1845] THE HILLMORTON RUN. lt>5 



Stevens" diarv : 



Novenilx'r 22(/ Coiiipiou ViTiii'V. — Fouiul in Liglitlionio Rou<;-li \ ran 

 Very ([uick to Lin-litliornc ^-rounds A: Bore to tlie Left Poi]itiii<>- to Oakly 

 wood Stil Beariu-;- to tlic Left liy Xewliold Paoy to Mr Wlieatli'ys to 

 Frisi'liill up to Bowsliatf C'liaiiycd o\ir fox iS^ ran hy Conipton cV Walton 

 wood Thornton Breakc upcr (ioldicotc Hoiindsliill i^ the Fir Plantation by 

 Alderiniuster over (.•riinscotc field Skirtinj;- the downs I)y the village to 

 quiiiton village to Meanliill to ground at Jarrats Brow time np to Coni])ton 

 50 mimites from tliore A hour A: 35 minutes. 



Nov. 2Sth, Bilfon Gratiye. — " Gave it up cm aeeount of the Field uvec- 

 riding tlie Hounds." 



December 'Id Gaydon Lni. Fouml in Ladlimke New Covert i^ I'aii by 

 Radliourne to Fenny Compton. No seente with liim. Drew Burton cover 

 Blank Found '^ foxes in Itehiiigton Heath & ran quiek by Kingston through 

 Fletchers co])s A; verners gorse tt the fox ran up towards Mr Whitemans & 

 Turned Back Si Governess had Fairley hold' of him &. Let him go we ran 

 quick on to Lighthorne rougli tt liad the fox in the Spiny by the road i^ Mr 

 Barnard Would not let me Kill him A: we let him go away & lost him. 



The Hillmorton Run 



BUtuit Graiuje — Jttn luinj IHf/i 1845. — Found in the Gorse ))y the House and 

 rau very hard Pointing to Brastou Cleve Curved to the Left and Killed at 

 Hilbnorton. Found again in Hillmorton gorse and ran over Crick Fiehl and 

 Yelvertoft Field to Hemplow Hills and away Pointing to Stamford Hall 

 curved to the Right ovei- Walts he Leveing Welford on the Left Back to th.- 

 Hills and Killed him tinu' 1 hour and 25 minutes. 



Letter from W. H. Fortescue Esq., of Octon, Torquay, 



formerly s(}uire of Falhi])it, South Devon, Mr. Barnard's 



brother-in-law. to tlie Hon. and Rev. W. K. Verney : 



The task you have set me is rather like writing ancient history, but I 

 will (hi all I i^'an to jot down a few pai-ti<'ulars that I jiave thought over 

 respecting the Hillmorton run. You an^ right as to the first run from Bilton 

 Grange on the day in (piestion. ))ut we liad lost our fox and Avoro on our way 

 to draw Hillmorton. when tin- hounds suddenly threw up their lieads. and 

 began to run, doubtless our hunted fox. Had they not done this, the fox 

 niiglit have reached the gorse, and so spoilt the run {far excellence). 1 did 

 not know tlie line we took with this fox, as the country was new to me. bur 

 they ran very fa.st for fifty-two minutes to the Hemplow Hills, then van their 

 fox up and down the fences, the fields there lu'ing small, and eventiiallv van 

 into liim in the middle of a large grass field. 



It was computed that there were 300 out at the meet, ])ut I cannot say 

 much respecting the riders in the first run. I was riding a horse called 

 Guy,* which I bought of Henvy Carew, and it was my first ride uu liim i?! a 



* (Juy W11.S .sold })y Mr. Furtt'scue to Mr. Barnard, and he toldhim that the horse \v;is 

 not jrood at water ; Mr. Barnard inoiuitod Stevens on him with the Ucytliroj) 

 Hounds, when they mot at tlio Fox, North Aston. They found, and Stevens, seeing 

 Jem Hills jriillop down to the brook, thouf?ht, of course, tliat he knew of a i^ood plaee t.) 

 jump it, but when Jem came to the ])rook lie jumped off his liorso, haviuir had a jjlank 

 placed aerosis the water, and mounted his second hor.se on the other side. Steven^ was 

 bound to ride at tlie brook. ;uid L'ot intu it. 



