56 THE WAEWICKSHIRE HUNT. [1817 



iieiglil^oiirs, and 1 well remember attending his funeral at 

 Farnborough . * — C . M . 



In January, 1817, "Venator" records: ''We drew 

 Ufton Wood, and after running in the coveii for a long 

 time, went away with a fox, leaving Harbury to the riglil, 

 to Itchington Heath, where the fox waited for us in a 

 brake of gorse. The scent then improved, and the run 

 continued at a good pace as far as Kineton, and thence, by 

 slow hunting, to Pillerton Gorse ; here the scent again got 

 better, and our fox ran on to Tysoe, and, turning to the 

 right, made for Idlicote, and was killed just before reaching 

 the coverts at that j^lace, after a run of three hours. Tlie 

 distance traversed was large enough to reduce the field 

 to a very small number. Mr. Augustus Berkeley, Sir C. 

 Mordaunt, and Mr. Hugo Campbell were up at the finish, 

 and the latter obtained the brush." 



Eadbourne Gorse. — About this time (1817-1818) old 

 Eadbourne Gorse was inclosed and planted on land belong- 

 ing to the Earl of Guildford. It appears, however, that 

 the subject was mooted some few years before, as there is a 

 letter in the possession of the Hunt from a Mr. Burman, 

 dated Southam, Dec. 28th, 1812, and also a lawyer's bill for 

 expenses in connection with a distress for rent on the same 

 land under the same date. The following letter from that 

 well-known sportsman, Mr. H. AVyatt, dated Stratford-on- 

 Avon, April 1 1th, 1 817, evidently takes up the subject again : 



Dear Sir, — Sir Cliarles Moi-daimt, as well as many other of my sport.'iig 

 friends in this Hnut, have requested me to state to you tliat it would be very 

 desirable to acquire one or two gorses as a connecting chain of coverls 

 between Ladbroke and Farnborough ; and as tliere are two small gorses iu 



* I rememter that in a drawer in a cabinet at Farnborough seveial half-btirLt 

 pieces of newspapers were found. Mr. William Holbecb, during his latter days, used 

 often to read the newspapers by himself with a hand candle in one hand, and he eo 

 doubt went to sleep and set fire to the newspapers, the remains of which he must have 

 placed in the drawer. — C. M. 



We very much regret that we have not been able to place any portion of Mr- 

 Holbech's diaries before our readers. 



Farnborough is one of the most beautiful country seats in England, the grass 

 terrace being quite unique. I remember once, when out with the Bicester, taking 

 Lord Alexander Paget in to have a glass of sherry. " What a beautiful house ! " said 

 "Dandy," as we rode through the gates. "Who lives here?" "Archdeacon 

 Holbech," I eaid. "Do all Archdeacons live in houses like this?" answered my 

 friend.— W. R. V. 



