192 CENTURY OF ENGLISH FOX-HUNTING 



of little value, but at the time of its publication 

 it caused Mr. Surtees to be recognised as an 

 authority upon matters relating to a fox-hunting 

 stable. Owing to the death of his elder brother, 

 Anthony Surtees, on March 24th, 1831, the financial 

 position of the future famous novelist was changed 

 in a considerable degree, and in conjunction with 

 Mr. Rudolph Ackerman he started the New 

 Sporting Magazine, which he edited till 1836. 

 Immediately after his brother's death, in July, 1831, 

 he began to develop the humorous character of 

 the immortal Mr, Jorrocks, and the success of the 

 sketches was so great that Mr. Chapman and Mr. 

 Seymour determined to follow the example, with 

 the result that Charles Dickens was employed to 

 write the Pickwick Papers. The papers of Surtees 

 were published in volume form as Jorrocks^ Jaunts 

 in 1838, but though the name of the author did 

 not appear his identity could not be concealed. He 

 was recognised as " The Yorkshireman " in connec- 

 tion with the doings of Mr. Jorrocks, and we have 

 a better description of his life at this time in Handley 

 Cross, when he portrayed himself in the character 

 of Charley Stubbs. As a man about town, as a 

 lawyer not caring for practice, and as a north- 

 countryman with the instincts of a sportsman 

 strong at heart, Mr. Surtees took a part in the 

 jaunts and jollities of which his happy fancy made 

 Jorrocks the hero. In other words, he played 

 Horatio to Mr. Jorrocks' Hamlet. 



