170 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



of April, at Thatcher's Wood, in the year 1822, as a 

 memorandum in an old note-book supplies me with the 

 reminiscence that it was the last day of the season; an 

 event which, juvenile as I was, impressed me forcibly 

 with regret. This was also Sir Edward Smythe's last 

 day of hunting till his re-commencement in 1831. I 

 imagine the country he hunted must have been what 

 has subsequently gone by the name of the South 

 Shropshire, and a portion of the Wheatland ; Thatcher's 

 Wood being in the latter district. 



These imperfect recollections are strengthened by 

 the fact of Mr. Mytton succeeding Mr. Pelham, either 

 in 1817 or 1818 ; and Mr. Mytton certainly never hunted 

 any part of the Wheatland, or much, if any, of the 

 South of Shropshire. His country was more in the 

 immediate vicinity of Halston, Atcham Bridge, and 

 Sundorne. A part of what now constitutes the Al- 

 brighton country, in the neighbourhood of Ivetsey 

 Bank, where he had kennels, was also hunted by Mr. 

 Mytton, including Chillington, Wrottesley, Pudsey's 

 Gorse, and Morfe. When hunting this district he 

 would sometimes have a relay of hacks on the road, 

 and ride from his own house, a distance of forty miles, 

 and return after hunting. On one of these occasions, 

 when the hounds met at West on, he had on one black 

 and one white silk stocking, which were conspicuous 

 between his white cords and boot tops. Whether he 

 had dressed in the dark, or whether he had ever been 

 in bed, or whether he had put them on for effect, I will 

 not pretend to state. His first exploit was to ride his 

 horse Baronet over the deer hurdles in Weston Park, 

 which were very high and strong, just to ascertain if he 

 was in a jumping mood. I also recollect his coming 

 from Halston on a very wet morning, to meet his 

 hounds at the White Sytche, near Weston, in the year 

 1820, before waterproof garments were in fashion. The 

 only affectation of protection from rain that he wore 

 over his hunting coat was a tight military surtout, cut 

 according to the existing fashion, with a very short 



