144 THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNT. [183» 



country, or ratlicr to tliat portion of the Warwioksliire conutry that he was 

 theu hmitiiig, was made over to liiiii ; and the committee thought it expedient 

 for the ends of sporting in general to he liberal on this point, confining their 

 own exertions to the sphere now so well known and defined as the 

 boundaries of their Hunt. Possibly some inconvenience may have been 

 ex])erienced during the cul)hunting season from the cession of the large 

 woodlands to the north of Leamington ; but, on the whole, the arrangement, 

 it is presumed, has tended to the satisfaction of the public, and undoul)tedly 

 Mr. Hellier has done everything in his power to increase the stock of foxes, 

 and maintain the goodwill of occupiers and owners towards the maintenance 

 of hounds in general. 



The first arrangement of the committee was to depute one of their body 

 to act for the rest, as master of the hounds in the field, and he has exercised 

 unlimited power over their direction in every point connected with the sport. 

 The fixtures have been made by him, and he has been as completely master 

 of the hounds as any master of any neighbouring pack. Mr. Bernard 

 Granville, Mr. Thornhill, and Mr. Barnard have successively filled this office, 

 and the hunt liave much to thank them for. Their second arrangement was 

 to depute another gentleman to act as treasui*er, and it has been his office tO' 

 manage the whole of the finance department connected with the yearly 

 expenditure, and especially to remind gentlemen in red coats, at the cover- 

 side, not to let their subscriptions get into arrear as in former days. I say 

 in former days, for on Mr. Thoruhill's retirement from the post of master of 

 the hounds, at the end of the season 1834-5, it was found that the anioimt of 

 subscriptions guaranteed to him by the country had not, for the whole three 

 years of his mastership, ever been realised at the bank, and that there was a 

 deficiency to l)e made up of from 6001. to 7001., Avhich, through the exer- 

 tions more particularly of Mr. Townsend and Mr. Holden, has, after a 

 considerable lapse of time, been put straight. Up to the middle of the 

 season, 1839-40, this post of treasurer was filled by Mr. Townsend ; and, tO' 

 show how ably and zealously he performed his part. I need only refer to the 

 state of the exchequer, Avith a debt as before stated, when he took to it, and 

 the altered state of affairs at the close of the season just ended, 1841-2, with 

 a balance in hand of 203/. 14s. 7d. Since his retirement the office has been 

 filled, to the best of his ability, by your humble servant, who now, being also 

 put upon the shelf, is anxious to render an accoimt of his stewardship, and to 

 put before his friends such matters of detail as occur to him, and with which 

 perhaps many of them are not so cognisant as himself. 



A tliird arrangement of the committee was to set on foot a plan for raising 

 a fund for providing a- stud for the servants, independent of the annual 

 contribution for keeping up the establishment. This fund, for the first 

 three seasons, was strictly confined to that object, and Avas under the able 

 management of Mr. Holden ; but subsequent to that time it was tluraght 

 very desirable to establish kennels as the property of the Hunt, and it was 

 agreed by the subscribers that the fund shoidd be made available for the 

 joint purpose of building kennels and providing a stud. Much incon- 

 venience had been experienced up to this time from the want of a fixed 

 kennel. Previous to Mr. Thornhill's retirement, the hoimds were kejt at 

 Butler's Marston, and the kennels had been allowed to become much 

 dilapidated by the owners of the property, which was so mortgaged that the 

 Hunt had received notice both from the mortgagor and mortgagee to pay the 



