180 England's oldest hunt. 



of the hunt not up at the kill was fined 5s. Then it was customary to 

 repair to the nearest house of entertainment after a fox had been 

 killed, and having done justice to a good dinner, to spend the evening 

 with jest and song ; and every member not attending the said dinner 

 was fined 2s. 6d. A bonus of 5s. was also paid by the churchwardens 

 of each parish in which a fox chanced to be killed, so that there were 

 various sources of income, which we doubt not were pretty sharply 

 looked after. 



Of course, at this period hounds were without doubt the 

 property of the farmers, whilst it is needless to say they were 

 trencher-fed, for the Sinnington was the last of what may be 

 called the important packs to be maintained in this primitive 

 but essentially sporting manner. 



