18173 MR. WILLIAM HOLBECH. 55 



that Mr. William Holbecli, the huntsman, and whips alone 

 were close up when the fox was killed.* 



Mr. William Holbech, of Farnborough, hunted in 

 Warwickshire for more than forty years, and w^e have 

 already mentioned his name as having distinguished him- 

 self in several of the best runs. He was a light weight, 

 riding only lOst., and a finished horseman and a capital 

 judge of a hunter. His light weight enabled him to ride 

 the best bred horses well over his weight, and in this 

 way he saw the finish of many fine runs. He was a 

 characteristic specimen of 



A fine old English gentleman, 

 One of the olden time ; 



kind, courteous, and thoroughbred, an excellent landlord, 

 and himself a practical farmer. We remember his showing 

 us his accounts, which he had himself kept for years, 

 recording the price for which his hunters had been bought 

 and sold. The same particulars w^re given as regards his 

 entire farming stock. He wore a blue coat with brass 

 buttons, a buff waistcoat, and breeches and boots to the 

 end of his days, and he lived long enough to be one of 

 the very last of the old country squires. He attended 

 Warwick Market every week, and we were told that on 

 one occasion, on a dark night, he asked the ostler wdiether 

 he had seen his "fellow," meaning his servant. The 

 ostler lifted his lantern up to the Squire's pot hat and 



down to his boots, and replied, " No, I'm if I ever 



did."t 



The portrait which we give was taken rather late in 

 life. He died in 1850, at the age of eighty-four, deeply 

 I'egretted by a very large number of relations, friends, and 



* It is a remirkable fact that Mr. W'llilam Holbech was one of the first, if not the 

 first, up in these two great runs which, starting from Farnhorough, and crossing a 

 great extent of Warwickshire, terminated nearly at the same spot. 



t Our reaiera will doubtless remember that James Pigg made the same uncultured 

 remark to a young gentleman with a hyena-looking cap, cane coloured beard and 

 mouetaohe, on a long tailed, cream coloured hack, on the Pomponius Ego Day. — 

 " Handley Cross," p. 368. 



