BIOGRAPHIES IN A NUTSHELL 149 



prove his pack Sir Watkin never lost an opportunity. 

 Money was no object with him ; thus he gave 390 

 guineas for five couple of hounds at Mr. Foljambe's 

 sale, from which strain was descended the famous 

 stallion hound, Royal. He also purchased some of 

 the best lots at the sales of Mr. Musters, Mr. Story, 

 and Sir Richard Sutton. In regard to his horses, 

 they were considered as fine a lot of weight-carriers 

 as it is possible to see in any stable, for in his case 

 the old saying that " heavy weights make short 

 stables " was not applicable. Major Cotton, McGrane, 

 of Dublin, and John Darby, of Rugby, were the men 

 whom he generally entrusted to buy for him. He 

 invariably bought young horses, which were quietly 

 ridden about by Simpson, his stud groom, and then, 

 when they had had two years of Wynnstay oats and 

 hay in them, if found good enough, they generally 

 carried their master for some years. His horses in 

 his early days were always well bred, never less than 

 sixteen hands high, with the very best of shoulders, 

 legs, and feet. Usually, in spite of his great weight, 

 he rode the same horse all day, until hounds turned 

 their heads towards Wynnstay kennels. 



On the 6th of March, 1858, Sir Watkin suffered a 

 terrible calamity, which caused him to relinquish the 

 hounds to Colonel Cotton. Wynnstay, with nearly 

 all its contents, was totally destroyed by fire. The 

 loss of works of art was irreparable, and the total 

 loss sustained was estimated at near ^50,000. It 

 is worthy of record that the object he made the 



