TOM MOODY 165 



of his well-known view-halloos, and expecting a fox was 

 on foot, his master hastened to the spot. Although 

 Tom continued hallooing he was invisible, when Mr. 

 Forester enquired which way the fox was gone. " I have 

 not seen any fox," said the whipper-in; "but I am at 

 the bottom of the dingle, with my horse on the top of 

 me, and I knew a halloo was the most likely means of 

 calling some one to my assistance." This ardent 

 sportsman commenced his career with Mr. Chambers 

 of Whitburne Court, on the borders of Herefordshire 

 and Worcestershire, from whom he went to Mr. 

 Forester, and lived with that gentleman several years. 

 He then went to Mr. Corbet, and whipped-in, a season 

 or two, to William Barrow; but returned to Mr. 

 Forester, and died in that gentleman's service 

 November 29th, 1796. His remains are deposited in 

 Barrow churchyard. William Barrow, the celebrated 

 huntsman to Mr. Corbet's hounds, must be added to 

 the list. 



You cannot enter the good old county of Salop, 

 where it is bounded by Worcestershire and Stafford- 

 shire and converse with any of the old inhabitants who 

 have any taste for sporting subjects, but they will tell 

 you some anecdotes of the Squire Forester of Willey, 

 and his no less celebrated whipper-in Tom Moody, 

 whose proficiency in and ardour for the chase are so 

 quaintly expressed in the well-known song which bears 

 his name. Mr. Forester being undeniably the oldest 

 master of fox-hounds in this country, he, and those 

 who succeeded him, must be mentioned in rotation. 



I have no means of determining the precise date 

 when this gentleman first established hist hounds, but 

 from circumstances which have been related to me, I 

 have reason to believe he commenced about the year 

 1775, and that he kept them upwards of thirty years. 

 It was his custom to be at the covert side before sun- 

 rise, so that he might commence operations at the first 

 dawn of day. The rough country about the Wrekin 

 was his favourite spot, one which modern fox-hunters 



