THE EASTER HUNT. 317 



to Yorkshire by their huntsman, William Cranston, who 

 had shortly before been appointed successor to William 

 Dean, that famous old huntsman having kept to his work 

 until he had reached the age of eighty and had broken 

 eleven bones. 



It has often been alleged that the famous Eppino- 

 Forest Easter Hunt owed its origin to the sporting habits 

 of the Lord Mayors of olden days, as described by 

 Harrison Ainsworth in his novel, " The Lord Mayor of 

 London." Of this, however, there is no proof. A more 

 probable origin of the Easter Hunt is suggested by an 

 article in the Spoj'ting Magazine of April, 1809, which 

 states that Lord Tilney's hunt "was called the Ladies' 

 Hunt, as many ladies in the neighbourhood joined in it. 

 The meetings were in general at Fencepiece, near Hainault 

 Forest, and there was an anniversary meeting on Easter 

 Monday, with a dinner, ball, &c. To this Easter meetino- 

 it was customary for the Londoners to resort — some as 

 invited guests, others as strangers, merely to enjoy the 

 holiday sports." The same writer says that in Mr. 

 Mellish's time, the ball and other entertainments were 

 discontinued, but the annual Faster Hunt was still kept up. 



Whatever its origin, th(; Easter Hunt obtained noto- 

 riety as an outing for cockney sportsmen. It was ridiculed 



