LORD ROTHSCHILD'S 213 



When the Honourable Moreton Berkeley, now Earl 

 Berkeley, and his brother the Honourable Grantley 

 Berkeley came of an age to hunt, they kept a pack of 

 harriers at the family seat at Cranford ; but they were 

 soon converted ino stag-hounds*. It was a truly aristo- 

 cratic establishment. The earl hunted them, and Mr. 

 Grantley Berkeley whipped in. Another brother, the 

 Honourable Henry Berkeley, joined them for a short 

 time, taking the occupation of second whipper-in. 

 When he withdrew he was succeeded by Mr. Henry 

 Wombwell, who officiated as whipper-in. They all 

 wore the orange plush or ancient tawny coats 

 of the Berkeley family, with black velvet hunting 

 caps. This continued about twelve years, the only 

 change in it being that Mr. Grantley Berkeley became 

 master of the hounds and hunted them himself, the 

 earl and Mr. Henry Wombwell whipping-in to him. 

 They afforded abundant sport, and were highly 

 popular. About 1829 or 1830 they were given up, and 

 Mr. Grantley Berkeley entered into arrangements to 

 hunt the Oakley country, vacated by the then Marquis 

 of Tavistock, now Duke of Bedford. Mr. Grantley 

 Berkeley gave them up in 1834, to attend to the urgent 

 calls of parliamentary duties. 



The far-famed Baron Rothschild's stag-hounds enliven 

 the country in the neighbourhood of Aylesbury; their 

 kennels are at Mentmore and the establishment is vastly 

 popular with London stag-hunters. They are kept in 

 the most liberal manner, and are in every respect de- 

 serving the esteem in which they are held. The superi- 

 ority of their country, in the Vale of Aylesbury, prin- 

 cipally grass, is a great attraction, and the facility 

 with which they can be reached by railway at all their 

 places of meeting is a great accommodation. 



A few years! since a very clever little pack, all 

 ' ladies,' was kept at Leamington by Mr. Henry 

 Bradley. If any stag-hunter is sceptical concerning the 

 capabilities of small hounds he might have been con- 

 vinced by the operations of these. They scarcely ex- 



