176 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



That which is called the Ludlow country was, I 

 believe, many years ago hunted by the late Mr. Childe 

 of Kinlet, and after him by the late Mr. Dansey of 

 Easton; also by Mr. Adams of Ludlow, and when he 

 gave up, the country was vacant for a short time. Mr. 

 Stubbs of the Westmore had them, on and off, nearly 

 twenty years, although during part of the time Mr. 

 Dansey, a son of the gentleman already named, re- 

 lieved Mr. Stubbs a season or two. Lord Gifford also 

 had them in 1841. When no one else could be found to 

 keep on the hounds, Mr. Stubbs invariably responded 

 to the voice of the sporting inhabitants, and for so en- 

 thusiastically promoting the welfare of fox-hunting 

 they cannot but feel deeply indebted to him. This 

 gentleman and his son must be included among the 

 most ardent of Salopian sportsmen. The gift is in 

 them hereditary; as the late Mr. Stubbs, the father of 

 the elder one of whom I am now writing, was a very 

 celebrated man in his day, and is thus introduced in the 

 Epwell Hunt. 



" With his hat in his hand, looking out for a gate, 

 Neither looking nor riding by any means straight, 

 Mr. Stubbs, a great sportsman, no doubt, in his time, 

 But who hunting on Sundays once deem'd it no crime; 

 Making desperate play through some fine muddy lanes, 

 With kicking and skirting, got in for his pains, 

 High waving the brush, and with pleasure half mad, 

 Roaring out ' Yoicks ! have at 'em; we've kill'd him, my lad.'" 



It is necessary in order to explain the allusion made 

 about hunting on Sundays to introduce an anecdote re- 

 corded of this gentleman. During many years he 

 resided at Beckbury in this county, where he kept a 

 pack of hounds, and to guard against a blank day 

 usually had some foxes confined in a building appro- 

 priated to their use. Going to feed them on a Sunday 

 morning one of them made his escape, but not unper- 

 ceived by this keen sportsman, who immediately let 

 the pack out of the kennel and laid them on the scent. 

 After a run exceeding twenty miles the fox was killed 



