MR. H. W. SELBY LOWNDES AS M.F.H. 135 



the Silton coverts and Spring Wood. The nearest meet of the Hur- 

 worth Hunt, adjoining our country in the Silton district, was at Cotcliffe. 

 The case for the Hurworth Hunt was thus set forth and 

 signed by Mr. Scurfield and Mr. Alex. Park, the latter of 

 whom was then Hon. Secretary of the Hurworth : — 



In order that the Committee may better understand the above 

 dispute, we, the Committee of the Hurworth Hunt, make the following 

 statement . — The Bilsdale Hounds have until last year been a trencher- 

 fed pack, hunting a hill country without any low ground near the 

 Hurworth Hunt. The coverts in dispute are woods forming the ex- 

 treme edge of the Hurworth country, just as the ground begins to rise 

 and form the hills. We lay before the Committee the evidence of past 

 Masters of the Hurworth Hounds to the effect that they always drew 

 these coverts as part of the Hurworth country. We also forward the 

 evidence of the owners of these coverts to the same effect, and we pro- 

 duce documentary evidence that the Hurworth drew these woods 100 

 years ago. We also file evidence that in the late Lord Feversham's 

 time the Bilsdale were stopped hunting altogether, and only resumed 

 it by permission of the present Lord. We acknowledge that we, our- 

 selves, are sowewhat to blame for the present state of affairs, because, 

 considering as we do that the Bilsdale are exclusively a hill pack, we 

 have not been so particular as we perhaps ought to have been in pro- 

 testing whenever they drew these extreme boundary coverts of ours, 

 as we know they have done from time to time, but always, as we con- 

 sidered, under protest, and by our tacit permission. It is quite possible 

 that, under the peculiar circumstances, the Bilsdale may have drawn 

 some of these woods oftener than is within our knowledge, but they have 

 not been advertised to meet there, nor have they drawn Spring Woods 

 previous to the advent of the present Master, Mr. Selby Lowndes. 

 In order to explain certain circumstances which may possibly be made to 

 appear adverse to our case, we wish to state that, when the Baby 

 Hounds were given up on the death of the Duke of Cleveland, the 

 Hurworth Hounds were invited to hunt the Durham side of the Raby 

 country. The Hurworth accepted this invitation, and allowed Mr. 

 Bell, of Thirsk, who then had a pack called the Hambleton Hounds, to 

 hunt Cotcliffe Wood, Arncliffe, Silton, and Thimbleby temporarily. 

 When the Hurworth retired from the Raby country, they reverted to 

 their own country, which had been thus temporarily lent to Mr. Bell, 

 and about the same time the Bilsdale began to hunt again after their 

 long stoppage. Of course, the Hurworth Hunt consents to abide by 

 the decision of the Association of Masters of Foxhounds. 



The late Major Elwon, an ex-M.F.H. of the Hurworth, said 

 he always drew the coverts in dispute, and considered them 

 his country. Col. A. F. Godman and Mr. W. H. A. Wharton 



