INTRODUCTION 



as that from Buerton, " eighteen miles as the crow 

 flies in an hour and forty-five minutes ? " 



It was in Sir Harry Mainwaring's time, on the 

 7th of April 1829, that the meet of the three packs 

 took place at Shavington. The Cheshire, the 

 Shropshire, and Mr. Wicksted's Kennel sent each 

 six couple of hounds. The Cheshire being the 

 oldest pack and the place of meeting being in the 

 Cheshire country, Will Head was appointed hunts- 

 man for the day. Will Staples, the Shropshire hunts- 

 man, and " old Wells," who had command of Mr. 

 Wicksted's kennel, were both in attendance. In the 

 first run the fox was lost near Cloverly after a fast 

 thirty minutes. Mytton took the lead and charged 

 a post and rail, exclaiming " Now for the honour of 

 Shropshire ! " He got a terrible fall, and was much 

 hurt by another man jumping on him, there being 

 about a dozen down together. Mytton remounted, 

 bleeding and bare-headed, but was too much hurt to 

 take another lead. 



A second fox was found at Combermere, which 

 was run for about twenty minutes, but, proving a 

 vixen, the hounds were stopped. 



Though Will Head and Staples claimed each the 

 palm for their respective kennels, it would be difficult 

 to say which Pack proved its superiority in that day's 

 hunting. 



On Sir Harry Mainwaring's resignation in 1837, 

 the establishment was handed over to Mr. Shakerley, 

 of Whatcroft. Amongst the many good runs shown 

 during the short time he conducted the Pack was 

 that from Calveley, alluded to under the title of 



g xlix 



