S E E N W IT H S O ME FA MOU S P AC KS — 1 8 8 5 1 9 1 0 W HIPS T E R A UT H OR OF R E M I I S CE CE S OF FR A N K G I AR D TS MA T O N N LL , HUN N ' " T H E D U KE OF R U TLA N D S HOUND S T T F - ST T O S WI H EN U LL PAGE I LLU RA I N , I NCLU D I NG S IX O O M O S T T T S I N C L UR , N U ER U EX CU AN D A H U N T I NG N O T E BY T H E A R G H T H ON . E R C P . I H N H N M . - Y PLI , E X MA S TE R OF T H E BLANKNE Y LO N D O N W NE YOR K : E . P f D TT A D U ON N co . P ri te d b BA A TY E H A S O Gr CO . n y LL N N , N N At the Balla e P ress E d i bur h nt yn , n g P R E F A C E WI T H H UN T I NG N O TE B Y T H E R IG H T H O N . HEN RY M P -M S T OF T HA . A H A C PLI N , , EX ER E BL N KN EY TH o f for —a w hich A I NG beauty is a j oy ever , line might have been written with special reference to the foxhound , whose beautiful symmetry captivates the eye , whose marvellous powers in chase cheer the heart , and whose memory is perpetuated by generations of descendants showing the same char t ri ti No u ac e s cs . wonder as time goes on the pop larit o f y the noble animal increases , and a larger number o f people are interested in foxhound lore o f than at any other period in the history the chase , i - do not includ ng puppy walkers and others , who of hunt , but follow every detail the game with to critical intelligence . This is not be wondered at for a foxhound is a triumph of breeding and selection , an animal that has kept pace with the o f requirements the age in a marvellous way , without sacrificing any of the sterling merits which distinguished the c-elebrities of the past . Beautiful packs of hounds to day are to be found up and down England , for no animal has generally improved in appearance so rapidly during the past ten or fifteen - years a lasting testimony to masters whose j udg o f ment moulds the destinies a kennel , a reflected glory to a hunt and a community whose fame is ensured by the excellence o f its pack . i n Mr . Henry Chaplin , a kindly letter written ’ B a nolesde l Orn e 2 1 1 0 from g , Normandy , June 3 , 9 , v i PREFACE gives a most interesting summary of the past which is un doubt e dlv the foundation o f modern day excellence . Referring to his mastership o f the Blankney from 1 8 1 8 8 . : 77 to 5 , Mr Chaplin writes I The proofs have looked at with interest , for any task connected with hunting in Lincolnshire is thoroughly congenial to me . The Blankney were o f shorn their glory , after the pack which I o f bought the late Lord Henry Bentinck , and then sold to Lord Lonsdale , were dispersed by him . ’ of There was little , I am afraid , Lord Henry s sort left at Blankney , and the present pack , I fancy , has ’ but little connection with Lord Henry s , which at o ne n of o f time , in the opi ion many the best and finest j udges of the time , stood almost alone . “ The Beaufort are , and have been for many first- generations , a class pack of hounds , but never - probably so good as they are to day . The Belvoir were in Goodall ’ s time the fountain o f head everything , and though they have altered in size and character since his day , and have never o n e worked for any as they did for him , they are still in my Opinion a remarkable kennel , probably the most so . The Quorn under Tom P irr were the handiest - and best broken pack in England , but otherwise never in the first class since the days of old Sir P Richard Sutton , though in the open irr could do anything with them , and showed excellent sport . “ The Cottesmore , until Lord Lonsdale brought or the present pack , were never in the first class , — l— near it , in my recollection alas a long one ex c e tin w h o p g in the time of his father , had some ” wonderful animals in the pack . Something over twenty seasons ’ hunt corre PREFACE v ii s on dent o f p work has been a labour love , living over again the enj oyable moments spent in the field and in the kennel with many famous packs o f hounds , to whose noble owners we are deeply grateful for much kindness and encouragement . The story and impressions thus gleaned of hounds and many good sportsmen met in our travels , is rather intended as a pleasurable résumé o f an enj oyable life , and not a critical survey of the chase . In time to come , when we have vanished from the scene and other players take their part in the great o f - of drama fox hunting , these impressions a very w e good time spent with hounds , venture to think , for o f must be of interest , names sportsmen as well as hounds crop up again in the third and fourth old generations , and the country welcomes such back to the land o f their ancestors . Land an d Water To kindly editors of years ago , “ our and especially friend and guide , the late Captain J . Moray Brown , with whom we served an apprenticeship as hunt correspondent , we are F r sincerely grateful . o permission to reproduce o f co n some pen and pencil incidents the chase , tributed week by week through many seasons ’ G ra hi c hunting , we thank the proprietors of the p , D ail G ra hi c Fi eld Count G entleman y p , the , the y ’ Vani t Fa i r Crown B a il s M a azi n e Fores y , the , y g , M a azi ne S ortin P i ctori al G rantham ournal g , p g , the j , so and others , who have kindly lent us assistance on many occasions . Early impressions of hounds and hunting were to implanted by Frank Gillard , huntsman the o f - Dukes Rutland for twenty six seasons , who inspired us with the love o f form and symmetry in v the foxhound during many isits to Belvoir kennels , and whose Reminiscences it was our privilege to PREFA CE to write . We have hunted long enough see two — different systems in the field the old style in less hurried times , and the modern system at greater — speed and higher tension but can truly s ay that f Fox the best o sport has been enj oyed with each . hunting has made country life what it is , and keeps it as it is long may Good Sport ” flourish in the land CUTHBERT BR ADLEY . C O N T E N T S PRE FACE LI S T OF PLATE S CHAPTE R I E TE B UGH MEM E S 1 8 8 1 —1 0 P R ORO ORI , 9 9 CHAPTE R I I TH E QUORN AT KIRB Y GATE CHAPTER I I I T F NK N E T N OOK D AY F T WI H RA GILLARD O A L N O BR . OR Y MINUTE S AND A KILL CHAPTE R IV Tw o GOOD DAYS I N 1 8 8 9 S E E N WITH T H E COTTES MORE AND GE ORGE GILLS ON CHAPTE R V ’ A HUNT WITH TH E DUKE OF B E AUFORT S HOUND S CHAPTE R VI GOOD GREY HUNTE RS CHAPTE R VI I BLAN KN E Y R E MINI S CE NCE S OF S I x MAS TE RS HI P S CHAPTE R VI I I A HUNT W TH MR H ES Mc N E ILL TH E T TS I . C ARL AND NOR H CO WOLD HOUND S CHAPTE R I X TW O E U N O T U S 1 8 8 N 1 08 B LVOIR AND QOR J IN R N , 4 A D 9 ix X CONTENTS CHAPTE R X - P A G E A HUNT W T F O S LE v I S ITIN G T H E I H TH E EARL O L N DA , WOOD LAND PYT CHLEY COUNTRY CHAPTE R XI V ARS ITY DAYS REVIVE D WITH T H E CAM B RIDGES H IRE AND MR D UG S S S M . O LA CRO AN CHAPTE R XI I Fo x-HU T G E U S S T E S E T N IN J H , PA AND PR N CHAPTE R XI I I YORKS HIRE HUNTE RS AND HOUND S CHAPTE R XIV H UNTING WITH TH E COTTE S MORE AND ARTHUR TH AT CH ER CHAPTE R XV ’ T H E MARQUI S OF E XE T E R S HOUND S H UNTING TH E H ARE AND THE Fo x CHAPTE R XVI WITH THE BE LVOIR FRO M CO S TON COVERT To W O OD W E LL H E AD CHAPTE R XVI I NOTE S FRO M T H E BE LVOIR K E NN E L I NDEX L I S T O F P L A T E S BELVOIR AN D QUORN CO MB IN E D HUNT Frontispi ece a e h o e s on La d G R E E NA LL From pictur in t e p ss si of y .