74 THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNT. [1825 



o'ivon that Mr. Sliirley bad signified his intention to 

 resign the management of tlie Warwickshire hounds. 

 Universal regret was expressed owing to his decisi(jn, 

 as he had sliown fine sport, and had given great satis- 

 faction . 



At a meeting of the proprietors of coverts and the 

 subscribers to the Hunt, lield at the AVarwick Arms on 

 Wednesday, the Oth of March, Mr. F. Canning in the 

 chair, it was arranged that Mr. Hay should hunt the 

 AV^arwickshire country for the next two seasons ; to hunt 

 four days in the week, from the 1st of November to the 

 1st of April. 



It was also resolved at the same meeting, on the 

 motion of Mr. Holbech, seconded by Mr. John Lucy, 

 that a handsome piece of plate be presented to Mr. 

 Shirley for his management of the hunting establishment 

 in this county. 



A subscription was entered into, and in the following- 

 week it amounted to 100/., and considerably increased 

 afterwards. 



We do not know wliether " Nimrod " was actually 

 acquainted with Ireland. He seems to have foreseen, at 

 all events, some of the causes which led to the absenteeism 

 of landlords in that unfortunate country.* 



It appears that at this time Lord Anson hunted the 

 ])unchurch country, and on Febn/arij 13tli, 1826, his 

 hounds had an extraordinary run from Debdale Covert, 

 which afterwards became one of the coverts of the 

 Warwickshire Hunt. 



* " Nimrod " says : " We should not forget the late master of the hounds, E. J. 

 Shirley, Esq., of Eatingtoii, whose family possessed that lordship before the Normau 

 conquest." Dugdale says : ' The only place in this country that glories in an un- 

 interrupted succession of its owners for so long a tract of time.' Mr. Shirley does 

 credit to his ancestry. He has given the most universal satisfaction, and his motive for 

 giving up the hounds, which I had from his own lips, is creditable to his feelings as a mau. 

 ' We cannot do everything,' said he. ' I am building a house on my property in Ireland, 

 where I mean to reside part of the year, and the hounds would be much in my way.' 

 Were some other Irish proprietors to follow Mr. Shirley's example, Ireland would have 

 reason to rejoice, and two hundred Mr. Shirleys scattered up and down that ill-fated 

 country would do more for the souls and bodies of its inhabitants than their religious 

 freedom, great boon as it may be, and three parts of the priests besides." 



