SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



and draw the coverts there, and Laxton Wood 

 is neutral between the two hunts. A large 

 proportion of the woods in the soke of Peter- 

 borough, in the Giddings, and in the western 

 and southern portions of the country belongs 

 to the Fitzwilliam estate. Other woods in 

 this country hunted by these hounds are 



Barnwell Wold, Ashton Wold, Lilford Woods, 

 ClifFe Forest, Collyweston Wood, Bedford 

 Purlieus, and the woods at Apethorpe and 

 Blatherwycke. 



The kennels stand in an ideal position in 

 the centre of Milton Park, not far from the 

 house, surrounded by magnificent oaks. 



HARRIERS AND BEAGLES 



Records of harriers and beagles are more 

 scattered and difficult to obtain than those 

 relating to foxhounds. As often as not, 

 kennel books and hunting diaries are not 

 kept. The following notes are accordingly 

 somewhat fragmentary. 



Mr. Isham kept a pack of beagles early in 

 the eighteenth century, and there are several 

 entries relating to them in his diary ; thus on 

 6 September, 17 lO — 



We hunted for the 2nd time this year in 

 the fields, Saturday having been the first. 

 Mr. Robinson and Allicock were with us. 



He hunted again on 30 September, Miss 

 Isham being also out. On 12 October they 

 breakfasted at Overstone, the ladies hunting 

 with them. Mrs. Betty Stratford, we regret 

 to learn, had the misfortune to fall from her 

 horse, putting her wrist out and cutting her 

 head. 



On 6 November Mr. Isham 



Hunted in Clipson (Clipston) field, where 

 j was to meet Sr. Tho. Cave, but he c.ime 

 not. Mr. VVikes and several others were 

 with me. 



Next week they had a very good chase 

 from Holcot Blackwell. On 2 December 

 they had ' extraordinary sport ' out hunt- 

 ing. The fields must have been of very 

 moderate size, for only three gentlemen are 

 mentioned by Mr. Isham as hunting with 

 him. 



Next year, on 31 March, they hunted for 

 hares about Kingsthorpe Heath and Bushy 

 Close. Mr. Taylor, the curate, and Mr. 

 Alderman Lyon were out. 



On 4 August, 17 15, Mr. Isham writes 

 that, * this year being remarkable for early 

 harvest we were a hunting in ye open field.' 



In the middle of the eighteenth century 

 Thomas Andrew, of Harlestone, was lord of 

 the manor of Great Addington, and possibly 

 he kept the harriers mentioned in Beckford's 

 Thoughts on Hunting. One of the de- 

 scendants of this Mr. Andrew, in March, 



1789, enjoyed a hunt which is recorded by 

 the Northampton Mercury in the following 

 words : — 



On Monday last Mr. Andrew's hounds 

 found a hare at Kislingbury, near this town, 

 which they killed at Green's Norton, after 

 running her through the following Lord- 

 ships, viz., Rothersthorp, Gayton, Bugbrook, 

 Darlescott, Pattishall, Cold Higham, Grims- 

 cott, Pottcote, and Foxley. The chase 

 (which was fifteen miles) lasted two hours 

 and five minutes. 



Sir William Brooke, of Great Oakley Hall, 

 mentions in his diary several days' hunting 

 with Payne's harriers. On 23 April, 1823, 

 they were hunting by Easton Park, Stoke, 

 etc., * no scent, no sport.' On 28 April he 



started from Arthingworth about 11, going 

 by Stoke Wood. Heard the hounds, and of 

 course joined them. Had a run into the 

 open scent ; killed three hares. Lord Sondes 

 and young Payne with them. 



He also mentions some hounds kept by 

 Mr. Stanbury in 1823, and records a day 

 with them on 14 November. 



About 1830 a smart little pack of harriers 

 was kept at Clipston, and hunted round 

 Market Harborough. 



In 1842 a pack of beagles used to meet in 

 the neighbourhood of Canons Ashby and 

 Everdon, and Sir Henry Dryden notes several 

 of their runs. Some, he says, were ' not 

 much ' ; of others he observes, ' Killed after 

 a slapping run of I hour and 55 minutes.' 

 ' Had a good run of more than an hour, and 

 killed,' and ' ran rings round Ashby for two 

 or three hours, good scent and a stout hare.' 



In 1843 a pack of harriers, hunted by one 

 Gage, was established in the Grafton country 

 to hunt two days a week. The first meet 

 was at Canons Ashby on 30 November, 

 1843, when two hares were hunted but not 

 killed. From that time until April, 1845, 

 Sir Henry Dryden records the meets of these 

 harriers with particulars of the runs. In 

 fifteen days of one season they killed ten 

 hares. 



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