A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



Hessett Hole, through Handeler to Drinkstone 

 Park, where hounds swam the water and marked 

 their fox to ground at Tostock in a pipe, whence 

 he was bolted and killed. On 20 January, 1885, 

 a very good run was from Monk Park to Thorpe, 

 where hounds divided. Six couple going away 

 with only a few of the field ran through Hastings 

 Grove to Brettenham, Brent Eleigh, Chelsworth, 

 back to Brettenham, Hastings Grove, and Thorpe 

 Wood, where they were stopped on the Thorpe 

 road. Mr. Brown and the rest of the field went 

 away from Thorpe with another fox by Duck 

 Street Farm to Pie Hatch, through World's End 

 nearly up to Little Finboro, right-handed by 

 Hitcham Mill to the Brettenham coverts to 

 Bulls' Wood and Monk Park, where after running 

 their fox round and round for a time they got 

 him away again by Cockfield Stone. They had 

 just marked as if at ground, when other hounds 

 were heard running, and Mr. Brown, taking his 

 lot quickly up the Thorpe road, joined the rest of 

 the pack, and the hunted fox, jumping up, was 

 run through Hastings Grove to Thorpe Wood 

 and killed a few fields on the Monk Park side of 

 Thorpe Wood. 



In 1885 Mr. J. M. King succeeded Mr. Brown 

 and was very successful in showing sport. During 

 his first two seasons Mr. Brown hunted the 

 hounds ; the remaining five Mr. King carried 

 the horn himself, showing some good runs. A 

 memorable day to those out was that in Feb- 

 ruary, 1888, at Barrow Green, when there was 

 so much snow it was considered by many impossible 

 to hunt. A very late start was made in conse- 

 quence, and hounds did not find till they got to 

 Wickhambrook Eastes and the fox went to 

 ground one field from the covert. It took an 

 hour to get him out, and hounds starting close at 

 him nearly killed him before he reached covert 

 through the deep snow. He went away over 

 the Depden gully right-handed to Coblands, 

 Denston, Arlibut, Applcacre, over the Hundon 

 road, pointing as if for Trundlcy, over the Tliur- 

 low road to Branches Oakes, to Spring Wood, 

 and leaving most of the Ouseden coverts on the 

 right, to the new covert on the Lidgate side, 

 turned back. It was now late, but luckily there 

 was a bright moon and hounds going back 

 through Spring Wood to Wickhambrook Eastes 

 marked him to ground in the main earths (which 

 had been opened) at 7 o'clock in the evening 

 after running for about four hours. A really 

 good run in February, 1890, was from Bretten- 

 ham Fish Ponds away to Kettlebaston Earths, 

 turning back to Hitcham, leaving Bildeston on 

 the left to Semer, going over the Hadleigh road 

 nearlv to Calves Wood, where the fox jumped 

 out of a ditch and ran in a left-handed circle to 

 Somersham, where hounds got their heads up, 

 owing to the holloaing of foot-people, and unfor- 

 tunately lost this good fox within two fields of 

 Lucy Wood. 



In succession to Mr. J. M. King on his 



resignation in 1892 

 Mr. J. A. Chalmers, 

 hounds himself. The 

 well off" for foxes of 



came, 

 who 



for two seasons, 



also hunted the 



country at this time was 



the right sort, and 



Mr. Chalmers showed excellent sport. A good 

 run in November, 1892, was from Hill's Carr 

 at Buxhall, passing Mr. Wells's house by Wood- 

 hall to Clopton Groves nearly to Woolpit Green; 

 turning back here hounds ran by Clopton Hall 

 over the Rattlesden road, leaving Howe Wood 

 on the right, to Whalebone Lodge, through 

 World's End over Old Hitcham Wood, and 

 killed two fields from the Pie Hatch road. 



In 1894 Mr. P. G. Barthropp succeeded 

 Mr. Chalmers. The new master was very for- 

 tunate in his second season. Finding a fox one 

 day in December, 1895, in the Dove House 

 covert, Wyken, hounds ran him nearly to Lang- 

 ham Thicks, where he turned left-handed by Hill 

 Watering through the back of Stanton to Scases 

 Hole, along at the back of Walsham le Willows 

 nearly to Mr. Hatton's, then left-handed through 

 West Hall, where they killed about a mile and a 

 half on the Mellis side of the hall. 



In 1898 Mr. Barthropp resigned and Mr. Eu- 

 gene Wells of Buxhall Vale took the country. 

 After the first season he hunted the pack himself, 

 showing some good sport especially on the Stow- 

 market side. Two of his best runs, though un- 

 fortunately hounds did not account for their 

 foxes, were — theone, in January, 1 899, from Den- 

 ham Thicks through Wickhambrook Eastes by 

 Wickhambrook White Horse into the Thurlow 

 country, leaving Branches Oakes on the right, 

 crossing the Thurlow road and losing at the 

 Hundon road pointing for Appleacre ; the 

 other, in February, 1899, from Boxted Park 

 into the Thurlow country at once, by Thurs- 

 ton Park, Pryce's Grove, Arlibut, and Denston 

 Park over the Hundon road, in a ring back again 

 left-handed to the Hundon road, and left-handed 

 again nearly to Trundley Wood for Lord's Fields 

 in the East Essex country, where this good fox 

 beat hounds at dark. 



In 1903 Mr. Eugene Wells was followed by 

 Mr. F. Riley-Smith of Barton Hall, who at the 

 time he took the foxhounds was also hunting the 

 staghounds he had taken over from Sir E. Walter 

 Greene a season or two before. Hunting both 

 packs himself, and showing first-rate sport with 

 them both, he gave up the staghounds after 

 another season, and has now (1906) much to 

 the regret of the whole country given up the 

 foxhounds. He has been succeeded by Mr. Guy 

 Everard. 



STAGHOUNDS 



The pack of staghounds referred to was origin- 

 ally established in 1864 by Sir (then Mr.) E. 

 Walter Greene, by whom it was maintained 

 until the year 1870. It ceased to exist when 

 the master took over the county foxhounds. In 



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