Communicated by Miss M. Eyre Matcham, of Newhouse. 291 
: 
“The other transaction was during the tine Mr. Beckford held the Walk 
and I believe it was in the year after the Quarrel happen’d between the 
Keepers and some of Mr. Arundell or L* Arundells Tenants. Iwas not 
present, but I heard that Brinton coursed and kill’d a Deer I believe a Pawn. 
Mr. Beckford talked of prosecuting him but drop’d it saying that he was 
unwilling to bring on any dispute between L* Rivers and Lord Arundell. 
Had Mr. Beckford been active at that time all claims of a public Hunt would 
have drop’d. The first of these attempts was in the late L* Arundells time, 
the other in the present Lords, but I never heard of any in the time of the 
grandfather. 





































“T am your obt H* Servant 
‘“ Wa. CHAFIN.”’ 
Wm. Chafin to Mr. Salisbury :— 
“ Chettle, Dect. 18", 1793 
“Sir TI received your letter and I will give you the best intelligence I can 
respecting Ashcombe. The first time I ever was out with Deerhounds in my 
life was with Mr. Jones then the Head keeper of Rushmore. I was at that 
time about ten years old, and was permitted to go out under the care of Mr. 
_ Jones to see a blooding Deer hunted. Several young deer were hunted in 
_ Rushmore and Staplefoot walks in the course of the day and lost. Mr. Jones 
then said He would try at Ashcombe where the deer may be kept in till 
blown, accordingly the Keepers went there and found a young Female Deer 
_ which ran into Rushmore Walk and was also lost. At that time Mr. Wyndham 
lived at Ashcombe and I never heard that he made any objection to the 
Keepers hunting the Deer from thence. When Mr. Lovell was Keeper at 
- Rushmore my late Brother and I went with him to try for a Buck at Ashcombe 
which had been seen there, we all carried Guns we found a Male Deer there 
but not a Buck, the Deer took over the Hill into the vale to Berwick and 
ran into a Field of Wheat where I shot him. Mr. Coker of Woodcots was 
present at the finding of the deer and at the death. Mr. Arundell was very 
angry with my Brother for coming to Ashcombe with the Keepers and wrote 
a very severe letter to him complaining of a breach of Friendship in so 
doing, and it caused a shyness between them for many years. I have 
questioned James Pettes concerning what pass’d respecting the Deer at 
Ashcombe during the time he lived there which was about Twenty-three 
years ago. He says that he remembers the Keepers hunting several Deer at 
different times from Rushmore to Ashcombe but does not remember their 
ever coming to try for deer there. That Deer frequently did stray from the 
Chace to Ashcombe and that whenever they came there Mr. Arundell’s People 
endeavoured to destroy them as soon as possible, but always took care that 
the Keepers should not see them, that he has frequently been sent out to 
exercise the Horses upon the Hill and to keep a good look out towards 
ushmore to see if the Keepers were coming, whilst the other servants were 
hunting the deer in the Woods, that he does not remember any Deer being 
unted into the Paddock. 
*T am sorry to hear that Lord Rivers has given up the matter in dispute 
ith Mr. Chapman. It is too late now to say anything about it, but I could 
U2 
