166 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



are not prone to admire. Mr. Forester died in 1811. 

 About that period a pack was established by subscrip- 

 ton at Bridgenorth, when it was called the Wheatland 

 Hunt. Mr. Skelding had the principal management, 

 and was joined by Mr. Thomas Baker, the elder 

 brother of the present master, the late Mr. George 

 Aston, his brothers, the late Mr. Thomas Aston 

 Pudsey, and Mr. John Aston Pudsey, the latter of 

 whom is still one of the most ardent sportsmen in the 

 Albrighton Hunt. It was distinguished as a most con- 

 vivial and sport ing coterie, and continued till about 

 the year 1818 ; Mr. Skelding having previously resigned 

 his post as huntsman to one John Chorlton, a kind of 

 amateur yeoman, and the death of Mr. Thomas Baker 

 taking place, the hunt was broken up. 



The taste for hunting is innate in the inhabitants of 

 this soil, and the farmers kept the hounds* on for several 

 seasons, some in a small kennel under the care of the 

 aforesaid John Chorlton, who still acted as the hunts- 

 man, and the others at the farm-houses, from whence 

 they were collected on the morning of hunting. The 

 late Sir Richard Acton, of Aldenham, gave them his 

 countenance; in fact it was his tenants who were the 

 principal supporters of the hounds, and they were used 

 both for hunting the foxes and for the purpose of taking 

 the deer which escaped from the park, to facilitate which 

 a few couple of blood-hounds were introduced. The 

 late Lord Forester also patronised them ; and through 

 his lordship's interest drafts were occasionally procured 

 from the Belvoir kennel. By that means, and breeding 

 a few among themselves, they managed to keep up a 

 small scratch pack. It may readily be understood that 

 they set more value upon a hound that could hunt a 

 very cold scent than one which could go a great pace, 

 and recourse was had to crossing with the blood-hound. 



I can well remember hunting with them hi the year 

 1822, when the pack at the covert side was composed 

 somewhat after the following fashion : About six 

 couples of well-bred fox-hounds, three or four couples 



