JACK PARKEB. 209 



©vent, although the crowd of footmen were ever so ready to promise 

 1 they wadn't shoot.' On this occasion a derisive burst of laughter took 

 the place of excited holloaing, for Nanny Parker's monkey, and not the 

 fox, was shaken from the bag. He scampered off to a clump of Spanish 

 chestnut trees by the brig, scratching his rump the while. In the 

 meantime, Parker is trotting his hounds down the sloping paddock to 

 the beck, where a mighty ' Tally-ho ' is presently heard, followed an 

 instant later by a burst of music from hounds. There is a fox seen 

 taking a lap of water from the beck. He did not stop long, but making 

 direct for Edstone, turned for Marton, and after giving an excellent 

 run containing a nine mile point, eventually crossed the Kirkdale ford 

 where hounds ran out of scent. Some say there was no bagged fox, 

 and that only the monkey was set free, the fox which gave the excellent 

 gallop being viewed sunning himself by the bank ; others had it that 

 both fox and monkey were set free, whilst it was whispered that Jack 

 was seen that same evening with a fox by the scruff of the neck, which, 

 at dead of night, he took to Mary Render Hill, near the Church, and 

 in the moat around that landmark set free. The truth will never 

 now be told, nor does it signify." 



I never knew a man give such care to his horses as Jack Parker 

 (says Mr. Barr). He would have them cool and comfortable about 

 the feet and legs. He used to say, " Keep his hoof cool, the frog dressed, 

 and keep him square on his feet — no patterns — and you'll have clear 

 hocks." Carrots and boiled linseed were much used by him, and cow's 

 dung as a cooling salve for the feet. His oldest son, a smart young 

 man in his twenties, went to take care of the Pease's stables, Darlington, 

 but died of small-pox within a month. This would be near 1860. 



Once, if not more than once, Jack was in London, and, 

 indeed, was quite travelled. He was a patriotic Tyke, 

 however, and used to say on returning to Yorkshire, " Ah's 

 glad ta be back i' Ingerland." Asked by a local sportsman 

 what he thought of London, he replied, " Ah've been, an' 

 Ah've cumm'd back. Ah'm glad Ah've been, an 5 Ah'm 

 gladder ti be back. Ah nivver were i' sike a row, and nivver 

 saw so monny folks all at yance i' me life, bud then yan 

 knew neea boddy ti hev a bit o' crack wi' — an' t' hosses ! 

 Ah nivver seed sa monny brokken doon awd prods i' me life. 

 Naay, Ah caan't say Ah see owt at Lunnon ti mak all t' 

 quality gan sa offens." 



Like his old Bilsdale contemporary, Dawson, Jack was 

 fond of cricket, and played for Kirbymoorside. They some- 

 times met the Bilsdale team, and great was the competition 



o 



