186 THE CHARLTON HUNT. [Jan-, 



most retired spots in Sussex a place of fashion and peculiar bustle, a 

 Melton Mowbray in miniature. Others lodged, ^ro tern., in the farm- 

 houses of that locality, adjoining to Fox Hall where the Duchess of 

 Monmouth presided for the evening. 



No doubt the Charlton Hunt brought grist to the mill of the 

 farmers, and it brought among them some first-rate horses, and some 

 ladies and gentlemen of the first rank w^ho knew how to ride them. 

 It may be easily believed that fox-hunting was from the first a 

 popular amusement. 



Some years since, in an old farm-house at Funtington, in West 

 Sussex, a precious document was discovered, relating to the Charlton 

 Hunt, and consisting of a manuscript account of a run with the 

 hounds. The Field publishes similar narratives every week in the 

 hunting season ; but it has rarely published a more graphic account 

 of- a harder run than that of a hundred and fifty years ago. At any 

 rate, for the sake of comparison, the Funtington Manuscript is here 

 reproduced. Commencing with a heading, it is as follows ; — 



^ A full and impartial account of the remarkable Chase at Charlton, 

 on Friday, 26th January, 1738. 



' It has long been a matter of controversy in the hunting field, to 

 what particular county or set of ' men the superiority belonged. 

 Prejudices and partiality have the greatest share in these disputes 

 and every society their proper champion to assert the pre-eminence, 

 and bring home the trophy to their own county. Even Eichmond 

 pack has its Dymoke.* But on Friday, 26th January, 1738, there 

 was a decisive engagement on the plains of Sussex, which, after ten 

 hours' struggle, has settled all further disputes, and given the brush 

 to the gentlemen of Charlton. 



' Present in the morning : — the Duke of Eichmond, the Duchess of 

 Eichmond, Duke of St. Albans, Lord Harcourt, the Lord Henry 

 Beauclerk, the Lord Ossulstou, Sir Harry Liddell, Brigadier Henry 

 Hawley ; Ealph Jennison, Master of His Majesty's Buckhounds ; 

 Edward Pauncefoot, Esq., William Farquhar, Esq., Cornet Philip 

 Honey wood, Eichard Biddulph, Esq., Charles Biddulph, Esq. ; Mr. St. 

 Paul, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Peermau of Chichester, Mr. Thompson ; Tom 

 Johnson, Billy Ives, Yeoman Pricker to His Majesty's Hounds; 

 David Briggs and Ninn Ives, Whippers-in. 



* At a quarter before eight in the morning, the fox was found in East 

 Dean Wood, and ran an hour in that cover ; then in the Forest up to 

 Puntice Copse ; through Heringdean to the Marlows, to Covey Coppice 

 back to the Marlows, to the Forest West Gate, over the fields 

 to Nightingale Bottom, to Cobden's Draught, up his Pine Pit 

 Hanger, where his Grace of St. Albans got a fall ; through West Dean 



* Name of tte King's Champion. 



