206 THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNT. [I85i 



geutlemau, aucl the must kind hearted geuiul companion. 

 He was kind to us schoolboys, and always had a cheery 

 word for us in the Christmas holidays. 



Mr. Campbell, of Monzie, whom we have before men- 

 tioned, w^as a very hard rider, " and took care to let people 

 know it." 



Mr. Ansell, the father of Messrs. Ansell, of Leamington, 

 was his stud groom, and one of the sons told me the story 

 of how Mr. Campbell jumped the Leam, near Grandborough, 

 on a horse which he rode for the first time. Ansell had 

 been riding it, and told him what a good horse it was. 

 They went to measure the place next day, and it was .^Sft. 

 He gave the shejDherd a sovereign for a spur he lost at 

 the place, so he probably got over with a fall or scramble. 

 They got talking of it at the club, and one gentleman, 

 whose name is lost, made a bet that he had four horses 

 who would jump it. They all tried, and several others, 

 and all failed, tln)ugli young Mr. Ansell says he thinks he 

 has heard his father say that one got over with a fall. A 

 Captain Williams jumped this place not so long ago. 

 ^Vliere Squire Lucy jumped, it was much nearer Birdingbury 

 Hall. I have w^alked down and spotted this very place. 

 I believe the late Lord Somerville also jumped it. These 

 are the only four I ever heard of. — W. E. Y. 



Sir William Don, of Newton Don, belonged to an old 

 Scottish family, and was known as the "eccentric baronet " 

 and when he had spent his fortune on hunting and racing 

 he took to the stage. As he was sitting with others after 

 dinner at an hotel at Leamington, the conversation led to 

 various feats which had been performed across country and 

 on the road. Sir William offered to bet 500/. that he 

 would ride from Leamington to London before 8 o'clock 

 the next morning. The bet was taken, and at five minutes 

 before eleven, in his evening dress, he mounted a grey 

 horse belonging to Jack Mytton, and rode him for the first 

 fifty-five miles of the road. A poster was then hired, and 

 carried him twenty miles, and he next rode a pony for the 

 remainder of the distance, arri\dng at the Burlington 



