I40 CENTURY OF ENGLISH FOX-HUNTING 



he was a cruel man to his horses, he seldom used the 

 spur. When he rode his one-eyed horse, Baronet, 

 over nine yards one inch of water (measured from 

 hind leg hoof marks) in cold blood, he had no spurs. 



So many stories have been told of his marvellous 

 jumps that it is unnecessary to repeat them. He 

 was reckless to a degree, which can only be accounted 

 for by the fact that he was not responsible for his 

 actions. The popular belief has always been that he 

 drank himself to death ; but though undoubtedly he 

 was a hard drinker, it is hardly credible that a man 

 who lived almost entirely in the open air could have 

 died at such an early age through the abuse of 

 alcohol. The more charitable view to take of his 

 death is that it was caused by financial worries 

 arising out of his boundless hospitality. I have 

 always regarded him as a modern prototype of 

 Timon of Athens, the victim of circumstances 

 caused by those who professed to be his friends. 



It is a curious coincidence in fox-hunting history 

 that there should have been two Tom Smiths who 

 were M.F.H.'s at the same time, and that one should 

 write a biography of the other. Mr Tom " Gentle- 

 man " Smith, as he was called to distinguish him 

 from Mr. Tom Assheton-Smith, was Master of the 

 Hambledon Hounds from 1824, when he succeeded 

 Mr. Shard, of Hill Place, till 1829. Then he reigned 

 over the Craven Hunt from 1829 till 1833, and 

 subsequently was Master of the Pytchley from 1840 

 till 1842. Afterwards Mr. Smith returned to the 



