144 England's oldest hunt. 



a portion of the estate belonging to that family. So far 

 as legend shows, Buckingham did hunt in Farndale, therefore 

 it is not unlikely that some of his hounds might be kept here — 

 for the old leases of many Yorkshire estates contained a 

 clause requiring the tenant to keep a hound. For instance, 

 those living on the Roxby estate, near Whitby, were, in their 

 agreements, required to keep a hound. By the kindness of 

 Mr. E. R. Turton I am able to give the exact wording : 



" To feed and keep for the said landlord, free of all expense, one 

 dog, bitch, or puppy during the said tenancy." 



Another interesting clause ran : — 



" Not to allow any disorderly, debauched, or criminal characters 

 to frequent his house, but to endeavour to live Godly, honestly, soberly, 

 and willingly in that station to which he has been called, and to keep 

 up the credit and respect of his village and his landlord." 



More because the Farndale country formed a portion 

 of that hunted by England's first pack, than because I am 

 at all convinced that the hunt has the same claim to antiquity 

 as the Sinnington or Bilsdale, I am including a few notes 

 regarding its personnel in this history. Farndale is smaller 

 and more isolated than Bilsdale, and because of this 

 isolation, whatever traditions there may have been in 

 connection with the hunt have never reached the outside 

 world, and having failed to collect any in the dale itself, 

 I am led to believe that much which is most interesting in 

 connection with hunting history in the sister dale is wanting 

 here. 



As the Farndale country is now constituted the pack 

 hunts the dale which give the pack its name, and also Brans- 

 dale, where they join the Bilsdale territory. Towards Kirby- 

 moorside they hunt to the right of Hutton-le-Hole, Rosedale, 

 and Danby Dale, the latter by permission of Squire W. H. A. 

 Wharton, the Master of the Cleveland. By the same 

 clemency they hunt Westerdale, and often meet at Castleton. 

 Their own country proper is defined by no very strict boun- 

 daries, insomuch as the points at which they touch the 

 Sinnington, Goathland, and Cleveland countries are not fre- 

 quently hunted by those packs, and there are few coverts 



