266 England's oldest hunt. 



in the Northern corner of the broad-acred Shire. It has ever 

 been the case. 



After giving a list of those who hunted with the Sinnington 

 between 1860 and 1872, and especially mentioning " Little 

 Tom Ellerby, the best rider in the hunt, who rode a small 

 pony without stirrups," said a writer in " Baily's Magazine " 

 some years ago : — 



" In 1870 we find Mr. Wm. Willis, Mr. W. Fen wick, of Ravensworth 

 Park ; and Captain Dunoombe, of Newton Hall, going well. The 

 principal supporter is Lord Feversham, who owns nearly all the land 

 they hunt over, and Mr. Darley also helps them." The interviewer 

 said, " Is Sir Hareourt Johnstone's an old country ? " " Mr. Richard 

 Hill, of Thornton Hall, near Pickering," replied the informant, " began 

 to keep hounds there in 1810, and up to his death in 1858, hunted the 

 district from Howe Bridge, near Malton, to Filey, in the East Riding, 

 and for a considerable number of year?, by permission of Sir Tatton 

 Sykes, hunted a portion of the Wold country from Sherburn to Hun- 

 manby, which was given up when Mr. Willoughby, now Lord Middleton, 

 took the country. Mr. Hill was a sort of Sir Tatton Sykes, a regular 

 old English gentleman, and noted for driving a piebald tandem. His 

 first huntsman was John Booth, who was also his keeper, and his whip 

 was Bob Hecklefield, who afterwards went to the Hurworth. On the 

 death of Mr. Hill, the hounds were hunted by Mr. John Hill, his son, 

 with a subscription for three or four years, when he sold them to Lord 

 Euston, now Duke of Grafton. Thoy were bred from Mr. Osbaldeston's 

 blood, who was a great friend of Mr. Hill, and called The Thornton. 

 Going at that time were Sir John Vanden Johnstone, father of the present 

 master, Rev. J. R. Hill, of Thornton Hall, one of the best sportsmen 

 that ever crossed a horse, though now seldom seen in the saddle ; Sir 

 Digby Cayley, of Brompton, Mr. John Baker, of Ebberston, and Mr. 

 Thomap Candler, of West Ay ton, two very old subscribers to the limit ; 

 while from Scarborough were Messrs. Fife, Chaplin, Jessop, Cadman, 

 and many men who hunt with Lord Middleton. Although no hunting 

 men reside on the estates of Lord Londesborough and Lord Downe, 

 there is no lack of foxes, although game is abundant. 



In 1862, Mr. Hareourt Johnstone took the country, started a new 

 pack, and built kennels at Snainton, which is a more central position 

 than Thornton. At first he hunted them himself, then Dick Christian, 

 a nephew of old Dick, hunted them for three seasons, Stephen Shepherd, 

 from Bedale, being whip. Afterwards, Mr. John Hill hunted the hounds 

 The country goes up on the north-west as far as Croptcn Bank, on the 

 south to Howe Bridge, near Malton, and in the East Riding as far as 

 Filey." 



Mr. John Hill died on January 30th, 1906, at the age 



