120 England's oldest hunt. 



a moorland hunt and a trencher-fed pack, which has existed for ages. 

 Sometimes they came on the line of a fox into the heart of the Hurworth 

 Vale, and tradition had it that they were not very particular what 

 they did on these occasions. One of their Masters, Mr. Nicholas Spink, 

 of Bilsdale, ran a fox down to Welbury Whin, dug him out there and 

 took him away in a sack. This occurred when Lord Castlereagh was 

 Master of the Hurworth, who at once wrote through his Hunt Secretary 

 to remonstrate with the Bilsdale M.F.H. on his gross breach of hunting 

 customs, which resulted in a letter containing the following curt reply : 

 " We alius dig. — Nicholas Spink." 



The hunt dinner of November, 1901, at Chop Gate, 

 already alluded to, was not without a note of sadness, for 

 the two old men, " Dick " Spink and George Bell, who had, 

 year by year, looked forward with such enthusiastic anticipa^ 

 tion to the event, were no more. Bobbie, who was not long 

 to live, was present, and as this was his last dinner, I here 

 give an extract from an article which I wrote at the time, 

 which will serve to give some idea as to the character of 

 these old-world functions : — 



After the dinner, which was essentially Yorkshire in its menu — 

 roast beef and goose- — a very happy evening was spent. The remarks 

 passed at the repast were entirely in keeping with the personnel of the 

 assembly, both individually and collectively. Occasionally, we heard, 

 " There's a check at this end," " Noo wa've fun' him," " It's a capping 

 scent," and so on. When the geese made their appearance, Bobbie 

 said, "They'd better 'a'e left them fer t'poar fox." Then the tables were 

 cleared, Mr. Seth Kirby, of Helmsley, taking the chair. He read letters 

 of apology from Mr. Thomas Parrington and others. Mr. Parrington 

 said it was very plucky of the Bilsdale farmers to carry on the hunt 

 in the manner they had done. He wished them all good sport, and 

 hoped they would remain the best of friends, which was essential to 

 the successful carrying on of a hunt. After the toast of the Bilsdale 

 Hunt had been proposed, Mr. Chapman Garbutt asked those present 

 to honour that of Bobbie Dawson, who, he said, " was t'best sportsman 

 what ivver follered hoonds." He added : " Sixty years is a long time 

 to act as whip, but that's t' time that Bobbie's been at t'gam." During 

 these remarks the veteran sat still, as during the singing of " He's a 

 jolly good fellow." Then the grand old man of Bilsdale rose to his feet, 

 and thus delivered himself : " Why Ah hev ta thank Chappie an' one 

 an' all. Ah hope Ah sail last anuther year or tweea, but yan nivver 

 knaws. Ah hope t'hunt '11 alius gan on, an' Ah will saay 'at t'hoonda 

 we hev noo are ez fahn a lot ez we hev hed sen t'awd Deeak deed. They 

 gi'e tongue weel, an' that's a gret thing. Ah heeard t'Cleveland at 



