98 CENTURY OF ENGLISH FOX-HUNTING 



mentioned, some of whom may probably have been 

 more famous than those to whom I intend to allude ; 

 but, to do full justice to all of them, I should have 

 required the space of the Dictionary of National 

 Biography. 



In the first decade of the century few men were 

 better known and more esteemed in the hunting 

 world than Mr. John Corbet, of Sundorne Castle, in 

 Shropshire. Even now, after the lapse of eighty-nine 

 years, he is still regarded as one of the most cele- 

 brated Masters of the old school. He succeeded 

 Mr. VVarde in the Warwickshire country in 1791, 

 and Warwickshire rose into the front rank of hunt- 

 ing countries. During the season he resided at 

 Clopton House, near Stratford-on-Avon ; he had 

 kennels both at Stratford and at Meriden, but at the 

 end of the season the hounds were removed back to 

 Sundorne. His reign lasted from 1791 till 181 1, his 

 last fixture being on Saturday, February 9th, 181 1. 

 Then he resigned owing to ill-health, though he lived 

 till the 19th of May, 18 17, when he had completed 

 his sixty-fifth year. To quote the words of "Castor'': 

 " In him died one who with the strictest moral and 

 religious principles, combined the best affections of 

 the heart. As a friend, husband, father, master, land- 

 lord, or, in fact, in whatever character he might be 

 called upon to fill, he displayed those genuine 

 qualities which a mere superficial good nature can 

 never supply." 



Mr. Corbet had had a long experience of Master- 



