CHAPTER XVII. 



MR. ROBEPwT LESLEY. 



Following Mr. Parrington at the head of the Sinnington 

 in 1884, came Mr. Robert Lesley, of Sinnington Lodge. 

 " He was," writes a correspondent, " a thorough sportsman, 

 and hunted to within a year of his death. A grave man 

 always, he was almost taciturn at times. He loved the very 

 smell of the soil and the open air, was a good farmer, and 

 farmed his own estate, Sinnington Lodge. A Justice of 

 the Peace for the North Riding, he also held a Major's 

 commission in the Yorkshire Artillery Militia, and anent 

 this a story is told. One Court day, at Kirbymoorside, 

 a local man was charged with poaching. Mr. Lesley was on 

 the bench, and on the defendant being fined, his mother, 

 who had a marked hatred to the Militia, paid it, and addressed 

 the Bench, and Mr. Lesley in particular, thus : " Well, 

 thenk goodness, whativver oor Jack may be, pooercher er 

 nut, he nivver hed owt ta deea wi' t' milishy." 



A friend of Mr. Lesley's wrote the following short bio- 

 graphical sketch on the M.F.H.'s death, July 1, 1905 : — 



The knowledge of the fact that "Robin Lesley," after a long illness , 

 has passed away to the " happy hunting ground," will awaken many 

 a slumbering remembrance of all that was bright and admirable in the 

 life of the deceased gentleman. Having the instincts in his character 

 of all that was manly, straight, and courageous, " Bob " Lesley well 

 might be admired by a large circle of friends. In his domestic life he 

 passed much of his time in his beautiful home at Sinnington Grange 

 surrounded by his hunters, his splendid cattle, his sporting dogs, and 

 servants as faithful and proud of their master as he was true to them. 

 At times, however, he would be other things to other men, but still 

 the vein of " the true blue blood " would be ever demonstrating itself, 

 and the kindly heart and good understanding predominated over all 

 things. As to the latter, his faithful house-keeper, with tears in her 

 eyes, could not help remarking at the graveside, " We shall never 

 see his like again " ; and who does not remember his hunting groom, 

 Jack Clark, who used to manage the deceased's stables, and sent his 



