202 THE WAEWICKSHIEE HUNT. [1890 



united to pay a well-deserved compliment to the best Master of Hounds in 

 the country. 



A work of this description would, of course, be incom- 

 plete without a short mention of Mr. Edward Pettifer 

 Eeading Knott, of Fenny Compton Grange. His father 

 was the Rev. J. M. Knott, vicar of Priors Hardwick, 

 Priors Marston, and Lower Shuckburgh. He was educated 

 privately, and has resided at Fenny Compton since 1853. 

 He began to hunt in 1832, and was well trained in the 

 sport, as his father was one of the best men to hounds iu 

 the whole neighbourhood, and was, in fact, known by the 

 soubriquet of " the Flying Apostle." The first fox he saw 

 killed was by Boxall, Mr. Pussell's huntsman. 



From about 1838 to 1841 Mr. Bradley's staghounds 

 were a great sporting feature in the country, and Mr. 

 Knott learned a good deal of his riding with them. These 

 hounds are thus described by " Cecil " (p. 319, 1854 Ed.) : 

 " A few years since a very clever little pack, all ladies, was 

 kept at Leamington by Mr. Henry Bradley. If any stag- 

 hunter is sceptical concerning the capabilities of small 

 hounds, he might have been convinced by the operations 

 of these. They scarcely exceeded 20in. in height, but the 

 pace they could go over the gravss grounds at Kites Hard- 

 wick, Priors Marston, or Ladbroke was quite extraordinary, 

 and for stoutness they could not be excelled. They were 

 hunted in a very workmanlike style by their worthy 

 master, and the establishment was in every respect 

 ably conducted." When the kennels were removed to 

 XJfton, Mr. Henry Horley, who with his brother and 

 father occupied, with a small exception, the whole parish, 

 hunted them. Mr. Bradley was of the firm of Bradley, 

 Foster, and Co., the great ironmasters, and it appears 

 that the hunting spirit survives still in the same firm — 

 witness that distinguished rider Mr. Henry Foster, of the 

 Pytchley, and Captain James Foster, the master of the 

 Albrighton. 



Mr. Knott remembers well a great stag-hunting dinner 

 at Southam, at which the late Sir Edward Piers Mostyn, 



