good.  The  Vicar  of 
Stanford-in-the-Vale  dispensed  hospitality  to 
a  large  field  at  the  meet,  including  many 
followers  of  the  V.W.H.  Soon  after  eleven 
o'clock  the  Master  moved  off  with  the  dog- 
pack  and  first  drew  a  root  field  adjoining  the 
village  blank ;  also  the  osier-bed  by  Brooks 
Farm,  and  Park  Island,  with  a  like  result  ;  so 
hounds  were  taken  to  Victors  Thorns,  com- 
monly known  as  the  New  Covert,  owned  by 
a  past  master  of  the  hunt  and  a  generous 
supporter  of  foxhunting — Colonel  Victor  Van 
de  Weyer.  Here  there  were  at  least  a  leash, 
and  possibly  two  brace,  one  very  soon  going 
away  towards  Charney,  hounds  meanwhile 
running  another  in  covert.  The  fox,  however, 
went  away  towards  Goosey,  but  turned  sharp 
right-handed  through  the  buildings  on  Stan- 
ford Park  Farm  ;  then  left  again  and  ran  the 
vale  between  Stanford  and  Goosey  villages  up 
to  the  Challow  road,  where  there  was  a  short 
check  ;  but  two  and  a  half  couples  put  us  right, 
though  some  cattle  about  a  couple  of  fields 
further  caused  a  serious  check.  However,  the 
Master  held  on  towards  Oldfield  Farm,  by 
which  the  pack  ran,  turning  under  Baulking 
Hill  down  to  Rosey  Brook,  along  which  they 
hunted  slowly,  marking  the  fox  to  ground  in 
a  rabbit  bury  on   Upper  Farm,   belonging  to 


374  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

that  good  sporting  farmer  Sidney  Reade,  close 
by  the  Faringdon  branch  of  the  Great  Western 
Railway,  and  about  half  a  mile  from  Uffington 
station,  the  run  having  lasted  fifty  minutes. 
While  bolting  operations  were  proceeding 
the  Master  drew  the  Withey  Bed  close  by 
Uffino^ton  station,  but  a  fox  was  not  at  home. 
Meanwhile,  however,  the  hunted  one  had  been 
ejected,  and,  with  a  good  field's  start,  took  us 
at  a  greatly  improved  pace  through  Rosey 
Covert,  crossing  the  brook  by  Oldfield  Farm 
and  on  to  Stanford  and  Goosey,  where  a  check 
occurred.  Again  a  couple  and  a  half  of  hounds 
put  us  right,  and,  the  rest  coming  up,  ran  back 
again  into  the  New  Covert,  which  was  reached 
in  thirty-five  minutes  from  the  second  start. 
After  running  round  the  covert  hounds  came 
out  on  a  stale  line,  which  they  could  only  walk 
after  for  about  a  field  ;  so  the  Master  took  them 
back  into  covert,  and  a  fox  was  quickly  away 
again  (without  doubt,  a  fresh  one)  by  Goosey 
Wick  Farm  ;  then  left-handed  by  Park  Island 
over  Studfield  Brook  to  the  Stanford  and 
Challow  road,  running  over  it  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  nearer  Challow  station  than  they 
crossed  it  during  the  first  run.  Right-handed 
by  Oldfield  Farm,  the  fox  swung  under 
Baulking  Hill  and  over  Rosey  Brook,  through 
the   covert,   and   along   the   north   side   of  the 


MR.  CHARLES  BOOTH  ELMSALL   WRIGHT     375 

brook  to  the  ford  below  Read's  Farm,  or 
Baulking,  where  he  was  only  a  field  in  front ; 
but,  making  two  or  three  sharp  turns,  caused 
the  first  serious  check  of  about  five  minutes. 
The  Master  making  a  clever  cast,  we  went 
away  again  by  Sands  Farm,  Little  Newbury 
Farm,  Wick  Wood,  and  then  left-handed  over 
the  Faringdon  line  into  Cole's  Pits,  where 
there  was  a  long  check  of  ten  or  eleven 
minutes.  On  hounds  hunted,  however,  though 
slowly,  towards  Cox  well  Furze  Hills,  which  the 
fox  skirted  on  the  north  side  (some  workmen 
turning  him),  and  next  crossed  the  Faringdon 
and  Fernham  road  just  short  of  Little  Coxwell 
village.  Here  another  slight  check  occurred, 
but  the  Master  held  hounds  on  towards  the 
village  and  hit  off  the  line  towards  Longcot  ; 
but  leaving  it  just  on  the  left,  the  pack  ran  on 
through  the  Bowers  and  Beckett  Park,  and 
eventually  marked  him  to  ground  in  a  stone 
drain  close  to  Homeleaze  Farm  in  Beckett 
Park,  Shrivenham,  after  a  run  lasting  for  one 
hour  and  fifty  minutes,  it  being  then  so  dark 
that  one  could  scarcely  see  hounds  half  a  field 
ahead.  Those  at  the  finish  were  a  select  few 
of  only  seventeen,  including  the  Master  and 
hunt  servants  ;  but  every  hound  was  up  at  the 
end,  and  it  was  a  treat  to  see  the  way  in  which 
the  huntsman    and    Master  handled    his  pack 


376  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

during  what  will  stand  out  as  one  of  the  great 
hunts  of  the  season  in  the  Old  Berks  country. 

Mr.  G.  B.  Eyston,  of  Stanford  Place,  one 
of  the  oldest  members  of  the  Hunt,  died  on 
July  the  30th,  1904.  His  recollections  of  the 
Hunt  went  back  to  the  time  of  Mr.  T.  T. 
Morland,  and  he  had  kindly  rendered  con- 
siderable assistance  in  the  compilation  of  this 
History,  in  which  he  took  a  great  interest. 

Mr.  Wright  is  very  fond  of  a  coach,  and 
always  has  a  good  team  ;  for  several  years  he 
drove  a  coach  between  Buxton  and  Matlock. 

Amongst  those  hunting  at  the  present  time 
are  the  following  :  Sir  William  Throckmorton, 
President  of  the  Hunt,  who  comes  out  occa- 
sionally and  is  always  a  popular  figure  in  the 
field  ;  Mr.  E.  K.  Lenthall,  who  in  his  eighty- 
third  year,  still  comes  out  frequently  and  sits 
his  horse  as  straight  and  fearlessly  as  ever. 
Towards  the  close  of  last  season,  after  a 
sharp  twenty-five  minutes  from  the  "  Turf 
Pits,"  Mr.  Lenthall  was  heard  to  remark  "A 
very  nice  little  spin,  but  not  quite  enough 
jumping."  The  gentler  sex  are  represented 
by  Evelyn,  Countess  of  Craven,  from  Ash- 
down  ;  Mrs.  John  Phillips,  of  Culham,  the 
daughter  of  a  former  Master  (Mr.  Henley 
Greaves) ;  Mrs.  Wright,  who  is  often  out  in 
her  carriage  driving  her  favourite  "Wonder," 


MR.  CHARLES  BOOTH  ELMSALL   WRIGHT     ^77 

a  horse  very  properly  so-called,  for  he  has 
evidently  survived  a  terrible  accident  which 
dislocated  his  neck  ;  Mrs.  Rickman,  of  King- 
ston Lisle,  a  regular  attendant  in  her  pony 
cart;  Mrs.  Charles  Eyston,  on  her  well-known 
and  ever-green  grey ;  Lady  Violet  Henderson 
and  her  husband,  Captain  Henderson  (ist  Life 
Guards) ;  the  Misses  Wroughton,  from  Woolley 
Park,  whom  neither  distance  nor  weather  ever 
seems  to  stop;  Miss  Chamberlain,  Miss  May  and 
Miss  Violet  Loder-Symonds.  The  Hon.  Osbert 
Craven  from  Ashdown,  but  only  occasionally 
now ;  Mr.  B,  H.  Morland,  of  Sheepstead,  hale 
and  hearty  as  ever,  and  formerly  one  of  the 
Hon.  Secretaries  of  the  Hunt ;  Mr.  E.  W. 
Dunn,  the  late  Master,  who  is  ever  ready  to 
further  the  interests  of  the  Hunt ;  Colonel  and 
Mrs.  Hippisley,  on  her  good-looking  bay  horse  ; 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goddard,  of  Swindon,  on  greys  ; 
Mr.  John  Eyston,  of  Hendred  House  ;  Mr. 
Charles  Morrell  ;  Mr.  Charles  Eyston  and 
Mr.  J.  F.  Parsons,  of  Tubney,  the  energetic 
Secretaries;  Mr.  John  Dormer,  of  Cokethorpe, 
formerly  well  known  "between  the  flags"  and 
a  straight  rider  ;  Captain  Lawrence  (Scots 
Greys)  ;  Captain  Parsons  (19th  Hussars)  and 
Mr.  W.  Parsons;  Captain  Stewart  (i8th  Hus- 
sars) and  Mrs.  Stewart  ;  Colonel  Edwards, 
who  comes  out  when  he  can  spare  time  from 


378  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

attending  to  county  affairs,  and  has  often 
entertained  the  Hunt  at  Wicklesham  ;  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Cyril  Cunard,  of  Faringdon  House, 
always  well-mounted  ;  Mr.  Duffield  and  Mr. 
George  Duffield,  the  two  sons  of  the  former 
Master  ;  Mr.  Edgar  Powell,  a  heavy  weight, 
who  generally  contrives  to  be  in  at  the  finish  ; 
Captain  and  Mrs.  Schreiber,  from  Buscot  Park  ; 
Mr.  William  Niven,  of  Carswell  ;  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Butler,  from  Faringdon  ;  Mr.  W.  H. 
Fox,  of  Bradwell  Grove,  though  not  so  fre- 
quently as  formerly;  Mr.  A.  K.  Lloyd,  M.P., 
from  Hendred  :  Mr.  E.  Robson,  of  Stockham, 
a  good  horseman  and  hard  rider ;  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Brown,  of  Eastrop  Grange ;  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Selby- Lowndes,  from  Stanford  ;  Captain 
Wilbraham  Taylor ;  Captain  Stone  ;  Mr.  H. 
Millard  and  Mr.  E.  Pullen  representing  the 
farmers  on  the  Committee — the  latter  is  re- 
membered as  having  in  1862  at  the  South 
Oxfordshire  Hunt  Steeplechases,  held  at  Prim- 
rose Hill,  Dorchester,  ridden  the  winner  of  all 
four  events  decided  :  two  of  the  races  being 
won  by  his  own  horse  "  Monkey  "  ;  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  L.  Paine,  from  Ringdale  ;  Captain 
Courtenay  Throckmorton  ;  Mr.  Percy  Crowdy, 
generally  on  a  chestnut ;  Captain  William  Van 
de  Weyer  and  Mr.  Nickisson  ;  Mr.  Guy 
Graham  ;     Mr.    Kennard ;    Mr.    Walter   Cros- 


MR.  CHARLES  BOOTH  ELMS  ALL   WRIGHT     379 

land  ;  Mr.  A.  P.  Gould,  of  Clanfield  ;  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  T.  Faulkner  and  Mr.  W.  Battersby, 
from  Kempsford  ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  J.  Palmer, 
from  Fairford  Park  ;  Mrs.  P.  Preston,  of 
Milton  Hill  ;  Mr.  J.  H.  Parker,  U.S.  ;  Mr. 
Charles  Belcher,  of  Northcourt ;  Captain  Theo- 
bald ;  Captain  Battye  ;  Captain  Wigan  (13th 
Hussars) ;  Mr.  H.  C.  Sutton,  who  is  always  to 
the  front  in  a  good  run  ;  Mr.  G.  W.  Cancellor  ; 
Mr.  H.  Bates,  of  Lamborne  ;  Mr.  F.  O. 
Townsend,  from  Abingdon  ;  Mr.  Robert 
Loder-Symonds  (Cheshire  Regt.)  and  his 
young  brother  Thomas,  who  goes  well  on 
his  pony  ;  Mr.  Ernest  Phillips ;  Mr.  S.  C. 
Silver,  an  ardent  sportsman  ;  Mr.  John  Kirby, 
of  South  Moreton,  one  of  the  veterans  of  the 
Hunt ;  Mr.  Tom  Craddock,  of  Charney,  ever 
ready  to  lead  the  way  when  something  thick 
and  black  barred  the  way,  and  his  son  Richard, 
hard  to  beat  ;  Mr.  Jenkins,  from  Woolstone, 
with  his  son  (in  the  holidays),  Harry  Moore, 
from  Uffington,  a  chip  of  the  old  block  ;  Mr. 
John  Weaving,  of  Longworth,  and  his  son 
Guy,  an  excellent  man  on  a  horse  and  keen  as 
mustard  ;  Mr.  Charles  Jefferies,  of  Challow 
Marsh,  and  his  nephew  Arthur,  from  Goosey, 
who  likes  riding  a  going  "  un "  ;  Mr.  J. 
Keevil,  of  Bourton  ;  Mr.  Rayner  Chandler,  a 
good  judge  of  a  horse  ;  Mr.  John  Wheeler,  of 


38o  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Uffington,  and  his  son  ;  Mr.  Sidney  Reade,  of 
Baulking,  who  Hkes  to  be  there ;  Mr.  Ernest 
Lidiard,  of  Faringdon,  and  his  two  sons  ;  Mr. 
B.  Pullen,  of  Faringdon,  ever  ready  to  school 
an  awkward  one  ;  Mr.  Harry  Cook  ;  Mr.  John 
White,  from  Uffington  ;  Mr.  Hickman,  from 
Bishopstone  ;  Messrs.  Maidment,  of  Shelling- 
ford  ;  Messrs.  Frogley,  from  Challow  ;  Mr. 
Whitfield;  Mr.  Hanks;  Mr.  F.  Fletcher,  of 
Carswell,  and  many  other  good  men. 

With  the  end  of  1904  we  finish  our  "  labour 
of  love,"  the  record  of  nearly  150  years  of  good 
sport.  May  the  years  to  come  be  as  prosperous 
and  as  joyous  for  the  country  and  for  the  Hunt 
as  the  years  it  has  been  our  privilege  to 
chronicle. 

Post  Scriptum. 

While  these  pages  were  passing  through  the 
press  the  Hunt  sustained  a  sad  loss  by  the 
death,  almost  in  the  huntino^  field,  of  Colonel 
Charles  Edwards.  On  Monday,  December 
the  5th,  the  hounds  met  at  Challow  Station. 
They  found  in  Sparsholt  Copse  and  ran  to 
Kingston  Lisle.  Colonel  Edwards  was  riding 
a  young  horse  he  was  trying  with  a  view  to 
purchase  ;  when  near  Kingston  Lisle  he  felt  a 
severe  pain  in  the  chest.      He  dismounted  and 


POST  SCRIPTUM  381 

went  into  Kingston  House,  where  he  rested 
for  an  hour,  and  was  then  driven  to  his  house 
at  Wicklesham  in  Mr.  Prioleau's  motor-car. 
He  felt  better  upon  arrival  and  was  attended 
by  Mr.  H.  Darwin  Hey,  his  medical  attendant  ; 
but  the  pain  in  the  chest  returned,  and  he  died 
at  half-past  four  in  the  afternoon,  from  failure 
of  the  heart.  All  meets  were  countermanded 
until  after  the  funeral,  which  took  place  at 
Little  Coxwell,  on  Friday,  December  the  9th. 

Colonel  Charles  Grove  Edwards  was  the 
third  son  of  the  late  Sir  Henry  Edwards, 
Bart.,  C.B.,  of  Pyenest,  Halifax,  Yorkshire, 
whose  forefathers  had  been  settled  in  that 
part  of  the  West  Riding  from  a  very  early 
period.  Sir  Henry  was  well  known  for  many 
years  as  Member  for  Halifax  and  Beverley, 
and  as  an  intimate  friend  and  staunch  sup- 
porter of  the  late  Lord  Beaconsfield.  Colonel 
Edward's  mother  was  Maria  Churchill,  daughter 
of  Thomas  Coster,  Esq.,  of  March  wood,  Hants, 
He  was  born  in  1843,  was  educated  at 
Harrow,  and  Christchurch,  Oxford,  where  he 
took  his  B.A.  degree  in  1865,  and  was  called 
to  the  Inner  Temple  in  1866.  He  married,  in 
1 87 1,  Beatrix,  fourth  daughter  of  the  late 
Henry  Hippisley,  Esq.,  of  Lambourne  Place, 
Berks.  In  1884  Colonel  Edwards  was  made 
Lieutenant-Colonel    of   the    Prince    of   Wales' 


382  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Own  Yorkshire  Yeomanry,  and  in  1889  was 
appointed  Honorary  Colonel  of  the  regiment. 
He  was  offered  the  command  of  the  East 
Yorkshire  Brigade  of  Yeomanry,  but  declined. 
At  the  cavalry  manoeuvres  in  1896  he  was 
attached  to  the  staff  of  Colonel  Liddell,  who 
commanded  the  Second  Brigade. 

For  seven  years  he  had  been  Chairman  of 
the  bench  of  Magistrates  of  the  Faringdon 
Petty  Sessional  Division.  He  had  been  a 
leading  member  of  the  Berkshire  County 
Council,  and  Chairman  of  the  District  Council, 
since  the  formation  of  those  bodies.  It  would 
be  indeed  difficult  to  speak  too  highly  of  the 
value  of  the  work  done  by  him  in  all  these 
capacities.  His  death  was  mourned  by  the 
whole  neighbourhood,  and  by  none  more 
sincerely  than  by  his  friends  of  the  Old  Berks 
Hunt. 


383 


APPENDIX. 


Masters  of  thk  Old  Berks  Hounds. 


Rev.  John  Loder 
Rev.  Robert  Symonds 

Mr.  William  Codrington 

Harvey  Combe,  Esq. 

Lord  Kintore 

The  Hon.  Henry  Moreton 

Mr.  John  Parker 

The  Earl  of  Radnor 

A  Committee 

Thomas  Morland,  Esq. 

James  Morrell,  Esq. 

C.  P.  Duffield,  Esq. 


from 

»> 

and 

from 


Henley  Greaves,  Esq. 
Messrs.    J.    B.    Starkey,    E. 

Martin  -  Atkins,   and  T. 

Duffield 
Messrs.  E.  Martin- Atkins  and 

T.  Duffield 
The  Earl  of  Craven  and   T. 

Duffield,  Esq. 


and 
from 


1760  to 

1800 

1808 

1814 

1824 

1826 

1830 

1832 

1833 
1834 

1835 
1847 

1858 

1884 

i86.:{ 


1866  „ 

1867  „ 

1868  „ 


1800 
1807 
1814 
1824 
1826 
1830 
1832 

1834 

1835 
1847 
1858 
1863 
1889 
1866 


1867 
1868 

1875 


384 


THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 


The  Earl  of  Craven  fi 

V.  W.  Van  de  Weyer,   Esq., 
and  C.  P.  Duffield,  Esq 

E.  C.  Brown,  Esq. 
Captain  J.  Orr-Ewing 
Captain  F.  W.  Forester 

F.  C.  Swindell,  Esq. 
E.  W.  Dunn,  Esq. 

C.  B.  E.  Wright,  Esq. 


om  1875  to 

1884 

.,   1884  „ 

1889 

,,   1889  ,, 

1891 

,,   1891  „ 

1893 

.,   1893  ^> 

1894 

,,   1894  „ 

1898 

„   1898  „ 

1 90 1 

„   1901 

Presidents  of  the  Old  Berks  Hunt  Club. 

Walter  Strickland,  Esq.  from  1846  to  1853 

Edwin  Martin-Atkins,  Esq.       ,,      1853  ,,    1859 

The  Right  Honorable  Ed- 
ward Pleydell-Bouverie, 
M.P.  „      1859  ,,    1870 

Viscount  Barrington  ,,      1870  .,    1886 

Sir   William    Throckmorton, 

Bart.  ,,      1886 


THE     OLD     BERKS      HUNT 


m 


385 


APPENDIX  11. 


The  Map. 

The  shaded  red  line  shows  the  boundary 
of  the  Hunt.  The  dotted  shaded  Hne  shows 
boundary  of  country  hunted  in  alternate 
months  with  the  Heythrop  Hunt,  and  for  cub- 
hunting  only  in  the  South  Oxfordshire  Hunt. 
The  general  direction  of  the  following  runs, 
described  in  the  book,  is  shown  by  red 
lines,   viz.  : — 

Mr.  John  Loder's  run  of  five  hours  and  ten 
minutes  in  March,  1766. 

The  Heythrop  Tar  Wood  run,  1845. 
Mr.    C.    P.    Duffield's    run    from     Childrey 
Canal    Bank    in    1862. 

Mr.  Henley  Greaves'  run  in  March,  1864. 

Hon.  Osbert  Craven's  run  (after  the  death 
of  Lord  Craven),  in  1884. 


25 


386 


List  of  Meets  shown  in  Red  Figures  on  the  Map. 


1.  Tubney  Tree. 

2.  Dog  House  Inn. 

3.  Marcham. 

4.  Cothill. 

5.  Abingdon. 

6.  Drayton. 

7.  Sutton  Courtney. 

8.  Appleford. 

9.  Didcot. 

10.  Steventon. 

11.  Chilton  Pond. 

12.  Scotland's  Ash. 

13.  South  Moreton. 

14.  Little  Wittenham. 

15.  Bagley  Wood. 

16.  Besselsleigh. 

17.  Henwood  Farm. 

18.  Cumnor. 

19.  Appleton. 

20.  Sunningwell. 

21.  New  Bridge. 

22.  The  Kennels. 

23.  Lamb  and  Flag. 

24.  Buckland  Cross  Roads. 

25.  Littleworth. 

26.  Tadpole  Bridge. 

27.  Faringdon. 

28.  Radcot  Bridge. 

29.  Step  Farm. 

30.  Badbury  Hill. 

31.  Shrivenham. 

32.  Bishopstone. 

33.  Ashbury. 

34.  Woolstone. 

35.  Knighton  Crossing. 


36.  Longworth. 

37.  Fernham. 

38.  Wicklesham  Lodge. 

39.  Shellingford      Cross 

Roads. 

40.  Baulking  Green. 

41.  Uffington  Station. 

42.  Uffington  Village. 

43.  Blowing  Stone. 

44.  ChildreyCanal  Bridge. 

45.  Challow  Station. 

46.  Goosey  Green. 

47.  Stanford-in-the-Vale. 

48.  Hat  ford. 

49.  Charney. 

50.  Denchworth. 

51.  Letcombe. 

52.  Wantage. 

53.  Ardington. 

54.  East  Hendred 

MEETS 
IN     OXFORDSHIRE. 

55.  Clanfield. 

56.  Black  Bourton. 

57.  Bampton. 

58.  Lew. 

59.  Curbridge. 

60.  Cokethorpe. 

61.  Yelford. 

62.  Hard  wick  Tree. 

63.  Beard  Mill. 

64.  Stanton  Harcourt. 

65.  Tar  Wood. 

66.  Witney. 


387 


INDEX. 

Names  of  Hones  are  in  Italics. 


Abbeydore,  45 

Abergavenny,  Marquis  of,  16 
Abingdon,  Election  story  of,  210-21 1 

Hunt  Dinners  at,  220,  249,  265,  275 
Meet  at,  351 

Resolutions  (1834),  121-122 
Training  School  at,  233 

Otherwise  mentioned,  172,  194,  196,  204,  210 
Abingdon,  James  (and  Earl),  26 
,,         Lady,  25 

,,         Lord  (3rd  Earl),  account  of,  35  ;  correspondence  with  Mr. 
Loder,  24-38  ;    death  of,  39  ;   otherwise  mentioned,  20, 
21,  22,  24,  26,  54,  85 
,,  Lord  (5th  Earl),  39 

,,         Lord,  115,  172,  192 
,,  Mayor  of,  237 

"  Abingdon  Mile,"  the,  35 
Ablington,  236 
Abraham,  G.,  312 

Accidents,  219,  240,  269,  and  note,  280,  320,  352,  370 
Adams,  Mr. ,  247 
,,       Cooke,  51 

„       Mr.  George,  283,  295,  312,  319,  320,  371 
,,       Mr.  John,  221,  267 
Adamthwaite,  J.,  368 

Addison,  description  of  foxhunters,  qtioted,  7-9 
Agar,  Hon.  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  295 

Agriculture,  Board  of,  restrictions  as  to  importation  of  dogs,  304 
Ailesbury,  Marquis  of,  243 
Albrighton  Hunt,  342 
Aldbourn  Chase  Woods,  81 
Aldenham  Harriers,  346 
Aldridge,  Major,  297,  311 
Aldworth,  Mr.,  in 

,,         Mr.  Heyward,  219 

„         Mr.  J.,  170,  171,  206,  208,  219,  220,  237,  247,  254,  267 
„         Mr.  P.,  295,  311,  323,  354 
,,         Mr.  R.,  221,  286,  295 
,,         Rev.  Wm.,  171,  206,  219,  221,  254,  266 
Alfred's  Hill,  347,  369 


388  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

Allsopp,  IMr.,  241 
Alt,  Miss,  209 
Althorp,  Lord,  49 
Alvanley.  Lord,  84 
Alvescote,  48,  198 
Ames,  Mr.  ^42 
Anne,  Mr.  t.  W.,  312 
Annette,  309 
Analyst,  360 

Anglesey,  Marquis  of,  340 
Andrews,  Sir  Joseph,  23 
"  Ane  Rache  "  hounds,  li 
Anneslev,  27 

Anti-foxite  Club,  Sutherland,  r6 
Applegarth,  67 

Appleton,  22  ;  Common,  196,  198,  247,  266,  393;  Manor,  179,  319 
Apreece,  Sir  Thomas,  78 
Arcano,  309 

Archer,  David,  154,  165 
Ardglass,  Co.  Down,  305 
Arkwright,  Mr.,  200 
Mr.  .[.,  so 
INIr.  Robt.,  358,  361 
Ashbed  Close,  258 
Ashburv,  240,  317,  368 
Ashby  St.  Leger,  294 

Ashdown,  80-81,  221,  240,  251-252,  257,  286,  287,  304,  376,  377 
Ashen  Copse,  248 
Ashey  Copse,  353 
Ashurst,  Mr.  H.  T-,  215 
Askern  Village,  365 
Astley,  Sir  Joseph,  79 
Aston,  Sir  Willoughby,  30,  31 
Aston  Field,  180 
Atherstone  Hounds,  195,  205 
Atkins,  Mr.,  155,    156,  192 

,,       Mr.  E.   Martin  [of  Kingston   Lisle],    109,    no,    168,   170- 171, 
204,  205,  206,  215,  219,  220,  223-224,  238.  241 

,,       Mr.  E.  Martin  (son),  family  of  246  ;  joint  Mastership  of,  245- 
250  ;  otherwise  mentioned,  254,  257,  266,  267,  295 

,,       Mrs.  E.  Martin,  224 

,,       Mr.  F.  Martin,  287,  295,  311,  323,  334 
Austin,  47 

Australia,  restrictions  as  to  importation  of  dogs  in,  304 
Aveland,  Lord,  305 
Avington,  309 
Aylesbury,  283 
Ayres,  Albert,  334 

Bablock  Hythe,  196 
Bacon,  Mr.  H.  A.,  372 
,,      Mr.  Harley,  371 
Badbury  Hill,  225,  264,  353 
Badfock,  100 
Badcock,  Mr.,  221,  238,  247,  254 


INDEX  3»9 

Badger  hunlinir,  3-4,  293 
Badgeworth  Wrjod,  52 
Badminton,  218 

,,  Hounds,  37,  128 

„  Series,  273 

Badsworth  Hunt,  230,  358,  360 

,,  Presentation  Picture,  365 

Bagley  Wood,  119,  208,  351 
Bagnall  Lane,  369 
Bailey,  E.,  346 
Baily,  Messrs.,  129 
Baily' s  Hunting  Directory ,  52 

,,       Magazine,  quoted,  1 17,  21 7 
Baker,  Mr.,  200 

,,      Sir  Edward,  Bart.,  iii,  172 
Baldon  Coverts,  244 
Balking,  248 
Ballard,  N.,  219 
Ballingham  Wood,  48 
Balne,  361; 
Balstone  Park,  18 
Bampton,  59,  180,  256 
Bank  W'ood,  366 
Banting,  James,  172 
Barcote,  18,  238,  256,  371 
Barfield,  F.  H.,  298 
Barker,  Mrs.,  93 

„       Mr.,  94 

„      J.  R.,  169 
Barley  Park,  180 
Bamett,  Tom,  72 
Barnsdale  Wood,  363 
Barrett,  John,  172,  247 

„       J.  B.,  221,  237 

,,       Mr.  226 

„       Mary,  18 
arry,  Mr. ,  90 

„     Capt.,  320 
Barthopp,  Mr.,  346 
Bartlett,  331 
Barton,  Mr.,  358 
Barrington,  Hon.  Florence,  307 

,,  Hon.  George,   154,  171,  205 

,,  George  William,  7th  Viscount 

Correspondence  with  T.  T.  Morland  as  to  the  Beckett  coverts,  149- 

150.  136 
Death  of,  305 
Sketch  of  life  of,  305-307 

mentioned,  109,  no,  131,  132,  134,  135,  144,  154,  157,  158,  I59, 
160,  165,  167,  168,  169,  172,  253,  258,  274,  280,  287,  290,  294. 
Barrington,  Hon.  Evelyn  Laura,  253 
,,  Hon.  P.,  171 

,,  Hon.  W.,  311 

Baster,  Miss  Harriet,  123 
Batch,  Mr.,  87 
Bates,  Mr.  H.,  379 


39°  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

Bates,  Mr.  Joshua,  300 

Bath  House,  337 

Bathsheba,  190 

Bathurst,  Lord,  iii,   161,   166,   167,  168;  letter  from    Lord  Radnor, 
quoted^  1 57- 1 58 
„       Hon.  Lancelot,  343,  345 

Batt,  C.  D.,  311 

Battersby,  Mr.  W.,  379 

Batts,  Dr.,  208 

Batbye,  Capt.,  379 

Baulking,  263,  318,  324,  325,  327,  348,  353,  373,  374,  375  ;  Steeple- 
chases, at,  264 

Bayden,  81,  221 

Bayley,  Mr.  H.,  283 

Baynton,  49 

Beach,  Sir  M.  Hicks,  167,  168,  169 
„       Mr.,  24,  55 

Beaconsfield,  Earl  of,  306,  381 

Bear  Tavern,  72 

Beaufort,  Duke  of,  59,  106,  128,  199,  200,  201,  218,  241,  273,  300 

Beckford,  Peter,  of  Stapleton,  13  and  note,  47  and  note  ;  quoted,  28-29 

Beckett,  40,  142,  143,  147,  148,  149,  169,  170,  205,  206,  239,  316,  336, 

375- 
Bedlam,  256,  266,  318,  324 
Beechey,  Wm.,  172 
Beedon  Common,  21,  23 
Beesley,  Mr.,  238,  247,  254 

,,        Messrs.  Charles  and  James,  295 
Belcher,  C,  311,  379 
Bel  Demonio,  243 
Belvoir  Agile,  360 

,,       Hunt,  the,  16,  302 

,,      Kennels,  361 

,,      Weather  Gauge,  360 
Beers,  Geo.,  217 
"Bell's  Life,"  205 
Benham  Estate,  23 
Bennett,  Daniel,  154,  165,  171,  204,  224,  238,  247,  249,  267,  287,  295 

,,         Capt.  D.,  206,  238 

„         John,  154,  171 

„        J.  T.,  171 

,,         Thos.,  165,  171 

,,         Wm.,  109,  no 

Mr.,  138,  139,  158,  192,  241,  257 

„         Mrs.,  257 
Bentley  Spring,  366 
Berkeley,  Lord,  37 

„         Capt.,  137,   158,   159 
Berkely  Castle,  201 

,,        Hounds,  77,  78 
Berkshire  Country,  coverts  included  in,   154 
Bertie,  Hon.  Capt.  Peregrine,  R.N.,  26-27,  49 
Besselsleigh,  in,  178,  206,  208,  287,  294,  319,  326 
Best,  Mr.,  215 
Betterton,  Squire  of,  2C 


INDEX  391 

Beverley,  381 

Bibury,  48,  84,   180,  206 

Club,  308 
Bicester  Hunt,  27,  49,  125,  341 
Bilham  House,  York,  357 
Bishopstone,  317 
Black  Acres,   176,  292,  313 
Blackback,  327 
"Black  Bess,"  351 
Black  Bourton,   198,  224 
Blackdown  Hill,  218 
Blackmore  Park,   1 14. 

,,  Vale  Hunt,  194 

Blackstone,  Mr.,   192 
Blackwood,  Arthur,    172 

,,  Major  Price,  292,  295 

Bladon  Heath,  119 
Blair,  Mr.,  29 

Blake,  Mr.  John,   188,   189,  221,  247,  254,311,323;  "John  Tread- 
well,"  quoted^  277-279 
„       R.   Phillips,  238 
,,      Colonel,  274 
,,      Nathaniel,   188 
Blandy,  Mr.,  23,  85,  98,  100,  119,  120 

,,         Major,  220 

,,        Colonel  Adam,  67,  100,  208 

,,        Wm.,  171 
Blandy-Jenkins,  J.,  200,  228,  274 
Blenheim  Park,   119 
Bletchington,  206 

Blowing  Stone,  the,  236-237,  255,  304 
Blue  Peter,  320 
Bob  Logic,   189-190 
Boddings,  J.,  311 
Bolivar,  91 
Bolter's  Wood,  39 
Bolton  Hall,  York,  357 
Bonny  Brown,  321 
Bonsor,  47 
Boot,  John,  20,  22 
Boote,  Catherine,  12 
Bough  ton  Hall,  49 
Boundary  Disputes,  128 
Bourton,  316 
Bouverie,  Mr.,  Correspondence  as  to  Nuneham  Coverts,  243-244 

„         Rt.  Hon.  E.  P.,  Career  of,  258-262 

,,         Mentioned,  204,  205,  220,  224,  225,  258 

,,         Sir  Jacob  de,  118 

„         Hon.  Philip,  118 
Bowen,  H.,  221 
Bowers,  375 
Bowes,  Mr.,  40,  54-60,  165 

,,      Hon.  George,  170 
Bowles,  Capt.,  295 

»       Dr.,  337 

,,       Mr.,  241,  291 


392  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

Bowles,  J.,  247,  266,  295 

,,      John  S.,  171,  206,  236 

„       T.  J.,  254 
Boy's  Wood,  i8o,  198 
Bradford,  50 
Bradon,  145 
Bradley,  21 
Bradley  Court,  23 

,,        Farm,  295 
Bradwell  Grove,  59,  84,  378 
Brand,  Mr.,  261 
Braughing,  345 
Bravo,  202 
Breedon  Hill,  51 
Brenda,  372 
Brentelegh  Hall,  314 
Brentwood,  47 
Brettell,  A.   D.,  221 
Bretton,  meet  at,  366 
Bretton  Low  Tile  Yard,  366 
Brice,  Will,  218 
Brick-kiln,  135  and  note,  239 
Bridgcomb  Farm,  370 
Brightwalton,  20 
Brimstone  Farm,  225 
Bristol,  37 
Brixworth,  94 
Brocklesbury  Hounds,  302 
Brocklesbury  Smoker,  360 
Brockman,  Mr.  200 
Brooks,  Mr.,  238,  247 

„       Mr.  T.,  372 

„       Farm,  373 
Brookside  Harriers,  216 
Brown,  Mr.,  207,  311,  332,  378 

„       Mrs.,  378 

,,       Mr.  E.    C.,  family  of,    314  ;    Masterships    of,  314-315,  316- 
321  ;  mentioned,  319,  320,  322 

,,       Mr.  Geo.  James  Edward,  314 

,,       Mr.  W^alter,  314 
Browne,  Jim,  52 

„        of  Salperton.  52 
Browne-Bigge,  50 

Bruce,  Hon.  Geo.  Brudenell,  243,  253 
Buckhounds,  Royal,  meet  of,  326-327,  333 
Buck  hunting,  6 
Buckland,  Mr.   Frank,  70-71 
Buckland,   198,  206,  238,  243,  258,  263,  266,  307,  308,  310,  318,  324, 

335 
Budd,  James,  342 
Bull,  William,  62,  72 
Bullock,  Mr.,  247 
Bullocks'  Pits,  231 
Bunce,  Mr.,  94 
Bunfold  Shaw,  365 
Buntingford,  345 


INDEX  393 

Burderop,  142,  143,   154,   169 

Burford,  47,   177 

Burgess,  Dr.,  208 

Burney,  372 

Burns-Hartopp,  Capt.,  337,  note 

Bury,   189 

Buscot,  137,  142,  154,  161,  162,  169,  198,  205,  225,  247,  264,  378 

Bussock  Court,  23 

Butler,  Mr.,  51,  230,  254,  378 

.,       Mrs.,  378 

,,      Mr.   F.  M.,  283 

,,      Mr.  Geo.,   109,  154,  165,   172 
Butt-Miller,  Mr.,  302 
Buxton,  376 


Cadogan,  5th  Earl  of,  254 
Callen  Park,  51 
Calley,  Mr.,   132,   135 

,,      Capt.  and  Mrs.,  296 

,,      H.,  165 

..      J-J-,  137,  154,  155.  156,  165 
,,      John,   154 
,,      Thomas,  61 
Calvert,  Mr.,  345 
Camden,  239 

Cambridgeshire  Hounds,  343,  351 
Campbell,  Mrs.,  264 

,,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Augustus,  257 

„         Mr.  A.  C,  254,  267 

„         Mr.  Finlay,  285,  287,  295 
R.,  238 

,,         Mr.  Stuart,  264,  295 
Campsall  Willows,  365 
Canceller,  Mr.  G.  W.,  379 
Cannock  Chase,  deer  hunting  on,  340-341 
Cannon  Ball,  190 

Capel,  Rev.  and  Hon.  William,  15-16 
Capper,  R.  H.,  266-267 
Carew,  Mrs.,  79 
Carne,  Mary,  40 
Carswell,  23,  320,  378 
Carter,  George,  200 
Case,  A.  M.,  323 
Castle  Hill,  Bakewell,  357 
Castor,  359 
Catesby,  294 
Catmore  Village,  21,  23 
Cattle  Plague,  1866,  240 
Caudell,  Mr.  M.,  372 
Caufield,  211 
Cemhills,  51 

Chaddleworth  Woods,  21,  23 
Challener,  B.,  237 

Challow,  234,  254,  255,  272,  313,  353,  373.  374.  380 
Chamberlain,  Miss,  377 


394  THE   OLD  BERKS   HUNT 

Champagne  Stakes,  309 
Chandler,  H.  C,  312 

,,         Mr.  Rayner,  379 
Chandos,  Lord,  mixture  for  tobacco,  quoted,  43 
Chapel  Wick,  317 
Charles  I.,  326 
Charles,  Pruce,  294 
Charney,  373 
Chaser,  367 
Chatcomb,  52 
Chatterton,  Mr.,  281 
Chedworth,  52 
Cheeseman,  Mr.,  286 
Chelsea,  Lord  and  Lady,  257 
Cherbury  Camp,  318,   324 
Chester,  Dr.,  48 

,,        Miss,  42 
Cheiterjield,  202 
Chievely,  22 

Childrey,  221,  255,  305,  350-351 
Chilton,  194 
Chilton  Lass,  257 
Cholmondeley,  Marquis  of,  332 
Cho'lmley,  50 
Chrishali  Grange,  344 

Christian,  Frederick,  Margrave  of  Anspach,  253 
Christy,  Edward,   171,    172 

,,         Miss,  368 
Church,  R.,  254 
G.,  371 
Churn  Gorse,   194 
Cicely  Hall,  308 
Cirencester,  46,  83,   130,   198 
Clack,   T.,   371 
Clantield,   198 

Clark,  Mr.,  196,   197,   198,   199 
,,       Tom,  202 
„       S.  J.,  323 
Clarke,  Mr.,  241 

„       Mr.  A.  E.,  311,    325 

,,       Mr.  James,  263 

,,       bror.,  51 
Claywell   Farm,   180 
Cleaver,  Rev.  Mr.  (J.  P.),  161,  162 
Cleveland,  Duke  of,  335 
Clifton,  Lord,  266 
Coalition  Ministry,  26 
Cobhavi,  88 
Cobham.Mr.   loi 

Park,  77,  89 
Cochrane,  Mr.  Basil,  297 
Codrington,  Mr.,  75,  76,94.  122,  137,  193,  275 
,,  Robert,   132 

Wm.  67,  74 
Cokethorp,  19,  30,  59,  177,  180,  198,  206,  256,  377 
Cold  Harbour,  Blumsdon,  80 


INDEX 

Cole,    Mrs.,    214 
,,       Mr.,  Jas.,  212 

,,  Mr.,  R.,  142,  143,  147,  164,  166,  167,  168 
Cole's  Pits,  225,  243,  248,  262,  289,  347,  353,  375 
Coleshill,  Berks,  118,  150,  169,  219,248,  258,  264,  389 

,,         Coverts,  correspondence  as  to  hunting,  quoted,  1 37 "153 
Collins,  Rev.  John  Ferdinando,  22 
Colmore,  Mr.  C,  200 
Combe,   Mr.   114,  115 

,,       Bryce,  78 

,,       Mr.  Charles,  89 

„       Mr.  Charles  Fox,  78 

,,       Mr.  Harvey,  69,  77,  78,  79,  85,  86,  87,  88,  89,  124,  301 

„       Major  Harvey  T.   B.,  89 

„       Mr.  Matthew,  78 

,,       Mr.   Richard,  78 

„       Delafield  &  Co.,  77 

„       Abbey,  294  • 

„       End,  52 
Comers  Gate,  344 
Committee  of  Management,   121-123 
Compton,  48,   144,   165,  207,  239,  284 

,,  Covert,   147 

Conyers,  365 
Cook,  Mr.  Harry,  380 
Cooke,  Captain,  49 
Cope,  Sir  John,  81,  99,  122,   176 
Copeland,  Mr.,  210,  221 

,,  Rev.  John,  247 

Copies  Wood,  52 
Cork,  Loj;d,  255 
Corn  Laws,  Repeal  of,  259,  260 
Cornwell,  Sir  George,  48 
Coster,  Maria  Churchill,  381 

„       Thos.,  381 
Coster's  Farm,  318 
Cote,   180 
Cotes,  Mr.  P.,  72 
Cotswolds,  46 
Cottesmore  Hall,  Rutland,  228 

,,  Hunt,  229,  230,   275 

Cottewles,   Mr.,  51 
Cotton,  Rev.  H.   H.,  352 
Coughton,  307,  308 
Count,   The,  295 
Countess,  359 
Courtenay,  Mr.,  85 
Courtney,  John,   307 

,,         Mr.  L.,  260 
Cove's  Orchard,  239 
Coventry,  294 

,,         Lord,  366 
,,         9th  Earl  of,  254 
QovexXs,,  for  particular  coverts  see  natnes  of  places. 

„        Owners  of — 

Circular  letter  to,  from  T.  T.  Morland,  quoted,  153 


395 


396  THE   OLD  BERKS   HUNT 

Coverts,  Owners  of — continued. 
Rights  of,   155 
Oxon,  distribution  in,   125 

Vale  of  the  White  Horse,  correspondence  as  to,  128-137 
Cowans,  Mrs.,  371 
Cowberrow  Park,   51,  52 
Cowley,  52 
Cox,  177 
,,     C,  254 
,,     G.,  296 
Coxcombe,  265 
Coxe,  P.,   171 

Coxwell  Woods,  55,  136,  217,  239,  263,  293,  352,  375 
Cozens,  G.,  219,  295 
Craddock,  L.  M.,  311 
J.  W.,  312 
„  Percy,  295,  311 

„  Richard,  379 

,,  Tom,  295,  379 

„  Mrs.,  332 

Cranbourne  Chase,  13 
Craven,  Countess  of,  294,  307 
,,         Dowager  Countess  of,  257 

,,         Earl  of,  29,  81,  85,  165,  236,  243,  265,  266,  345 
,,         1st  Earl  of,  251-252 
„         3rd  Earl  :— 

Death  of,  290 
Family  of,   251-254 

Joint  Masterships  of,  254-273,   280-290 
Vote  of  thanks  to,  287 
Mentioned,  257,  293 
,,         4th  Earl  of,  251,  293-294 
,,         Lady,  hounds  lent  to  O.  B.  H.  by,  300-301 
,,         Lady  Beatrix,  254 
,,         Lady  Blanche,  253-254 
,,  Lady  Emily,  254,  300 

„         Lady  Evelyn,  243,  253,  376 
,,         Hon.  Geo.,  238,  243 

„         Hon.  Osbert,  253,  257,  266,  290,  291,  293,  295,  320,  377 
,,         Hon.   Rupert,  280 

,,         Hunt,   108,   122,  197,  241,  267,  287,  301,  350,.  352;  hunters 
from,  attending  O.   B.   H.,  297  ;  meet  in  6.  B.  country, 
368-369 
Creswell,  Mr.,  85 
Cricklade,  97,   105,   142 
Cripps,   Mr.,   161,   162 
,,       John,   172 

,,       R.,  133,  134,  136,  137;  correspondence  with  T.  T.  Morland, 
quoted,    129- 131  ;     letter    from    Mr.     Goodlake  —  extract, 
quoted,   165 
Croft,  Bob,  208 
Crommeline,  Tom,  48 

,,  Mrs.  Tom,  48 

Crosdill,  Master  Jack,  31 

„        Mr.,  36 
Crosland,  Mr.  Walter,  378-379. 


INDEX  397 

Crouch  Covert,  143,  154,  169,  264 
Crowdy,  Mr.,  131,  137,  140,  162. 

Mr.,  E.  P.,  267,  311,  323,  354,  371 
Mr.  G.,  226,  337 
Mr.  G.   F.  : 

Death  of,  337 
Sketch  of  Life  of,  337-339 

Mentioned,   171,  204,  205,  208,  219,  221,  237,  238,  240, 
247,  266,  267,  87,  296,  311 
,,         Henry,   172 

J-,   109,   154.  165,   171 
„         Mr.  P.,  221,  283,  286,  296,  320,  378 
,,        Mr.  Richard  Wheeler,  337 
„         Mr.  William,  337 
Crown  Inn,   Faringdon,  87,   107,  217,  225,  240,  249,  262,  280,  287, 

310,332,  333,  354 
Crowood,  198 
Crutchley,  Miss  Alice,  209 
,,  Jeremiah,  209 

,,  Mr.  Percy,  210 

Cubhunting,  336 
Culham,  205,  215,  376 
Cunard,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C. ,  378 
Cunningham,   Mr.,  217 
Currie,  Mr.,   172,   192 
Curtis,  Mr.,  321 
„       Mr.  C,  311 
,,      Mr.  W.,  312 
Cuskalee  Macree,  368 
Cussan,  31 


Dale,  John,  216-218,  220,  221,  238,  240,  254  ;  dinner  and  presentation 
to,  217,  226 

„     Will,  218,  352 

,,     Mrs.  John,   217 
Daly,  Mr.,  280,  311 
Davey,  Mr.,  171,  172,  204,  206,  219 
Dandridge,  Mr.  F.,  254,  267 
Daniels,  284 

Dann,  Major-General  William,  350 
Darby,  Constable,   161 
"Dare-Devil  George,"  176 
Dash  wood,  quoted,   120 
Davenport,  G.,   171,  267 
Davies,  50 
Davis,  Joseph,  346 

,,      "  Punch,"  346 
Deacon,  Mr.  T.,  296 

„        C.  R.,  312 
Dealer,  365 
Dease,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  257 

„      Sir  Gerald,  308 
de  Coverley,  Sir  Roger,  7-8 
Deer,  Fallow,  6 

,,      Hunting  of,  340 


398  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Delane,  Mr.  T.,  337 
Denchworth,  219,  233,  292,  305 
Dennis,  Mrs.,  65 
Denison,  Mr.  Speaker,  261 
Derby,  Earl  of,  306 
Dewe,  T.,  323 

,,      Wm.,   172 
Dick,  202 
Didcot,    194 
Dixon,  Henry,  171 
Doctor,  The,  256 
"  Dog  House  Piece,"  Hinton,  40 
Douglas,   Mr.,  94 
Donnington,  215 
Donnington  Bourns,  21 
Dore,  A.,  312 
Dore,  W.,  295,  312 
Dore's  Withy  Bed,  369 
Dormer,   Mr.   John,  377 

Mr.  j.  Cottrell,  354,  371,  372 
Downing,  J.  F.,  323 
Dowsing,  J.  F.,  354 
Dragon's  Hill,  304 
Drake,  Mr.,   194,  241 

,,       T.  T.,  letters  to  Morland  from,  125,  129 
Drew,  F.,  254 

„      Mr.   George,   234,  257 
Drewe,  Mr.,  247,  267 

„       Mr.  G.,  265,  283,  311 

„       Mr.  G.  A.,  312 

,,       Mr.  Tom,  296 
Driffield  Coverts,  84 
Driver  (Oakley),   360 
Drummer,    The,  88 
Ducie,  Earl  of,  104,   105-112,   114,   122,   127,  130-131,   134,    136,  137, 

138,  144,  147-148,  149-150.  152,  154 
Duchess,  265 
Ducklington,   180 
Dudgeon,  A.,  312 
Duffield,  Mr.,  114,  192,  200,  201,  246,  257,  323 

,,        Mr.  (son  of  the  Master),  378 

„        Mr.  C.  J.,  371 

„  Mr.  C.  P.,  190,  204-205,  206,  208,  219,  231,  237,  238,  241, 
247,  249,  254,  262,  265,  266,  275,  286,  287,  294  ;  Master- 
ship of,  216-225,  226,  227,  299-310;  family  of,  209-215; 
dinner  given  to,  220-221  ;  letter  from,  to  an  undergraduate, 
223  ;  testimonial  to,  225 

,,        George,  210,  214,  378 

,,         Henry,   215 

„        John,   354 

,,        Michael,  209 

,,        Lieut.  T.,  220 

,,  Mr.  Thomas,  64-65,  66,  67,  lOi,  109,  no,  in,  112,  154, 
209,  210,  232,  234,  237,  238,  241,  244,  246,  257,  265-266, 
299  ;  joint  Masterships  of,  245-250  ;  254-273  ;  circular  letter 
to  covert  owners,  107  ;  death  of,  274  ;  language  of,  in  the 
hunting  field,  273-274 


INDEX  399 

Dufiield,  Mr.  Thomas  (junr.),  215 

„        Mrs.,  67,  85 

„        Mrs.  C.  P.,  225,  312 

„        Miss,  323 

„        Miss  Anna,  215 

,,        Miss  Caroline,  215,  246 

,,        Miss  Elizabeth,  215 

,,        Miss  Maria,  215 

,,        Miss  Susan,  215 
Duhallow,  301 
Dulverton  country,  344 
Duke  of  York  Stakes,  The,  309 
Dummer,  251 
Dundas,  Mr.  Wm.,  104 
Dunlop,  Capt.,  296 
Dunn,  Mr.,  345 

,,      Mr.  Thos.,  350 
„      Major,  297 

„      Mr.  E.  W.,  292,  297,  311,  350,  354,  371,  372,  377 
„      Mr.  E.  Thos.  W.,  mastership  of,  350 
Dunn,  Mr.  W.  H.,  297,  301,  350,  352,  368 
Dunsford,  L.,  171 

Durham,  Lord,  mission  of,  to  Canada,  259 
Dutton,  Hon.  James,  131,  151,  152,  169;  corres.  with  T.  T.  Morland, 

quoted,  132-135,  145-149 
Dyke,   H.,  312 

„     John,  221,  238,  247,  254,  312 
Dymocks  Green,  51 


Eagle,  B.,  312 
R.,  312 
Earl,  Mr.,   192 

Earth-Stopping  Club,  terms  and  members  of   170-172 
Earth,  stopping  of,  I42,  143,  169 
East  Hendred,  227 
East  Sussex  Hunt,  302 
Eastfield,  318 
Eastleach,  55 
Eastnor  Castle,  51 
Eaton  Hangings,  319 

,,       Wood,  247 
Eclipse,  26 
Edgell,  Rev.  J.,  354 
Edmonds,  Lord,  221 

Mr.,  247,  267 
,,  Mr.  A.,  238,  254 

Mr.  C,  295,  311,  323 
Mr.   C.  W.,  311 
Mr.  J.,  238,  254,  295 
,,  Mr.  W.,  295,  323 

Edwards,  Col.  Charles  Grove,  227,  311,  318,  320,  323,  347,  354,  372, 
377-378,  380-382 
,,  Sir  Henry,  Bart.,  381 

Enion,  Effel,  326 
Elizabeth,  Princess,  294 


400  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

Elizabeth,  Queen,  307 

„  Queen  of  Bohemia,  253 

Ellenborough,  Lord,   15-16 
Elliott,  Sir  Henry,  311 
Elmsall  Lodge,  228 
Elsdon,  69-70 
Elsfield,   125 
Elston,  52 
Elton,  48 

Elwes,  Miss  Emily,  209 
,,       Mr.  Geo.,  65,  209 
,,       Mr.   Henry,   171,   172,  189,   206 
,,       Mr.  John,  67,  209 
Embley,  366 

Empson,  J.  B.,   171,  221,  238 
Enever,  Tom,  314 
EnglatifVs  Glory,   196,  202 
Ensham,  179,   180 
Essex,  Lord,  15-16 
Essex  Hunt,  229,  231 
"  Essex  Hunt,"  quoted,  275-276 
Evans,  Dan,  48 
Everett,  Mr.,  233,  247 

,,         Mr.   C.  Dundas,  206 

,,         Mr.  Henry,  343 

,,         Rev.  W.,  204 
Everitt,  Rev.  C.   D.,  219,  220 
Exmoor  Foxhounds,   344 
Eye,  366 
Eynsham,   189 
Eyston,  Mr.  C,  227,  293,  296,  297,  323,  377 

„       Mr.  C.  T.,  354 

„       Mr.  G.  B.,  247,  254,  263,  267,  296,  376 

„      Jm  293,  297,  354,  371,  377 

,,       Tom,  296 

,,       The  Misses,  257 

,,       Mrs.   Charles,  377 


Faikbrother,  Rich.,  47,  fiote 

Fairford,  24,  30,  132,  162 

Fane,  Major  J.  W.,   176 

Faringdon,  115,  123,  136,   137,    138,   139,  149,   150,    154,    l6l,    164-5, 

172,  204,  263,  371 
Faringdon  Advertiser,  quoted,  220,  256-7,  274,  251,  285 

,,  Corn  Exchange,  Hunt  balls  in,  239,  248,  249,  255,  262,  263- 

264 

,,  Crown  Inn,  see  title.  Crown  Inn 

,,         Grove,  57,  58,  198,  206,  239,  248,  258 
Hill,  256 

,,  House,  206,  20S,  378 

,,  Magistrates,  Appeal  Case  of  Lord  Gifford  against,  163-164 

,,  Petty  Sessions,  Chairman  of,  160 

Farmington,  55,  84 
Farquharson,  Mr.,  29,  275 
Fast  Asleep,  327 


INDEX  401 

Fathers,  Harry,  75 
Faulkner,  Thos.,   172,  379 

Mrs.  T.,  379 
Fawler,  255,  304 
Feather-bed  Lane,  263 
Fellowes,   Mr.,  217 
Fence  Wood,  99 
Fenwick  Hall,  365 

Wood,  365 
Ferenian,  Mr.,  289 
Fernham,  135  aW  «o/i?,  225,  262,  263,  289,  318,  336,  347,  352,  353, 

369 
Ferrers,  Lord,  342 
Ferryman,  367 

Field,  the,  372  ;   quoted,  200  et  seq. 
Figg,  Mr.,  208 
Finders,  5,  6 
Firebrand,  202 
Fisher,  Mr.,  247,  267 

„       Mr.  A.,  354,  372 

„       Mr.  A.   T.,   368 

„       Mr.  John,   297 

„       Mr.  T.,  283 
Fisherman,  68-69,  203,  249 
Fitzhardinge,  Lord,  343 
Fitzharris,  Abingdon,  208 
Fitzwilliam,  Lord,  49,  241 
Mr.,  359 
„  Mr.   George,  344 

Hunt,  358 
Flanagan,  Wm.,   172 
Fletcher,  Capt.  and  Mrs.,  257 

„         Mr.  F.,  380 
Floyd,  Mr.  Tom,  27 

,,      Mr.   W.,  323 
Foley,  Mr.,  51 

Folkestone,  Lord,  iii,  118,  136,  141,  143,  145,  192,  258,  297 
Fonthill  Abbey,   13 
Forester,  Capt.  F.  W.,  Mastership  of,  335-339,  345 

„        Major  Francis,  335 
Foster,   Dick,  216,  217 
Fortescue,  Mr.,  263 
Fownes,  Thomas,   13 
Fownhope,  50 
Fox,  Mr.  296 
,,     Charles  James,  26 
,,     Mr.  G.   Lane,   230 
„     Mr.  W.   H.,  378 
Fox  and  Hounds  Inn,  Littleworth,  281 
Foxes,  scarcity  of,  in  i8th  century,  10 
Foxhounds,  see  Hounds 

Foxhunters,  Addison's  description  of,  7-9  ;  rights  of,  28 
Foxhunting,  descriptions  of,  2-6  ;  early  opposition  to,  13-17 
Fox  preserving,  75,   85 
Frampton,  H.,  219 
Francis,  Mr.  F.,  265 

26 


402  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Franklin,  Empson,  267 
Frederick  the  Great,  253 
Free,  Mr.,  239 
,,      Mr.  John,   217 
Freeholder,  quoted,  8-9 
Freke,  Colonel,   154 

,,       Henry,   165 
Frewen,  Mr.  E.,  302 
Frilford,    III,   191,  206,  208,  295,   324 
Frilsham,  27,  49 
Frogley,  Mr.,  380 

,,         Mr.  A.,  312 

,,         Mr.  W.,  312 
Frogmill,  48,  52 
Frost,  hard,   1881,  283 
Furneaux  Pelham,  345 
Furzen  Hill,  23 
Fyfield,  323 


Gagk,  Lord,  24,  39 
Gallopin,   367 
Garford  field,  214 
Garrard,  C.   F.,  368 
Garth,  Mr.,  241 

„        Mr.  T.  C.,  301 
Gaussen,  Mr.  David,  267,  296,  311 
Gavian,  50 
Gayting  Woods,  52 
General   Lea,  265 

"  Gentleman's  Recreation,  The,"  quoted,  2-6 
George,  Miss,  310 
Gerring,  Mr.  Oliver,  289 
Gibbs,  Mr.,  221,  321 
„       Mr.  J.,  312 
„         „     „   (jun.),  311 
Gifford,    Lord,    127;     arrest   of,    for   assault   planned    against  T.    T. 
Morland,  161-164;  dispute  with  T.  T.  Morland  as  to  limits 
of  Old  Berks  Hunt,  corres.  as  to,  qtioted,  129-170 
Gillard,  Frank,  352,  360 
Glendower,  Owen,  50 
Globe,  quoted,  64-65 
Goddard,  Mr.,  283 

„         Mr.  and  Mrs.,  377 

,,         Mr.  A.,  296 

Mr.  A.   L.,   15s 

,,         William,  huntsman,  241,  284,  293 
Godfrey,    Mr.,  247,  267 

„         Mr.  C,  172 

,,        Mr.  H.,  221,  254,  312 
Golding,  Mr.  E.,   100 
Goldsmid,  Sir  Francis,  Bart.,  238 
Goldsmith,  328 

C,  39« 
Goodlake,  Mr.,  58,  60,  106 

,,         Mrs.,   104  note 


INDEX  403 

Goodlake,  Major  Gerald,  205 

„         Mr.  T.   M.   (iun-),   106 

,,         Mr.  Thomas  Mills,  85,  92,  104  not,:,  109,  no,  m,  154,  165, 
171,  205,  322 
Goodwood,  206,  308 
Goosey,  255,  305,  373,  374 
Gordon,  Mr.,  296 
Gosden,  Fred,  229 
Gosling,  Mr.,   100 
Gould,  Mr.  A.   P.,  379 

,,      Mr.  Wm.,  2ig,  221 
Gracious,  365 
Grafton,   180 

,,         Pack,  360 
Graham,  Mrs.,  75  192 
Mr.  Guy,  378 

,,         Sir  Reginald,  230 

,,         Miss  Penelope,  227 

,,         Mr.  Thomas,   172 

,,         Mr.  Wm.,  172,  219,  221,  227 
Mr.  W.  T.  H.,  208 
Grampound,  209 
Grange,  H.,  358 
Graphic,  the,  253 
Grasper,  303 
Graves  Wood,  341 
Great  Coxwell,  225 
,,     Harrowden,  49 
,,     Western  Railway,   160 
Greaves,  G.,  247,  323 

„       Mr.  G.  R.,   228 

„       Mr.  H.,  200,  213,  237,  275,  376 

,,       Mr.  Henley  George,  Mastership  of,  231-240,  242-243  ;  record 
of,  as  M.F.II.,  228,  229  ;  retirement  of,  240 ;  sale  of  horses 
and  hounds  of,  240-222  ;  mentioned,  247 
Green  Dragon,  Hereford,  50 

,,      Captain,  296 

„      E.,  W.,  314 
Greene,  Mr.,  219 
Grey,  Sir  George,  260 
Grey  Friar,  283 
Greyhounds,  foxhunting,  with,  3 
Griffiths,  48 
Grillion's  Club,  261 
Grimsthorpe,  385 

Grimston,  Rt.  Hon.  George,  see  Craven,  3rd  Earl  of 
Grove,  254,  255 
Guichard,  M.,  350 
Gulliver,  367 
Gunnis,  Mr.,  319,  320 
Gunpowder  Plotters,  299 
Guy  FawkeSf  269,  and  note 


Habgoou,   H.,  312 


404  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

Hackvale,  Frank,  346 
Haddon,   198 
Hag  bourne  Down,   194 
Haines,  G.  J.,  204,  220-221,  254 
Haldon,  Lady,  397 
„         Lord,  207 
Half  Wood,  Hereford,  48 
Halifax,  381 
Hall,  Mr.,  52 

,,     Captain,  171 

,,     Mr.  H.,  200 

,,     Mr.  W.,  200,  311 
Hallett,  Mr.,  57-58 
Hammersley,  Mr.,   192 

Hugh,  219 
Hamilton,  Mr.,  67 
Hammans,  Cornelius,   172,  238 
Hanimett,  G.   P.,  220,  237 
Hammond,  Mr.,  247 
Hampole  Wood,  363 
Hampton  Court  Harriers,  49-50,  53 
Hanbury,  Mr.   Edgar,  296,  311 
Handborough,   189 
Hanks,  Mr.  A.  W.,  312,  380 
Hanney,  219,  266,  292,  323 
Hannibal,   194 
Hannington,   154 
Harcourt,  Mr.,   126,  243-244 
Hardwell,  139,   154,  286,  369 
Hare  hunting,  6 

Haremore  Covert,  239,  320,  323,  324 
Harford,   Colonel,  296 
,,         Captain,  265 
Hargreaves,  Mr.,  229 

,,  Mr.  John,  381 

Harkaway,  202 
Harlequin,  202 
Harmony,  88 
Harper,   363 
Harriet,  202 
Harrington,  Lord,  294 
,,  Hall,  230 

Harris,  Mr.,  52 

,,        Mr.   Henry,  200 
Harrowdown  Hill,  238,  247,  266 
Hart's  Weir,  329 
Harvey,   Mr.,  328,   33 1 
Harwell,  233 
Hastings,  Warren,  209 
Hatfield,  324 

Hatford,  198,  225,  256,  258,  263,  266,  273,  292,  293 
Haugh,  240 
Haviland,  51 
Hawke,  Lord,  230,  358 
Hawkins,  Mr.   S.,  181 
,,  Francis,   103 


INDEX  405 

Hawkins,  T.,  47,  48 
Hawtin,  Willy,   124,   189 
Hayes,  Frank,  358 
Hayward,  Mr.  265 

„  H.,   172 

Headach,  James,  27 
Headington,  64,   193,   194,   197 
Heath,  Mr.,   192 

,,       Mr.  John,  219 
Heathcote,  Sir  Gilbert,  29 
Heavens,  E.,  312 

„         W.,  312 
Hecuba,  202 
Helen,  202 
Hemploe  Hills,  95 
Hemsworth  Hall,  York,  228 
Henderson,  Sir  A.  (Bart.),  371 
„  Captain,  377 

,,  Lady  Violet,  377 

Hendred  Cowlease,  112,  198,  219,  233,  291 

,,         House,  377 
Henley,  47 
Henley,  Rt.  Hon.  Joseph  Warner,  M.P.,  115-116,  123,  127 

,,        Mr.,   192 
Henshaw,  Squire,  21 
Herald,   309 
Hercules,  197,  202 
Hereford,  Bishop  of,  45 
Herefordshire,  46 
de  Heme,  B.   B.,   172 
Hertfordshire  Hounds,  346 
Hewgill,  J.,  271  and  note,  2"]"^ 
Hey,  Mr.  H.  Darwin,  381 
Heydon,  Mr.,  277 
Heysham,  Mr.  Frederick,  64 

,,  Mr.  Robert,  62,  63,  64 

Heythrop  Hunt,  122,  178,  194,  301  ;  celebrated  run  of,  178-188 
Heywood  Church,  365 
Hickman,  Mr.,  380 
Higgins,  51 
Highworth  country,  corres.  as  to  hunting  of,  130,  135,  137,  263 

,,  Harriers,  83 

Hill,  Mr.,  51 
Hill,  Mr.  Rowland,  46 
Hillcote,  52 
Hills,  Jem,  106 

,,      Richard,  124 
Hihnarton,  372 

Hind's  Head,  Kingston  Bagpuize,  226,  247 
Hinson,  Mr.  Wm.,  42 

Hinton,  18,  40,  198,  232,  238,  250,  258,  266,  281 
,,        Squire  of,  31 
„        Waldrist,   18 
Hippisley,  Mr.  Henry,  107-108,  109,  no,  154,  165,  172,  381 
„  Capt.  W.  H.,  296 

„  ,,      and  Mrs.,  323 


4o6  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Hippisley,  Col.  C,  371 

„  „      and  Mrs.,  377 

,,  Miss  Beatrix,  381 

Ilobbs,  Mr.,  297,  311 
Hodcot,  22 

Hoddington,  Mr.  L.,  368 
Hohenlinden,  321 
Holland  House,  260 
Holme  Lacy,  44 
,,       Park,  44 
Holywell,  65 
Homeleaze  Farm,  375 
Honesty,  202 
Honey  Bush  Corner,  284 
Hopewell,  67 
Hopkins,  E.,  1 12,  257 
Horlock,  Mr.,  49,  108,  128-129 
Horn  presented  to  T.  T.  Morland,  190 
Hornyold,   Mr.,  114 
Horrocks,  John,  172,   179,   192 
Horsham,  209 

Hound  Book,  establishment  of,  302 
Hounds — 

Ana  Rache,  ancient  species,   li 
Bleeding  of,  47,  52 

Craven,  Lady,  presented  to  O.B. H.  by,  300-301 
Curious  accidents  to,  367-369 
Differentiation  in  breed,   12-13 
Driver  strain,  360-361 
Improvement  of,  360 
Judging  of  young,  352 
List  of  names  of — 
Analyst,  360 
Bathsheba,    190 
Belvoir  Agile,  360 

,,       Weather  gauge,  360 
Black  back,  331 
Brocklesby  Smoker,  360 
Chaser,  367 
Dealer,  365 
Factor,  90 
Ferryman,  367 
Gallopin,  367 
Gracious,  365 
Grasper,  303 
Gulliver,  367 
Hannibal,   194 
Harlequin,  202 
Harper,  363 
Hercules,  197,  202 
Honesty,  202 
Languish,  202 
Milton  Solomon,  359-360 

„       Spanker,  361 
Monarch,  303 
Nominal,  360 


INDEX  407 


Hounds — continued. 

Nosegay,  90 

Notion,  331 

Oakley  Driver,  360 
,,       Rhymer,  360 
,,       Trimmer,  361 

Old  Driver,  360-361 

Prudence,  190 

Rachel,  352 

Raglan,  352 

Random,  352 

Ranter,  352 

Ruby,  353 

Skilful,  363 

Sluth,  II 

Songstress,  352 

Spangle,  202 

Stentor,  352 

Stormer,  352 

Sunlight,  352 

Tradesman,  366 

Trespass,  366 

Triumph,  361-362 

Trimmer,  361 

Trumpeter,  202 

Watchman,  360 

Whimsical,  360 

Wildair,  112 

Wildflower,  360 

Winifred,  360 
Mange,  outbreak  of,  336 
No  distinct  breed  of,  in  i8th  century,  11 
Old  English,  Whittaker's  description,  11- 12 
Packs — 

Belvoir,   16 

Grafton,  360 

Gentlemen's  Subscription  Hounds,  14 

Ledbury,  46,  50,  51,  52 

Loder's  48,  50 

Lord  Berkeley's,  14-15 

Morrell,  Mr.  James,  of,  195-6 

Old  Berkeley,  77,  78 

Old  Berkshire,  17,  64,  65,  87 

Private  Packs,   10 

Pytchley,  94 

Sir  John  Cope's,   100 

Smith's,  52 

Welsh,  53 

Purchase  of,  for  old  Berks  Hunt,  122,  302 

Rabies,  outbreak  of,  302-4,  341-2 

Sales  of,  226,  241-242 
Tattooing  machine  for  marking,  344 
Howard,  Mr.  T.,  loi 
Huddleston,  Baron,  228  and  note  229 
Hughes,  Mr.,  52 

„       Mr.  Thomas,  237 


4o8  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Humphrys'  fight,  78 
Humphries,  J.  H.,  297 
Hundred  of  Hoo  Foxhounds,  346 
Hundred  Guinea  Cup,  Oxford,  35 
Hungerford,  Manor  house  of,  49,  198 
Hunt  Balls,  239,  248,  249,  254-5,  262,  263-4 
Hunt  Club,  223-224,  267  ;  list  of  Presidents,  384 
,,     Dinners,  240,  249,  262,  265 
,,     Servants — 

Bull,  William,  62,  72 

Butler,  230 

Clark,  196,  197,  241 

Cox,  177 

Dale,   John,  216-218 

„      Will,  218 
Enever,  Tom,  314 
Fairbrother,  Richard,  47,  note 
Goddard,  241 
Harvey,  328 

Hawtin,  Willy,   124,   177 
Headach,  James,  27 
Hills,  Jem,  106 

,,      Richd.,   124,   177 
Jones,   177 

„       John,   195 
Mitchell,  Fred,  342 
NichoUs,  231 

Notice  to  leave,  test  case  as  to,  232-233 
Oldaker,  Tom,  78 
Oldakers,  the,  82 
Owen,  358 
Payne,  241 
Povey,  Wm,,  301 
Press,  Jack,   351,  357-358 
Price,  H.,  346,  358 
Roake,  Geo.,  368 

„       Henry,  343 
Tipton,  Tom,  229 
Tocock,  Thomas,  99 
Todd,  Wm.,  119 
Treadwell,  Jem,  275 
Treadwell,  John,  see  that  ftatne 
Vincent,   Robert,  290 
Westall,  Bob,  83 
Worrall,   Robert,  308 
Hunt  Steeplechases,  1 881,  286 
Hunt  point  to  point  races,  319-320 
Hursley  Country,  346 
Hutson,  Mr.  J.  F.,  354 
Hutt,  H.,  312,  371 
Hyde,  Mr.  Thomas,  295 


Idstone,  240 
Ilsley  Downs,  194 


INDEX 


409 


Illsley  Road,  291 
Inglesham,   18,  264 
Inglewood,  350 
Inverurie,  Lord,  94-95 
Irishman,  372 
Iron  Bridge  Covert,  336 

Jack  of  Newbury,  243 
Jackson,  D.,  247 
„       J.,  286 
Jackson! s  Oxford  Journal^  quoted,  65 
James,  I.,  294 

„         II.,  252 
Jardine,  Mrs.,  67 
Jefferies,  Mrs.,  296 
„         Mr.  A.,  372 
„         Mr.  C,  312,  352,   379 
„         Mr.  E.,  312 
Mr.  G.,  312 
Jenkins,  Mr.,  379 
„         Fred,  371 
„         Rev.,  J.,  207,  254 

,,         Mr.  John  Blandy,  226,  237,  238,  241,  298 
Jenny  Lind,  203 
Jim  Mason,   196 
Jockey  Club,  128,   148,  308 
Johnson,  Rev.  C.  J.,  297,  311 
Johnstone,    Sir   J.,    corres.    with   T.   T.  Morland    as    to    hunting    of 

Nuneham,  126 
*'  John  Treadwell,"  J.  Blake,  quoted,  278-279 
Jolly  Roger,  47,  note 
Jonas,  Mr.   344 
Jones,    177 

,,       Captain,   161,    162 
„       Inigo,  81,  252 
„       Jesse,  284 
„       John,   195,   197 
Josselyn,  Mr.  John,  314 
Jousiffe,  C.  W.,  286,  312 
Jowett,  Mr.,   192 
Jubilee  Stakes,  309 

Keevil,  Mr.  J.,  379 

Keith  Hall,  Aberdeen,  90,   102,  216 

Kelmscott,   180 

Kempton,  309 

Kennard,    Mr.,  37S 

Dr.   D,  265,  297,  311,  320,   368,   370 

„  Mr.   J.    Howard,  322 

,,  Miss  Ellen  Clarissa,  322 

Kennels — 

Ashdown,  at,  287 

Belvoir,  361 

Braughing,   345 

Bullocks'  Pits,  231 


4IO  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Kennels — continued. 

Kingston  Bagpuize,    29S 
New  House,  near,  246 
Sandford,   124,   190 
Sheepstead,  190 
Kennel  Wood,  81 
Kent,  A.,  312 
„      J.,  221 
Kentchurch,  50 

Kepple,  William,  Viscount  Barrington,  306 
Kileredry,  24 
Kilmarnock  Burghs,  260 
Kimber,  Thos.,   172 

,,         William,  221 
Kinch,  W.   S.,   172 
King,  E.,   172 

„       J.   M.,  314-315 
King  B)yan,  283 
Kingfisher,  283 

Kingston,  93,  100,  195,  205,  208,  232,  250,   263,  266,    286,  317,  318, 
324,  325,  337,  353 
,,       Bagpuize,  67,  231,  246-247,  274,  275,  295,  298 
,,       Lisle,   123,   170,   205-206,  215,  221,  234,  236,  272,  300,  302, 

353.  369.  377.  380 
Kintore,  Lord,  87,  90,  91,  92-94,  95-96,  97,  98,  99,  lOO,  loi,  102,  103, 

114,  115,  195.  216,  338 
Kirby,  Mr.  John,  379 
Kirk  House  Green,  365 

Kitemore,  256,  285,  295,  315,  318,  322,  324,  327,  332 
Kit/y,  321 
Knapp,  Mr.,  192 
Knaveslock,  47  note 
Knighton,  284,  317 
Kyffin,  Mr.,  178,  243 

,,        Sir  Thomas,  326 
Kyffin-Kyffin,  W.,  299,  311,  323,  325-326 


Lacy,  J.,  312 

Lady  Di,  309 

Laight,  Mr.,  52 

"  Lamb  and  Flag,  The,"  273 

Lambourne,  255,  265,  284,  370 

,,  River,  23 

Lanarkshire  and  Renfrew  Hunt,  217 
Laneret,  309 
Langley,  21,  23 
Languish,  202 
Latham,  T.,  296,  31 1 
Lawrence,  Capt.,  377 

Mr.,  52 

Joe,  273,  290,  301,  335,  345 

Mr.  Wm.,  48 
Lay,  Mr.  B.,  372 
Laycock,  Mr.  Thos.,  172 
Leader,  Mr.,  345 


INDEX 


411 


Leafield,  224 
Lechlade,  18,  180,  329 
Leconfield,  Lord,  218 
Ledbury  Hunt,  52,  233 
Leigh,  Mr,  Gerard,  298 
Lenthall,  Mr.,  iii,  198,  199 

„         Edmund,  208,  243,  326 

„         E.  K.,  94,  178,  179-181,  218,  220,  226,  238,  241,  247,  254, 

266,  267,  294,  311,  319,  339,  371,  376 
,,         Family,  326 
,,         Frank,  294,  326 
„         R.,  247 
,,         Mr.  Speaker,  326 
„         Wm.,  208,  326 
W.  K.,  238 
Leopold  L,  King  of  Belgium,  299 
Letchmere,  50 
Letcombe,  255 
Lew,  198,  224 
Lewis,  Mr.  Pryse,  III 
Lichfield,  J.,  254 
Liddell,  Col.,  382 
Lidiard,  Mr.  Ernest,  380 
Lightcliffe,  366 
Ligktfoot,  36S 

Lincoln,  Henry,  Earl  of,  119 
Lincolnshire,  South  Wold  Country,  116 
Lindsay,  Col.  Loyd,  238,  254 
Lipscomb,  Kitt,  37 
Liskeard,  Borough  of,  260 
Little  Coxwell,  285,  289,  317,  353,  375,  381 
Little  Hinton,  317 
Little  Newbury  Farm,  375 
Little  Wittenham,  296 
Little   IVomler,   196 
Littleworth,  256,  317.  371 
Lloyd,  Mr.  A.  K.  (M.P.),  378 
Lloyd- Lindsay,  Sir  R.,  296 
Lockey,  Wm.,  218 
Loddon,  the,  321 
Lode  Hounds,  sale  of,  54-60 
Loder,  Anne,   18 
,,      Charles,   18 
,,      Rev.  John — 

Abingdon,  Lord,  corres.  with,  24-34,  35-38.  39 
Marriages  of,  40 
Retirement  from  hunting,  54 
Mentioned,  18,  19,  20,  22,  293 
,,      Maria,  36,  46 
„      Robert,   i8 
,,      Rev.  Seymour,   19 
Loder's  Hounds,  50 
Loder-Symonds,  Capt.,  311 

,,  Mr.  Robt.,  379 

,,  Master  Thomas,  379 

,,  Misses,  377 


412  THE   OLD   BERKS  HUNT 

Long,  Will,  200,  247 
Longcopse,  266 

Longcot,  239,  289,  347,  369,  375 
Longford  Castle,  258 
Longworth,  207,  238,  247,  250 

,,  Manor,  18 

Lonsboroitgk,  359 
Lord  of  the  Sea,  320 
Lottery,  283 

Loveden,  Mr.,  24,  55,  56,  57-58 
Lovell,  Mr.,  95 

„      J.   H.,  204 
Lowndes,  Mr.,  176,   192 

„         E.  K.   Lenthall,  237 

„        J.  B.,  247,  254,  266,  267 
M.,  238 

„         Selby,  200,  370,  378 
Mrs.  Selby,  378 

,,         Stone,   124 

„         W.,  205 
Lucas,  47 
Ludlow,  116 
Luker,  C,  311 
Luton  Hoo,  Kennels  at,  298 
Lydiard  Woods,   102,   141 
Lyford  Field,  219,  254,  323 
Lyford,  Mr.,  254 

,,        Mr.  J.,  296 
Lyndock,  Lord,  91 
Lyonshall,  69 


Macclesfield,  Earl  of,  128,  200,  247 
Madog,  Prince  of  Powys,  326 
Maiden,  Albert,  302,  311,  335 

,,        Bert,  316 

,,        Erlegh,   100 

Will,  201,  218 
Maidment,  Mr.,  380 
Marjoribanks,  Mr.,  79,  85,  86 
Mallam,  T.,  221 
Manger  road,  286 
Manners,  Sir  William,   16 
Marcham,  249,    323 
„  Field,  250 

,,  Park,  63,  65,  201,  206,  209 

Marchwood,  Hants,  381 
Marde,  51 

Marden,  Ash  Ongar,  231 
Market  Lavington,  Wiltshire,  261 
Marlborough,  196,  202,  221 
Marske,  26 
Martin,   Mr.  Bradley,  294 

E.,  312 
Mary-le-bone  Church,  67 
Mask,  309 


INDEX 

Maskelyne,  Henry,  172,  247,  254,  280 
Masters : 

Atherstone  Hounds  — 

Lowndes,  W.  Selby,  205 

Thompson,  Mr.   A.,  895 
Badsworth  Hounds  :  Hawke,  Lord,  230,  358 
Bicester  Hunt :  Mr.  J.  Warde,  27,  49 
Craven  Hunt : 

Capper,  R.   H.,  267 

Dunn,  Mr.  W.  H.,  350,  352 

Seymour,  Capt.  H.  R. ,  198 

Sutton,  Sir  Richard,  287 

Villebois,  Mr.,   197 

Willes,  Major  George,  198,  297,  300 
Exmoor  Hounds  :  Mr.  Swindell,  344 
Gloucestershire  Hounds  : 

Loveden,  Mr.,  24 

Napper,  Mr.,  24 
Hundred  of  Hoo  Foxhounds  :  Mr.  Barthopp,    39 
Hursley  Country  :  Mr.  Swindell,  346 
Lanark  and  Renfrew:  Mr.  Cunningham,  217 
Meath  and  Westmeath : 

Dease,  Sir  Gerald,  308 

Throckmorton,  Sir  Wm.,  308 
Milton  Hunt :  Mr.  George  Fitzwilliam,  359 
North  Cornwall  Hunt  : 

Drown,  E.  C,  315 

Hoblyn,  Mr.  C.  P.,  315 
Oakley  Hunt :  Geo.  Beers,  217 
Old  Berkeley  Hounds : 

Capel,  Mr.,  15-16 

Wood,  Mr.,  16 
Old  Berkshire   Hunt :  Chronological   List    of  Masters,   383-3 

For  particular  Masters  see  their  names 
Oxfordshire  Country : 

Macclesfield,  Lord,   128 

Parker,  Colonel,  115,  126 

Phillips,   Mr.  John,   115,  205 

Stone,  Mr.  Lowndes,   115 
Private  pack,  Knowestock,  Essex :  Mr.  Newman,  47  ami  note 
Pytchley  :  Mr.  George  Payne,  95 
Puckeridge  Hunt : 

Bathurst,  Hon.   L.  345 

Swindell,  Mr.  Frederick  C.,  340-445 
Quorn  :  Captain  Burns-Hartopp,  337  note 
Ripley  and  Knaphill  Harriers :  Lord  Onslow,  342 
Shropshire  Hunt:  Sir  Richard  Puleston,  195 
South  Berks: 

Hargreaves,  Mr.,  229 

Montague,  G.,   176 
Southwold  Hounds : 

Rawnsley,   Mr.,  359 

Wright,  Mr.,  359 
Suffolk  Hounds  : 

Brown,  E.  C,  314 

Green,  E.  W.,  314 


413 


414  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Masters — continued. 

Suffolk  Hounds — conthtued. 
Jnsselyn,  Mr.,  314 
King,  J.  M.,  314-315 
Taunton  Vale  Foxhounds :  Mr.  Swindell,  346 
Vale  of  White  Horse : 

Greaves,  Mr.  Henley,  228  {see  also  that  name) 
Miller,  Mr.  Butt,  316 
Shannon,  Lord,  208 
Throckmorton,  Sir  W.,  266,  308 
Villebois,  Mr.,  229 

Wharton-Wilson,  Sir  Matthew,  201,  226,  30S 
Wilson,  Mr.  231 
Vyne: 

Fellowes,  Mr.  217 
Taylor,  Mr.   Donnithome,  216 
Wiltshire:  Horlock,  Mr.,  49 
Worcestershire : 

Ames,  Mr.,  342. 
Hornyold,  Mr.,  114 
Matlock,  376 

Matthews,  Mr.  Thos.,  327 
Meath  and  Westmeath,  308 
Medley,  A.,  219 

„       H.  St.  John,  204,  219 
,,       W.,  219 
,,       W.  A.,  221 
Meend,  52 
Meg,  321 

Melton  Mowbray,  337 
Melton  Park,  228 
Membury  Banks,  8 1 
Membury  Fort,  221 
,,         House,  81 
Memnon,  196 
Mendoza  fight,  78 
Mercury,  368 
Merry  Andrew,  279 
Merry  Monk,  265 
Middle  Leaze  Farm,  283,  286 
Millbank,  Sir  P.  C.  J.,  337 
Mildmay,  Sir  Henry  St.  John,  119,  258 
Millard,  Mr.  H.,  378 
Miller,  Mr.  Butt,  316 
Miller,   The,  372 
Mills,  Mr.,  85,  93,  94 
,,      Mr.   Tno.,  52 
„      Mr.  "W.,  314 
Milton,  291,  309,  344 
Milton  Hill,  112,  206,  233-236,  291,  354 
,,      Hounds,  367 
„      Hunt,  359 
,,      Solomon,  359-360 
,,      Spanker,  361 
Minety  Country,   130 
Mitchell,  Fred,  342,  344 


INDEX  4,5 

"Mitre"  Tavern,  Holywell,  72 
MoUand  Devon,  307 
Monarch,  303 
Monarchy,  83 

Money,  Walter,  F.S.A.,  20 
Monk,  Mr.  297 
Monkey,  378 

Montague,  George,  100,   176 
Monteagle,  Lord,  294 
Montrose,  Duke  of,  95 
Moonraker,  372 
Moor  Top  Covert,  366 
Moore,  Mr.  237,  267,  296 
„        Harry,  379 
..       Joe,  332 
Moreton,  Mr.,  see  Ducie,  Lord 
Morgan,  Jim,  200 

„         Tom,  345,  346 
Morland,  Captain,  267 
,,  Mr.,   108,  246 

„  Rev.,  Benjamin  Henry,  123,   193,  266,  287,  289,  311,  252, 

354.  371.  377 
„  Benjamin  (junr.),  123 

„  Major  Edward  H.,  123,  220,  259,  266,  289,  295,  311 

F.,  311,  323 
,,  Geo.  Bowes,  123,  171 

,,  John  Thornhill,  123,  191,  220,  237,  254,  266 

,,  Thomas  Thornhill — 

Assault  on,  planned,  161-162 

Character  of,  191-2 

Correspondence    with,    quoted,    I15-6,     124,     125,     126, 

129-170 
Death  of,  191 

Dispute  with  Lord  Gifford  as  to  limits  of  O.  B.  H.,  129 
Family  of,   123,   170 
Horn  presented  to,  190 
Kennels  of,  190 
Marriage  of,  123 

Mastership,  proposal  as  to,  122-123 
Oxfordshire  country  given  up  by,  126,  127 
Vale  of  White  Horse  country,  dispute  as  to  hunting,  127 
Mentioned,  100,  103,  209,  III,  121,  376 
„  Wm.,  123,  295 

Morley,  Lord,  264 

Morrell,  Mr.  C,  233,  296,  323,  354,  377 
„        Mr.  G.   H.,  204 
,,        Mr.   Herbert,  296,  323 
,,        Mr.  James — 

Family  of,   193 
Marriage  and  death  of,  204 
Mastership  of,  194-199,  203-205 
Members  hunting  with,  205-208 
Sale  of  Hounds  of,  200-203 
Testimonial  to,  205 
Mentioned,  171,  189,  191,  193,  338 
,,        Jeremiah,  193 


4i6  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Morris,  Charles,  358 
Morritt,  Mr.  John,  307 
Morse,  Rencombe,  52 
Moss  Little  Covert,  365 
Mostyn,  Sir  Thomas,  56 
Motte,  Mr.,  98 
Munro,  Dr.,  36 
Musgrave,  Sir  James,  84 
Music,  286 

Muskerry  Country,  335 
Myers,  Mr.,  238,  247 

,,       T.  B.,  219,  221,  254 
Myless,  231 


Napper,  Mr.  24 

Nappers,  Mr.  55,  56 

Nash,  Mr.  G.,  267,  297 

National  Hunt  Committee,  308 

Neate,  C,  171 

Nesfield,  Edith  de  Cardonell,  357 

,,        Robert,  W.  M.,  357 
Nevell,  Mr.,  247 
New  Bridge,  243,  266 
Newcastle,  Co.   Dublin,  306 
New  Covert,  176,  336,  373,  374 

,,    Forest,  49,  122 

„    House,  74,  116,  119,  231,  238,  242-3,  246,  249,  254,  257-258,  262, 

274.  323.  357- 
,,    Lodge,  254 
Newman,   Mr.,  47  and  note 
Newman-Stone,  H.,  254 
NichoUs,  231,  232 
Nickisson,  Mr.,  378 
Nicoll,  Mr.,  87 
Nightjar,  309 

Nimrod,  64,  71,  80,  85,  86,  87,  90,  97 
Nim  South,  105 
Niven,  Mr.  WiUiam,  359,  378 

„      Mr.  W.  G.,  371,  372 
Nob,  The,  88 
Noel,  C.  P.,  311,  320 
Nominal,  360 

Norfolk,  Charles,  llth  Duke  of,  44-45 
Norreys,  Montague,  Lord,  32,  38,  39 
Norris,  Lord,   192 

„       Sir  Henry,  34 
North,  Mr.,  64 
North  Cornwall  Hounds,  315 

Norway,  restrictions  as  to  importation  of  dogs  in,  304 
Nothing  H.,  372 
Nuneham,  126,  201,  244 


Oak  Wood,  225 
Oakase,  23 


INDEX  417 

Oakes,  Mr.  Frank,  274 
,,      Mr.   Harvey,  274 
Oaklands,  89 

Oakley  House,  218,  219,  221 
„      Hunt,  217,  301,  358 
„      Magpies,  361 
,,      Pack,  360 
,,       Rhymer,  360 
,,      Trimmer,  361 
October  Club,   the,  9 
Odstone  Folly,   370 
Okeleigh,  70 

Oldaker,  Thomas,  15,  16,  78-9 

Old  Berkeley  Hunt,  taken  over  by  Mr.  Combe,  79 ;  description   of 
country  of,  83-84;  proposed  division  of  country,  106-109  ;  resolu- 
tions regarding,  109- no;  mentioned,  84,  85,  124,  218,  346 
Old  Berkshire  Hunt : 
Blank  day  with,  287 
Dinner,  Annual,  237-8,  240 
Limits  of,  correspondence  as  to,  243-244 
Masters,  chronological  list  of,  383-384 
Oxfordshire  country  separated  from,  115 
Point-to-Point  meet  with  the  V.W.H.,  368 
Present  Members,  376-380 
Subscription  List  (1838),  192 
Otherwise  mentioned,  64,  65 
"Old    Berkshire,   The,"  G.    Drew,   quoted,  234-236;    by   Mr.   John 

Wallis,  quoted,  268 
Old  Berkshire  Hunt  Club,  119  ;  list  of  Presidents,  384 
Old  Driver,  360-361 

"  Old  Hummums  "  in  Covent  Garden,  63 
Oldfield  Farm,  373,  374 
Oliver,  John,  171,  176 
Onslow,  Lord,  342 
Ormond,  E.,  311 
Orr-Ewing,  Sir  Archibald,  322 
,,  Capt.  John — 

Family  of,  322 
Mastership  of,  315,  322-334 
Mentioned,  320,  323 
Osbaldeston,  Mr.,  86,  87,  122 
Owen,  Mr.,  358 
Oxford,  35,  241 

,,        Bishop  of,  207 
Oxfordshire  country,  121  ;  separation  of,  from  Old  Berkshire  Hunt, 
115,  127;  re-union  with  Old  Berkshire  country,  121;  establish- 
ment of  S.  Oxfordshire  Hunt,  128 
Oxoniensis,  35 

Paice,  Joe,  99,  100 
Painton,  Mr.   W.,  352 
Palk,  Mr.,  L.   H.,  257,  297 

,,      Hon.   Mrs.,  297 
Palmer,  Wm.,  221 

„        Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  J.,  379 

27 


41 8  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Palmerston,  Lord,  259 
Parker,  Lord,   126,   191 

,,        Colonel,  39,   115 

„        Mr.  John,  M.F.H.,  114-117 

„       Mr.  J.  H.  (U.S.A.),  379 
Paine,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.,  378 
Park  Island,  256,  318,  373,  374 
Parke,  Major,  311 

Parnell,  C,  interview  of  Lord  Ribblesdale  with,  333 
Parr,  T.,  220 
Parry  of  Mynde,  48 
,,      Mr.   L.,  297 
,,      Captain,  377 
Parsons,  Mr.  48 

Mr.  John,  354,  372 
Mr.  J.  F.,  371,  377 
Pashley,  Mr.,   163 
Passand,  Mrs.,  71-72 
Patient,  283 
Pavilion,  64 
Payne,  Messrs.,  297 

„       Mr.,  241,  265,  267 

,,       F-,  254 

„       Geo.,  95 

»      J-,  312 
Paynton,  238 

Peacock,  H.,  221,  238,  254,  267 
Peake,   Mrs.,  72 
Peck,  Mr.  Robert,  297 
Peel,  Mr.,  192 

"  Peep  at  the  Berkshire,  A,"  Castor,  172 
Pengethley,  42,  50 
Penny  Hooks,  316 
Penstone,  J.,  219 

W.,  221 
Penwarne-Wellings,  Rev.  E.,  quoted,  274 
Percy,  Earl,  294 
Petit,  52 

Pepys,  Samuel,  253 
Peyton,  48 
Phillips,  Mr.,  125,  192,  257 

Mr.  E.,  311,  323,  333,  354,  379 

„         Bishop,  J.,  247 

„         Mr.  John,  115,  121,  122,  123,  176,  238,  266,  323 

,,         Mrs.  John,  376 

„         J.  S.,  171,  205,  215,  219,  228,  267 
R.  B.,  254 

„         W.,  312 
Pidnell  Farm,  239 
Pigow,  Mr.,  283 
Pike,  B.,  312 

Pinniger,  W.,  219,  221,  247,  267 
Piriculture,  70-71 
Plitt,  Mr.,  26 
Peydell,  Harriet,   118 

Sir  M.  Stuart,   1 18 


INDEX 

Pleydell-Bouverie,  Rt.  Hon.  Edward,  119 

n  M  Sir  Wm.,  see  Radnor,  Earl  of. 

Pocklington,  Mr.   R.,   loi 
Point-to-Point  Meets,  367,  371 
Polly,  257 
Pontifex,  35 
Porlock  Weir,  344 
Portsmouth,  Lord,  302 
Poulton,  84 

Povey,  Wm.,   301,   305,  316 
Powell,    Sir  Edward,  42 

E.,  295,  311,  319,    323,  378 

„        Mr.  E.   O.,  354,  371 

„        Mr.  J.  J.,  372 

,,        Mr.  W.,  297 

„        Mr.  W.  N.,  311 
Dr.,  370 
Powick,   117 
Powles,  50 

Presidents  of  the  Hunt  Club,  chronological  list  of,  384 
Press,  Frank,  343 

„      Jack,  345,  351,  352,  358 
Preston,  Mrs.  P.,  379 
Price,  Mr.  Barrington,  54,  58-60,  83,   165 
„       Mr.   H.,  346,  358 
,,       Mr.   Thos.,    154,    170,    171,  172,  295 
Prince  of  Wales'  Own  Yorks  Yeomanry,  381-382 
Princess  Harwell,   18 
Prioleau,  Mr.,  381 
Prior,  Joseph,  72 
Pritchard,  Professor,  303 
Provincial,  91 
Prudence,   190 

Pryse,  Mr.    131,  132,   138,  150,   157,  158 
„       Colonel,  205 

,,       Pryse,  Mr.,  85,  101-2,  109,  132,  137,  171 
Puckeridge  Country,  341-345 
Puleston,  Sir  Richard,   195 
PuUen,  Mr.,  286 

,,      Mr.  B.,  380 

„      Mr.  E.,  296,  323,  378 

,,      Mr.  R.,  372 

,,      Mr.  W.,  286,  293,  296,  311,  323,  368 
Puppies,  sale  of,  202 
Puppy  judging,  238 
Purtan  Manor,  Wilts,  316 
Pusey,  Mr.,  156,  157,  158,  160,  161,  162,  192 

„      Edward  (Dr.  Pusey),  119 
J.  W.,  312 

"      Philip,'  109,  no,  118,  154,  159.  165,  172 
Pusey,  59,  118,  232,  238,  247,  250,  262,  266,  281,  318 
Pyenest,  Halifax,  381 
Pytchley,  49,  358 

QuANTOCK  Stag  Hounds,  343 


419 


420  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Quarrington,  51 

Queen  v.  Dunn,  cited,  163 

Queen's  Arms  Inn,  223 

Queen's  Buck  Hounds,  255 

Quorn  Hunt,  231,  275  ;  master  of,  337,  note 

Rabies,  Outbreak  of,  302-304,  341-342 
Rachel,  352 
Radcot  Bridge,  198 

Radnor,  3rd  Earl  of,  M.F.H.,  107,  109,  118-120,  131,  132,  134,  135, 
138,   156,  160,   161,  162,  165,   171,  192,  218,   258  :  cor- 
respondence, quoted,  135-6,  157-158 
,,         4th  Earl  of,   119 
,,         6th  Earl  of,   119 
,,         Lady,  258 
Raglan,  352 
"Rambler,"  351 
Ramsden,  Sir  John,  358 
Ramsey,  367 

Randolph,  Rev.  Dr.  J.,  219,  220 
Random,  352 
Ranter,  352 

Rantipole  Barn,  320,  371 
Ravensworth,  Lord,  306 
Rawnsley,  Mr.,  359 
Raymond,  Elizabeth,  i8 

,,  Sir  Joshua,  Bart.,  18 

Read's  Farm,  375 
Reade,  Mr.,  325 

„        Mr.  Ernest,  352 

Mr.  G.,  283,  312,  327 
„        Mr.  S.,  311,  321.  374.  380 
Reading,  C,  312 

E.  S.,  321 
J-.  312 
Ready,  Barbara,  22,  40 

,,       Robert,  20 
Reason,  J,  312 
Rebbeck,  J.,  312 
Redmarley  Harriers,  51,  53 
Referee,  309 
Reid,  Miss  Elizabeth,  322 

,,     Mr.  James,  322 
Rendcomb,  46 
Renny,  Robert,  103 
Reynolds,  James,  171 
Ribblesdale,  Lord,  quoted,  327-332,  333 
Rich,  Charles,  328,  330 
„      Jim,  329,  330,  332 
Richards,  C,  312 

,,  Mrs.,  50 

Richings,  Rev.  B.,  211 
Richmond,  Duke  of,  118 
Rickman,  Colonel  A.  D.,  354,  370 
Mrs.,  352,  377 


INDEX  421 

Rickmansworth,  87,  124 

Ridd,  Mr.,  265 

Rigden,  Mr.,  200 

Ringdale,  285,  307,  347 

Ringtail,  218 

Ring  wood,  81 

Ripley  and  Knaphill  Harriers,  342 

Rivey,  198,  238 

Rix,  J.,  221 

Road  Farm,  249 

Roadside  Farm,  246,  265,  266-267,  323 

Roake,  Dick,  301 

„        George,  368,  381 

„        Henry,  343 
Kob  Roy,  202 
Robeck,  Captain  de,  296 
Roberts,  51,  87,  267 
Roberts  of  Marde,  50 
Robertson,  Captain,  97 
Robins,  G.,  172 
Robinson,  Mr.,  16 

Robson,  Mr.  E.,  292,  296,  323,  354,  372,  378 
Rock  Farm,   177 
Rockley  Copse,  240 
Rodney,  112,  190 
Rogers,  Mr.,  48,  51,  52 
Rogues  Pits,  263 
Rokeby  Hall,  York,  307 
Romeo,  328 
Romford,  47 
Romney,  253 
Rosalind,  88 
Rose,  Sir  Hugh,  89 
Rosey,  225,  263,  32.,,  348,  352,  285 

„     Brook,  239,  318,  319,  327,  332,  353,  373,  374 
Royal,  202 

Royal  Agricultural  Society,  118,  161 
Royston,  344 
Ruby,  352 
Ruffins  Wick,  240 

Runs,  famous,    119,    177-194,    221,   224-225,  233-236,   239240,  255, 
262,  263,  264,  266,  268,  285,  291-2,  316-319,  336,  347,  364,  368- 
369,  372-376 
Rushbrooke,  Miss  Augusta,  215 
,,  Miss  Caroline,  246 

„  Col.,  215,  246 

Rutland,  Duke  of,  16,  29 
Rycot,  30,  32,  33,  34 


Saddler,  Ben,  48 
,,      Tom,  218 
St.  John,  Sir  Henry,  258 
St.  Leger,  206 
St.  Mawes,  209 
Salisbury,  40,  200 


422  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Samways,  327,  332 
Sand  ford,   124,   190,  244 
Sandilands,  Hon.   F.,  200 
Sands  Farm,  353,  375 
Sarsden  Stores,  236-237 
Sartoris,  A.,  238,  266 
Satellite,  H.M.S.,  33 
Savernake  Forest  Stag  Hounds,  381 
Saxelbye  Park,  327 
Saxham  Hall,  314 
Sebright,  Tom,  200 
Secretaries  of  the  Hunt — 
Barrett,  M.,  226 
Crowdy,  G.  F. ,  see  that  name 
Eyston,  Mr.  C,  227,  377 
Lenthall,  E.  K.,  226,  247 
Lowndes,  J.  B.,  267 
Morland,  Mr.   E.,  289 

,,         Capt.,  267 
Parsons,  J.  F.,  377 
Selim,  S.,  202 

Sevenhampton  Court,  97,  142,  154,  168,  169 
Seymour,  Capt.  H.  R.,  198 
Scent,  anecdotes  concerning,  362-364 
Schrieber,  Mrs.,  378 

Scott,  John,  trainer,  corres.  with  Mr.  Harvey  Coombe,  88-89 
"Scouring  of  the  White  Horse,"  Thos.  Hughes,  quoted,  237 
Scratch  Wood,  83 
Scratton,  Mr.,  200 
Scudamore,  C.  F.,  44 
„  Col.,  50 

,,  Sir  Thos.,  50 

Shakespeare,  quoted,  12 
Shamrock,  372 
Shannon,  Lord,  308 
Sharpe,  Mr.,  267 

„        B.,  221,  281-282 
Shaw,  J.,  38 
,,    House,  23 
,,    Woods,  21 
,,  -Phillips,  Mr.,  323 
Sheepcroft  Field,  348 

Sheepstead,  iii,  122,  123,  189,  190,  193,  377 
Shellard,  Mr.,  52 
Shelley,  366 

Shellingford,  119,  225,  292,  318,  324 
Shepherd,  Stephen,  124,   177,  178 
Sheppard,  — ,  311,  316,  323 
Sherbourn,  Lord,  84 
Shifford,  256 
Shipton  Solers,  52 
Shobdon  Cup,  309 
Shotover,  125 
Shrivenham,  40,   144,  240,  317 

,,  Compton,  154 

Shropshire  Hunt,   195 


INDEX  ^23 

Shute,  Baron,  206 
Siddirigton,  368 
Silver,  Mr.  S.  C,  379 
Simmonds,  Mr.  B.,  99 

„  Mr.  C,  203,  254,  311 

Simpson,  A.   H.,  311 
„        Mr.  E.,  366 
Sir  Bevis,  33 
Sir  Warwick,   196,  202 
Skelmanthorpe,  365 
Skilful,  363 
Skinner,  Eli,  269  note 
Skyrme,  Mr.,  48,  50 
Sloper,  G.  Orby,  311 

„       Mr.   and  Mrs.  Orby,  296 
Sluth  Hounds,  11 
Smith,  Mr.,  163 
„      Mr.  A.,  198 
„      Mr.  C,  312 
,,      Rev.  Samuel  M.,  233 
Snelsmore  Common,  23 
Snow,  Mr.  Nicholas,  344 
Snowstorm,   1881,  account  of,  283-285 
Somers,  Lord,  51 
Somerset,  Lady  Henry,  51 
Sophy,  202 
Sorceress,  286 

Southampton,  Lord,  200,  202,  218 
.South  Berks  Hunt,  176,  301 

,,      Oxfordshire  Hunt,  119,  206,  233,  244 
„  ,,  ,,      Steeplechases,  1862,  378 

„       and  West  Wilts  Hounds,  288 
„      Wold  Hunt,  218,  230,  359 
Southby,  Mr.,  179 
„  Mr.   P.,  296 

,,         Mr.  Samuel,  20,  22,  23 
Southfield  farm,  305 
Songstress,  352 
Sowley  Wood,  88 
Spackman,  Mr.,  82 
Dr.,  320 
Spangle,  202 

Sparsholt,  234,  255,  272,  318,  353,  369,  380 
Speaker,  The,  309 
Spectator,  The,  quoted,  7 
Spencer,  Hon.  and  Rev.,  220 
Spicer,  Mr. ,  246 
Spinete,  Sir  Guy  de,  307 
Sportsman,  verses  quoted  from,  172 
Sporting  Magazine,  The,  13,  14-15,  24,  63,  75,  80,  88,  91,  92-94,  104- 

105,  120,  128,  190,  194 
Spye  Park,  Chippenham,  246 
Squerries,  49 
Squires,  Tom,  229,  246 
Stacy,  Jim,  197 
Stag  Hunt,  240 


424  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 


Stainswick  covert,  143,  156,  240,  317 
Stamford,  Lord,  202,  231,  275 
Stanborough,  323 
Stanbroke,  Tom,  21,  22,  23 
Stanford,  318,  348,  352,  372,  392 

„        Place,  293,  239,  263,  323,  376 
„        Park  Farm,  373 
Stanton  Covert,  143,  153,  169 

,,       Harcourt,  277 
Stapleton,  358 

,,         -Iwerne,  13 
Star  Inn,  Oxford,  37,  47 

,,    Wood,  52  ' 
Stargazer,  372 
Starky,  Mr.,  241 

„      J.   B.,  254,  245-249 

,,       Mr.  and  Mrs.,  257 
Steeplechases,  264-265 
Stentor,  352 
Step  Farm,  247,  323 
Steventon,  114,  233,  291 
Stewart,  Capt.,  377 
„       Mrs.,  371,  377 
„       Miss,  371 
Stock,  Edmond,  48 
Stockbridge,  Capt.,  309 
Stockcross,  23 
Stockham  Faim,  286 
Stoke  Park,   52 
Stokenchurch,  30 
Stone,  Capt.,  378 

„      George,  172 

,,      G.  B.   Eyston,  237 

„      H.,  221,  237 

„      H.  T.,  293 

,,      Lowndes,   115,  127,  192 

,,      Mark,  172 

,,      Matthew,  172 
Stonehenge,  237 
Stonehill  Farm,   194 
Stonor,  Mr.  T.  (Lord  Camoys),  loo-ioi,  121,  192 

„       Park,  123 
Stormer,  352 
Stourton,  Hon.  A.,  257 
Stracey,  207 

Strathmore,  Earl  of,  206 
Strattenboro'  Castle,  248 
Stratton,  J.,  312 
Strauss,  Mr.,  354 
Strickland,  Mr.,  85,  192 

,,  Walter,  121,  165,  171,  206 

Stuart,  James,  311 
Studfield  Brook,  374 
Sturges,  329 
Subtlety,  368 
Suffield,  Lord,  200 


INDEX 

Suffolk  Hounds,  314 
Sunlight,  352 
Sunninghill,  209,  210 
Surrey  Union  Hounds,  216,  345-6 
Sutton,  Sir  Richard,  116,  197,  287 
„       Mr.   H.  C,  379 
,,       Courtney  Abbey,  174 
,,       Common,  365 
„       Moor,   194 
Svengali,  379 
Swan  Inn,  Tetsworth,  38 
Swansnest,  316 
Sweet,  Mr.,  38,  40 
Sweet  Shaw  Covert,  364 
Swindell,  Mr.  Frederick  Charles,  M.F.H.,  340-349 

,,        Mrs.  344 
Swindon,  154,  167,  168,  327 
Switcher,   The,  206 
Sworder,  Mr.  John,  341 
Symonds,  Colonel,  63 

„  Mrs.,  86,  165,   192 

„  Edward,  42,  45,  46,  47-52,  53 

,,  Fred  Loder,  297 

,,  Rev.  Joseph,  44 

J.  F.,  70-71 

,,  J.  Loder,  106  note,  109,  171,  297 

,,  Captain  Loder,  287 

,,  Robt.,  28,  36,  41,  43,  54-60,  111-210 

Rev.  Robt.,  42,  45,  46,  53,  63,  64-65,  67,  71-72 

,,  Thomas,  43 

»>  »>        42,  44 

,,  "William,  69-70 


Tadpole,    143,  154,  256 

Brook,  130,  133,  134,  13s,  137,  142,  164 
Tailby,  Mr.,  200 
Tanner,  J.,  371 
Tar  Wood,  10,   178,  188,  189 
"Tar  Wood,"  R.  E.  E.  Warburton,  quoted,  182-188 
Tarrant,  Mr.  W.,  377 

Tattersall,  Messrs.,  55,  67,  87,  197,  200,  231,  241,  345 
Tattooing  machine  for  marking  Hounds,  344 
Taunton,  Alderman,  31 1 
Taunton  Vale  Foxhounds,  346,  358 
Taxation  in  the  l8th  century,   10 
Taylor,  Mr.  Donnithorne,  216 

„       Charles,  295,  311,  323 

.,       F.,  312 

„       H.,  312 

,,       Captain  Wilbraham,  378 
Ted  worth  Hunt,  218 
Terrett,  51 

Terriers,  species  of,  3 
Terry,  Rev.  Charles,  316 
Tetsworth,  48 


425 


426  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Thame,  30 

Thames,   R.,  119,  142,  143,  147,  166,   167,  168 
Thatcham  Wood,  21,  23 
Thatcher,  Mr.  Robt.,  283,  284,  286 
Theobald,  Mr.  T.,  274 
,,  Captain,  379 

Thesiger,  Sir  Frederick,  210 
Thomas,  William,  48 
Thompson,  Captain,  372 
Thompson,  A.,   195,  209 
F.,  341 
„  T.,  266,  267 

Tosswill,  Mr.  Walter,  297 
Tostock  Place,  Suffolk,  314 
Townsend,  Mr.,  58 
F.  C,  354 
F.  O.,  379 
Tradesman,  366 
Treadwell,  Jem,  275 

John,   231,  232,   233,  234,  237,  242,  246,  263,  264,  273, 
275-9,  288 
Treago,  46,  48 
Tree,  Alice  Christian,  78 
Trenchard,  Rev.  John,  154,  165 
Trendell,  E.,  220,  254 
Thornhill,  Edward,  123 
,,         Miss,  123,  170 
,,         House,  Kingston  Lisle,  370 
"  Three  Pigeons,"  the,  75 
Throckmorton,  Capt.  Courtenay,  378 
„  John  de,  307 

Sir  N.  W.,  254 
,,  Sir  Robert,  lio,   154,   159,   165,   171,  204,   205,  223, 

224 
„  Sir  Wm.,  241,  266,  287,  307-309,  311,  335,  339,  354, 

376 
,,  W.,  204 

Tilbury,  Mr.,  85 
Tipton,  Tom,  229 
Times,   The,  164,  337 
Toby,  368 
Tocock,  Robert,  99 

,,        Thomas,  99,  icx) 
Todd,  Will,  119,  19s 
Tofts,  George,  290 
Tollett,  Mr.,  247 
Tollit,  George,  208 
„      J.,  296 
„      J.  H.,  323 
Torn  Thumb,  203 
Tombs,  Mrs.,  52 
Trespass,  366 
Trimmer,  361 
Trinder,  Wm.,  172 
Tripp,  323 
Triumph,  361-362 


INDEX  427 


Trollope,  R.  G.,  371,  372 
Mrs.  R.  G.,  371 
Trumpeter,   202 
Tubney  House,  98,  196,  200-207,  295 

„       Wood,  75,  290,  319,  322-323 
Tucker,  R.,  204,  312 
Tuckey,  Mr.,  158,  257 

„      Thos.,  154,  171 
Tuckfield,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  107 
Tuckpens,  323,  347 
Tunnell,  Grafton  Woods,  51 
Turner,  C,  171 

,,       Capt.  and  Miss,  296 
Twig,  257 
Tyrell,  W.,  312 


Uffington  Wood,  55,  62,  82,  93,  100,  225,  269,  285,  286,  309,  318, 

336,  337,  348,  352,  353,  374 
Universal  Magazine,  The,  3 
Upper  Farm,  373 


Vale  of  the  White  Horse,  106,  114,  115,  122,  127,  137,  217,  226,  228, 

229,  231,  264,  266,  302,  308,  368 
Valentia,  Lord,  180,  199,  206 
Valesman,  372 
Vathek,   13 
Velocipede,  372 
Venables,  Mr.,  72,  172 
Venator,  92 
Victors  Thorns,  373 
Vilett,  T.  W.,  109 
Villebois,  Mr.,  90,  197,  200,  201,  229 
Villiers,  Mr.,  260 
Vincent,  Robert,  290 

Vine  Hounds,  purchase  of,  246  ;  Vine  Hunt,  216 
Viret,  Mrs.,   176 
Viridis,  249 
Viscount,  359 
Vitre,  H.  Denis  de,  311 
Vockin,  Mr.,  257 
Vyne,  see  Vine 


Waddell,  C,  172 

Wadham  College,  65  .a  .^8   ,8t 

Wadley,  92,  104,  205,  239,  243,  248,  256,  258,  2»i 

Walker,  Mr.,  241 

Walker,  John,  97 

Wall,  Mrs.,  65 

Wall-Jones,  Rev.  W.   H.,  31 1 

Wall  Hills,  51 

Wallingford,  193 


428  THE  OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Wallington,  Berks,  21,  23,  350 
Wallingtons,    350 
Wallis,  Mr.,  247,  267 

John,  221,  267-272,  295,  32 

„       T.,  311 
Walters,  Mr.,  221,  267 
"  Wanderer  brought  Home,  The,"  211 
Wantage,  Lord,  296 

Wantage  Road  Station,  233,  234,  292,  305,  318 
Wapiti,  265 

Warburton,  Mr.   Egerton,   178,   179 
Warde,  Mrs.,  80,  81,   108 

„      Mr.  J.,  49,   128 
Warminster,  218 
Warnford,  Fra,   109,   no 

,,         Colonel,  85,   132,  133 
Watchfield,  248,  288,  353 
Watchman,  360 
Water  Eaton  Covert,   143,   154 
Waterperry,   127 
Waterstock,  215 
Waterwitch,  265 
Watkins,  C.  F.,  283 
Watlington,   177 
Weaving,  G.,  368,  372,  379 

John,  296,  312,  319,  323,  379 
Webbe,  — ,  252 
Welch,  Mr.,  265 
Welsh  Hounds,  53 
Wernall  Gate,  38 
West,  Mr.  W.  Thornton,  339 
West,  Ashby,  359 
Westall,  Bob,  82-83 
Western,  Mr.  Maximilian,   19,  36 
Western  House,  Bucks,  228 
Westfield  Copse,  238 
West  Ilsley,  123,  220 
Weston-on-the-Green,  49 
Weyer,  Colonel,  Van  de,  287,  311,  371,  373 

„       Mr.  Van  de,  176,  231,  290,  295,  298,  309-310,  312,  313 

,,       Mons.  Jean  S.  Van  de,  299 

,,       Lady  Emily  Van  de  \see  also  Craven,  Lady  Emily],  257,  295, 
312 

,,        Captain  William  Van  de,  378 

,,        Mr.  W.  Van  de,  371 

„       Mr.  V.  Van  de,  226,  247,  254,  257,  286,  298-310 
Whaddon  Hall,  Bucks,  205 

Wharton- Wilson,  Sir  Matthew,  172,  217,  226,  241,  308 
Wheeler,  M.,  311 
Wheeler,  J.,  172,  298,  321,  379-380 
Whieldon,  A.,  246 
Whimsical,  360 
Whips : 

Bailey,  E.,  346 
Bartlett,  331 
Brice,  Will,  218 


INDEX  429 

Whips — continued. 

Brown,  E.  C,  SH 
Budd,  James,  342 
^         Dale,  John,  216 

Davis,  Joseph,  346 
Everett,  Henry,  343 
Gosden,  Frederick,  229 
Grange,  H.,  358 
Harris,  Henry,  200 
Hawtin,  Willy,  124 
Hayes,  Frank,  358 
Hewgill,  Jim,  271  and  note,  273 
Huckvale,  Frank,  346 
Lawrence,  Joe,  273,  290,  335 
Lockey,  William,  218 
Maiden,  Albert,  302,  335 
„       Bert,  316 
,,       Will,  201,  218 
Morgan,  Tom,  343.  345-346 
Morris,  Charles,  358 
Oldaker,  Bob,  78 
Press,  Frank,  343 

„      Jack,  345 
Price,  H.  346 
Roake,  Dick,  307 
„        George,  307 
„        Henry,  343 
Shepherd,  S.,  124,  i77,  178 
Sheppard,  Tom,  316 
Skinner,  Eli,  269  and  note 
Squires,  Tom,  229,  246 
Stacy,  Jim,   197 
Stracey,  207 
Tofts,  George,  290 
White,  Mr.  Betteridge,  267 
„      Col.,  295 
„      J.,  312,  380 
White  Horse  Hill,  lOO,  269 
Whiteface,  372 
Whitehead,  Mrs.,  362 
Whilehorn,  W.,  312,  323 
Whitestocking,  91,  95 
Whitfield,  Mr.,  85,  247,  380 
„         A.,  171,221,  312 
»         H.,  312 
„         F.,171 

Robert,  325,  327 

„         T.,  267 

Whitfields,  the,  208 
Whitford,  Dr.,  51 
Whitly,  Thomas,   18-19 

^klSam!  225,  239.  262,  28S,  318.  320,  336,  347.  378.  3S1 
Wickscrubs,  219,  249,  250,  266 
Wickwood,  239,  243,  285,  375 
Widow,  The,  257 


430  THE   OLD  BERKS  HUNT 

Wigan,  Capt.,  379 

Wilberforce,  Dr.,  Bishop  of  Oxford,  207 

Wild,  Mrs.,  67 

Wilderness,  the,  318 

Wild  face,  22 

Wild  flower,  360 

Wild  Day  re  II,  253 

Wild  Rose,  196 

Willes,  Col.,  297 

,,       Major  George,   198 
„       Mr.  G.  S.,  350 
Williams,  Lord,  39 

„         Mr.,  267 

,,         Sir  John,  Bart.,  42-43 

,,         Mr.  Justice,  163 
J-,  254 

„         P.,  200 
Williamstrip,  84,  141 
Willis,  Dick,  48 
Willoughby,  Capt.,  32-33 
„  Lord,  200 

,,  de  Eresby,  Lady,  305 

Wilson,  Mr.,  231 

„       Mr.  F.,  228 
Wiltshire  County  Council,  262 

,,         Country,  128 
"  Wiltshire  Yeoman,  A,"  199 
Windmill  Hovise,  meet  at,  325 
Wind  rush,  256 
Windsor,  47 
Winifred,  360 
Winsley,  C.,  312 
Winterbourne,  21,  23 
Wintry-boss,   lOO 
Winwick  Warren,  95 
Withington,   52 
Witney,  224,  256 
Wittenham  Wood,  99 
Wonder,  Zl^-yn 
Wood,  Mr.,   16 

Woodbridge,  237-238,  247,  296 
Woodeaton,  64,   125 
Woodhill,  234,  254,  255 
Woodman  Inn,  Fernham,  267 
Woodstock,  Recorder  of,  294-5,  326 
Woolhampton,  22 
WooUey  Park,   166,   197,  337,  377 
Woolstone  Harriers,  243 

,,  Lodge,  272 

,,  Wells,  272,  304 

Worcester,  116 

Worcestershire  Hunt,   114,   115,  233,   342 
Worley,  267 
Wormwood  Scrubs,  37 
Worrall,  Robert,  308 
Wright,  Mr.,  345,  346 


INDEX 

Wright,   Mr.  C.   B,  Elmsall,  355,  357-376 
,,        Mr.  C.   Swaine,  357 
,,        Rev.  Godfrey,  357 
„        Mrs.,  576 
Wroughton,  Mr.,  257 

„  Mr.  B.,  letter  to  T.  T.  Morland,  quoted,  166-167 

„  Mr,  E.,  257 

„  Mr.   P.,  197,  296,  297,  311,  323 

,,  The  Misses,  377 

„  House,  74 

Wychwood  Forest,  224 
Wyndham,  Mr.,  29 

Mr.  W.,  74 
,,  Col.,  203 

Wynn,  Sir  W.  Watkin,  241 
Wynter,  Capt.  Philip,  237,  243,  267,  296 

,,         Major  Walter,  297 
Wytham,  30,  32,  98,  119,  196,  198 


Yattenden,  49 

Yellow  Jack,  286 

Yelford,   198,  256 

Yelvertoft  Gorse,  95 

Yeoman,  265 

York,  Archbishop  of,   126,  127 


431 


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