18811 EXTEA DAY'S HUNTINa. 73 



For several seasons before he took to hunting the 

 hounds altogether, Lord Willoughby used to carry the 

 horn himself on an extra day, Saturday, in the Alcester 

 country and the country beyond the Avon. His whips 

 were Will Shepherd and Jack Boore, and they had very 

 good sport and killed a good many foxes. He used to 

 drive the hounds down in a four-horse van lent him by Sir 

 William Throckmorton — for the East and West, though 

 made, was not running then. It made a very hard 

 day's work, and I have heard Lord Willoughby say that 

 his old white horse, who was a very high stepper, nearly 

 wore out a pair of shoes before he got to Alcester and 

 back.— W. E. V. 



In 1809 the value of rabbit wool for making hats was 

 stated to be 250,000/. This is a curious comparison with 

 what it is now worth, when the country has become full of 

 rabbits. 



November 21st, Wellesboiirne. — Found the secoucl fox at Bishop's Gorse, 

 ran at a gi'eat pace to Chesterton Wood, jnst skirted the top of it, and ran 

 over Ewe Field, and left Itchington Holt on the right ; kept straight on, 

 leaving Knightcote on the left, and came to the first check close to Fenny 

 Compton after a splendid forty minutes. The fox turned to the left, and 

 crossed the Great Western Railway, and went nearly to Watergall, but turned 

 from that, and went neai'ly to Wormleighton House, but was headed from that 

 and went straight to Ladbroke, right through that, and we stopped the pack 

 at dark on the top of Ladbroke Hill, pointing for Uf ton Wood, after a very 

 fine run of one hour and twenty minutes. Rode Brigand and Bandboy. 

 Only about a dozen people anywhere near tlie hounds ; quite a hundred had no 

 idea which way they went. 



November 25th, Raclway Grange. — Drew Miller's Gorse blank. Found at 

 the Oaks, and ran up to Bacchus' Buildings, but some jjeople at the top of the 

 hill headed our fox, and he went back to the Oak Fields, out at the other side, 

 and was lost in a storm of rain close to Pillerton Gorse after a good hunting 

 run of one hour. Found again at Oxhill Gorse, and away as if for Pillerton, 

 but turned short back, and went between Tysoe and Compton Wyniates and 

 over the dingle straight into the main earths at Shutford Clump. A seven- 

 mile point at a good hunting pace all through. It i*ained all day. Rode 

 Brigand and Black Prince. 



Deceynber \st, Bagley. — Found at Lady's Wood, and after ringing about 

 the park for some time we got away towards Salford, and ran through 

 Weethley, Three Oak Hill, Cold Comfort, Billingbro', Coughton Park, and 

 along the side of the railway to Rough Hill. In casting aliout, a fresh fox 

 got up in New Coppice, and the hounds ran him a ring of forty minutes in 

 the open in the Worcestershire country, then back through Coughton Park, 

 Three Oak Hill, Old Park, Thornhill, and we lost him among the deer in 



